Alright this picture looks nasty as all get out, but I then boiled four small chicken breasts. Ugh...the picture really makes me want to gag. After I boiled it, I cut it up into little cubes.

For those of you wondering, yes Bo still sleeps with me at night. He starts off the night in his crate and then usually around 1:00 he starts to whine and needs to come into bed with me. He curls right up into my side and usually stays there for the majority of the night. If he wants to get under the blankets he will paw at my shoulder until I lift the blankets up for him. Bo really likes to cuddle and snuggle during the night. In the morning when he wakes up he lays on his back and must have his tummy scratched before he gets out of bed.

The biggest issue Bo is facing right now is allergies. We have been to the vet every four to five weeks since May! I'm not even exaggerating when I say that. It has been horrible! (and expensive!) Bo's problems started in May and have gotten progressively worse all summer. First it just started out with little red bumps under his chin that would not go away. After a few days I took him to the vet and she said it was most likely seasonal allergies and that he was probably having a reaction to all the grass and flowers that were starting to bloom. He was given antibiotics and a steroid to keep him from itching his little chin off. That pattern continued all summer. He would get better for a few weeks then a few weeks later the spots would reappear.

By the end of August the vet and I began to wonder if Bo was having an allergic reaction to the rawhide bones he was chewing on. Uhm, did you all know that rawhide bones are made from the skim that comes off of cow bones after they take all the meat off of the bone. GROSS!! Apparently beef is a common allergy for dogs. So I took all of Bo's rawhides away and boy was he sad. He loved chewing on those nasty things. Again, his chin cleared up and I thought maybe things were getting better. I was wrong!

By the middle of September the poor little guy was covered in little red hives all over his tummy and under his chin. He also began itching almost none stop. He would itch and scratch so bad that he would even cry. I tried the Benadryl thing for a while, but it just wasn't helping all that much. So off the vet we went again. This time instead of oral steroids that I would give Bo he was given a shot that was to last four to six week and relieve the itching Bo was having. At that appointment the vet told me that typically dogs don't start experiencing allergies until later in life and that it was pretty unusual for a dog of Bo's age to have allergies, especially allergies as bad as he was having. Just my luck! The vet and I decided that Bo would need allergy testing to find out exactly what he was allergic to. Since the shot he was given was supposed to last four to six weeks we figured around the middle of November he would get the testing done. See, the catch is that Bo can not have any of the shot or other allergy medicine in his system at the time of testing because it will not give clear results.

Well that last shot was exactly four weeks ago yesterday. Any of you want to take a guess as to what Bo broke into over the weekend? If you guessed more hives and itching then you were right. Two days before the shot was even supposed to start wearing off Bo began itching and he itched all weekend long. There is no fur behind his ears, his tummy is all red and broke out, his chin looks like road rash, and he is also losing a little fur around his eyes. He also started chewing on his back legs like they are a piece of corn on the cob. I felt so bad for him Sunday night that I wanted to cry. I felt bad for him and I am starting to get very frustrated because I don't know what to do to help him. The only good thing is he is acting all right, it's not like it is knocking him down or anything but still I know it hurts him when he itches.

Yesterday morning we went back to the vet. He didn't see his usual vet, but another in the office. She said the same thing that he was way way to young to be having allergies this severe so young in life and said that we definitely need to get the allergy testing done. She had to give him another shot to help with all the inflammation so hopefully he can make it six weeks without a break out and then he can have the testing done. The vet also said Bo could be well on his way to prescription dog food. Yeah, you read that right prescription dog food. Dog food to the tune of $70-$90 a bag!!!!! YIKES!!! We left the vet yesterday with another bill around $100, more antibiotics, a pro biotic to help him digest the food, and fish oil to help calm down his itchy skin.

Just by guessing they are thinking that Bo does have environmental allergies, but they are also thinking he has sever food allergies. Most likely allergic to beef, wheat, and corn. Those seem to be the top allergies in dogs. Almost all the dog food on the market is made with corn, that is why she suggested prescription food. I however did some research yesterday on the internet and I found a recipe for home made dog food. It has either rice or oatmeal, two white potatoes, one sweet potato, carrots, and chicken. So starting tomorrow I'm going to start making Bo's food. He didn't have any of these problems when he was on puppy food. I'm thinking it has to be something in all the processed dog foods. I mean I was going to make my own baby food for the baby, so I guess why not do it for Bo right? Please tell me I'm not crazy for doing this. I just don't know what else to do for him, I thought it was worth a shot.

Other than Bo's allergy related drama he is doing really good. His behavior is getting better and better all the time. He goes to Puppy Camp one day a week and absolutely loves it. He loves playing and socializing with all the other dogs. I ask him in the morning if he wants to go to school and he will go and get his leach. His leach that he only wears at school. Yeah, he is that smart! He even knows when I'm having a bad day. On Sunday night when I went to bed, he curled up right next to me and laid his head on my chest and fell asleep that way. My brother is bringing his Boston Terrier home for Thanksgiving, Bo and Porter always have a great time playing together.

Well, by now I'm sure all of you are bored out of your minds reading about Bo's allergies. I still can't believe that he has been here for a year. I love the little guy so much and he really has helped me through the most difficult time of my life. Even the vet said the other day that she can tell that Bo and I have a very special relationship. I would say that we do.

Do any of you have any other tips or suggestions with dogs with severe allergies? I would greatly appreciate any help you may have.

Can we say spoiled little dog? All of these were birthday gifts for him. Some are from me, others are from my parents, sister, brother and his fiancee Erika.

This picture just cracks me up.

Nobody touch my Kong...It's mine...all mine