Have an itchy dog? There is hope...

Does this look like your itchy dog? 

There is relief in site! There has been a new drug come out into the veterinary market called Apoquel. It is for the itchy dog that nothing seems to work? Or if it does it has negative side effects associated with it?  

 A rash can be a sign of one of many skin diseases. Rashes may be caused by an allergic response to something your dog came in contact with, a food it ate or a medication. Or a rash can be a sign of skin parasites (fleas or mites), a fungal infection, bacterial or yeast infections, immune-mediated disease or seborrhea.
If your pet has a rash, see your veterinarian to help determine the cause and recommend a treatment program.

 APOQUEL is prescribed by veterinarians for dogs over 1 year of age to help lessen itch and inflammation due to allergic skin disease. It  is not a steroid, antihistamine or cyclosporine (a type of drug that reduces immune system activity). It is a new class of drug that blocks allergic itch at the source, with fewer of the side effects you may have seen with
other therapies.you can use APOQUEL in the short term. It begins relieving the itch within 4 hours, with effective control within 24 hours. This drug  may be given to your dog with or without food. Here is the the link from the company Zoetis ( the maker of Apoquel). Contact us today if your pet suffers from itchy allergies, to discuss if this treatment option is right for your pet.

https://www.zoetisus.com/apoquel-pet-owner/index.aspx?utm_source=owner&utm_medium=click&utm_campaign=Apoquelztssite

And that's a wrap!

Well the team did it! We are so proud of them, they are on their way home. They stopped for a day of rest and relaxation after working so very hard! Here is Natalie with a quick tour of Antigua, and a final tally of numbers for you!

Just another day in Todos Santos

We have some positives to report from Todos Santos. Dr. Lechten and Natalie sponsor some children from the region to attend school. School is not readily available for the older children. Schooling must be paid and you also need to buy books, supplies and internet time for homework. There is also clothing to buy. Many families cannot afford to lose income as the children usually go to work, Here is an update of how the children are doing in school, and a photo of their report cards.

The children and their proud mothers showing off their report cards.

Below it appears that someone has brought in a dog that has recently has puppy's that is not in the best of health. Dr. Elena Garde of the GAAP appears to be treating her.

In the eyes of Kris...

Looks like things are starting to roll. Here is the latest video sent to us by Kris Hughston- one of our volunteers helping with our campaign.

Looks like the hospital in the "Salon" known as the municipal building is all set to go and start helping the patients of Todos Santos, Guatemala!

Setting up the make shift hospital

So here it is, the day before the opening. A quick view of the local community hall being transformed into the temporary clinic. As Natalie explains the different sections of the hall...

Locals will walk from near and far to be lined up in the morning well before the doors open. There will be interpreters available for most of the people who only speak Spanish or Mam the local language.

They made it!

So our team has checked in with us, and continued to send us short videos of their trek.

Here they are departing in a van for the 10 hour drive up into the mountains with supplies and luggage strapped to the roof.

 Early Friday morning April 8-

Friday April 8th- Day one they have arrived in Todos Santos. Here Melissa narrates what the town is like in the hilly region. Can you imagine walking miles and miles with your pet for a rabies vaccine? This is what the local do each year when the team arrives.

Saturday April 9- Day two. This video although loud so its hard to hear what is actually going on,  depicts "Community Day" in the square of downtown Todos Santos. This is where "WE "the volunteers have a huge part. All the GAAP volunteers set up stations, for adults and children to participate in. Each station consists of a craft or education center where they can learn about important information about their pets health. This day starts off with the Saturday market early in the morning, vendors start setting up at 4 am! It continues through the morning until lunch then you have to wait until the following Saturday for it again!

Early morning departure to Pearson Airport

Thursday 2:00 am. Day one of the journey begins with an EARLY 2 am meeting at the hospital to load the supplies to get to the Toronto airport. Here the ladies have arrived at the airport unloading luggage and totes of supplies before boarding. Their adventure starts with their first flight to Miami airport where they will have a short layover and catch their second flight into Guatemala City. We wish them the best and safest travel as possible. We will connect with them later on as they arrive and get set up. Stay tuned followers!

Thursday 3:06 pm. They have arrived! Here is Melissa giving us a quick tour of Guatemala City....