Pet allergies are one of the most frustrating things to deal with as pet owners. Cats and dogs don’t have voices of their own to talk about their discomfort, or to help you figure out what is wrong, and even when you can determine the source of the issue, medicine and food costs can be exclusionary.

When Zeus was brought to the Connecticut Humane Society, it was clear he had been suffering from allergies for a long time, and his previous owner came to the difficult decision to have him rehomed so he could get the long-term allergy care he desperately needed. His skin had scabbed over from itching himself raw, and his ears were a swollen mess – but the medical team at CHS got right to work. They prescribed him allergy medications to reduce his body’s reaction to environmental factors, and got him on a new food that would eliminate food allergens that may have been exacerbating his issue. The animal care team began regularly cleaning up his ears and skin so that he could heal, and then, a foster family stepped up to take in this six-year-old American Bulldog/lab mix. It would take some time to fully recover, and to ensure the medicine was doing its job for Zeus, and foster care was the best place for him to get lots of comfortable R&R.

With a diet change, new allergy medication, and soothing baths to clean up his sore skin, this big dog’s beauty was brought back to the surface in no time at all. Now that Zeus was spending less time licking and itching, his personality began to blossom. Zeus was a huge fan of meeting other dogs, and he loved playing and running around as much as he could. He needed some help with his leash skills and didn’t know too many commands, but his foster home was on it. As it turned out Zeus was a quick and very eager learner!

Not long after the itching stopped did Zeus find his new person, and his very own little doggy brother! Though Zeus will spend the rest of his life on a special diet along with daily allergy medicine, he is now as happy and itch-free as can be in a new home.