About a month ago, Maizie started scratching her ears and licking and chewing the base of her tail. She would whimper and cry when she scratched herself. I have never seen a flea on her in her life, but since we had been to the dog park the day before she started this behavior, I put some Frontline on her. It didn't help at all.

After 2 days of this, and no sleep for either of us, I took her to the vet. She was running a fever and I could tell she felt bad. The vet diagnosed allergic dermatitis and said he'd normally give her a cortisone shot, but it was contraindicated when the dog has a temp. He put her on oral antibiotics and prescribed a $40 tube of ointment with cortisone and antifungal medicine in it.

I bought the smallest e-collar at Petsmart and put it on her because she wouldn't stop the biting and licking, and all the hair was off the base of her tail.

I thought it was doing the trick, but within a couple hours saw her twisted around and biting her tail again -- yes, because she is longer (her mom is 1/2 mini dachshund) the collar doesn't keep her from reaching her tail -- her neck is long and it slides down.

So I took her to the vet again, but a different vet this time. She wasn't running a temp, so he gave her a steroid shot and said to leave the e-collar on her and try to use the ointment as much as possible & to continue the antibiotics til they were gone.

Within a week and a half she wasn't scratching any more, and the hair started growing back.

A week ago, she started again with the scratching, licking & chewing on the base of her tail. I took her back to the vet AGAIN, and he gave her another shot. I dropped her off so they could observe her and run any necessary tests. He said while she was there and in the cage at his office she didn't scratch or bite herself.

The second I got her home, she started it up again. I called the vet back and he said he could put her on steroids, but he recommended a new medication for allergic dermatitis called Atopica, and said it is effective without the bad side effects of steroids. The downside is that it's expensive -- the first month will be $50, and she'll have to take it the rest of her life, he said.

I've already spent almost $250, and I can't afford to keep taking her to the vet, and I don't know if I can afford the Atopica. I love her with all my heart, but I just can't afford all this.

Please, does anyone have any advice or suggestions? I'm at my wit's end and don't know what to do...I know she is miserable, too, because she is crying as she scratches herself...

Thanks for any and all comments.

Dana B & Maizie