Diesel the Weasel

He is slowly getting better :) Antibiotics twice a day - thankfully he is eating and drinking normal again, so it is easy to hide them in his food! He is still a little lethargic, but it also very hot here which wouldn't be helping. I think another couple of days should see him back to his usual bouncy self :)

He is hiding under the coffee table now, but it seems a 'happier' sleep if that makes sense? And he ate all his dinner (with hidden antibiotics) :)

He is home now and looking a lot happier! He has had a drink and done a wee - never been so happy to see him peeing on my rose bush before! He is on antibiotics now for five days - so glad it didn't turn out to be anything more serious.

Just heard back from vet - the bloods only show stress to an infection. He had a grass seed stuck in his paw which my usual vet had said to wait for the cyst to burst so he could get the grass seed out. The vet now thinks that this is the most likely cause of whatever infection is in his blood. She has taken the seed out (apparently he just sat there and let her cut it out without sedation!) He is looking a lot happier after being rehydrated and she said I can pick him up this afternoon once the drip has finished :) He will be home for Christmas after all!! Thanks everyone for your well wishes! Fingers crossed this was the cause of the infection and he will get better from now !

He is at the vets now on a drip. Still waiting to hear about the blood test results.

Have rung the vet surgery - the vet is with someone atm, but is going to call me back. His gums are definitely dry. I just hate the thought of him being away from me at Christmas!

How would I know? I guess at this stage, anything is possible! This is very unlike him.... With a UTI/bladder/kidney stones the dog would be constantly trying to urinate and may have leakage/be in pain. (our latest rescue girl had both ) That doesn't sound like what is going on. He has not been urinating at all since yesterday and does not seem to be in any pain.

I don't have a thermometer. He has had nothing to eat or drink since yesterday morning. I just tried some weak chicken stock and he just turned his head away from it.

How would I know? I guess at this stage, anything is possible! This is very unlike him....

A full blood panel will help diagnose his problem. Does he have a temperature? Any Schnauzer that is unusually quiet and won't eat/drink is a worry. You could try a little chicken stock in his water to encourage drinking. I would not give milk at this stage in case he has pancreatitis. Keep a close eye on him today and if you are really concerned I would take him back to the vet/emergency vet as they may need to rehydrate him with fluids. Let us know what the bloods say - very best wishes for him. His temperature yesterday was on the high side of normal. The vet will be calling me this afternoon with the results. How do I know if he is seriously dehydrated? How long can a dog go without a drink before it becomes serious?

For the second time in 3 weeks my mini schnauzer boy (6yo) is not eating or drinking and just lays under the bed all day and night. I took him to the vet the first time and he had enlarged lymph glands to the point that he yelped in pain when the vet tried to open his mouth. He was put on antibiotics and antiinflammatories for a week. It took 4 days before he showed signs of getting his usual energy back, by the end of the week he appeared to be back to normal. He has been fine for a week then yesterday crashed again. He has not had anything to eat or drink since a small drink of water yesterday morning. I took him back to the vet yesterday (unfortunately I had to go to a different vet as my usual surgery is closed for the Christmas break). He could not find any signs of inflammation or pain anywhere on his body. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, but that is the only external sign that he is not well. He has taken bloods and I get the results back later today. Meanwhile, I am incredibly worried about him - particularly as he is not drinking. Is there anyway I can tempt him to drink? I have even tried a small amount of milk but he just turns his head away from anything I offer him. Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks poodle wrangler! I have actually now booked a trainer to help me with this. It is expensive, but worth it I think! I couldn't bear it (or afford it) if I ended up in court because he bit a kid! Wish me luck in getting him sorted out

Hi KatieK I have heard of a trainer called Chris Farrell (could have the surname wrong). He is with barkbusters - they have a website. I have actually booked him for my dog - will see him in a couple of weeks. I have know a couple of people who have used him and say he is amazing. He is supposed to be a bit of a 'dog whisperer'. He charges a one off fee of $395, and the first session is around 3 hours. This cost gives you a guarantee for the life of your dog. If you need more help he will come back at no extra charge. My friend that used him had a Rottie that was giving him heaps of trouble, but after 3 hours with Chris, he said his dog was perfectly behaved. He hasn't had to call him back again either. I am hoping he will work for me! Good luck Kate

Thanks for your ideas. I do practice recall with treats when he is off lead, and usually he is very good, but when he is in kid stalking mode, it is like he doesn't hear me at all. I don't have kids, so the only exposure to children he has had is in parks etc. There are some boys at the local park I go to that used to raz him up and get him to chase them. I have stopped this game as I was concerned it might be causing the problem. It just seems so strange that some days he is fine, and other days he is quite aggro. I can't see what the trigger is - but you are right - when kids start flapping their arms and screaming and running, it definetly encourages him to chase them and bark more. I have never seen any children be mean to him while he is with me, but I have been on holidays and he has stayed with friends or family - I would have no idea if anything happened in those times, although I would think they would tell me..... I have been recommended by a friend a trainer who worked with his Rottie for about 3hours and sorted a few problems out. Not sure if they were aggression problems, but thought it might be the only way for me to go? I can't bear the thought that he might one day take it a step further, and I want to go back to having the friendly dog that he used to be! Have other DOLer's out there had a similar problem and managed to train their dog out of it?

I have a 14month old male MS. He has always been a really sweet and friendly dog with everyone, but when he hit about 9-10months he suddenly started barking at kids and scaring them. As yet he has not bitten anyone, but small children get really scared when he runs at them barking. At the moment, if he is on lead when he does it I pull him back and growl 'NO' at him; if he is off lead I grab his collar (although he is sometimes difficult to catch), put him back on lead and growl 'NO'. Some days he is fine - lets kids pat him or just ignores them, and other days he barks at all of them. Has anyone got any suggestions as to why he has started doing this? I can't think of any time where kids have been mean to him, so can't understand why he has become aggro towards them. Also, is there anything else I can do to stop this behaviour? Now I put him on lead as soon as I see kids anywhere nearby - I don't enjoy off lead walks on the beach etc. nearly as much as I used to as I am constantly on 'kid alert'. I have completed basic training with him and about to start the intermediate class tonight, but hasn't seemed to help. He is very good when there are no kids around, but as soon as he is barking at one, any training seems to go out the window and he won't come or sit until I actually grab his collar then he listens to me again. Any help would be appreciated. I really would like to get rid of this behaviour. I would hate for it to go too far one day and he actually bites a kid. Thanks :rolleyes: Kate

Have you found a good vets that does a puppy preschool yet? That was the best thing I did with my boy. It is important to socialise them with other dogs, not just each other. Puppy preschool is a safe place to do that.

I was told not to bathe them more than once every 2 weeks unless they are REALLY stinky. Too much strips their fur of natural oils. I try and make my boy go longer than that between baths - he hates them anyway! In between, if he has dirty paws, bum or beard, I wipe with baby wipes which he loves!! (Yes, I have a strange dog....)

My pup used to bite and nip all the time. I was continually covered in cuts as he was breaking the skin. I tried everything suggested by others on this forum - timeouts, ignoring, yelping, growling, spraying water in the face.....(the list goes on!) Nothing worked. Then he hit 5 1/2 months and has just finished teething, and all the biting and nipping has stopped! My arms are now sore free! i am not saying don't try everything else, but maybe your pup will eventually grow out of it!

My puppy went through the same surgery - not due to stones, but he had a rota virus that infected his bowel. It took a while (10 days at the vets, and a few weeks recovery at home), but he is now completely back to normal. Best wishes for you and Bailey.

I have actually had my puppy for 10 weeks. He is well into my routine and training. Why would I leave a puppy with the breeder for that long?? Thanks LilyW - I am more worried that he will be having so much fun with another dog (which he has met and played with before) and a kid as well, that he won't want to come back to boring me! He will be in puppy heaven! It does mean that I can relax on my holiday though, knowing that he will be well looked after!

Just a question for my interest....... I am going overseas for 3 weeks. I have organised a lady from my work to look after my 18 wk MS puppy as she has a 18 month old MS herself and she is home all of January with her 11 yo daughter, so I know Diesel will be well looked after.... But I am wondering if he will have forgotton me or my house after 3 weeks? Do puppies remember their owners and their training? Has anyone else had to leave their puppy for this long?

Diesel has started chewing my arm (quite hard and breaking skin) and nipping at my legs when I walk around the house. I am wondering why he is doing this? I know he is at the age to start teething (4 months), but he has HEAPS of toys. I have visitors from overseas staying with me and he is nipping them as well. Is this just an attention thing that will stop? I have tried telling him off, but think that may just be attention for him. I have also tried ignoring him (just keeps biting, and it HURTS so can't ignore for long and visitors are getting very annoyed) and have tried a water squirter, but he now just drinks it! Help! What else can I do?

Maybe only pay her attention when she is not barking, and stop playing with her when she is barking?? Just a guess......

I have only decorated the top half of the tree (it looks pretty funny!) But he was inside for the evening while I was out for dinner, so he had plenty of time to get at the decorations! Brings a whole new meaning to 'Christmas Poo'. :D

Sorry flycow, I am not much help - mine doesn't eat them that quickly so I am only buying a few at a time. I have seen a website that sells all sorts of things like that (ears and other dried meats) in bulk, but can't remember what the site is called. Maybe someone else out there knows it? Maybe google pigs ears!