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RuralPug

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Everything posted by RuralPug

  1. I know I'm a bit late on this thread but I thought it was worth adding that "luxating patella" is not so easily compared between individuals. It is actually more of a description of a symptom than a defined condition in some ways. There is a HUGE range from one extreme of the condition to another - with some the damage is not going to get markedly worse because of the TYPE of wear and tear, with others they can go for years and years wearing it away until the joint is suddenly useless and painful and others have immediate damage that needs fixing fast. Some of the worst cases only limp intermittently and some of the least damaged cannot seem to put any weight on the joint. You have done EXACTLY the right thing by Judd by getting several opinions (sadly there are some shonkies out there who will always grab the $$$ for surgery of this kind even in those instances where it is not needed.) Get each of those opinions to explain clearly to you what TYPE of damage is in the joint and their opinion of how it will proceed in the medium and long term. If two out of the three opinions agree in the details then to me it would make sense to go with ther advice. So some dogs don't need surgery at all, some need it but it can be deferred for varying lengths of time without too much damage and others need it ASAP. Yet you might be surprised at the discomfort levels between individuals in those three situations. It really does need vet diagnosis, which of course you have done and are doing, I guess I'm just trying to hammer the point across to someone reading this who might think that 'cos his auntie's pup with LP never had the surgery and was as right as rain for the rest of it's life, then therefore his own vet was a money hungry con artist for saying that HIS pup needs surgery. Sorry for the rant, it wasn't aimed at you...
  2. Most of the supplements for senility seem to be touted only by their inventors/manufacturers, so I would be quite wary. Of those that do list ingredients, there don't seem to be any that share ingredients!!!! Looking at the ingredients in that Hills b/d diet, it uses a lot of plant phytates and then has to add the minerals back in DOH! I would think your girl is better on what you are feeding, but maybe increase the lean red meat content to increase zinc intake plus at least one feed of fish per week? Chuck a few egg yolks in as well. If she is not on arthritis meds or Joint Guard or similar you might want to think about those also. The bottom line is you should juggle your meat types (red/white/fish) a bit until you find the proportions that suit her best. JMO. You might find that others in your yard do better on slightly different proportions. My seniors (small breed) do best when their meat is roughly 1/3 each type. Bearing in mind that your old girl has possibly only been on a decent diet since February, you might want to consider giving her a mineral supplement for 3-6 weeks or an immune system booster as a kick start whilst you are juggling the diet. That's my two cents, you'll probably get lots of suggestions, we won't all be right so have fun choosing!
  3. No personal experience but I have read on an OES forum that these vitiligo-like symptoms might be caused by plastic water bowls and food dishes. Bacteria can hide in scratches in the plastic (even if it looks spotless) and could cause an allergy response. Changing to glazed ceramic or stainless steel will help if that is the case - also remove any plastic toys. I know in my breed acne is often aggravated by plastic utensils.
  4. Did some googling for you. :rolleyes: Epi Otic active ingredients = Lactic acid & salicylic acid. A great product for cleansing otherwise healthy ears but maybe not so good for intensive long term use? Wouldn't hurt to switch to another product on this dog. Couple of popular ones to choose between: Illium Ear Drops (mfr claims active against mites AND bacteria And fungal infections) Active ingredients:Dichlorophen 5mg/mL, Lignocaine HCl 5mg/mL, Piperonyl butoxide 5mg/mL, Pyrethrins 500µg/mL. Vets All Natural Herbal Ear Cleanser: Active ingredients:aloe vera juice, sea minerals, 3% hydrogen peroxide & tea tree oil. I have nfi what "sea minerals" are supposed to be but the rest should be ok against minor infections as well as dissolving wax. Personally I would try the Illium if you suspect mites but I imagine that if the vet is suggesting cortisone cream that mites have been ruled out. In which case aloe vera juice and tea tree oil sound good to me... but then again the lignocaine in the Illium is probably going to soothe any irritation faster. There are other products - you choose. But considering the length of time here I would stop using the Epi Otic on him. JMO.
  5. Is it possible that this is a vicious circle and he is creating these by vigourous scratching because the ears are itchy? Maybe an elizabethan collar for a couple of weeks to see if they do away when he can't scratch?
  6. I used to holiday sit a Pug bitch whose pancreatitis had to be controlled by daily insulin injections as well as diet. Be absolutely a food Nazi with them. Watch for excessive drinking in dogs withthis condition as it can be a sign of pancreatic collapse.
  7. I too would like to hear the OP's answer. Sometimes dogs with kidney problems need to have less protein by quantity (but the same amount in quality). BTW, the canid group of carnivores (inlcluding dogs) need less protein in their diet than the felid group (which includes cats). Edited 'cos I'm having probs with new keybourd autosubmitting aaaargh! Edited again for major typos.
  8. Long weight bearing mammal bones don't splinter - marrow bones, shins, also ox-tail, ox knuckles and roo-tail are very strong. With poultry it seems to be the opposite IMO - the drumstick bones are brittle can splinter & the others seem comparitively non-brittle. Any bone will be brittle if cooked, of course, which is why you should NEVER feed cooked bones. I find that most "offcuts" tend to be more fat than bone, which may be fine for some dogs, but not really good for my seniors. My meat wholesaler has a great range of smoked bones - no fat, no marrow & no splinters which suits me just fine as "toothbrush" food. For calcium I give chicken necks (but they are a choking hazard to my small breed so I supervise carefully) and sardines.
  9. Wasn't going to put myself on this list but have been convinced (yes, you! ) it is only fair to others that i do so. So here goes: Name: Angela Age (optional): mmmmm, quite mature (hint: all my kids have grown up & left home) :cool: Location: Bit of a drive west of Ballarat & north of Geelong (Victoria) Rescue Group: Not formally associated with any one group Time in Rescue: Have no idea how to assess this? Have been helping to rehome dogs on & off since the 1970's Who can vouch for: DOLer connections: have fostered for Jeannine (PugRescue Vic), have assisted in transport/vet work/rehome for Tina (esky) & have done yard check for Anna (Powerlegs). Preferred Breed: Pug, but will transport/foster/assist with any breed. Seniors a specialty. Experience (if any): Grew up in show/breeding household, kennelmaid to Yorkie/Silky knls as teenager, bred/showed 1970s - early 1990's, retired to concentrate on raising kids instead, now have "Pugtirement Home" for other ppl's ex-showies. Two years RSPCA(SA) Inspector when stationed at Woomera plus assiting visiting vet there. I have always assisted in fostering/re-homing strays, neighbour's beasts etc. and have no idea of the number that have passed through here in the past decade or so. I am an MDBA member and adhere to MDBA ethics. Microchip/Vaccination/Desexing/Heartworm test: No rescue/rehome passes through my hands without me ensuring these are done. Exceptions may be made for those passing though on their way to an accredited rescue where I know these will be done. worming: YES flea & tick treatment: YES vet work if required: YES basic training/teach manners. YES house train dogs: YES for small & medium dogs Dogs inside the home or outside: small & mediums live indoors, large & giant live outdoors & visit indoors Are you prepared to give extra care for a submissive nervous dog: Yes, with a but: I am back in the workforce now so I cannot supervise 24 hrs a day, unsocialised or problem fosters get crated or penned when I am working (40 hrs week) or absent. This would not be suitable for every type of problem dog.
  10. Hi! If you want her in show trim then the best thing is to get advice from her breeder who can surely recommend someone in Melbourne even if the breeder is not local. If she just needs to be neat and tidy as a pet then maybe ask any of your neighbours who have coated dogs if they can recommend a local salon? Don't be shy - ask someone walking their dog!
  11. It is a bit hard to tell size from that photo...how big are they please?
  12. Loved that story! :D ;) That lady can really write!! Another Dremmel (well cheap version of oneanyway!) fan here. Superfantastic for black nails where you can't see the quick. Luckily mine love the extra lap time and don't need peanut butter! LOL!
  13. Me too - 15 mins down. Mine are vaccuums, but sometimes I get a visitor/foster who takes a few days to get the drift. I just tip it into a separate airtight container and put it back down next meal time. That way the bowl gets washed with the others. Once though, I had one who would pick up the bits of kibble and sort of suck them a bit then spit them back into the bowl eeeewwwwww! I threw her leftovers out!
  14. Gentle & mild baby shampoos I have used with no problem though I will normally use a canine shampoo. On really really dirty visitors/fosters I have been known to use unscented dishwashing liquid for the first lather... I have personally seen two dogs (1 x SBT, 1 x Silky cross) with burn scars from human shampoo applied incorrectly - in both cases the idiot owners barely wet the dog then poured the shampoo on undiluted and massaged it in roughly without further wetting it and didn't rinse the poor dog properly to boot - that is when the ph difference comes into play as dog skin is much thinner than human skin. I have heard of other instances also. So although I suspect that human shampoo is okay if used with care and diligently rinsed out, nevertheless, people being people, I will always recommend using a dog shampoo simply because it is very difficult for even the most careless idiot to burn their pet's skin when using dog shampoo. This is NOT an attack on those who successfully use human shampoo - you are obviously doing it in a risk free fashion. Just, please, don't assume that everybody you might recommend it too is also going to use correct methods when bathing.
  15. I had a foster Peke here with similar itching - it was driving her nuts. She had recently been clipped for summer, I assumed it was an allergy of some sort. Vet agreed - no sign of demodex, fleas or yeast. I bathed her in Fido's Soap Free Aloe Vera Gel & rinsed her in a 50% dilution of Apple Cider Vinegar (the unfiltered type from horse stores). After the first treatment the itching markedly reduced. Repeated the following week and no further symptoms. I was adding ACV to her food as well, that may also have helped.
  16. Give your body time to adjust. In the meantime barrier cream on your hands plus long sleeves when cuddling may help plus antihistaminines. If these puppies are the only ones you have reacted to there is a very good chance your body will adjust to them within a few weeks. If, however, you have had this reaction in the past with other breeds then you may need to go through a desensitisation course.
  17. I am really sorry, but to get your vet to take it seriously you are going to have to stop the dosing with Scourban every week. Let the dog not eat. Put down his food twice a day, pick it up again after 10 minutes. If it is still a full bowl, chuck most of it away and then feed the mouthful that is left to another dog - where he can see. (Oh I am a meanie at times!!) If he is still on a hunger strike on day 6 THEN take him to the vet and ask for a diagnosis. Also ask what 18 months worth of weekly Scourban has done to his digestive system - I hope nothing permanent. Edited to add : on rereading this looks a bit harsh I'm sorry. If there is a digestive problem then the scourban is killing off good intestinal fauna every week. Could you try stimulating the digestive system with brewers yeast and yogurt/Protexin? Google to find dosage based on his bodyweight.
  18. Most products need to be applied at least daily. Some dogs don't like sprays at all, try the creams (like Troy Fly Repella which is also good on flybitten ears). Those of mine that don't like sprays, I dampen a face washer with the spray and rub them with that - quicker because they don't wriggle so much! I can't imagine that sump oil would do anything at all (except maybe suffocate any maggots) Dettol/water 50/05 mix is an excellent fly repellent, but do not use on dogs that have open cuts or sores as it is too caustic. It is great to spray on their beds/favourite nap spots etc. Edited for grammar oops to to say to Winterpaws that the mfrs claim you can use Permoxin daily with no ill effects (in fact they recommend that for fleas and flies).
  19. That would be good news! He should come good in a couple of days then! I always thought limber tail/cold water tail affected the entire tail and not just part of it, so I've learned something new here! Never too old too learn, are we?
  20. My neighbours had a mutt (huge schnauzery looking thing) that broke his tail right smack in the middle. Vet didn't even splint it - said it would heal on it's own and it did, a little crooked, but otherwise fully functional. But I also know of dogs who've needed broken tails amputated due to nerve injuries, sorry. I don't think you can predict either way without a professional opinion. I did find a personal experience webpage with some interesting links here
  21. That's interesting. Juliette de Bairacli Levy who mentions four different external treatments for all types of mange, also has a garlic treatment: Slice up three whole roots of garlic, consisting of about 20 cloves and add to this two handfuls of finely chopped elder leaves and stalks. Place all in a pan with one quart of cold water, bring to a boil and simmer slowly for half an hour. Keep covered throughout. Do not strain. Allow to brew, covered, for at least seven hours. The lotion is then ready for use. Soak large pieces of cotton in the brew and friction the entire body very well. This was to be applied once a week after bathing in both soap flakes and an olive-oil soap. Also Two to three tablespoons of the brew to be given internally early morning and at night. Please note I am not recommending this - I would worry a bit about the "friction" part at the very least I am sure. I just thought it was interesting. Most dogs love garlic I don't think it would do any harm to give him a bit of minced garlic in his food. I would heartily second Cavandra's comments generally re boosting the immune system by attention to diet. Iodine via kelp or seaweed plus unfiltered whole apple Apple Cider Vinegar (I would give with meal 2.5 ml daily for a 10kg dog JMO). Personally, as well as attention to diet as above I would continue with the treatments prescribed by your vet. Once you had two in a row scrapings clear of mites, then I would probably give the Ivermectin and pyohex the heave ho and stick with the diet changes and Advocate. That is just my opinion, no doubt others may differ, it is up to you to choose what suits you and your dog best. Keep trying stuff until you find what works for you is my best advice.
  22. In a healthy desexed adult bitch, hormones ought to be fairly stable. In a young desexed bitch however, there will still be some hormonal fluctuations associated with growth. In a large breed like the GSD these could maybe happen up until about 18 months or so. It's weird that this is not so much a LOSS of appetite (which would send me scurrying off for tests) but just a CHANGE in appetite. She is still happily eating her kibble and "undoctored" mince but not the extras and yummy stuff. :cool: If she is otherwise alert, healthy and happy then perhaps it's just a quirk. You could try cutting down her kibble ration a little and seeing if she then becomes more interested in sardines, liver etc. Or, alternatively see if tipping the cod liver oil ration over her kibble will get it down her. Not sure if it would work to add ACV to dry though, I always add it to the meat/veg part. One more suggestion - try mixing the ACV ration into the chicken mince as before, but then pouring a little hot water over the mince (about 2 tblspns over 300g should go) and letting stand for 1 min. Of course she will still smell the ACV but hopefully the yummier smell of warmed mince will be just too irresistable. Edited 'cos I got tsps and tblspns mixed up!!! :D:D
  23. For a fantastic set of instructions on how to Dremmel dogs nails, go to www.dober.com (not giving a link because she does change the webhost from time to time) and click on "How to Dremel Dog Nails" in the navigation pane. When I first tried I was using a grinding stone instead of a sanding drum & the dogs didn't like it at all - but once I followed the above instructions it was fantastic. My Pugs all have black nails and they all hate being clipped. It took a little while to get them used to the noise of the Dremel (actually I use a $20 rotary tool but it works just as well!) but now instead of wrestling with them and having them jerk their paw in the wrong direction just as I clip so that the quick gets cut & reinforces the whole negative thing, they actually sit quietly on my lap and even nod off to sleep with the Dremel!! The great thing about it is that even if you file back to the quick it is instantly cauterised (sp?) so no pain or bleeding. I find it is FASTER to file four dogs with the Dremel than to clip, but mostly I think that's because I do not have to re-wrestle them into the football hold after every nail. The only thing is that if your starting point is a really long nail (in a rescue for instance) then the Dremel probably won't get it shortened enough in one session (and the dog probably not used to the noise either). But for an ordinary regular trim, I am a definite convert to filing with the Dremel!
  24. Yep totally off Sardines & now that you mention liver she has gone off that too. I usually give it once a week or once a fortnite & the last 2 times I gave it she wouldn't touch it. I gave her a heart the other day she left it for a while then came back for it. Just seems to like her chicken mince at the moment as well as frames & wings. She is also on Advance biscuits & it fine still with those. Has me beat. Edited to add - she's gone off liver as well? Could it be a hormone thing then?? Like some pups get funny taste things around early adolescence (6 - 10 months depending on breed size)?? Or is she due to come on heat soon?? I knew a bitch who was a piranha until just before her seasons & then she became Little Miss Fussy for a few weeks.
  25. Yes, I, too increase up to the daily amount slowly to accustom newbies to the taste. Slightly OT, sorry, but, gee, 1 tsp a week for a GSD doesn't sound like a lot. I give mine 1ml per approx 5kg bodyweight daily, added to their meat/veg mix and then their kibble ration over that. So the tinies get 1ml, most of the Pugs 2ml, the corgi cross got 2.5 ml etc. etc. How much do others add? Belated edit to say I'm talking about ACV dosage but dopey me has just realised that the 1tsp a week you're talking about is probably cod liver oil? [[[slinks off embarrassed]]]
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