Papillon Kisses

Vets in Sydney will check for microchips and call owners. If there is no microchip or no response they call the relevant pound/ranger to collect if at the end of the day no one has come. People who have lost their pets call all the local vets and pounds to see if their dog has been found; they are unable to door knock every home, and the dog may have a behaviour issue (scared of dogs or kids) or medical problem for all they know. I get quite cross when people keep dogs because they think they know better. In your scenario, if I had the presence of mind I’d have taken a photo before trying to retrieve the dog as sightings are helpful, even if the dog has gone from that exact spot.

Absolutely!

Prime 100 can be frozen, so I would assume other brands can too.

Or this! https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/15/kelpie-fetches-world-breaking-35200-at-australian-working-dog-auction

I know people who have a designated ladle.

I second asking vet about Denamarin for a simpler option.

If there is one word of praise that she loves beyond measure you might like to add a sign to that when you say it. I regretted not doing that. Being told he was clever made Malcolm light up. In any case, I kept talking. I figure talking changes our facial expressions and body language, all of which dogs read. And who knows about dogs but I think if my loved one’s faces just went blank (and I could see them even with limited vision) I might find that sad?

Studies. Actual peer reviewed studies in veterinary journals. Not things written by people who sell products. Lol. And FYI I have previously had a prescription for medicinal cbd from a vet pain specialist. Prescribed in combination with other medications (and a pre/rehab plan). If you think anything including a “natural supplement” is side effect free then you have a lot to learn.

CBD oil requires monitoring due to the effects it can have on the liver and gastrointestinal system.

The cheese on the flour could be primarily scenting over sight. The first step with deaf dogs is to teach them to frequently check-in, but her dementia and forgetting where you are may be a complicating factor. From having attention, you can then tell them what you would like them them to do. Incidentally, you might find you have body language you’re not aware of that is giving cues. Like turning your body half away, crouching slightly, doing an arm gesture, walking backwards a little, when you want her to come. Snuffle mat for meals sounds awesome!

Hi Merc, Have you told your vet about the crying? Is your pup on pain medication? I would expect a vet to prescribe medication that relieves pain and anxiety, so they are comfy, calm, and perhaps a little snoozy. Being distressed is not good for their recovery. I’d also expect rehabilitation advice/referral, not just rest. You might like to check out the Primal Paws website, in particular blog posts about when to start rehab and not using pain as a restraint (in case that’s the case here). Dr Jaime is in Sydney and helped me with my Chi x when he had other injuries. I hope this helps.

Gosh Stussy is adorable Do you know how her eyesight is affected? Is it cataracts or glaucoma or just myopia or all? Each effect vision a little differently. I found not having bright lighting best. With cataracts, lighting - sunshine or artificial, can create a halo, scattering affect and be confusing and distracting. So I scheduled training sessions for times and places where the light wouldn’t be bamboozling. Glaucoma reduces field of vision, cutting out the peripherals, so you need to try to be in their direct line of vision. It may also be that one eye is better than the other, so you want to appear on that side. If all over problems, big gestures can be helpful than small ones as you’ve found. And making sure you aren’t too far away. If you haven’t seen an ophthalmologist and one is available to you, that might be worthwhile in case eye drops would help retain/restore vision and comfort. Training wise, check out: Deb Bauer // Your Inner Dog - trains deaf and blind dogs Terri Hayward // Positive Animal Wellness - deaf dog specialist. If you’re on Facebook she also has a group ‘Deaf Dogs! Behaviour and Training’. We had fun learning a little modified-for-our-purposes Auslan, ‘cause if you need to add visual cues why not?! In saying this, touch cues may be more useful if/when vision further deteriorates. Keep up / start scent games to keep the brain engaged. I never taught a sign for no/naughty, see https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eo-yz4wMNlc You’re probably across this, but there are medications, diets, supplements that can help slow dementia progression. Might be worth considering.

Another thing: you mention training but are you working directly on cooperative care for grooming? What people often do is use (well-timed and selected) situational anti-anxiety medications for training sessions to knock the fear down to where they can think rather than panic, and in the meantime full/urgent grooms are done under sedation at the vet so as not to set back the training progress. Deb Jones has a book on cooperative care that might interest you.

Hi Chloe, I can’t make a personal recommendation, but have you heard of Fear Free Pets? It’s a low-stress handling certification that vets, nurses, groomers, trainers, etc can do for their respective fields. There are a few fear free certified groomers in Melbourne that you could check out. The search function of the website is painful to use so I’m hoping this search results link works. https://fearfreepets.com/fear-free-directory?address=victoria%2C Australia&category=0&center=-36.9847807%2C143.3906074&zoom=12&is_mile=1&directory_radius=0&view=grid&filter=1&field_role=Groomer&field_practice_name[keyword]=&field_practice_name[type]=any&directory_category[0]=

Look here: https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/find-a-professional If you need an online option (it’s good, promise, don’t wait until out of lockdown): https://politepaws.com.au/puppy-preschool.html https://m.facebook.com/PolitePaws/ ETA, posting this too as common mistakes are waiting until vaccinations have finished and not understanding what socialisation entails! https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Puppy_Socialization_Position_Statement_Download_-_10-3-14.pdf