CHA

The accupuncture is a good idea I will look into that. We did go to the chiro for a while, but Charlie started yelping with the manipulations and he is such a stoic dog that never yelps I couldn't bring myself to take him back again.

With the pain medications do you think there would be ones that would be less invasive to his kidneys? I should ask the vet this - but we have been through so many differing pain medications that the vet did tell me that after this one, there isn't anything left we can try. I'm also going to look into massage for him.

I'm also a little bit wary about changing his pain medication and maybe not getting him back up to the level of relief that he currently has.....

Thanks for your response Kayla, I'm also thinking I won't worry about putting any extra load on his kidneys at this stage, he has a few problems which we are managing, and I want him to be as happy and healthy as he can while he is here with us, for however long that may be...

Unfortunately he is still on the Meloxicam. I've tried decreasing the dose but his quality of life was not at all good, and that's what is keeping him going. As it is, he gets himself around the house and out to the garden, eats well, our walks consist of us mainly carrying him (lucky he is not a big dog), and now on the kidney diet he has started to perk up and gently kill a few fluffy toys left round the place :)

Charlie also was getting round scabby sores all over his body and his coat was greasy and thin - on the kidney diet his sores seem to have cleared up (fingers crossed - because he doesn't have any at the moment) and I believe his coat is looking better too. The vet also wants to test for thyroid, so I'll take him back for that in a couple of weeks.

Our old puppies are so special and such a worry!

Thanks for your thoughts CHA.

Kayla is doing pretty good at the moment. She still has some problems with balance after the vestibular episode and has slowed down but she is happy enough, and she seems to have reverted back to her puppyhood! So considering her age, I'm happy with how she is going.

That's great news. Keep it up Kayla

I've just been trying to find some information on kidney disease and came across your story. I want to send you my condolences for the loss of your wonderful Coco and hope you and Kayla are going OK.

Hi sas

I feel your pain. My dog was diagnosed with a degenerative disc a few years ago and we have given him all of the things you are doing for your Dane. I'd recently put him on the Rose Hip Vital, which seemed to help a bit, but now he has kidney disease so I'm juggling things a bit with him.

Difference with my dog is he is only 10kgs! so when we go for a walk, one of us is usually carrying him - so he still gets to go out and about. Car rides may help your dog with the mental stimulation.

"hugs" to you and all the best.

Hi everyone,

My 12 year old dog has been diagnosed with kidney disease due to being on meloxicam for a degenerative disc issue. He is on the kidney diet now and has actually perked up some. He is due for his heartguard tablet today and I'm wondering if it would be best if I didn't given it to him? Do you know if these would affect his kidney function at all? Im also wondering about vaccinations which I think will be coming up soon....

thanks :)

Hi Playful, just wondering how your dog is going? My dog has just been diagnosed with kidney disease and we have just started him on the Hills Prescription diet. I'm not too sure what to expect. The vet did say without treatment it would be weeks to months before he went into renal failure

Sorry to hear about your boy.

It's hard, my boy was in the late stages when diagnosed, but I remember dogmad saying in another thread she had a dog that was given a few weeks to live but actually lived happily for about a year after diagnosis.

Is your boy still happy and eating well? Hopefully the fact that you are aware of it and have changed his diet accordingly will give him the best quality of life, and perhaps delay the onset of symptoms.

Thanks kayla,

He has accepted the food very well and has actually perked up a little - seems a little more interested in things now. His wetting inside the house has stopped and he hasn't vomited since being on the new diet. Here's hoping we have a good while left with him now. I just really don't want him to suffer.

Hi Playful, just wondering how your dog is going? My dog has just been diagnosed with kidney disease and we have just started him on the Hills Prescription diet. I'm not too sure what to expect. The vet did say without treatment it would be weeks to months before he went into renal failure

My fully house trained dog did a huge wee inside just out of the blue. We took her to the vet and she had a urinary tract infection and needed antibiotics to clear it up.

Maybe your dog is trying to tell you all is not well down there.

Don't forget too you have young children. :) All of your energies are devoted to raising them and the dogs are an additional chore that has to be done. This may have something to do with how you are feeling?

When my two kids were young, the dogs we had then were not as devoted upon as the dogs we had prior to and after the children grew up. We looked after them well, but they certainly weren't our "heart" dogs (not until after they passed, did we realise how much we really really loved our annoying rascally terrier that killed everything in sight and our annoying barking, licky poodle). I miss those guys.....

Our dogs have a way of finding us :D sounds like she's meant to be.....

After owning "non shedding" breeds for 40 years we got ourselves a JRT x from the pound based on personality alone - we weren't looking for another non shedding dog, just one that would fit in best with our pack.

I have NEVER spend soooooo much time grooming a dog I brush her every day to try and minimise the shedding. We have a furminator which we use regularly on her and STILL so much hair just falls off her - you can see it flying off her when she runs around!!

With the poodles we regularly take them to the groomers every 8 weeks. Maybe they get one brush each within that time frame if they get a knot, and maybe a wash if we've been camping or something, but nothing like the maintenance I'm doing with the JRT.

We're slowly getting used to the fact that dog hair is just a major part of our lives now.....

I had a miniature poodle and an australian terrier mix when my children were toddlers and I must say I would have trusted the aussie more than the poodle - but I knew the personalities of those dogs very well. I don't know a dog who is bomb proof enough to withstand a toddler unsupervised and I know you don't mean that you will do that. I wouldn't have a little, skinny dog because a toddler may harm them if they happened to fall on them or tread on them, so I would go for a more substantial dog, but not too big either so they don't push the toddler over. I taught my toddlers NOT to cuddle, NOT to chase, NOT to pick up the dogs. They were allowed to (when supervised) pat them gently, throw a ball, offer them food, and they were also allowed to hold onto their leads when supervised (they weren't the type of dogs to pull - or that could be a disaster!). My kids grew up with a great respect for all dogs and I think that is most important.

:hug: So sorry for your loss. We miss them forever, but now he is carried around with you in your heart. We'll meet up again eventually. Your little man would want you to be happy. :)

We added a 1 and a half year old rescue JRT x into our pack of 2 and made sure they met her first and introduced them to each other beforehand. It all went really well and they bonded quickly. Our main criteria was for a gentle natured dog so our old dog wouldn't get bowled over and dragged around by a puppy and our other dog has a gentle nature as well.

Previously when we got our second dog as a young pup, the introductions didn't go so well - we just brought him home and plopped him down and it took a LONG time for them to bond. This time round, we were determined to do the right thing.

Decide what it is you and your dog need out of a new friend and keep up the search til you find the perfect addition for your family. You'll know when you've found the right dog and when you are ready.

so sorry for your loss

I like it :) I'd be interested in seeing some real-life stories about rescue dogs and how they've settled in with their new families, the issues the families came across etc.

I got an adult dog from the pound and it was not all hearts and roses from the start. We had to start from scratch with the basic training and house rules. A lot of people do not realise the work that goes into having a well balanced dog.

The authorities need to know about this, so they can hopefully chase up the owners and prosecute them for abandoning their pets. It will be interesting to see what the cat rescue place says about the legalities of having to hand them over to the RSPCA. If you have to do so, then it will be preferable to have them pts than leave them wandering wild.

Oh what a worry he is, I really hope he gets better real soon

I feel for you Rascal. I too have a dear "oldie" who is 11 and a half years and has arthritis in his elbow and degenerating spinal discs. He can hardly get around and is on a daily dose of metacam, 3 monthly cartrophen injections and visits to the chiropractor every so often. I worry so much that the metacam is harming his internal organs but he's in so much pain without it.

The old dogs are so wonderful, we carry our guy down to the park and let him romp around in his own little way on the grass. We then carry him back home, letting him down to sniff around every now and then.

He is currently happy and free from much pain. He gets up and wags his tail every morning and plays a little game of Kill the Fluffy Toy, then sits in the kitchen waiting for his brekky. He'll follow us all outside, but by the time he's got there we've all forgotten and are ready to come inside. So we all go back outside and wait for him to get there and wander around.

Just enjoy your oldie while you have them, they are very precious. Spoil them a bit more than usual and adapt your life style to include them in a way which they can be included. The pram is a great idea - I think getting our guy out and about, even though he really can't walk much, has helped his mind stay active and interested in life. Keep them pain free and safe from the outside elements and know that you've done your best for them and they've lived the best life they can with you.

Unfortunately they are not with us for all that long, but try and enjoy this stage of their lives as well as you can.

I agree with you Dory, I'm not saying I'm all for the proposal either because in this case it will be the honest people who will suffer and the dishonest ones will still keep breeding willy nilly and ignoring their dogs and not socialising them and letting them become aggressive.

I'm all for getting as many dogs desexed as possible that are not registered breeding dogs or show dogs or dogs that have a good reason to be left entire, just to get the majority of them "off the streets". My entire poodle was one of the best natured dogs I've ever had, so I know aggression doesn't necessarily come from not being desexed.

You're right though, to march for better education programs in dog ownership is an excellent start. :)

I'm not sure the proposal is saying entire dogs are more aggressive - it sounds like they don't want aggressive dogs to breed. If your dog is friendly, it sounds like they are happy for you to breed from it.

"Board executive officer Ben Luxton said yesterday the board's long-term goal was to "work towards breeding a more amicable and socially acceptable dog population".

We are not saying it's mandatory desexing. What we are saying is that dogs should be assessed for temperament and that those dogs that have a temperament that is suitable to be passed on to the next generation should be allowed to breed," he said."

She's gorgeous! :)

I'd like to personally thank ALL the foster carers and rescue organisations out there You do a terrific job A lot of us "silently" thank you for the great work you do!

With humans you have to coat the hair in conditioner and brush them out with a nit comb, and keep doing this over the next few days until they're gone. It's a time consuming process. :)