Her Majesty Dogmad

I used to put a mattress in a garbage bag to stop it getting wet and then some cozy fleecy blankets on top. Soak the blankets in Napisan. You can usually get them quite cheaply in $2 shops! They dry really fast.

None of my dogs like Iams or Eukanuba. Most of them like Optimum from the supermarket. The best food I've found is available from www.pricelesspets.com.au, it's the only food they sell and comes in 15kg bags. I've never had a dog turn their nose up at this food, it costs around $75 and is really good for dogs with skin/ear/eye issues.

I'm so glad for this poor boy that he has a proper home. I've rescued old dogs from the pound, several were aged around 14. They have all settled in with me and my own dogs as if they've been here for years. No matter what a dog's age, there is an adjustment period for the dog and you. For the dog, I find it's generally about 2 weeks. Try giving him some Rescue Remedy in drop form, available from the chemist and harmless to dogs, you can give him a few drops every couple of hours. It's made to help with anxiety and I use it with every new dog I get (I've fostered over 50 in the last four years). Start up your routine and stick to it, try to resist the temptation initially of making up for all those previous years by taking the dog to many different places etc. Let them settle for 2 weeks and introduce new things gradually - this is best practice for dogs of any age. As for his health issues, I'd certainly be worried. Every time I get a new dog, the vet is our first port of call. His symptoms sound like they need checking asap as if something can be done for a problem, it's always best done asap. Thank you for having big hearts and I wish him many happy and healthy years in your loving home.

We've had a couple of cross eyed dogs at DR - one a foxy that I clearly remember, it made me love him all the more ... no health issues for either dog according to our vets

Definitely not flea allergy, only happened the minute his feet touched the grass. I have fleas completely under control with Advocate, only experienced the odd one this last season. I've also been unfortunate enough to experience grass allergies for 3 years with my foxie boy and there's a marked difference in location of the problem. I have Polaramine so will try some. Thanks for the help - I've only got him till Sunday but will give you all an update before then.

Thanks guys. As my dog died in 2007 (fox terrier cross) I was wondering if there were any new things I hadn't tried. My vet said if he hadn't died of the brain tumour, I should have been thinking about putting him to sleep because of his allergy which I'd struggled with for 3 years. We tried (through vets and the internet), herbal products, Chinese herbs, lotions and potions. The thing that was best was a cortisone injection which he had every now and then but they stop working eventually. Antihistamines (from vet) that I tried didn't work for him, I would have tried others if I'd known that I could. Westiemum, I have had 3 westie crosses, 2 are still with me and I'm pretty sure the temp foster dog is a westie cross too. Only 1 of my westie types doesn't chew his paws constantly. The remaining other westie cross is currently on a cortisone course for sore feet. His at least aren't like it all year round. I'll try some tablets today. I'm one of the % of people who Zyrtec knocks out like being run over by a truck! I'll try giving him some tablets and report back! This little guy weighs 5 kilos.

Clyde - what sort of antihistamines do you use and what would be the dosage pls?

I owned a dog with grass allergies before and spent much energy and money trying every cure under the sun to try and do something for my poor boy. Nothing worked and it was very upsetting too. The worst thing in the world was wet grass. He sadly died young, from a suspected brain tumour. Now I'm fostering a dog for a week until his new owners pick him up. He arrived from our kennels with slightly pink legs but since coming here, he's been chewing himself like crazy. I've bathed him in Alloveen and put on Neocort cream, nothing is working. I'm worried that his new owners won't want him when they see his sore legs (unless I can do something) and I also don't know if they've got grass or a courtyard and where they plan to walk him. Does anyone have any suggestions? It's been raining this afternoon and will keep raining until next week apparently - does anyone have any suggestions?

Sadly, my dog who was prescribed these tablets died 3 weeks ago, he had Inflammatory Bowel Disease and they kept him relatively well for the last 5 years. I had paid for a large prescription of them recently from my vet and am happy to send them to someone in need. Please pm me.

A better idea would have been to fix your fence and then get dogs. That said, I agree with the others' posts.

I can relate to this. I was going to an expensive vet in 2004 when my girl got diagnosed, cost me about $3K and then regular subsequent bills of about $3-500 every few weeks with pressure on me to do even more. She was about 12 at the time, had the pituitary tumour which can't be cured but can be controlled by chemotherapy which is what we did. She survived until July last year when the tumour started pressing on part of her brain and causing regular panic attacks, after 3 days of this my vet said it was time to let her go. The chemotherapy was expensive and was in tablet form, administered by me twice a week. You have to wear gloves to do this and of course, it is dangerous medication (and big tabs). She didn't like taking it (even in food) so the whole thing was pretty stressful I found (I have other dogs). I changed vets because of this experience and found my new vet would not have gone down the same path, due to the age of my dog and the 6 stressful months where she was regularly living in the vets or going for yet more tests. Would I do it again? Maybe, but I'd always get another opinion on the treatment to take. And not for a dog of that age.

I'd recommend Proban, I used it to control fleas on 2 dogs that couldn't have the on-the-spot treatments and it was fantastic.

What a beautiful girl and what a wonderful home she had with your family. Take care of yourself, it'll be quite an adjustment and you'll miss her heaps.

unbearably sad, my thoughts are with your poor friend and all the other people who've lost their beloved pets

The best dried food I've bought is very good quality but reasonably priced. It is from www.pricelesspets.com.au and the only dried food they sell. Its about $70 or so for 15kgs, no additives and small, flattish, easy to eat biscuits. I've never come across a dog that hasn't loved it and that's saying something (I've had over 50 foster dogs!). I use the cheapest sardines in a pack of three from Woolworths, costs $1.60 for three. Also use no frills tuna. All in spring water only. Sweet potato (cooked) and basmati rice are also good to add in - don't need a freezer for any of these options!

Very interesting, licking is a symptom of anal gland problems however I had one little old female that I rescued and she always had her head up her backside!! She had no anal gland problems either, just a ghastly habit. I would try putting some pawpaw ointment on there, it is very soothing and harmless if the dog licks but hopefully might remove the need to.

Last time I fostered 2 small dogs (a papillon cross and a JRT cross) under 2 yrs of age, I lost all the plants (except some established natives) in my garden - this was in spite of an hour's exercise each morning and more after work, a house full of toys and older canine companions! They did lots of other things, destroyed/played with books, mags, my coffee table, etc etc.

Sounds like infected anal glands to me, one of mine had something similar not long ago. Had to have the antibiotics x 2 lots! He has his glands squeezed regularly but for some reason got an infection on one side.

A terrible way to go, may they all find peace and be free of pain on the other side.

Anything oily can upset the stomach but also can lead to pancreatitis. Conversely, a little olive or flaxseed oil in the diet can be good for dry skin/coat and skin issues.

Most of my dogs can't tolerate raw meat unfortunately, life would be easy if they did! If mine get an upset stomach, they get nothing for 24 hrs (vet's advice) and then Basmati rice and tuna or sardines (never in oil, only springwater). If the shop has run out of springwater cans, then I would buy oil but wash carefully. Try cooked pumpkin or sweet potato - also good for loose motions!

I'd love to check out your backyard, I work in rescue and get calls from new owners/foster carers saying the dog is itchy. I've gone to their homes sometimes and found the yard covered in a plant called Wandering Jew. It looks innocent enough but one touch of it causes pets to be very itchy and get rashes etc. As your pup has localised problems - chest/stomach, that would suggest it's in contact with something. I've just written an article for our magazine which includes a picture of Wandering Jew. I've discovered that a lot of these people had been to their vets and not been told that the cause of the dog's rash is WJ. They've been given cortisone (not great for the dog) and Malaseb. Both are OK under certain circumstances but not suitable for the long term. You simply have to get to the bottom of what's causing the problem. Having said that, if it isn't WJ, it could be food related but I'd start with a yard inspection - you could be looking at 1 or 2 sprigs of it only, rather than a mass but you need to remove them and keep checking the yard every few days as they are hard to get rid of.

I use Advocate once a month - that's the best regime for keeping dogs flea free. I give them a tapeworm tablet every quarter which I buy from the vet.

Contact the All Natural Vet at Russell Lea, they got my dog walking/back on her feet after a major collapse (unexplained). It was 3 months of chiropractice/accupuncture/massage and well worthwhile. Russell Lea is in the inner west.

Hard to see the mozzie bites when there is fur though. So by the sounds of it, he's outside with either access to a kennel or a laundry? Dogs are pack animals, if he's separated from his pack (that's your family now), then that could be the cause of barking. Is he allowed in the house? How many hours is he spending alone?