Erny

Can't an enlarged spleen be caused by bloat? Did the Vet take any blood tests to run that can determine organ function, clotting function and blood count? I think these are one step that can be immediately taken towards narrowing down to the cause behind an enlarged spleen (I think IBD can be one cause so if he was doing ok on the Z/D I'd put him back on that for the time being at least) - I think that to know what can be done to help depends on the actual CAUSE of the spleen enlargement. Gosh, GSF - I hope everything turns out to be ok. I don't know much if anything of what you speak of but hope it helps to know that people are thinking of you and sending best wishes for a good outcome. Personally though, if the Vet hasn't done anything yet and is relying on just seeing him again in a week, I'd be a bit concerned and would opt for a 2nd opinion, in case there are checks that could be conducted now rather than waiting. As I mentioned though, this is not something I have experience with. ETA: Oh - and no, it seems that cancer is NOT the only cause for an enlarged spleen and I hope that knowing this has you sleeping a bit better than you might have, tonight.

Don't beat yourself up about it - you didn't realise and you've done so much to help this dog out of a hell-hole. I'd try using Calendula Tea Wash for this dog if it were me. A natural and effective soothing wash (not a shampoo - no need to rinse) that has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities. And it doesn't cost the earth - A packet from the Health Food Store is around $9.00 and lasts well enough. But you've done well for her so far and good on you for rescuing a dog and steering her in the direction of a good home.

Is it toilet and leash trained? No, leaves messes everywhere! And its been taught to do what it wants to do whenever it wants to do it and doesn't listen to you.

Groan. FREE TO GOOD HOME "VICTORIA" Not in a good State. Needs a LOT of work to fix up all the knots and matts caused by bad grooming. Who wants it?

Thanks Showdog. My friend's Cairn seems to me to have a good coat. I don't have much a clue myself about hand-stripping, although my friend showed me what she was doing and she seemed to know how to do it. Was more the wondering about whether it was the undercoat or top coat that should be stripped and why it needed to be. I've passed on the message from AusTerr that she'd be welcome to pop in to see her at AusTerr's Pet 'n' the Dog store out this way in Beaconsfield. It's a small world, AusTerr - that my friend passes by your shop and was the one to pick up some of my dog's Black Hawk food supply on my behalf :D. So your offer to explain and show when she comes to you the next time for supplies is not only helpful but convenient .

Thank you Missymoo (and ) and AusTerra, I really appreciate you taking the time to come in to explain. My friend's Cairn is a well raised dog and is also pretty well-handled and can stand to be hand-stripped. In fact she doesn't seem to pay any attention to it so that's not likely to be a problem. I will pass this info on to my friend (who cooked dinner for me last night .... yummm! ).

I agree with Persephone - about a kilogram to a kilogram and a half per week is about the right rate of weight increase. Of course it is a matter of how the pup is looking as well - that will tell you if you're on the money. But don't try to rush the weight on - that can cause a fast growth spurt and in turn that can lead to issues such as carpal laxity syndrome. Steady as she goes :). ETA: I got waylaid in hitting the submit button for this post and GussysMum beat me to it. Yes - watch the protein levels.

That would be great, Austerra :) .... thank you . It's not so much for show - my friend doesn't do that. But a question - what would happen to a Cairn Terrier's coat if it WASN'T stripped? Is stripping just so the dog looks good or is there a health and/or comfort benefit to it? I'm not suggesting the dog shouldn't be brushed as such, just wondering if stripping the undercoat is an absolute necessity. ETA: Oh - and thanks for your help today, regarding me getting the Black Hawk food supply. My boy has just enjoyed a couple of cups worth :).

Thanks for your response :)- if missymoo doesnt pop in the meantime ill send her a messaage but in the interim - pardon me for not knowing better (short haired dogs are my thing) , you should hand strip the undercoat only I presume ?

As per the title, what is the correct grooming technique and tools? Asking for a close friend whom I am with ATM hence this message coming via my iPhone. Apologies for any spelling errors - not as easy from the phone . Ta muchly in advance :).

Lol ..... I wouldn't DARE suggest you are anyone other than #1, Megan :laugh: . I meant his "favourite Jo", not his favourite ie Jo. Sorry for not putting it more clearly. Great news about his hips .

Give Fergs and pat and cuddle from myself and from his favourite Jo :). Hope everything works out well, Megan - you really look after and out for your dogs completely .

Yeah - I know and realise that, thanks MEH :). And if you saw my boy (who also has a whip like tail - ouch! when it whacks you with the pleasure it is showing, lol) without knowing his history, you'd think it reasonable for his tail to open up to bleeding as well. I'm surprised he hasn't broken his tail at times, when he wags it so hard and it catches the corner of the wall. That's why I didn't think any more of the damage he was causing to his tail, other than to try to work a management strategy to avoid it as much as possible. But I was surprised at how much pounding it can actually take without opening up to a wound, when his system is running well. As I said, there has been improvement since thyroid medication, but it still remains as a symptom of Ear Margin Vasculosis, although just not as bad as it was pre-thyroid medication. It is just a point of interest and something to bear in the back of one's mind - for the OP and/or for any others 'out there' who might be experiencing similar.

As I said - it's a long-shot, and I actually hope that I am wrong ..... but if the end of the tail opens up easily (ie the skin is thin) then thyroid and/or something called "ear margin vesculosis" could be a cause that might do with some investigation. And yes - I did say "ear margin vesculosis" even though this thread only mentions the tail tip. My own boy started opening his tail tip by it bashing on walls and I thought it was simply for that reason - that he bashed them in excitement on walls. And yes - he was pretty vigorous about it too, so I didn't think that it related to anything else. After a little while, I noticed bare patches of roughish/dry skin also appearing on the point of his hocks. And he did have a bit of a sore at his ear tip that I couldn't get better either - and I thought he kept opening that up by shaking his head and flapping his ears in the process. The hair on the end of his tail had become sparse and thin, and the skin that was not broken at the site was also rough/dry (but I thought that was through all the bashing on the walls. I do confess that his tail tip improved after he was diagnosed (Dr Jean Dodds USA) with a thyroid condition and I started him on thyroid medication. But I think the vesculosis condition comes in waves (at least, it appears to) and whether thyroid issues are connected or not, I couldn't tell you. When it improved, he still did bash his tail on the walls but it just didn't open up and bleed any more. Anyway, the problem with his ear still remains (although that too did at least improve to a degree with the administration of thyroid meds and whilst is still apparent, is no longer an open weeping wound) and the issue with his tail tip being seemingly thinner than it has been for the last little while, is causing him a problem again. I could go on but I've tried to keep the detail down to something a bit simplistic so it can be understood, but this is why it sprang to mind as a possibility that, whilst not something to panic about right now and may indeed be irrelevant for the dog in question, could be something that you keep in the back of your mind. Oh - and it is an auto-immune issue. As I said, I'm probably going over the top with even thinking this for your situation.

I have a long-shot reason for asking this, but is the problem at the end of the tail? And does the dog have any problems at other body part extremities, such as edges of ear/ear flaps, point of hock ... ?

Without skimming back through all the posts to see if it has been mentioned (so pardon me if this has already been raised) .... but I think Keratosis can be linked to diet and/or thyroid. Have you had both of those things checked? And if not, but you're going to, I would arrange for the thyroid bloods to be sent to Dr Jean Dodds in the USA and not do the Aussie testing. The USA tests are more thorough, which means that if the Aussie test shows a negative it doesn't necessarily mean that the USA test would show negative. If you understand what I mean .... ..

How sad . I don't know what happened, but regardless, the loss felt would be the same and we all know how sharp and hard that is. RIP little one .... meet my Kal (bhcs) who awaits me at the bridge, to look after you until one day you and your owner are in time re-united. My condolences for your loss, Huntia.

thats right, the RR was originaly bred in Africa to hunt lions & other wild game :) Not quite right, from what I have read of them. The "Hottentot" was the dog who originated from Africa and was the breed of dog used for 'worrying' lions - IOW, keeping the lion in a spot so the hunter could catch up and kill the lion. The Hottentot was taken from Africa and its breed and temperament was 'stabilised' to something more gentle and suitable as what could be akin to a 'pet dog', using breeds such as (and this part is unclear and tends to vary depending on what you're reading) GSP's, Bloodhounds, Greyhounds, other sighthounds. I even read somewhere that Labrador could be in the mix somewhere, but I'm uncertain of the validity of that.

Is the RSPCA spokeswoman saying that because it gets paid to accredit these food supplies, they're allowed to use the RSPCA logo even if the practices are not regarded as humane or endorsed/supported by the RSPCA? If I have interpreted correctly, and if the story is accurate, then it would seem to me the RSPCA are simply selling out and that the name "RSPCA" stands for diddly squat. And if that's the case, I agree with Humane Choice, it is a matter that deserves to be reported and something done about it.

Sorry to contradict you on this, and this is just a personal opinion, but I think there is even MORE reason to NOT vaccinate (at all - CCough inclusive) with an elderly or chronically ill dog. Remember that the affect of vaccines is that it stresses the immune system. An old dog or an ill dog doesn't need that.

I have polished floor boards and for the safety of my dog (who is a bit less cautious than my previous girl) I bought some rubber backed carpet from Clarke Rubber. Sure - I miss the look of my floor boards but the rubber backed carpet has seen us through some rough times of puppy hood and upwards. It's not only falls that I hate to see, but I hate the 'splits' and cringe at the thought of ligament damage. My expansive carpet pieces cost me somewhere about two or three hundred, I think, but that was 3 years ago. They vacuum up far easier than normal carpet and they are easy and light to roll/fold up when you want to give the floor a good vac and wash. The carpet would be safer for the little babe too, wouldn't it?

That is as I was informed as well :).

This is the confusing part. How do you decide when or whether to re-vaccinate the dog if the titer results come back insufficient 12 months or 3 years down the track? Your question is also what I'm confused about This is why it is best if the Titre is done at about 2 weeks after vaccination. Because during that time, bloods would still show the antibodies created in response to the vaccine introduced disease/s. This means sero-conversion has occurred - the body has developed a recognition of the diseases. If no anti-bodies were present at that time, I'd be concerned sero-conversion had not occurred (ie the body did not respond to the vaccine and that my dog's body was not as properly prepared to send anti-bodies to the rescue should contact with the disease/s occur). If you Titre test beyond two weeks, perhaps the test will show negative, but that is not proof that sero-conversion has not taken place. It's always pleasing when the titre shows anti-bodies, but that doesn't necessarily mean the anti-bodies are present just because of the vaccine - it might be that the dog has been exposed to the diseases, so the anti-bodies have revved into action as a means to fighting off the diseases before they take hold. I trust what I have read (Dr Jean Dodds articles are very helpful, along with posts by forum members Staranais and Rappie [Vets], amongst others) and been advised and that if my dog was exposed to any of the said diseases, antibodies to the diseases would be readily re-created and released into the blood stream to attack the diseases. I think that if I lived in an area where the diseases were rampant, perhaps I might re-vaccinate if the titre showed no antibodies (which would indicate my dog had not been exposed to the diseases in more recent times and consequently exist in cell-memory, not immediately in the blood stream) but that's something I would and will decide when and if the time comes (which I hope it doesn't). But when and if I need to make that decision, I will also take into account the current health status of my dog and determine the greater risk chance : (a) that my dog's system will suffer as a result of the vaccine chemicals being introduced to his body or (b) that my dog will pick up one of the 3 core diseases. I am not as concerned about canine cough - not to suggest the condition should be disregarded if it is contracted. I'm not a Vet but this is how I understand it.

Lol .... and sometimes I wish I stayed in the past where with our previous dogs the conventional way of thinking was raw food and no vaccine boosters. Gotta tell you - when there was NO choice regards commercial dog foods because it just wasn't available to us, feeding was simple. For that matter, visits to the Vets were rare for anything other than accidental injuries.

Although I'm pleased that one year on, my boy's titre showed positive for sufficient antibodies proving sero-conversion, from what I have read and understand, if it showed nothing, that does not mean that sero-conversion has not taken place. It is possible that sero-conversion had taken place but that the antibody "make-up" had receded to "cell memory" - not floating around the body so to speak, but the body ready and able to rev them up and get them out there should exposure to the disease/s occur. So, for the sake of proving and therefore ensuring sero-conversion, I believe the accepted Titre period is 2 weeks after the last vaccination. Or, if that period has already expired, then as soon as possible thereafter. Again - this is my understanding of it that I have developed from things I've read here and elsewhere. Personally, I think your decision to waiver on the Canine Cough vaccine is a wise one.