White Shepherd mom

Have you taken him to the vet this time around? It might just be a sprain but I'd definitely get him checked again if you haven't.

oh no, I am so very very sorry for your loss ninahartland. There is nothing I can say that will help but know that my heart breaks for you. You did everything you could in the short time you had left and your boy knew how much you loved him. Big hugs.

Hi all, I am hoping you can spare me hours of research here! Casper's just had his 6-monthly vet check (I prefer to have him checked twice yearly now that he's no spring chicken). A blood test showed that his kidneys are taking a bit of strain (don't ask me the technical terms!) and the vet has suggested I change his food to a low protein one. I also need it to be low in fat and gentle for his sensitive stomach. I know I'm asking for a lot but if you can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it. I'm currently feeding him Holistic Select for Seniors and 1/2 Barf (usually rabbit) patty per day. As always, thanks in advance.

excellent news, you must be thrilled! Well done Boof on not giving your mum a coronary

I'm sorry about Boof's diagnosis. It catches unawares even if you were expecting it.

Really hope all goes well tomorrow Anne. Good luck Boof.

My mistake, I did't realise you were suggesting removal of the lump (I had Bella's case in mind where a needle aspirate (?) was taken without removing the lump). Yes, Bella's lump was haemangiosarcoma. Everything about her case seemed to baffle the oncologists. It did not behave like your typical haemangiosarcoma as it originally presented on her rump, once that lump was removed an ultrasound was taken of her organs and no further lumps were found. 5-6 months later, the one on her head appeared. Another ultrasound of her organs showed metastasis to the liver and kidneys at which time we started chemo. We didn't know that it had also spread to her brain and that's the one that burst and took her from us. I believe there are different types of haemangiosarcoma. Bella's was classified as subcutaneous and SHOULD have originated in the spleen but didn't. I agree with your statement that removing the spleen will "stop the potential death from a rupture of the tumour". The whole idea is that by removing the spleen and testing the tumour, you find out what you're dealing with and decide on your next action.

Bella had a lump on her head (6 months after her haemangiosarcoma diagnosis). The oncologist took a biopsy and told me it was nothing to worry about. I had my vet remove it anyway and it turns out it was a tumour, the first sign we had that her cancer had spread. So, I hate to differ, but a biopsy is not 100% definite. The only way to know, is to remove the lump, and in ninahartland's dog's case the spleen.

I am so sorry about your boy's diagnosis ninahartland. Bella's oncologist explained to me that haemangiosarcoma is not a painful cancer. If the tumour bursts, she would just get very tired and pass away due to the internal bleeding. If there is a chance that only the spleen is affected, removing it could buy you more time if you get it done sooner rather than later. Dogs can live a long time without a spleen, Casper had his removed almost 4 years ago due to my vet feeling a lump (not cancerous) there. Whatever you decide, don't ever second-guess yourself. There is no right or wrong decision here. I wish you lots of luck.

My brilliant vet is at Ocean Reef Veterinary (Carridean str, Heathridge). Unfortunately he only works mornings now so I take time off work to take Casper to see him (2-3 times a year). Apparently the two vets who work in the evenings are very good but Clive has saved Casper's life more than once and as my boy is in his twilight years I want to know that I can trust his vet.

RM, that looks like a good, inexpensive door Do you know whether you can lock both the glass door and the security door against it? There's quite a lot of reading on their website so I will definitely read through it tomorrow. Thanks! trinabean, thank you for the info, it's what I wanted to know. Off to look on gumtree though when I looked a couple of weeks ago there were none.

Thanks for getting back to me but unfortunately he won't fit through the opening. It would have been the easiest (and cheapest) solution making a door for him but we're on to plan B! j, I don't think the Pig in Mud lets you close and lock both the sliding glass door and the security door against it. I need something more secure than that (a bit odd considering the size of the actual opening, I know :) )

So I finally convinced OH that we should make a dog door for Casper. We measured Casper and then measured the existing pane and it turns out the pane is 10cm shorter than the dog, being an older dog with mobility issues, he cannot go through such a short opening so that project got shelved very quickly. I decided to look at the door inserts for sliding doors as per your suggestions, patiolink looks good but pretty expensive for the big size. Has anyone used Modern Pet Doors. They look good on their website with smaller price tag. I would appreciate your feedback!

I received this reply from my insurer: "If the dog door is large enough for someone to be able to crawl through it we would require that it have a latch or lock on the door." How's the dog going to get through if his door is latched or locked? His chances are not great at this stage. disintegratus, the only extra security my dog would provide would be to cause someone to trip over him as they climb over his sleeping body. I didn't quite understand your DIY instructions about a 3-lipped frame?

Thank you for all the replies. Do those of you with the inserts in the sliding doors feel like they are secure? Obviously the flap itself will be big enough for a small person to crawl through but I'm wondering how safe the actual panels feel. Tilly, you have a point. I have sent my insurance company an email to find out whether we would be covered in the event of a break in through the dog door. I didn't see anything in their PDS so will be interested to know their answer. Disintegratus, I am thinking of replacing a pane with a home-made flap. There would be no security door on the other side of it so there would be no way of locking it. Probably not the way to go after all.

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with Kenzie. It breaks your heart to see them in pain despite all your efforts. Casper goes to underwater treadmill therapy every week to two weeks. I use two different therapists and the one suggested I buy a kiddies wading pool, fill it with water (the same height as in the treadmill) and do some sessions with him. I haven't done it as there is no way he'll ever get in voluntarily and there's no way I can pick him up. Thought I'd mention it though in case you want to try it with Kenzie. Good luck.

While in our previous house, Casper had a large dog door in the wooden laundry door from which he could come and go as he pleased. Now that we have moved, we have no wooden doors leading to the lawn and my poor boy is finding himself locked outside overnight and when we are not home. Not the way I want to treat him in his old age . My OH doesn't want to put a dog door panel in the sliding door so the only other option is to put a dog door in one of the smaller glass panes. I cannot find any such doors for a large dog. Can anyone please give me an idea how I can solve this dilemma?

that's a relief for you. Dogs adapt, it just takes time, patience and a whole lot of love.

Thanks Christina, as you say, it's becoming a habit for him to pee there. I blocked his access to it until I get a chance to do my white vinegar clean this weekend. I'm hoping to replace the carpet soon though my enthusiasm isn't rubbing off on hubby. At his pace it's not likely to happen as soon as I'd like...of course he's not the one mopping up all this pee either! I'm not going to go down the belly-band route just yet. I would consider it if he was peeing all over the house or if he was incontinent though.

mita, I have some nil-odor, I'll spray some after I've cleaned up with vinegar. I'll have a look at the link you've posted when I get home. BlackJaq and minimax, even if there is a little bleaching I doubt you'd notice it. It's quite an old carpet which is already sun bleached by the windows. If I ever have to use vinegar on another carpet I would definitely test it first. CrazyCresties, I'll try the vinegar first since I have stacks of it. If it doesn't do the trick I'll give your suggestion a try. I soaked up as much as I could on kitchen paper this morning and sprinkled it with bicarb to draw out the moisture. I was getting ready for work so didn't have time to clean it properly. I just hope my dyson doesn't choke on all the bicarb it's been vacuuming lately! I appreciate the help! If all else fails, I'll just have to block him from going to those rooms.

Good suggestion about the tarp mita, I'll give it a good clean with vinegar tonight then cover it once it's dry. Thank you!

I am so glad you still have Satch with you. The outcome with an internal bleed could have been a lot worse had you not got to it on time. Have you consulted with an oncologist to find out what they recommend? They might suggest a chemo drug that you administer daily at home. Bella was on cyclophosphamide and piroxicam which I gave her at home for about 6 months before we found out her hemangiosarcoma spread. I don't know if it helped in her case but I believe it can help slow down the spread of the cancer. Big hugs for your boy.

Thanks guys. Will the vinegar not bleach the carpet? Not that it could look much worse. Do you think that might stop him peeing on it?

We moved house 3 weeks ago. When the previous owners took all their furniture, I noticed that the cream carpet in the lounge/dining area was full of what looked like dog pee stains despite the lady having told me she'd had the carpets cleaned (I'm guessing her dog even cocked his leg on the curtains as there are pee stains in the shape of the closed curtain). Now, Casper has not peed inside since he was 6 months old but he has now started peeing on this carpet. He has done it a couple of times and I thought it's probably because he can smell the other dog (I'm sure the previous dog peed on the carpet after it had been cleaned). I spent many hours yesterday washing the carpet with my carpet shampooer, it looked so much cleaner though some of the stains remain. This morning there was a new puddle on it despite the sliding door to the garden being open so he could go out. Is he marking his territory still or is he getting lost in this bigger house? I don't think it's incontinence (due to his age) as he only pees on that spot. How do I stop this? I don't like scolding him, he's an old boy who has had a stressful year. Also, how do I get rid of the stains that remain? I am hoping to replace the carpet with floorboards in the near future but I have to stop this behaviour now. The only thing I can think of is to block that part of the house from him. Your suggestions would be welcome, as always!

I am so sorry for your loss. It's been almost 6 months since we lost Bella to cancer, where does the time go? Casper was a few meters from her when she passed away and for the first time in over 10 years found himself without his mate. He became very clingy to me (even more than normal) and although he still loved his walks, he was at a loss when we got to the parks as he usually followed Bella around. I just made sure he got lots of walks which tired him out so he slept a lot. Being an older boy it's quite easy to tire him out. I would say do the things that Poppy loves doing the most, if it's going for a drive, then take her for lots of drives. It's heart breaking, especially when you are dealing with Coby's loss. Good luck, I hope she improves quickly.