Pugmum

So pleased to hear that Chloes hearing has returned - no pun intended I had accepted that Oatie had gone deaf, but was immensley relieved when it turned out he wasn't. I still need to find some regimen for keeping him that way. ha ha - theres no accounting for selective deafness in them

Hi, Reading this, I seem to have been doing all the wrong things I had two pugs, Oatie is nearly 11yo and Maggie was 9yo. We got Maggie because Oatie hated to be on his own and howled all day after our old staffy passed away. Maggie recently passed away from cancer. During her treatment we had a cam on in the house whenever I was at work so I could keep an eye on her/them. We noticed then that on her chemo days (when she was away from home) Oatie would just walk about howling all day Now that she is gone we did not know what to do with him. We also did not want to get another dog (not ready to deal with a puppy right now as I cant get time off work, the dynamics of introducing an older dog to the house, and difficulty in getting two dogs looked after as we would like to travel a bit more etc....) He's really happy - as long as he's not alone. He gets jealous if I pay attention to another dog so I dont know that introducing another dog woudl actually make him happier in general. So at the moment he goes to my folks place each day while we are at work, and coems with us most other places we go even if it means waiting in the car while we go to dinner etc as he enjoys the car and looking around (not a barker). He cant go on forever going to my folks place...and we are not sure how to wean him off it. I am organising him a doggy day care place one day a week, and to have my daughters chi's with him at our home on one other day a week. Hopefully getting him used to being there with the Chi's then removing them later on. He does not seem to get over his need for company easily - when the staffy died it was months and he was still howling each day. I'm scared that he wont just get used to it in a few weeks - and he'll drive the neighbours mad in the meantime. Of the products some of you have mentioned - is there one that woudl just calm him ? I hate the thought of him being miserable all day if he was at home by himself which at some stage he needs to be. thanks Brigitte

I also liked to feed raw, but have now had two dogs that could not eat that much raw without getting tummy troubles. On the evolutionary path, mine were definitely destined to be companion animals I now cook up batches of organic chicken thighs (chunk style) with some beef mince, pumpkin, broccoli and a small amount of brown rice. This is only a part of the meal though as they also get nutro kibble, fish oil, apple and yogurt daily, sardines, egg and cottage cheese weekly (or twice a week) and bones. I cant give mine chicken necks or frames as he has too much angst that he is missing something and will try to swallow pieces waaaaaay too large.

I have had a very similar story with my boy's ears. Oatie is nearly 11yo, About a year ago we realised he could not hear, I was fairly certain that it had come on to him suddenly as he seemed quite disturbed by not being able to hear - it was'nt immediately noticable though as he was following the lead of the other dog, if she ran to the door so did he etc. He's apparently got narrow ear passages (or whatever they called it) so occasinaly has trouble with infections. When we took him to the vet he had a look and did some noise tests and determined Oatie was 100% deaf and there was nothing we could do about it. There was apparently no infection. I insisted on trying some drops and anti-biotics anyway. After the course of antibiotics I didn't know how long to use the dermotic drops (twice a day) so I htink I did it for about 3 weeks all up. He still could not hear. Then after a few days his ears dried out and his hearing returned. We were thrilled, and he was a happy boy again. Its since happened two more times. I took himto the vets to check for infection and they say 'no' there is none...i'm puzzled as to why it happenes though. I give him the drops anyway - I figure It cant hurt and may help....and it does. The last time was only a few weeks ago,I didn't bother going to the vet, I had a full dose of Baytril left over from my other dog so I gave it to Oatie along with the drops and he's hearing again. Its something I have to get a better answer for though. But as far as the Dermotic is concerned you do have to wait for it to dry out.

Yes, any vet can refer you. Its worth noting too if you are int he Adelaide area that they have a 24 hour emergency service - I dont think you need to be a referred client for that service. The care there is extremely good.

Hi My girl had both her knees done (not at the same time) and hers were diagnosed and eventually operated on at the Brighton Vet Hospital, Briighton Road - 8296 4300. Dr John Calder did them and I cant recommend him enough. If you are seriously still concerned get a referral tot he Adelaide Veterinary Specialst and referral centre - 102 Magill Road - 8132 0533. There is a canine specialst there Dr David Davies, and they also have a specialist surgeon there (as well as other specialists). You cant go wrong there. Brigitte

My guys never wear/wore collars - firstly their necks are bigger than thier heads so they tend to fall off easily, plus in order not to be too tight they used to slip down too far and just look stupid. When they go out they wear a harness with rego and id tags etc on that - again, when your neck is bigger then your head its pointless. Whenever one wanted to be a bit ornery he'd just stand his ground and it would slip off.

Thank you so much for your responses, I appreciate your suggestions. We had decided not to get another dog because having two had made it very difficult to go away much, and in the last 10 years I had hardly left them. Trying to take them away with us is also quite difficult with one dog much less two. So many places only allow dogs if they stay outside etc and that just didn;t work for us. Having family look after them was also a problem, again two was too daunting for people who dont normally have dogs. Right now, with only Otis I can get him looked after by my parents or daughter. My daughter has two Chi's and one used to just pester Maggie all the time - but Otis is fine with them. My husband has grandchildren in Qld and goes to see them every few months - alone. he wants me to travel with him, but like I said I have hardly left the ppugs in 10 years. I think the human male in my life also needs some attention now We Got Maggie after our staffy died because Otis did not like to be alone. I thought that now he is 11 he'd be more settled and confortable enough not to be so bothered by it. I have boght Otis a new bed (the day Maggie passed) and he loves it. their joint bed is gone, and her little single bed and rug is wrapped up and stored. I cant get rid of that because I need to sniff that a bit myself Its like I'm not sad enough, and have to make myself cry more - crazy I know. But every thing else is washed or removed - for my sanilty as much as his. We dont walk at the moment as he is still going to my folks every day and getting plenty of exercise with them. after next week we'll scale down his daytime visits bit by bit and I'll walk him in the morning and evening. See how it goes.... I'll google hte Rescue Remedy - I had not heard of it before. If all esle fails and he still does not cope I'll maybe look at an older rescue dog, in which case hubby will probably need the rescue remedy thanks again,

Aplogies if I am in the wrong area - I was unsure where best to post this question. I have a male pug (Otis) that is nearly 11 yo and he recently lost his partner (female pug 9 yo). WHile the female was unwell we had a cam on in the house to check she was okay while we were at work, and I noticed that one day when she was at chemo Otis just sat and howled the whole day. After that he would spend the day at my folks place while Maggie was off having treatment. Since her passing, he howls whenever he is left alone, even when you just pop to the shops. While we are at work he now goes to my folks place again. He can cantinue this for a few more weeks I guess, but we cant do this indefinitely. He's enjoying going to my folks, but its restrictive for them. He needs to get used to spending some time alone. I just dont know how to best go about achieving this. I'm trying not to get another dog - we cant reaplce Maggie anyway, it still wouldn't be her. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm still raw from losing Maggie and I really cant think straght about what to do. thank you Brigitte

my MIL had a little dog that at a young age ended up with no teeth (ignorance on her part caused this ) but the little chap lived quite well without them, and as someone has already mentioned, you do get a tongue hanging out most of the time. On the other hand my pug does this too and he has teeth.....

My boy had 4 teeth removed a few months ago (some were broken) - he was not at all bothered. I had him on soft foods for about 4 days then back to normal food. he still loves all his hard cookies and bones etc but it can take him a bit longer to eat them. He has a bit more trouble getting everything off the bones but no less enjoyment from trying.

Otis has bucked teeth (Yeah, he's a looker ! ) - no amount of bones will keep them clean. He was doing okay with bones and lots of crunchy foods but at 10yo he needed his first proper clean. He'd also broken quite a few teeth on bones.

Hmmm that seems a bit high. I had Oatie's teeth cleaned while he was having some broken ones removed - it cost $400, but that was 4 teeth removed as well (and two of those were below the normal gum line, so hard to get to). Its a bit like doctor shopping - you dont like to do it because you generally like where you go, but it may be worth calling another good vet and getting a quote. Brigitte

My daughters Chi had this - he just started sneezing one evening, he would sneeze a lot for a few minutes, then s few times int he next hour, then a lot again and so on. he seemed to sleep okay but the sneezing was on and off the nest day again so we took him to the vet and they checked him for grass seeds etc (none found) they gave him an antihistamine inj, plus some paste to administer orally (sorry, dont recall what it was) and he got over it with that. He's in a grass seed area so we were paranoid aout that - but it was just some wierd quick onset allergic reaction in his case. poor little chap, his sneezes just about knocked him off his feet. Brigitte

after two days of having to increase her tramadol (pain meds) I made the decision to let her go. SHe was starting to grunt to wee (after 2 unsuccessful tries each time) and I could not see any achievement in pumping up her meds just to say she lived another day, if that day was not a good one. Thank you to all for your advice (especially Staffyluv and Dagmar) and for being there to help me through this horrible time. Brigitte

There was a show on TV Sunday - called Sunday Night - they discissed the trials of EBC46 taking place. Its a cancer cure made from thh seeds of the Blushwood tree found in the Atherton tablelands. Made by QBiotics. The cancers they are targetting are close to the skin surface and easily accessible by needle. They inject into the tumour and it stimulates the cancerous convered white cells into action to fight off the cancer. They showed A cat with skin cancer and dogs with tumours ont he leg, face etc. all had no tother treatment available to them. The results were seen in days - shrinkage by half in just days. Apparebtly EBC46 willbe available to vets in months. Human trails will be soon. I called about Maggie but they wont look at her type of cancer, cant get to it, and a possibility that the uethra wall would be compromised. But, if this is something that could help your furry kid, the clinic doing the trials is the Newtown Veterinary clinic (Geelong) 03 5221 5333. The Dr interviewed was Dr Jane Miller, but the said to fax medical records and diagnosis etc to Maria on 03 5224 2632. Brigitte

I have two pugs and they have generally inhaled their food - one is a bit slower now though. The male is a speed eater and he does this in the hope that he can grab anything that might come out of the other bowl. He wont take food from the other dog or her bowl, but if it hits the ground its fair game so he inhales his then stands in wait......sometimes it pays off for him. Actually the same thing happens with bones but the other way round, she takes the best bits off hers fast then stands in wait for his. Theres never been any aggression between them over food or bones. They eat their meals together, and have their bones just a metre or two apart. Its just a 'get my share asnd part of yours if I can' thing.

thank you Staffyluv. I was a little taken aback, and hoped I was not being too sensitive. thanks again Brigitte

Hi di dee1, I'm sorry that you have had the need to undergo chemotherapy - I hope it has been successful for you. Cheotherapty in dogs is not the same as that for people. Dogs do not get the same dosage, and in general tolerate it well. They dont lose their hair,or spend days hurling up their breakfast. It is offered to 'improve the quality of their remaining life'. so when you undertake this option, you do so to make their days better. My love for Maggie is great enough that I wanted to do all I could to improve the days she had. Okay, in her case it was not overly successful - there are no guarantees - but then I cant say what it would have been like for her at this point had she not had the treatment. Brigitte

Thank you all for your replies. Maggie did have the 4th chemo treatment. We couldn't live with the 'what if's' that might have been if we had not tried. Maggie is on essiac twice a day, when I can get her to take it, she's getting fussier with her food now. she is also on the Budwig diet of flaxseed oil and cottage cheese (with fresh ground seeds as well) once a day. Maggies ability to urinate is still diminishing, the chemo did nothing to improve or even stabilize it. Its a day to day thing right now, :rolleyes: Brigitte

My very large (big, not fat) male pug does this. He also honks like a goose, but that is when he is excited. This other wide mouthed hoik he does at random times, middle of the night, walking through the lounge... any time... no set triggers that I could ever figure out. he's been checked and even had lung x-rays (when he did have a cough) and all is okay. Oatie is 10 yo and been doing this for years. It sounds like he's just couhging up phlem (and then swallowing it) I've not worried about it, because he's been checked over quite a few times and given the thumbs up. Brigitte

I didn't know there was more than one brand of pawpaw ointment - mine is in a red container , yes I know thats a very girly answer

Thanks ! I winged it this morning - the info I found yesterday said for 3 - 5 tablesppons cottage cheese use 1 - 2 tablespoons seeds. Now thout could not be more confusing could it ? :D I use 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese so I thought half a tablespoon of seeds would be okay. I put in a 10ml measure - its larger than it sounds. It was very yummy. Maggie licked her bowl clean across the room and Otis (our other pug) also seemed more than happy. I tried it and was sorry I'd not made more for me. I've got the seeds stored in a plasticbag inside an airtight container which I'll pop in the fridge when I get home. Surprisingly they were in a big non-airightscoop it yourself container in the shop ?? They had a couple of sorts and I did get organic. how will I know if they go off ? Brigitte

Hi, Living in Adelaide we do not have to worry about ticks on our dogs, as there are not any. A friend is moving to Brisbane and taking his GSD. he was very excited abot a property he found near a stream but was told to consider ticks......not something he was aware of. Are there tick problems in the general Brisbane area ? if so, how do you keep them off your dog ? I lived in the NT over a decade ago and recall having to get them off with tweezers and drop them in kero (yuk) surely in all the years since, something better has been found ? thanks Brigitte

I've just gotten hold of a coffee grinder and now bought some organic flaxseeds - all systems go to supercharge Maggies morning cottage cheese and flaxseed oil mix.......but does anyone know roughly how much I should grind up for her ? (she's 10 kg) thanks Brigitte