Loving my Oldies

Yes, I started a thread on General on it asking about good quality kibble. It wasn't that she wasn't eating well; rather because her tongue hangs out (most teeth extracted 4 years ago), she had started having difficult getting the food into her mouth. I did tell my local vet that and I think (but can't swear to it) that I told the emergency vet as well. Because she enjoyed kibble, but the Optimum was giving her very large and soft motions, I switched to Nature's Gift Semi Moist and Chunkers. I've also been giving this to the other dogs (mixed in with wet raw) and they are all fine. She was enjoying that mixture until yesterday morning when, I now know, she started being unwell.

Thanks, gillbear. Yes, I understand that she will be on a strict medication regime from now on. With lots of elderly and sick (rescues) over the years, medicating is second nature.

Thanks for all the good wishes. I'm pretty worried as the vet has reported (I rang at 4pm) that Myrtie hasn't responded as well as she would like. There has been some reduction in her breathing rate, but not as much as she would have expected. They will continue treatment and then start to consider other options. Both my local vet and the emergency vet mentioned poison, but wrack my brain as I might, I cannot see where she could have been exposed to any. I don't use any bug ridding poisons, and have had the same can of fly spray for about 10 years. Apart from the fact that it just about kills ME, I know that some dogs will pick up dead flies, so use it only on the very very rare occasion. I just can't see how it could be that. She never picks up anything to eat on our walks and none of the footpaths around here have been subjected to weed poisons. Still a waiting process.

K, she is about 12. Bit hard to tell really. When I rescued her from the pound (she wasn't supposed to stay LOL) she had the most dreadful teeth, the teeth of an old dog, but she obviously wasn't as old as her teeth could indicate. She has been with me since June 2010, 4 years .... seems longer because she is a huge personality.

These little animals cause us so much heart ache. Stussy's condition sure sounds a tricky one. I hope the improve continues. Mooch City is having its own little drama today too. Where in Brisbane do you go for emergencies? So long since I've been gone and many years before I became a Mad Dog Woman.

Thank you people. Myrtie is only 3kg - last time she was weighed she was 3.4kg so these little dogs can lose such a high percentage of their weight very quickly. I keep looking at the clock because the vet said to call her at 4pm if she hadn't called me first.

Yesterday, totally out of the blue, Myrtie was not interested in food or walking. Last night, she did not morph into Madam Lash, and this morning very unhappy. Off to the vet the moment they opened ...... only to find that she is going into heart failure. What a shock !! She is now at SASH (Small Animal Specialist Hospital) at North Ryde in an oxygen tent and having intravenous diuretics as there is a lot of fluid around her lungs She has been at SASH twice before for HGE and my local vet for annual vax etc, and has never presented with the slightest heart murmur, so it is shock, to put it mildly. I'm just wondering whether her years of neglect before she came to me are starting to have an affect on her general health. Anyway - it is now just waiting on call from specialist.

Wanting to learn how to treat your dogs so they live a happy and healthy life is not, in my opinion, being a control freak. Having a mini break down because someone offers your dog a treat at the dog park (something I strongly disapprove of BTW LOL) would be. :laugh: You are still grieving for Grover, but you could perhaps be a little kinder to yourself and stop beating yourself up about it :). Slowly and surely, you will get there

Thanks Persephone. I'll have a fiddle later. Trouble is that I don't get any drop down menus when I've linked the computer and iPhone I'll let you know how I go.

She has suffered so much damage. I don't begrudge her a cent of what they raise.

Totally awesome, Spoony. The photographic talent on this forum is just amazing. Loved all the photographs and have to agree with Crazy about the one of the cat. Stunning. Love your new "kid". I reckon he was just looking for something to eat, not the rest of his tail :laugh: :laugh:

My latest toy is an iPhone (my old one was around at the time of the dinosaurs LOL), but despite going to a couple of workshops at Apple and asking several people, I am still none the wiser about how to get photographs off my iPhone. All I'm ever told is to use iTunes. Okay, I have iTunes on my computer and I have turned on the iPhone opened the photographs and linked the two with the cable. Now what? No menus come up on the screen to guide me through. Any help, but it must be step by step like in the Dummies books , would be appreciated.

I was hoping that the eye patch was just for protection, but apparently she did lose her eye . I also hope all the money raised it used only for her treatments and benefit.

OMG - in shock.

Miss Daisy, I have to say that I am tending towards what Dogmad has said, except that I would say the little dog MIGHT THINK he is being punished. I know he isn't being punished by you or your aunt. It is all in their perception. I have a little dog who is VERY VERY reactive and it hit me one day watching her react to another dog that she is, in fact, frightened. Agree. If a trainer starts "sprouting", run a mile. Different dogs, different methods. Good luck. It is very distressing to see a much loved pet causing itself so much unhappiness. If medication helps - go for it. If the dog had a heart condition that was controlled by medication, you wouldn't hesitate to use it, why not do the same for a psychological problem, if that is what it is. :) :)

Your last para, Mystiqview, pertains to a rescue group as well as a breeder. People lie about why a dog/other animal is being surrendered, they are embarrassed and instead of having the guts and decency to admit that their circumstances have changed, or they don't like the animal or some other reason, they would rather see an animal suffer being in a pound even with a very strong chance the animal may be euthanised.

I think I understand your frustration, Leema, but your choices are much too restrictive. Circumstances changes. Perhaps you need a "would if I could" option. You don't know what might have gone on in a breeder's life between the time when one of theirs dogs was rehomed and if it came into a pound. You are asking for perfection and it is not going to happen. So, I couldn't vote either.

Neko was born to dazzle :thumbsup: How are Flash, Splash and Blaize? We need an up date there

The name China comes from rhyming slang: Mate = China Plate = China. I like to stress that even the tiniest of dogs is first of all a dog; even the tiniest of dogs will, generally speaking, love gnawing on a large meaty bone, etc etc etc. Off to take a closer look at Horse LOL.

Despite having a few names in the back of my head for dogs of the future, I generally find that a name pops into my head when I see the dog. When all my existing dogs have crossed the bridge, I'll probably be too old, but I see myself tottering around the neighbourhood with a couple of equally doddery Greyhounds called Flash and Racer LOL.

We now have stocked up on Chunkers and N/gift semi moist. Myrtie is managing and loving it. I cut the Chunkers in half and feed that and NG about 30/70. I still give the others their raw, but mix in some Chunkers and NG. LOL, their meals have never been eaten so quickly, or prepared so quickly. So far?

Totally spot on, Mita. He looks a beautiful boy with a lovely nature. Smart too :laugh: :laugh:

He sounds amazing, Kirislin, and probably the sort of person you need to keep an eye on, because he is dealing with everyone else's pain and neglecting his own. Perhaps. Big assumption on my part, but . . .

Even the tiniest corns can be excruciating. Poor Benny. So glad he has the best mum, now

Oh, thank you. Will have a look.