westiemum

I use a syringe for my Mac (chronic ear infections and in for surgery today - see the Pseudomonas thread) - and yes thats the way I do it too - come up behind him, give his ears a scratch, put his muzzle down (to straighten the canal as much as possible), put the syringe in, plunge, rub ear and give a small treat - get in and get out and don't faff about as others have said. He often barely realises its happened. Oh and BTW, if I'm ever treating both ears, I have two syringes - one with a red rubber band around it for the right ear - so I don't mix them up and risk any sort of cross infection. I also rinse the sygringes out in hot water after every use.

Well I've just dropped the old boy off to the vet for his surgery - please cross your fingers and paws for him. Will let you all know how it goes.

Done! Thanks very much for your replies. Aussie Pets, Clipperworld and GreyhoundproductsDirect are all much of a muchness - some slightly more expensive for the postage but less for the product and vice versa. So really they are all very competitive. In the end I got 800 gms (2 x 400gm tubs) for 124.59 from Clipperworld. For those who are finding other products/regimes more effective, I think its just what your dog does well on - my old boy does very well on Jointguard and sylvet capsules so I'm sticking to it! Thanks again. Westiemum

Agreed.

Thanks guys - yes I thought this was a good price but just wanted to check... I can't believe the variation - saw it on Oz Auction yesterday at a 'Buy Now' price of $141.00 And yes Greyhound Products Direct are only a dollar more expensive and then you get the great service from Troy there.... so given I want a couple of other things I'll probably stay with GPD - they are really reliable...

Am on the hunt again for reasonably priced Jointguard - I can't believe how much prices vary. The cheapest I've found for a 750gm tub is Aussiepets here. - $118.25 with P & H of a bit over $6.00. Can anyone do better than that? Thanks for your help.

Sarasmuum given its tea, I'm guessing it probably lkeeps its effectiveness for a couple of days - so I would hope to get away with two batches a week. Erny are you around? Any advice? Cheers Westiemum

Hi LM, Glad to hear she's on the mend. My new westie boy has infrequent mild seizures - last one during the heatwave last Friday morning - so I know how distressing this can be and really admire the way you handled this really severe seizing - I couldn't ahve done so well - she is a really lucky girl to have you for her 'Mum'. Good luck and all fingers and paws crossed here for you and the little girl. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Shosanna, In a nutshell - I would seriously consider having your doggies clipped (they are jsut gorgeous BTW ) Not sure where you are in Adelaide but if it works, I recommend Goldiesrgr8 - a DOLer and great groomer at The Spoilt Dog on Fullarton Road at Highgate. She takes great care and will be able to give you some really good advice - and it will be in your dogs interest, not hers. When I got my last westie rescue who has since become a foster failure, she decided his coat was too poor to do much with initially - so a tidy up was only in order last January. We've been gradually working up to a full westie clip all year as his coat has improved. Hope that helps Cheers Westiemum

Yes its great to see such good results with such a cheap easy solution. Thanks tons Erny. Good to hear you are getting good results too Sarasmum. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks poodle wrangler - thats the way I feel too - and its not through lack of trying. I sooo want my gorgeous boy to be painfree - and surgery really now is the only option. Thanks for your post - appreciated. Cheers, Westiemum and Mac

Neats thanks for your post. I am getting a really good list of things to try. A couple of people in other threads have also mentioned the Alpha Kerri Bath Oil - so will definitely keep it in mind. In this Adelaide heat I'd be reluctant to try a fluppies as well - and nervous about leaving her for the day with it on in this heat while I'm at work - but thanks for the idea and your post. Cheers, Westiemum :D

Thanks Stacey - yes polaramine is a popularand it seems effective choice. If you don't mind me asking, how much does Gypsy weigh? Cheers, Westiemum

Erny you're a legend! I made up a stock pot of calendula tea yesterday afternoon, (normal tea strength), let it cool and then bathed her in it. I decided not to rinse and just towelled her off - and her scratching has already decreased and her tummy is less red. I plan to bathe her again Wednesday night then again on the weekend and then go to once a week or as needed. Do you think thats about right? Thanks tons - For us I think you've just given me the miracle cure! (And its soooo cheap!) Westiemum and Sarah

Thanks Rappie - that's very kind of you. Yes I'm confident we've done all we can too and we've reached the ultimate outcome - and its now time to bite the bullet and have the surgery. I'm sure its the right thing to do given we really can't go on like this as its too tough on both of us. Thanks very much for your wise words over the months - its meant a lot. Cheers, Westiemum and Mac.

Thanks sumosmum - thats good to know about the 6 mg tabs - I have the 2mg tabs so will stick to them too. Will check out Chemist Warehouse next time I'm in the city, Thanks for your help. Cheers Westiemum

Thanks Erny. Will pick some calendula tea this afternoon. Cheers Westiemum PS Erny I couldn't get a hold of the RAC Site Manager I need to talk to about the Wii and the games the oldies use yesterday afternoon - so will try again for you on Monday - even if its just the games they enjoy. Cheers WM/.

Thanks RL - yes I know you are right - its such a big step. And yes I will be making sure he gets the best pain relief for him for as long as he needs it - and then some. He is such a gorgeous fellow - the trouble is he is so damn stoic its really hard to pick up when he is in real pain - he just carries on. And being a puppy farm rescue dog, he's done so well having come out of that hell hole with a heap of chronic health problems and we've got on top of the lot - except this one which has been so problematic. So it will be good for the problem to be finally gone and for him to be ultimately pain free - even if he is deaf in one ear - although he's probably had reduced hearing in that ear for a long time anyway. (He didn't repond to a normal volume call the other night, but responded immediately I raised my voice a little). So thanks everyone for your help and support - really appreciated. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks LB - yes it seems polaramine is the top of the pops antihistamine - so thats what I'm trying. I'm giving her 3mg twice daily based on the Ingleburn Vets dosage guide - and her eyes are looking better already. Yes I bought a box from the chemist too - and was surprised how cheap it is - half the price of the others on the shelf (of course I had to ask for it - it was behind the counter!). By any chance do you remember the dosage that your vet gave you? Just would be interesting to compare - I'm very wary of under-dosing and then assuming it doesn''t work (wary of over-dosing as well of course). Thanks again and we'll see how we go. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks everyone for your really helpful advice - and the Ingleburn Vet dosage guide is really helpful. So I've bought some Polaramine instead since it specifically refers to grass allergies on the box and I'm fairly sure thats that main problem - and if that doesn't work I'll try something else. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Everyone, Going to have to resort to an antihistamine for my westie girl who is having a hard time allergy wise. Its the usual - eyes and licking her paws (they are very stained). Her tummy which is sometimes pink isn't too bad at the moment although she is scratching. The grass seeds and burrs in the back yard are particularly bad at the moment. We are cleaning it up but its taking time. (I suspect that this is where the problem allergen is). So has anyone used the Telfast in the green box for dogs? And if so what dose? It looks like it would be particularly good for these symptoms. Or is there something else 'over the counter' that people would recommend? Apologies for the repeat thread - searched but couldn't find any info on Telfast Thanks for your help. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks Oakway - I need to hear that at the moment. Its very tempting to try 'just one more thing' and spare him the surgery - but logic and experience is really telling me surgery is now the only option. And I have a wonderful vet who I trust implicitly. And if she says we have reached the end of the road, then we have reached the end of the road. Thanks for your post and good wishes. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks Rommi n Lewis - yes I think surgery is the only answer - this constant pouring of stuff down his ear can't be helping either. We have reached the conclusion that there is a resistant pocket of pseudmonas infection behind the ear drum somewhere - and thats all it will take for these regular flare-ups. And I doubt there is anything I can put down his ear now which will solve the problem. And the deal breaker is that he is now resistant to the last lot of antibiotics we flew in from Sydney (Zeniquin) so there isn't an oral antibioic we can now use. So in the interim be's back on the timentin drops and on a short course of steroids until his surgery - probably on the 30th. He's certainly happier since we started the steroids (and got the aircon fixed! But thats another story...). So thanks for your good wishes - much appreciated. Cheers, Westiemum

Yep my guys are suffering in this shocking sudden heat too - particularly the old fella who's ten - he was very flat earlier in the week - I put it down to the heat - turns out he has a rabid, very painful ear infection... he's OK now but I still feel guilty that I missed it... so if in doubt get a vet check IMO... Westiemum

Hi Toohey, No I haven't - please can I have some more details? Thanks for your post. Cheers, Westiemum