westiemum

Hi Everyone, Well its bad news... last week I took him to the vet for a check up - no obvious clinical symptoms - just thought its a good idea to keep an eye on it so we did a culture and the little b*st*ards are back with a vengeance. He was really flat earlier in the week and I put it down to this Adelaide heat wave but it turns out he has another major infection - the culture grew a heavy load of bacteria. The vets as upset as I am - we really thought we had it nailed. But this time we really are at the end of the road. Anyway, we're booked in for surgery the week after next - a left ear ablation. I'm sure this is the right thing to do - I need to leave no stone unturned in trying to put my boy out of his misery - so surgery it is. Thanks for all your help and advice over the past 10 months everyone - really appreciated. Please keep your fingers and paws crossed for us. Westimum and Mac.

Not quite the same as a staffy but relatively similar weight loss in my (previously) porker westie boy... vet put him on low cal dry food - and he continued to stack it on on prescribed amount, cut it down by half, slowed weight gain but still weight increasing, cut out the dry food, went hard on veggies and meat (Black and Gold frozen mixed veggies, carrots, pumpkin etc and half a roo barf patty ie no more than 80 - 100 gms approx of lean meat) and the weight fell off. Now have a svelte, trim taut terrific 10 year old westie - vet so impressed he now puts other others porkers on 'Mac's diet' (he's a great vet but a weight nazi - absolutely hates overweight animals - as I've said before, going to the vet is worse than going to weight watchers!! :D ) This thread has said it all - its basically portion control and plenty of bulk veggies. I also have a theory that says the low cal dry food makers don't want you to lose too much weight - otherwise you won't need their food anymore - and I don't think high carbs helps one little bit. I also think the moisture in barf and veg helps enormously - good poos and hydration so good body function. Hope that helps Cheers, Westiemum ;)

Same here. Raw diet (plenty of B & G frozen mixed veggies to settle tummies initially) = no farts! Search Jane summs it up very nicely. Cheers, Westiemum

And another vote for Nekbet, Erny and others advice. Similar situation here but with my mothers old cat. She was very unhappy with the pressure her vet put her under to treat a 16 year old. So together we went to my vet on a Sunday - palliative care for a day or so (while Mum really got used to the idea) and then Georgie went over the rainbow bridge the following Tuesday morning. My vet was brilliant - Mum came away feeling sad but fantastically supported, knowing she had helped Georgie to a pain free existence in the next life - no jabbing in of the green dream here - O2, sedation and then IV green dream - couldn't have asked for more. Big hugs - you'll know when its time - they tell you. Westiemum I agree with this.

:D Big hugs to you too KG - I'm so sorry to hear of your girls grand mals and thanks for the website - appreciated. Grand Mals are more distressing and harder to manage than what my boy occasionally goes through. I hope you get the medication right as that should probably help a lot. And the fact you are asking if second opinion would be useful probably indicates that it would. Do you know of a vet in Perth who specialises in canine epilepsy (is there such a person?) or at least a vet who is a particularly good diagnostician and will work it through with you? I'm really lucky here with my vet - she doesn't give up until she gets to the bottom of things. Can any WA DOLers suggest any vets who might be able to help? I'm so sorry I can't help further - other than to say the support and persistence of a good vet is invaluable. Best, Westiemum

Ditto - Elisa is great and runs a great shop. She does great clips an handles the dogs really well. Her own gorgeous Isabella is often there and what a beutiful apricot standard poodle she is and a great advertisement for her Mum. All my three westies go there and they all come out happy and looking great. Her prices are average and her clientele is so loyal you will have to book ahead. Convinced??!! Hope that helps. Cheers, Westiemum :D

Yes thanks PRS - agreed except that focal epilepsy is often the result of disease and injury and produces very localised symptoms as in this case (head shaking) and that's where the differential diagnosis becomes important. Causes can include SOLs (space occupying lesions which may be benign or maglignant with or without metastases) or specific injury to specific parts of the brain - and in my case the symptoms are probably localised to the cerebellum (and may be consistent with the damage caused from a kick to the back of the head - maybe - but maybe not). So certainly with a slow-growing SOL, symptoms may realtively quickly increase in frequency or severity depending on the neurological structures being compromised - and early diagnosis in this case can be an advantage - hence my humming nand harring about an MRI - which may be part of a cheaper early diagnostic solution that extensive treatment later - and as you rightly point out it may show absolutely nothing. Anyway, these 'grey' ones are always diagnostically tricky - so will discuss with the vet next time I see her. Apart from his epilepsy, he is such as superb young dog (everyone who meets him says so) - so if there is a solution to this it might be worth pursuing - we'll see. So thanks for your post - very helpful. Cheers, Westiemum and Andy

Hi DW, Thanks for your post. No I haven't really noticed any other changes - occasionally he is a bit 'vacant' but he comes out of it very quickly and he seems to have noisy 'dreams' occasionally - a little bark and some leg movement/stretching, occasionally waking suddenly as if from a deep sleep and scrambling around as if to say 'hey, what gives, whats happening?' And occasioinally I'ved noticed he seems to blink excessively, particularly on the left. Overall I'd describe him as a bit 'neurologically flakey' ie a bit neurologically unsound. But really thats as far as goes. So have you noticed any other changes in Diesel? Did you have a look at the video in my OP? Is this what Diesel does? Have you done any diagnostics such as MRI? I haven't but I'm wondering if I should? Or only worry if the severity or frequency increases? (Andy only has a major fit that I see every few months). Hope that helps. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Everyone, Thansk very much for all your responses - yes the feelings of helplessness are hard to handle. Many good suggestions here - really appreciate them and will give many a go. Gallomph the fat trigger is really intersting - I don't think I've heard of that before. Cavandra he had a C5 back in late January. I could be wrong but I'm doubting that would be the problem - I'm guessing a more generalised form of epilepsy from a vaccine rather than something so localised as the seizures Andy has - but I could be wrong. I'm guessing an injury to this boy during his puppy farm years - but again I don't really know. Becks thanks for the diet warning and the three meals a day suggestion - yes that certainly makes sense. And the icecream suggestion (I'm sure he won't mind that!). Thanks glendabendaand cockerlover for your replies - all very helpful. Thanks tons everyone - Andy and I are very grateful. Where would we all be without this fabulous online community. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks tons Erny - very kind of you - and thank you your post helps a lot. Yes you're right - I think its the helplessness which is really hard. He's now asleep next to me on the lounge - and I'm sure he'll sleep deeply overnight. So will see how he is in the morning and go from there. Cheers, Westiemum My previous girl had Grand Mal seizures and in between times would exhibit the Petit Mal seizures. The Vet informed me that, especially for the Grand Mals, all I could do was to stop her from hurting herself during the episode. The smaller seizures weren't as bad. However, whenever she 'zoned out' I would follow her around to ensure she didn't come to any grief as there were times when she just wasn't 'there' and I often wondered if she was pacing around on some sort of remote control based on memory, rather than actually being able to 'see' in the moment. I think seizures are harder to watch than they might be to endure. Again - talking about the Grand Mals, my understanding is that once the animal comes out of them they don't have a memory of them. But they are exhausting. So having places to zonk out and peacefully sleep was something I made certain to provide. In my girl's case, she was always at her most comfortable when she knew I was around, so I had comfy beds and mats dotted in all the living areas I would hang out in within the home as well as outside. I'm not so sure that your little one would be the same as for my girl so perhaps I've not given a proper nor good answer. But if it helps you to know that I very much empathise with feeling a bit helpless for not being able to fix or stop these things, then this post has been worth it anyway. I'm sure there'll be someone else who will come along with experiences more closely related to yours than mine. So hang in there .

Hi Everyone, Andy, my 4.5 year old rescue westie who has focal epilepsy (cerebellar centred the vet thinks), has just had the longest fit he has had since Easter - it lasted about 4 minutes and then suddenly stopped. During the seizure he is concious, can walk, isn't incontinent and just gently shakes his head from side to side for the duration - bit like a puppet with its head on a spring wobbling side to side. While he was siezing, all I did was pick him up and cuddle him until it subsided. Now the siezure is over, he is not upset and is now sound asleep on the floor under the coffee table. He occcasionally has 'absences' (bit like human petit mals) but its a long time since he has had an episode like this - just on six months. The vet quite rightly, isn't interested in considering medication for him at this point. Is there anything else I should do for him during the seizure or after (apart from a vet check?). I can't get him to the vet before its all over - so I'm careful to report any seizures accurately. And yes we have considered other neurological disorders - but the vet is confident its mild focal epilepsy - here's a link half way down the page to a video of another dog whose seizures look very similar to Andy's. Given this is continuing (as I expected it would) is there anything else I should do/consider? Thanks for any help/advice. Cheers, Westiemum

Jed you should write a book... it'd be a best seller! Cheers, Westiemum

The photos are fabulous guys! Sorry I missedit - just too much on at the moment. and the temp fencing idea is fabulous - who was the smartie who thought of that and got it together? Congratsulations whoever it was. Hopefully see you all at the next meet at Eastwood. Cheers, Westiemum, Mac, Sarah and Andy.

Thanks tons PRS - I was more concerned that she may have had it spread it around inadvertently at the DOL Meet - so good to know thats unlikely - given I wasn't sure what the incubation period of KC is. And thanks for the vaccination info - have just rung the vet and she had a C5, not a C3 in late January this year (Getting old and the memory's going!). I must admit with all the discussion about whether or not to vaccinate and if you do to C3 or C5 I get a bit confused. I vaguely remember the vet advising because of the parvo around Adelaide at the time that he thought it was wise to vaccinate so I did. Thanks for your help. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Everyone, Thanks for the thread PG and apologies for the minor highjack - I have a vet appointment at 5 this afternoon - Sarah, my 8 year old westie, has developed a hacking cough last night and dry retched twice (bit of mucus) - she didn't settle until about three this morning Otherwise she is a little quieter, but still alert, happy and wagging her tail - and I think it would take a nuclear attack to put her off her food! But she also has a clear watery discharge from her nose... She has had a couple of raw bones of late. So if its not mild KC, the only thing I can think it might be is a scratched oesaphagus from a bone (she tends to hoover) or an allergic reaction of some kind. But if it is KC, I'm blowed if I know where she picked it up? She is C3 vaccinated (I think it was C3 - will check tonight) And depending on incubation period, I'm a bit worried she might have had it and spread it around or picked it up at the last Adelaide DOL meet? Is this likely to be a problem for other dogs at the meet? Like PG, I have no experience with KC so any advice really appreciated. Thanks Westiemum ETA the last Adelaide DOL meet we were at was 30 August if that helps.

Yep I find this teeth cleaning a bit of a vexed issue - three westies - her teeth are brilliant at age 8, former dog farm dogs - 4 year old's are OK and 10 year olds are really iffy with some missing. And they all get an identical diet, including bones and frames. Vet believes that some dogs chew differently and this is what makes the difference. So I've started with the DentiPet chicken flavour paste from the vet. First I've put it on my finger for them to lick off just for a few days then I smeared it on both lips so they had to lick it off, again for a few days. Then I put it on my finger and rubbed it over their front teeth and then moved to rubbing it around in their mouths over their front and back teeth (some movement as when I clean my own teeth). Then next week we'll move to one of those dog tooth brushes which fit over your finger - has all worked like a charm - no problems at all - and I hope it arrests the dental probs with the two boys. Anyone got any other ideas? Cheers, Westiemum

Yep Joint Guard too here - and my old arthritic westie does very well on it. Oh a sylvet capsule helps a lot for the arthritis too. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks everyone - really appreciated. Here's hoping... Cheers, Westiemum

Mine get one chicken neck each in the morning in the side of their mouths - and I haven't had a problem. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Everyone, Thanks so much for all your support and help over the last few months - well, as of last nights culture, we are completely clear :laugh: - The vet and I are SOOOOOOOO thrilled! Not a nasty in sight anywhere in either ear - and the ear looks the cleanest and healthiest that its looked... well... ever since I can remember. So I'm just finishing the last of the timentin drops and will keep up the TrizEDTA a couple of times a week and see how we go... Please pray and/or cross your paws for us - its been a helluva long haul since January over this but it seems we are finally there.... I hope! And he's a so much happier boy... its just so wonderful to watch him... so its all been worthwhile. He's the gorgeous one.... Thanks again everyone, Cheers Westiemum and Mac

Thanks rommiemum - and you're right - it is a a big effort to keep it up this long - but for its 'how long is a piece of string'? and 'as long as it takes' Nothing I wouldn't do for this boy... Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks Rappie. The vet had another look at his ear today and its even better. So fingers and paws crossed.... Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks rommiemum - very good of you. Rappie, if you are around... thought you might be interested to know according to my vet there seems to be a real pseudomonas outbreak here according to my vet... have you noticed an increase too? If so I wonder why? Cheers, Westiemum :D

Here's a further update... went back to the vet last night and the ear is dry, of good colour, no inflammation and the vet is pleased!! (And so am I!!! ). And he continues to be a much happier boy. So having finished the short course of steriods we are continuing our TriEDTA drops a couple of times a week timentin drops (1/2 ml twice a day) and the zeniquin tablets... so all fingwers and paws crossed here that all continues well and we can avoid major surgery... Cheers Westiemum

I always ask about pain relief after surgery for my guys - and usually they have an injection and then I start a short course of pain relief for 4-6 days afterwards. I don't think it hurts to errr on the side of providing our guys with pain relief - particularly as they get older. And if your dog is miserable I think I'd be ringing the vet, telling them about his symptoms and pain behaviour and asking when I can collect further pain relief... owners generally know thier dogs well and when it comes to pain they know their animals better than anyone else so, I I were you, I'd follow your gut and discuss further with your vet as what you are describing sounds like a dog in pain to me.... Hope that helps. Cheers, Weastiemum