westiemum

Good idea SM. How old is Scottie again? And can we have a photo of the beautiful one?? A group I'm still a member of for LP (GOLPP) dogs was a terrific source of information and support for me and Mac. And yet even with all that knowledge and support we still had a dog die two weeks ago when it was bleeding obvious the dog had LP and needed urgent surgery to open the airway - yet the owner insisted on all sorts of non-surgical nonsense (crystals for example ) as the primary therapy until the dog went into crisis - and yes sadly died. And yes it was a miserable death in intensive care for the dog and expensive for the owner which was all so avoidable . By the time the dog got proper care it was already an real uphill battle and it's scary just how quickly things can go downhill and spiral out of control. So apologies again if I've upset anyone - but this thing is a dreadful disease and requires controlled surgical management and then ongoing careful clinical management to maintain life quality. I'm so glad Scottie is doing well again. I soooooo want a Scottie one day.

Sorry SM - don't want to scare you but believe me - 23 June 2013 was the worst day of my life - and if I can help others avoid it then thats a good thing. As to non-emergency diagnosis its a combination of the clinical signs I listed above and xray. Then if suspicious confirmed through endoscopy. I always get worried when people talk about unresolved overnight pacing and/or panting. So I thought Mac's story was worth repeating. In his case nothing resolved the pacing and panting and the dementia drugs (valium, vivitonin etc) didn't help. Whereas you're back to sleeping through the night, his bark's normal and the vivtonin seems to work. So unless you are worried, I think its more a case of talk it through with your vet when you are next there.

I had a deaf velcro dog with dementia as well - or so I thought. Mac started the overnight pacing from memory sometime in late May or early June 2013 - and it drove me insane as I became incredibly sleep deprived. I remember going to the vet on 19 June desperate for answers for him and for me. We focussed on his dementia, tried valium for example and nothing worked - if anything it seemed to make the pacing worse (or so I thought - as it turned out it was probably his airway closing). Finally by the Sunday morning 23 June we were back at the vet but of course he had no-one on who could help him with any endoscopy on a Sunday. So late that afternoon we went off to the Emergency Animal Hospital on Anzac Highway where the emergency vet was obviously a bit flummoxed and said it was highly possible I would lose him that night - Mac was in a really bad way. I got sent home and told they'd call if they needed me. I tell you there is a God. Mac was having xrays about 10.30 pm when in walked Richard his 'go-to' surgeon to check on another patient (it was his day off). I'm told Richard took one look at Mac's films, said to the other staff 'that looks like laryngeal paralysis (LP) to me' - and immediately got on the the phone to me and without saying anything about diagnosis he recommended endoscopy and would get back to me in an hour - of course I said yes. On the dot Richard rang back and said he was 98% sure it was LP, he'd left Mac under GA and could go straight in and do a tie-back which he was confident would likely solve Mac's problems. So at midnight on a Sunday night Mac had a laryngeal tie-back and I got a new dog back on the following Tuesday. Overnight pacing completely gone. I think there were two things going on here - first we got side-tracked by his dementia and focussed on that and secondly no-one really seriously considered LP in a small breed dog - its usually found in much bigger breeds. (Labs, Goldens, Rotties, St Bernards etc). But is known to occasionally occur in small breeds. (I know of a Papillon who has LP in the US at the moment) In hindsight, I think the cues were there for a long time before we hit respiratory crisis on 23 June 2013. Mac had consistently literally been sitting down on the job on walks and refusing to go any further - cue one. His bark changed - I joked about his 'sexy husky bark' - and so did everyone else - cue two. He started hanging his head right over the edge of the lounge and I think for some reason he found it easier to breathe in that position - cue three. These were major cues I missed and indicators that something was seriously wrong and of course I didn't join the dots until it was too late. He didn't have any inspiratory noise or coughing that I noticed. So my long-winded point is SM - make sure you get the differential diagnosis right. And don't assume it's dementia pacing when the pacing could be indicative of other things. If Scottie has any of the following then I'd be querying LP and booking in for an endoscopy pronto: Panting Noisy respiration and a high-pitched sound when breathing in (most common) Change in character of the bark Occasional coughing Reduced activity, exercise intolerance Elevated rectal temperature (especially during warm weather months) I don't wish to scare anyone but respiratory crisis due to LP is a medical emergency - the dog is literally suffocating to death with a paralysed closed airway - and its a miserable way to die. So its important to avoid crisis at all costs if at all possible and stay in control - not to mention the money you'll save on Sunday night emergency surgery if you deal with it in a controlled way. Tie-back surgery at the age of 13 gave Mac well over two more years of quality life. Hope it helps SM. Would be very interested in a Scottie update.

Thank you everyone. Have decided to put the whole issue on hold for a couple of weeks while I work out if I'm staying in this house. Stay tuned!!

Oops double post. Damn iPad

Little gifts that sounds like overnight at my place!! It's incredible how much bed space two wedgies think they need. I get the Gaza Strip most nights. Sarebear is a shocking bed hog a and the colder it is the worse she gets!!!

Voted thistle but purple is lovely too! Have a lovely weekend!

RIP beautiful girl. Not a day too late.

Thanks DD - the trick will be if its big enough for my old girl. She's a big westie!!

Got it. Apologies - I misunderstood the OP. Hope it all goes well.

He's gorgeous DD - the oldies are so precious - good to see he's still pottering around.

Skip thank you but I'm in Adelaide - and yes I agree a whole door with a doggy door is too fiddly to get to fit. Yes I have a friend who can install a dog door. I'll keep looking for a second hand one I think.

Big hugs Huga. There's just no easy way to do this. Lola was a beautiful girl - and that stubborness reminds me of Mac - who I'm sure will look after her too and show her the ropes. Big cuddles for Sid.

Is the breeder a proper registered breeder (and I don't mean council registered?) I wouldn't be buying from a breeder that lets a poor puppy go at just over 6 weeks.

Hook and eye?

Thanks Jemappelle - I've also spoken with a friend who knows about these things and he said the same thing - fiddly to get it to fit - especially because of the striker plate and because its short would likely need a weather strip at the bottom. So we're going to keep a look out for a second hand doggy door (or a cheap new one!) and he said he'll fit it for me. So if anyone sees or hears of a westie size one going cheap I'm all ears. Thanks tons everyone!

Like I said, I'm bad at this stuff. My door measurements are 202 x 81 x 4cm. The bottom of the striker plate is 111.5 cm from the bottom of the door. (Not a standard size door) The Brighton door on Gumtree is 199 cm height, 80.4 wide, 4.2 deep. Striker plate 125cm from bottom of door. Is the Brighton door size close enough or is it overall too small height and width wise? TIA

Great idea - thank you. Complex IR/ER problems - I'm your girl. Solving a simple practical problem like doggy doors is completely beyond me without help!! (Just ask Perse! ).

Thanks HW - yes I could - but the problem is all the sawing etc which I can't do and the cost to have someone do it (a couple of hundred $) for a couple of months is probably not worth it. I've just made an enquiry about the door on Gumtree that Boronia posted - as believe it or not its nearby and it would be easier to replace the whole door rather that try and install a doggy door in an existing thick wooden door. So I've asked for some measurements and will go from there. (Why on earth people put up ads without measurements is beyond me, but anyway...) Thanks tons...

Hi All, I'm currently in a wonderful little dog-friendly rental - the westies love the backyard here. But its getting very cold and my old girl Sarah who will be 15 on 6 July, is really feeling it. When it was warmer, they were fine in the backyard for the day with beds and blankets under cover. But Mum popped around last week while I was at work and diplomatically told me I needed another solution as Sarah was getting far too wet and cold. I'd really like to be able to find a doggy door solution that isn't going to cost a fortune given I'm only here for a few months and this house will be demolished towards the end of the year? The owner will be fine with almost any solution. I don't have any sliding doors - they are all locked solid wood. Any ideas? Also interested in any 'new' permanent doggy door models for later reference? Thanks for any help or suggestions. ETA: One idea is to leave the kitchen door open and somehow lock the door between the kitchen and the hall - but not idea how to do this safely and effectively? Any suggestions? TIA.

Goo for you Bub and for getting Mr B under control. No reason for any changes at this point and just deal with it as you go along.

Gee they leave such big holes for little dogs. RIP special boy - Mac will show you the ropes. Big hugs lmb.

Great description HW - you could be describing my Sarah - and watching her and Andy play is just heart-warming. The day she backs out of a 'bout' with Andy is the day I'll really take notice.

Katdogs i was thinking the same thing! It seems only yesterday we were responding on Bubby puppy threads!

JRG my SArah has just started on the 4cyte too. How are you finding it?