westiemum

Hi All, I hope no-one minds me putting this here but I need fast and wide circulation and know a lot of good people can't bear reading the rescue threads.. I've just had a call from a very good friend who is very dog savy. Someone she knows has two dogs, and she has decided to re-home her elderly Chi, Zac. Please no judgements - yes it makes us very cross too but my friend and I are simply trying to make the best of a bad situation. He's 12 years old, very good natured, very healthy, good teeth, no problem barking, inside dog, very people oriented and she's had him for over 11 years. But the new 2 year old tenterfield-westie crossbreed (WTF?) is going really berserk at Zac on a regular basis and the owner got hurt tonight trying to separate them. The younger dog is the aggressor from the sound of it - seems to me to be both food and dog aggressive from what was described - but the owner of these two dogs is determined to keep the nutso younger one and mentioned putting Zac down. We've at least stalled that for the moment. My friend and I have 5 dogs and 2 cats between us so its full house at our places - she has a nervy rescue cav who we aren't sure would cope with a foster and I really don't think Mac would cope with a foster at this late stage in his life. So, does anyone know anyone in Adelaide who might be able to foster Zac while we find a home for him? Or even better know someone who would like this gorgeous little guy? I know 12 year olds are hard to re-home but he's apparently the loveliest boy and we'd love to buy some time while we try to find him a retirement home if we can. Quite happy to offer the usual 2 week trials etc. Yes I know he could go to a rescue service but I thought we would try here first and avoid burdening overflowing rescue services - but I'll try those later if we have don't have any success here and things get critical. Here's a photo of Zac - he looks a little timid after the latest skirmish. BTW the man in the photo is not the owner and is very concerned for Zac's welfare but unable to help him. If anyone has any ideas or can help us help Zac we'd be very grateful.

Y that vid is amazing - love it. And don't worry about newbies who don't understand that dogs need jobs - even mine - and this is what Ronin was bred to do and is happy doing - just like my westies are rodent hunters and failing that they're lounge lizards bred to keep me company!! That's their job!!

Yep I'll probably deprive Sarah of the coconut oil - she has a dicky tummy and gets the squirts really easily - but the boys could have a little in their 'soup'. I tell you they eat better than I do!

Guess who else warms the water in winter!!! But I never thought to 'bait' it - what a good idea!! I'm gonna try that - my guys just love the wet meals and the sardines is such a good idea - I've just gotta finish my Haighs chocolate Friday night treat first!!!!

Well we're in fine company Y! Mine get about half a cup of water in their meals morning and night too - I call it their westie soup! Interestingly a vet at the Emergency Vet one night was very pleased to hear my lot got wet meals - he believes in it too and thinks that many dogs these days don't get enough moisture from their food. I think he was suspicious there was a connection with increasing rates of kidney disease. I suspect us 'nutters' are going to be looked on as forerunners eventually!!

Thanks for the thread Y - and yep I agree entirely. I've been doing yearly blood panels on my lot for some years cos I believe in nipping things in the bud. July is my month - my birthday and Sarahs birthday so the boys get theirs done as well at the same time. Well the good news here too is there's nothing to nip in the bud here either. In fact last year the vet rang the pathology people to double check he had the right results as he'd never (?) seen a 15 year old (as Mac was then) with such good results. The vet couldn't believe that in such an old dog there wasn't a sniff of kidney disease - or anything else for that matter. I'm a predominantly raw feeder too - and mine get very wet meals to make sure they drink enough to be well hydrated. And I'm convinced its helped keep their kidneys in good health. They are all unrelated westies who all get fed the same way and they are all very healthy oldies.

I'm also finding he's ravenous a couple of hours after he has dinner and his anti-convulsant.. So I'm giving him a snack at bedtime to tide him over until morning in the hope his 4 am munchies disappear... we'll see...

Thanks SM - yes I think its worth a try - even if it means that Mac's last months are just a little more comfy. Anyway we'll see! Will report back with how we get on.

Even dementing Mac loves his Bobalot!

Just lovely H! How old is Asia now?

You all have the most amazing doggies - congratulations everyone! denali just love your ruby cav is just gorgeous - a ruby fav is one my bucket list!

I just paid $15 + postage for a kg of 5% tumeric from Country Park Herbs. Carol was terrific - offered to send 2 kgs for cheaper so the whole deal was more cost effective - until she found out it was for a dog not a horse! Then she said 'no a kg will last for ages and be plenty for a westie'. Great honesty and great service. So I've bought some coconut oil and will hopefully get Mac started on it next week. Thanks for all the help and advice everyone - really appreciated.

Thanks all. He has very few teeth and generally his breath isn't too bad but at 4 am 2 cms from my face it can be a bit whiffy! The funny thing is he seems to be getting more demanding as he gets more demented! And after his laryngeal tie-back op in June 2013 he now barks like a demented seal! He stands at the bottom of the stairs and at the top of the stairs and barks in a deep raspy voice - very intentionally - to be lifted up or down - he seems very concerned to be left behind and its a real 'what about me? Don't forget me!" raspy bark - its really very funny. And of course he barks in my ear at 4 am if he needs a wee...

He's remarkable. He's lying on his blankie under the coffee table at my feet - his new favourite spot. Its clear the anti-convulsants make him more wobbly - but he seems to be coping with two a day - and he's much steadier in the afternoons before his evening dose than he is in the mornings. We had a very bad night last Thursday night where he wouldn't settle - and I did wonder if he'd had a seizure I didn't see. I ended up having to put him in the laundry so I could get some sleep. But he has since settled since thank goodness and he's back on my bed where he belongs! He's a real snuggle pot - I woke up this morning with him breathing his Mac Attack breath all over me, woofing to go out for a wee - and wee he did!! That's all he wanted - he went straight back to sleep in the crook of my arm for another hour or so after we went back to bed. He's still eating very well - and interestingly he's asking to go outside for a wee but not for a poo... but then again I'd rather pick up poo inside than clean up wee any day! Its almost like he doesn't even know the poo is coming until its too late - small price to pay for my lovely old man.

Thank you all very much - really appreciate your posts. I'm going to try a spot in town just along from my new office to see if I can pick up the tumeric during the week. Will report back on how we get on.

Snoopy I wouldn't touch it unless you can get a comprehensive list of ingredients. Sorry to sound like a cynic but if the manufacturers run true to form its probably not got terribly high quality ingredients - if it did they would price themselves out of the market. Having said that I'm very happy to be proved wrong! Please could someone give me a lesson in how to make Golden Paste, how much to use and dosage? I've pricked my ears up that its thought to help dogs with seizures and arthritis - and thats Mac and my other two seem to becoming a bit stiff and I need to do something - but I'm not sure what. The anti-convulsants are OK but they do make him wobblier for a couple of hours after dosing. Thanks all and sorry for the thread highjack Snoopy but I think that food is a bit of a deadend for now. ETA: Does anyone know a source of good quality Tumeric in Adelaide? I'm going back to work next week so thought I might give it a go this weekend. TIA.

Canine Coach thank you for the thread. I've almost choked at the cost of Meloxicam for Mac too - over $100 for a 100ml bottle. And we are in the last 1/4 of his current bottle so I'll need another one - so I might ask for a script as well instead. Money is really tight here when you aren't working and the cost variation is pretty high. Thank you again.

I agree with Mrs RB it must pass the park yell test. When friends were naming their schnauzer puppy recently there were many evenings of discussion over a red on suitable names. The MOTH came up with a strong German name - Fritz - which so failed the park test it and had us in stitches for weeks. You also don't want a name that will bring every other dog in the park running when you yell it! They ended up choosing a name pre-puppy and then checked it suited post-puppy arrival - and it did. He's now Leo.

Yeah T I suspect so - the medication routine here twice a day and extras on Monday mornings and Thursdays nights is a well oiled machine with the plastic cheese!

Same here Hazy My old westies are none too coordinated either - in Macs case its enough that he stays upright! But yes I get a row of automatic sits when the plastic cheese comes out!

Excellent!! I've been using them for years and my lot still aren't sick of them. Now you just have to get used to quizzical looks from friends as to why on earth you have that highly processed stuff in your fridge!!

In 2006 Mac got out - twice. Human error both times. One morning I let Mac out the back for a wee as usual and jumped in the shower. Next thing there's someone banging at the front door who had Mac in his arms and said 'Lost something'? The lawn man had left the side gate open and Mac was down playing in the morning traffic on Fullarton Road. I almost had a heart attack as I didn't even realise he'd gone. This really nice man saw him, stopped his car and grabbed and returned him. The lawn man got the sack. The second time he got out - not sure how - some neighbours down the street grabbed him as he trotted up the street this time and put him inside and then went looking for his owner - they saw me with a lead - and I retrieved him from on top of their coffee table!! (I explained he was a puppy farm rescue who still needed to learn some manners!). I then installed a second locked gate down the side and it didn't happen again. Fast forward to earlier this year - I still have a double gate system in the new house - and while I was at work apparently the builders managed to leave both side gates open after being specifically told to be careful. Apparently there was a mad panic as they chased both Sarah and Andy in opposite directions. Andy was heading for Fullarton Road - but being a woozy, he got scared and let himself get caught. They retrieved Sarah from the opposite cross street. I only found out days later - which was probably a good thing.

Yes raw mince works well too - but cheese slices are much more cost effective here Perse - no ready supply like you have up there!!

Thanks Tassie - and here's another photo of the old man from yesterday. The orange stick is a swing in the background:

Ah! Got it. Thank you.