westiemum

Sorry kirty I'm not following - if the dog has stiff knees it follows that there is probably associated pain and so will need an anti-inflammatory and some pain relief daily otherwise on the every second day routine its a day of pain and stiffness followed by a day of pain relief and better movement given that this drug's effects don't last for 48 hours. Or were you saying something else?

Yep agreed Hazy. Mac is on it too and I hummed and haahed about it given that it can cause kidney problems (?) with long-term use. But it improves his quality of life substantially and so far his kidneys are still functioning well for a 16 year old. One word about the every second day routine - my general vet also had me doing that with Mac too initially. Then we saw the specialist who said this drug only works for 24 hours per dose. So essentially I was giving Mac a good day followed by a bad day followed by a good day etc etc. So the specialist said to give it daily with a minimum dose. And that's working really well here. If for whatever reason he misses his morning dose its really noticeable by dinner time. I also make sure all my westies get a good dose of water actually in their evening meal to ensure they are well hydrated and drinking enough. So might be something to discuss with the vet. Hope it helps.

Snook thats a toughy but I find the cheap processed Home Brand cheese slices work best. The Coles brand ones are too brittle and don't mould anywhere near as well. I skilfully get up to four tablets at a time into a mound of cheese slice and then down the hatch it goes. Mac needs Cisapride/ranitidine, doxycycline and his anti-convulsant twice a day, and then he has a gabapentin at night and a dose of loxicom in the morning. So the cheese slices are a life saver with this medication regime. To have to fight it twice a day, sometimes three times a day would be awful. The trick is to artfully mould a ball of the stuff around the pills carefully so its covered. One slice here does about three or four doses. You get practiced at it - and then in Mac's case he sniffs the cheese and then down the hatch it goes, no grief , no stress. ETA: Oh and don't be stingy with the cheese - it needs to be generously moulded around those slippery little things! The things we become good at!!

It was fabulous - thanks for your comments. Mac slept like a log all night and is having a lovely time pottering around on the lawn in the sunshine at the moment. Sarebear is in her usual place on her cushion on the lounge and Andy has snuck up onto the new leather lounge! Well I suppose thats why I bought leather! So all is right with the world!

Same here Snook - I have up to 4 pills buried in cheese that Mac can sniff out at 500 paces! Mac is a piggy too!!

Thank you all for your kind wishes! The rain held off long enough for us to have a a birthday gathering of the clan and a couple of hours in the park drinking hot homemade soup, eating beautiful bread and cheeses and olives, pates and dips and gorgeous little handmade sweet treats. The westies had a platter of home made treats and homemade doggie birthday cake and an absolute ball. The westies ranged from 8 months old up to Mac at 16 years. We had Amuses new mini Schnauzer puppy, Olly our previous terrier mix rescue and Mollie the Australian terrier as well who were all honorary westies for the day. We all got too cold about 2 pm so we retired to my place to drink my old man's health in bubbles - it was incredibly kind that Mollie's Mum bought him a bottle of Moet and we then moved onto the Grant Burge and human and doggie birthday cake. I'm now on the lounge surrounded by snoring westies. Here's the group photo - Mac is in the middle in his Crow's jumper of course! My Andy is on his grandma's lap in the blue. My Sarah is on the end on one of the grandma's lap - this is Iris of the brown snake fame from January this year. The famous Missy who survived two brown snake bites is in the black harness with her Mum standing. Whew! What a day!

Thank goodness she isn't available for interstate adoption and I have my hands full with Mac. Shame actually - I know the perfect home for her here in Adelaide with a rescue savy family who lost their gorgeous puppy farm rescue Westie girl to aggressive cancer recently. Brilliant home.

Thanks to you all. My lovely old man is now snoring sound asleep on his cushion. Its been a big day for the old fella! A gathering of his westie clan will happen on Saturday - so will post some photos then.

Worth looking at the Canstar website and their pet insurance awards report for 2015 here - the awards report is under 'Latest Ratings' on the right. Hope it helps.

You're on!! 500k should do it!

I'd love Amber too Jules!! But first I'd have to buy a country property!

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me on my 16th birthday! Happy Birthday to me! My resilient old man has made his 16th birthday today - tough as nails - and there was a time when I was unsure he was going to make his 15th!! So he'll have a little blue cheese to celebrate! He's still wobbly, but a very happy 16 year old! Happy birthday my darling! xx

Ahhhh! More of the beautiful Ronin!! How can one dog make that look soon effortless??!! Clearly in his element. Thanks for posting.

As a precaution my Mac (16 on Thursday) and Sarah (14) wear pants, belly bands and pads as a precaution at bed-time. But after a bad patch 6 - 8 weeks ago they are now both going overnight without needing a 3 am wee. They are doing very well for old dogs - but I do toilet them all at bed-time - without fail!

With pleasure DD. My three have godparents as well - and if anything happens to me the three of them go to them with their trust fund too!

Well its happened again. After a bit of trial and error with the anti-convulsants, Mac is pretty much back to his 'normal' wobbly old self. He has to be the most incredibly resilient old boy on the face of the planet. Tough as Nails!! He's currently draped across my lap, snoring his head off!! In his Crows jumper!! (His PJs are in the wash!!)

Bad girl DD Bad girl!!

Thinking of you swazzie. Your beautiful boy flies pain free.

Big hugs swazzie and will be thinking of you both on Saturday. I know what you mean. Mac is gradually becoming more and more immobile and is very wobbly in the mornings until he gets going. But he's still eating like a horse. The day that he stops eating is the day he'll go to God too.

My oldies get annual blood panels and check ups - for precisely those reasons Jumabaar - I like to know what I'm dealing with in advance, its less stressful and I think it makes it easier for the vet as well! There's something really nice about getting a normal blood panel in a 15/16 year old - and the look on the face of the vet is worth it! (The first time it happened he thought the results might have been mixed up!!)

Yep it sure is Caz - and I doubt I'll go back to work until the week after next at the earliest - so we still have many cold mornings and days of snuggles ahead of us! He's snoring next to me on the lounge at the moment - my darling old man...

Yep DD Mac and I spent a lovely lazy morning - he was snoozing in the crook of my arm with the occasional snuffle and snore... he really is the most divine old fella!

Agreed - two great photos - prefer number two!

DD Mac's Grandma is 77 in November and can't use a PC - but she loves online shopping!! (Yep she looks and chooses and I buy!!! LOL!!)) Thanks everyone - Mr Mac is doing quite well. He seems to be adjusting to the new meds, is slightly wobblier but still pottering around and enjoying life - he polished off a serve of Maggie Beer's scrambled egg this morning in double quick time! You know everything happens for a reason. I'm between jobs at the moment - hoping to go back to work the third week in August. But the up-side is the rest I'm getting (sort of!) and getting to spend days with my westies - and yes at this time with Mac in particular - so yes everyday is a treasure!

swazzie ignore 'em!! Mac is in his last days too - and old friends were recently really critical that I hadn't already sent him over the bridge (the day after a grand mal seizure where he was clearly slowly recovering - go figure!) and they were really critical that I let him have some blue cheese when he was feeling poorly and wasn't interested in his usual dinner. So goodness knows what they would think of the serve of Maggie Beer's scrambled egg he has just polished off! You know your dog. Just as I know mine and will always make the best decisions I can for them. And no, they are not just dogs but our precious family members.