westiemum

Thanks so much aliwake - you're a gem - wool jumpers on special in the right size for once! Yay!! And if the neck is a bit high at that price I can simply unpick it for him. Don't know how I missed it. Thanks again!! Still interested in other suggestions... TIA

So gila, not trying to be provocative but if you don't think collars are a problem why aren't you using them if you prefer them? Or has he had a tie-back?

Hi All, I give up - I've searched everywhere that I can think of and used every possible permutation of search terms to find a warm jumper for Mac. Back length about 30 cm and girth/chest 45 cm. And the trick is it can't be too tight around his neck and preferably cut a bit lower to accommodate his laryngeal paralysis/tie-back surgery - so 'turtlenecks' are out. After his latest huge vet bill last weekend I'm desperate to do everything I can to keep him warm and healthy. I'm really after a jumper or sweater - not a coat - I think! I found a good cardigan on eBay but it was acrylic and I don't think it will be warm enough - and the wool ones out of the UK are not only expensive but will likely take ages to get here. Any member of the DOL brains trust got any ideas of where I can find something for him fairly quickly? Other suggestions? Thanks tons.

Noishe I was just having a look at the Ezydog website and they have reduced the price of the Convert in the gold colour (although it doesn't look gold to me - more a brown colour). Link here

Clever Boy!!!

Don't disbelieve you at all Perse. And I agree the evidence isn't there. But I think it also gets missed unless its respiratory crisis time - and then in the emergency treatment to save the dog the 'why' question doesn't get asked. The number of GOLPP dog owners who tell similar stories of missed diagnoses over long periods of time is worrying. Not once has anyone ever asked the 'why' question around Mac's laryngeal paralysis. And from my perspective I've been shocked at how little vet after vet seems to know about and recognise LP/AP/GOLPP, understand laryngeal pathology and how they are connected and managed. Happened again on Saturday night - really nice young emergency vet who was sure Mac's problems were spinal cord/neurological only - didn't seem to understand LP/GOLPP or polyneuropathy and doubted me that I needed (actually insisted on) ABs - until I insisted on X-rays and he saw the films (and I very politely showed him he was not just looking at normal spine and cord). The ABs were the key to Mac's recovery - not a CT or MRI two days later. So back to collars and leads - it seems to me that collars are so much an accepted part of life with dogs (and such big business?) that no-one questions them - except some anecdotal net discussion. And what I don't understand is why we seem to 'get' that collars and leads around our own necks are dangerous but apart from minor anatomical differences (and they are minimal), we don't question doing the same to our dogs? Personally, I think its high time the question was asked and some studies done to give us all better information on the use of collars and leads - and harnesses for that matter. But as I said - each to their own.

Good post and I completely agree - but the problem is the number of people you see yanking their dogs around by the neck who have never heard of loose lead walking. My Sarah is a loose lead walking expert - she walks beautifully and a number of trainers have commented how well she does it for an old girl. But as an old Speech Pathologist who has dissected damaged larynxes and after all old Mac's problems I won't go back to collars. For me its not worth the risk. But each to their own.

And at the risk of being provocative - why is it some people think that any sort of pulling, gentle or not on a collar from behind on a dog's delicate neck structures and nerves is safe? Seriously, put a collar and lead around your own neck and direct and gently pull from behind - is your larynx (Adam's Apple) at risk??? Thought so. Also is the recurrent laryngeal nerve which is part of the big long vagus cranial nerve which runs down the side of the neck at risk? Probably. Harnesses which rely on working with and against bigger, stronger muscles are a much better option - I understand that some harnesses might change the way a dog moves - but better that than inadvertently damaging his ability to breathe - tends to have fairly dire effects, as I learned the hard way. And while the evidence on collars causing damage to delicate neck structures and nerves is unclear and anecdotal only as far as i know, I prefer to be safe and I'll not use one again. And my guys are really happy in their harnesses anyway.

I use them as Mac simply can't have anything around his neck ever again after laryngeal tie-back surgery. And I'm now wary of any pulling of any type on the front of the neck damaging delicate laryngeal structures... And it's easier to use harnesses with all three westies...

Thanks Florise - I didn't know that - gastric irritation can be particularly serious for Mac as he has an open airway after tie-back surgery. Will discuss with the vet. Thanks for letting me know.

Ah of course - thanks Ness. Sorry I'd forgotten. With Loxicom it's about trying to minimise the dose while still getting good therapeutic effect. For some dogs it might need four times a week. It can cause kidney damage with long term use but not at that dosage - and as Rappie said above best effect is with the two pain meds - so I'll keep going but keep it under review as well.

Thanks Ness - what did you mean by an increase in her collapse exactly? Yes when they get to this point it can be hard to know what to do. But I think I'll leave as is for the moment - he seems fine this afternoon although there was a brief period where his breathing was a bit noisy. He's due his last lot of medication for the day shortly so I'll see how he is after that.

Sorry to hear about his woes but just wanted to add a thought. I find gabapentin a very useful drug for managing chronic pain in older dogs, or neuropathic pain in dogs of any age. It does seem to work better in conjunction with other meds for pain relief, ratehr than as a sole treatment, however it still has effect when it is used alone. Thanks Rappie - very helpful - that explains why the Emergency vet was very clear about leaving him on both the Gabapentin and the Loxicom - so I'll leave as is for the moment then. Yes I understand Gabapentin is an oldie but a goodie - apparently JFK was on it in the very early 1960's - and I'm finding it pretty effective with Mac daily with the Loxicom 3 times a week - Monday morning, Wednesday morning and Friday nights. He moves much more freely and generally seems much happier. I suppose I just worry about how many drugs he is taking - particularly as since his foie-back surgery in June 2013 he now has a permanently open airway that I need to be careful of. He's on Vivitonian, Gabapentin, Loxicom, Stilboestrel, Fish Oil and currently Amoxyclav as well - and its quite a business keeping it all straight and getting it right!! I've also found Manuka honey - on a teaspoon and in water - very useful and makes it easy to ensure he stays well hydrated. Quite a business!

Now theres a thought - thanks Mrs RB - I have some natural animal solutions stuff arriving hopefully next week which Yonjuro suggested - and one has anti-fungal properties I think. I actually bought it for Sarah but it might help the Mac Attack too. Thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks - Snook - that means a lot to us both. The Mac Attack has been snuggling on my lap for hours - and yes he does seem to be getting slowly better - he's been outside for a wee and is much steadier on his feet. so all fingers and paws crossed...

Just caught up with this thread Perse - Don ain't going no-where!!! What a beautiful boy he is - and your photos are fantastic.

Thanks Perse - yes I do have a lot on at the moment - roll on the new house. While I'm incredibly grateful to be up at Crafers in this lovely home for seven weeks it will be marvellous for us all to be back in our own space - so roll-on the new house. As to the meds... I'll give it some thought but two weeks ago the vet reviewed him and felt his regime was OK. The only med he queried was the Gabapentin from the Emergency Hospital and I feel thats the most useful drug of the lot - so its staying!! Although I have plenty of it, I might talk to the vet about chopping out the Loxicom altogether and see how he goes with just one pain med... hmn...

Thanks all, he's much better this morning - still wobbly but back on his feet. he slept well last night and ate well this morning. He's being very snuggley on my lap as I type this one handed. Perse thats a good thought about the oil - I'll switch him over to capsules - although his skin has improved remarkably so maybe I can skip it all together. Yes as he gets very old he gets more and more high maintenance. He's on low dose pain relief full-time and frequently on ABs at the first sign of illness. He's also on Vivitonin and Loxicom three times a week and stilboestrel for his continence. Maybe its all too much... I wonder what would happen if I cut some of it out? But what? I really think he needs the low dose pain relief - he seems so much better since he's been on it. Hmn... hard to know what to do...

Thanks all. I've started him on fish oil and that seems to have done the trick. It's been a rough 10 hours here - Mac lost urinary continence and the use of his back legs suddenly late yesterday afternoon. Raced off to the emergency vet again - insisted on ABs despite a normal temp and he's started to come good as of late last night. Still very wobbly at 10.30pm but on his feet. I cried. While I know it will happen at some stage I'm just not ready to lose him yet. Online friends with dogs with GOLPP are guessing it might have been the beginning of Aspiration Pneumonia again (lung films were a bit cloudy but not badly so) producing the back leg weakness - and the ABs got it early. No accidents so far overnight. So fingers crossed he continues to recover.

Not really KC except to say that I had similar problems with the westies - their chunky bodies weren't easy to fit. Is there anywhere you can go to try them on???

Thanks everyone - the fish oil has worked well and I've also ordered some natural animal solutions products which I hope will arrive next week.

Yep thats right LG - I have one westie in a small EzyDog Quick-fit and the other two are both in mediums.

If my experience is anything to go by, I think that's right- different sizes and styles of harnesses seem to suit different dogs - which is why I like them to be fairly adjustable. And it's a good idea to try them on at Petstock or similar .

I changed all my westies over to harnesses about 12 months ago after Mac's laryngeal paralysis. I've become suspicious (but with no firm evidence) that collars might damage delicate laryngeal structures so I prefer to be safe and not use collars anymore. After two false starts with other harnesses, by far and away the best harnesses I found were the Ezy Dog Quick- fit. They are adjustable across the chest as well as around the girth which was really helpful for chunky Westie bodies. With other harnesses which were only adjustable around the girth I found if they fitted around the girth and down his back they were too small across his manly chest! And vice versa. They aren't cheap but they fit well, don't rub, go through the washing machine well, seem very durable are easy to get on and off and yes they look really good too. Link here Hope that helps.

Along with everyone else, Show dog that's a great post - and the runners idea is a great one - I'm going to pinch the idea for the new house as Macs vision is slowing going - particularly at night - and he'll need to get to the doggy door in the laundry.