westiemum

Well how bad was I at that !! I just see the same breeds regardless!

I'm trying to work out whether or not Andy is best as an 'only dog' now or whether or not to wait for another adult rescue westie or an adult westie from a breeder. Its too early here I think... but I have no doubt when or if the time is right, the right dog will appear.

Yep Clark Rubber was where I priced it years ago - and the price difference was so minimal including the memory foam that I just imported the whole bed. But how times change - so importing the cover and liner and having the memory foam cut to size here is a great idea.

Its with an unbelievably heavy heart that I let my DOL friends know my beloved Sarah, returned to God's care on Monday 19 March 2018. She was 16 years, 8 months and 13 days. Her birthday was 6 July 2001 and she arrived in my life on Thursday 23 November 2006, as a 5 year old and I adored her for over 11 years. She was the most beautiful natured westie ever, with her wonderful temperament, happy smile and her helicopter tail... and Andy and I miss her terribly. RIP my lovely girl. Again with Mac. Love you always. Will post in Rainbow Bridge when I'm able but this is all I can do for now.

You're right Roova - the fabric cover isn't waterproof, but the inner liner is! And although its not completely clear in the listing on the Orvis website, the reviews suggest that when you order a cover that usually has a separate inner liner, the liner comes as well!! Yay!! And sooooo much cheaper! And yep - the liner has saved my arse with my almost 17 year old many times!

Love your photos Roova - it's very similar here. I also have a very plain memory foam Orvis platform bed and Sarebear often sleeps half on and half off it! Just buying the Orvis covers is a good idea! I'd forgotten that you can do that. And given how expensive freight forwarding has become buying the Orvis covers and then having the memory foam cut here has become relatively so much more affordable now than importing the whole bed. Roova one question - did your Orvis beds come with waterproof inner linings or was it just the outer fabric cover? Just curious.

OK - first up declared biased Orvis user here ( and so is Roova). Unfortunately Orvis no longer ship dog beds to Australia (but they ship larger furniture protectors - go figure). You have to use a freight forwarding service (and you need to be careful as that can cost the GDP of a small country). Having said that, IMO they are the best dog beds on the planet bar none and worth every cent. Why? They are the only dog beds I know which use such high quality fabric and where the inner foam is protected by a zip-off waterproof cover underneath the outer fabric cover. The fabric is fantastic and the dog fur doesn't 'stick'. Yes they are easy to clean - unzip, throw in the washing machine. Excellent quality zips. My dog beds are in the lounge (except for one in the bedroom) so I wanted them to look decent - and I don't think there is a better looking dog bed on the market anywhere. The Orvis lounger (below with my old girl with the pink pants) is now 2.5 years old, it washes like a rag and still looks like new. It was the waterproof inner lining which swung me to this bed as my old girl is occasionally incontinent and dog beds don't last at all well with an incontinent dog. The donut bed with the fleece lining and my boy in it is the same - waterproof inner lining over the memory foam and is holding up very well. But best of all my westies absolutely adore them. My spoiled westies also have two Henry Hotties - fantastic beds, Australian made, nowhere near as expensive as Orvis and the company who make them are soooo obliging. But... they are not waterproof lined and they are not standing up to punishment (incontinence, frequent washing) anywhere near as well as the Orvis beds. If you have an elderly or ill incontinent dog I don't think they are as good and will require far more frequent replacing. I predict that the Orvis will 'outlive' two, possibly three of the Henry Hotties and I will spend more replacing the Henry Hotties in the longer term than I spent on the Orvis beds (despite their huge expense). So I suppose its really a question of do you want to spend that much money? In my case, for sheer quality and longevity of dog beds it's Orvis hands down and I'd do it again in a heart beat. The waterproof liners and fabric quality are second to none IMO. . But if money is tight , then the Henry Hotties are a good buy. Hope that helps.

You lot are truly brilliant. Thank you. Yes I was up again last night but a bit later at least - and I think I'm starting to get used to it - sort of! Thank you all - the limiting bit for me is I'm in a rental - so need to be a bit cognisant of that. BUT, I have this very odd atrium thingo in the middle of the house that is open to the outside - a real throw back to the 80's/early 90's. I suspect it was designed by an architect for putting plants in who didn't know much about plants - but the truth is its too cold in the winter and far too hot in the summer - so it's pretty much a waste of space. And its right outside my bedroom - so instant geriatric doggy toilet me thinks!! So if she's still with us when the weather starts getting cold again, I could put a bit of turf in there or a doggy toilet and she could go in there at night! Would sure beat carrying her out on the back lawn down four huge steps in the dark and in the freezing cold at 3 am! And while I'd have to lift her over the lip, at least I wouldn't have to go down the steps and outside! Swapping around the chicken wing to the night is a good idea - the fattier meat might be more satiating for her - bit like LCHF for us! And yes I have a sensor light in the hall for her - tick! But I haven't put the torch next to my bed - thats a great idea. PC thanks for your post - your description is absolutely spot on - thats exactly what its like - and yes maybe I just have to recognise and get used to the fact that I'm now in for a time of broken sleep until she returns to God. This happened with Mac too - and in hindsight it heralded his last days. As much as I can't bear that thought, I know its coming. But overall she still has great quality of life - she eats, poops, and pees well - and just loves company, going out in the car or in the Macmobile. But when that changes I'll make a different decision. So yes I know its coming - but we're not there yet. Thanks everyone! Much appreciated.

HA HA HA YA ALL!! And particularly you DD!!! Sorry for the very late report. I had the work phone today and every idiot in the state rang it today - the latest one about 20 minutes ago. (insert rolley eyes here). It didn't work - we still had a 3 am traipse to the back lawn. But she was less restless overall So I took her out today with me this morning and I might have succeeded in wearing her out. She's also had her pain relief a bit earlier tonight - so hoping that might help. I'll give her a snack and a drink later tonight before bed. Will come back again in the morning ASAP - and LG if you've jinxed me with your 'years of broken sleep ' comment I'll haunt you forever!

Well that went down well! Fifteen minutes ago, I put an egg in a mug with a tiny bit of butter and cream. and whisked it up. Microwaved it for 45 seconds, stirred it and microwaved it again for 30 secs, put it in Sarah's bowl, cooled it with some water - and she wolfed it down! Anyway thanks for your help everyone - really appreciated and I'll report back in the morning. Fingers and paws crossed!

@persephone -You're welcome to join Sarebear anytime!! LOL!! Excellent ideas - thanks all. I know scrambled egg with butter and cheese sounds rich - but its a Maggie Beer recipe and Mac loved it in his last year or so!! And it was good way to keep weight on him and get a bit of sustained energy for him. He didn't get a lot at once, but judging by the way he wolfed it down he loved it and it certainly didn't hurt him. So lots of good things to try - thanks all.

LOL!! Too true!! Its me who is finding the 2.30 am snacks tough! LOL!! Thanks LG!

Thanks SM. Mince and rice! Good idea. I should have thought of that. I might cook up a batch of rice and mix it with the mince and see how that goes too. Its a good way to get a little healthy fat into her too.

Thanks LG - really helpful. Yes the pattern has sure changed here over the last couple of nights. It feels like we are entering Sarebear's final time. The frustrating thing was up until three nights agao she slept really soundly overnight so hoping this is just a bad patch. I laughed at your 17 year old and her butt - Sarebear did exactly the same yesterday - stuck her butt off the matt and let go!! Yes I'll try a a fun snack and pee session at bedtime . Any thoughts as to what to feed her so it induces sleep rather than overnight 'partying'?

Thanks Powerlegs - I'm not a big dry food fan either - and nor is Sarebear - (she refused it as recently as last Thursday night). The last bag of dry here got thrown out nearly full too. Can't remember the last time we got through a full bag here (if ever?). Mac used to love scrambled egg - I'm thinking a microwave scrambled egg with a bit of butter and maybe some cheese at bedtime might do the trick? What other things do elderly folk like to eat?

Yep Juice I reckon thats right - but what? I don't want to have to be toiletting her at 2.30 am either if I can avoid it! What makes good bedtime snacks for elderly dogs to get them through the night?

Snap Juice - thanks - was just doing that edit when our posts crossed. No I don't think so. My dearly departed Mac definitely had dementia and she's different. She gets herself out of corners without difficulty, making me think thats her vision rather than demetia. And my Mum (an old nurse who picked up Mac's dementia before anyone, including the vet), doesn't think she has it either. I'm watching them at mealtimes to make sure my puddin' Andy isn't stealing her food. And yes he does when I'm not watching so I've taken to supervising mealtimes closely now. She definitely got her whole chicken wing herself this morning and her meat dinner last night - but she was still ravenous at 2.30 am this morning. Maybe I need to cut puddin' Andy back and up her serving sizes! But if I give her too big a serve, she vomits. So its a bit of a fine line and my gut is telling me that she needs more meals - maybe a lunchtime and a bedtime snack too? But I was just wondering what others do overnight with their oldies?

Morning everyone! Just when I thought Sarebear was on her way out (my very elderly westie who will be 17 on 6 July), this morning she has galloped down the side grassed garden ramp like a two year old, turned the corner at the bottom like a rally driver and plopped onto the grass below on all four paws without falling over. Incredible. I stood there gob-smacked with my mouth open! She usually comes up the ramp OK but will not usually go down it. LOL!! Must get a video. In the meantime, some advice please from the DOL brains trust. Sarah is 16.75 years old. She's deaf and going blind and has lost weight of late (but the vet is unconcerned as she said she's better off a bit on the lean side since her back legs are now wobbly). Ran her bloods at the vet 6-8 weeks ago and they are all fine - in fact so good the vet wondered if the lab had mixed up the results. She is in very very early very mild kidney failure (only just registering on the new, most sensitive lab test they have) but at her age the vet said not to worry about it as 'that won't be what gets her in the end'. She now wears a pad and pants inside as she's a little bit 'leaky' and incontinent (occasionally) but otherwise she is a really healthy senior citizen. She's fed human grade raw (which she loves and wolfs down) and as recently as last Thursday night refused dry food at a friends place when we unexpectedly stayed overnight. Only in the last month or so has the vet agreed to some low dose anti-inflammatories and pain relief for her and they seem to be helping keep her comfy. But in the last three consecutive nights, she has started not being able to get through the night without an overnight snack. So maybe I need to go to at least 3 meals a day, and introduce a bedtime snack? Last night she woke up at 2.30 am and was clearly ravenous (she made a beeline for her bowl and the pantry!) so I gave her a pure tripe treat (which she loves!!!) and then later had to give her some more meat. She then settled and went back to sleep until we all got up this morning. If she needs something to eat or drink or a wee or a poo overnight, then there is absolutely no settling her now until she gets what she needs - even at 2.30 or 3 am! She will pace incessantly until she gets whatever she wants/needs, including stomping all over me! (Which of course goes down really well at 2 or 3 in the morning)! She then wee'd and poo'd well before having her breakfast this morning. So... question is... what other brilliant ways you have of managing elderly pups, particularly overnight? I'm all ears. TIA ETA: And no I don't think she has dementia - she gets herself into corners but almost immediately gets herself out again - so I suspect its her failing eyesight rather than anything else. She still problem solves quite well for an old girl.

Nothing.

I used Groomers Evening Primrose Oil dog shampoo on my hair for ages and it was fantastic!!!

HI All, Another update. I've finally got to talk by email to the owner of the business and his attitude has been just as unhelpful as his sales staff. Doesn't listen, doesn't understand customer service at all, doesn't understand simple protection of his business reputation and customer trust is paramount, and certainly doesn't understand Australian Consumer Law. He had the hide to say to me that 'only a little powder was lost in transit'! Huh? That's not the issue. The issue is that the product arrived open and is a strange grey colour and IMO is not fit for purpose. He wouldn't use it in his practice and nor should I be expected to use it in the current circumstances. And he certainly doesn't understand that the measure of a company is how well it deals with complaints and recovers - nor how much damage an incident like this - that was soooo simple to resolve reasonably - could damage his business. Sad. I've decided despite this being a relatively small amount (of money) that I'm not going to let this go. So sadly I'm now going to have to make a formal external complaint. So just a warning to stay well away. Like I said, if your transaction with them goes fine you'll be OK - but if anything goes wrong you're going to be in big strife with this company. I'm just glad its only a container of Protexin in question.

You lot are wretches - just when I'd almost decided a greyhound would be my next dog you post all these absolutely huge slobbering cuties! AAAHHHHH!!! Adore these lumbering giants! Wonder how my westie Andy (puppy farm rescue and a bit of a woose might get on with a big dog?

Hi All, Just an update. I have tried and tried to contact this company but, there is no phone number, no physical address, no email except through their website, their dispute resolution link doesn't work and if you get crappy service from their sales people then guess who the only people you can contact is? Yep the sales people. The invoice has no return details on it either or addresses or phone numbers. So if evertything goes fine with this company you're fine. But if anything goes wrong, you are in real strife. All the rules of good online business broken. So still haven't been able to return the Protexin or talk to anyone about this. I've had one last try today to contact the owner of the business - otherwise I've decided to escalate. If anyone wants to know who it is PM me.

@talking dog To compare a living breathing puppy to a lump of metal is disgusting. To denigrate and devalue a puppy with a disability who is quite capable of living a normal happy life is also disgusting. Many puppies (and older dogs) with disabilities lead happy and full lives. (Funnily enough, a bit like people with disabilities). And in some cases the disability while present might not even have any functional effect. Yeah somewhat like people. And you don't even consider how rewarding having a puppy with a disability can be. Lots of puppies, deaf or hearing, have problems with recall if the owner is out of sight! LOL!! Its called being a puppy! Puppies (and older dogs with acquired deafness) who are deaf (unilaterally or indeed bilaterally) are easily trained - they just require modified training. And it's not just hearing acuity that determines ability to discern and locate specific sounds amongst background noise - that's only a small part of what is a complex acoustic/neurological/psychological and perceptive ability. How do I know? I'm an audiometrist. In case you hadn't noticed, we have two ears (and two eyes, two kidneys etc) - its called inbuilt redundancy and people and animals function just fine with one functioning ear - one of the reasons we have two! And what would you do if you had a normal hearing puppy who lost its hearing later in life? Buff its ear out??!! How do I know? My Mac was unilaterally deaf for the last years of his life and no-one ever realised unless I told them. He functioned just fine. My old Sarah is now heading for 17 years and is as deaf as a door-post - and she functions just fine (she's snuggling into my side right now). I just need to modify how I communicate with her and take a little more care. Am I offended by your analogy and your post? You betcha I am. Would I ever sell you a puppy with an attitude like that? Never. Am I going to argue further with you? No. But never would I let a post like that which is just plain wrong on so many fronts stand unanswered. Now go buff the scratches out of your car. A deaf almost 17 year old dog - yes she has a few 'scratches'.

Hi Troy, Happy New Year. Hope alls going well for you. Please can I edit this listing above? Please delete '(but can assist Australia wide)' - that was when I Adriana and and I were the only ones one here in the 'old days'! LOL!. I've also moved house so please delete the landline leaving only the mobile and change the email to [email protected] Thanks tons. Cheers, Catherine (Westiemum)