Pheebs

Will probably make more than a few people unhappy with this comment but I don't like people bringing kids to dog parks full stop. ;) I understand that sometimes it means the difference between dogs being exercised or not as it's too difficult to juggle and arrange someone to look after kids.. and it probably goes without saying that if a dog isn't well socialised enough to tolerate the behaviour of children then it shouldn't be there... however I think it only fair that if dogs aren't allowed within 50m of a childrens play area... then the same should go for children in a designated area for dogs I don't go to dog parks anymore anyway as I just don't think your average joe can be trusted and i'm highly strung at the best of times and don't want to deflect these nerves onto my dogs :rofl:

Oh no I'm so sorry - he was such a clever boy :D

Kirty I am so very sorry

Maggie was originally called 'Bobby' but it just didn't suit her. Besides, Maggie gets "Marguerite" or 'Rita" and Lucy gets "Lucille Eileen" (given the great dane tendency to chronically lean )

Wendy thank you so much for your kind words, thoughts and (much needed) photos of Tess - I certainly do remember knobbles telling me that you had met her and I remember wishing I had the chance to meet both you and Breanna!! I don't have many words at present but am just so very grateful for those photos - thank you xx

I'm so sorry Persephone - RIP Freddie

Poor sweet Chester Hope he's resting up OK and showing improvement

Thanks for your kind words, guys. I'm just heart-broken and even though she was an aging chook who was happy in her own little spot on the couch and never moved about much, the house just feels very, very empty and quiet. As soon as we came home from the vet at about 3am, poor little Lucy wrapped herself in the tightest ball I think possible and wouldn't budge for a day. Just so distressing to see. Things are slowly getting back to normal and we're trying to establish a routine for the other two but they are particularly sooky (more so than usual) which i'm guessing will pass. I swap so easily between moments where I think we did the right thing for her, and then punishing myself in thinking maybe there was more we could have done, what didn't I consider, etc. I know she was getting old and arthritic but I honestly (foolishly) thought that she would go quietly. I can't believe we only had two weeks with her after having been told she was sick. I'm also trying to shake the memory of her last moments where she snapped. It wasn't aggressive by any stretch thank god - but she was happily trotting in the backyard after having been out for a wee-break when in a matter of seconds she went insane. I knew she was a dog that had a lot of strength but she was displaying super-human strength (for lack of a better word) to chase/get to something that just wasn't there. Her pupils were fixed and dilated and we had to wrap her in a blanket to stop her from hurting herself and pin her to the ground. She was running around with no control of her legs but that didn't stop her from getting up - bolting, collapsing and doing it all over again. It was just horrible and I can't shake this memory. (I also feel somewhat embarrassed that when all was said and done, my partner told the vet to advise her remaining staff to "go get f*cked" after the only two staff members who specialised in neurology were both on scheduled holidays at the same time so no-one was able to answer my calls on the afternoon where I observed that she was deteriorating and queried whether I could return her to the heavier dose of steroid that she was on initially). The administration woman who answered my phone call was also a horrible piece of work. After Tess snapped, we asked for a very quick minute to say our goodbyes to her - we didn't want to prolong it or distress her further (and advised the staff of this) and were left in the room for about 15 minutes with Tess crying, very anxious and confused and to have not one, but two cleaners come in and remove rubbish from the room whilst we were trying to say our goodbyes only served to add fuel to the fire). The whole experience was just awful. I left a voicemail for the neurologist saying not to bother returning my call as she had died. He called about an hour later and apologised for having missed my call and was very kind. He comforted me in the sense that the way in which she snapped led him to diagnose that it was in fact a brain tumour, not an inflammatory brain disease or a stroke like they had also considered. I feel somewhat better as I know this was totally out of my hands but I can't help but feel like I let her down.

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=211478

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=211478

Apologies for the extremely lengthy tribute. I've found it quite cathartic. Sinaway Jalapeno Jan “Jesse” (Tess) 27.05.1999 – 17.12.2010 I’ll never forget the day we came to meet you. We walked up the driveway to the property and, not unexpectedly I was given a pre-emptive warning from my Mother “Now we’re just here to meet her, you see. I’m not making any promises”. We rang the doorbell and you did one of your best guttural barks. The look Mum gave me was hysterical. Her eyes said it all – as if to say “Oh hell no, child – you’ve got to be kidding”. I grinned from ear to ear. After all, THAT was the sound a dog made. A proper dog. Don’t get me wrong – I loved our previous family dogs to bits but they had been pocket-sized and more importantly they weren’t MINE. You greeted us at the door with your human parents and it was clear that they loved you so; and you served them dearly. They with all the best intentions had adopted you as a former show-dog – you were a stunning example of the breed but just a little bitty bit too small to make it in the show world. You, in the absence of their long grown-up children had served as a surrogate child and unfortunately for them – were just a little bit too demanding. My god were you demanding. I didn’t care. We would have spent a good hour just standing in their living room chatting with them about how they came to have you in their lives, and why they felt you needed more. Truth be told I have no idea what that conversation was about because I couldn’t stop looking at you and stroking your velvety-ears. I saw my mother cunningly whisper “Sit” mid-conversation. She was testing you. Why would she do that? Not that it matters because sit you did. We as a family could not help but ‘ooooh’ and ‘aaaahhh’ over you. Small things amusing small minds and all that jazz. Having come from the country where dog training was less than a priority (they served merely as companion pets after all) who could be anything other than impressed? This was the dog for me and I’m sure this was what sold the idea of an older dog to my Mother (that alongside hours of finely tuned pleading and whining on my part). It was decided that I spend my afternoons with you after uni to determine our suitability together and ease the transition should I prove to be an appropriate guardian for you. We had a great time together and you introduced me to the world of dog parks, and throwing (and returning - who knew?) tennis balls together. You had a great time. That is, until they saw fit to leave us together one-on-one so we could bond. My god did you fret in their absence. You carried on like an absolute pork chop and I, being totally unprepared for this had to virtually drag your 34kg bum back to your home while you had chronic diarrhea from getting so worked up. This was all part of being a responsible dog owner, you see. Responsible dog owners picked up after their pets, but how? Oh how revolting – I didn’t sign up for this. Your name. It wasn’t something I would have chosen for myself, but it rhymed with Jess which was the name that had been given to you, the name of their daughter and also the name of my sister so that would have been weird. Still, you responded to it and I knew that if you came to live with us we would undoubtedly give you a ridiculous nickname, anyway. You came to live with us and I will never forget the way in which your then human dad carried himself – slouched shoulders, a lowered head and a very heavy heart. He handed me your lead and said “Have fun” and I’m pretty sure he scuttled out of there as quickly as he could without me seeing the tears well up in his eyes. I was well prepared for your fretting given your display at the park – but you were absolutely fine. It was as if you knew you were instantly a part of the family. Despite the fact that you were the bounciest girl I’d ever come across, you avoided my grandmother like the plague (much to her dismay – she loved animals) but you instinctively knew that she was recovering from major heart surgery and this was one human who was a little bit delicate – you seemed to regulate your behaviour according to your audience and that was a gift you had until the very end. It was a rental property, with a pets outside rule. So, naturally we snuck you inside every evening (mum included) and eventually my grandmother would come around to the idea too. It was my grandfather who would not have been impressed! As his physical health declined, you spent more and more time upstairs than ever as you had managed to climb the precarious stairs with side access to the house. You spent your time poking your head through the upper barn-style windows into the dining room just to be ‘a part of it’ during family dining occasions. Your favourite sunny spot was on the tiled upstairs patio where I’m sure you spent much of the day when you weren’t overseeing food preparation in the kitchen by peeking through the window above the sink where my grandmother would prepare an evening meal. I took you for walks and, being quite an introverted person I just had to get used to the fact that people stopped to talk to us and pat you. What a beautiful dog they would say and I was just so proud. Add to that the fact that you were a bit of a pick-up magnet, as well. That certainly didn’t hurt. My boyfriend of many years at the time used to refer to you as ‘The competition’. That always seemed a hysterical term to me as unbeknownst to him there never was any. You would always win hands down. Every time. You loved tennis balls, and whilst you somehow managed to forget how to bring them back you did love running around with them bellowing “Woo Woo!” while I chased you around like a lunatic. I know, I know – this only served to reinforce your never ever returning anything to me again but it was a whole lot of fun. You would break into a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, steal one – but wait at the back step to be let out onto the porch so you could eat your prize. Never mind the fact that you had stolen our food, you knew you weren’t allowed to eat inside so were waiting for permission to do so. You had such character that way. As my grandparents’ health declined, it was decided that they would move to a retirement village where they would have access to professional care. That left it to just Mum and myself. Mum, being on her own and me studying could not meet the financial requirements of a property that had a yard to accommodate you. Nothing in my life up until now compared to the heartbreak I would feel when faced with the prospect of being separated – and I certainly had my fair share of life events from which to choose. You made me fall in love with Weimaraners so much I started the Australian Weimaraner Rescue referral service. I would never in a million years have thought I would find myself in this position. Against much of the advice of people on DOL, I selfishly decided to put you into foster care until I could figure out something - anything to get you back. I regret this so much in some respects as I know put you through absolute hell in this period, but as cliché as it sounds I could not imagine a life without you in it. You were shown the generosity and kind spirit of many people on this forum (Cordelia, Benson, Clicking Mad, Knobbles, Lil_Starr (I think? Sorry Kylie if you’re reading this and everyone else who's name escapes me right now) and for their help I will be eternally grateful. My god you were a nightmare with all of them though. It just didn’t make sense as to me you were the epitome of perfection in a dog. It took a while for me to realise that you were – but only when you were a part of our family. You just didn’t adjust like you had when you came to stay with me. A bit over a year later - having graduated uni, found a job to save up to find somewhere to live and after one messy break-up with a boy who thought he stood a chance amongst the ‘competition’, my mother finally conceded defeat. I would start my life over and go back to study again and we would rent a house where we could have you again. I think my mother felt sorry for me feeling so displaced at this time. I will be forever grateful to her for uprooting her life yet again for my needs. We had many happy years together in this home – you were still full of beans, but started to slow down bit by bit and sought refuge on your cushion in the living room. You hated the children next door and loved to put them in their place and quite frankly I was amazed that we never had an incident despite my many requests that they not jump our fence to retrieve their balls. I moved to Melbourne to get my life on track and left you as guardian of my Mother for about 9 months. You drove her absolutely batty (in a house that I had made her move to before I bailed!) but I know she was comforted by the security of your company. She tells me that for weeks after you had moved to Melbourne, she could still hear you whining at the back door to be let in at all hours of the night. It was a kind of high-pitched shrill that just stayed in the memory. You came to live with me and Alistair in Melbourne when Mum’s rental house was sold. We were living in an apartment and I will never forget the tone of voice when I told the real estate agent that we were breaking our lease as I wanted my dog back. She didn’t understand but I didn’t care. We found a great place with a yard for you to tear around in, and coincided this with the arrival of Lucy, Great Dane Puppy who later would be aptly referred to as “Lucifer”. You were such a great Mum to her and my god did you display tolerance and patience on an hourly basis. She was a testing little blighter, wasn’t she? But she was fun and it gave you someone to boss around. It became evident that perhaps she was a little too trying, so 6 months later came the arrival of Maggie - 18mth Boxer cross who we hoped and prayed would take some of the pressure off you. You and Maggie never really bonded or loved each other, but you were happy to coexist and in a pack of three bitches we were lucky and grateful as we knew it was always a risk. You spent the last 11 months of your life being the ‘Fun Police’ – barking and trying to put them in their place when they were being too rambunctious and assumed your place reigning supreme high and mighty on the couch looking down upon your two canine minions. I won’t get into the details of how your final weeks panned out. You knew - you were there, and you let us know when it was time. I’m so sorry I never got the chance to take you to the beach like we had planned and I’m kicking myself that we had a BBQ chicken in the fridge that I didn’t share with you before we took you to the vet. You did love the car ride on the way there and carried your infamous ‘Happy Tail’ until the very end. I had so dearly wanted to have you cremated and to scatter your ashes at the beach but know that we made the right decision in donating your body to the university. It is my dearest wish that some students will learn from you and the understanding of canine neurological disease will grow and grow as a result. I am still not at ease with this decision, but I keep trying to remind myself that your body was merely a vessel for the crazy fun-loving girl that you were and you wouldn’t have wanted to take that lumpy, portly arthritic body with you anyway - you were not the svelte, glamorous girl that you had once been and that wouldn’t have been much fun. Over the years you were different things to different people – Fattypants, Noodle, Noolene, Pumpkinhead, Tessypants, Tess of the D'urberhounds (what was that I was saying earlier about ridiculous nicknames?), Lumpyhead, Cranky Nanna, Pants, Tessy, Tessabella, Snotty and many more which escape me now. Your inappropriate placement of your head when guests came to visit always made me laugh (it wasn’t your fault you were groin-height and after all, ear scratches were always worth it). Your feet and belly always smelled of popcorn and you certainly knew how to snore. I will miss the way in which you used to bellow “Huwwow!” and wave your paw. I will certainly miss the way that you would usurp our bed and roll onto your back and gently kick us off (that is, when you weren’t inappropriately spooning us). Tessypants we will miss you dearly but I thank you for the 7.5 years of love and laughs that were given to us. Wait for me old chook.

No real improvement here this morning (I know, it's early days still ) she's got the shakes a little Bit when she lies down... Im guessing this is normal? I have to go to Sydney on Monday for the funeral... The other two girls have been VERY intrigued with Tess, Lucy even licking and smelling the right front part of her head??!!! Should I be separating them do you think? I don't want to make her an easy target to be ganged up on and I have my reservations about leaving her with Maggie, and Lucys an energetic twit who will likely bowl her over. Problem is Lucy screams whenever they're separated... Any suggestions? Eta. Theres the remote possibility OH can take her to work but this is not ideal and he's a mechanic so I dont want the loud noises and strange environment to distress her..

Hi all, Just got back from the vet. Still no formal diagnosis... basically if she improves with steroids, then she has a brain tumour... if she doesn't improve, then i'll need to make some tough calls. The vets seem to think she's improved during the day but I personally don't see it Assessment is as follows: Clinical and Neurological Examination Neurological exmination showed compulsive circling to the right side. Tess had no head tilt or turn when examined. She had proprioceptive defecits in her left foreleg, but her left hindleg was normal. She had a tendency to learn to the left when examined. There was decreased left sided facial sensation. These findings were most consistent with a problem in the right forebrain (prosencephalon). Diagnostic Tests We discussed the option of performing blood tests - in particular looking at free T4 and TSH to rule out hypothyroidism (as a cause of vascular disease). MRI is the next diagnostic option, which would involve a general anaesthetic. Full blood tests revealed an ALT of 179 (5-80), and an ALP of 136 (10-120). These were considered to be out of questionable significance although without further investigation, hepatic disese cannot be completely ruled out. Diagnosis Right sided compulsive circling with left sided body weaknes. This indicates a problem in the right prosencephalon. Differentiuals include infarct (ischaemic versus haemorrhagic), neoplasia, inflammation/infection. Medication and Further Management We have decided to pursue conservative management based on Tess's age. Possible underlying causes of her signs include an infarct based on the acute onset of signs. Approximately 50 - 60% of infarcts in dogs have an underlying disease process such as anti-thrombin 3 deficit from a protein losing nephropathy/enteropathy, or diseases resulting in a hypercoagulopathic state such as diabetes or cushing's disease. Cardiac disease and vascular conditions (eg artherosclerosis) are extremely rare as a cause in dogs. At this stage we have no indication for a cause of Cerebrocascular siease, although we have not excluded all possibilities. The majority of Cerebrovascular disease in dogs improves significantly with time, and if no identifiable underlying cause is found, the prognosis for recovery is good and recurrence is very unusual. The timing of her signs in conjunction with the ivermectin is intriguing. Potentially if impairment of the blood brain barrier was present at the time of administration, ivermectin toxicity could occur, although Tess' signs are not classic for this. We would like Tess to start steroids which would potentially treat oedema surrounding a tumour, and inflammatory brain disease if present - these being the only treatable conditions that we have not ruled out.

I honestly can't remember. Isn't that terrible ;) I've just been trying to absorb a lot of Ifs and or buts

Hi all, Appreciate your thoughts so much. I will keep it brief as I've just discovered that my grandfather passed away this morning so as you might imagine its a pretty crappy time all round really. Just spoke with the neurologist - ruled out vestibular syndrome and ivermectin allergy, although she has says there us a REMOTE possibility that the ivermectin was a trigger if she had a blood barrier problem to begin with (ie there was a tumor there to begin with which I'd impairing her ability to process it properly). Either way I feel like I've just about killed my dog. They're doing bloodwork now to eliminate any major things like liver and kidney, and pending the outcome of that will do thyroid tests which I'll have to find the money for. I agree, I think the MRI unnecessary as it's really only going to tell me two things - stroke or tumours and we wont be putting the poor old chook through any more than is necessary. Eta. Theres been nothing to indicate any problem thus far - last night was the first sign if anything going on Thanks again everyone and I'll keep you updated. Sorry for any typos or predictive text errors as I'm on my phone.

I too had thought (sadistically hoped for?) this but given her pupil is fixed that would indicate some kind of lesion or mass Eta. Vet said ivermectin reaction didn't present itself the way that Tess is

Tess has either had a stroke or has a tumour on the right part of her frontal lobe as her pupil is somewhat fixed and her left aide is affected. I've left her there to see the neurologist who will most likely recommend an MRI to the lovely tune of $1500 (apparently needs an anesthetic in order to do this) so I have nfi what to do

True... I just want her to be treated (if appropriate) asap Not much use staying up and fretting, she's out like a light on the bed (naughty!) curled up with the OH - looks like i've got the couch for the night Thanks guys

Fortunately for me my closest practice is the emergency 24 hour veterinary clinic in Werribee... where they have an on-site neurologist. But the receptionist advised me that they could monitor her tonight, but she'd have to then visit the general vet practice on site to then be scheduled to see the neurologist? *shrug*

Thanks Amanda, i've not been able to find any correlation between Weims and Ivermectin sensitivity... As someone who's been pretty bloody fortunate in her life to have never had to deal with illness in their pets until the end (touch wood), if she has had a stroke... should I be preparing for the worst?

She's been resting quietly ever since... which is pretty normal for her. She'll (slowly) get up when called and walk to the other side of the room, but will take any opportunity she can find to lie down. Really not looking forward to the vet trip tomorrow for a billion reasons. Predominantly i'm concerned for her wellbeing above all else, secondly she doesn't have pet insurance (the other two do thank dog) thirdly, I don't drive and fourth - Lucy screams and howls and carries on like an absolute lunatic when separated from Tess so I have no idea how im going to juggle it all. I've also been told I need to visit a vet to get a referral to see a Neurologist... im just hoping I can get it all sorted for her sake quickly

Thanks Kirty, I found that same link too in my panicky research and called the vets shortly thereafter. I forgot to mention that I adopted Tess at age four, so have no idea whether she'd been given Ivermectin before, as she's only ever had the proheart since she's been with me.

Hi Guys, Just seeking your opinions (sorry, i've posted this also in the Health subforum as I need to weigh up my options before I make any arrangements in the morning and am seeking as many thoughts as possible). The situation is as follows: We have Tess (11.5 year old Weimaraner), Lucy (18mth old Great Dane) and Maggie (2yo Boxer X). I must admit i've been a bit slack in their heartworm prevention (usually get ProHeart injections) but we're without a car at the moment so haven't taken them to the vet in ages. Money is extremely tight as i've not been working all year (long story), so consequently I bought monthly nuheart heartworm preventative tablets. Wanting to get into a routine, I decided to treat them on the first of the month - I bought the packets for Large Dogs between 23-45kg. Tess is around 32kg, Maggie about the same and Lucy i'm guessing is around the 45kg mark (she's still got a bit of filling out to do). I gave them one tablet each (to be given monthly) of 272ug Ivermectin in conjunction with a 'Worm Rid' Broad Spectrum Wormer (Praziquantel 125mg, Oxantel Embonate 1355mg and Pyrantel Embonate 357.5mg) to be given 3-monthly. This was given to them around midday yesterday. Upon reflection perhaps I should have just waited, taken them to the vet for the heartworm antigen test and then treated accordingly. This evening at about 10pm, Maggie and Lucy are absolutely fine, but Tess (the elderly Weim) is having trouble walking, is stiff in the neck and is having trouble turning left. If you stand on her left and call her she moves full circle right in order to see you. She's bumping into the furniture, slipping, falling over etc. She's still interested in food and drinking, her gums are nice and pink and her ears feel a teensy bit hot but apart from that she's breathing fine. We just took her for a quick walk around the block to gauge her general wellbeing and she was still incredibly keen, but still couldn't turn left despite being on lead. I've called both the Lort Smith emergency line and the Werribee emergency vet who've both said it sounds neurological, not an emergency and to bring her in tomorrow morning. They've said I can bring her in straight away but basically there's nothing they can do for her until the neurologist can see her in the morning (which we need a referral for!!!) In sum... what the hell do I do? Does it sound related to the Ivermectin? I know some breeds (collies, sheps) have sensitivities to Ivermectin or does it sound like pure coincidence that she might have had a TIA or something of the like? Would it take 30 hours to show up a side effect such as this if it were connected? Any suggestions would be great as I feel like such a terrible Mum right now

Hi Guys, Just seeking your opinions (sorry, i've posted this also in General as I need to weigh up my options before I make any arrangements in the morning and am seeking as many thoughts as possible). The situation is as follows: We have Tess (11.5 year old Weimaraner), Lucy (18mth old Great Dane) and Maggie (2yo Boxer X). I must admit i've been a bit slack in their heartworm prevention (usually get ProHeart injections) but we're without a car at the moment so haven't taken them to the vet in ages. Money is extremely tight as i've not been working all year (long story), so consequently I bought monthly nuheart heartworm preventative tablets. Wanting to get into a routine, I decided to treat them on the first of the month - I bought the packets for Large Dogs between 23-45kg. Tess is around 32kg, Maggie about the same and Lucy i'm guessing is around the 45kg mark (she's still got a bit of filling out to do). I gave them one tablet each (to be given monthly) of 272ug Ivermectin in conjunction with a 'Worm Rid' Broad Spectrum Wormer (Praziquantel 125mg, Oxantel Embonate 1355mg and Pyrantel Embonate 357.5mg) to be given 3-monthly. This was given to them around midday yesterday. Upon reflection perhaps I should have just waited, taken them to the vet for the heartworm antigen test and then treated accordingly. This evening at about 10pm, Maggie and Lucy are absolutely fine, but Tess (the elderly Weim) is having trouble walking, is stiff in the neck and is having trouble turning left. If you stand on her left and call her she moves full circle right in order to see you. She's bumping into the furniture, slipping, falling over etc. She's still interested in food and drinking, her gums are nice and pink and her ears feel a teensy bit hot but apart from that she's breathing fine. We just took her for a quick walk around the block to gauge her general wellbeing and she was still incredibly keen, but still couldn't turn left despite being on lead. I've called both the Lort Smith emergency line and the Werribee emergency vet who've both said it sounds neurological, not an emergency and to bring her in tomorrow morning. They've said I can bring her in straight away but basically there's nothing they can do for her until the neurologist can see her in the morning (which we need a referral for!!!) In sum... what the hell do I do? Does it sound related to the Ivermectin? I know some breeds (collies, sheps) have sensitivities to Inermectin or does it sound like pure coincidence that she might have had a TIA or something of the like? Would it take 30 hours to show up a side effect such as this if it were connected? Any suggestions would be great as I feel like such a terrible Mum right now

Another huge thumbs up for Tim from FetchBoy - who often delivers personally to OH's work cause we order so damn much and its ALWAYS more than a 20kg delivery