kiwioz

Glad I'm not the only one!! I did once witness Cal lying staring right up by the skirting board, and a mouse then go straight past his nose. Useless I tell you! Except when it comes to eating things that may harm him :rolleyes:

Just went and examined the spot outside closely with a torch - hedgehog is gone and there is no sign of blood on the grass so fingers crossed he is ok (if traumatised). There is no more blood on cal and he is not sore around the mouth so hopefully he's not hurt either. Drama drama!

Yes he's only an effective terrier when it suits him Thanks for the help and suggestions guys. If we keep having visitors to the yard I may have to go back to on-lead toilet stops after dark like I used to have to do in Brisbane!

Except of course when you live in the country in a house full of mice and he can't catch a single one :rolleyes: Go figure!

I'm with you there!! I feel terrible for the poor wee thing

Yeah perhaps she more meant he may get an upset stomach from eating something strange. Cos it seems in the unlikely event he did catch a disease it would not show up immediately. The joys of terriers!!

;) they don't have poison or`anything , AFAIK ..so it's very unlikely he will be ill tonight . I was just basing that on the fact that the woman at the vet clinic said it may make him sick and he may vomit later I've been having a google though and there seem to be quite a few people out there with dogs who attack/eat hedgehogs and the main problem is the spikes, which he seems to have managed to avoid. And yup snake catcher - it is a bit of a mess - we have lost or nearly lost many native bird species

Thanks for that - I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a wound himself I was more worried about him becoming sick if he has ingested blood. You'd think he would learn, but this is not the first hedgehog and back in QLD he continued to go for cane toads even after nearly dying :rolleyes: Bloody dog!! And yes, hedgehogs are very common here, though you most often see them squished on the road

I just found an after hours vet number and gave them a call - they said it does have the potential to make him sick and just to keep an eye on him (she sounded pretty rushed so I didn't get a long answer) - has anyone had any experiences with this at all? Might let him sleep in the bedroom tonight so I can keep an ear out. But yes the poor wee hedgehog They are super cute.

I just found Cal outside with a hedgehog I got him away and the hedgehog was in a ball but breathing (it is dark so was hard for me to see too much). When I got Cal inside I found blood round his mouth/on his chin. After looking carefully and wiping away the blood I'm pretty sure he is not hurt so I think it is the hedgehog's blood Apart from the poor hedgehog, do I have anything to worry about? Could this make him sick and are there any precautions I need to take? I had a feeling hedgehogs were known for carrying diseases, I don't think you guys get them in aussie but if anyone has any advice that'd be great.

Morning walker here. In winter this is not much fun, as it is still pitch black and usually below zero. But trial and error has shown that is what works for me. I just don't stick to it in the afternoons - too tired after work and it is too easy to make excuses. First thing in the morning it is just part of my routine, and the dogs hold me to it as well. Plus they are left in the house while I'm at work, so this way I know they've been to the toilet and got a lot of their energy out before I leave for the day. ETA: Finn doesn't cope well with other dogs when we're out walking on lead, so it is much more relaxing to do it early in the morning when we see very few others.

Well I'm not long home after picking him up from the vet this evening after having the xrays (thanks for asking staranais ) They were (somewhat predictably) fairly inconclusive, however they did rule out several things which was good news. There are no obvious issues, he had a small indication of arthritis but apparently in this particular spot it is quite common and could be unrelated. Basically I'm continuing with rest and anti inflammatory meds to see if he improves, otherwise he'll need to be investigated further. He is still not himself and quite stiff, but I have noticed an improvement and he is starting to get his personality back which is great to see. My next challenge will be getting Finn out for a walk tomorrow morning and leaving Cal behind. THAT will be interesting!!! As for the weird reaction I think now that it was largely due to the drugs and coming off them. He has been far more settled since, just a bit stiff and sore. Thanks for all the thoughts and advice!

Thanks Erny. The vet last night did find a spot in his back with acute 'repeatable' pain so I think that is what is causing the discomfort, she couldn't find anything to indicate it was internal but of course will thoroughly check everything Monday. The next question is why the acute back pain. Her main ideas were spinal disease, arthritis and of course an injury of some sort. The vet did ring me back and was happy with how things are sounding (relatively speaking). I am happy to say he is doing a lot better now, and is actually lying down near me at this very moment. He is still tending to wander around a lot, but the vet said the same thing as you Erny - to just leave him to his own devices and he will find the most comfortable position for himself. He is not agitated or panicky any more thank goodness. Still obviously in a lot of discomfort but it seems to be being managed a lot better now. He is not particularly interested in food, I'll get him something super tasty for tonight to offer him so that I can give him the anti inflammatory tablet with food if at all possible.

Good idea on the wheat pack. He seems to wander until I place him on one of his beds then he will stay put for a while - just tried that again then but my other dog got worked up about something so he got up. Shortly I'll try and settle him again and if I can get him lying down might try the heatpack. Thanks for your help!

Yup that's the trouble pers I don't yet know what is actually wrong. However I am feeling a little more relaxed now, he is still wandering around and not wanting to settle in one spot, but he is MUCH more relaxed and not panicking or shaking. I do also feel better that he has fluids in him. I'm still waiting on the vet's call, but hopefully he will be ok with the pain medication until xrays and investigations Monday.

Good news he has just this minute had a big drink of water Lack of fluids was starting to be a concern so I am relieved about that.

Just an update this morning. We did manage some sleep but cal is still not doing well this morning. He stays on his bed when I put him there, but the two times he's gotten up this morning he has started to go back into the panic mode. He has not had any food or drink I just spoke to the clinic who saw him last night -they are not my usual vets. The vet nurse was very helpful and the actual vet is going to ring me back shortly for a chat and see if he needs to be seen again before Monday.

That may have been it. She didn't mention how long it would take to wear off. He just got up again because my other dog did, but I've got him back on the bed and he is lying down again. I think he seems ok apart from the obvious, but as you say I am the one that will know if it really isn't right. I might have to try and get a bit of sleep myself soon, but at least Finn should wake me if Cal gets agitated again. Thanks so much for your replies Staranais, it is a stressful business looking after them when they are not well, especially as I'm here by myself. I certainly hope I get some answers Monday too.

Ok I just let him go outside on a long lead (was worried about him 'hiding' in the garden) and he did a wee then came straight back in. Managed to use the lead to get close enough to pick him up and have placed him on his bed. He is actually now lying down so I'm crossing fingers.

Thanks Staranais. I can't remember the name of the pain reliever, but she said it was similar to morphine. He would have had the injections about 7pm my time, which is about 5 hours ago now. He doesn't appear to be deteriorating as such, he is not vomiting or doing anything strange, but just won't lie down and settle. Being super grouchy and not letting me near him is 'normal' behaviour for him if he is in pain.

Just looking for any help or advice for my cairn terrier Cal. This afternoon I got home from work to find him hunched, shaking and in obvious pain. I've been to the vet and he has fairly severe localised back pain. This could mean any number of things at this stage and he is booked for xrays monday. She gave him an anti inflammatory shot as well as a pain relief injection. When I got him home he was pretty zonked and stayed almost perfectly still for about 3 hours. I hoped he would just sleep through the night. But he has since woken up, and is quite agitated and panicky and just keeps doing circuits of the house. He cannot settle and will not let me near him (yelps/growls/goes to bite). Will this wear off? Is it just an after effect of the drug? I am watching him carefully anyway as some of the possible conditions would involve him deteriorating over the next day or so. Is this a bad sign or just par for the course? Thanks for any help, I am worried about my poor little man Oh, I have anti inflammatory tablets to give him from tomorrow evening as well.

Ooh how exciting, yay for cairns! I dont' know any looking for a home but if and when you find one make sure you come back with photos!! I love my cairn ;)

What fantastic news, I'm so happy for you

Cute! No cairn terrier, but for some reason they have a 'wheaten' westie so that'll do Might have to put something on my birthday list

Hugs to you puggerup. As much as I enjoy being on dol, sometimes it is easy to lose perspective. All of us on here feel passionately about dog issues and many people get upset when they hear stories of people 'dumping' their dogs. This I think can lead to people forgetting that there are times and situations where rehoming is the best option for both the dog and the person And it certainly sounds like this is the case for you. Of course it is hard, but you know you are doing the best thing for Ollie so just keep that in mind and stay strong All credit to you for making such a tough decision. BigDaz