Staffyluv

Hi, Nope, his leg has settled right down (vet can't believe it, this dog continues to amaze everyone) - but I don't allow him to run anymore. Occasionally he gets a little trot up at the park and I woo him up, saying no running old man... He is doing as well as can be expected. His best times are mornings and late afternoon (feed times ;) ). But he mostly sleeps the best part of the day away these days. He looks well enough but the vet thinks that the cancer has a good hold on his stomach now because of the size of the tumours in there - we are just playing a waiting game and both of us are happy to wait as long as it takes.

Bless her heart CnR... They do that - they have a bad day or a couple and you start to think 'this is it', then they get up the next morning as if the last few days were nothing... I think Ollie does it to me about once a month now - scares the bejeebers out of me but I have come to realise that he just has off days and considering what they are dealing with, it is understandable. Here is hoping for good results from the rest of the tests. Hugs to you both. Jodie and Ollie dog

I agree. If you knew that he has food allergies (from previous experience) why would you change his diet all the time? Poor boy, I hope he gets better soon.

RIP Krueger, no more pain. I am sorry for your loss Nekhbet.

Remove the dry food to 'nibble' on. If she needs it, then give her a raw carrot to nibble on or better still big raw bones or a chicken frame. I would change her diet from canned food - sorry but it really is crap, mostly water and cereals to bulk it out. Get a reasonably good kibble and follow the directions for feeding for one meal. There are so many but there are some more exensive ones that are really good (eukanuba, eagle pack etc). Make the other meal meat and veges - more veg than meat. When you have her diet adjusted, then see how she is doing. You may need to add more veges and reduce meat to get the weigh off as you go. Don't use potato, pasta, rice or other filler types as these just don't help. Carrot, zuchini, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, cauliflower (careful this can create wind that is most offensive) and whatever else you want to use (no onion). If you do a search on DOL for diets you will find heaps to read through. Good luck. Getting the weight off if you can is important to keep them healthy. If you improve and reduce her diet, do it slowly so you don't upset her tummy. If she does not lose weight, get her checked over by a vet.

If you find a lump, take the dog to the vet and get a needle aspirate done - do not settle for anything less than this. I did years ago and I wish I did not.

Goodbye Zelly, rest in peace. I am so sorry for your loss - she was much too young.

Not to mention mammory cancer - I have seen this so many times. As I said - pets should be desexed (this is my opinion and I will stand by it). If I can convince just one BYB to not breed their precious girl then I feel better and have probably saved at least one of those pups from being PTS in a pound - there are enough breeders out there that KNOW what they are doing, as pet owners I personally think it is irresponsible to add to the problem. Please reconsider - get her desexed now, save her from so many possible problems that come with Staffords having pups (all bitches actually). There is also her look - she may not go back to that tight tummy with flat boobies. She could end up with really saggy boobs after feeding. In the end, she is your dog and you will do what you will do - we are only thinking of the dog.

I am so sorry for your loss SP... Your tribute is just beautiful. RIP Spike

Sorry PLP... RIP Cheyanne

If she is gaining weight you either need to cut her food down or increase her activity. You may only need to take half a centimetre off the meat roll each morning. We do kibble (biscuits) for breakfast and turkey mince and veges for dinner (we cook for our Stafford - although if yours will eat it raw, that is better IMO). You can chop and change the meats and the veges to add variety. Some of those rolls of meat are high in fat and this won't be good for your girl either - just check the ingredients list. What ever the first three ingredients are listed, that is what it is mostly made up of. The expensive but much better kibbles are good because dogs don't need much of them. If you reduce her food and you find she seems hungry, you can grate a carrot into it or give her one to chew (not a lot of calories and most dogs like them). A big marrow bone is exercise for her jaws and they don't add a lot of calories to the diet either. I was just wondering why you have not had her desexed? Are you showing her? It is just a personal opinion but I believe dogs and bitches are better off desexed if they are only being kept as pets - more for health reasons than anything else. Cheers Jodie

Looking forward to a great update from the amazing Sophie. Thinking about you guys, stay well. Jodie and Ollie dog

Oh Choppa I am so sorry for you loss RIP little man, look for your dad he will take care of you.

Oh dear, I am so sorry RIP Pooch's

So sorry for your loss Ellz, there is never a right time to have to say goodbye. RIP fella...

How is she H? Been thinking about her heaps lately. She is not too bad... enjoying snoozing, eating ( will only eat food which has pedogree pal added to it and warmed yuck!!!!!! ) looks very raggy and she is getting quite weary. I worry but madam is actuall very frisky. so it is still a case of not today not without a fight. cheers h Bless her heart, give her a big cuddle from me.

All Natural Vet Care are one of the reasons that Ollie is still here nearly three years after being told he would only be here for a year and a half after being diagnosed with MCT. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

How is she H? Been thinking about her heaps lately.

Welcome to DOL. Please keep us updated on Jedda's progress and how she is doing (BTW photos are a must - we can't get enough of dogs around here). If you are unsure about anything, don't hesitate to put the questions out there - someone will have a suggestion or two. This place is amazing for support.

Hi Carolyn and crew, Ollie is a male desexed stafford who will be 11 in June: he has a thread here too and he is MCT grade 2 with no clear margins on excision. He has multiple tumour sites as the cancer was systemic - they tested the lymph nodes nearest the major tumour site and they were positive for MCT. He is on a human (often organic) quality diet with supplements advised by our holistic vet. He originally had the surgery in November 2005. He went back in to try and get clear margins and test the lymph nodes a week later - this was not successful. We then underwent chemo under the guidance of a canine oncologist - what a long and winding road that was. One step forward and two steps back. Well it will be three years (they said originally 18 months or there abouts) in November this year and he is still here. The chemo ruined his thyroid gland and caused a few tummy issues but all treatable with human grade drugs that we get from the chemist (much cheaper than the vet). You will also see dogsbessotted here with the divine Miss Lucinda - she has only been holistically treated and was diagnosed with MCT grade 3 with no surgery. She is still here more than 6 years now, bless her heart. We all swap stories, thoughts and ideas on how to keep them healthy and happy. Cheers and all the best with Jedda Jodie

It sounds like your dog would be very uncomfortable with that extent of an itch. It would be beneficial to see a vet. You will need some antihistamines for the dog - you can give human type ones like polaramine and claratine (sp??). You should call the local vet and ask how much to give but I would be giving one tablet morning and night - just my opinion and I am NOT a vet. Not sure of any long term effects of using antihistamines, so this is a vet question too. Can you bring the dog inside and bathe him in the bathtub or shower? Malaseb works best when it is an ongoing process - say once a fortnight. You can also make a small bowl of malaseb and water 1:30 ratio (1 part malaseb and 30 parts water) and just bathe the infected area (because it sounds like it is infected with the black area). You would need to bathe it at least 3 times a day. These two suggestions are just going to mask the problem and you need to get to the bottom of it and resolve it or the problem will just keep recurring and could even get worse. Just from experience, I would suggest that it is possibly a grass or plant that is causing the problem but it could also be food/dirt/bedding or any number of things or a combination of the above. Good luck and I really think the dog needs to see a vet - it is impossible to diagnose and treat over the internet. Cheers Jodie

You are probably not being overcharged by your vet. Vets do not buy the quantity that the local chemist buys, therefore they pay a higher rate for medication - hence the reason why it is more expensive to get medication from the vet. A lot of medications that are used for animals can be purchased at the chemist with a script from the vet. Ask your vet if you can get the medication from your local chemist - we get four of Ollies meds (all human meds) from the local chemist and save about 30% on what they were costing from the vets because of his ongoing need for these meds.

Just popped in to see how the girl is doing. Glad to hear she is brighter today. Take care (both of you) Jodie

Just bringing up one meal is nothing to worry about IMO. Keep an eye on her, if she becomes flat (lethargic), her temp raises, or she is not herself then I would be watching her very closely. I would not give her anything else to eat until later (at least 12 hours from when she was sick) - give her tummy time to settle. When you do feed her, give her something like a little chicken broth over some kibble (half her normal amount) as an example. If she keeps that down and appears normal, just go back to normal the next day. Good luck Jodie

Thanks Anne, he had a ball - I am hoping OH comes with me again this Sunday because Ollie seems to have so much more fun when we are all there. I think the leaves crunching under is feet help, he seems to enjoy that. He tries to catch them when they fall off the tree sometimes.