Staffyluv

I am so sorry for your loss. RIP Sweet Loo

I am sure they had it up there last time Ollie was in for a check up. I know I have to order our HSD -UD as it is not a normal stock item. J

The vet at West Queanbeyan sells Ep as well - if you place an order, they are happy to continue it for you... And they don't sell pets.. Cheers J

I am sorry to hear this news, my heart breaks for you CnR and for Sophie - it is so unfair that they have to suffer with illness. Praying for a miracle for you guys and that she has a great day. Hugs Jodie PS hope all the other poochs are having a great day.

I think about you guys heaps. It is hard to read about what you are all going through. I know how it feels to watch your dog go up and down, to have hope and then to lose it. CnR, I am so sorry to hear that the adorable Sophie's tumour is growing again - I don't know if they are anything like a MCT but MCT tend to grow and shrink a lot - even without treatement. I hope that is the case for Sophie... Give her a big hug from Ollie and I. Wishing all the other angels a happy and peaceful time. Ollie is laying on the floor with OH at the moment pleading for a taste of a monte carlo biscuit (he will get it - he always does. It is about him now and will be until he says it is time). Big hugs from the little staffy to all the big rotties. Cheers Jodie

I think dogbesotted treats all her animals holistically... No info on that type of tumour, so I cannot comment on that but would just like to wish you the best of luck with it. My boy Ollie has cancer and was treated with chemo and holistically - we are now more than two years post diagnosis (when they thought maybe a year or eighteen months)...

So sorry IHF. Give your parents my sympathy for their loss. RIP Scruff...

Ollie likes most fruits but does not get the grapes, avocado, or any dried fruits. He loves apples, banana, water melon, rock melon, oranges, cherries and strawberries - but only if he gets them off the bush (none of those store bought ones)... The only one he likes cold is watermelon.

Hello to all the big black and tan boofers - how are they all doing today. We keep everything here crossed each day, in hope that it will be a good day for all. Give them all another hug from us too. Jodie and Ollie dog

I have only just noticed this CC... I am so sorry for your loss, may he rest in peace forever. RIP Jodie and Ollie dog

RIP Keisha Words are so hard to find sometimes. Thinking of you Jodie and Ollie

So very sorry for your loss bluepoppy (you have been so brave for Keisha) Rest in peace sweet girl Hugs Jodie and Ollie

They get frightened... She does not understand what is going on and if she is losing senses, then that would be even more upsetting for her... Thinking of you Jodie

Oh the poor babies. I hope they get better soon... Jodie

Yep, it is a blood test and from memory it took a couple of days to come back with the results.

If the angels are having issues with GI upset, you can use slippery elm tablets from the chemist of health food section - it does not seem to interfere with the other meds Ollie is on (Carafate, maxalon, thyroxine, fish oil, vit C and one other that the name just eludes me at this time of night). I have checked with the holistic vet and our vet to make sure he could take it - it puts a lining on the GI tract that helps with irritation - he takes 400mg once a day. You can give the tablet or break it open and sprinkle it on the food. So sorry to hear Kiesha had a rough day. I found warm BBQ one of the best things when Ollie was unwell. I also used to make a broth from chicken bones (bones removed of course) and a few veges - add a little rice and serve warm, it is almost like a tonic and easy to digest. I used to offer this a few times a day. Big hugs to all the pooches and their owners Jodie

It could be bladder/kidney stones... Not uncommon for blood to be in the urine, if they are trying to pass a stone or one has lodged high up in the urethera (SP?) My male stafford had a stones when he was six (he is nearly 11 now). He was operated on (he had the type that could not be dissolved) and he has been fine in that department ever since.

Agree with ricey... Get the lump checked and then decide what to do. The dog will not need to be GA'd to do a needle aspirate and they can check the cells immediately... If it is not conclusive, then they could do a local (because it is in the ear) and remove the lump and send it to pathology. My lad had a small lump removed from his eye with a local - no need to knock them out if you don't have to. Just for the record; there are apparently two types of anaesthetic that are used, one is a little more expensive than the other but they wake up better from it... My boy has had a few operations (Mast cell cancer) and we always use this type of anaesthetic now that I know about it. Can't remember what it is called but the vet knew what I was talking about when I told him that apparently they wake up better and there are less issues with it... Ollie is 11 in June... His last operation was 2 years ago... Best of luck with it and let us know how you go.

What fantastic news for you and Sophie. I remember when Ollie was first treated, I was unsure about it all and it did not seem like it was working at first and he also seemed like he was unwell - but then one day it all started to fall into place and he seemed to get better and better. I hope and pray that is the case for you and Sophie. May the rest of her days be happy and pain free. All the best to the other ill boofers... You are welcome CnR. I decided from day one that I would at least try alternative medicine and it is the best thing I did. I don't think it is what has put him in remission but it definitely kept him well while he was fighting to stay with me. Glad I could help in some small way....

Firstly, I just wanted to say that my heart just breaks for what these majestic dogs and their owners are going through. Grumpette, I know you did not ask this of me but decided to add my thoughts anyway (hope you don't mind). Radiation is a localised treatment, that can and often does shrink the tumour being treated - although there are reasons why it is often not used around the head. Often because of the other problems it creates, such as what CnR said with Sophie. It can be used to manage the pain because it shrinks the tumour, less pain from a smaller tumour. Chemo is not a localised treatment and bombards the whole system. It cannot be given to animals in the same doses it is given to humans because we do not have the luxury of giving our pets a bone marrow transplant when the chemo kills off all the good cells. Chemo kills off fast dividing cells through the whole system - both good and bad, unfortunately. Therefore it is rare that enough chemo can be given to dogs to make them sick, like it does with humans - that is the reason that most dogs handle chemo relatively well... Chemo is not, from my knowledge, a pain management tool. It is used when the cancer has already become systemic because it treats the whole body, unlike radiation that treats a specific site. Ollie had chemo because his cancer was systemic, therefore radiation would have been useless in his case. Hope that helps you to understand a bit more about the treatments. In saying all of that, there are many holistic treatments available to our animals now that have an amazing result - I believe that Ollie is still here because of the combination of both traditional and holistic treatment he has received. Wishing all the sick Rotts a great day. Jodie

No advice Morgan, just wanted to wish you all the best for your girl. Jodie

My stafford used to get pigs ears and raw hide chews until I had to retrieve them from his throat a couple of times because he woofs down his food. Lucky for me, he just let me put my hand in and my fingers down his throat to get it out without any fuss at all. Needless to say, he does not get those anymore. I suppose you could do the same thing as I did or get to the vet ASAP...

Personally, I would be operating and depending on whether it is systemic or not - I would also be doing chemo (systemic) or radiation (if not)... My boy Ollie was in the same position and we excised lots of tumours, then did chemo and treated him holistically as well- he is still here, six months more than was predicted and is looking so well, even the oncologist cannot believe it... He was 8 when he was operated on the first time. If you are still against surgery, please consider holistic therapy. Lucinda (dogbesotted's girl) has lived with terminal MCT for over 5 years now and she has only been treated holisitcally. Best of luck.. Back to Hero - how is he going, any news??? Where we live (in rural country) the region does not have the facilities for chemo or radiation or evven holistic therapy for animals, that is the downside and why I think I have to chose the option I have for Gemma. I would be all in for surgery and chemo etc etc and I do not have the means to move to be closer to such facilities. It is sad but I can only provide for my baby girl with what is available to us right now. :D All vets can do chemo - it is tablets and a drip... Ollies chemo was tablets one week, drip the next week and then a week off for 28 weeks. Our holistic vet sends our stuff to us by post - we liaise with her via the phone and email (they are in Sydney and we are in Canberra, if you would like to chat with them, I am sure they would talk to you about it)... You could try high does of Vitamin C (Ollie takes 1500mg a day) - it is like a tonic for dogs. Giving 1000mg of fish oil a day also helps. Only you can choose what is best for your girl and I wish you all the best, no matter what decision you make. I was just offering some advice on what could be done. Cheers Jodie

If I have learned one thing during this time with Ollie, it is that I underestimated how much he loves me and wants to stay here. Even when he is sick, you can see he fights it to go for a walk because that is what we have done every day of his life. Some days he struggles to jump up on the lounge, so he sits on my feet until I lift him up, so he can sit in the middle of the pack. But those days are rare now, lucky for us, he is doing so well these days. They have an amazing constitution and they don't give in... It makes you feel truely blessed that they picked you when you came to see the litter and try to decide which one is the cutest... Best of luck with Kiesha and her change of diet - you probably already know but it is best changed slowly over a week or two, so her tummy does not get upset. Just take one day at a time - each day is a blessing, enjoy it as much as she enjoys being with you... Jodie

I will take a guess - Kennel cough... Pups with nasal discharge or hacking coughs are serious in my book and should be looked at asap by a vet - I also would not settle for an answer like, I think it is this or that - I would want a more confident response along the lines of it IS this or that... If you know what I mean. I also don't believe they are fully immunised until two weeks after their last injection (which is not for a couple of weeks??) So they can catch diseases until they are fully immunised. Best of luck with the little ones Jodie