Staffyluv

Kirra was an older GSD x that was found in a car park in Queanbeyan by ARF Raelene and then rescued by ARF... My sister fell in love with her the first time she saw Kirra... Kirra fitted in with the whole house straight away and soon showed her furry brother Champ who was boss... She was a lovely girl, who used to sit under my feet when I went to my sisters house (knowing full well, that it was only a matter of time before I snuck her a biscuit under the table)... A few months ago, Kirra had a lump checked and it was found to be a very aggressive form of cancer... Kirra lost her battle against that horrid disease last week... Kirras family and furry brother Champ are devastated at losing her... Goodnight sweet girl, you will be missed by all that knew you... RIP Kirra Jodie and Ollie dog

What a beautiful boy he was... RIP Ziggy Sorry for your loss Jodie and Ollie dog

RIP Sassy.. You will be greatly missed... So sorry for your loss Jodie and Ollie dog

So sorry for your loss... RIP little one Jodie

How devastating for her owners... RIP sweet girl (take too soon)... Jodie and Ollie dog

It is very hard when trying to deal with skin itches... Have you tried to add fish oil to the diet - it does work wonders. If malaseb is doing more harm than good, maybe a good oatmeal shampoo like Aloveen would be better... Antihistmines only mask the problem but they do give relief from the itch while you try other things - we use polaramine from the chemist (but for a different purpose). Hills science diet does a dry food that is for allergic dogs. I use the Hills Science UD for Ollie as he has an issue with bladder stones and he has not had any recurring since starting on the hills. Roo meat is very high in protein, have you tried any oily fish like tuna in the diet. It is expensive but in spring time we give Ollie fresh tuna and salmon (not tinned) with veg (usually only sweet potato and zucchini now) - he loves it and it does help with his itches. (He only gets itchy when we go to the park in spring/summer and they have put down fertiliser and weed sprays). Good luck Jodie

Ollie dog was diagnosed with bladder and kidney stones in the June before he was diagnosed with mast cell cancer - not related just bloody unlucky... He had a common type of stone (oxalate) and he was operated on and it/they were removed in June 2005. We were warned that they can be recurring and a lot are due to diet. He was always on a diet of fresh food, meat and veg (all sorts). Since the operation he has been on Hills Science UD and he still has fresh food but he does not have any of the veg that can contribute to oxalate stones (there is a big list). He really only has sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini and a couple of others. To date we have had no recurring problems - touch wood. If they did recur, he cannot be operated on again because of the cancer... I was told you can check for oxalates in the urine yourself - get a sample, pour a small amount onto some newspaper, leave it in the sun to dry. When it is dry if you can see small crystal formations (almost powdery) then there is a good chance that it could be the problem. I never tried this. I left it all to the vets... The operation cost us about $2000.00 from memory and that was about 2 years ago. I wish you good luck with your pooch and hope and pray that it is just a bladder infection. Jodie

That is just beautiful.. He had a lovely life with you... RIP Gilbert Jodie and Ollie dog

Hi Nemo, Rhubarb leaves are toxic to everyone and everything, we did not even feed them to the chooks (and those guys used to eat just about everything). Grapes and dried fruits do cause renal failure, it is best not to test how much your dog can eat, just in case you give more and have to make an emergency dash to the vet at all hours. Our boy loves a mixture of veg but his favourite at the moment is sweet potato and zucchini all mashed up together. He loves most fruits too (apple, pear, banana, rockmelon and watermelon)...

RIP Nippa Jodie

So sorry for your loss. RIP old fella

That is so sad Ivy. RIP Harley

If it is allergy based they can also get relief from polarmine tablets from the chemist. They won't cure it but can give relief from itching. We use Malaseb on Ollie and he has not had a problem since we started using it - I think the last bottle was from Pet Barn and it was around $18. Jodie

Honey is great for dogs. Ollie has stomach problems and when he is a bit restless, I give him a good teaspoon of Manuka honey and it seems to settle any nausea (better than giving him maxalon all the time). Jodie

Ollie used to get wormed every month and heart worm injection once a year. But since he has cancer, he is only wormed each six months (he has no contact with other dogs and all his food is cooked) and he no longer has the heart worm treatment (on the vets advice). The vet said he just does not need it and only to worm him if I see that he has them - I have never noticed any worms. Jodie

I just saw this, so sorry honey... Rest in eternal peace Boffa... Jodie and Ollie dog

Unfortunately it does not work, when the tests were done he had basically no thyroid function at all. Poor baby was tired all the time as well as blowing up like a balloon - his weight went through the roof. But he is back to normal now. Cheers J

Thanks Morgan, At the moment he is on Carafate tablets from the vet and if I could get him off those, that would only leave the meds for his thyroid that the chemo ruined as well as his other holistic stuff. Cheers Jodie

So sorry for your loss... RIP Tiny guy. Jodie

RIP Suki, Sorry for your loss. Jodie

So sorry for your loss. RIP Old girl... Jodie

She sounds like a very special fur kid. Sorry for your loss RIP Brandy Jodie

RIP little guy. So sorry for your loss Jodie

I completely forgot that CS existed until I read this thread. I wonder if it would help Ollie's stomach complaint - it seems the cancer/chemo has given him a tummy ulcer or at least inflamed his gastric tract (sorry for to take your thread OT). Good luck in finding a machine and please let us know how you get on making it yourself. Cheers Jodie

I totally agree with showdog. I would maintain a good pup diet and supplement with something like Joint Guard (I use this for my old guy and he is doing really well). Swimming is a great therapy for dogs with arthritis (my lad cannot do it because he just sinks - could not swim to save himself. But he does like to wade around in the shallow water). There are other supplements you can get for your dog, maybe it would help to see a holistic vet and have them supply you with what is needed for your pet. Where are you? I can give you the details of our wonderful holistic vet in Sydney if you want. We are in Canberra and liaise with them via our vet and phone. Cheers Jodie