Sticks1977

thank you to everyone here that has replied with your sympathy - it does help dealing with the loss and knowing that we are not alone. It has been a tough 24 hours so far but it is starting to slowly get better, was able to have a good nights sleep for the first time since Saturday night and it has been wonderful to look back on the good times and all the memories and moments we shared with Fraser. Even though it was only just over 2 years that we spent with him, it was the best 2 years of our relationship together and has only made us stronger. Perhaps this was Fraser's purpose to bring us closer together? Thanks again to everyone for your replies - still looking for the words to pay tribute to Fraser in a post on the "Rainbow Bridge" - in time it will be easier to talk about him and look at photos of him and smile. Regards, Shaun and Gaylene

I am so numb and frankly I think I am still in shock. We had to make the decision early this morning to put Fraser to sleep... Fraser's protein levels were rising and the red blood cell count was improving with the plasma transfusion that he was given - he sure was a fighter and one tough little guy as his heart rate got up to 200 bpm during the transfusion but he kept on fighting and wanting to live. Throughout the day he was still vomiting and they were attempting to get this under control. He was mainly vomiting up blood and liquid and doing this whenever he was suddenly moved or had to go out to the toilet. They had a vet change over around 6.00 pm Monday night - and the emergency centre got in contact with us to say that he was not improving as hoped and they were wanting to put him into surgery to get to the bottom of why he was not feeling well. There was a big build up of gas in his stomach and intestines... He went in for the operation at 9.00 pm on Monday night, and they said that the later that the call comes through - the better outlook we have for Fraser. The time approached 12.30 am the next morning and I still had not heard anything. I gave them a quick call to get an update and he made it through surgery. It was a blockage that was the main cause of the problem - a knot of the end of a piece of rope, around the size of a golf ball if a little bigger. He had so have some intestines removed and they said he would most likely have diarrhea for the remainder of his life due to food being unable to be digested properly. They were going to monitor him over the next few hours to see how he would go - but there were no guarantees. Unfortunately we received a phone call at 4.00 am to say that he had gone downhill and the toxins throughout his body were starting take effect. He was passing blood in his urine, and there was a possibility of blood hemmoraging into his eyes and then his brain. We made the decision to send him over to the rainbow bridge - this is as hard to type as it is to think of the closing minutes we both had with him this morning. I don't mean to upset anyone here and my apologies if I have - I just want to tell the full story of what has happened and to make people aware - TREASURE EVERY MOMENT with your pets. I will add a post to the rainbow bridge sub-forum when I gather my thoughts and think about what I want to write. It is so very quiet around here at home at the moment - I miss him terribly but I am trying to think positive and know in the back of my mind we did everything possible to help him - it just was not enough. Thanks for reading - and please keep Fraser in your thoughts - I hope that he is now in a better place and looking down on "Mumma and Dadda"... Regards, Shaun and Gaylene WE LOVE YOU FRASER.

Thanks to all for the replies - unfortunately Fraser is not getting better... he has gone downhill throughout the night... The Emergency Hospital rang me this morning to update me on his progress, he has been vomiting overnight and again this morning with some blood coming up with the liquid. They said he has a severe case of gastro-interitis and that he is still appearing very dehydrated and that fluids are not working as well as they can. (sorry for my vague description, can barely think at the moment!) They are now in the process of a blood/plasma transfusion to see if this will help - I am due to visit Fraser when I finish work at 1.30 pm and I might quickly rush home before hand and grab some of his old toys that remind him of home. I just hope that he will pull through this and begin to start feeling better - I miss him. Will have more information as it comes to hand - hopefully he will show signs of improvement when I pay him a visit, the vet mentioned that the blood/plasma transfusion will be completed by the time I come around to see him. Please keep your fingers, toes or anything else crossed - I just hope that he pulls through - I am just not ready for him to leave yet, that might appear selfish but having only 2.5 years with him doesn't seem long enough... Regards, Shaun (sticks1977)

Finally able to sit down and relax - and after such a long and exhausting day I'm here to hopefully find out some more information about how I can change Fraser's diet due to pancreatitis. Currently Fraser is fed 2 cups of Royal Canin Labrador Dry Food kibble (1 cup in the morning, and another at night) per day. Should I be keeping Fraser on this type of food, or should I be looking to switch his diet to another form of dry food or a low fat diet that would suit him? The vet at the Emergency Hospital said that I should have him on a low fat diet to help prevent pancreatitis in the future - so I'm hopeful that some here at DOL have been through a similar unfortunate experience and may be able to offer some dietary tips. Fraser is currently at the Animal Emergency Hospital in the best of care by the staff there. Luckily for me I took out Pet Health Insurance at the end of July so Fraser is covered for all costs (I just have to pay the excess). We are due to have him home on Tuesday night, I just want to make sure that I can have his diet worked out for him as soon as he arrives home. If I do have to change his diet away from Royal Canin - should I gradually introduce a new food into his diet so that I am not upsetting his stomach? Hopefully I will find out more over the coming days an I will be sure to report on how he is progressing - it sure is a quiet house without him around here... Regards, Shaun (sticks1977)

I have tried the new method of giving him the Rikodene with placing the syringe near the back of his mouth underneath his cheek flap (not sure if that's the right term for it...) It is much easier to give him the medicine in this way - he still does not like the taste of it though. I give him around 1 to 2 mL slowly from the syringe, then give him a chance to move his tongue around (it's like he is drinking) and then continue with the rest of the Rikodene. As mentioned I give it to him slower now and once it's all finished I give him a few treats and then his meal - whether it be breakfast or his dinner. Thanks again to all for the replies and assistance - he does seem on the mend though and seems a lot happier and more active around the house. Regards, Shaun (Sticks1977)

Thanks for the advice - I will give this a go later tonight when I give him his second dose just before dinner. Dealing with trying to open his mouth and seeing his tongue moving around trying to avoid the syringe was a battle in itself... Good to know for any future liquid medicine that I will have to give him.

Thanks to all for the replies so far - it is good to know that I do not have to go through the house and disinfect everything. I am keeping his water in his bowl fresh, throwing out some of the old water and filling it up again out of the tap. The problem I have at the moment is trying to give Fraser the 5mL of Rikodene orally with the syringe. When I first gave it to him last night I stuck the syringe towards the back of his tongue and put it all in as quick as I could - I could hear the liquid going down his throat... but he did not respond well to it trying to cough and attempted to dry reach a few times, but the medicine did stay down. This morning I tried a different approach, giving him the syringe again but only about 1mL at a time, letting him swallow that part and then continue. It seems to be something he is not enjoying (maybe the taste of the medicine?), so I'm wondering if there is a more efficient or easier way of giving him this medicine orally? Should I try and place the 5mL in a small bowl and get him to drink from there? My current method of trying to administer this medicine orally is for him to sit, then I stand over him from the back so that his head is between my legs. He moves his head up and with one hand I open his mouth and the other applies the syringe. He is fine when it comes to any tablets as this is a quick and easy process. Any advice would be appreciated - thanks to all for replying so far and I will keep you all updated as to how he goes. Regards, Shaun (Sticks1977)

I have just returned from the local vet and they have said that Fraser has Canine or Kennel Cough. It has surprised me that he has it - he is not coughing all that much but when he gets excited he has that "gagging" sound going on and when the vet examined his windpipe he made the same noise. He is on a course of 5 mL Rikodene (given orally) and 1.25 Tablet of Tribrissin, both given twice a day. The vet mentioned that he could be on these medications to rule out any possibility of a secondary infection. The only worry I have now which I just thought of - is should I be washing and disinfecting his bedding and any toys that he has been chewing on or had in his mouth? I would not want to start him on the course of this medication if it is not going to do any good because the virus or flu is around the house on his toys or where he sleeps. Any help would be appreciated - I have read a few other posts here about kennel cough but nothing really touched on anything that he would be in contact with on a daily basis. Perhaps I may be paranoid - but I would rather ask and be safe in the knowledge that he is on the way back to being healthy. Lastly - would you recommend that I not take him on any walks for the next week or two so it limits his exposure to any other pets? Regards, Shaun (Sticks1977)

We have recently purchased a baby/dog metal gate from eBay that will be used as a separator between our bedroom and the rest of the house. Sometime in the near future we will be adding another labrador to our family and this raises the problem of finding another place for both dogs to sleep during the night. Fraser sleeps in the laundry at the moment but there would only be enough room for him only once both labradors are fully grown. We have talked about moving his bed into the lounge or living room area for him to sleep in - keeping doors closed to other rooms in the house and leaving the laundry door open (we have a dog door on the exterior laundry door) so that he is able to go outside to the toilet. Is there a particular method or training we can undertake to make Fraser aware that our bedroom is out of bounds? The gate will be on to begin with as during the night we would not be able to keep our eyes on him sneaking into the room and eventually up onto the bed! He is only allowed up on the bed when we invite him up there. Closing the bedroom door is an option, but we would prefer that he would be able to see us during the night if he had to. Thanks in advance for any tips or replies - Fraser is free to roam around the rest of the house during the day while we are home, but we just want to set some boundaries so that we do not end up sharing a bed (and our bedroom) with two labradors in the near future. Regards, Shaun (Sticks1977) and Gaylene.

Our labrador Fraser had a similar injury - I was playing frisbee with him in the backyard and as he jumped up to catch the flying object he landed awkwardly and was limping on his right hind leg... Was told to keep him quiet and on Prolet tablets for 1-2 weeks. It has been approximately 1 month since it happened and he is showing no signs of the injury - so I think it was just a sprain. When he first did it, he was unable to cock his leg to 'mark his territory' but now he seems quite confident to fully weight bear on either of his hind legs. I would recommend after your dog shows signs of weight bearing on the leg to perhaps take him/her to a bowen therapist or dog chiropractor. I took Fraser to a bowen therapist and he reported that Fraser had only sprained the ligaments and not torn them... since then he has been perfectly fine and is still an active and happy dog. Sticks1977

Would vet costs be considerably less if you had pet health insurance? I have always heard about pet health insurance but have not looked into the costs or what is involved - I presume it would be similar to private health (such as medibank, HBA, etc.)?

Would you be complaining if it was your animal that the vet was taking an extra amount of time to examine or urgently needed attending to in its hospital cage?? I get a little bored of people bagging out vets here for charges. If people think their vet overcharges or overservices then change vets. Edited to add not aimed at OP as I don't read her post that way! To make things a little more clear - I have no problem with what the vet charges... I find with any medical procedures whether it be for animal or human that it always costs some dollars - but that is the same with anything in life. And I am also sure that if I thought my vet was over charging or over-servicing my needs that I would have already changed long before I took Fraser to the vet earlier in the week. My original message was in reply to the OP as judging by the thread title and her message - he/she was a little frustrated. Regardless of the $ amount spent on vet bills it would never bother me as the amount spent on their health pales in significance to the huge bucketloads of joy and memories that your pet(s) give you throughout years of their life. My apologies if I have offended anyone - I just threw my 2 cents in! Regards, Shaun (sticks1977)

Yep, vets sure do know how to charge... I took our labrador in for a follow up examination due to his lameness in his hind leg, the vet prescribed more anti-inflammatory tablets and in the end I walked out with a bill of $60 for only a few minutes work. Also why does it seem that the Vet is like a normal human doctor? You get there a few minutes before your appointment time and you are always called in around 10+ minutes later than your appointment time - no wonder they call it the "waiting room" Sticks1977

Have you possibly thought about installing a doggy door? Our labrador sleeps in the laundry and I have installed a doggy door so he has access to the backyard. He has learnt that his entry and exit out of the house is through that doggy door and will only go out to the backyard via the sliding door if we invite him through.

Thanks for the poke along 'labsrule'... I'm pleased to report that Fraser is doing quite well, he has no lameness in his hind leg that I can notice. He is able to walk without any discomfort and has begun cocking his leg again when "marking his territory" on any bushes or gardens. Earlier in the week he attempted to do this but was unable to support his weight on his right hind leg that showed the lameness. I took Fraser to the vet yesterday to get him checked over since it had been just over 1 week since the initial injury. She assessed the knee area and said that there was still no positive drawer sign and then asked me to take him for a walk outside of the practice so she could view whether the leg was under any pressure or there were still any signs of lameness. She seemed happy with his progress and prescribed some more anti-inflammatory tablets (Prolet) for him this week. Another week of rest for Fraser and she said that if he was still showing improvement - no lameness or limping - that I could slowly ease him back into normal activities of walking on the leash daily and eventually - running around. Thanks to all for the replies - it has been great reading the advice and good to know there is always help out there if needed. Regards, Shaun (sticks1977) and Fraser.

Well I am pleased to report that I contacted Christian in Frankston South who was able to see Fraser this afternoon to look over him and see if there was any need for treatment and also to address my fears that it may be something more serious than a slight sprain of the hind leg. I arrived at the destination and lifted Fraser out of the car and carefully approached the front door. Christian looked over Fraser and said that for a labrador he was built quite well and was a solid boy but by no means overweight or fat. He checked the flexibility of his head and neck and also front legs. He then paid attention to the problem area of his right hind leg and after much examination said that he could not locate any discomfort in the knee and said in his opinion it must have been a slight sprain of the joint. Christian also mentioned to limit Fraser's activity to a maximum 20 minute walk per day and strictly no fetching or elements of play that involved twisting and turning. He also mentioned to me to visit a health food store and purchase tissue salt tablets (ferrum phosphate) which would act as a natural anti-inflammatory and also purchase some Arnica cream/spray for brusing. He said that both of these would be useful if Fraser ever encountered another muscular type of injury. It was refreshing to hear that everything was OK with Fraser and that he was given a clean bill of health. I was still cautious and unsure due to what I have seen through the week. But considering that Fraser was limping and not putting any weight on the leg at all earlier in the week - and now able to distribute his weight evenly was evidence in itself that he was beginning to get better. I am due to see the local vet on Monday afternoon - they will review Fraser's condition and I am sure will let me know either way whether he requires more rest - or if I have been extremely lucky in that Fraser may have only encountered a sprain to the hind leg. Shall keep you updated on his progress over the weekend - thanks to all for the replies and recommendations I will keep them all in my thoughts if anything similar happens in the future. Regards, Shaun (sticks1977) and Fraser.

In hindsight it may have been worth resting him on the Sunday when the injury occurred, but considering I did not know how serious it was and that the lamenss in his right hind leg was still there I thought to see the emergency vet to get at least a diagnosis was the best course of action. We are into Day 3 now and Fraser is still resting around the home, he is happy enough to get up and leisurely walk around the house. I have closed off all doors to bedrooms so he is not able to get up onto the bed and have also stopped him from getting up on the couch. He still had his doggy-door that he goes through which has concrete pavers outside so he has a level surface in which to walk out onto. He is showing some improvement in that he is able to scratch his ear with his right hind leg (the one with the injury) and is able to stand comfortably with both hind legs level with one another, previously he has had his right hind leg further back than the left with only his toes touching the ground. At the moment he is able to share his weight across both legs and has no trouble sitting, lying down or getting up to walk around. Fingers crossed that the anti-inflammatory tablets are working and that some more rest will enable him to get back to normal and begin going on some lesuirely walks again. Regards, Shaun (sticks1977) and Fraser.

After posting some news about Fraser and his possible cruciate ligament sprain or tear I have been thinking of taking him to a bowen therapist or chiropractor to get a second opinion and to also see if there is anything that they can do. I visited the Vet on Monday (12th January) and they examined Fraser and said that there was no positive drawer sign, but still some minor pain in his stifle when touched. They recommended rest and a course of anti-inflammatory pain tablets (Prolet). He has been showing some improvement and this morning was able to scratch his ear with his right hind leg (the one that had the injury). Could anyone recommend a bowen therapist or chiropractor? I live in Cranbourne West, Victoria and have already been reading on the Internet, so far I have found a bowen therapist in Frankston North (Pia) and have also been reading on this forum with people recommending a chiropractor by the name of Barry Haywood from Cranbourne South. At the moment I am not sure which procedure to go ahead with - or even to go ahead with either of them at all. The vet has mentioned for Fraser to rest and to come back next Monday (19th January). At the moment Fraser is able to walk around quite comfortably, but is still not putting his full weight onto his right hind leg. Any feedback would be appreciated... Regards, Shaun (sticks1977) and Fraser.

I'm more than happy to look into alternatives before going down the avenue of surgery that will cost a few thousand... I have never heard of bowen therapists or chiropractors for dogs. If there are any available in my area, send me a PM and let me know or perhaps refer me to a website or something similar... Thanks for your reply and look forward to reading a few more!

Fraser (labrador) and myself were outside on Sunday afternoon playing with his beloved frisbee. We have played many times before without any problems until now. He went up to catch the frisbee in his mouth and must have landed awkwardly as when he stood up, he was holding his right hind leg up in the air. I did not hear any noises or notice any discomfort or yelping coming from Fraser. Initially I thought he may have done something similar to us humans when we roll our ankle and it is sore to begin with, but starts to get better. This happened approx. at 4.00pm and by 5.30pm he was still showing signs of limping so I took him to the Animal Emergency Centre in Hallam to get him checked out by a Vet (since it was Sunday and most were closed). The vet examined him and noted that there was possible mild swelling in the stifle but no positive drawer sign. And also that there was mild pain noted on examination of the stifle. She gave Fraser two injections - Meloxicam and Buprernorphone. The vet then mentioned to me that if Frase still had lameness in his right leg in 24 hours to book in with my regular vet and get them to look over him and see if there was any change in his condition. He went to the vet yesterday (Monday) and Leeanne (the Vet) said that there was no movement of the knee to indicate that there has been a completely torn ligament, she also mentioned that his patella was still in the right position but noted that his stifle was still giving him some discomfort. She also checked his hips to make sure that there was no problems. Leeanne said that he should have some rest and be on a course of Prolet tablets, given twice a day with food (morning and night). He has showed some improvement, he seems to be walking normally at the moment but is still not fully weight bearing on his right hind leg. I took him for a small walk earlier (for approx 15-20 metres) and he is able to walk comfortably on the lead but he attempted to cock his leg to "mark his territory" but was unable to do so. I am hopeful that the rest will enable the knee to fix itself if it happens to be a sprain or mild tear of some of the fibres. I have also been reading up on TPLO surgery of the knee joint (particularly when it comes to ligaments) and the cost of such a procedure is expensive, but I have also been reading a few negative reviews in regards to TPLO. I shall keep you all updated on Fraser's progress - I hope that he has not done any serious damage... are there any signs or body actions I should be looking out for if he has infact partially torn or torn a ligament in his knee? Thanks for reading and look forward to some replies - and later some more updates for you all! Regards, Shaun (sticks1977) and Fraser.

I flicked through the Yellow Pages the other day and thought to treat our 18 month old labrador to a mobile dog wash service and get his nails clipped and so forth... The main company that was advertising was "Hydro Dog" so gave their number a call and was put through to an operator, they took all my details and said a local franchise operator would get back to me - so far it has been three days and I have not heard a word, do they actually want the business?? Can anybody recommend a good mobile dog wash service in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne? So far my experience with Hydro Dog doesn't seem to be off to a good start - makes me wonder how reliable they are... Regards, Shaun (sticks1977)

Unfortunately the barricade I put around the washing line didnt end up lasting too long. Most of the stakes are out of the ground and the orange mesh is just in one big mess underneath the clothesline. I ended up asking one of the trainer's at ADT and they mentioned to put up balloons with a little bit of water in them - had already tried that so needed another plan... She then mentioned to put some dencorub on the clothes and also the pegs attached to some of those clothes. So far the washing has been on the line for two days (have only made certain items accessible to him that I have rubbed dencorub onto) and so far he has not touched them! Might be worth an idea if any of you are having similar problems...

Well after a trip down to Bunnings Warehouse and several dollars (and hours) later - I have the clothesline protected from Fraser so hopefully no more washing on the ground when we arrive home. I ended up getting some star pickets and some fabric mesh to put around the perimeter of the clothesline, and remembered from one of the posters who posted in here to get some plastic protectors for the top of the pickets. For those that are curious and love photos - I have put some before and after pictures below. The first shows Fraser being rather cheeky and the second - well you can judge for yourself whether you think he is going to be able to get through and continue his crusade of clothesline mayhem! BEFORE :D AFTER

Thanks to those who have replied... It might be an idea for me to visit "the man store" (Bunnings Warehouse) and purchase a few stakes and perhaps some orange mesh (similar to what is used at construction sites) or some wire puppy fence/chicken wire - that'll keep him out and away from the washing! In some ways it does not eliminate the problem of him taking washing off the line, but it does limit his access to that area of the backyard. To those who have mentioned to keep him in his kennel/yard/dog pen - the entire backyard is his to roam around of a day when we are at work. He used to have access to the garage when he was a small puppy but now his access is blocked to that area courtesy of the rear roller door. He now spends his time in the backyard and laundry (while we are at work) as I installed a doggy door a few weeks ago. If I manage to remember I may post pictures of any design/barricade that I have setup beneath the clothesline... thanks to all for the replies and if you have an idea that has not been mentioned - lemme know about it! Sticks1977

I know even before starting this post that this is possibly a stage that most dogs will go through - especially labradors. Fraser (currently 8 months of age) has just started to discover that he can take washing off the line and it has got to a stage where I am wondering about solutions or if there is any training or obedience I can enforce to stop this behavior. Last week I tied some water bomb balloons up onto the clothesline with fishing line - I let him out so I could observe and he thought it was wonderful, jumping up and nudging the balloons with his nose and them popping them and getting water all over his face - didn't seem to bother him so I think that plan has not worked! The obvious answer would be to purchase some of those portable clotheslines for indoors but considering I do a full load of washing more often than not - you can't fit it all onto the one clothesline - where as the one out the back - super! Are there any solutions or "old wives tales" that can assist me with stopping Fraser pulling the washing off the line? It is not to a stage (yet!) of him pulling everything off the line, he will pull off about 2 or 3 items and then mainly want to play with the plastic pegs that come off at the same time. He has plenty of toys to play with and are rotated on a daily basis so he has something new each day. I realise that he is a puppy and this is probably a game to him at the moment. The temptation of seeing clothes moving in the wind (and with our smells on them) is probably too tempting! Any help would be welcome before he begins to put holes in clothes both new and old... Regards, Shaun (Sticks1977)