Starkehre

Very very sad persephone. Unfortunately I too have endured the loss of a horse. I understand how it tears your heart out. My thoughts are with you on the day you are remembering.

I commissioned an artist to do this portrait of Jess about 3 years ago, because even then we knew she couldn't have all that much time left. It was for mark's birthday. He loves it, and it hangs on our stairwell wall. I am really glad I had it done..

Thanks persephone. I think you are right. I have seen it in Jess' eyes for a while IMO. Unfortunately OH and I are on slightly different pages regarding Euth, but as much as I am so sad to see her go, I am so relieved that he has finally agreed to do it now. She is tired, and I know it is her time. I appreciate your support, all of you.

Thank you WildAt Heart. I have only known Jess for the last 5 years, but Mark has had her since she was 8 weeks old. As he lived with his family til fairly recently, Jess lived with them also. Both Mark's parents have died not so long ago, and he feels Jess is his last link to his parents. This is going to be extremely difficult for him. He was so close to his parents.

Thank you Wazzat Xolo. Very beautifully written, words of wisdom. I will let Mark read thse lovely posts that you all have written.

It's never easy persephone. I know you will miss Pat. RIP Pat.

Well, I have just made our vet appointment to have our beautiful old GSD bitch Jess PTS later today. She was turning 15 this year. Very hard and very sad. We will miss you Jess. You have always been such a sweet and easy going companion. You are Mark's special girl, and he loves you very much, but you know that. We hope you find Mark's parents over rainbow bridge and join them.

That sounds great coupedash, keep em seprate when they are expected to play rough. Yes, as I mentioned in previous post, Panoestitis (growing pains) is something that dogs grow out of, but it is very painful for them. It can go from leg to leg and can appear to disappear and then return. it will usually be completely gone by 14 - 20 months of age. It is more ideal to find out why he might have it, and solve the underlying issue, rathern than letting him do what he wants knowing he will grow out of it. I would be cutting out all forced walking (on leash walking) for a couple of months if the vets think it is Pano. Also if you feeding lots of bones, ie the ones he can ingest like chicken carcasses etc, I would be cutting them out or down, to lessen the intake of calcium. Others may disagree, so I am not necessarily saying do what I suggest, but at least have a think about it and find out some more information. Others may have more experience with Pano, so may be able to advise better. I would also suggest you put him on Collagen as opposed to Glucosamine if the vets say it is Pano. Collagen is better for joints, Collagen for bones. However, the vets cannot know it is Pano until they xray for it. Some say that pressing of the legs is a method of diagnosing pano, but I would not recommend you do this. I am not even a fan of vets doing this. Also, keep his weight down. It will not hurt to take a kg or 2 off him provided he is not already rake thin. Less weight will help.

I would probably just not be too quick to crate for complete rest until you find out exactly what the issue is. (Not meaning to jump on your toes missmonaro ) Depending on what the complain is, crating or complete rest can result in some quantities of muscle atrophy and incorrect growth patterns in legs, which can then cause a whole other set of issues. Yes, definitely there are some situation where complete rest is called for, and yes a sprain or strain would possibly be one of those, but a correct diagnosis is required first. Until you find out what is wrong, my suggestion would be separating the pups, and encouraging natural restful behaviours when and where possible. If you already crate overnight, that is fine, but do not do it all day until you know what is going on... IMO.

Hi coupedash, things like OCD and Pano can take up to 3 months to show up on xrays. so, if you got xrays done as soon as you first noticed lameness, then there is still a chance that things like this could be present. Having said this, it could easily be a sprain or strain, so not trying to scare you, just inform you. Whatever it is, your pup should be on at least semi rest, no rough play, jumping or the like. He needs to behave like "an old man", type of rest. Gentle movements. Pano is quite common in GSDs, particular large males and at this age. In fact some people know it is the GSD disease. Has the pup grown very big very quickly? Is he being over exercised (forced walking/running)? Is he getting too much calcium or an unbalanced diet? These are all things that can come into being known as possible causes of Pano, yet not necessarily substanciated. Jury seems to be out on that. There is heaps of info online regarding Pano that you can read up on. It is basically what is known as growing pains. Scales of Justice mentioned Pano, Panoestitis. In GSDs they usually grow out of it by approx 18 months. Your pup may very well not have it, but like everything, it is handy to read up on these things and learn about them anyway. Good luck. Hope he gets better soon. I can recommend a great Bowen Therapist in Frankston Sth. Not sure if you are nearby or interested, but feel free to PM me if so.

You are welcome PP. Well, all going well it doesn't sound as though it is anything really serious. Best of luck with him.

Hi PP. Yes, it does sound like it is reflux. Yes, reflux is common in dogs, but usually just after eating, and when this is the case, there is not usually anything to worry about provided the dog seems fine in every other way. However, as you have said that he does it throughout the day, and that he has vomited blood, I would be having some tests done. Not trying to alarm you, and it may well be nothing or nothing serious, but I feel that I should let you know that both vomiting blood and reflux can be signs of Immune Mediated diseases. Please don't panic, I am not saying that he has one of these, but they are possible symptoms. IMT (Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia) can lay low for 2-3 months before the thrombocytes drop to a dangerously low level. I don't think you said how long it has been going on for. Other signs to look for (but only other possible symptoms) can be pale gums (anaemia) low temperature and lethargy, but sometimes these may not show until the dog is starting to crash. I suggest you perhaps have a good look at his gums and inside his mouth for tiny spots of blood that look like he has pin pricks in his gums. These can be tiny and hardly noticable or there can be obvious bleeding in the gums also. I am not a vet and certainly do not claim to know what is wrong with your dog, and I only know this as I have had 2 dogs with this IMT. One died and we managed to save the other. I do hope that it is nothing at all.

Our boy devours his at night, just when we turn the light off. He starts doing his "dishes" at such an appropriate time. He sleeps in his crate at the foot of our bed, and i swear the noises he makes licking it, are so loud. We try very hard not to laugh, or atleast not so he can hear us. Sounds like he is slurping soup. I always tell OH he is just jealous. ;)

Or You... get to like it I mean

No Baby Dragon, no extra gel coat. Just standard. I used to cart buckets of warm water before I got the plumbing done, but I still was happier to do that than wait for the heater to heat the water. Yes, does sound exactly the same as Mirandas. Andisa, bigger reservoirs is excellent with the twins, and does not surprise me. Designs really needed to improve in that way For all I know the ones at Melb Dog Centre may have bigger reservoirs also. If I ever need a new one, I will look at Liberty too. Ta for that. They are right near my warehouse.

Hi baby dragon. My hydrobath is one of my bestest dog toys. I love it. wouldn't be without it and it was a brilliant investment. I purchased mine from Melb Dog Centre in Dromana Vic, sorry, no sure where you are from. I believe most companies will freight their baths around Australia. My bath is fibreglass. It is about 6/7 years old now, and it looks as thoug it is brand new, (mind you I am the type to look after things well). It has always lived outside, but alongside the wall of my house, and it has moved house once. I chose to have a single tub and no heater and this is why - twin tubs take allow too small of a reservoir to successfully rinse a large dog, and all my dogs are big. if you have small or medium dogs twin might be fine for you. If I had to refil the rinse tub, I would see little point in having it. Also the wash tub is smaller as well than having a single, and this means that there is more chance of the water level lowering to the point where the pump is not having water running through it, hence doing damage to the pump. If that does not make sense, I can explain it this way .. while washing your dog, much of the soapy water takes a while to run off the dog and back into the reservoir. the level can become lower more easily if the resrvoir is smaller and has less water capacity. Hope that makes sense. With the heater, you have to wait around for it to heat the water. sure it foes not take all that long, but once I start the process, I want to get it under way. Also, the heater element can and may breakdown after a time, and then replacement costs. The less things to break, the better in my opinion. What I finds works best for me is to have an outdoor electric powerpoint put into the outside wall of the house, so power is easy to access. and to have a plumber come and fit hot/cold tap outlet directly above or along side where you intend to put the bath. I then attach one single hose to the tap and have my 2 adjustments to maintain/set water temperature. So, I have a single reservoir for soapy washing, and then I rinse from warm clean water. I can rinse as long as I need to. I have a thich hose running from the waste water outlet and into my gutter trap thingy. I sit my hydro up on 2' pavers, so the waste hose runs between the oaver and the house, o it is flush and sort of concealed. I have then placed rubber mats from bunnings on top of the oavers to protect the underneath of my hydro, and have ever so slightly angled the bath one way to assist with drainage. Anyway, that is my set up, and I am very happy with it. You''ll love having one. go for it. ;) That's my set up anyway.

What a trying time for you. It is hard enough being sad and sorry to see your little man struggling with these senior years, let alone having to face this tough decision. I have been there on several occassions. Always hard. I was curious.. when you said that your vet said it "was not his time yet", did you actually say to the vet that you had decided it was the right time for you and your dog, or were you more asking for the vet's opinion and not stating what your opinion was? I ask this because a good, empathic, and caring vet will always pick up on your position and be supportive, unless of course there was a really strong case against it (which of course there is not in this situation). I could be wrong here, but your vet may be thinking he is supporting how you are feeling if you have not been clear enough. If you have been clear, and your vet still chose to oppose your thoughts, then I would be doing one of 2 things: 1. Calling the reception and having a talk to the owner and telling them how you feel and request more emotional support in your decision. or 2. going to another vet. IMO there is nothing worse than making the extremely difficult decision to PTS and having your vet disagree or argue with you about it. Nowadays, when the time comes for one of my pets to go, I do not ask my vet their opinion. I make the decision with my family based on all the facts and all of our needs and feelings including the pet, and then I call the vet to make arrangements. I tell them this is what we have decided. I find that if you approach it this way, they are very supportive the whole way through the process, which is important to me. I wish you all the best with your decision. I think you know it is time.

My OH bought me a Dremel a couple of months ago. It is not a dog one, but a $140ish dollar wizz bang heavy duty one. Probably over kill, but that's the OH for you. Gotta get the biggest and best, The only negative with this one is that it is a bit big in my hand, but I am used to it now. Anyway, best new doggie thing we've bought in ages. Only 1 out of the 4 dogs hates it. She shakes like a leaf, but tolerates it. The others are fantastic. We didn't get it coz the dogs are not good at having their nails clipped. They are all very well behaved. More because they all have black nails, and although I have always been a confident and regular nail trimmer, I still feel that sometimes I want to take more off than I do because I hate making them bleed. But over time, (partuicularly for the dogs that don;t work their own nails down) if you don't make them bleed, the quick just keeps growing a bit longer, slowly but surely. So, now I can dremel off more, and even if I only just get to the blood vessel, you can see it just start to bleed before the dog shows pain, and the dremel cortorises it. Fantastic. Nails are all getting a bit shorter each time as the vessel is shortening, and I am much happier that I am doign a more thorough job. wish we had bought one years ago.

Hi Cosmolo, you must be very excited, and so you should be. It sounds as though you have a really good attitude about the whole thing and I commend you for taking the time and effort in trying to make everything work out beautifully. I am sure it will. My advice would be to try to be as relaxed as possible when you arrive. This will be difficult, as you will probably be anxious, nervous and excited. And yes, as others have said, be yourself, but the breeder will prefer to see a calm new puppy person for her pup to go to. They will want to know that you can listen and take advice. You will not have to know everything, but be willing to learn. A good breeder is a wealth of knowledge and experience. You can learn so much from your breeder. As you have said, you have already asked a lot of questions and had discussions, and certainly if you think of any more questions, write them down and take the list with you. But, you will no doubt find that the breeder will ask you plenty of questions, so you will not need to be spending the entire time thinking up questions. Try not to come across as "know it all". I am not suggesting that you will, but I don't think a breeder would appreciate that. Have you decided whether you will be crating your pup at all? If so, I find it very useful to chat to the breeder about this. Quite often the breeder will be more than happy to do some initial crating of your pup in the last couple of weeks before you take it home, to assist in the transition, (that is if the breeder is an advocate of crating). Another little tip I like is to buy a nice new blanket or soft toy that you would leave with the breeder for the pups to play with or snuggle into. You would bring it home with you when pup comes home, and this also assists with transition as the object with have little sibling smells etc all over it. Very comforting for pup. It doesn't matter if it gets destroyed. But usually the breeder would just wrap blanket around the puppies several times or pop it into a basket or similar for it to absorb the smells. This initial trip would not necessarily be the time to leave the blanket. I am unsure if you would be going back to see the pups again later, but if you are, you could take one then if you wanted to and if the breeder is OK with it. Of course the blanket and crating suggestions are things that can be brought up at a later visit, if you do not feel they are appropriate until you have definitely decided upon this breeders' puppies. Not necessarily essential at this early stage, but certainly food for thought. Best of luck with everything. And lots of piccies please.

Hi Jess, if you go to www.k9softdogcrates.com.au they do both the products you are wanting. They have Crate Carry Bags with shoulder straps for pretty much all sizes of soft style collapsible crates and Waterproof Crate Covers. However the crate covers are not canvas, they are a polyester/nylon blend, super tough, and super waterproof - more so than canvas. Hope this helps

You are most welcome mrmac. I am very glad you went along and had a great experience with Glenda. Isn't she lovely??!! The staff are great too. She is extremely highly respected in her field among locals and has worked hard to deservedly achieve this reputation. My SP Rose goes there every 8 weeks, and our old GSD bitch Jess (14 yo) goes about 4 times a year for a good stripping and a bath. And more recently I have been taking my puppy Rott Jag there for a little trimming and thinning of hairy bits prior to showing. You can always tell how the dogs have been treated when you arrive there the 2nd time. if they are happy to go in, then it must have all been OK. Mine are always delighted to arrive each time. I am also very nervous and fussy about taking or leaving my dogs anywhere, but I always feel very comfortable leaving them with Glenda.

Hi glendabenda. Don't rule out demodectic mange just because you are using Advocate. From my experience it does not stop them getting it or get rid of these buggers of mites. I hope you get it all sorted.

Absolutely ET can be done by asssociate dogs. ;)

Hi mrmac, I use Glenda from Poodles n Pooches in Balnarring. Balnarring VIC 3926 ph: (03) 5983 2043 She is brilliant, wonderful with the dogs. I have been using her for years and have always been thrilled with her work, treatment of the dogs, prices and professionalism. However, as she is very busy, I am unsure if she is taking on any new clints. I know this has been the case in the past, but maybe she has a few free spots now. Not sure. Worth a try if this is anywhere near you. Good luck.

Hi Troppodogs. I have had 2 dogs with IMT (Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia) now. One passed away 3 years ago now and the other has survived, but we still do blood tests. I am happy to chat with you about it if you like, if that ends up being what the vets diagnose. PM me if you like. I am more than happy to assist with likewise emotional support as well as any questions you may have that are more personal that vet related assistance. There is actually a story on the AEC website about my girl Dyzney (they changed the name to Daisy) if you want to have a look. Sorry don't know how to do links.. www.aec.com.au then click on interesting cases. Most of the vets and specialists that treated Dyz had not seen a case so severe that had survived. Dyzney is a bit of a well know star with all her vets now. I really hope that whatever your gorgeous little dog has is not too serious, and treatment is successful.