kirsty79

You know all of the behaviours you describe don't necessarily scream "anxiety" to me. he's not doing it every day. They could just as easily be explained by boredom and self-entertainment. The cupboard raiding is a case in point. I think you need to see a qualified (preferably veterinary) behaviourist pronto - it might actually SAVE you money. I think you've definitely found out why Eric was surrendered. Just out of interest, how much training and exercise does he get daily? Did he miss out the day before the last destructo dog event? He has a 40 minute walk / run every morning and we try and take him for either a 20 min walk in the evening or we''ll play ball / frisbee etc in the garden with him. The day before the event we had done the morning but not the evening due to my partner working late. I am unable to walk him on my own as he is so strong - he is trained in pretty much all aspects apart from lead walking. He is horrendous and pulls terribly. I wanted to book him in for classes but we have been cripplied moneywise due to numerous vets visits and damage done so far. We have had Eric for only 4 weeks, 2 1/2 of those weeks he had a cone on and was unable to exercise.

The doggie door was in the back door which is completely destroyed now. So there is no doggie door for him to come and go between if he comes inside.I have a back bedroom which has raised windows (I fear he could try and break through the glass if at his height). I could use this. However my concern is the door, doorframe and walls. The back door - the door and all of the frame has been completely destroyed with scratching and chewing - surely he will just do the same but inside? Will defintely try the food thing. Had been feeding him before we left but I will make it more difficult so he has to work for the food. Would a enclosed pen / run in the garden be suitable? Or would that freak him out even more? And what on earth do I do with Pickles if I enclose him?

So, we made a giant doggie dog for Eric so he could come and go as he pleases, so he could be inside during the day where all our human smells were. The first day left alone he destroyed an expensive black leather ottoman in the lounge, chewed the dining room table and somehow opened the doggie food cupboard and ate the entire contents. After that we sealed up the doggie door, spent ALOT of money on loads of various stimulating toys etc to keep him entertained, have been exercising him twice a day and he and Pickles have bonded fantastically. Bar a couple of holes dug in the back garden he has been as good as gold...... until yesterday. My partner got home, pulled into the driveway, went to get out of the car and came face to face with Eric out the front of our house, next to the road. He looked in his rearview mirror and there was Pickles. He got them inside and went to investigate. It appears Eric has dug a hole by the side gate big enough for Pickles to squeeze under and he has scaled a raised part of our garden to assist him in clearing a six foot fence. In addition, our back door was pretty much completely torn apart and on its hinges. So, in a nutshell, Eric is freaking out. I am petrified he is going to hurt himself. Following numerous vet appointments and other expenses in the past 4 weeks we have spent over $1200 on Eric. We are well and truly broke. A behaviourist is the obvious answer, and as soon as I have a few paychecks under my belt I will meet with one, but for the immediate future I need to know how best to cope with Eric and how to keep him (and Pickles) safe during the day. Eric has all the classic signs of separation anxiety - he wimpers when we are going out, he is destructive, he follows us around the house, he is very demanding of attention. Please can anyone suggest any immediate action I can take? The vet nurse suggested crating, but that is a longer process.I need a short term solution in the meantime. My partner and I work monday - friday 8am-5pm and unfortunately have no friends or family in the vacinity that don't work the same as us or could pop in during the day to check on them. I am desperate and tearing my hair out Thanks :)

Thanks everyone for your replies. More or less confimed what I suspected or was worried about. Have spoken to the vets and booked him (and my other dog who I am now worries might have it as well) in for later today. My partner is coming with me so one can stay outside with the dogs and one can go inside and give reception a heads up. Poor Eric has had a rough couple of weeks and now this Does anyone know how they test for kennel cough and what treatment is given? Thanks again for the advice :)

Hi All, So, we have now had Eric our new adopted dog for 3 weeks. He is a 1 year old and thought to be a rotti cross. In that time the gorgeous gangly thing has cost myself and my partner a fortune so far with numerous trips to the vet (long story). Anyways, was just hoping for some advice / thoughts before I take the leap and have to make YET another trip to the vets which to be honest we really really can’t afford atm. Two nights ago we woke up to hear a coughing sound, it was Eric. It sounded like he had something caught in his throat and did the usual doggie thing of trying to bring it back up. Nothing did. We settled him back on the sofa and went back to sleep. The next morning he did the same again 2 or 3 times. It’s not like an actual cough, more like something is tickling or caught and it’s irritating him and he just huffs and puffs for maybe 5 seconds. We called the vets and they said maybe a bit of bone or something was stuck or as we’d only just got him from a shelter she suggested kennel cough and said the vaccinations they have aren’t always 100% effective. As he wasn’t distressed, wasn’t doing it very often, still loving his food and wagging his tail we decided to watch him for the next 24 hours and keep a close eye on him. He has since been like it again this morning, did it twice and then a couple of times when out on a walk. It surely can’t be food because he did it this morning before eating and therefore had not eaten in 12 hours? I have no experience with kennel cough. Is it possible when he was vaccinated just 2 months ago? If not, any other thoughts or ideas? Could it be an allergy? Has anyone else encountered something like this before? Thanks!

I too was worried initially about leaving him alone with Pickles, thats why the doggie door was blocked on the first day by a heavy chair - so Pickles could go through the legs, through the flap and inside the house if she wanted to escape him. He kinda foiled that! :laugh: She is nervous around him due to his size but he is incredibly friendly and doesn't crowd her. It's like he senses she is nervous and just gives her some space. He just tries to give her the occasional lick on the nose. He is chipped but still to the shelter - I'm sending the paperwork off this week to have my name on the chip. I too am petrified he might try to get out I'm in Brisbane, about 20 mins south of the City and would be so grateful for any suggestions on trainers. I also wondered whether such a large open space was perhaps freaking him out and that a smaller enclosed area might be better for him as more what he what possibly used to?

Haha! Believe me, I chuckle everytime I think of him pushing himself through it. He is such a big oaf and still rather uncoordinated, god only knows how he managed it! The second time I guess because of the cone on his head he must have gone bum first through the doggie flap. That on video would have been gold! He and Pickles are outside whilst we are at work which is Monday to Thursday 8am till 5pm. My partner and I both work too far away from home to be able to go home and let them out during the day otheriwse I'd have no problem at all with them inside all day. But 9 hours would just be too long toilet wise. They are inside all of the rest of the time, so inside more than out if worked out. I think some training must have been done with him before - he is housetrained and sits for his food and shakes. His pulling on the lead is horrendous though. I definitely want to do some training with him, he is a bit of a liability otherwise! Lol. I was just worried that he is stressed or upset at us leaving him and really had no clue how to calm him down about it.

Hi all, My partner and I adopted a dog from a shelter at the weekend. His name is Eric, thought to be a rotti cross and about 1 year old. We have a second dog, Pickles, who is a female 4 year old maltese cross. We have a small doggie door but obviously due to Eric's size we decided to block the doggie door so both dogs would have full run of a large back yard whilst we are at work, plenty of undercover area and completely enclosed. We arrived home yesterday to discover both dogs inside lounging on our sofa! Somehow Eric, a underweight but still 28kg dog had moved what we had blocked the door with and squeezed himself through the doggie flap. A couple of shoes had been nibbled on but that was the extent of the damage to the house. Eric was desexed only on the Friday just gone and had managed to tear his stitches during his escapades. Off to the vets we went. He was fitted with a elizabethan collar much to his disgust and off we went home. Upon leaving this morning we popped the dogs outside again. We leaned a heavy spare door we had up against the back door with the doggie flap in it and then placed some heavy solid wood chairs against the first door. My partner has just been home, and yet again Eric has made it inside. He has pushed the heavy chairs out of the way and somehow moved the door far enough at an angle to squeeze access to the doggie door. Then somehow, with the collar still on he has got through the doggie flap, collar still completely in tact. Looking at the size of him, the collar and the dog door this seems impossible but he has managed it! Thankfully he has done no further damage to his stitches, he did however get into the dog treat cupboard and eaten rather alot. Betting he is going to pay for that later! Anyway, a large piece of timber is now nailed across the doggie flap. My question is what could be the reason behind this behaviour? Is he trying to get in because he thinks we are inside? Could he just be bored? He hasn't done any damage outside? Because his stitches are healing at the moment he can only be taken for a gentle walk so he still has endless energy. He was a stray at the pound and saved by a shelter so we really don't know anything about his history. All I can tell you is he is extremely affectionate and sweet, follows us wherever we go but easily scared. He cowers if a voice is raised in any kind of way or if any sudden movements are made. He sleeps inside in our bedroom and appears to be fully housetrained. Any suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I feel a little out of my depth with this being my first big young dog. I don't honestly care about the furniture, shoes etc being damaged, I just worry he is going to hurt himself.

Hi All, Just wanted to say thank you for all your thoughts and caring words. There were some really important things various people said which comforted me in making such a hard decision. I gave Jessie her wings on Monday afternoon. I know she is no longer in pain, and she really did deteriorate over her last couple of days with us. It feels like someone has taken a piece of my heart and it will never be replaced

Well, it's not good news. Jessie has chronic kidney failure, she has lost about 75% use of them and is also suffering a small amount fo internal bleeding from them. Absolutely devastated and really not coping at all. She has been up and down the past couple of days. Yesterday morning she was running up and down the garden terrorising next doors dog by woofing at them. Then last night she wouldn't touch her dinner and couldn't stand by herself. The vet said her kidneys aren't causing her pain as such, just leaving her feeling ill and nauseous. So, have made the decision to let her go, I need to organise but each time I go to call the vet I end up crying and unable to talk. I was thinking of asking the vet to come out to my house and have it done at home. She has only just arrived there with me but I know how much she hates the vets. And then I just don't know what to do. wWuld have liked her to be buried in the garden, but the thought of her after it's happened is traumatising. I just don't know how I can cope with this.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and advice. We went to the vets last night and were there for over an hour. The vet has taken some blood and will be running tests to check her kidneys - will have the results late today or tomorrow morning. The vet agreed to try some cartrophen injections as the ex had left Jess with nothing to treat her arthritis for the past 5 months and she was clearly in alot of discomfort but when they went to do a urine test (jessie lost bladder control whilst in there and the vet did like a dive with a stick to catch some!) they discovered blood and alot of protein. Apparently cartrophen can cause up to an additional 30% bleeding if already doing so?, therefore we couldn't do the injection until we get to the bottom of the blood in her urine. I left with a little pot and spent most of the evening following Jessie around the garden, think she thought I was insane stalking her with this little pot! Lol. They did give us some pain relief for her legs anyway so at least thats something. The vet was also extremely concerned about Jessie's rasping and sounding like there is fluid on her lungs but X-rays will be required for that so we are waiting first on the kidney results and I guess will make a decision from there. Will post again when I get results.

I will try to keep this as brief as possible but it’s a slightly complicated situation. I haven’t posted here in a long time, since May, when I owned two beautiful dogs, Fred the basset and Jessie a scotch collie X, both from shelters. At the time I separated from my husband (my choice), he refused to give the dogs up point blank. We ended up living 1 hours drive from each other but every 4 weeks I did the trip and went and visited Fred and Jess, I didn’t want them to forget me and I wanted to make sure they were safe and he was caring for them. Just recently I’ve had surgery and not be able to go and see them for 6 weeks, then last week I got a call from the Ex saying Jessie had stopped eating and was deteriorating quickly (she is 13 ½ ). I left work early and rushed there to see her. She had lost a lot of weight and would stand at the back door looking inside instead of taking the one step up and barging past everyone like she used to. She couldn’t do the step.. She had a episode of vestibular syndrome earlier on in the year and has never 100% recovered, always been a bit wobbly on the old back legs but never this bad. The Ex then proceeds to tell me he thinks it is her time and we should arrange for her to be put down. I asked when she last went to the vets and he said almost 4 months ago. Whilst I was sitting there I also noticed she was weeing excessively, he hadn’t mentioned this either. Since I left he took them off their barf diet (is feeding them pedigree because he says he can’t afford anything else), stopped using Jessie’s joint guard, not giving them their dose of advocate and apparently Jess had some bad reaction to Metacam but he didn’t bother to do anything else to treat her arthritis. So, at 13 ½ will a multitude of problems he wasn’t giving her any medication, supplements, or feeding her decent food. I asked him if I paid would he please take her to our usual vets and get her checked over, which he did. They came back with: She is completely deaf She has cataracts. She has dental disease but no infected or broken teeth. Muscle wastage in hind legs Panting heavily, wheezy rasps ,maybe fluid on the lungs Arthritis effecting both fore and hind legs Weight loss and decreased appetite Increase thirst and urination – possible underlying endocrine / hormonal disease and / or kidney failure. So, the Ex rang and he seemed set on having her put to sleep. I said I wanted her to stay with me for a little bit so I could try a few things and see for myself. I got her to my house yesterday and these are my observations: She can’t stand from a lying position without assistance. Her appetite seems good – she demolished some chicken necks and beef steak this morning. She is drinking lots and weeing huge amounts – little small stops several times, eg. 3 times in 5 minutes. She seems reluctant to lie down, obviously because of her difficulty in getting back up, so she paces alot. Most concerning is when she has been lying down if we go to lift her back legs to help her up she completely loses bladder control, she can’t make it outside in time no matter how close. During the night she weed on her bed despite us getting up at 3am to see if she wanted to go out. At about 2am she was rasping loudly, like she was struggling to breath. My gut is saying she isn’t happy but I honestly don’t know what to do. I have her booked into another vets near where I live for me to speak to someone directly about their thoughts on Jessie’s quality of life. How do you tell when enough is enough? How far do you go with appointments and trying medication / treatments (funds are limited for me, we got her when she was 11 and therefore couldn’t be insured, and I know the Ex won’t contribute)? I can’t even think about saying goodbye to her without crying but I want to do what’s best for her. Can someone offer some advice or have been through a similar experience?

I can't just stop going to the gym, as I said, waiting for surgery and its vital I keep the fitness. It's not a case of I could just go walking, I have to do the strength training for my health. Unfortunately, I cannot defer a Diploma either. It's a 12mth online cut off. I am more than willing to rent a budget priced property, I'd sleep in a shed if I had to,, but the most budget priced house (to allow dogs) you would find in brissy is around $250pw and there are very few and far between let alone whether they allow dogs. I don't earn enough to be able to afford that. I would love to get someone in to share with me, but again, as I said, I'm not sure ex will leave. I would rather stay miserable myself than have Jessie put to sleep.

Thanks for your replies guys I'm in Brisbane, QLD It is a horrible situation, feels like a no win whatever I do. There is nowhere the dogs can stay temporarily, no friends / family who could take them. The difficulty is, neither of us want to leave the house or the dogs. I honestly don't know if he'll go. Trouble is, if he did go I don't know how I'll cope with the dogs as well. I'm up at 5.15am and don't get home till 6.30pm if lucky, any time left over I'm studying two diploma's (approx 15-20 hours per week). Thats not even including cooking (I am waiting for surgery meaning I cannot eat anything processed so all is cooked from scratch), cleaning, washing, gym, family ./ friends etc. I feel so overwhelmed, I just don't think I could give them enough attention? The last thing I want is to neglect them in anyway.

Hi All, I really hope some Dolers can offer me some advice as to what to do. I have two dogs as some may be familiar with. Fred the Basset who is coming up to 5 and Jessie Collie X who is 13. Both came from shelters. Unfortunately, my husband and I are separating. We rent and neither can afford to stay in the house on their own with the dogs. If either of us move on, neither could afford more than an apartment of their own. Neither have any family they could stay with either. For now, we are living under the same roof, waiting out the lease expiry and tearing each other to shreds. I am at a loss as to what to do about my beautiful babies. I can't stand the thought of giving them up but I am stumped as to options. I work long hours in the City so my time is limited to what I can spend with them, and they deserve to be spoiled rotten. I know Fred would get snapped up but my poor lovely Jessie surely wouldn't stand a chance? At her age and with arthritis. How would I possibly find a house share who would accept two dogs? but then If I couldn't spend the time with them surely its better to let them go to a deserving home. Its a horrendous time atm, I'm struggling with the separation and the thought of giving up Fred and Jess breaks my heart. They have both been abandoned before, they will be so confused if rehomed. Does anyone have any suggestions or just advice from personal experience? Thanks, Kirsty

Hi All, Jessie our 13 year old x has bad arthritis. We started her on meloxicam approx 2/3 months ago. It was $166 for 100ml from our vets. We are at the end of the bottle, have gone to reorder and it has gone up another $20!!! In just over 2 months??? WTF!! Anyway, regardless we have to get it. It has made a wonderful difference and she is clearly not anywhere near as uncomfortable as she was getting. My question is, does this price soound about right? Is it worth asking other vets and would they prescribe it or would they need to see Jess 1st? I can't seem to find anywhere online, but does anyone know where I might be able to purchase this cheaper? Or a cheaper alternative? Thanks so much

Good news! Jessie stood and walked completely by herself last night! Vet is extremely pleased with her progress and me, I feel like all my Christmases have come at once!

Thank you so much for the replies. Reading others experiences and seeing light at the end of the tunnel has definitely calmed me down a bit. We brought Jessie home just for the night yesterday (there is no after hour care at our usual vets). We went to pick her up, and out she came, with a towel held under her tummy, stumbling, I wanted to cry watching her try so hard but clearly getting so confused as to why her legs wouldn’t do want her brain was telling them to do. My beautiful brave girl still greeted me with a brief tail wag. She managed to make it a few steps outside but couldn’t go any further so hubby scooped her up and placed her in the car. As suggested in this post, we had made up a little pen with lots of bedding and pillows to make sure she was comfy and got plenty of rest. Got her home, and she soon dozed off. During the evening she had a little to drink and eat (hand fed), and we managed to get her up and she even went to the toilet outside This morning she wasn’t interested in the food or water at all. She is back at the vets for observation for the day. Paws crossed, her small amount of progress will continue. Thank you for your kind words, advice and good wishes

Thank you for all your kind words. Had a phone call from the vets, no improvement, she still can't stand or move bar her head. They are going to try hand feeding a little food and water, see what her response is. The waiting is horrible, and I hate that I can't be with her to give her a cuddle.

Hi Everyone, Have had a horrific and scary morning today. We found my old girl Jessie this morning in a pool of her own vomit and faeces unable to move, legs rigid like planks of wood, head tilted to one side, jaw slack. My first thought, oh my god she has had a stroke. I have never been so petrified in all my life. We rushed her to the emergency vets and she has been diagnosed with vestibular syndrome. They are keeping her in to give her fluids, injections for nausea and to try and make her comfortable as she cannot move at all (only lift her head and that’s it), but have explained the recovery (if she does recover) is like asking how long a piece of string is – basically unknown, as is the reason as to why this happens. I’m absolutely freaking out – she is my first oldie so I have never experienced the illnesses or deterioration of an senior dog. I have been a blubbering mess all morning . Can anyone tell me about their experiences with this and what I should be preparing for or perhaps expect?? Thanks, Kirsty

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2...15875-22861526/ I can't begin to imagine how bad these owners must feel. I'd never forgive myself. RIP Beautiful Boofers.

I saw this story via my mobile on the train this morning and ended in tears. I just can't fathom how humans can inflict such cruelty. This is the third horrendous animal cruelty story from the UK in the last couple of weeks and I can honestly say, I'm ashamed to come from that country where this is happening. RIP beautiful babies. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2...15875-22818528/

Hey everyone, As some might know, my old girl has been a little under the weather recently. I want to take her somewhere nice this weekend as she luuuuurves her walks. I would love to take her to the beach (she has never been) however since being attacked twice by other dogs she has become rather fear aggressive. My first question is - are dogs allowed on the normal beaches as long as they are on leash? If only allowed on the dog friendly ones,are all dog friendly ones off leash? Basically, I need a suggestion for a beach where I can take the furkids (they never go off leash as the basset would never come back!) but where there isn't loads of dogs. I'm stumped

So, went to the vets last night, she basically said she didn't know what was wrong. She didn't even offer to do any tests or anything. She just felt Jess over and said maybe she is acting odd because her arthritis is bad. She has given us some painkillers and said if no improvement in a few days to go back and then they'll look at the medication for dementia. Surely there are tests??? It can't just be complete guesswork??? I've come away with no further clue as to what is wrong with Jess and just alot lighter in the money department

Good to know they make a difference Hope your girl is feeling better soon Vets tonight, and I'm absolutely petrified of what they might tell me....... Jessies old age has hit quick I think. We have been using joint guard for the past 4 months but last night she was really struggling to get up, it was heartbreaking. I know the rain is making it worse. Has anyone got any ideas how I can make her more comfortable? I don't know if the joint guard is making any difference, it doesn't appear to be, and no matter what kind of expensive bed we buy her, she insists on sleeping on the cold kitchen lino!