t a i l s.

Thank you, Persephone.

We're going to a different vet tomorrow for a second CBC. He is no longer improving and becoming as depressed as he was before. Still turning up half his meal and needs encouragement to continue eating. His weight was 44kgs on Tuesday. He lost two kilos in a week, and he's had 2 meals a day. I've seen no vomiting or diarrhoea at all. He looks like a bag of bones, his eyes are sunken. This is a large male Bernese, even with his hair he looks extremely sick. I found out on the weekend his mother died of leukaemia. :( :(

:)

All done! Just until midday Saturday, so he should be fine for a night. He was wagging his tail when I got home this afternoon, before he was sick he'd be waiting at the gate for my car.. now he lies under the trees in a hole he dug. It's ok, he's getting better!

Thanks Raineth! I've been feeding him egg with kangaroo meat for the past few days now, and he's happy to eat that, until I get the hills in he'll stay on that solely. I'm going away Friday and my boyfriend will be looking after him, he doesn't care for Bruno as much as I do, so I'm a bit nervous, haha.

I was waking Bruno one afternoon and he vomited a whole poo up! Infront of people! I just kept walking and acted like I didn't know him!

Thank you Pers!

Thank you for all your support everyone, so the tests came back with pancreatitis, which sucks, but it's so good to finally be able to treat something! The vet recommended a chicken and rice broth with as little fat as possible, he's also getting me a bag of i/d hills gastrointestinal health. I'm yet to do some research on pancreatitis in dogs, but if anyone has any pointers now they're more than welcome to share? Edited to add - I just looked up pancreatitis, symptoms, causes, Rx, etc and although he does display a majority of the symptoms he has not vomited or had diarrhoea, let alone feces with blood present, can these symptoms not always be exhibited even if affected?

He does still eat when I encourage it, he is going to the vet today for the blood work.

Thanks, I've spoken to a vet nurse who taught my Animal Care class with TAFE last year regarding what the surgery for a cruciate repair would be, and WOW to that! I'm going to call there on Monday I feel and ask if they would do the tests I think, I have been using the latest vet with him as I have applied for jobs with them for a while, I'm not so sure if I want to work for them now considering how disappointed I was in the examination of him last time. Oh well. I'll definitely do the diary, that's a great idea, thanks!

Thank you. I was looking at some sardines today and they are $1.50 a tin! They're out of homebrand at the moment (odd but whatever) would tuna be as beneficial? I haven't given him any just in case, I also purchased some greek style yoghurt too, full of probiotics :) He definitely enjoyed it! Thank you for all your advice, fingers crossed I can get him into the vets for the bloods tomorrow after work.

Ok! Will do, I'd never even though of sardines! But I do try to give an egg when I remember, for his coat but yes protein too! He's just sleeping on the floor next to Ella the ridgeback and the cats on my lap. It's like nothing ever happened at all.

And so today, he's applying weight to the leg, his demeanour is back to himself. I just don't get it.

P.S. I'm so sorry Danois , I pray that my lad's fate isn't the same.

I worked for a kennel that was run from my town, my old bosses dogs were amazing, exported and imported to and from everywhere - I was the kennel hand and fed, groomed, generally administered basic medical care when needed, my boy is from a stud dog she used once, I no longer have much contact with the sire's owner, I have been asking him for Bruno's birth date for several months to no avail, and the ph. number I have is the same as what my old boss has. I monitor Bruno's bowel and bladder movements to the best of my ability (far too much to my non dog friends and boyfriend) and he is not constipated or having any difficulties passing, his stomach is, in the way I would describe it; "made of steel". He eats a lot of leftovers and chicken necks, I try to give him as much raw meats as I can, he also has cheese and yoghurt regularly - cheese is the way I administer his medication, and he is more than happy with that. The frames are quite small, there's 5 five frames in one bag, roughly 3kgs is the bags weight, so it is not that much. I make sure he doesn't exercise before or after eating a meal, and I don't allow him to drink a lot of water in one sitting, I try to space it out as much as I can but there is not that much I can do about it when I am working. He is left with multiple sources of water and a frozen bone every few days (otherwise he doesn't eat the entire thing), he has a clam pool for laying in and lots of shaded area. I do as best as I can for my bestfriend. I have spoken to a few friends and people I met through working as a kennel hand and they've all recommended bloods be taken. Many of the dogs I knew have no passed from cancers and bloat. They're a heartbreaking breed. (Thank you Cosmo)

I'll be having the blood tests done Monday, the vet didn't think a CBC was necessary as his fever had gone the day after the antibiotic injection. This time I'll be sure to have it done. How did your Dane recover Danois?

Thanks so much everyone, I have his cranky "mother" ridgeback inside with me now, and she has some nasty gas! - Maybe that's why he's not himself, he smelt that!?

I know everyone loves pictures, so here is my best bud on our first ever trip to the snow (mine and his) I dont know how to resize, so here is a link I guess. http://tinypic.com/r/2yw93r6/6

Thanks Jumabaar, I put his tablets in squares of cheese, so he is at least eating something when I give them to him. He's eaten a little bit of kibble from my hand and then a few bites from his bowl but nothing super progressive.

Thanks Alyosha, I'll put a reminder in my phone so I can mention to the vet on monday - although he's not vomiting or having diarrhoea, I'm still going to check. It could be anything, he has numerous different symptoms and I may have missed something.

I'll head woolies soon and pick up some turkey mince if i can and some more carcasses and just boil a big pot up for him, thank you everyone.

Wagga Wagga

Greetings everyone, so it's currently a Saturday and all the clinics are now closed in my town. I have taken my dog to the vet twice this month and as of yet he is not fully returned to his normal happy go-lucky self. I have a intact bernese mountain dog, he currently weighs roughly 48kgs and is underweight, since going to the vet he was diagnosed with a partial tear in his cruciate ligament on the left hind leg. At the time of diagnosis he was also placed on antibiotics for a suspected infection causing fever, and we left with some capreieve and amoxil, he has since been on bed rest with a maybe twice a week walk to the park across the road (literally) to sniff and pee on things. This was roughly 3 weeks ago. Prior to this diagnosis and treatment we were seen by a vet who (I was very disappointed with - no TPR, CRT and examination of the Mucous Membranes) we were sent home with some pain relief and told it was some tendon damage... So now we've reached today, he currently will not eat, unless it is small treats, I can get him to drink water (reluctantly) he is very flat in demeanour, limping a lot (which is the ligament damage I assume) He has taken his prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets and pain relief and his mood has not picked up. Over the past two months I have been struggling greatly to put weight on him, to no avail, 2 chicken frames with kibble in the morning and 2 more during the evening. Of course I am concerned with bloat, it's something I stress over every day but his abdomen is not swollen - he does dry retch constantly though. (which scares me out of my mind) He has clear discharge from his nose (just like a human with a runny nose) I do know a lot of bernese with allergies and this is a common symptom, except it is very recent. Within the past month. He is my bestfriend, and I worry so much. Bernese don't have a long life - and it's often not a natural death. They are stricken with cancers, bloat, arthritis and joint issues. I understand a veterinarian is the best and most important course of action - I am getting him in as soon as I can for some blood tests. I would just like to see what the amazing dog people of DOL forums have to contribute. I am beginning study for veterinary nursing in January (which I am very excited for, I'm just having trouble finding a possible reason for his behaviour with so many varying symptoms. Please help me shed some light until I can get him booked in. Jaimee and Bruno

Fluffy-bum, Muffin man, Ninny, Ninnycompoop, Brune, Baby, Big Man, and most of those will change frequently, like... Fluffy-bum will be just Fluffy or Fluffs, etc.

I do agree! This has always baffled me!