Skruffy n Flea

k, so that was longer than i anticipated... in any event, my wee boy is doing so much better in that he only in the last few days has come ALL THE WAY upstairs as i prepare to take them for 'walkies'. it's all his choice and not that i'm pushing him up or enticing him up with treats. he just 'comes up'! so glad about that. he becomes very excited and i believe that propels him. he's yet to react to 'bed time' [like he used to] when they'd both bolt upstairs at that instant. with byron being less that upwardly mobile, bella is more likely to stay downstairs with byron to look after him but occasionally i carry byton up anyway and bella follows. mostly he is still beside me when i wake but if he needs to go out during the night he is physically able to jump from the bed and to make his way downstairs but because he's unable to jump back into bed he will either whimper until i wake and so i will lift him up or other than that, he will stay downstairs until i rise. i have him on pernaease with numerous dashes of turmeric on top of his evening k9 raw. he is doing much better on his walks and lately i've been walking them both off leash around our quiet streets using a clicker and they are both so adapted to it! i take them along the creek and having them both off leash tends to wear them both out sooner than having them on leash because they are able to investigate to their content. i didn't investigate the xrays because i heard things from others and so i decided to keep on track to see how he went and it would seem he's doing very well. i am immensely thankful for everyone's help in this thread. while i do add turmeric to their evening meal, i do expect to make up the turmeric recipe in time to come. at the moment tho, all is well using the pernaease and the turmeric powder so if anything changes, i'll change it up also. thank you all for your input and knowledge. kindly, roX

hey folks, i've been offline for about a month [not because i needed it] but i'll be back here soonish to give an update on my wee boy. ta much :)

thank you ness, i'm working slowly up to a half scoop right now; i'll add more as the days progress. he did so well on his walk today to the extent that i didn't need to carry him at all and in fact he ran several times but only in the early stages of the walk BUT he 'worked it' without my help and i'm so happy about that :) we visited a friend and while bella bounded up the steps to greet her, byron was reluctant UNTIL he decided he also had to meet her and so slowly with one tentative step followed much later by 3 more and he was on her landing and i was applauding him because he hadn't been able to do that in days! i'm very happy with my wee boy's progress, despite it being slow going... i'll get him back to good, he just needs time :)

thanks little gifts, that's a very interesting point you raise. i think i'll have another discussion with the vet. his harness is a bit tight right now, but he's not nearly as active. he is starting to play a bit more and he can manage to come down stairs, but not going up. so with that and me only taking him out every 2nd day is likely having that kind of impact. i have decreased his food but only in the past few days. it takes 45 mins to an hour just to do one block --- poor bella, she's such a good girl. towards the end of the walk, it's all too much for him so i carry him a ways, then i'll put him down again and he'll carry on 'til he's had enough again and so i carry him further. i tuck his leash under his harness and let him take his time, bella gets to sniff everything while we wait for him. it's just so damned sad to see him like this and i'm feeling kind of desperate to get him back on track!

okay. thanks marg and mim for your advice. he's no longer on medication for this nor is he on any medication for anything else. i had to work fast because i had nothing on hand to ease his discomfort and so i chose to check out petbarn which is really close by and at the time of my last post all i could find on their site was the rose hip, on special at $38 for 150gm [OMG] and so off i went to buy it and sashas blend was [OMG] $88 for 360gm so i grabbed the rose hip one, came home and OMG the size of those scoops and he's less than 8kg but for anything up to 15kg it's 2 scoops OMFG!!! petbarn also carries pernaease but i didn't take too much notice --- i will however now! it used to be that those that made women's cosmetics were on a damn good wicket then it was the rebranding for men's products NOW i reckon it's firken pets! i'm time poor right now but i'll be looking into all of the products mentioned here; i'm very interested in the golden paste also. i'm sure i'll be back!

oh wow! so many good replies and so many alternatives. thank you all so very much. i have some research to do that's for sure. he finished his course of NSAIDS last night so i'll next need to have him xrayed - $544 [incl of GA] for that little exercise. i was quoted about $2,500 for surgery, but if they find what they find while he's under and i give the go ahead, i'm sure it won't be that much on top. which raises another point: during his physical exam, the vet said both patellas were in place, which is excellent news, but don't you need an MRI for tendons and muscles and nerves? srsly, i am so hoping it is just arthritis or it's not and he's just pulled a muscle or there's a pinched nerve AND AGAIN, how can they tell thru xray? so many questions, so little time!!! thank you all so much for your valuable advice :)

thank you both for your replies. i'll have a look at both and you're right ness, it will be trial and error. some of these products are so expensive tho, so to buy something and find it doesn't help will really hit the hip pocket. thanks again.

my wee bud byron developed a limp some weeks back. after manipulation, i was quoted for xrays and surgery to repair ACL. both patellas are in place but i'm told there may be slight tears and so i'm quoted $2,500 for the surgery to repair any ACL tears. i was given some NSAIDs to administer. the next day however, he's pulled up 'weak and wonky' in both back legs to the point where his hind legs couldn't carry him raising his front legs up a short step. so, he's worse now than he was before the vet visit. when i called to explain his new circumstances and my concerns regarding the manipulation, i was told that he may be arthritic and i was given a paper describing products that would benefit him along with a further 10-day course at my request of NSAIDs that takes us up to saturday night. their preference is GLYDE but i've read a lot about sasha's blend too. in your opinion and if you have a dog, particularly a small one, that has such a condition, what do you administer and if you've tried both or more and you've settled on one product, what was that product and what was it about that product that changed your mind? tia and i really look forward to hearing from anyone :) my wee boy is doing better but he is so not the man he was and for that, i am so very sad and worried for him...

this is a fabulous thread! i finally got to watch all the vids and see all the pix and i so very much adore these gorgeous dogs. i don't understand how they've been given such a hellish wrap and why it has come to pass that they have been so damned mistreated and perhaps i've just answered my own question. such insanity defies logic. i would most definitely help promote these delightfully funny and gentle dogs; and just one of the things that makes me smile really wide about these creatures is the adorable way they curl up with their mess and tangle of legs all akimbo :laugh: this is a wonderful thread so a sincere thanks to all who contributed :)

oh yes, tyty, but i'm heading off to the gym so i'll watch them when i get back *quite excited*

greyhounds, whippets, iggies; alas, i cannot but i so wish i could because of all the breeds, these are those that take my breath away. everything about them fascinates me and to me they seem regal. i am saddened that i cannot view the videos; when i click to watch i am informed they are private

glad to help out and good luck! ahhhhhh, of course. i see that pink bar all the time when i'm searching for something specific and it went right over my head when i read hazy's post.

oh hey, you're welcome and it's good to know you! i said in another thread that i [and my dogs] had a good experience. it was the carer's first time, but she did a good job and for the cost and the time of year, i was so grateful she accepted my reservation :) i will most certainly use pawshake over a kennel anytime.

if all else fails, try pawshake. if you're agreeable, your dogs stay in a home environment for much less than the cost of a boarding kennel. you provide the household with everything your dog requires, your dog in turns gets their undivided attention until you return. no, i am not affiliated with pawshake but i did use a registered member and my experience was positive.

curiously, i've heard similar lately --- i was looking for somewhere to board my two over christmas and meadowmist was given a pretty bad review! see Tussa1's post above :) following probably a search for boarding kennels and finding referrals to a certain kennel used previously but that seemingly ended really badly... talking about boarding our precious fluffy companions and while i'm here; when i was looking for somewhere to board my two, i came across pawshake, and having found someone reasonably close by, i chose to meet and inspect the premises, introduced the dogs to the household and then decided to leave my two cherished dogs with this person at their private residence for a fee much less than that charged by a kennel. this lady and her household looked after my dogs while i was away for 8 days and upon my return, they were happy and healthy. of course, i provided everything for their comfort including their food but my dogs were given the carer's full attention as i would have if i'd been there. i will use pawshake over a boarding kennel any day. edit: misplaced smilie

is the raw frozen type not available to you? there's lamb with green tripe, and a beef one also. there's a 'green tripe' pack too. lately, my local petbarn has stocked the frozen type and i feed both my dogs a combination of both along with dr b's barf so they have a fairly good variety. i tried using freeze dried some years ago and stopped because i didn't like not knowing what the end result should be or look like or smell like.

so sorry for delay Julie; I received my parcel on tues, 1 july --- ta muchly :) ps: I'm looking forward to using the bottle of spray; next groom is tomorrow so probably next week [i'll let you know]

thanks Julie, order placed remittance via direct deposit.

hi Julie, I've just sent you a note, via your website, about ordering some kelp; I thought I had some left in the packet I have but it's empty so I'm really very low. please let me know when the kelp will be available to order and also, how much postage to NSW, 2152. thanks

dave, calling the authorities is the last call on my list at any time. If I'd not been so involved in my own circumstances that night, I'd have taken the walk all the way round just to locate that poor forsaken dog just to give it company but that wasn't to be and so it howled for that long time and so I had to make an effort to find an authority, any authority of any kind to attend that place where that dog was because it really was that bloody distressing and I don't know how other neighbours managed... I haven't heard the dog since and so I HOPE we're never in that same situation EVER AGAIN!

I'd be inclined to provide ascophyllum nodosum in your dog's diet --- it's kelp and the basis for swedencare's proden plaqueoff product distributed in Australia by troy at twice and price... do some research on it. here's two links that will get you started: Plaque Off: DOL thread Plaque Remover: DOL thread

Sorry it is a dog act and a weak act at that. Go and knock on the door or leave a nice note stating that there is a issue as the owner more than likely didn't even know. The 2 people that complained have commented to me that they are know quiet and they were told by me what I thought of them and all they had to do was come and see me and I would of rectified the issue which I did. But know there is angst with neighbours when there didn't need to be. dave, I understand completely and if I'd been in a position that night to deal with it myself, if I didn't have 'stuff' I had to deal with myself, if I knew where the dog was, if it wasn't dark out, if it wasn't raining, if it took less than 15 minutes to deal with, I'd have gone to that place where that dog was just to sit with it so it knew it wasn't alone. but I couldn't! and so I looked for alternatives and one of them was to look up the rspca or a ranger or ANYTHING that could do for that dog what I wanted to do. but it was after hours late on a rainy Friday to boot, but no-one, nada, zilch would have been available --- I just wanted comfort for that dog right there, right now but I couldn't provide it and so I 'heard' it howling for hours... it tore my heart not being able to provide that dog some comfort. be sure tho and as you'd be aware, what steph says is absolutely true and it is up to the 'neighbour' to make such decisions and in my neighbourhood, there's been a number of times I've been close because I know the owners aren't doing what's best for the dog/s but I've never reported anyone over excessive noise. I have dogs and therefore I understand and would rather talk to the owners about them. for me, it's about building relationships and showing genuine concern rather than causing a local government authority reign their own particular terror upon a neighbour's household when the occupants know already that they have a problem dog. that is a sucky situation to cause anyone given that dogs is dogs and they're animals in any event and you can't just tell dogs to stfu... :) I wish I had the gift of convincing my dogs that the vet is IN FACT doggy day care... point taken tho westie; if I walk one of my dogs [for training] without the other, the one left behind has its own reaction --- I had my boy at 'day care' for a mere four hours one afternoon some months back and my girl's reaction was something to behold; she would bed down but not relax, she'd sniff around, wander about and whimper when she couldn't find him, she'd sit and stare at the door, stare at me, whimper some more, sniff... I don't want to invite it but I'd be curious to see how each would react without each other when left on their own! I really hope that time is a long way off...

ok, firstly I want to thank each of you individually for the advice given and secondly, to apologise for taking a week to reply... over the past week, I've walked my 2 dogs along that side of the street where I 'thought' that dog was and as with most dogs, I imagined it would surely 'alert' to most sounds from the sidewalk and I made sure to make audible sounds as we passed by those houses but without any result --- nothing at any gate, no growling nor any barking inside or outside... importantly, we've not heard the dog since that night and because we'd only heard it the few days before that night, we can only assume the dog was 'visiting'. just as importantly, to those thinking I wanted to 'report' the owners, that was the very last thing on my mind; I felt distress only because I believed the dog was distressed and I really wish I could have done something myself for that poor dog! you really needed to be here to hear it for the time that it lasted.

I've not been able to identify the house where the dog is and while tonight is the only night we've heard it howling, it's barked noticeably over at least the last several days. I don't want to cause any problems for the owners and obviously if I knew where the dog is, I'd most certainly drop the owners a note or knock on their door --- their neighbours may already be on to that but I don't know that and I won't know that anything's being done... I wanted to call a ranger or someone, something, I just wanted someone in authority [as opposed to a nosy neighbour] making an enquiry into the dog's welfare.

we live in suburbia and there's a new dog, it's moved in close by but it's over behind us and down a bit, we've not heard it before up until maybe 3 or 4 days ago. it barks and it barks and it barks and we all recognise that kind of bark as a 'come home' bark and it barked like that for most of the afternoon today but tonight, it howled and it howled and it howled from maybe 7pm 'til well after 10. my dogs weren't concerned by it but after a while I was and I started to feel an element of distress for the dog; it's howl while remaining loud and somewhat consistent, it after a while seemed to weaken, sounded as though it was starting to tire and could barely muster the energy to continue. on several occasions I went out the back to see whether I could identify precisely where it was and figure out whether I could do anything for it and while the dog lives very close by, it's quite a distance to walk and I actually considered getting in the car and taking a drive. BUT, I wanted to call some authority because this poor dog had been howling for hours, after it had barked incessantly for most of the afternoon and I just wanted someone to check in on it! oh, I don't know to what avail, I just wanted someone to show up and give it some company or something --- it really was, by about 8:15, quite distressing to listen to this poor dog vocalising it's distress. imagine living right beside! at one point, people living along the same side of the street as the dog and several house blocks closer to it than I [but only 2 from me], ventured into their own backyard and played some soccer and as I made out some light-hearted banter, they seemed unperturbed by this poor dog even tho they were perhaps only one or 2 houses away from it! I worry about complaints to council. so, I looked for a phone number for some authority that could make a 'house call' AND I KNOW that it's not in any authority's job description to check on a dog suffering separation anxiety AND I KNOW that to expect something like that is so completely unrealistic. but still I tried: Friday night and I tried but to no avail... nothing, no organisation, no one, is available for that kind of intervention --- 10:51 pm was the last time I heard a sound from that poor dog so I can only assume, hope even, that it's humans had finally returned home... so funny story last: just in the past week or so, a neighbour rehomed their neglected large breed dog because they were moving interstate. what's funny about that? this beautiful dog barked incessantly throughout the day waiting for its humans to return; luckily for the owners, closest neighbours did their utmost to keep the peace... we heard that the dog was now living in the lap of luxury on acreage and we cheered :) if anyone is aware of 'options' then please let me know...