mita

Word of mouth from other people....like scubadog....who have high standards for how their dog is cared for. My way of separating how those who really think through the animals' problems & treatments.....from those who just follow recipes....is to see what they do the very first time a dog is taken in. The vets I want are those who take a thorough history of the dog.....any recurring problems, when they first emerged, what treatments have been given & how they worked. And they record this information for future reference.

Lately ,I've been prowling our large backyard with a vicious tool , looking like a femal serial-killer....except I'm after all the weeds that cause dog problems....parspalum (spelling?), bindies....and various prickles. I undertand that's not possible for you....on a larger property. I also get our tibbies clipped right back in summer....not just for the heat....but so I can be more aware of ticks and seeds & prickles stuck in their coats. I've found that it helps to keep trimming under the pads frequently & using the opportunity to feel between the pads for any foreign objects.

Maybe if he was sitting elevated in the centre of the back seat, he'd automatically be looking ahead. And maybe shade thingies on his side windows would keep him looking ahead where the action clearly is.

Well, lookity what I found. Same advice about elevating & looking forward thro the front windscreen.....for children with car sickness. It was probably someone who knew what worked for children with car sickness who told us what would help with our young doggie. And it did. "Dr. Don Bradley, chief medical director at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, offers the following tips to head off or avoid sickness in a car. Know the warning signs; children become sweaty and pale, restless or yawn a lot Stop frequently, and at the first signs of sickness Before leaving home, offer a light snack like crackers Avoid smoking in the car Avoid strong-smelling foods in the car Elevate your child -- with approved child safety seats -- so they can see the horizon through the windshield. The center of the back seat is best." The advice above went on to say that on first sign of sickness (& learn to 'read' the warning signs)....stop & let the child lie down until the dizziness has passed.

I remember we were told to get our dog up high....so he could see the horizon line....& looking forward through the front windscreen, not to the side or back. It made a difference for our dog. Give it a test go with yours. Maybe up on a cushion on the lap of a front seat passenger who keeps the dog's head to the front. (Perhaps that passenger should wear a raincoat....in case it doesn't work ) Must have something to do with fact, one of the big causes is motion sickness....& the body regulates motion via the 'balance' mechanism of the little hairs in the inner ear. But I've since read that lots of other things can be involved in car sickness, too.

Years ago when we had a young border collie pup who'd get car-sick, we were told to let him sit up high so he could see the horizon line. It did help him. Try it out yourself. Get in the back seat....crouch low at about the level your dog's head would be at. Then get someone to drive you a substantial distance. Notice how differently your body deals with motion when you can't see the horizon line. Then repeat....but sitting up normally so the horizon line is in sight. The body experiences motion differently then.

I saw that product in a pet supplies store the other day.....& wondered about it ,too. So glad you asked the question.

Carabelle, thanks for that heads-up, too. I've taken note of the title of the Ackerman book. Like you, I own a small breed (tibetan spaniels)....& I've found they respond differently to diet than the working dog breeds we used to own. And I've found that their needs become different as they get older. As I've said earlier, a uni vet told me not to overdo amount of protein with older dogs. What's worried me.....is that, in reducing protein, the temptation is to increase carbs. And over-use of carbs doesn't seem to fit in with what a dog's 'natural' diet would be.

Thanks for the further heads-up, MP. I admit I added 'age' on, out of wishful thinking. Dogs seem to be living to much older ages these days (more access to care? improvements in vet science?)....& I've noticed that age seems to bring different requirements for diet. But not a lot of good sources about what's best.

Thanks for that heads-up, MP. I noticed that he recommends cooked food....when I read an interview that he gave. But his reasons why weren't expanded on. My reasons for wanting to look into....are right in those points you mentioned. Caloric intake-weight....& as I aways seem to finish up with older dogs....age. When we had a 19 year old dog (she died at nearly 23 yrs), we were told by a uni vet to go easy with protein with an older dog. So it will be worth my following it up.... 'Tar muchly.

I'm trying to find an alternative to commercial dog food. I've got a tib with a funny tummy...& I don't really know what goes into even the best of commercial stuff. And the results of the cheap stuff sure show up....in what comes out of the rear end. A book by Dr Donald Strombeck has been recommended. He's Professor Emeritus from the Uni of California at Davis (one of the top vet schools)....& he specialised in research on diet. The name of the book speaks for itsefl. 'Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative' Here's a run down: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.as...f=9780813821498 I'm trying to find if it's available in Australia. ADDED: What a small world. I just found out that the Australian distributor of this Blackwell Publishing book is John Wiley & their location is Stafford in Brisbane....2 suburbs away from me. It must be a sign!

Thanks for that, Denis. When I was typing my post, I was thinking it would be important to know precisely what was meant by a' positive approach' as a dog training techncial term. I was using it in the simplest sense....to mean just training by providing either, reward (attention or whatever)....or no reward ( no attention or whatever). With the compliant, biddable shelties & tibbies I've had, something as simple as that has worked for basic everyday training. But I'm very aware that there are much tougher problems & challenges in training. I'll follow the link you gave. 'Ta muchly.

It means Animal Rights Radical Extremists, theirs a lot of them in the ‘positive’ dog training chaos we have here and you can be certain they are covertly working their too. Thanks, for the full explanation, Denis. Just one question....an honest one.....not having a go at you. Do you believe that positive dog training is just one of the methods people can use.....rather than the only one? And that other methods are needed when circumstances warrant it? And do the AR folk believe in only one method? I've been lucky that the dogs we've owned have responded fine to a positive approach (sweet shelties & tibetan spaniels!!!). But I've been very aware from reading the Behaviour Forum that people have been at the end of their tether trying to deal with really tough problems with some dogs. Other strategies have had to be applied to save the dog from being dumped or PTS.

I think it's important to keep views out in the open...always up for discussion & critique. I can't see the point in banning a certain issue, no matter what thoughts are about it. I know little or nothing about e-collars.....which means I've only ever been in circumstances that have needed nothing more than the positive approaches to training which I already know & use. But I'm interested to read the experiences of others who found themselves in different circumstances ( like what Rom said up above).

Whenever someone anonymously passes on information about someone.....it doesn't matter to me whether they are speaking the wisdom of Solomon or the nonsense of Donald Duck....anonymous sources have no credibility in my eyes. I have no idea what/who AR is.....or, with respect, anything about Denis. My position holds true on anonymous emails whatever & whoever it's about.

Updating. I went to a vet I used to take our pets to when I had to travel a distance to work at the uni. Ran the details past. This vet said....it would be about risk management. Clinacin contains clindamycin which can cause life-threating effects in dogs hypersensitive to it. Gracie had a history of hypersensitivity tendency....even to the internal suture material when desexed. Need to weigh up risks of giving it to her... for a condition which in itself was not life-threatening. If prescribed at all, then this risk would require monitoring for any side effects which include loss of appetite. (I reported that this happened.) Further monitoring would then be required to check if the appetite loss continued after ceasing to give the pills. That could indicate a high risk situation...because a reaction to clindamycin can be life threatening via development of colon problems. Immediate investigation then necessary to check if adverse reaction happening....or some coincidental condition. Even tho' I reported the continuing loss of appetite.... no investigation. Gracie's last hours showed gastro-intestinal disturbance....vomiting & discomfort. To say I'm not happy is an understatement. But our loved Gracie, the best of all dogs in all ways, is gone. I can only urge people to look up drug manufacturers' websites to get full information themselves. And not rely only on information the vet gives. If I had done that....I would have realized for myself what might be happening for Gracie. I would have learned about the composition of this drug & the processing in the dog's body. I would have moved heaven & earth for an investigation into the continuing loss of appetite. And get a second opinion, if necessary.

Funny you should say that....my work was with the education of another kind of professional. And there'd be about 10% that, when graduated, I'd go for miles to find them... to deal with a member of my family. And another 10% I'd think fair enough. This 20% is made up of the best problem solvers.... those who DON'T just reach for a 'recipe' based on not much evidence & even less risk management. I remember a study done some time ago with general practitioners in the US....re what specialists they refer people to. They were asked it 2 different ways...first, what specialists would they send their patients to.....& second, what specialists would they send a member of their family to. And the selections were significantly not the same.

We had a sheltie with severe bouts of pancreatitis....& he was treated at the uni vet clinic. I'm a bit hazy on the details....but finally it got managed very well with diet. What Jed described, seems very close....except the dry food I used for him was Supercoat Lite. Also agree what she said about bones. One of my mistakes was giving him a bone with no meat....nothing on it. It triggered an attack. Uni vet told me to boil a bone like that & watch all the fat come to the surface. Also another time, a bad attack was triggered because someone cut up good quality lean raw steak & gave him a little. Same reason....still fat in it. We presently have a tibbie with a tendency to react to too much fat in her diet. Her trigger doesn't seem as fine as the sheltie's. But I have to keep fat in her diet low. I use Tuckertime Chicken & Rice dog roll....only available from some vets....with a scatter of Science light. Veggies can be added. Only treats she gets are Greenies & Eukanuba treats for small dogs. But one of the best things that has helped her is a special Dog Probiotic available from vets called Protexin. Just 1/2 tspn a day in food. Overall I agree with Jed, too, that the dogs with this tendency can still be different (look at my 2!) & what suits one wouldn't suit another. So is there a vet you can talk with....who has a special interest in this condition?

Thank you for that info, Rappie. Bless DOL for existing at times like this. There's such wonderful support from people who know how heartbreaking it is to lose a loved pet, too sudden & too soon. And the more we share information & experiences, the more we can understand better & make better decisions.

Thank you, Tassie. You didn't intend it....but you've just comforted our neighbours who've been in here for dinner tonight. Their Tibetan Spaniel died last January from the same condition your BC had. Came out of the blue....but, with hindsight, they say there were prior signs that could have pointed to it...if only they'd known what they meant. I agree with you....best we can do is give heads up here on DOL. Even if it's just knowing more about conditions.....or knowing what might be hugely important. All the time I was trying to tempt Gracie with tasty food.....there should have been alarm bells going off at the loss of appetite continuing.

Thank you, poodle wrangler. The wish is always strong, isn't it....if only we could wind back the tape.

PW, the vet said she'd guess cancer. But Gracie had been specialist- checked for that, re her anal glands. Apparently, female dogs can get cancers there that spread. BB, I'll be looking up meds manufacturer's websites myself in the future. If I'd had the slightest idea that the persisting lack of appetite could be sinister.....I'd have moved heaven & earth to get it further investigated....whether it led back to the medication, or turned out to be something else that was just starting to show at the same time.

The loss of appetite started when she was 3/4 way through the Clinacin. I asked the vet could that be the tummy upsets she'd warned could happen. She said yes...stop the pills. But stopping the piils didn't change the appetite loss....it kept going on over the next couple of weeks...& I mentioned it to the vet. I was trying all sorts of things to tempt her back to eat a full meal. Gracie had no other symptoms....only this appetite loss. She had some skin allergy (under control....without cortisone) & discomfort in anal glands. Basically a healthy girl. While back, a specialist vet put her under an anaesthetic to check if the anal glands had a tumour or cancer connection. They didn't. Also checked for mammary tumours & removed a benign one. The Clinacin manufacturer's website specially refers to loss of appetite side -effect that can go on & on, even after stopping pills (like Gracie). And it says some dogs are specially sensitive in that a life-threatening colon problem can develop. Warns that dogs with this kind of sensitivity should not take Clinacin. No autopsy. We were so devastated when Gracie died that we didn't connect the death with those meds. Only later this morning, I tracked the Clinacin website....& was horrified to see they specifically mention that persisting loss of appetite can be a sinister sign. . I should have read that website when Gracie was first prescribed Clinacin. I should have thought that some people are allergic to certain antibiotics.... that could be so for dogs.

Thank you, daccies. I'm so desperate that I might have let beautiful little Gracie down. I had no idea that loss of appetite after taking this medication could be such a sinister sign. And I didn't know that some dogs might be specially sensitive to it. I would have moved heaven & earth to get the loss of appetite looked into. I'm so, so sorry.

Does anyone know anything about Clinacin? Or used it with their dog? Few weeks back, vet prescribed Clinacin for Gracie to see if it would help with persistent anal gland problems. Vet said a side effect could be tummy upsets. When Gracie got through 3/4 of the course, she lost her appetite (which had always been huge). So I figured this might be the tummy upset side effect. And asked vet if I should stop the pills. Said yes & I did. But the loss of appetite persisted over the next few weeks. I kept trying al sorts of things to tempt her to eat an average meal. I mentioned to the vet the persisting lack of appetite only week or so ago when buying new supplies. Late last night, Gracie threw up a couple of times & seemed uncomfortable. I decided I'd take her to the vet first thing in morning. But I stayed mainly awake with light on to monitor her. At 2.30 am, she looked at me & gave 2 yelp/barks as if trying to tell me 'This is serious.' I flew into my clothes & grabbed my purse & keys to take her to the 24 hour emergency vet. She walked out ahead of me....only a little unstready...& lay down on the big doggie bed on the deck. I put my bag in the car, came racing back to hold her paw & tell her she'll soon get vet help.....when she gently breathed her last breath & died. I'm still stunned. I looked up Clinacin on manufacturer's website. And it said loss of appetite was among the 'bad' signs....which could persist even after stopping the meds (ljust like Gracie). It also said 'Do not use in cases of known hypersenstivity to clendamycin.' So I looked up clendamycin to find out what it would do if the dog were sensitive to it. And it said, 'Can cause an infection of the colon, that can be dangerous & sometimes life-threatening.' It could of course be something that happened along with this medication. But Gracie showed no signs of loss of appetite ever before....only after talking Clinacin. She never had any other signs of bad health. Only skin allergies & anal glands needed managing. There's always coincidence....I'll never know for sure.