~Anne~

Thanks everyone. Showdogs, we've ruled out allergies because of the presentation. Her skin isn't itchy, it's sore and blistered and it's not just her skin. She's losing interest in food, is low in energy and I'm scared that I'm losing her. Staff - I live on the south coast of nsw. If the pathologist can't give me an answer on Monday or Tuesday I'm heading to Sydney to find someone who can help before I lose her. I'm sure SASH or Sydney Uni will have someone. A Canadian friend is currently treating a dog with mrsp and pemphigus. I'm wondering if she could have something coupled with mrsp too.

Thanks staff - just read your edited post. She only has one functioning kidney and is on cd Prescriptives. I've been trying to encourage her to have this by adding freshly steamed chicken. The creme cheese is for the medication. Any suggestions of food types for her? Thanks, Kavik. I was washing her with malaseb but can't at the moment because she has sutures from the biopsies. The other issue is the cold. Hair dryers on hot will hurt her skin more nad it's far too cold to leave her damp. I've begun to use cold cloths on her skin to try and ease it for her. It's awful. She looks like she's suffering burns all over her body. .

Thanks. I've read similar documents and she's been on the appropriate treatment for DLE for 9 days now and it's still getting worse. It initially began to improve but then flared up wprse than ever on Thursday. The pathology lab can't give any answers yet as they're now consulting with another specialist lab because of the 'unusaual' results. The vets are hoping for an answer on Monday. The biopsy was taken Friday before last.

Hey everyone, I haven't really been on for some time and im back because Dol is the only place I can think of where I might find some answers. Olivia, my now almost 12 year old pug, is suffering badly at the moment and my vets are scratching for answers. It seems that the veterinary pathologists are also. Approximately 8 weeks ago the skin on Olivia's abdomen became very red and inflamed and small hot spots began to spring up all over her body. This began to spread to her chest and under her front legs. It has continued to intermittently worsen. It's spreading slowly and is far more severe than ever. Her skin is blistered in places. She has some days of respite where it begins to clear and then it comes back, worse than ever. She's had 2 cortisone shots, is on prednisone, antibiotics, and various creams including neocort and Novasone. She's miserable and not eating very well. I've managed to keep her going on chicken and cream cheese but this becomes harder every day. She's a pug and not eating is really unusual and a measure of how unwell she is. She's drinking more water. The vets finally pegged it as discoid lupus erythematous and have taken biopsies. The tests were sent to a specialist laboratory as it requires specialist diagnoses. They've now sent it to another specialist laboratory as the results are unusual. I'm not sure yet what that means. Meanwhile, a week after the biopsy and 8 weeks in, she is still suffering and it's worsening. Her spine is showing, her ribs are beginning to show. She's flat and miserable and I feel useless. It's not an allergy. There is nothing that suggests she has suddenly developed one. The pred tabs, cortisone injections, and crimes are not working. Does anyone have any clue? Has anyone got any experience with lupus?

Hi all, I know we have a lot of members from New Zealand and I'm hoping they can share this around so this guy can make it back to his family. He is registered to Hastings, New Zealand. He is listed on the Sydney Cats and Dogs Home Facebook page and was found in Hurstville, Sydney.

Blanche is only understands the dog and human training psyche, she also has an enormous wealth of knowledge on nutrition and health, and even better, she loves and owns pugs. :)

Thanks everyone. Yes, I agree Cowanbree although I would think the shock would be minimal. We haven't done anything different for meanwhile. It seems the easiest solution is to continue with the plastic. It really only takes a few minutes. It doesn't stop her but it will stop the lounge being destroyed. She hasn't wet on the lounge since I the first time have did when I started using the plastic so that's a good sign.... and possibly just good luck but I'm happy for that!

I don't like crates unless they're for specific and temporary periods of time. While most people who regularly crate dogs are sensible enough to know the limits of restricting an animal to a cage, many do not. I also worry about the average Jo Public becoming desensitised to crates and abusing the use of them, wittingly or unwittingly. I have only ever crated a cat or dog when it was necessary for recovery, safety or transport.

I think it's about more than just the noise. But also the movement and sometimes they connect with the dog on the way down, not enough to hurt but that sort of surprise you get from being tapped on the shoulder when you think you're all alone.... erm. But you can try it when you are home and see what happens. Can you put the play pen across the couch? Ie sort of drape the couch with the play pen so it's not so comfy? I'd also be trying to get a UV light from somewhere so you can check you have got every last pee spot... Or I'd be trying her bed on the tarp... and maybe some pee pads on the rest of the tarp. I did house sit in a home where both the cat and the dog felt it necessary to pee in the room that was allocated to me... so after that I kept the door shut. They didn't pee anywhere else they were not supposed to. So I guess it could be an emotional territorial / anxiety thing. We tried putting the little square stools up on the lounge as a barrier but she just pushes them aside. I could try to secure the play pen fencing along each lounge though. I hadn't considered that. The uv lights scare me. I've always wanted one but I have an OCD with germs and I'm worried it will highlight things too much for me. I know that may not make sense to most but someone who has a corner about germs will understand. It could possibly open up a whole new world for me.... Her bed currently sits on a pice of a yoga mat in case she has an accident in it. It's rare she does though but it I'll save my rug if she does. Maybe I need to try her bed on the lounge. If I put it up with the mat under it? But then what happens if she gets out of her bed and wets on the lounge next to her bed? Aaaaghhh, I have no idea how to solve this.

The noise idea won't work though as she is deaf. She won't hear it. I guess she might not like the feel but I really didn't think she'd like the feel of plastic either and yet she sleeps on it.

I've been thinking about the crate. She wouldn't be able to hold her urine for the 9-10 hours she's at home. She needs access to the dog door so a crate won't work.

Im not sure she'd like it. She's only ever travelled in one in the car. At 11 any change is going to take some getting used to but I guess it is worth trying if the new bed and mat fails.

Agree, she is very cute. I can't even get mad at her. She's like an eccentric old woman. She makes us laugh non-stop. :laugh: I hate losing them. I know exactly how you feel. I'm not sure what her background is exactly being a rescue, but since we've had her she's had loads of companionship and then lost it. In the last 4 years we've lost Molly our moggy, Monte and now Boof. She's on her own, it's Winter, she totally deaf and her sight isn't great so she has a lot to deal with. I think I'm going to try a two prong strategy. My husband thinks we should get her a higher bed. Perhaps a trampoline style? I'll have to look around and see what there is. I'm also going to investigate the mats that Sheena suggested. Until I get both items I will continue to protect the lounge with plastic. Tomorrow her groomer will pick her up about 9am and keep her all day so I won't have to worry about the plastic. Olivia likes the company and I love having a groomer who goes the extra mile and keeps her company all day just because she loves her too. Everyone who meets this little dog falls in love.

This is her just now in her bed.

Yes, you're possibly right . But again, that means putting it up every day just as I put the plastic on the lounge every day. If it wasn't for her urinating, I'd just throw a blanket on there and let her get up there.

Yes, I'm using urine off. She's urinated on the lounge 4 times in total over the last year. Once luckily was only on the plastic. The first time was about 12 months ago, the second approx 2 months later and the last two since Boof died. She hasn't urinated on it for the last 3 or 4 weeks and has stopped waiting up the side passage. I feel her anxiousness has lessened a great deal and she is getting used to living as an only dog. I believe she was suffering anxiety but I am unsure if the urination is linked to it?? She isn't an anxious dog but she did take a few weeks to settle after Boofy died. We've altered a few things, such as she now sleeps in our room which she loves. I am 100% confident that she hasn't any medical issue aside from the damage that was done to her bladder through the stones, infections and surgery. This is her today! She had no idea my husband was there. She's so damn cute but I don't want her on my lounge. :D

Wow, thank you everyone. I didn’t expect so many responses so quickly. TSD – it’s really hard to restrict her. The living area is the main area of the house and where the dog door is. We used to use a playpen as a fence when I had the three pugs but stopped. To give a little bit of background: about 8 months ago we stopped putting up the little fence and keeping them restricted. We had Boofy still at this point and I was concerned about the heat and cold as the fence gave them a little area about a metre by 2 metres but it was up against the glass doors because that is where the dog door is. It is also where it is coldest in Winter and hottest in Summer. Boof was battling cancer so we decided to trust them in the house free range and not pen them in. Most days they were outside anyway unless it was hot, cold or rainy. Then they were left in. Then Boof died. The first couple of days we were at home with her as it was a weekend but then we had to go back to work. The first day I left her outside. I came home to find her sitting at the gate up the side passageway plus a small hole torn in the screen door. This happened again the next day and the hole in the door was much larger. The following day I left her inside and she urinated on the lounge. So the next day I put plastic on the lounge and came home to find she had urinated on that. That’s when I dragged the pen back out again. Thinking Id secured her in I left for work only to come home to find her on the lounge and the pen wide open. Shed manage to unlatch it. I tried the pen again the next day and this time even tied it with a scarf plus used the latches. Again I found her on the lounge! :laugh: I put the pen away after that and started using the plastic. She kept getting up so I tried lavender. She still kept getting up so I tried eucalyptus. And that is where I am up to now. She’s an 11 year old she-devil who misses her mate. She only ever gets up on the lounge when we are not there. She’s as deaf as a post and this is 1000 times more noticeable now that she hasn’t got Boof to rely on so often we come home and she pushing z’s on the lounge and she doesn’t realise. :laugh: Mrs Rusty – she has a dedicated bed but it is on the floor. My husband actually suggested that we might be best putting a bed up on the lounge and allow her only on that but I am unsure if she will get that and it still leaves the lounge at risk of her urinating on it. The tins won't work because she's stone deaf. She has a history of bladder problems. She came to me as a rescue about 6 years ago. She was going to be euth’d because she required surgery to remove bladder stones. It was the second of such surgeries and it has now left her with a weak bladder, When she needs to go, she needs to go NOW! Most of the time she is fine but if she gets too excited and has a full bladder, she starts to wee and cannot stop it. I guess that’s the other issue. I don’t know if it laziness that has seen her urinate on the lounge, or if she thinks it is an ok place to urinate or just coincidence where she has just woken up and thought “I Have to urinate NOW’ and she just happens to be on the lounge??? The static might be an answer. I’ll certainly have to look into them. I’ve never heard of them, sheena. I might try the aluminium tomorrow, pers, and see if it works. My husband called in home to day to find that she had scratched the plastic off the lounge, pushed down the back cushions and was blissfully sleeping on them. He said he took a photo so when I get home Ill post it up. She’s a she-devil I tell you! :laugh:

How do you discourage a determined little dog from getting on your lounge? Each day I have to cover my lounge in large plastic sheets which is annoying - see pics. The problem is, that doesn't stop her either. She still gets up on the lounge while it is covered in plastic. I even have taken to smearing eucalyptus oil all over the plastic and it didn't work. I've tried lavender on the plastic and it didn't work. I have to put the plastic on because she has now urinated on the lounge 3 times!! She also once wet on the plastic on the lounge but that was a little while ago. I can't risk her urinating on it again as it's too hard to wash because the urine soaks right into the foam cushion. I can wash the cover easily, but the last time it took 3 weeks for the foam to dry and so I had a missing lounge for that time. She seems to like getting up on the scatter cushions and making a nest, so I removed the cushions before I put the plastic down. This makes it better but she still often gets up there. She never tried to get up when I'm home. She's never been allowed on the lounge. I've made her bed a little nest with a lovely warm blanket in it as well. You can see it in red on the floor. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm a little over covering the lounge every day.

Hence why I suggested sweet potato.

Some very, very valid points. Each potential home should be taken on it's own merit. You can't have a one size fits all when dogs are all so unique and homes are equally as unique. I wish more rescuers would see that.

Can you get goat? I always used goat for elimination diets on rescues. I also added sweet potato.

The dog that was the alleged aggressor hasn't any wounds that I can see from the photographs. There are about 3 pics of him. The pics show him front on and his sides and he is dry and appears unmarked in each image. Anything could have happened and it is simply pointless to speculate or try to determine anything from the pics. I'm just pointing out what I can see and can't see in the images.

If you look closely, you can see what seems to be a puncture mark on the hind leg towards the inside groin. That is the only wound I can see.

I've seen that pic and I still can't see facial wounds??? The dogs face appears to be wet, there is what appears to be saliva near the corner of the mouth and there is what appears to some red colouring under the fur but I cannot see any wounds. Am I blind?

I saw the original post about this on Facebook the afternoon they were posted and contacted someone for advice. I trust the person I contacted and they reported that it was being investigated. I hope that whatever occurred gets sorted. The photos do not show the kelpies face so no-one can say by viewing them that the kelpie had wounds on it's face. Just because that is where the blood seems to be doesn't mean it wasn't internally bleeding out. It does however have what looks like potential puncture wound on it's hind leg. The tins of food may have been placed as garbage. Seeing them on the ground doesn't mean anything. The dogs could have pulled them out of a bin or off a shelf. The questions that needs to be asked in my view is - why is the ranger's 'working kelpie' placed at risk of deadly viruses, intestinal parasites, and other health issues through being in the impound area and why was the public freely able to access the impound area and see such a gruesome scene? A review of the practices of the pound and the actions of the Ranger should be undertaken immediately. I would like to think that this is now happening.