Allerzeit

Thanks so much for the thoughts guys - I was surprised at just how much strength it provided this morning. I won't say anything more here, I will post a tribute in the Rainbow Bridge shortly. Hugs to all of you and your furkids, Trace RIP - Allerhochst JEB Stuart 16 August 1998 - 10 May 2006

Well, as they say, it seems that the time has come. Stewie has managed 10 months from diagnosis. Apart from one incident when I tried to change his medication, making him ill in the process, Stewie has had a happy, normal life with nothing more than a mild on again/off again limp. Over the past month the flesh on his head has started to disappear, that's the first sign that the end was near. Still, he was happy, so we changed his nickname to "pointy head", and tried not to be too downhearted. Unfortunately over the past 3 or 4 days, Stewie has started to become fussy with food. Yesterday and today he has eaten almost nothing. Unless something miraculous happens (and I know in my heart it won't), then it looks like tomorrow will be the day to give my boofy his wings. I've spent most of today just cuddling with him. The pain is now obvious, even though the limp still isn't that bad, and he looks like he wants to go. Only a few days ago, Saturday, he was still being a pig while "taste testing" the chicken necks as I bagged them :rolleyes: I feel we have been blessed for Stewie to be so well, and so happy for so long. The end is coming so suddenly, but I know that is good too, as it means he hasn't had a dragged out illness. It's going to be incredibly strange when he's gone - we will only have the girls, so OH is going to feel very outnumbered! I think the worst thing is that I don't know how OH will handle it, and honestly that scares me more than anything else. Tonight we will just cuddle our boy, and tomorrow will bring what tomorrow brings.

Hee Hee! What fun you had Miss Roxy certainly has a funny personality. The tunnel is just the FUNNEST thing. Once you get Roxy to go through it a couple of times, your next task will be to get her to stop going through it Sounds to me like you'd better start making your own sausages...

We get ours from our local poultry butcher (ie, one that specialises in poultry). He sells us 10kg boxes of necks for $2kg, 10kg boxes of frames for $1kg. We take them home, pack them up into portions and freeze.

Ahh - piccies Thank you, she's just lovely! Love the third photo - now THAT'S a familiar site around here (yes, I'm looking at you Enya...) You know, the comment you made about the breed and not wanting anything else now is something we hear a lot of I've never NOT had a Rotty so I'm biased, but so many people we talk to about puppies have the same mindset as you. I'm keeping you in my thoughts, and hoping that Karma responds well to her drops. Will keep an eye out for updates. Cheers, Trace

I'm not a vet or an expert in the condition, but that IS surprising in my experience. I've had two dogs with osteo - one in the shoulder and the other in the front leg. In both cases it's been a very obvious swelling that grows markedly as the cancer progresses. Cain, our old boy who had it in his shoulder, actually looked like his shoulder had been dislocated because of the size of the growth - it was enormous. I guess it depends on how the tumor grows, but I would have expected to feel swelling well before now. Sending strength and thoughts to you. Perhaps if your vet won't x-ray you could visit another who would? Trace

Argh Karma12 We have a Rotty with osteo as well, so my heart well and truely goes out to you. A few questions first: How long has it been since your girl was first x-rayed? Was it the 5 weeks you mentioned? What painkillers is she on? If I was in your shoes (and I am to a degree), I would be getting another x-ray done - if it is osteo it should be able to be confirmed by x-ray, especially if it is now advanced. From what I've read, on x-ray the bone should appear to be honeycombed. http://www.herbal-treatments.com - Robert McDowell, I highly recommend having a talk to him for advice from a natural point of view. He's happy to provide free phone, fax or email consults. We've had our Stewie on his herbal medications for around 7 months, and it's only in the last 3 weeks that he has started to need conventional pain killers. I'm also of the view, again if it were me, that if it had reached that point and I had the doubt that exists in your case I would probably opt for an operation before euthanising her. If the operation showed that it was definitely advanced osteo, then I would ask that she not be woken up. But, if it was a bone chip and it was felt that removing it would be likely to relieve her pain, then I would go that way. Damn it, I wish I could be of more help - please keep us informed. Trace

:rolleyes: Run free sweet Jenna. MSJ - Jenna is now a special angel watching over you. She will wait patiently, and one day you will be together again For now, take comfort that Jenna is running free over the bridge with lots of friends (including Sabre!) - she is young again, spritely and free of pain. Lots of hugs to you. Trace

Good luck at the vets, lilypily - my thoughts are with you! Fingers crossed it's just a fatty lump. Let us know what happens.

;) MSJ - I've been thinking of you all day. We are all here if you need to talk. Travel swifty and sweetly Jenna Trace

Oh MSJ I can't type too much cause I'm about to start crying. I know your pain - I'm approaching the same pain myself. Please know my thought and hugs are with you. Be strong, and know we are all thinking of you and sending our hugs and prayers. Big pats, hugs and kisses to Jenna from all of us. Trace

Ohhh Sue - I don't have any experience with bloat, so can't offer suggestions on what to feed, but I wanted to send you a and wishes that your furbaby recovers quickly. Trace

Shek - it looks like calouses (sp??) to me - hardened skin from lying on a hard surface as you thought. Why he would chew one off I don't know though Trace

I wish I remember how long it took - but it was around 7 or 8 years ago and I have problems remembering what I did yesterday I seem to remember it being re-occuring for a while though - we would rest her, it would come good, she would be an idiot, we would be back to square one. We always had to be careful with her when she was young, but as she grew the issue faded away (perhaps because she became more sensible?) Cheers, Trace

We had a sesamoid injury on Amber years ago which was diagnosed by our doggy chiropractor man after our previous vet couldn't find anything. He had us use comfrey ointment, rubbed into the toe on the spot he marked for us, combined with rest. You can normally pick up jars of Comfrey ointment from health food shops and chemists. Mr Doggy Chiro told us that what normally happens is you get a young dog that does zoomies, and turns too suddenly on a hard surface (summer is the worst cause the ground is soooo hard), bending the toe the wrong way and causing damage or fracture. Poor Eddie - they hate being confined, don't they? Hope he starts feeling better soon Cheers, Trace

While there's no scientific evidence to support the use of Vitamin C, there does appear to be a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest it has some positive effect. We keep Vit C in the fridge, with the plan that we would administer it on route to the vet if we had a dog bitten by a snake. Vitamin C is supposedly a powerful detoxifier. We've also used it on occasion with the sheep - it appears to have helped in both St John's Wort poisoning and grain poisoning. Again, this is anecdotal evidence only. Trace

It sounds like she had a really upset stomach, and part of her reaction to that was feeling the need to toilet.

Good luck lovely Elka! Get better quickly and stop worrying your mum, your hear me? Let us know how it goes, isaviz - thoughts are with you Cheers, Trace

Oh Mel - and My thoughts are with you.

I'm so sorry little lab RIP baby puppy, over the rainbow bridge where there is no more pain :happydance2:

She sounds very ill Have you spoken to her breeder yet? Fingers crossed she starts to pick up soon! Trace

RIP Conner. Run swiftly over the bridge, no more pain for you.

Two of the sections of a ruminants stomach. The whole ruminant stomach system consists of the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. And if that piece of trivia doesn't make you want to be one, they also get to vomit up their food into their mouths so they can chew it multiple times! Edited to add a bit more...

Ohhh :( - you must be worried sick! :p Fingers crossed Minty is feeling better very soon.

Another one - this is the look on his face if you say the word "babies" or "puppies"