tramissa

Thanks guys. I am in Cairns, FNQ. Have had a chat to the vet on the phone tonight and he thinks Friday is fine and no need to rush in. Have been told to continue to clean the gunk away with saline solution when it appears. He does think it is normal age cataract based on the description of it and it's appearance. This weekend we are doing a big clean/declutter of the place so that floor space at least is clear. At least this gives me an incentive to keep the house decluttered! (It's not bad really, but spare room is a mess and so is my 'office' space, with textbooks etc all over the floor. I'm a soft touch and will lift her up anywhere if she looks like she wants to come up but doesn't think she can, and she has been lifted into bed since I've had her (I like high beds). They do have a cushion on the floor, but both of them prefer the couch, so I'll just keep lifting her up :rolleyes: Even Jonno is being very gentle/protective of her and has been for the past week or so. I was wondering about it until this appeared. The light thing is a good point though - I have noticed she's much less comfortable in the semi dark. Full dark is okay, light is okay, but that semi dark (like in a room with the light on in the hallway) and she's not so comfortable. I've had a big chat to mum tonight and explained that we need to readjust to her new level and make things easier for her, but not to baby her or treat her differently. I feel a lot better now after reading responses, talking to some people that have had dogs with cataracts and talking to the vet. I know the other eye could develop at any time, but I'm hoping it gives her at least a few more months so that it is a slow adjustment. While she is content and not suffering, I will do my best to keep her that way. Thank you all! Crisovar, will ask about them on Friday - thank you!

She still has one good eye so is coping fine at the moment. From her actions, apart from being a little nervous about things when she has to judge depth etc (like jumping onto the couch), she hasn't noticed any difference. She's still running and playing and making her way around fine. Nothing has really changed for her. I have taken her to a couple of vets since her eyes started clouding and none have spoken of referral, or even thought there was a problem. I don't even think there is an ophthalmologist up here. At her age, and with her health, she will not be undergoing surgery. When she no longer copes, as much as I dread it, I will need to say goodbye

My almost 12 year old has had 'cloudy' eyes for 12 - 18 months or so now. I've been keeping an eye on them and she was at the vets for a full check up at the end of last year. She is starting to fall to bits in that she has a fatty lump on her side, a couple of teeth are not so good and just general age related stuff. The vet decided she was not a candidate for surgery (I was going to have the teeth pulled/cleaned and lump removed if possible). Monday her eyes were the same as normal. Her right eye has gotten 'cloudier' over the past couple of weeks, but still no definite cataract. Yesterday I gave her dinner and did my normal nightly health check (feel all over for lumps/ticks/check eyes and teeth etc) and her right eye now has a complete, mature cataract. At least, I'm pretty sure it's a cataract - looks the same as google images of cataracts, milky white colour, covers only the coloured area of her pupil etc. Not so surprising. She is 12, it's not unknown for the breed (lowchen) to develop cataracts late in life. But, I'm at a loss as to what I should be doing, if anything. Is it just a normal part of ageing and you adjust to the new limits (i.e, don't stick my hand suddenly on that side, take into account she may be a little nervous in situations now etc) or does it require daily treatment for life, as some websites suggest? I do have her booked into the vet but cannot get in before Friday afternoon. She is keeping that eye closed as much as she can. Not sure if it is because she finds it easier to navigate/keep balance with it closed, or if she is in pain/infected etc. It does not look infected, no redness, no swelling, she has no temperature etc but it was a bit 'sleepy' (light green coloured, along the edge of the lid toward the inner eye) when I got home this afternoon. I've wiped it with a bit of sterile saline and gauze for now and will definitely keep an eye on it until her vet appointment, but I'm terrified it might be glaucoma or infection, even though it doesn't match the symptoms or images I can google about it. If necessary I will take her to the emergency vet, but I'd rather try to avoid that, for her sake, the vet that is called out's sake and my wallet's sake, so I'm hoping anyone with experience with cataracts can let me know if this is needed. And yes, I am terrified that the vet will say it's something really bad (due to the rapid progression of it). I know I need to face up to it sooner rather than later, as each thing happens, but I just can't face losing her yet.

Sard Wonder soap - leave it sit for 5 - 10 mins, rinse and repeat as much as necessary on the whole dog. Then use purple shampoo on the whites. Sard gets pretty much anything out!

Oh Jed, I am so sorry It's so hard to lose the oldies. RIP Poppy. You sound like the most special of old dogs.

I am so sorry Dribbly RIP Kleo, beautiful girl.

I think the biggest problem is that he's never BEEN toilet trained. It doesn't sound like you have done the training to date - just expect pup to know, even though he's pretty much been an outside dog all his life so far. Of course he poos on the grass when he's out there all morning. There's nowhere else for him to go. But as far as he knows (because he has not been taught otherwise), inside is the same as outside - it's just another place he spends time. You really need to go back to basics and pretend he's an 8 week old puppy again. Every hour, on the hour, outside to go toilet. Wait 5 - 10 mins. No playing, no interaction. Just stand and say 'go toilet' or whatever command you want to use. If he does nothing, bring him back in. He should NOT be unsupervised in the house. You need to stay on top of it and watch him every minute so you can react when he starts sniffing etc. I found a really good way to train my adult (who had been kenneled) was to put him on a leash and attach the leash to me. This way, he was always close to me. It also had added benefits to his other behaviours Otherwise, you can use a crate (your airline crate is fine - dogs don't see them as a 'cage' or cruel. It is their 'den' and they love it - but it should be a place where the kids or anyone else can't disturb him. There are many threads about crate training on here - suggest you search and read them if you decide to go this way, don't just chuck him in there :rolleyes:. Crates are invaluable - not just for toilet training, but lots of other things as well, especially for an indoors dog. Don't yell at him, and most importantly, never reprimand if you do not catch him in the act. He will have no idea why he is getting in trouble. It sounds like he thinks he's getting in trouble for going to the toilet at all, which is why he 'sneaks' away. It's a pain trying to toilet train an adult, but it can be done with persistance and patience.

I use the nature's gift semi moist, but that's probably too small for your guys. Sorry!

I had a yellow ribbon on Jonno at training last night - he's small, the ribbon was big, you couldn't miss it. Still had stupid people walking their dogs right next to us when there was heaps of room around, or crowding us. Luckily the trainer I had was very good and aware and she stopped the class a number of times to (at first) remind them of what the yellow ribbon means (and later) to tell them off. He's more timid and will shy away if a strange dog comes near him, also makes it hard for him to focus (and exhausts me trying to constantly keep a watch on everything around us) but if a strange dog pushes him too far, he will snap (I will have removed him before then now that I know his triggers/warning signs).

I am so sorry Rysup My old girl got out the other day and I feared this result so much. It would be a nightmare. Many hugs and tears for you and your family tonight.

I tried a heap of stuff, but nothing works better for my boy than sausages *sigh*... So every day, I cook up a sausage (or rather, cook a few on one day and they last a day or two) and I'm getting used to carrying sausage around I only use the sausage as my 'big' reward though so it doesn't lose it's value for him. Once he's got something a few times, we switch to cheese or a kibble he really likes (natures gift semi-moist) once I know he's got it and we're just reinforcing.

Airport? I'd be expecting the whole kit and caboodle to arrive by road

Only 10 mins from the airport Don't worry, I won't let you miss that flight Don't have room here for the consequences if you did

Not enough! But you won't sleep, and neither will I

So am I still going to get my private lesson?

I feel your pain. I too do a sweeping hand signal (started with treat, now graduated to without treat but can't get any further) from nose to chest to ground. He will follow the hand signal, but if I try and modify it (say, start at my hip level and not go to the ground, or do a smaller version of it) he looks at me like I'm mad and speaking Chinese. When he was consistently doing it with the big signal, I started adding the word drop, but the word hasn't clicked on this particular command, or he is unsure and I don't know how to get him to put it together. He will still do it consistently with the nose to ground version. He has no problems with any other command he's been taught. Picked up things like weaving, over (jump), sit, here, tunnel etc etc, but drop is really just not doing it for us. I will be watching this thread with interest as I have no idea where to go from here!! Hopefully the obedience lessons we're starting in a fortnight will help!

Please post in the breeders subforum, you will get a lot more responses there. I know little about it, but have been told that egg cartons or rolled towels should be placed under the bedding (so that it is lumpy) and also massaging/passive movement of the limbs can help but I'm not sure if it's too late at 5 weeks old. The breeders I've known of who have had swimmers puppies reacted immediately and pups went on to be normal. Good luck, but please do post in the breeder section.

I believe it's a sign of submission (by the licker) to a more dominant dog. Could be wrong though ;)

If it's the pad next to the dew claw, how long are her dew claws? Are they long enough to be cutting in? If not, then my suggestion originally of booties whenever she goes into the bush where it happens might be the only solution.

Are you talking about her dew claws, or her paws? If dew claws, and she often hurts them, it may be worth getting them surgically removed. A few days of keeping her quiet and bandaged and then she will be okay. If her paws, maybe invest in some tough booties that she can wear when you walk her in the bush?

I am so very, very sorry Griff Run free Sinna, you are eternally young now.

Because an abcess is a deep hole, it can heal over the top and still be open and yuck inside and you don't know until it ruptures again, or it can spread via the blood stream, which is septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can be fatal very quickly. In humans, deep wounds like that are packed with dressing to ensure it heals from the bottom up, rather than heal across the top, so yes, I would say that pulling the scab off to make sure it was completely healed up would be the right thing to do, as traumatic as it was. What would have been better would be to dress it in such a way as to ensure it healed correctly, but in that spot, on a dog, it's almost impossible to do, plus most pet owners wouldn't be able to look after it correctly. When you say the wound is open again, do you mean there is still a hole there, or just a 'graze' across the surface where the scab was pulled off? Hope he feels better soon!!

Carry him outside so he doesn't get the chance to wee inside. Sit outside, ignoring him, until he wees. Do not give up after 10 minutes. Sit outside for 30 mins if you have to, or longer. When he wees, then praise him, then let him back inside. If you CATCH him weeing inside, give him the big growly 'NO', pick him up and carry him outside. I wouldn't worry about the door being open for him to go outside yet. From what you've said, he does not yet know that outside is for toilet, inside is not, so having the door open means nothing to him. For a pup that age and with what you have described, I would be taking him outside as soon as he wakes up, after eating, after a play session/zoomies etc and every 2 hours. At 5 months their bladders are big enough to hold for longer, but this is not about the size of his bladder, but rather, removing the opportunity to wee inside at all. You might also want to consider a belly band for when you have him inside. If you can't keep an eye on him inside for any reason, either pop him outside, where it's safe to wee, or crate/pen him or attach him to you with a lead. Don't give him the opportunity to wander the house without you watching him - you need to catch him in the act of weeing inside every time so you can interrupt it and take him outside (preferably when he begins to crouch, before he wees). Good luck

And yet they gave your dog the heartworm injection on the same day as their annual vaccinations, which is directly contraindicated by the manufacturers of the drug?

My vet actively talks people OUT of the injection. He has seen far to many severe reactions and even death after giving the injection. Sheridan - it is Invermectim (sp?) based, therefore a lot of collies are allergic to it. And because it is a 12 month dose, any side effects will also last for 12 months, or be exaggerated. This is the main reason I would never, ever give it to any dog - if they have a reaction, you have 12 months until it is out of their system. There is no 'antidote' for it. I'd highly suggest doing some searching about the injection - a lot of what is reported is not pretty. It's been classified as so dangerous due to side effects etc that it is banned from sale in the US. No idea why they still allow it here in Australia.