Erny

If it were me I would go this route first as well and turn to medication only if that didn't work. Good luck. Will be interested to hear how you get on.

You don't need to make up a "big batch" per se - it's best used fresh. Use it as a wash when you need to wash and avoid shampoos where you can. Give some to him when he's a bit on the 'down' side and feed him the spent tea in his meal. If you want him to have it regularly, make a cuppa, even drink the tea yourself and add the spent tea to his meal. If Ernie's overall condition and health is good, I don't think you need to go over-board with the Calendula Tea (not to say that regularity would harm, but just may not be necessary). If Ernie's coat is dull in places, ponder on what the reasons for what that could be. He gets good supplements via the fish oil and sardines, but think about the other that you feed. I've seen dogs within breeds who are fed a well-rounded and balanced whole raw diet and have softer, sleeker coats than those fed commercial. Coincidence? Maybe. Make a note of where those "dull patches" are. Ponder on the possibility of thyroid issue (don't let it scare you - just read up on Dr Jean Dodds website on thyroid and symptoms and see if it could possibly fit - only mentioning it here as something to look into but this may not be relevant to Ernie). Sunburn, even? Although I don't own them, the chocolate labs I have come across seem prone to coats fading through sun exposure but whether or not it was sun exposure on its own, I wouldn't know (stripping the coat of natural oils via shampoos commonly used, and over bathing, could be a contributing factor to this). Just trial in little bits and see how you go. Keep an open mind to things, ponder on them, but don't sweat it :) .

I wouldn't treat her after an overnight toilet trip. Just keep it quiet, don't look at her, keep it dark etc, you don't want to stimulate her or condition her to expect a treat, when you want her to go back to sleep. Good luck, she sounds adorable - some pups are more challenging than others! I agree with what Clyde has said here. The other thing I would like to add to the various suggestions given to you is that you actually get up to the pup BEFORE the whinging/barking for toilet commences. For example, if you know it's 4am that she needs the toilet by, aim to get up 15 minutes to half an hour before that (pain in the butt as that might be, but hopefully only for the short term). Take her outside, do the usual toileting administrations, pop her back to her comfortable crate and go back to bed yourself, until 15 minutes to half an hour before the next toilet stop time that you're aware of. Working this way, you're not teaching your pup that it's her barking that gets her your attentions. Quite the contrary, you're teaching her that being quiet gets her your attentions.

:D .... I tend to do this too and I also find that either and both help in varying ways. Glad you felt better so quickly, and thanks for sharing.

I like to use a lead of minimum 6' length - leads shorter than this (I find) don't permit much in the way of 'training space'. With a bit of lead-handling practice, the lead can easily and smoothly looped to accord with any moments where the lead length needs to be shorter to accord with the 'training moment'. Scenting is a natural instinct and something dogs find enjoyable. Think about things like this. Rather than excluding this, USE it as the dog's reward for a job well done and blend that with what you are trying to train. I agree - stick to flat collar. Work on focusing on your handling skills - how you hold the lead; how you manipulate the lead; your timing; and the messages from your hand THROUGH the lead to your dog. Ideally these are the skills anyone should have BEFORE they look at training restraints/collars of any kind (although exceptions do apply to the rule) and subject to the dog, its history and what the person is trying to achieve, may work out that they may not need training restraints/collars at all. I see a Great Dane pup (now a youngster heading into adolescence) being walked around the neighbourhood by its family (sometimes Mum, sometimes Dad and sometimes young children) in a head collar. I groan. I've seen the head collar fitted badly and the straps twisting up into the dog's eye (worse than even when a head collar is fitted correctly) and I've seen the head collar being used without the empathy and understanding it must have. It is easy to tell the people think the 'tool' is doing the job and they don't have to think about what they are doing at all.

I'm not having the best time with them either. Insurance premium is now over $1,100.00. I remember 6 years ago I was impressed as it was only around $200.00 (approx). My dog has never been formally diagnosed for the digestive symptoms he suffers and as each can be something different (e.g. hives; boils; inflammation of gums; etc) each one has been considered as a separate. Which means that every time I go to the Vet for any individual one, I'm usually caught under the excess each time rather than looking at it as having paid the excess but it being an on-going condition. Which means most of my claims are denied. It doesn't help that their claim forms are darned hard to complete (especially when it is not a clear formal diagnosed condition) and you have to try to back-track to words and terminologies that you used the last time and try to show them that the dots do join, even if it is just to try to show them these are all interconnected. The only diagnosed condition is thyroid, but as I have these tests run via Dr Jean Dodds in the USA, the on-going vet bills for this condition isn't covered and/or because I only need my local Vet to draw the bloods, that component of the fee comes in under excess as well, so I pay it every year. Problem is that once your dog is unwell, they've got you by the short and curlies as no other insurance company would accept the condition or symptom as an inclusion in its cover.

Wipe over with Calendula Tea.

In succinct summary, and leaving out all the many failed trials of other stuff I tried with my boy (over a period of two years or so) until it got to the point beyond runny poops (i.e. it got to the point where he just wouldn't eat anything because his stomach was so uncomfortable), I put him on the 'full blown' Augustine Approved recommended diet, including the AA SuperBoost. I'd start with that, not tinker with it (no point tinkering with a tummy that is already aggravated and in no state to deal with anything - tummy needs support to begin with), to get his system back into some form of balance so that a bit further down the track you can begin to re-trial your dog - VERY gradually and absolutely one protein source at a time - with the re-introduction of other foods. Works out expensive although I found it to be much more economical given all the food I'd previously been using and chucking out with not only no improvement but going backwards. The money outweighs the frustration and stress. Probiotics help. I use dairy free probiotic powder. My boy's a ridgeback and he gets half a teaspoon per day (i.e. 1/4 teaspoon with each of his 2 x daily meals). I would also have the thyroid checked via Dr Jean Dodds (USA). The above things would be the first things I'd do and I say this with hindsight experience. When I put my boy onto the Augustine Approved recommended diet his stools IMMEDIATELY improved and his appetite returned with the gusto he once had before my boy's issue's symptoms raised their ugly head.

I'm suspecting you're right

Thanks for this response, Airedaler. Sorry for the mix-up of who said/does what. Interesting though - I wonder why drugs 365 days per year round are most highly recommended/sold by Vets rather than the recommendation for two-yearly blood tests to see if the dog actually NEEDS the cover? Or why the cover isn't prescribed as medicine/preventative to be given for a short period (example a week; a month) once every two years, instead of keeping the dog's body full of it on a 24/7 basis.

Hhhhhmmm .... I lost my girl "KAL" and it was 2 years before I took the steps to take in another. I searched, deliberated, searched, deliberated. Had decided to plunge back into Ridgebacks (which is Kal's breed). I did have my own reasons to believe she was 'around' me still, though. I went to KCC Park and spotted a RR Bitch I quite liked. Spoke to breeder who informed me she was planning to breed her bitch for another litter very soon. I asked her bitch's name and she wrote it on the back of a card. I read it and for me it jumped out as words "KAL IS" (Kalis). The bitch was bred and pups born. I didn't totally confirm my 'pick' until the night I went to collect him. Particularly because I'd had such a hard run at the last years of Kal's life with her health, and fought Vets until the cows came in to convincing them there WAS something wrong with her, etc. etc. etc., I really wanted a good HEALTHY doer of a pup and expressed this to the breeder. My (now current) boy picked ME. I wasn't really interested in him, but he wouldn't let up. My friend/colleague who was with me at the time also couldn't believe how persistent towards me he was, always coming away from the rest of the litter to me. Mind you, I've since determined and very reasonable and plausible theory for that, but it's a whole other story so I'll leave it there. And he came home with me on the anniversary date I'd adopted Kal, years before. This date was not planned by me. It was the first date the breeder would permit the pups to leave the litter. And it turned out, he had/has complicated and still unofficially diagnosed health issues. And my run with Vets ensued from there. I often mused whether Kal orchestrated things so that he was destined for me, as I'm quite certain the odds were against him due to his health issues if he'd gone to another purchaser. A range of strong coincidences, for sure. Reincarnation? I'm not sure. In my case, I don't think it's that. But I do believe that there are forces who guide (in my case, PUSH) events into your lap, for whatever their universe reason is. One thing though - I don't see reincarnation as an external appearance thing. I see it more as an internal core, a personality, a character, type thing, something you might also see in their eyes, their windows to their souls. I think a reincarnation, if it does exist, could just as easy happen across species, so looks wouldn't necessarily signify - that could perhaps relate to a lineage link.

That is interesting, Airedaler. I don't HW (I'm in Vic as well). I keep a mental note of duration of days/nights when temp doesn't drop below 14 degrees over a period of 2 weeks and keep a vigilance on mozzies. But what I do find interesting and that I'm curious about is that your Vet says do a blood test every 2 years for HW, even though you HW through the summer months and then stop during the colder. I understood it to be considerably dangerous to give HW med without knowing if your dog was infected or not, as (remember, this is how I understand it and I could well be wrong) giving the HW med to an already infected dog could be devastating. And so the protocol was to blood test before admin of HW if HW admin was not for the very most part maintained. ??? Or does this relate to the development phase of HW once a dog is infected and is 2 years the developmental period before the death of the parasite would result in harm to the dog? IOW, please explain :D Happy to be educated on this :)

Off topic : I often wonder why Vets are quickly inclined to pick off scabs from sores on dogs, when we're taught to leave scabs alone as they are part of the body's healing process and scarring can often prove to be more than it otherwise would be if not left alone.

Is it urine that he is dripping, or is it body fluid from the prepuce? If the latter, it could be a UTI, a prostate infection / tumour, or just a build up in his prepuce. Just throwing out a thought that perhaps hasn't been considered.

Just came across this thread. Know exactly what it's like having a dog who is not well yet nothing comes up to give a diagnosis from where you can begin to know the direction to treat in. I can't say that I put my full and total store in hair-DNA tests, but I will say that especially when nothing else is showing up, I have certainly found it worthwhile. And I do suspect that the hair-DNA can show up things more prematurely than blood tests might. For example, my elderly Mum who required the toilet quite frequently had blood tests done and these showed up no issue with kidney function. Other tests (such as UTI) also came up as negative. Hair-DNA came up with mild kidney disease. Natural supplements given and the effect to reduction of toilet frequency was amazing. More recently, because of legal issues, the natural supplements can't be prescribed any more and therefore can't be administered by the Nursing Home she's at (which is good for the NH as it is less work) and one of the first things that became noticeable was the increase in urination frequency. The way I initially approached the idea of hair-DNA tests was with the attitude that I was prepared to pay for the cost of the test ($125 for dogs; $150 for people) and depending on what the results report showed me as to whether I could believe it. Other than informing them of what medication my dog and my Mum were on, I didn't give info of symptoms etc., so when the results came back with suggested symptoms and they matched, it made sense to me, gave me confidence and good reason to proceed with the suggested supplementation (which is the expensive bit). I use Ross Wilson who works via Coburg Health. Ph 03 9354 8007

If a Vet is dismissive of my description of how my dog is, then I walk away. Owners know their dogs better than anyone and sufficient credit for their concerns and descriptions should be given, IMO. I agree with Persephone - a good but gentle chiropracter's opinion would probably be the first place I'd consult. Don't be afraid to ask questions once he gives his opinion and prescribes manipulation. I have learnt to find out ahead of time the style of manipulation required. If you're then not sure or uncomfortable about it, you can take the chiro's opinion and make further enquiries and investigations (eg. whether bowen would be more suitable to your elderly dog).

Temperature inside?

Yonjuro - tell your friend to take on board what she feels could be 'right' for her dog, and discard the rest. She's the only one who really knows her dog and has the first-hand grasp of what her dog's health condition is like. I agree with her that if steroids are what is keeping her dog alive, then that's what she needs to keep with at the moment, but working to find a good diet that her dog's stomach can not only tolerate but which will add to calming, supporting and strengthening her dog's system so she can try to wean off the steroids would be good. And in this respect, perhaps a consult with a Western medicine Vet (did I already mention that in a previous post? can't remember) as there may be natural supplements that can at least in part take over from some of the inflammatory assistance and they alone may open the doorway to weaning away from steroids. Maybe. One other thing to mention to your friend, should she be interested .... and that's the additional assistance (on top of the dietary recipe via AA that I already had my boy on) of hair-DNA testing and supplementing in accordance with the results of that test. There would be many who don't believe in it and I admit I was one of those. In fact, I was resistant when it was first suggested to me. But the test wasn't expensive itself so, when I'd gone as far as I could but knew my boy needed just a bit more, I took the plunge. The results themselves astounded me and so I took the extra (albeit expensive) plunge and added the recommended supplements to his diet. These have assisted my boy's system in conjunction to the AA diet and supplement. Good luck to your friend. I hope she finds some things from this thread that are helpful or perhaps even spark some ideas. I know that with what I've done, which is a lot of reading, reading, reading, there is much I didn't actually or specifically do, but research on those ideas led me to other thoughts and ideas, which led me to different people who again led me to other people and so that's how I got to where I've got to. It's not an easy path (I find) but a long meandering one, one which, at the VERY least, provides a lot of learning :D

How many Vets out there dole out antibiotics "just because" and "just in case" - the worse when they haven't even bothered with temperature much less bloods!!?? Canine Cough transfers easily - it's not localised to just dog parks or kennels, although the common title for it (i.e. Kennel Cough) is misleading and elicits assumption. Same as schools - a great place to have coughs and colds transfer from one person to the other. But these bugs can be picked up from anywhere and in your dog's case it could be from you touching or patting a dog who has cough (whether you know it or not) or from walking your dog on footpath or naturestrip where the virus has been shed by another. Lower potential, but still very possible. Vaccinations do not prevent contraction of CC but it is said by those who believe in them that a dog who is vaccinated may not endure as bad a dose of CC as it might have otherwise. I'm not totally convinced of this and my dog is not vaccinated against CC. He has contracted CC twice in his lifetime and each time it has been mild and overcome swiftly and without drama. He is only one of a huge population, but I know of many others who ascribe to the same or similar thoughts. I don't bother with jumping to antibiotics for CC, although I do put into action the usual things anyone would do if their child had the flu, such as : keeping free from drafts; reduced/minimised stress; encouraging rest; encouraging hydration; etc. I keep a close eye for further developing secondary infections, but in the absence of those I let the virus run its course, assisting the dog's system by providing natural supplements/treatments such as Active Manuka Honey (high UFS) - great for the irritated throat too - and if I think necessary for more, offering a drink of Calendula Tea.

This I 'get' and believe me, I have experience with what I have good reason to believe are hereditary immune problems. In my boy's case (for one small example), I have not overcome his problem and chances are it will be on-going for the rest of his life. However, what I have accomplished is finding a diet base and supplementary support that helps his system be the best it can be, so that ensuing symptoms are (a) not as frequent, (b) not as persistently unbearable/uncomfortable, (c ) in most instances, not as severe and (d) provides him with a diet where he is at least able to maintain (with ups and downs, although these too are less frequent) a reasonable weight - albeit a lean weight .... all of this making his situation manageable without the use of steroids which would undoubtedly send his system in a downward spiral. So, whilst I acknowledge that IBS and IBD are different and that I do agree it is not an *allergy* per se, I think that the investigative process for IBD (in terms of sourcing a diet to best compliment and support the system and help it function at its best possible optimum) has to be pretty much the same as one would conduct for IBS or allergy. Roo has proved to be the best staple meat component of my boy's diet (that I've found so far .... horse went pretty good for him too, although that was only a short term thing and I can't source it particularly easily - and admit the thought kind of churns me a bit). I can at times re-introduce (e.g.) chicken for short periods without overt negative side effects, but roo is what I have always had to return to and use for the majority of feeds. ETA: Not arguing .... just bouncing back with my train of thought. Open to education :)

Genuine query : I get that IBD means the stomach is very inflamed. But isn't it still relevant and valid to work out WHY it became inflamed in the first place? And couldn't that be because of proteins that irritated the stomach in the first place and which over-time developed/progressed to IBD? Also, I agree about needing to address inflammation as if this is not done, the stomach is not going to be able to tolerate or digest food, and that would (in my logic) lead to malfunction of so many other organs in the body which in turn completes the cycle to an on-going and spiralling down-hill issue. There are numerous natural based supplements that act to reduce inflammation, not only by acting as a barrier/protectant but also as an aid to getting the organs in the body to calm down and support it to an improved functional level. My thoughts meander along the lines that for Yonjuro's friend, steroids haven't worked, that there remains the background source of irritation to the stomach. ???

Yonjuro - let your friend know that I tried IBS/IBD diets as well, right down to the homogenised canned and dry dog food manufactured for the purpose. This last was my "pre-Augustine Approved" desperate attempt, as I'd run out of ideas and all meat protein sources I could lay my hands on. This carried him for a short while, but his gut ended up doing a revolt on that as well and then I, along with the numerous Vets I'd gone to, felt we'd struck a brick wall (save for steroids, which were for many of the Vets I'd seen, the ever-present *treatment* and constantly at easy reach, just waiting for me to give the nod). That's when I switched the roo from pet-grade to human-grade, added the said select veggies and also added the AA SuperBoost. Good results were immediate. I don't know what the common meats (i.e. chicken, lamb, beef ) are like in the UK, but the problem I see with sticking with those protein sources is that they are going to have been a component of all and any of the commercial based foods your friend has been feeding, so they would not be 'novel' meat protein sources. There must be something other than the example of rabbit available to her? Eg. Goat, or even horse? I know that here, even when I've re-introduced common meat proteins as a way of trialling my boy's improved system, I've avoided beef as it doesn't bear well (generally speaking) with many gut sensitive dogs. But I do think the reactions we see in our dogs to these foods relates somehow to what those common stock meat animals have been reared and fed on themselves, so maybe things are different in the UK? In any case, this information and thoughts is for your friend to consider. It can be a scary route to try to work things through on your own when you're not sure when you'll see the light at the end of the tunnel, or if there'll be one. I wonder if your friend could source a Western Medicine Vet instead of the traditional, as that will open up the doors to the possibility of natural feeding and supplements, but with some professional guidance. It might mean your friend will need to drive some to get there, but I can tell you myself that I do not regret for one second the numerous 3-hour-each-way trips I made to see Dr Bruce Syme when there were no other Vets in the area that would do anything other than hold up the steroid syringe and a bag of antibiotics.

Colitis (to me) is merely a symptom of gut irritation. In my (limited to my dog) experience (which is a BIG experience, as most of you know), I think your friend needs to focus on working out what is causing the irritation and one of the first places to start is to isolate and trial each meat protein, one by one. It's often best to begin with a novel meat protein source and one which is lean of fat. I know you're already familiar with the diet I have my own dog on (which is Roo plus the recommended selection of pureed vegetables as per Augustine Approved, along with the AA Superboost). Being in the UK, sourcing roo meat could be a bit difficult. Maybe pure rabbit is a possibility? The veggie component wouldn't be difficult, but getting the SuperBoost might be, but that's something your friend could perhaps talk with AA about? I do tend to find that my own boy's digestive system regresses a bit over time if he doesn't get the SuperBoost as well, so the natural supplements it provides obviously plays a good part in supporting his digestive system. Prior to the diet he is on, and when he was having quite dramatic digestive issues, "steroids, steroids" was pretty much all I was recommended and offered for Mandela by the Vets I saw at the time (save for Dr Bruce Syme, who helped to steer me along the more natural path to digestive health) but to this date (and Mandela is now almost 6.5 years old) we have, because of perseverance in finding the solution that we have for him, avoided all and any steroid or other chemical based option.

This is exactly what I've been telling myself and am so very grateful that someone else would echo the same sentiment. Thank you so much Being completely selfless can be so gut and heart wrenching, but Khama has a way of bringing back to you what you gave. Good Khama to you, Pheebs. RIP Lucy. My girl "Kal" (bhcs) is at the rainbow bridge waiting for me. Say hello and trot a while with her - she'll guide you.

I understand, TSD. I often play "devils advocate" as well - it's a good way to think (and get others to think) from the other direction. If they could say that the hormone balance needs to right itself by letting it go (so to speak) each season and that can prove to be the make or break to avoiding other medical issues, then maybe there's a clinic niche void open for the taking??? "Hands On Health" could be a good name? (ooooh .... copyright that one to me, should my jest actually be the foundation to a mega-market fortune) ;)