pampa

Thanks Dan, Yes this is the same girl who had the lump... Not cancer (luckily) but a "nodular fascitis" growth due to a fractured eye brow (arcade)... (most likely a playing accident :rolleyes: ) She is VERY strong and boistrous which means she is a bit accident prone but I'm beginning to believe she is made of indestructible materials She was so pitiful (pardon the pun ), when I found her, I'm pretty well amazed she is as hardy as she is... She only weighed 14kgs instead of the 30 she weighs today Anyway, fingers are crossed and everyones support in this crisis have been really uplifting. This was the "Christmas crisis"...

and a last one beside her tail... As you can see, these little bruises are pretty small (thankfully), but they appeared IMMEDIATELY which is really scary... She has more around the neck but the hair covers them and so photos are difficult. This is proof that she is NOT "fine" and is still haemoraging.... I was thinking of giving them a bone today, but considering these new haematomas, I will definately be waiting a lot longer, to avoid the digestive system being torn or bruised by bits of bone which normally would not effect the dog at all. Rat bait is really rotton stuff :rolleyes:

and her *fanny*...

and her leg...

As usual, my impatience hasn't paid off :rolleyes: The vet said she could play at the end of the week but seeing that she was nearly clear of most bruises and was feeling really good, I let the two girls play together for 5 minutes... I was watching closely to make sure they didn't get too rough... Bad idea Here is the immediate, external (visible) result...

You have all been so wonderful and your well wishes are greatly appreciated. Not only that, but I'm sure the positive vibes are helping She is still "fine"and only has one new bruise today which is wonderful news Even the vet admitted that she well may be clear of danger and says she can start to play again at the end of the week. I am so relieved Zero ;) Please keep a close eye on your girl for the next 10 days *just in case* ... especially any little blood vessel bursts or bruises and STRAIGHT TO THE VET. Even tiny weeny ones, the size of a biro dot must be looked into... Is it worth a preventive treatment just incase some pallets stayed down ?... I know, I'm paranoïd but having spent the last week scrutinising my girl from head to tail and making myself ill with worry and I'd hate you to go through the same... Keep those good vibes coming folks, she's going to make it...

OMG That poor, poor person ! Losing one baby would be dreadful enough but losing all 3 would kill me ... Curlygirl, apart from the massive doses of vitamin K1 (to clog the bleeding) my vet has only suggested a heap of red meat for the red blood cell build-up but not any other type of treatment... He has called me this morning (Sunday) to see how she is and he is obviously relieved and somewhat surprised that she is still alive... He told me however that if she has eaten enough of the vile stuff, the 12 day incubation period means that her whole system is "infected" and there is nothing to be done, no hope... Despite his words of doom, he did seem to imply her chances were looking good though Thanks again for all of your support... This morning (it is 11.30am here), she is still "fine"... I can't beleive my luck Her breath is VERY bad though so I fear that the poison is reacting on her liver. Many of her older bruises have disappeared overnight and her gums, tongue and pallet are still a healthy pink. Her temperature is stable and she is eating like a horse. The best sign of all is that she wants to play... The trouble is, for her "play" is a really rough form of wrestle where they run around oblivious to everything, banging into walls, stairs, chairs and biting each others throats and hocks unmercifully... So playing is forbidden and I'm keeping busy keeping them occupied with "quite" games... She still comes out in black-blue bruises as soon as she has the slightest knock though, which is really horrific My vet advised me that even once the initial danger is over, the internal bleeding and resulting odaema can become infected and thus the second "danger" phase kicks in... Operating such an infection is usually impossible due to the blood clotting problem which will last for at least 3 weeks I'm just praying she didn't eat much and that we "caught it" in time...

Thank you all for your posts tonight and thanks to everyone for not saying out loud "holy cow, how stupid to let a dog out in a possibly baited area"... Petmezz, here in France, the rapid action rat bait has almost been abandonned because of the extreme intelligence of rats. You are right, rats have great memories so, if one of the tribe eats something and dies soon after, or if they smell the poison on their dead mate, word spreads very quickly throughout the rat population that "bait = death = don't eat..." It is ineffective almost all over Europe now as the word has spread widely amongst the rodents. I seem to be the only one they forgot to tell, I still believed it was a quick killer and only learned the above at the vets on Wednesdy They now make baits with 12 days "incubation" period whereby the rodents cannot possibly remember which food stuff may have killed their pal.... Apparently the long action rat baits are often coated with a product that induces vomiting in cats and dogs to avoid such poisonings, but the vomit inducing product wears off rather quickly whereby the poison remains indefinately deadly

Hi folks I haven't been around DOL much lately due to feeling pretty shitty... 2 weeks ago, I went downstairs to the underground garage at work to unload a car into our basement and my little pit bull girl who comes to the office with me twice a week, followed as usual... She rushed off into the garage and came back a minute later licking her chops... I immediately thought "shit, rat bait" and having read a recent thread on poisons on this forum, considered making her vomit... I first took a walk around the garage and found no sign of bait. I asked the "concierge" who told me he had not laid rat bait in the garage for about 6 months but that he had put some in private garages, normally closed and locked... After closely expecting her mouth for "remnants" and finding nothing, I decided not to make her vomit. Anyway, I watched her very closely for 48 hours and she was just fine... I didn't tell my vet, imagining that she'd be OK. Well, 12 days later, I woke up to find her with black-blue bruises all over her rear end and around her mouth Her white skinned tummy showed many red spotches as if a tiny blood vessel had broken, as did her gums. She had a long black bruise under her forearm where she had got tangled in her lead the day before... She often gets "tangled" but NEVER even gets red from it... Immediate trip to the vet and YES, she is poisoned by rat bait Did you all know that rat bait takes 10 to 14 days to react ?... I didn't. I imagined rat bait as being very quick and excrutiatingly painful... I imagined convulsions and screams, and vomiting and all that... Well no, that is NOT the scenario... That the animal does not suffer (as such) in any way other than immediate bruising at the least knock and of course, internal bleeding that is NOT noticible... The haemoraging leads to anaemia thus lethargy and then eventually to death. Rarely does this cause much pain Anyway, luckily I immediately remembered the episode in the garage and the vet began injecting vitamin K1... I spent the whole day driving from chemist shop to chemist shop trying to find massive doses of the stuff which is not commonly carried at such high dosage. Each time I found a box vit K1 10mg, I had to inject the dog (intra-muscular). 6 injections in all the poor dear, and each injection ended up in a big black bruise She was so sweet... The vet says if she survives the coming week she should be OK. She has 150mg (tablet form) of vitamin K1 each morning for the next 20 days and a lot of red meat to try and get her red blood cell levels up. I take her temperature twice a day and apart from that, I can only cross my fingers. There is nothing else to do apart from hope. Outwardly she is "fine" and if she didn't continue to come out in a bruise as soon as she scratches herself or knocks herself on something, you would never know she is deathly ill... She is not allowed to run or play in case she rips something inside her, causing new haemorages . Anyway, I just wanted to let those people who didn't know about the effects of rat bait understand how and what the signs are so as to recognise the symptoms and hopefully get their dog to the vet in time... I'm begining to hope that my girl only scoffed a small amount of the poison because she is still alive today and no worse than Wednesday when I first noticed the bruises. Her temperature is a bit too low for comfort but she is happy and active and definately not lethargic, hopefully suggesting only minor internal bleeding. It is needless to say that I regret not making her vomit after the chop-licking episode 2 weeks ago and I feel really shitty that I let her get ill, but unfortunately what is done, is done, and cannot be undone I will keep you updated as time goes on

Shit Erny I can't offer any advice or on-hand info but you have in no way bored me with your recital of Kal's ups and downs, on the contrary. Most puzzling and worrying... Please do keep us updated and hope that it is a minor something that can quickly be put right...

Thanks for the update jodie, sorry to push you for an answer but many of us are behind you and are genuinely concerned for your progress together... Try to keep your chin up and profit from every second you spend with your beloved boy. If you have the courage, let us know how you are getting on from time to time. :D

Jodie, How is Olliedog doing recently, i see you havn't updated for a while... I hope things are going well for you both. Please update when possible :D

This is wonderful news Staffyluv, I'm so pleased his progression is so "visible", you must be, to some extent, relieved that he is doing so well whilst under treatment... :rolleyes:

I'm sooo glad that Hobbes is back at home and fighting fit My thoughts and sympathy go out to the veterinary assistant that was on cage duty over the last few days though :D (2kgs of it )

Apart from agreeing to the above "anal gland talk" (great after Chrissy lunch :p ) I know chicken is great for allergies and fragile tummies BUT if I give chicken to my three big dogs, the "flatulence" is dreadful !!! They all just keep turning their heads to their rear-ends as if saying "did that noise and that smell actually come from me ??? I therefore try and steer clear from chicken...

To answer your question YES that little plastic part is designed to break under strain to avoid the motor burning out and so it is possible that even new it could break... A friend borrowed a new clipper from me once and she tried to clip the shetland pony straight from the paddock... She bought it back an hour later to say the clipper was faulty :p Needless to say, the plastic bit snapped as soon as it touched the mud-caked hair ! If you clipped a clean dog with maybe a tiny bit of moisture left in the coat this may cause a "snag", it might well be enough to have damaged the plastic thingy which will still work correctly until put "under pressure" ie : you try to clip hair... BTW, in 7 years as an ANDIS representative and having clipped over 100 horses, I've personally NEVER unslid the blades, ever... If they don't cut, I send them to be sharpened, the experts pull them appart to sharpen them but they know the exact tension to put on the screws for them to work correctly... I tell my clients to do like-wise... Is it possible that in "unsliding" them, the screws have loosened somewhat ?... Sorry not to be able to help more...

before actually putting the blade to the fur, does the blade run smoothly ??? If BOTH blades are no longer working I suspect it is the little plastic piece (if it is an ANDIS or OSTER clipper for example), that drives the blade that may be damaged and this would be why the blade "stuck" in the first place... We sell andis dog clippers and use them on our show jump stallions and that little plastic part is usually the bit that gives... Here is the link ; http://www.peasridge.co.uk/clipper-advice/...-cordless.shtml Have a read about the "blade drive assembly"... Here is a drawing of the plastic piece I suspect to be broken...

Glad to hear he's feeling fine and that the chemo still hasn't put him out of action. I'm also glad you are feeling relieved about the carer... I'm sure she'll do a great job in your absence. Try and have a nice relaxing break and look after YOURSELF whilst on holiday. I don't dare wish you a Merry Christmas because it probably won't be, but try to make the most of it Hugs.

I'm so glad to hear Ollie's first treatment was not too dreadful on him and that he is "his usual wiggly self"... Let's hope it stays that way. Don't worry for the days you are away at Christmas, his health issues will be fine, the baby-sitter will get by OK and it will just be the usual seperation heartache of you both that will be the issue, and that would have been the case had he been ill or not :rolleyes:

Staffyluv, could you please give us an update on Ollie dog's first Chemo treatment... Is he OK ?... By the way, how are YOU coping ? Pampa OXOX

If she's confident to have got it all, you must be feeling pretty pleased about the outcome of all this... Thank goodness the vet played with his jewels during his check-up hey :D

I guess titre testing is the alternative to over-vaccinating Maybe this has already been discussed many times here but I just wanted to add that I'm planning to come back to Australia soon with my dogs and I had to have a RNAAT test done (rabies anti-body titre testing) whereby the anti-bodies needed to be at least 0.5 IU/ml. I had blood drawn BEFORE they received their yearly booster and guess what, their anti-body count from LAST YEARS booster was 2.62 for two of them, and 3.46 for the third !!! 4-6 times more than necessary... They would still be over the required anti-body count in two years time, three years after the last vaccination ! This example is ONLY for rabies as it is the only test I have had taken out at this stage, but I agree with my vet who believes that we are over-vaccinating our pets... If this is the case, the whole veterinary history on vaccinations needs to be re-written. The issue is raging in France as to whether we should only vaccinate every other year (once every 2 years). BTW in France the test was about 5 times the price of the Rabies booster :D

Oh I'm so sorry :D Your heart must be bleeding dry. This was so sudden and unexpected, I can't believe he went downhill so fast and that you lost him... I wish I could say something to ease the pain but this is obviously impossible, I can only send my sincere thoughts to you I guess the injustice of never knowing WHY or WHAT really happened must almost be as painful as the loss of your friend.

If her bleeding from the vulva seems to have dried up, get her to the vet... If she WAS on heat it would be normal that she bleed but that she started, then stopped so abruptly might not be as normal... Pyometra is a worry in older entire females so it may be safer to get her to the vet for a total check up (ie : heart-worm test and girlie business)...

I'm glad you took him back to the vet so quickly and the "snip" could be planned today. Hope he comes out of it OK and that the biopsy tests come back 1) ideally negative or 2) that the eventual tumor was totally got, no spreading possible... Thinking of you and Jet. ETA that I'm sorry if you were planning on breeding from him, his show and stud career has been stopped in it's tracks, which must be a great deception but I'm sure all that is second place to his health...