Dog_Horse_Girl

Ruby's had no specific symptoms. She has food allergies which result in very itchy skin and sometimes a bit of tummy upset - we've had her on a proper elimination diet since April this year and the allergies have settled down quite a bit. Her last check-up was October and nothing was out-of-the-ordinary then. She was put under for cruciate surgery before we moved from Darwin and the vet didn't notice anything unusual other than the knee was correcting itself so he didn't proceed with the surgery at that time. What causes these tumours? Is it likely to be benign? ;)

Anyone with experience in this sort of thing would be welcome to contribute whatever might help. I'm at a loss...have seen others go through this but never imagined it would happen to one of our dogs. ;)

We've just had a call from the surgeon. The news is not the best. ;) Ruby started tremoring again with the induction drug so they started looking for the cause. It seems Ruby has a tumour on her spleen about the size of an orange, they're going to remove both and try to determine if it's benign or not. ;) OH is distraught (Ruby is his heart dog), and I'm trying to stay strong. Please keep Ruby in your thoughts and hope with us that it's just a benign mass.

They are rather vague in relation to the issue with the GA - that worries me. There are other medications available and another type of drug will be used today. As we already have a dog with epilepsy I know how serious, life-threatening and dangerous seizures can be to a dog. I'll be making sure that whatever drug/s caused the reaction, we have it in writing from the hospital so that we can make all future vets aware of this incident. I just have a bad feeling...and hope it's completely unjustified. Will never return to this vet regardless. And I'm sure they'll charge us for both inductions and GA's etc.

Hope Callie and you are coping fine. Please know that we do understand what you're going through and you are certainly not alone. I also reckon men are wusses and we make the "tough" decisions because they're just not able to. Enjoy the time you have left - make happy memories and take lots of pics. Cuddles are fabulous too. I'm so sorry that the news isn't better.

Things did not go well at all and Ruby hasn't had the surgery yet. Apparently she had a bad reaction to the GA (which she was fine with in August with our previous vet) and she was having seizures so they stabilised her and brought her out of it. They didn't even inform us straight away. When they did, OH was given two options: 1. Keep Ruby in overnight for observation and complete the surgery today or 2. Take her home and re-consider the surgery's timing As OH is off work a few more weeks, and as the surgeon recommended it, he decided to leave her there and have the surgery done today. We're both concerned that something could go wrong again and I'm feeling as if we should have just gone and picked her up. But OH just wants it done (and I understand that too). I would have thought they would ring us this morning. But they didn't. So OH has just called to find out that she's apparently much brighter this morning and that surgery is scheduled for about lunchtime today. I hope it goes well and there are no more complications. Please keep Ruby in your thoughts everyone, she needs all the positive energy we can send her way.

She's having the older style surgery, can't recall exactly what the specialist said. However, we won't be going back to this practice. OH took Ruby in this morning and wasn't impressed with the check-in procedure or lack of compassion shown by the receptionist. The woman was trying to get him to PAY and fill in the forms while Ruby was still with him and she was clearly terrified. OH asked if they could settle the dog down first then do the required paperwork and payment. While this was going on, a man brought in his greyhound; both were clearly distressed and it looked like an emergency rather than a routine visit. Rather than rush the dog into a consult room, what did they do? Ask the frantic owner to fill in some paperwork and swipe the credit card...just in case (I suppose in case the dog died and the owner didn't want to pay the bill?). ;) OH also baulked at one of the admit questions on whether we wanted the patient resuscitated during surgery - of course we would want that! Do they really feel the need to ask that in a relatively young and healthy animal? So, we'll be going to Anvet in Kedron next time.

I've deleted much of my OP because it's not relevant ATM. Ruby's got a tumour on her spleen and we're waiting for the surgeon to ring again after he's removed it all. I'm hoping against hope it's benign...if you can, please send positive vibes our way. Please keep my special staffy cross girl in your thoughts this week. BTW - she's nine and a half so not a spring chicken but not elderly either - we didn't see this coming at all.

Probably is the same vet as this one was abrupt and a bit rude IMO. ;) That's really inexcusable I would think. We'll see what happens tomorrow morning but I'm definitely interested in seeing the staff at Anvet after all the feedback here. People on other sites have also recommended Anvet (not dog related sites), so that says a lot IMO. Crossing fingers that tomorrow goes well but I'm guessing surgery will be the recommendation. Thanks for all the feedback, and if there's any more, I'm more than happy to take it all on board.

We saw the GP vet at the specialist centre this morning...I wasn't overly impressed with her to be honest. OH liked her and we have a referral to see one of the orthopods on Monday morning. There was no charge for today's consult which I was pleased about. I don't really know what to make of this vet. She was a bit patronising IMO in discussing general preventives such as tick and heartworm products. She also kept going over the same questions which gave me the irrits and she saw that I kept referring to Ruby's history (previous vet printed it all off for us). She would ask a question, so I'd refer to the history, then she would discuss something-or-other for a number of minutes, then ask ANOTHER question about the history, sending me back into the handbag for both the notes and my glasses. I would then answer the question, put everything away again thinking that was it...only to have her re-ask the same questions...sending me back to the history and in search of my glasses again. Why didn't she just read the history? She also seemed annoyed that our previous vet didn't indicate which leg has the cruciate problem...and that we honestly couldn't tell her as Ruby has had so many lame episodes it's hard to remember which leg had which problem at which time. I'll reserve judgement for now. But I am leaning towards Anvet for general vet consults and routine stuff.

Wow Deb, I thought they were strictly specialists...good to know they're also generalists. But they have a dermatologist (potentially very helpful with Ruby's allergies etc) among other specialties so I'll definitely check the practice out. Also very close to home AND they do wildlife and strays without charge. :D Thanks for the rec!

We need to find a vet in our new city and have heard a few recommendations from others. We are tossing up between two vets in Kedron, one in McDowall, and one in Stafford City...all replies gratefully accepted. If we've missed a great vet, please let me know. :D

Each dog is different but as others have said, until your pup is reliably trained, don't try to teach them a signal to go outside. Ruby (mixed breed) usually goes to the door and barks (just a couple of barks). Lilly (greyhound) and Molly (mini foxie) both get "playful" and start going a little bonkers, running in circles, play-bowing etc, so we know to let them out. Generally we have a schedule: first thing, before leaving the house, as soon as we get home, after dinner. If we're home all day, we might put them outside an extra visit or two but we ALWAYS make sure they go to the toilet. If they go out and lay in the sun, we are pretty sure they don't need to go, but we give the commands anyway...just in case. :rolleyes: Molly also has a puppy pad or two down if we're out all day. She can in theory hold it all day (when we're home) but when we're not here, she might get a bit anxious and so needs to go. Much better she does this somewhere appropriate. I just wouldn't recommend it for a bigger breed for obvious reasons!

Thanks Jodie...it was horrible. I am soooo relieved that she's stable and back to her usual self. She had us so worried.

Molly is much better again. Can't wait to move into the house at the end of the week so we can start getting back to normal. With a number of recommendations, I'm going to try the vet in Kedron. Ruby also needs her lame leg looked at again...she's uncomfortable enough that she needs another visit.

If you're asking the question, that suggests that you feel the dogs might be better being separated. We have three dogs: Ruby (mixed breed, most likely to be a staffy x), Lilly (purebred greyhound) and Molly (mini foxie x). Due to the size differences, we do separate them when we can't supervise but it's not what we necessarily always do. There are times when it's okay for us to leave them together so it's not a hard and fast rule. When separating ours, we use baby gates so they can still see and hear each other, they just can't get to each other. This is what we do if we want them to use activity toys because Ruby is a bit possessive and doesn't share well. Perhaps if you could give a bit more information, more detailed responses could be given.

Dogs are discerning with food in many cases. When I adopted Molly (mini foxie cross), and put a raw chicken neck/wing in front of her, she had no idea of what to do. She'd had dry food all her life. Once I warmed the food slightly and smashed it up a bit, she got the hang of it. Some of my thoughts on dog food: Raw food is often what a dog does best on; dogs can't cook so why offer them cooked foods? My dogs are fed raw but ATM due to our living situation, they're each on a dry food which is specifically suited to their individual needs. Molly is actually doing better on this dry food (it's Royal Canin formulated for toy-sized indoor dogs) than on raw, so I may keep her on this food and continue to give her raw meals a few times weekly. Canned food - is mostly water - why pay for water? Most canned foods are absolutely devoid of nutrition but do have lots of added nasties such as salt, colours and fats. Ditch the canned foods altogether except canned fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon etc as they are very valuable in an overall dog diet. Dry foods - they come in such a wide range from really nasty to excellent and at all prices. Avoid things like Chum, Pal/Pedigree, Supercoat as IMO they're mostly fillers such as grains which dogs really struggle to digest and which can lead to food allergies and sensitivities. Aim for at least a mid-range kibble or better if you can afford it. My greyhound is currently on a Royal Canin formula (Medium, Sensible) and is doing okay on it but will be going back on a raw diet soon. Learn to read and interpret the ingredients lists and the nutrition info and you'll begin to make appropriate choices for your dog based on his needs. Special needs - my middle dog (mixed breed) has suffered with allergies since we got her from the pound aged 6 mths; now at 9 yrs, we recently discovered food allergies are the most likely culprit. Until a week ago, she had been on an elimination diet to find the sources of her reactions. At the moment, she's on Purina One Turkey formula which is specifically for allergic dogs. So far so good - in fact I'm reasonably happy with this food for her as a substitute when raw isn't available or apppropriate (such as when travelling or if she's boarding). She'll be going back to a raw diet though as I feel it's a better option for her long-term. Don't cook for your dog - it's just not necessary. If you wish to home-prepare, then offer raw meaty bones, BARF patties are also good (buy them pre-made in frozen packs), veg slop (basically a mix of veg and fruits that you either puree in a blender or better yet juice and use the pulp), raw egg in the shell, raw offal (organs), plain yoghurt, some fish oil capsules, some linseed (crushed), and other additives to suit your dog such as crushed garlic - NEVER give onion to your dog as it's not good for them. You can also give minced meaty bones if you prefer to alternate with whole bones. Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts and words - it means a lot to me. One of the first things I'm doing when we move into the new house is to find a new local vet. I'm sure there are some terrific practitioners in our part of Brissy and a few people have suggested a vet in Kedron (but they are greyhound specialists I think?). I'll be asking about emergency procedures and medications to keep on hand for Molly just in case. The valium tablets seemed to work very rapidly, and I did give her three (2mg tabs)...by the time the second or third was administered, the seizures had abated enough that I could dose her orally but it wasn't pleasant for her or me. BTW - we'll be in McDowall (unless the house/neighbourhood is awful LOL) so a vet in the general vicinity would be ideal. If anyone has any recommendations or suggestions, we'd be grateful. PRS - she's on Pb only at the moment. I hope that won't change but will have her levels checked and discuss appropriate medications and doses with the new vet. This isn't the first time we've saved Molly's life. A while back (couple of years ago) she was choking on a piece of food...so I stuck my fingers down her throat to remove the blockage but it seemed to take forever to get it out. She's got more lives than a feline, this little dog.

I've got our Darwin's vet after hours number in my phone. Molly seems just fine again, which is great. I'd never seen seizures like this in her; she had only experienced petit mals up until now, so the clusters and the severity just floored me. Her tongue turning blue plus the extreme temperature had me thinking she wouldn't survive...and if we'd waited any longer to administer the valium and cold hosing, she would have died. We had the valium with us for our car-sick dog, Ruby. I'd hate to think of what might have been if we didn't have any valium with us...

We're on the road to Brisbane at the moment. We stayed overnight in Tennant Creek NT on Saturday. While relaxing in our unit, Molly had a mild seizure. I thought very little of it; she's been off her medication a few months so I just gave her a normal dose. Within the next hour, she had a cluster of slightly more severe seizures...which quickly escalated. I rang the vet listed in the phone book, it's 6pm by now. Get another number to ring, goes to voicemail, leave a message. Wait 5 minutes, by this time Molly's in constant seizures, OH is holding her, she's vomited a number of times...things are very serious. Ring again, leave another message. Am in panic mode when I call our Darwin vet...and get their voicemail so leave a message...wait a few minutes then leave another, and then send a text marked EMERGENCY. Lovely wonderful vet rings back straight away on receipt of the text. Molly's tongue is now blue and her body is so hot I wonder if she can survive. Vet gives instructions: dose her with valium and get her under cold water. That's all we can do. So that's what we do. OH has her in the shower, water streaming over her little body, while I'm scrambling to get the valium into her mouth and get her to swallow. We battle for I don't know how long...finally her temp comes down, she calms a little, the seizures stop. She's back to her normal self, but will stay on the medication now. I'm not taking any more chances...poor little thing. She was very dopey after the valium but bounced back on Sunday morning... While I knew in theory what to do, I didn't think clearly and Molly nearly didn't survive. :D If we hadn't reached our vet, I think the outcome would have been terrible. The local vet did ring back but wasn't anywhere near TC and the nearest vet hospital was Alice Springs, about 5 hrs drive away. We were very lucky.

None of the three mentioned in this thread say they accept Titre results on their websites...

YLD I also remember when you rescued Molly...hugs to you. Run free sweetie! You WERE loved. You will be missed. :p

Update with good and not so good news: roo mince (human grade) is all go! No reaction and she loves it...even I love it at $7.95 per kg...ouch. zucchini - she seems to react to this but I'm going to re-try this in a week or once her skin settles (I always re-challenge with the trialled food mid-week after initial introduction unless the reaction is TOO severe, just to be sure). Next on the list will be broccoli...she needs more carbs! ETA - fish oil caps are good! Yay!

I have a dog (staffy x) with severe allergic response. This is partly environmental and contact and partly food allergy. My vet's advice was to complete a food elimination which is underway (has been going on since March or April). Since then, we've discovered she can eat: fish, sweet potato, turkey (on the bone), roo mince (human grade, only roo meat, no preservatives etc), and fish oil (capsules). She can't eat: eggs, chicken, yoghurt, zucchini, canola oil, lard, beef and that's only part way through the trial. I'm sure when we finish, the list of safe/tolerated foods should be a reasonable amount. I have to say our dogs have been raw fed for years, I've followed the BARF diet based on Dr Ian Billinghurst philosophy and I couldn't believe that my dog would have so many foods that she can't tolerate but that's how it is. Her skin reacts, she's actually come up in huge welts. Her skin turns pink to red when she contacts or ingests something she can't tolerate. She's also had vomiting and the squirts as a result of eating something she's allergic to, but this is not a typical allergic response, most dogs have the primary response via the skin. It's a very slow process, finding out what she can and can't eat. But processed foods are OUT. Most have some form of chicken, eggs, beef or lard in them, and nearly all have preservatives (many, many dogs are allergic to these preservatives, including Ruby it would seem). I wouldn't risk giving her a processed food again and this makes it difficult for us, but that's life! We adopted this dog from the pound, she's been with us nearly 9 yrs, and she deserves to be managed appropriately - regardless of how inconvenient or expensive it might be for us. By the way - there is NO way I'd breed from/with an animal with a genetic flaw. It's been proven, at least anectodally, that allergic responses are passed on from parent to off-spring. Go back to your vet and request further work-ups...and help with a proper food elimination trial. I think your dog needs this sort of help. BTW - you can read more about Ruby's journey (and mine!) in this forum...it has some info which might help...and there are other allergy dog threads too.

Greyhounds are known teeth chatterers! Lilly chatters when something is especially wonderful...usually rubbing her own face or when she feels very special after zoomies or a back rub (she lies on the sofa rubbing her own back!).