Dog_Horse_Girl

Firstly, thankfully your dog is okay - this time. Secondly, if your dog is prone to eating ANYTHING, you will need to manage its environment to a higher level than a dog that won't pick up things that are harmful. Thirdly, never have anything in your property that may harm your dog when ingested - clearly if it will harm your dog, it will also harm other critters. If you have a rodent problem, why not use mouse or rat traps? Much more humane than bait which literally sucks the blood from the system in order that the animal dies. Snail bait will kill plenty of critters along with the snails so instead, use something 'friendlier' such as a small pot (submerged) with beer in the bottom. The snails are attracted to the beer and go in after it but can't get out so they drown AFTER getting slightly tipsy. Or use some lengths of off-cut poly plumbing pipe - place them around the yard where snails like to hide, every morning go out and knock the snails out of the pipes then tread on them. Quick death and it doesn't hurt other critters either. Or get some ducks. Ducks love to eat snails. Fourthly, if your dog ingests something it shouldn't, you MUST take it to the vet. That's one of the responsibilities of having a dog - you have a legal responsibility to take it to a vet when necessary. While a first aid kit may help in some cases, in the example of poisoning, you MUST seek vet treatment ASAP. Fifth - anything that's in a human first aid kit belongs in a canine first aid kit. Bandages, antiseptic wipes and washes (betadine is good), alcohol wipes, splints, tweezers, saline wash, non-stick wound care, etc...all are good to have to hand. HTH.

Are we all assuming this is fed raw??? If so, then all chicken parts are fine, in theory. If cooked, then NO, definitely not. Perhaps the OP could clarify?

Oh, dear. I'm not sure who gets my sympathy... :p Oh, yes I am...Ollie! :D On a more serious note, I hope it's just a tummy upset and nothing more. And I hope you got some help with cleaning up? :D

Hi Wendy, I use Aloveen conditioner after shampooing with Aloveen shampoo. How's Andy's skin going? Any improvement with the herbals in play? Ruby's doing much better after a minor set-back a few weeks ago where she was scratching herself raw. I've upped the dose of skin allergy mix slightly which has helped enormously.

Awesome news Jodie...let's hope Ollie keeps improving!

Jodie, I'll be thinking of you on Tuesday. Ollie's in safe hands...keep that as your mantra and you'll be okay. :D

Jodie, that must have been a difficult decision for you. I suppose you need to think about the pro's and con's of the surgery and about how it will benefit Ollie vs the situation if you do nothing. He's still got his energy and zest for life, so I imagine having a bad knee would be frustrating for the lad - knowing that he loves his outings as he does. Tough call really. But Hamish wouldn't go ahead with something he thought too risky...is it Hamish doing the surgery or the specialist at Gungahlin? Sending you all the pawsitive thoughts in the world and many many hugs! :rolleyes:

That's a fair question. I don't know what I'd do faced with the same situation with one of mine. I know Jodie goes above and beyond for Ollie and seeing their bond is amazing. He's a great dog and she's a great 'mum' to him. I know he's miserable when he can't go for walks and if I thought the occasional stroll around the block would be more beneficial than detrimental, I'd probably 'risk' it in her shoes. But that's academic isn't it b/c I'm not her and it's not my dog with MCT and all the issues that Ollie has faced over the past few years. Jodie, stay strong and enjoy Ollie's presence. Whether the silly boy gets to the park or not isn't the only issue...he's a great lad with such a zest for life even when he's unwell...hang onto that thought as much as you can when the bad days come. Enjoy the good days no matter how fleeting they may feel. Hugs to you both. :rolleyes:

Jodie, you know you have to take him to the park...it's his quality of life that's important just as much as it is yours. You know he's better off being a little unwell and happy in himself than well but miserable. Nothing worse than a sad stafford.

Thanks for the updates everyone. I've just realised it's time for Molly to have her blood work done. AFAIK, she's been seizure-free since last April/May but we work through the week so can't be absolutely certain she doesn't seize while we're not home. There's no evidence of it...but I suppose you can never tell. Hugs and kisses to all the epi dogs out there.

Jodie, Ruby had an infected hock joint twice in the past year. It was very painful both times and she has some lingering joint pain today. We put her on a course of Cartrophen injections that did help enormously and she's currently getting fish oil caps and glucosamine tabs as supplements every day. Give Ollie another cuddle from me and a few ear scritches too.

Thanks for posting the pic, as it makes more sense in picture form than words...will have a bash at making one for Molly who just can't "hold it" all day. She is trained to "go" on old towels after we had a few attempts at using a litter tray which failed miserably.

Jodie I'm so glad to hear Ollie is doing much better. My heart was in my throat for a while there reading what you described. Continued thoughts and prayers for a continuation of the 'good days' over the 'bad ones'.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Run free Emma. Run free!

Could you please post some pics? Would love to see the finished product...

This is one of those "multiple choice" questions, as people have different opinions and the answers depend on the type/breed/gender of dog and how dedicated its handler is to ensuring it is safe while still entire. My dogs are all speyed. They are all rescues and were done as young adults. When I buy a pup (if I buy a pup) it will be done as early as possible by a vet with sufficient experience in early spey surgery. Dogs are also much easier than bitches if that helps! My male was done at five months but that was 20 yrs ago and thinking has changed a lot since...they're done as young as 8 wks now.

Have you tried 'alone training' with this pup? If not, that would be my first suggestion. The dog has to learn that it's okay to be left alone and that you always return no matter what. She also has to learn that YOU are the leader rather than her...it could be she is 'calling you home' in the mistaken belief that YOU are HER CHILD...it could also be that she has the mistaken belief that she's the protector of the home and she's overwhelmed with such a huge responsibility. How much leadership do you show her in your daily relationship? A few toys here and there aren't likely to help: this dog needs serious brain-work while you're absent and plenty of exercise before you leave her. A tired dog is a good dog, as the adage goes. You can always try the DAP products - the diffuser is only of use in indoor areas, so perhaps move her from outside to the indoors. This will also help muffle her vocalising and in tandem with DAP, you can leave the TV, radio or CD (classical music works well) going for 'company'. There are so many techniques you can try - the council simply can't insist you remove the dog without allowing you time to work through the problem. Also, under the Freedom of Information Act, the subject of a complaint (you) can scrutinise the complaint to find out exactly what the person has reported. It could be that the person has gone overboard in their complaint or that it's not even your dog making the noise. But you have the legal right to find out exactly what the council has received and that's the first thing I'd recommend. They won't give you the personal information but they must give you the substance of the complaint. I hope this helps. BTW - I've heard that Seksel doesn't even have a dog...apparently because it's "unfair" as she travels for her job. My advice would be to choose a behaviourist that your trusted vet has recommended. Perhaps they have access to someone through their practice?

I started trying to find a solution to Lilly's inability to digest processed foods, and came across raw feeding on a greyhound forum. I noticed that most of the people with dogs that had tummy upsets ended up feeding raw, so I thought I had nothing to lose by researching what was involved. I hunted on the web for a while, then bought the Barf Diet book by Billinghurst, and went from there. As I didn't want just one dog on raw and the others on processed, I switched the lot, and none of us has looked back since. I feed occasional processed treats - but I look for those without preservatives, artificial colours and flavours. They seem to give the least amount of trouble. Dried liver is the best treat I've found - the dogs go mad for it and it's easily bought in the supermarket!

When I first noticed Molly's seizures, I got her to the vet straight away. Her seizures are very mild (petite mal) but she's "out of it" for up to an hour post-seizure. So far, the pheno is working wonders - we haven't noticed a single seizure since starting her on it almost a year ago. She's due for a check-up and bloods next month and I'm hoping we can wean her from the drug but if not, she seems to be doing just fine. The vets ruled it epilepsy only b/c they were able to rule every other cause of seizures out by blood work and observation of the seizure activity she exhibits.

Wendy I'm vegetarian too, but all my dogs are on a raw diet. P.S - where do you buy your bones? I can only find expensive bones in butcher shops so I do mostly chicken from Lenard's in Palmy. The girls are missing their roo, lamb, beef (ribs) and other assorted goodies.

Don't they sell pups there though? No, I've never seen pups at the Fyshwick Markets store. They do sell birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish. I wonder if they run Powell's stock feed in Phillip as well? In which case, I guess they'd order it in, too. Oops, my mistake - I was thinking of the former Susan's Pets at the markets...in Belconnen.

Don't they sell pups there though? The groomers at Hume also stock the EP range, although some blends have to be ordered in... Petbarn is stocking a few super-premium foods now, and if you ask they may order EP in for you too.

Wendy did you get a reply from Robert yet? He's the best herbalist IMO in this country. If he can't help, it's likely nobody can. I can also recommend Dr Stephen Cutter from the Ark Animal Hospital - we use him and he's very good. Thorough, patient, detailed, listens attentively, makes good suggestions, and above all else, loves animals dearly. His practice also runs the animal rescue PAWS...which I think is sorely needed in Darwin. Keep us posted, eh? Poor Andy...I feel so bad for the little man.

Have you contacted the herbalist, Robert McDowell? If not, I'd strongly recommend his advice and remedies. Ruby is our super-allergic dog and his remedies work a treat. I use the blood purifying mix when she's really bad, and use the skin allergy mix for much of the year. These remedies are completely safe, unlike the conventional treatments, and Ruby tolerates them well. She's fed a raw, whole foods (home prepared) diet which I also believe helps enormously. Link to Robert McDowell's website: Robert McDowell HTH.

Sadly, we don't have any pet stores that a) don't sell pups b) carry genuine super premium foods The best I've found is Royal Canin and Nutrience. No EP... Oh, PP has Innova EVO (when I last checked, the small bag was six months out of date, the large bag over a year out of date). And California Natural of course, also by Innova. Wendy, I'd suggest stopping the processed foods altogether. Try a bland raw diet. Andy's skin must be very sore ATM poor lad. ;) If you can, source human grade meat and bones rather than pet grade. I'd suggest lamb neck rosettes and other lamb parts and only lamb to see if he improves at all. Try contacting Robert McDowell Robert McDowell for his assistance. I swear by his skin allergy and blood purifying treatments for Ruby who has severe airborne allergies (well, they're not diet-related so we can only assume that she reacts to air-borne and/or substances she comes into contact with)...she's a different dog! To the DOLer who suggested showing him as a hairless, the Darwin dog show world is VERY small and everyone knows everyone and their dogs. It's not possible to 'cheat' in such a way. edit b/c I originally suggested chicken but that causes Andy digestive upsets...