Sheridan

Wire, I have a wheaten who hides under the bed if he thinks he's going to be brushed. I have to fool him into thinking that he's going to a dog show. I put on his show lead and say 'Show!' in a very cheerful voice and then bribe him with food to get him on his grooming table. A slicker is really the only thing for wheaten knots. Try to get one that has a little ball on top of each pin. A thinly toothed comb is also a must but the best thing I bought for teeny matts that won't comb out with a regular comb is a flea comb. I use a small pair of scissors to split bad matts rather than one of those matt splitting rakes. I found the rakes hurt too much. Another good friend is one of those dog microfibre towels (like a chamois) that get the water out more easily.

A really basic explanation of Cushings is that it's a tumor or series of tumors in the pituitary gland. This gland, which is at the base of the brain, produces various hormones. Cushings, as far as I understand it, is where too much of one particular hormone is produced, like an overdose. This website has a few details and is a good basic explanation.

hmm i didnt realise the thyroid helped function all those parts! I am going to definitely have his thyroid checked as he has excessive thirst, appetite, his ears and eyes have stopped "cleaning themselves"and more... Hmmm, indeed. Perhaps also suggest that the vet take a look at Cushings and test for diabetes. I got my dog's thyroid tested earlier this year because he was having sudden bouts of aggression. Thyroid was fine, though (turned out he's just a Grumpy Old Man).

BDog, my dog lost those kilos over a number of months. I suppose atm it's a wait and see thing for you!

BDog, my dog is nearly 13 years old but he is very fit and strong and can run rings around me. His weight, when we were having some feeding and medication (cortisone) issues, went up to 24 kg. He's now about 20.5 kg. I would like him to lose perhaps another 1-2 kg to get to an ideal weight. He's a middling size terrier. I feed him tuna or sardines (both in springwater) and a couple of premium kibbles. Kidney diets can be tricky things, particularly if complicated by something else. The important thing with kidney disease is that you have to keep the dog eating and drinking. It will be an entirely different disease (as your dog is not losing weight and not a wheaten terrier), but I lost my last wheaten to a kidney disease and once he stopped eating, that was it. Please also check with the vet about the medications as most dogs I know who have had a kidney disease get on a raft of meds rather than just one. The holistic vet sounds good! You'll need to ensure that something like Joint Guard isn't going to affect his stone or heart murmur or kidneys.

Just on the above, the OP has to take into account the kidney disease. She will not want foods high in phosphorus (which, for example, sweet potato is).

I don't think your thread is in the wrong place. Dogs with kidney disease certainly do better with small meals parcelled out over the day. A 100 grams is not a lot of food so you have to ensure that it's the right food. An indepth examination, blood and urine tests (particularly his urine-creatinine protein ratio) will reveal a lot about the type of kidney disease he has.

yes, the u/d is for his stones... as far as i know, its high in water and has nothing in it which can add calcium to his urine. His kidney disease and stones are two separate things... but apparently his kidney disease gets worse if the crystals are allowed to form into stones.... Do you know what form of kidney disease it is or is that in the vet stuff you're waiting on? I know cats get the crystals. I have a reference somewhere at home, I think, so will look that up. It would have been from when I was on the K9-Kidney list. In regards to the weight, I'd be interested in what the vet thinks. Might be something else unrelated to the kidney disease. Depending on what type it is, I would have thought that he'd have trouble keeping the weight on.

Is the U/D for his kidney stones? You mention the stones and then kidney disease. Is that the same thing or is the kidney disease separate?

This is late but if Wire's still around ... The trick with wheaten grooming is to ensure your dog is knot free before being washed. That way, the coat won't matt much during the wash. If it isn't brushed out, any knots will shrink during the wash and be harder to get out. The dog should then be brushed out again when the coat is thoroughly dry. Brushing when the coat is still wet will stretch and damage the coat.

Champion released another statement. They said this: How could they not be aware of it??

I agree. We will keep him on it until we buy something else - might just get the small bags first and monitor his 'movements' for a month before deciding to buy large bags. I'm thinking about holistic eagle pack. Have you tried it? Grumpy is on Eagle Pack Holistic Salmon and Anchovy as his breakfast food. Mini gets that, too, atm, for brekkie and dinner (until I get her Bonnie Complete again). Both have a Ziwipeak Venison and Green Lipped Mussel garnish on top.

I thought given the kerfuffle over Orijen and dried treats, people might have some recommendations for food dehydrators. They seem to vary enormously in price. I've previously done turkey jerky in the oven at a very low temperature but this takes 8-10 hours. If you have the time (and hey, who does) to leave your oven on, all I did was put some fresh turkey pieces on an oven tray and cooked on 50 degrees in a gas oven - not fan forced. It came out fairly crunchy and of course, the treats only lasted a few days.

Interestingly, my little girl wasn't fussed on Orijen either.

I use Ziwipeak for treats rather than for meals. It's great for treats. I can get my dog off a bone by asking him if he wants some Ziwipeak.

Thats a good point, and now that you mention it, it does seem like he is referring to the manufacturing process. Did you write back for clarification, Fady?

I'm very sorry to hear of your dog's illness. As others have said, your dog will let you know. It may be how she looks, it may be her behaviour - something that she wouldn't ordinarily do that's her telling you that she's ready to go. You'll know when it happens, even though you might not accept it straightaway. It won't make your decision any easier but it will make it easier to accept. Best wishes.

I was told quite some years ago to avoid those cheap imported rawhide chews because they were 'cured' in formaldehyde.

Unfortunately, all the Australian ones have chicken as their base and chicken as the animal fat. I feed Eukanuba FP and EP Holistic Salmon and Anchovy precisely because they don't contain chicken. So far, I've not had an issue with either food and my dogs don't glow in the dark yet.

Chia, how is she at home? Pleased to see you? Happy? Is she doing something that's unusual that's saying she wants to leave you? When my last dog was diagnosed with a kidney disease, my parents were overseas. I did everything I could but I came to the conclusion that he was just waiting for them to come home. This was after he started wanting to sleep in their room rather than ours. I'm a firm believer in adage that the dog will tell you when it's time.

If you don't want to go for titre testing, there is a three vaccination available for parvo, distemper and hepatitis. You still have to yearly vaccinate for kennel cough. I can't remember if you still have to yearly vaccinate for kennel cough with titre testing, though. I had an indepth discussion with the vet about titre testing and he said that it's not an exact science from his experience.

she just said she couldnt afford the AV - the vet probably advised to put them on it but not everyone can just fork out 4000 And if that's the case then the dogs should have been pts rather than left in agony, I think is the point people are trying to make.

I bought the Oldfield SD1000 as a present for someone. It's very good.

There are various shampoos and conditioners that may help. I use Groomers Products on my wheaten and kerry blue (hours of grooming fun ...). A good detangling spray prior to dematting will help ease the pain. The Animal House one is good. I don't like the Groomers one. The Plush Puppy products are also very good. Most wheaten people recommend a detangler called The Stuff and I think the Groomers Products website lists it. Around the face, I'd suggest clippers as others have done. Also a good comb and a small pair of scissors to split matts are essential. Stubborn, small matts, I use a flea comb.

*wonders who Hardly Normal are using for their interest free stuff then; looks like GE on my card*