cowanbree

I do think she is ok for now. She no doubt is a bit uncomfortable at times but generally quite happy and she has been coughing for mths. Normally just when first getting up after resting but as she has progressed she is now occasionally having a cough while lying down. Very hard call isn’t it

The thought has crossed my mind too. In Kaylas case while she has spent the last 8yrs in a smoke free home she did spend her first 5 yrs in the home of a heavy smoker and I know 2nd hand smoke can be just as dangerous. Guess there are other causes also

She was at the vets last week. She is already on antibiotics which has all but stopped the coughing but the breathing is still terrible. The vet said there is nothing more he can give me but I will try the shower and think I will extend the antibiotics for another week. I don't really think her breathing is restricting her, she is as active as she used to be considering her age but it is so difficult to tell. Most of the time I think she is fine but sometimes I look into her eyes and think she is suffering. I guess my main issue is that while I know her condition is terminal I selfishly want as much time as possible with her but not at her expense and that is a very fine line

I have a 13 yr old sheltie Kayla that has tumors growing in her lungs. I was told that she wouldn’t have long to live and to just keep her comfortable so we started her on pred and Kayla has lived a very spoilt life. Far exceeding any vet expectations 18mths on she is still with me and apart from the odd bout of coughing which has caused a slight lung bleed and required antibiotics she has seemed fine until recently. X-rays of her lungs have confirmed that the tumors have slowly gown over that period of time Issue now is that her breathing in one lung sounds very bubbly and moist; I can hear the rattle as she sits in her bed at my feet as I type and I guess my concern is that she is suffering. I have visited the vet and he asked me the vital questions, is she eating well, is she as active as normal considering her age and does she seem happy – my answer to all 3 is yes. She is the first to the biscuit barrel if there is any chance of a biscuit, still races all the dogs outside for the final biscuit before I go to work and is sitting waiting for me wagging her tail when I get home, often in the rain to my horror. In fact the only noticeable change has been that she is feeling the cold more (I brought her a coat and now leave the heat pump on for her) and of course the breathing. Firstly does anyone know of anything that might help her breathing and has anyone else has this issue? I would rather pts 6mths too early than have her suffer but would have to admit I have having difficulties with this decision when she seems otherwise fine.

While I would agree with the others is saying you will know when it is time I will also say it is completely normal for a dog to age. Oldies spend more time asleep, don’t hear or see as well and generally are not as vibrant as when they are young but that doesn’t mean they are suffering, just that their life has changed and they now enjoy different things. Instead of a romp at the park my oldies prefer a cuddle in front of a TV followed by a leisurely stroll. As long as they have more good days than bad and are enjoying life that is what counts

Around 2 years most dogs are mature and start to test authority. I find around this age they start to challenge for top dog spot and are not the lovely easy going puppy there were up until then. Fortunately it is easily solved with a bit of training and a bit more firmness than you have used previously.

I run 2 stud dogs and another younger entire male together. When I am home everyone is inside and this has worked relatively well until recently when the younger male has decided to make a take over bid from what I consider the top dog. Nothing serious has happened between them, just the odd grumble and I don’t really expect it to but one of them has started marking inside. I have no idea which one as they never do it when I am in the room but the minute I am not I come back to marking. How do I stop this if I can’t catch them? I have tried setting them up but to date no luck catching them. Suggestions?

Yes they are fed dry mainly. I might try adding water and raising their food bowls and see if that helps. The vet has check Kayla out but not Millie yet, am taking her on Monday

The food is lodged solid down their throat, if I can manage to hook and pull out the first bit they normally manage to cough up the rest but you have to scoup it out before they swallow it again . Not an easy task with Millie as my very sore fingers prove. I am going to take Millie into the vet on Monday but there must be a reason they are doing this

I am having issues with a couple of my oldies that I was wondering if anyone has ever experienced before. For the past 12mths my gorgeous oldie Kayla has been having issues at meal times. She needs minimal food or she gets very fat and has difficulty walking. As a result food is extremely important to her and if I put the plate down in front of her she would consume it in seconds. This hasn’t really changed from years gone past but what has changed is her ability to swallow. I have to hand feed her over about 10 minutes or she chokes and even then at least once a fortnight I end up having to plunge my fingers down her throat and pull out food that has clogged in her throat, very scary. Obviously she has been to the vet but he said there is nothing he can do, just old age. I have previously accepted that as she is in last stages lung cancer anyhow so I am really just trying to keep her comfortable but this last fortnight I have been having exactly the same issue with my other oldie Millie. Millie is a fit and healthy 13 year old and not as easy to handle as Kayla – she bites. For the second time in 4 days tonight Millies has choked to the point she was losing consciousness. This is not normal and I don’t believe it is part of aging, I have had a number of oldies over the years and never had this before. Anyone had this? What did you do to overcome it?

My old girl had that, although no vomiting and it slowly came right over a period of about 6 weeks. She was not medicated as my vet saiad it wouldn't help and always had a slight head tilt after that - I thought it was cute

I have had it twice, they looked and felt like marble statutes. First time I lost both puppies. Second time I was more prepared as I had spoken to an old time breeder who told me it was either abnormalities in the puppy that I couldn’t do anything about and they were going to die or it was hypoglycemia. She told me immediately after to give the puppy brandy as it was the brain causing the seizures and brandy would relax the brain. Then slowly warm the puppy giving it glucose only, don’t feed it as feeding a chilled puppy is sure to kill it. She also said to continue to top the puppy up with glucose until it was a good body weight. It didn’t seem that professional a method but the second time it happened it was a much planned and long awaited litter and it was happening to my pick dog – I had nothing to lose. It worked, he sits at my feet as I type

If they are putting on a health weight I wouldn’t worry about topping them up. Just concentrate on make sure Mum has all she can eat to provide what the puppies need. Most of my girls don’t look like they are feeding and they generally only let down the milk in response to suckling

I always recommend clipping the cats nails so even if they do take a swipe at the puppy they won't do serious damage

Any head tilt which seems to go with ear issues?

Check for eyelashes irritating the eye. I just shine a light on the eye and gently pull the lid back and you should be able to see it there. For some reasons vets seldom check for them but they are quite common

I think the first thing that has to be addressed is the breeding. For a 4yr old to have arthritis is not normal and unless she has had an accident I would be suspicious of things such as HD or elbow issues which means the bitch should be desexed. Even if she has had an accident I would have to think seriously about allowing her to have a litter as it places a lot more weight and strain what is already hurting. Metacam for me is not the first thing I would use and never in a girl i was going to breed anytime near when she was due in season

I would agree, brought the Furminator and hated it and then brought the Mars, it is great. Wouldn't use ot on my show dogs though

If you mean and leave the bicth entire, I looked into it once and think it was up to about 6 weeks. The bitch would go into labour and abort the puppies. By that stage they would be fully formed. Spaying they will do right up to about 7 weeks

I think you may have the dosage wrong but never the less it pays not to take giving these meds lightly. I gave my old girl Metacam for a leg injury and she started having seizures. The vet didn’t believe it was a result of the Metacam but seems strangely coincidental that she seizured until 2 days after I stopped giving it to her

She didn't enjoy it anymore and as a result was not as competitive as she used to be so was retired. I had other dogs to train and saw little sense in putting all that time and effort into something she hated. It was a tough decision though as she was working Test C and I had dreams of an obedience Champion. Gave up obedience totally soon after this and have been breed showing every since

I wouldn't be making any decisions until I had a chiropractor do over her. Vets seldom really have a idea about that type of thing and they can work wonders

Is he an entire male?

Mine are breedist. Any sheltie is welcomed but other breeds take some time to be accepted

Does she have a head tilt as often that can be the inner ear rather than a stroke. All other symptoms are very similar. I have had the inner ear issue which was orginally misdiagnosed as a stroke. Nothing but time helps but Kell did return to about 90%, just kept the head tilt