cowanbree

The good old bastard file works wonders. You can buy them at any hardwear show, they are not expensive and they work great. They are just a big manual rasp file

I have had the same thing in a cat. They removed part of the nose and took the lump out and she is alive 4 years later. She still sounds quite snuffly sometimes and isn't the prettiest thing to look at but she is fine. I would do it again in a heartbeat

I would advise you to desex her in 3-4 weeks, even if she is pregnant it is still quite safe to do then. Obviously the best option is to keep her confined and not let her be mated but all is not lost. Even if she has been mated I would not desex her while she is in season, waiting a few weeks isn't going to hurt and is safer for her

I have just had to make the decision for my 17 year old best friend Brody last week and he asked to go, the spark that was him wasn't there anymore and quite simply he didn't want to be here. Everyone has always said you will know by the look in their eyes and I now firmly believe that.

Definitely try the blue powder remedy recommended by ellz. After trying everything it was the only thing that helped our poodle many years ago and I have heard many other rave about it as well

It is a full hysterectomy although there is some research being done to the advantages of leaving the ovaries in so who knows in the future. I would not be walking your girl. This is a major operation and she should be kept quiet. I have never noticed any difference in how often they have to go in any of my girls so hopeful just because she is sore. And to the orginal poster, my dogs are normally up and relatively normal with in 2-3 days but they are all different. I had one girl who played it for all it was worth for over a week. She had me carrying her in and out to the toilet for ages until I caught her mid play when she thought I wasn't looking. I was very worried about her. Having said that if you are worried take her in, better to be safe than sorry

I hate travelling with young dogs. I had a young bitch not toilet at all for 36 hours as she wouldn't go until we got home. Made it a very stressful weekend for both of us

I could suggest a number of herbal type things to calm them but have always understood that sedation and air travel are a no no. This is for a number of reasons including if there is turbulence they can't brace themselves properly and may be hurt, nobody is present if there an adverse reaction to the sedation etc etc. I have one dog that doesn't travel well at times but I won't sedate him, the only thing I have ever given him is sealegs in case he was motion sick.

I have used Yucca in the past for dogs with arthritis, used to work wonders for my old boy but that was a long time ago. I am sure it is an anti-inflam?

One of my oldies has had anal problems all her life. About once a mth they would express themselves and the smell was truly terrible. I was expressing them on a regular basis but still having problems so my vet injected antibiotics into the gland openings themselves and I have had no problems since. At the time I questioned why if they were not infected but he said looked and me and said it seems to work and he is right. It has been 6mths and I haven't had to express them since and no problems.

K9 is pretty good about giving training tips if you ask him nicely. How about it K9, how do you train a solid recall? Personally I would love to come to your seminars, any plans for New Zealand?

It is a very difficult time but I always try to ask myself if I was that dog would I want to be here. Does she have quality in life or am I keeping her because it is too hard for me to do it. I think you do know when the time comes and in the meantime as long as she isn't suffering there is no great rush. I must say you are very lucky, I have never had one of my oldies go in their sleep, I have had to make that phone call every time. Not eating isn't good in an oldie but one thing you could consider doing is giving her some prednisone. It is not recommended for normal dogs but in the oldies where you have nothing to lose it can create miracles and is very inexpensive especially in the littlies. I am currently giving it to two dogs, one in kidney failure and the other with terminal cancer and it has given them their quality of life back. Not a practise I would recommend for normal dogs but when the alternative is PTS, why not.

My vet has never charged me to have my pets PTS. They come to my house so my babies are PTS in the comfort of their own home, they usually bring flowers and a card and several times the vet has actually helped me bury them . Having said that I am an extremely good client and think I may have paid for the new extension on their clinic so a few perks don't hurt.

I am not sure what the mix is to be honest as I buy it from my vet premixed. All I know is that it is wonderful and really helps weak fading puppies. He calls it a glucose solution

I use the glucose injection in place of tube feeding and find it much more effective. Basically you warm the solution slightly and inject under the skin until there is a lump of fluid about the size of a golf ball in a large breed. When this disperses it is time to do it again, as simple as that. The puppies are kept lovely and hydrated and it is quick and easy. I have done this for up to 4 days. As for the use of the brandy I have found it very effective in fitting puppies. You are giving them enough to get them drunk, this stops activity in the brain and gives you time to get them warm. The most important thing I have learnt however is that to feed them prior to having them warmed to a normal temperature is a death sentence, don't guess take their temperature.

Just a quick note about hypoglycaemia, unfortunately I have had extensive experience with it. Normally it is a result of the puppy being chilled and/or not getting enough to eat. Never feed a puppy that has fitted, normally their temperature is below normal and feeding them will, in most cases result in their death. They must be slowly warmed up and then fed a solution of glucose and water. Don't be in a hurry to switch back to formula, they can survive on glucose for 3-4 days. The best way to get the glucose into them is injection under the skin, it is more rapidly absorbed than by tube feeding. Also my best tip was learned from an old time breeder and has saved many puppies for me. The seizuring is what normally causes death so to stop them give the puppy brandy to relax their brain. It gives you time to get them walmed up and to get the glucose into them before a seizure can kill them.