Kelly_Louise

I've spent over 20k on 'just my dog'. Otherwise my options were to watch her suffer, or put her to sleep - and I believed she deserved a chance. I would be guided by the specialist/surgeon, and dont be afraid to get a second opinion if you do not feel comfortable - or feel pressured into surgery. Also if you decide to go for surgery, ring around and find out prices at other specialists etc. Surgery can have some really great results though, if surgery is performed well and aftercare adhered to strictly. Dogs are given pain killers, so its not as traumatic as what you would imagine (but this is depending on the dog and the type of surgery of course, and the success of it). They are more resilient than we give them credit for. If surgery is needed, if it is done well and the aftercare instructions and confinement are followed carefully - I wouldnt imagine that the surgery costs would keep building. If successful I would imagine just joint supplements and a few ongiong xrays/checkups?

I had the same question - it is the same but Advance is made by better quality products. I have stuck with Advance dry, but in emergencies have cans of Optimum in the cupboard if I dont have anything else (and Sash LOVES it when its emergency days and she gets the canned Optimum - she loves it).

LOL - a do it yourself dog... I like it!!!

Yes Sash's just seem to grow so quickly... I can always hear them scraping on the cement when she's doing zoomies etc, but I don't think it's rough enough to do a good job. I've also warned OH to stop encouraging her to jump up and play roughly, as of course a dog will scratch you when they are playing so rough and jumping/rumbling. She doesnt jump on me much at all anymore as I discouraged it.

She walks and runs alot on our entertainment area which is concrete (with the tiles stenciled on) but I guess it's not rough enough to file them back enough. When we walk, we usually do majority of it on concrete paths too. I guess this is not doing enough naturally, so I'll try weekly and see how I go. She's not too bad if she's in a good mood and will lie there patiently. But when she's had enough, she's had enough. Perhaps if we do it more regularly too she will become alot more patient (as it does take me a while cause I dont want to hurt her and Im no expert!!)

Ok, I will try doing it weekly and see how we go - thanks. I think her nails must grow really fast (and yes they are very strong!!). Not sure how she will go with weekly nail trims, but with lots of bribes I think we'll manage

Thanks Miranda, I will keep doing it more regularly, just little bits and hopefully the quick will get shorter and allow me to cut her nails shorter. I was concerned maybe I was doing something wrong, perhaps once a month wasn't enough. I have a professional nail clipping set so I guess I cant be going too wrong. Thanks again!

Oops double post

Is there any way to retard the quicks growth? Looks like that's probably what's happened, but is there anyway to correct it now? And thank you HappyGirl

I haven't had much experience cutting nails back (Chloe wouldn't let us do it - only the vet can). I've been diong Sasha's myself (when I can get her to sit there long enough). I cut as close to the quick as I can, then file them smooth. But they are still long and OH says I mustn't be doing it right (she scratched his neck this morning). How often do they need to be done (I try to do Sasha's once a month) but they are still long but fairly smooth (unless cement roughs them up etc). Just wondering how far back I can cut... I don't want to cut into that fleshy stuff under her nails (is it called the quick?), but her nails are still really long... I dont think there's anything wrong with them, but OH says they were much shorter when she came to us (not sure how). Or any advice on how to correctly cut them? Help please?

Chloe is a very fussy eater, would never dare eat dry food on it's own... But happily ate any Eagle Pack I gave her - first time I've seen her not turn her nose up to dry food on it's own. But I have to feed her a prescribed Science Diet and that's the only reason I didn't keep feeding it to her. My OH's old GSD loved it too and she did really well on it. I think they play us so they can just get the good stuff that they DO feel like eating. For example, if a child won't eat for a while all the good vegies or similar, some might cave and feed Macca's just because 'at least they are eating something'. They've just been played... :p

I'm no expert, but I agree getting her to take food/drink from your hands is an important step. Also you could try crouching down in her vicinity, allowing her to come close but don't make any attempt to reach out to her - basically ignore her. Let her come to you. Stay there for a while and if nothing happens just leave. She will learn to trust you in time - like you said, you have lots of time to work with her. Just be patient and try not to push her, let her work it out in her own time but give her a helping hand by trying to get her to eat from your hands etc. If she won't at first, have the food somewhere near you and bring it in closer over time - whatever she can handle. I'd be asking alot of questions to the person you got her from. For a dog to be shaking and growling in the presence of someone has some serious issues - and is not 'fine' as the breeder said. Poor bugger, glad she has you now

Sorry but I can't help but giggle everytime i read the title of your thread I do hope Gomez is okay and doesn't sud up too much inside.

To answer your question regarding which of surgeries (should it come to that) to choose. My best advice is to research them thoroughly on the net.... read read read so you know what each one involves. Secondly, be guided by the specialist. For heavier dogs, IMO and it is my personal view, the osteotomy type surgeries are preferable. I was also advised this with my cattle dog. Out of the options the specialist gave me, I chose the tibial wedge osteotomy. Basically in very non technical terms, they make a break in the bone below the knee, cut out a wedge and rotate it so as to change the slope of the knee. They then screw in metal plates to keep it all in place. We were advised by another vet to go for these types of surgeries for heavier dogs (>20kg) over the 'scar tissue build up' type (sorry not sure what they are called). But that's my view... and having personal experience I couldn't be happier with the results of 2 tibial wedge osteotomies. But it was a long recovery (my old girls bone healed slowly). About 2 - 3 months in confinement (in my case x 2). It was painstaking, but worth it. I hope it doesn't come to surgery for you, but if it does, don't panic. The results if done properly, and aftercare followed religiously, can be fantastic. If you want any further info, please let me know. In the meantime, for conservative treatment - get as much weight off as possible and rest, no rough play, no big jumping etc. A joint supplement could help too - Sasha's Blend, Joint Guard etc.

Yep, swelling around the face and throat, rashes. I find Chloe gets a bit dull and listless as well. I can also tell when Chloe's having a reaction cause all the plants etc are knocked over and it looks like a tornado has hit where she's been going around and around in a circle trying desperately to scratch. We've never had to 'rush' Chloe to the vet, but the sooner you get them there the better - more so for their own comfort and wellbeing.

May I please ask what could stop a dog from digesting pieces of bone? Is this a common thing?

How old is she? Chloe became obsessed with drinking water all of a sudden and was diagnosed with cushings disease - however she did have other symptoms like bloated belly and ravaging hunger. But she would basically just drink and pee, drink and pee.... It was just not normal she seemed to have insatiable thirst. If she's a youngun' maybe she just likes water alot LOL. Sash loves water, dunks her whole head in and drinks alot (esp when she is unsettled), but nothing that I would say is abnormal, more just habit.

I'm looking for a vet that I can completely trust to look after my Sash. Chloe has a specialist vet but Sasha can not go there for normal consults etc, which is a shame cause I really love them. There are a few requirements - firstly, I'd like one that has a larger sized consult room. Secondly, one that would help work with Sasha's issues and fear of the vets and would be understanding of that. A vet that does house visits would also be really good option for us. I have tried Elizabeth Drive Animal Hospital - but I didn't feel comfortable that they are the right vet for Sasha. Preferrably not too far out of Liverpool as she is prone to get car sick and the longer the drive the more anxious she seems to get If anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them!!

Possibly. She was very much the same, actually she was even more scared probably last visit but no one tried to touch her she just hid behind me the whole time and paced around. But I guess just because it didn't look traumatic to us doesn't mean it wasn't to her, especially if she was in pain. Maybe it was the memory of the actual desexing operation as well - I know it turned one of my old dogs off going to the vet. She's such a good girl, I hate seeing her so afraid and I know she will come good - might take a while but I know she will. She's much better in the car now at least and doesn't spew or get overly anxious about it - just drooled all over me But we just do short drives just in case.

Thanks for your concern guys, it does help enormously. I spoke to the vet today (they rang to see how Sash is doing) and I asked them about bringing her in every now and then to try to reinforce positive experiences. They are happy to do that I just have to let them know when I'm coming etc, which is really good. So we will start on that. Sheridan I don't really know much about the gastro bug, I'm not convinced that Sash has/had gastro as she wasn't really too bad like I imagine dog gastro would be. Just a few runny poos and a couple of spews, but she was energetic and bouncing around throughout. I suspect it's something that she's maybe eaten while i wasn't looking at the park or something. I did find what looked suspiciously like a shoelace in her poo a few days ago... have no idea where she would have got it or why she would eat it, but it really did look like bits of shoelace.

Yes it is sad. Funnily she would gladly take food off the vet, but when she moved in, it was all bets off. Even afterwards, when she had given up and we were just asking questions she was feeding Sash and she was taking them gently. But I could see in her eyes she was wary and watching for any approach. I think it's a great idea to make regular short visits where nothing happens, just good things. I think it will help her alot. I will talk to the vet today to see what we can arrange.

OMG!!! No wonder he doesn't like vets! I'm hoping that this is something we can resolve because she is really not an aggressive dog, she's a good girl that just wanted to defend herself when she was backed into a corner as she was very very afraid - her skin would jump everytime she felt a new touch. She never made contact with the vet once thankfully, just air snaps, but still it is not appropriate behaviour. Cosmolo, she's a rescue. At the pound then at boarding kennels for a while before we brought her home - but that's all anyone really knows about her I guess. The first time we took her to the vet to have her desexing stitches looked at, she was very wary - but she had room to move away from the vet and the vet did not push her as they could see the stitches from a distance. So there was no snapping or signs of that behaviour, she was just timid and frightened and moved away. That's why I didn't really think she would react this way - that and the fact that she is not an aggressive dog at all. She is very patient and placid. Otherwise I would have prepared the vet in advance.

Oh thank you for the advice - it's given me some great ideas to help Sash, and being the angel she is I know she will respond well. I've emailed a vet behaviourist to see what he says as well. I feel I've got good direction now - thank you all so much for the ideas - they may seem small but will help enormously. If I can think of all the small steps that trigger her we can surely work on it. It must be awful to feel so scared. I want her to feel safe, and that I would not let anyone hurt her. She has only been with us for such a short time but has come so far.

I received similar advice in my other post in health - and I do think it's worth a try. She has responded really well to desensitisation in all situations so far with her other fears. To the point where people do not recognise her as the same dog. She welcomes strangers into our house, no problem. She is very good at reading body language though and knows when I'm coming toward her for ear cleaning, nail cutting etc. I've had to change my approach so she doesn't see it coming. So when she was backed into a corner and a stranger was coming at her, she was very scared. She is only young and learns really quickly. I think I will try some desensitisation and see if it will help her. Small steps of course. I will also look into a behaviourist though to see what can help her best because she is such a very good dog. Oh, and no she doesn't go with my other dog. My other dog lives with my parents as it was too stressful to relocate her and she is happier there as she's been there her whole life. Thanks for the advice PF.

Jigsaw, that is so obvious - but such a great idea! She is fine getting in the door of the surgery, but in the cubicle it's panic stations when someone approaches her. I think they are great suggestions though - slow steps that should really help her. Reinforce positives!!! Of course!!! I will work on that for sure! She has come a long way with her fears (except this one) so I'm sure it would help her - and they were really caring there so Im sure they would help (if not there would be others who would). Thank you!