OrangeSammy

Can you not just brush out the dirt? Our late samoyed loved to wallow in the dirt but it would just brush out and she kept reasonably clean .

How did the vet visit go today? It's so tough when they grow older and not being able to fix these aches and pains easily. Thinking of you and your girl, Rusky.

Oh, poor little Minty. Sending our best wishes. Take care, Cazbear.

Oh Malleer, what a gorgeous picture. Maybe Santa can bring a playstation or whatever the latest computer game thingy (I'm 2-D atari generation myself ) for Mallee (and for Chloe too). It's hard enough getting the two-legged ones away from them and outside for a bit of activity. Maybe it'll work in the reverse!

Hello everyone. We're going to supplement Kimba's diet with some glucosamine products. It's difficult at the moment because Kimba's not in Oz anymore. I moved to Edinburgh three years ago and the best option for the woof was to emigrate to Hong Kong to live with my folks. Products like Sasha's Blend aren't available over here. Our vet's from Sydney though, which is very helpful. In fact, he's mates with our old Sydney vet. I'm over in HK at the moment but will be heading off in a couple of weeks, stopping off in Sydney, then off to Scotland again. So I'll pick up some of the meds and send them off. Meanwhile, I will try to make up a similar blend which I read about in another thread. Hesapandabear - same situation with the Nutro. Will have to find out about availability but thanks for the tip. (had to read your name out loud to 'get it' ) BlindChi - Kimba had been really well regulated until recently. We've had to change insulin from Monotard which she started off with (which I think is an 'all-purpose' insulin for people, dogs, pigs, crocodiles etc) to the doggie type because of supply problems. The difference apparently is only in concentration and dosage i.e. the volume of Monotard a chi would need would be too small to measure but the dosage for a medium to large dog is large enough, whereas the canine stuff is more diluted and you use a greater volume, if that makes sense. But anyway, the vet's still adjusting the dosage at the moment. With the glucose curve, in the past (in Oz and over here), we'd leave Kimba at the vet's for the day. But she used to get really stressed there, wouldn't eat, and this affected the results. Now, we just bring her down to the vet every couple of hours (the perks of having a semi-retired dad who loves the woof too :cool: ) Kelly_Louise, so sad to hear about Sandy. It's a moment that I dread too. Kimba's the first dog I've had. It's been a couple of weeks over ten years that she came to us (I 'fostered' her on 9th Dec 1995 when she was four - note the inverted commas there. Like hell she was going back). Hey Sonic and my sweet jenna - aren't the oldies just the best? I love that thread about the old'uns in the photos section. I'm very sorry about Jenna but at least it seems that life's pretty ok at the moment. Hope we all have some great times to cherish in these sunset years.

Hey BlindChi. Mick looks like a sweetheart. How old is he? Sounds like he's still pretty mobile. Wanted to post a picture of Kimba but just looked at the instructions for posting piccies which confused me completely. Will ask the more technologically savvy sister for help later on tonight. I hadn't thought about readjusting for the odd liver bit or two. Good idea.

Thanks for your replies everyone. I think I'll definitely explore other options. I'd only been thinking of different medications, but will ask the vet about acupuncture. Definitely like the sound of this and maybe other kinds of physical therapies. Stormy, 15 sounds like a ripe old age for a large dog like Harley and it's good to know that she had a comfortable year or so at the end. I guess I'm in a similar situation in that Kimba quite 'elderly' now (although she's so silly sometimes she lacks the gravitas of the senior citizen ). Kelly_Louise, I read about Chloe on the other thread (she's really cute with that cheeky grin, by the way). Did she get her stitches out today? Was everything ok at the vet? Hope Mallee is well too, Antoinette. I'm luckier than you guys - I don't have to keep ol' snooze head here calm and confined. Pebbles, thanks for sharing your story. So sorry to hear about Ben. It must have been tough. I think I'll explore other options before Rimadyl now as it seems like there's a possible immediate risk. BlindChi, good to meet someone with woof diabetes experience. Good to hear that Mick's ok. Do you think his lifestyle is much changed by the diabetes? I found that there wasn't much difference for Kimba except that she gets poked twice a day (doesn't seem to mind) and no more liver treats (this ol' greedy guts does mind) Thanks again all.

Hello. I'm new to this forum but have been visiting for over a year. It's been a great source of information and entertainment - thanks. I have a few questions about the use of rimadyl and was hoping if anyone can give me some advice. My vet prescribed it for my 14 year old samoyed Kimba. I've searched this forum for 'rimadyl' and had a look on the net and am a bit concerned about its side effects. From what I've read, it seems that there are dangers associated with longterm usage. At the same time, it also seems to be a balancing act between considering the side effects and the benefits in terms of the dog's quality of life. Kimba is 14 and has had diabetes since 2001. She's quite stiff in her hind legs and can't seem to sit anymore. It's either standing or lying down. She's obviously no longer so active anymore - snoozes a lot and not chasing birds, but still enjoying life and her people She's a bit slow in getting up and lying down nowadays The vet did a urine and blood test prior to prescription. Her kidney results were normal. In this situation, would you say that the use of rimadyl would be too risky? Do the dangers associated with longterm use apply only to a young dog? Or does her physical condition - i.e. older dog, diabetic - make her more susceptible to the risks? Are there alternatives? (She had a course of cartrophen last year but with no noticeable effects). What about, say, regular massage? I agreed with the vet to try it for a week and then to reassess but am still ambivalent about it. I'd appreciate advice from anyone with similar experiences. There's so much information around (which is only a good thing) but it seems like one needs a science degree to decipher it all. Thanks in advance.