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My 15yo Gsd Is In Hospital Tonight


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Hopefully Bud will bounce back like Cracker. We were at the Murray River a couple of weeks ago, Cracker would jump in and float away. She had enough common sense to stay near the banks. Cracker growed at my husband, when he tried to retrieve her, after she had been swimming for nearly an hour. How I laughed!!!!

K-i ... ya gotta meet Cracker. She is literally a crack-up. LL and I laughed so hard at some video footage I took of her other dogs retrieving. Cracker, in the meantime, was weaving in and out of camera range, doin' her thing, almost like she thought she was retrieving, but in "retired" style. I still giggle to myself when I remember it. She is such a sweetheart. Actually, Bud I think would very much like Cracker. Two great 'oldies' :laugh:.

Edited by Erny
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I am really sorry to hear about your lab who went over the rainbow bridge a couple years ago. If you don't mind me asking, what did he or she pass away from?

Not at all.

No necroscopy was performed. We simply put it down to old age. She was fine, abet arthritic before her passing.

Cracker also has fatty lumps of apparent no significance. She does have a lump which intermittently bleeds which concerns me and also a tear in her lower leg, which has caused a paw to slightly claw. Unfortunately rehab after surgery for the tear requires a plaster cast for 12 weeks, and her age the vets do not think it worthwhile or fair at her age. She also like Bud is kept slim.

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BTW Kelpie-i, the 15 year old whose name was Adder, who passed away 2 years ago, used to intermittent scare me as she slept so soundly, not only because of her diminished hearing ability.

She slept inside, and a few hours before her passing, I heard her whimper more loudly than usual. She woke up as I stroked her and seemed fine. I found her outside our back door when organising long suffering husband for work. She was a no fuss dog all her life. She left us the same way.

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Oh my LL, I can only imagine how horrible it must have been to find your loved pet that way. I absolutely shudder at the thought.

Your Cracker sounds like a hoot....she also sounds as though she is still active and enjoying life which is fantastic. I think the more active a dog is when younger, the more graceful it ages...well that's my belief and I'm sticking to it. :)

The only 'take home' medication were painkillers called "Tramadol". They told me only to give it to him if I felt he was in severe pain. I gave him one last night and another today but I don't think he will need to continue on with them. My regular vet said that I can safely give him an Asprin a day to help with ease the discomfort of his arthritis. The only other medication he is on are his regular (6 monthly) cartrophen (sp?) injections and that's about it. He is also given some human grade Glucosamine daily to help his joints.

BTW, he ate all his dinner tonight....so I am absolutely jumping for joy. My only concern at this stage is the fact that he still looks like he's in a daze constantly. Could it be dementia setting in and/or becoming more predominant due to the bout of illness??? He just stands there and stares at the floor or whatever! Could it be pain?

How are his teeth, if on dry soaking and feeding warm may encourage?

His teeth are fine although he doesn't chew bones with as much gusto as he used to, but otherwise the vets are happy with the state of his teeth and gums.

At our old dears stage of life, I am all for pain relief medications

Yes I am beginning to think that is the way to go too.

Ziggy wants to know if he can have another chicken frame for all his get well wishes

Spotted Devil, the reply I got from Bud re Ziggy's request was ..."no, go away!" How rude!! :rofl:

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BTW, he ate all his dinner tonight....so I am absolutely jumping for joy. My only concern at this stage is the fact that he still looks like he's in a daze constantly. Could it be dementia setting in and/or becoming more predominant due to the bout of illness??? He just stands there and stares at the floor or whatever! Could it be pain?

How wonderful Bud ate his dinner. I remember when a pup of mine suffered a twisted bowel, surgery was performed and I nearly performed hand stands when he open his bowels.

Are Bud's eyes focusing? Could he have suffered a stroke?

Edited: Remembered his bleeding. Secondary to another condition. Cancer?

Edited by Lablover
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Ziggy wants to know if he can have another chicken frame for all his get well wishes

Spotted Devil, the reply I got from Bud re Ziggy's request was ..."no, go away!" How rude!! :rofl:

:) That's the response I was looking for from Bud! Put the little whippersnapper in his place :rofl:

Re meds, Kelpie-i, I have taken tramadal for severe pain and it affected me really badly. It didn't touch the pain but made me not care about it. I was as high as a kite and should not have driven home (OH said I was very funny and ranting about all sorts of things!) but came crashing down the next day and felt horribly depressed. The prescribing doctor (an idiot) said he'd never heard of such a thing but another doctor said she'd heard of that happening to others. I always wonder what effect it has on animals as I've often seen it prescribed for dogs. Just thought it might help with the hyperactivity and the daze-like state you described.

Please keep us updated. I've got a bit of a soft spot for the old lad now :rofl:

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Re meds, Kelpie-i, I have taken tramadal for severe pain and it affected me really badly. It didn't touch the pain but made me not care about it. I was as high as a kite and should not have driven home (OH said I was very funny and ranting about all sorts of things!) but came crashing down the next day and felt horribly depressed. The prescribing doctor (an idiot) said he'd never heard of such a thing but another doctor said she'd heard of that happening to others. I always wonder what effect it has on animals as I've often seen it prescribed for dogs. Just thought it might help with the hyperactivity and the daze-like state you described.

Ooooooh!!! K-i ..... could be that Bud is actually having the time of his life!!! :rofl:

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Spotted Devil, I have not given him any Tramadol since the other night. Instead, I have been giving him an asprin to help with any pain. My vet told me they were very strong, which scared me a bit so I decided against using them. Interesting that they made you feel "high"..I too wonder how they must affect the dogs.

I have booked him in for an ultra sound on Thursday at 10.30am. I had him down at my own vet today as he has developed an infection in his eye (if it doesn't rain, it pours :mad ) and she checked his abdomen to which is was still somewhat tender.

Ooooooh!!! K-i ..... could be that Bud is actually having the time of his life!!!

Erny if that's the case, I'll take the bloody tablets myself! God only knows I need them right now.

Because of all the attention Buddy is getting these days, my Kelpie, Gabe decided he would go and destroy my vegie patch today :) ....he was so lucky I couldn't catch him...he would have been one very sorry dog. Boy did he know I was NOT HAPPY JAN :love:

Funny thing though, all of a sudden, Gabe (who is the youngest of the all the dogs..he's nearly 3) has started licking Bud's face and dances and play bows around him like a puppy. He has never done this, well maybe when he was a wee pup, but definitely not normal behaviour for him. Interesting!!

Edited by Kelpie-i
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Gabe probably wants what Bud is on .... :mad

Seriously though, I am still thinking of you and Bud and will be keeping fingers crossed for Thursday that everything shows up clear. I hope it is just a tummy bug that he has. Did he eat today?

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OMG Trish, just hopped onto DOL to catch up and was shocked to see your post.

I had no idea all this had happened since I saw you and Bud last week. Sounds like the ol fella is feeling a little better, my God that heat was not helpful to anyone. Hope the news is all good after Thursday's ultra sound, just keep thinking positive thoughts only and I'm sure he will soon be putting Gabe in his place as usual.

Keep your chin up......

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Trish and Bud, hopefully a diagnosis can be made.

When our current oldie was displaying spinal problems, a year or so ago, I asked for a CT scan referral. The vet simply looked at me, and gently added......whatever the diagnosis her treatment would not change. I certainly doubt surgery would have been an option.

Good luck again and keep us all informed.

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Fingers crossed.

Speaking to Kelpie-i tonight. Bud ate his dinner last night and his breakfast this morning. Not back to normal, but looking better overall. He's put back on a kilogram. :rofl:

K-i is still having the ultra sound done tomorrow just to check.

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I just though I'd write a quick updated on Buddy.

He had is ultra sound today and all is A.OKAY!!!!! :thumbsup:

Nothing un-toward was found and he has been given a clean bill of health. I am absolutely ecstatic about this news which means I can now breathe easy and look after him as best as possible in his golden years.

So it stands that he suffered a bad bout of gastro which has now passed and after the sedation wears off (hopefully by tomorrow), he should be back to his old self again.

I am not looking forward to the 43 degree day which is forecast for Saturday but I have borrowed a friend's cooler jacket so he'll be wearing that all day.

I'd really like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who sent their well wishes and who were concerned with Bud's condition. :banghead:

I will now go and "Gabe Proof" my vegie garden, otherwise I may be reporting the sudden disappearance of a certain red and tan kelpie :wink:

Thanks again everyone....

Trish

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