Mandela Ate Some Chicken Wings!

[Erny]

After 6 months of refusing ANY form of raw meat, Mandela (who is recently found to be hypothyroid and has been on meds to adjust this, for the past 2 weeks) FINALLY ate a couple of chicken wings that I offered him. And quite enthusiastically !!!!!

:p ;) :p

And last night saw us down at Emergency with symptoms of blockage (that could also have hinted at bloat).

Crap. ;)

BUT, it wasn't bloat.

So, this is me, with my "glass half full" attitude ......

;) ;)

Poor bugga though ..... rectal exam wasn't pleasant nor, for that matter, productive. And he got one of his anal glands (painfully) squeezed in the process. He had a very irritated :D last night and numerous unproductive and painful (yelping) poop attempts. :(

Just thought I'd share. Our health "YAY!!" moments are so often short-lived. In fact, the night before I almost posted up here on DOL that things were looking up and that he'd begun to look really well, but I deleted the post before submission for fear I'd jinx us. Serves me right for so much as even THINKING about it .... lol.

But wait for it ................................. He got to sleep on MY bed last night !!!!!!! Figured I'd sleep better knowing that I'd feel him move if he wanted to vomit/go outside - better than being half awake trying to listen out for him. He was in seventh heaven. Me? I was almost pushed out of my bed .

But don't anyone get no ideas. Leadership. Leadership. Leadership ;). Don't want my reputation damaged.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Erny

[Diva]

If he's not used to any bone you might want to start with something with a bit more meat on it than a wing, or add some meat.

But still...yah!

[Erny]

If he's not used to any bone you might want to start with something with a bit more meat on it than a wing, or add some meat.

But still...yah!

He won't eat any other bone. He had almost about 0.7kg of his cooked chicken as well (won't eat all that much raw, just yet) in that meal 'sitting'.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Erny

[Staranais]

After 6 months of refusing ANY form of raw meat, Mandela (who is recently found to be hypothyroid and has been on meds to adjust this, for the past 2 weeks) FINALLY ate a couple of chicken wings that I offered him. And quite enthusiastically !!!!!

Hooray! And hooray for not having bloat.

I hope the hypothyroid meds help. I must say, I was wondering about that since you said his blood was lipaemic. Let us know how he does on them.

Want a confession? Fledgie has been sleeping on my bed ever since her big operation. I was a really hard arsed dog owner when she was a baby. But when she had to wear the giant cone of shame I got all gooey.

[Erny]

After 6 months of refusing ANY form of raw meat, Mandela (who is recently found to be hypothyroid and has been on meds to adjust this, for the past 2 weeks) FINALLY ate a couple of chicken wings that I offered him. And quite enthusiastically !!!!!

Hooray! And hooray for not having bloat.

I hope the hypothyroid meds help. I must say, I was wondering about that since you said his blood was lipaemic. Let us know how he does on them.

Want a confession? Fledgie has been sleeping on my bed ever since her big operation. I was a really hard arsed dog owner when she was a baby. But when she had to wear the giant cone of shame I got all gooey.

.... I know that "gooey" feeling too, Star. Not to let anyone know, though.

Laugh at you, though. Being a pushover so creeps up on one, doesn't it. LOL

[Jeff Jones]

Erny, I have the opposite problem, I have a dog here who wont eat anything but chicken. To Mandela

[Erny]

Had to laugh, though. There were three other dogs waiting in the Emergency reception. They were a shitzhu cross, a swf and a doodle. The doodle was clearly in trouble from an adrenal ETA: sorry, meant to type "anal" gland op that was going wrong (it seemed) and the other two, well, I'm not sure what ailments they were sporting. But they were all quite stoic about everything. Even the doodle with his very obviously very sore bottom. Mandela screeched the Centre down when the Vet put her finger where fingers naturally shouldn't be. We emerged from the room and no-one could believe that all that squeeling came from one big "brave" Ridgeback. I think even the Doodle had a giggle.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Erny

[Diva]

He won't eat any other bone. He had almost about 0.7kg of his cooked chicken as well (won't eat all that much raw, just yet) in that meal 'sitting'.

Ah OK. I was just thinking about the blockage thing - I have known a couple of dogs (not mine) that could only deal with bone when it was accompanied by a good bit of meat.

I hope you are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for his health issues.

[Erny]

I hope you are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for his health issues.

Thanks Diva. I thought I was. I hope I do.

[Staranais]

.... I know that "gooey" feeling too, Star. Not to let anyone know, though.

Laugh at you, though. Being a pushover so creeps up on one, doesn't it. LOL

My theory is that if our leadership is otherwise good, we can get away with little things like sharing sleeping quarters.

I'm only a pushover on sleeping arrangements. Honest!

Have you seen any positive effects on Mr M's digestion or skin issues or other health issues with the hypothyroid meds?

[Erny]

Hey Jeff. Long time no speak. Good to see you.

Do you mean yours will ONLY eat chicken? (If so, this is similar/same as Mandela.)

Or do you mean yours will eat everything BUT chicken?

[Jeff Jones]

Hey Jeff. Long time no speak. Good to see you.

Do you mean yours will ONLY eat chicken? (If so, this is similar/same as Mandela.)

Or do you mean yours will eat everything BUT chicken?

He will only eat chicken frames - wings - necks - legs. He will not eat chicken mince or any other type of meat or bones.

[Erny]

Have you seen any positive effects on Mr M's digestion or skin issues or other health issues with the hypothyroid meds?

That's what I was going to post about, the night before, but decided not to. It is hard to know, because his coat/weight/skin condition has always been so up and down. Could be good, verging on great, then 'bingo', we go backwards. I decided that 2 weeks was not long enough for the meds to have had that much of an effect, so determined that his appetite (increase); seeming weight gain; general appearance (even becoming more solid in his body); coat gleem etc. was just coincidental and would have happened any way.

His poop WAS getting better (although his poops could come good and go off again fairly quickly, anyway) - but I can't yet attribute any of that to the thyroid meds. He's on Chinese herbals to help his poop/irritable bowel and I've introduced RC "Intestinal" for the same reason. So who knows, at this stage, as to what is doing what. He's having more bloods drawn in 4 weeks and a re-test to check whether we have the right med dosage. And then I think it will be a "time will tell". I can only hope really hard that other things (digestive issues etc) will improve, but I think that if they do it will take a good period of time. As things improve I'll probably wean him off the Chinese herbals and the RC "Intestinal" and that's when I might be able to tell what was doing what.

Regards the sleeping arrangements - I have to be careful with Mandela. I do notice pushiness if I permit him too much/often on the couch and especially if I let him on the bed with me. And it is not subtle pushiness, either . In fact, nothing about Mandela is subtle .

[Erny]

Hey Jeff. Long time no speak. Good to see you.

Do you mean yours will ONLY eat chicken? (If so, this is similar/same as Mandela.)

Or do you mean yours will eat everything BUT chicken?

He will only eat chicken frames - wings - necks - legs. He will not eat chicken mince or any other type of meat or bones.

That's interesting. I do believe that our dogs do know at times when something isn't 'right' for them. It can be a fine line between believing that and accommodating to it, and falling for/reinforcing fussiness. But I do give credit to dogs with 'knowing' to a certain extent. But it is weird that he'll eat the chicken with bones and not the chicken without bones.

As you say - it is a bit opposit with Mandela. He has come to the stage where he would/could not eat raw chicken (fillets) but would (at least from time to time) eat a raw chicken wing or a chicken frame.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Erny

[Staranais]

Hmmm, I will be really interested to hear if they help him in the long term. My fingers are crossed for you both!

Regards the sleeping arrangements - I have to be careful with Mandela. I do notice pushiness if I permit him too much/often on the couch and especially if I let him on the bed with me. And it is not subtle pushiness, either . In fact, nothing about Mandela is subtle .

LOL, he sounds like a challenge, but at least it's easy to tell what he's up to I guess! My girl never used to be subtle, we went through a patch when she was about 6 months old where she decided to start claiming various things & then protecting them from me & other people - with her teeth. After resolving that succesfully, we seem to have reached an appropriate level of respect for each other where she doesn't (often!) feel the need to test her boundaries. And when she does, she's a lot more subtle about it.

[Lab_Rat]

His poop WAS getting better (although his poops could come good and go off again fairly quickly, anyway) - but I can't yet attribute any of that to the thyroid meds. He's on Chinese herbals to help his poop/irritable bowel and I've introduced RC "Intestinal" for the same reason. So who knows, at this stage, as to what is doing what. He's having more bloods drawn in 4 weeks and a re-test to check whether we have the right med dosage. And then I think it will be a "time will tell". I can only hope really hard that other things (digestive issues etc) will improve, but I think that if they do it will take a good period of time. As things improve I'll probably wean him off the Chinese herbals and the RC "Intestinal" and that's when I might be able to tell what was doing what.

:laugh: Yay for Mandela!!!! You must be feeling pretty good about that Erny! I understand your not wanting to jinx things, but I think you made some definite progress with finding out about his Hypothyroidism!

I really hope the Chinese Herbs help - they made a huge difference for Zola. She was on a course about 2 years ago, and hasnt had anything but lamb and chicken since.

Last week she had some BEEF BRISKET BONES and as yet, hasnt had any reaction to it! That has made me feel pretty good!

I hope your boy continues to forge ahead, and surprise you!

What is the RC "Intestinal"????? Havent seen that one.

[stormie]

Erny NOOOOOOOO!!! Don't ever say things are good!!!

Whenever someone asks how Orbit is during a good time, and I say he's going good, he usually has a melt down within 24hours of me saying it.

Just last night I said he wasn't too bad. Then about 5 hours later, it hit and the poor thing was up scratching all night and was such a wreck this morning. The only thing that could have set him off were my silly silly words.

So whenever anyone asks how he is, you must answer either 'no change' or 'terrible'. Then they get better

[Erny]

What is the RC "Intestinal"????? Havent seen that one.

Royal Canin "Intestinal". It is one of their veterinary lines - can only purchase through a Vet. Not cheap. It's $30'ish dollars from memory - for a 3kg oops! .... (more expensive than I thought) 2kg bag.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Erny

[Erny]

LOL with Stormie. That is pretty much how I already think. A friend of mine often asks "tempting fate" type questions (well intentioned, of course - she hasn't got a superstitious bone in her body) and whenever she asks about Mandela I ask her to not. I'm sure she thinks I'm paranoid and potty. .... and I probably am.

But I want so hard to be able to share some of the good times about Mandela's health. It would be so lovely. And to be able to do so without holding my breath in anticipation of the slippery downhill slope of the roller coaster ride our dogs' health often can be.

Sorry to hear that Orbit has taken a slide. Hoping that the bounce for recovery won't be too long.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Erny

[Red Fox]

Good news. I hope he continues to improve

Mandela screeched the Centre down when the Vet put her finger where fingers naturally shouldn't be. We emerged from the room and no-one could believe that all that squeeling came from one big "brave" Ridgeback. I think even the Doodle had a giggle.

I know that squeal.