General dog chat

[BiteyShark]

Anyone fancy a general dog chat thread?

BiteyDog is now almost 15 months old and it's about time we ditched the puppy survival thread for general chit chat but it's still nice to chat about our doggie dilemmas and days so if anyone wants to join me in wittering on saves BiteyDog having the listen to my incessant talking at him then welcome aboard.

How's all the dogs coping with the snow in the northern parts? I am sick of the rain and I guess fortunate enough that BiteyDog doesn't like it much either so apart from a 20 min ball run we are snuggled up in the house today.

[BiteyShark]

Started a new thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/3206468-General-Dog-Chat-Part-II

[BiteyShark]

noitsnotteatimeyet sorry to hear your boy is still in a bit of pain. I have to confess I am a bit like your DH as I tend to think 'I'm sure he will be ok' with my DH looking on going .

It's so hard when they have to do just on lead walking. We haven't even got to that point yet and I think it's actually easier than having a bit but not all the freedom back outside.

[Wolfiefan]

Gotta love Amazon. Also pro kaolin paste a good one (I think that's right!) obviously check with vet.
I'm not stopping walking my girl. I would avoid anywhere specific where cases have been reported and will keep rinsing the mud off.

[BiteyShark]

I had dozed off but the alarm has just woken me to give BiteyDog his last pill of the day. We had some more diarrhoea earlier so hoping the smells eases a bit now.

Checked Tesco's online and no pumpkin either but good old amazon has several on prime delivery

Just looked on their interactive map and as expected there are a few confirmed cases of Alabama rot around us but not many when you think of the huge number of dogs. We walk in forest mud all the time but I tend to be more worried about things like lymes disease from all the ticks about especially when I have to remove lots of them from him (his monthly nexgard treatment kills the horrible things but they need to bite him first)

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

@Teatime from your stats that's a 1 in 293,103 chance of getting Alabama Rot.

I can think of a lot of other things statistically more likely to kill PestDog off in a slow, expensive sort of fashion than Alabama Rot!

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Sainsbury's do tinned pumpkin, but I've never seen it in a store, so I think it might be online order only www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/american/baking-buddy-tinned-pumpkin-puree-425g

[noitsnotteatimeyet]

According to the RSPCA there are around 8.5 million dogs in the UK. So far this year there have been 29 confirmed cases of Alabama Rot. Obviously it’s devastating for those families whose dogs have been affected but the odds of developing it are absolutely tiny - our dogs are sadly much more likely to be run over, attacked by another dog or die from cancer - I’d imagine that they’d probably even be more likely to get hit by lightning (disclaimer - I haven’t done the maths ...).

I hope BiteyDog feels better soon. We had a bit of a setback yesterday... dh (grr) let him off lead and was throwing his holey ball for him - he jumped up to catch it and yelped so some movements are obviously still causing him pain. He’s still supposed to be having lead walks only but dh does tend to push things

[thegirlsallgrowedupnow]

Completely understand the devastion when you see them so helpless and upset. Our last dog, a Lancashire Heeler had lens luxation. Emergency op, years of twice daily eye drops and ended up having both eyes removed which although I dreaded was good for him because we believe for the first time he was completely pain free. He was a fighter and lived to a good old age. Am reminiscing, biteydog is young and fit , has the benefit of early diagnosis and will overcome this!

[Wolfiefan]

Oh no. Here's hoping it is only windy stench. No we don't have much international food locally either!

[BiteyShark]

Hmm not sure where my nearest health food place is. Might see if amazon might be my friend here.

thegirlsallgrowed DH is smitten with him and was devastated when he saw him in the crate at the vets when we went to collect him.

[thegirlsallgrowedupnow]

Waitrose used to stock canned pumpkin but I have heard good things about slippery elm presumably available from good health stores. Lovely that you and your DH so on board together with all this.

[BiteyShark]

The local supermarkets won't have much international foods but I may send DH to the bigger town.

BiteyDog is making very bad smells again so I think we will be making lots of trips to the garden tonight.

[Wolfiefan]

It's s very American thing? Pumpkin pie etc. any supermarkets with an international food section?

[BiteyShark]

I have seen canned pumpkin is meant to be good but never seen it in supermarkets. May look online.

[BiteyShark]

thegirlsallgrowed I now have as DH decided to come home early (he didn't know about the poo incidents) to give me a break.

The steroids did cause behavioural changes although it doesn't look a common side effect and I do think that might have contributed to him eating the rag. I think I will suggest a smaller dose next time.

[Wolfiefan]

Any feed supplements safe? Poor boy. And poor you. I've heard (I think I'm remembering right) everything from slippery elm to pumpkin used.

[BiteyShark]

Wolfie yes its very loose. The problem is they said they can't give him anything for his IBD whilst his stomach and intestines are healing from the operation so we just have to live with it for now

[thegirlsallgrowedupnow]

Avocados, I think you may be right, be philosophical ! Mrsjoyful, also doesn’t hurt to be very aware of any cuts etc. But I do rinse the girlies paws most evenings after her walk...partly to preserve some cleanliness in the house but also because she is so hairy and becomes easily matted. Of course today we had full on bath but she is looking lovely tonight😁
Bitey, I have all sorts of theories jumping about with recent op and liver congestion, medication etc , BUT I am not a vet. Perhaps post a separate thread to get some insight from vets on here which may help you ask questions of your own vet. I know you trust your vet but other insights may be helpful. Have plenty of 🍷x

[Wolfiefan]

Oh Bitey poor you and him. Is he "loose"? Can you get anything from the vet in the meantime?

[BiteyShark]

Thanks Avocados, it just feels like one blow after another. We aren't going back to the vets again until Tuesday and that seems so far away right now so trying to keep him calm and safe right now just feels overwhelming. Can't wait for DH to get home so I can relax a little.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Oh Bitey

You can't control this at all - you're doing everything that any good owner would do, and more. From what you've said BiteyDog has been in and out of the vet, followed all the instructions, you've been there to hold his paw and are looking after him as well as anyone could. Have some but please don't beat yourself up about this.

[BiteyShark]

I can't even keep BiteyDog safe from things I can control 😭

Talking of which I think he has lost some bowel control tonight. Every time he got up from sitting on the floor he was leaving a small lump of poo. I only noticed when I came out of the toilet and found some poo then noticed it happening and then found all the other little piles .

DH is out tonight so not only have I been looking after him all day I have now just had to steam mop the floors . I need lots of

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

There's really no proven cause, no proven preventative and a statistically very low chance of getting it even if we were in an affected area.

I choose to be philosophical about it; the chances are probably the same of him turning out to have early onset cancer, drowning in the park pond or something, and I can't be worrying about those very low odds either.

[BiteyShark]

mrsjoyful as she's walked individually then I can't see any reason why your dog walker can't as you say she can finish a few mins earlier if needed.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

I suspect that washing the mud off only works if they don't have any broken skin already underneath the mud. I should think if they have scratches, open sores when the mud hits them it will enter their system pretty quickly. Watch out for those brambles..... But, Wolfiefan, yes - I, too, am hoping for the best as only a relative few of the thousands of dogs that walk, for instance, in the New Forest, seem to have contracted it.
My dog is walked as an individual dog with her walker so I'll certainly ask her if she'd clean her up - she can always finish the walk 10 mins early if she needs that time to clean the mud off (I pay her quite well, I think , now I've seen what some other people pay their walkers).