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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

General dog chat

993 replies

BiteyShark · 20/01/2018 13:29

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.

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MsHomeSlice · 27/01/2018 20:57

one of my GSDs would use Hunger Strike as his weapon of choice. As a new pup I had to hand feed him every morsel, and when he was bigger he would only eat if I actually put food in his bowl and put it down...any one else helping meant he would just lie there looking sad.

DD and I worked together and he eventually would take food from her, and then DH and DS2, but often he would leave some from them

Effectively I just gradually withdrew from the process, so it went from me doing it all, to merely being in the room, but if I wasn't in the house there was no appeasing him....he'd miss at least one meal and then half heartedly eat the next

Sometimes it's just the way they are!

Soubriquet · 27/01/2018 22:12

Bless her Grin

MsHomeSlice · 27/01/2018 22:16

what is she lying on?...she looks like she has a Basil Brush face on!

Soubriquet · 27/01/2018 22:18

It's her stuffless squeaky fox

She also has a stuffless squeaky crocodile and an octopus

Original poster
BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 05:24

I have to say I am glad BiteyDog is a boy so I don't have to worry about seasons and phantom pregnancies.

Lovely pic Soubriquet

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thegirlsallgrowedupnow · 28/01/2018 06:52

Day 6 of bland vet prescription food and cocodog still looking disappointed at mealtimes and rather meaningfully staring at cupboard where her Naturediet lives...still scoffs it down though.

thegirlsallgrowedupnow · 28/01/2018 06:54

Soubriquet, are they stuffless by her choice?

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BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 06:55

How many more days to go on the diet?

We had to give similar during his illness and he really didn't like it Sad

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Original poster
BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 07:36

Arghhh normally BiteyDog has an early breakfast and then sleeps from around 7-9am. Today he is up, bouncing about with a toy, losing his toy under the sofa, growling for me to get said toy, running up and down with recused toy. I think I am in for a hard day Confused

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Soubriquet · 28/01/2018 08:08

Yes and no...the main body has no stuffing as it wasn't supposed to.

However she has ripped a hole in the head and pulled the stuffing out of that Hmm

thegirlsallgrowedupnow · 28/01/2018 09:16

Diet until poo sample results come back! When you look at ingredients it is bland and full of grain and derivatives but has firmed her up though😬
Is biteydog hassling for a walk do you think? Rain stopped here but I am still weighing up the least muddy option for this morning.

thegirlsallgrowedupnow · 28/01/2018 09:28

I like those flat bodied toys. Cocodog rips some toys to shreds but never croccy or bully boy or rather sweetly the little PAH blue donkey which was her very first toy. 🙄 can you tell I really need to become a grandma soon!

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BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 10:11

When we had to wait for poo sample results some came back really quickly but others well over a weekSad.

BiteyDog is in attention seeking mood today. After this morning shenanigans we then had stonegate, where he grabs stones from the garden for exchange for some tasty treat (hangover from when we was told to always swop things like that for treats with our first trainer Sad). DH usually cracks and still treats him but I have wised up and don't reward him anymore instead he gets picked up and dangled upside down in my arms which makes him release the stone Grin

Once he had finally calmed down we went for a 30 min ball throw so I am hoping it's all out of his system [sigh]. He's now preening himself as he hates being rinsed down with water and has to lick himself all over Grin

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BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 10:59

And now I have a calm, damp and smelly dog sitting on top of me on the sofa for some cuddles Grin bliss

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MsHomeSlice · 28/01/2018 11:37

we have frolicked in the garden for half an hour, mainly because I was certain he needed a big busy, and yesterday he was somewhat loose. He is snoozing at my feet in a banana box now!
I know now he can squeeze out of the semi barricaded catflap in the gate, but thankfully just stood there in horror on the step, it's now fully barricaded and I shall have to message everyone to come in the front door instead!

thegirlsallgrowedupnow · 28/01/2018 12:02

After several months of DH leaving cocodog in the kitchen on the days he gets up at 6.15am where she quite happily will wait for me to get up around 7, they seem to have decided between them that I really need a hairy cuddle first thing. It is , though, the only time of day at the moment where she has dry paws and after 10 mins of belly rubbing this morning she snoozed with me until nearly eight o clock, was lovely.
Our walk this morning was in a water meadow on the outskirts of a nearby town. Lots of dog walkers, she behaved beautifully staying with me, meeting and greeting and only running up to dogs she knows. Only worry I have is that she has become nervous of big dogs over the last few weeks where before she was super confident.

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BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 12:21

Sounds like a lovely walk with Cocodog. I love doggy cuddles especially when they come and plonk themselves next to you for them Grin.

Talking of nervousness, BiteyDog has never been the same since he was hospitalised. I try and jolly him along and he always looks to me for reassurance but given that it's not anything specific situation I am not sure how to get his confidence back.

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thegirlsallgrowedupnow · 28/01/2018 14:33

Sounds like you do a lot of training and play and other bonding stuff like agility with him so I am sure his confidence will return in time.
I think cocodog took such a looong time to learn her doggy manners that she gets quite upset now at any hint of rudeness towards her🙄

Wolfiefan · 28/01/2018 19:26

Just to add to the season woes! She's licked another paw until it bleeds. I was only eating dinner. I could cry!

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BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 19:33

Oh bloody hell Wolfie not again Sad

What was the outcome with that? You mentioned possibility of an exclusion diet last time.

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Wolfiefan · 28/01/2018 19:41

She had a lesion on her paw. Kept licking it. The vet bandaged it. Yeast grew and then she chewed part of her own pad off.
Saw dermatologist. Bloody expensive! And long appointments too. Needed to be starved before each one. Treatment. Muzzled at night and watched all day. For three sodding months.
Fine.
Cut out the chicken and tripe. Seemed not to be itchy.
And now she is again.
I don't want to do exclusion diet. One of her siblings was very ill after being fed something they didn't know he was allergic to. Could've died. What if she's allergic to the new protein? She has been happy on this food for months. Plus I costed it at about £15 a day and we don't even know it's diet related.
Not a good day. And it started so well. Lovely day out at a show.

Original poster
BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 19:53

£15 a day, I thought our food was expensive at £2.50 a day Shock. Do you think you caught her early enough that if you put a cone on to stop her for a day or so it won't need treatment?

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Wolfiefan · 28/01/2018 20:00

She's wearing a sock at the moment and I can put a muzzle on overnight. I think if I can just stop her licking it then it might heal. Vets are certain it is food but then why does it come and go?
Another how many months of not being able to leave her? I want a shower but bloody DH has buggered off upstairs and I daren't leave her (she ate a previous sock) This is just after he tells me he's expected to go to another country to take his mum home after a minor op. Not a happy bunny tonight. Can't even leave the dog to get wine. Can't unwind with exercise as I can't leave her. And can't go somewhere lovely to walk her as she's in season and has a bleeding bloody foot.
I'm shit at this dog owning thing. Sad

Original poster
BiteyShark · 28/01/2018 20:13

BiteyDogs paws have at times been quite red and sore between his pads due to licking his many paw pad injuries but fortunately we have never had it bad enough to bleed.

The worst I saw them was when he had his dressings on as they got quite hot and sweaty. Are Wolfhounds paws very hairy? Spaniels are and we have the fur trimmed as short as possible between his pads every 5-6 weeks which I think helps keep them cooler.

Sigh, why can't dogs understand that licking makes things worse not better Sad.

Sending you virtual Wine for your shit day.

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Wolfiefan · 28/01/2018 20:16

I want wine but daren't leave her to go and get any! I have trimmed hair but it's not in between the pads now. It's on the outside edge of the foot. She just licks until it's sore then keeps going back to it. She's now wearing a DocMcStuffin sock! The Doc heals right?! Grin