MerlinsMum

I am so sorry :cry1 :grouphug

:ohno Grace!? Oh Lauren - I am so, so, so sorry. I am in absolute SHOCK. ... so I can't even begin to imagine the shock you must still be experiencing. Losing your heart dog is awful, but losing your belove dheart dog so suddenly... I can't even imagine how deep your grief must be. I know how much you love her. OMG Sending a TON of hugs your way. I am so sorry for your tragic loss. From your posts about her, it was so clear that you thought the world of your girl and loved (love) her to pieces.

Sounds like LP but I'm no expert, just a knew a grey with it a few years ago. I am keeping you and Ace in my thoughts :goodluck

Merlin has severe and chronic IBD. He can only eat I/D and Low Fat I/D diet food. He has both the kibble and the canned food. These are the only treats he can eat without any problems. They are hypo-allergenic and low fat. You should be able to buy them from your vet's office. I'm sorry - I couldn't find a larger image of them. They are prescription treats and compatible with the I/D diet. Merlin loves them.

The only reaction I've ever experienced personally was a few years ago when Merlin had a delayed reaction to the Distemper combo and spiked a fever. He was really under the weather, poor baby. I took him back to the vet, they gave him a fever reducer, he was right as rain the next day. Gave me a bit of a fright, but there again I always get neurotic when Merlin is "off"... Do your research. Speak to your vet. There are so vaccines (like Lepto) that are recommended more and more because of our encroachment on wildlife areas and the presence of raccoons, squirrels, porcupines, etc even in suburbia now. And standing water at dog parks in some areas, etc. Merlin and Sagan don't get the Lepto vaccine because they are leash-walked, I monitor them constantly, they don't go to dog parks or have access to standing water, and when they're in the backyard they wear muzzles with stool guards on them, and they are supervised by me or DH. However, my vet and I have a conversation about it every year to re-assess the need and any updates with the vaccine. I also talk to my vet about the Lyme vaccine. My boys don't get that either - last I heard it's not yet effective enough to warrant everyone getting it (please someone correct me if my info is out of date). My boys don't run around in the woods and other tick-infested areas and we are lucky in that our neighborhood is relatively tick-free (for now...) As I said above, do your research, but don't let the OMG MY DOG GOT THIS VACCINE/SHOT/TREATMENT AND NEARLY DIED stories on the internet scare the crap out of you. Remember there is just as much misinformation (actually probably a great deal more) as there is information on the web. And you can't base your decision on these stories because in most cases when you read about them you never get the full picture - the dog's genetic predispositions, prior conditions, environment, diet, etc etc etc. Talk with your vet! Good luck ETA - Oops, I just realized that this thread was started in July of last year so my post is probably redundant at this. Sorry

I have no experience with osteo, so I have no advice to give. Just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear about your Mia's diagnosis Sending lots of :grouphug I hope you still have a lot of quality time left with her.

Sending a ton of good thoughts your way. :goodluck :goodluck :goodluck :goodluck

I'm do very sorry :cry1 Rest in peace beautiful Bella.

I'm so sorry :grouphug

I'm in tears after reading this. That is so horrifyingly fast. I am just heartbroken for you. So, so sorry. :grouphug :grouphug Rest in peace, Cody...

You've been in my thoughts, Joanne. :grouphug Cooper was absolutely beautiful. Sounds like he had a very beautiful soul, too.

I'm so terribly sorry :cry1 :grouphug

Oh Judy, there are no words :weep Jilly Bean will be missed forever by GTers across the country and beyond. She was a real little legend on this forum. I will miss seeing her so much. It truly is the end of an era on GT Thinking of you at this time of heartbreak and grief :grouphug

I remember that

That's wonderful! Nice work! Your persistence paid off Eventually - once he understands that he is not allowed to sleep on the bed - you could transition to a dog bed against the wall, and if necessary you could put a plastic partition or gate between his bed and your bed, so that he has more room than he currently has in a crate. Um, no. Not a good idea for a dog that has sleep aggression imo. It doesn't matter how big the bed is - people and dogs stretch out in the night and the last thing you want is a horrible injury when you're semi-conscious. If I had a dog with sleep aggression there is NO way I would ever have her/him sleep on my bed, for both our sakes.

Welcome home Greta! Congratulations, she is absolutely beautiful! She looks pretty scared for now, which is totally natural of course, it's going to be so awesome to see the difference a few weeks from now! Hopefully she will put on some weight very soon, too.

It's good to see this thread. Merlin had been prescribed Deramaxx for his arthritis some time ago, and he'd done ok on it -- I only gave it to him a couple of times -- but then the shortage started. Recently he had an arthritis flare-up and was given Rimadyl, which did NOT agree with him at all, in fact it caused a really bad flare-up of his IBD He's on the mend now, thank goodness, but we won't be touching Rimadyl again. Greysmom told me about Meloxicam a few days ago and I have a call into the vet to see if she recommends switching to that instead (Thanks, Chris ) I am just concerned that Meloxicam is going to upset Merlin's ever-so-sensitive stomach again. But I do have to find something that will help relieve the pain and inflammation the next time his arthritis flares up...

I have been thinking of you and Spud all day. I can't believe this is happening. Spud has always been one of my absolute favorite hounds EVER. I am sure I am not the only person here with a massive crush on him. Sending lots of love your way.

Oh Mary Jo no. I can't even process this right now.

I have always loved that beautiful picture of the two of them schnoz to schnoz... Much love to you, Jan...

Thinking of you, Mary Jo. Spudzilla is not allowed to get sick! It's against the rules

You'll never be forgotten, Alan I think you often, sweet boy Happy Gotcha Day...

I wouldn't worry too much about cutting back from 20mg to 10mg a day right away. Merlin has been on 20mg famotidine a day for well over a year. He has never had any side effects. (I give him the generic stuff now as it's cheaper than Pepcid.) Of course every dog is different. What is your vet suggesting?

Here is an article on some of the myths commonly associated with raw food diets. Raw Veterinary Diets People will inevitably have different stories, and while the experience of others can be helpful on some level, I wouldn't rely on anecdote to make a decision on my companion's health. I would want to look at the actual science and whether there is evidence to suggest that the adoption of a particular diet will be beneficial.

OMG no, not Elsie Lou. I felt a sharp pang and held my breath when I saw your post. I know how much you love her, and how much she loved you. I can't bear to think of you losing your girl. I am absolutely heartbroken for you, Robin. I can't even process this right now. :grouphug