rascalsmom

I'm so sorry, Lucy. When we let Buddy go we did so at the vet. I really wish it could've been at home, since Buddy always got so stressed at the vet. With the other dogs, I will do my best to have them cross over to the Bridge at home. I have not been able to go back to that vet. I know that any appointment will be in the same room that Buddy left us from, and I just can't do it. There have been much, much worse things take place at our house since Buddy died---the policemen coming to tell us Elizabeth was gone---that I don't think it would bother me so much to let one of my dogs go at home. Just knowing they were at HOME, where they are most comfortable, would outweigh any hesitation on my part to have it done at home.

Good sit, Jayne!!

Lucy, I'm so sorry. Riley was probably my first "GT Crush" when I first joined GT. I remember meeting him --and you of course!--very briefly in Dewey one year. I was so happy to finally see him in 'person'. Just love him and spoil him, and when it's time, let him go--even though it is so very hard to do.

What wonderful news! I am so relieved to hear that Roscoe seems so much better...I was really worried for you!!

Thanks for the update...sorry to hear it wasn't better news. Hopefully they can rule out anything really bad, and it can be treated! Please keep us posted.

I'd try to get him into the specialist ASAP. I've found that you don't want to mess around with eye issues too much--go right to the specialist if the regular vet is in doubt. Buddy had pannus, but his was a result of a couple of corneal ulcers (over a period of a few years) in the same eye. It kicked his immune system into overdrive, and pannus was the result. Just an obliquely-related horror story: someone I know had a cat with eye issues. The regular vet tried treating it, was convinced she could figure it out. After enough time went by, my friend had enough. The cat, by this time, couldn't see well. Took her to another vet--not a specialist, but one who ONLY treats cats--and he knew instantly that her cat had glaucoma. The cat was blind by that time. She had to take her to the ophthalmologist, and both of the cat's eyes were removed. But at least she wasn't in pain any more, and she's getting along fine now.

Not that important. Rascal does know a few things: sit, shake, down; taught to her by my late daughter in about 20 minutes. Rascal "can" be very smart, but definitely not about everything. Ruby won't sit to save her life. Just won't do it. The closest she comes is peeing. We haven't really tried with Jack. Like gazehund said, if we had wanted "obedience" we wouldn't have picked greyhounds. They are surely not the sharpest knives in the drawer, but like I tell DH, when you're that sweet, you don't NEED to be smart. My dogs are really good on leash, to the point where people remark on it all the time. They are usually polite to visitors, although Rascal will absolutely maul her foster daddy (she loves him!!). In all they are very well behaved, and that's all I ask of them.

One year ago today we helped our dear, sweet Buddy boy to the Rainbow Bridge. He became ill at the beginning of 2009, right around his birthday (Jan. 30). We thought it was simply LS, and doctored for that: neurologist, accupuncturist, etc. But he just wasn't getting better. Finally, I took him back to the vet and she felt swollen lymph nodes. She suggested a fine needle aspirate...and I immediately knew what she was thinking. Lymphoma. That was on a Friday, so we had the weekend to decide what to do. Our decision was that, if it was indeed lymphoma, we would let Buddy go. He just wasn't feeling good, you could tell in his eyes. He wasn't eating....which was not at all like Buddy. He had lost 10 pounds. I hated seeing my precious boy like that. On the following Monday we got the call: definitely lymphoma. We said goodbye to him that day. It was so hard, but I knew it was the best thing for him. He had given us so much love; we just couldn't let him suffer like he was. He really was the Best Boy in the World, just like I always told him. He came so far in his time with us, from being a growly, don't-get-too-close type of dog, to our lap dog. It was just amazing to see his trust in us develop, to see him blossom into the sweetest boy ever. I sometimes feel that I didn't really get to mourn his loss....just six weeks later my daughter died, and of course that overshadowed everything else. I like to think that they are both in Heaven, Buddy snuggled up with Elizabeth.

Yeah, probably too late. She probably forgot all about it already.

BTDT with Buddy. He was our "hunter". He had three birds, two rabbits, and a squirrel to his credit when he passed....oh, it will be one year ago tomorrow. I actually used to praise him. After all, he was just doing what came naturally. I can tell Jack is just itching to get a squirrel. He goes crazy when he sees them outside. So far he hasn't encountered one in the back yard!

I am so very sorry, Paula. It's so hard to say goodbye to them.

Believe it or not, they gave me the teeth! And WOW, I never imagined that some of them have such long roots---even the little front ones, of which she lost three on the bottom and four on the top. Now I know why they give you pain meds for them. A dear friend suggested that, if I had Ruby's teeth, too, I could make myself a nice little necklace. You know, sort of like a shark teeth necklace. She took her pills this morning (antibiotic and pain) in a chicken liver brownie, and ate a small breakfast. I only gave her 1/2 her normal portion. She seems to be feeling pretty good this morning (must be, if she actually ate! She's a picky eater and not crazy about breakfast half the time), although her mouth looks a bit swollen. Poor baby. She's officially missing more teeth than Ruby now: 14 altogether, whereas Ruby is missing 10. Oh, I'm sorry to say, the Tooth Fairy did not come last night. Poor Rascal.

When it rains it pours lately. Rascal will be leaving 12 of her teeth with the vet. They said they were mostly little teeth, and all came out easily--no digging. A side benefit is that her breath is a lot better, the tech said. At least now ALL of our pets have clean teeth. Jack had a dental when he was neutered, at the end of November....Daisy the cat had a dental in January, as did Ruby (who lost 6 teeth). We have been hit hard with the vet bills but at least they are all done for awhile!!

I'm so sorry to hear this, Paula. No advice here, either....lymphoma is what took Buddy, but his was in the lymph nodes. I am sure you will do right by your dear girl, whatever that might be. You are so blessed to still have her, at 15.5 years of age!!

Not the same thing, exactly, but our newest pup, Jack, had a similar problem. Transitioned from "farm food" to our food, and the poos became super soft. Not diarrhea, but really soft. Tried different food, chicken and potatoes, etc, and nothing helped. Finally we put him on Iams Low Residue (prescription food), and he is now eating that exclusively and has FIRM POO. Like SoulsMom, I am not crazy about the ingredients of this food, but it works for Jack.

Great news, Nancy.

Rascal has this problem, too. The vet actually suggested surgery, which I really want to avoid. They gave me some wipes to use (Pledgets, I think they were called); those were minimally helpful. Then I asked if there was an ointment or something we could try, so they prescribed Animax ointment. You have to be persistent with it, using it twice daily for at least seven days, and getting it up in there---the vet can show you how to do that--but it really worked for Rascal!

Oh, Nancy, I just saw this! How is lovely Tess doing now?

She's already on clindamycin...she takes it one week each month, due to her bad mouth. We also brush *almost* daily, and we use OxyFresh and a Chlorhexadine rinse on her (DentaHex, I believe). Sounds like the same regime you're on! I guess I will look at it as fewer teeth to brush!

I took Ruby for her dental today....just called them to see when she can come home. They JUST got done with her, and she had six extractions. My poor little girl...but I know bad teeth are better OUT than IN. She has periodontal disease, and we expected her to have an extraction or two--but SIX!! Now I have to wait a while longer, call again, and see when she'll be ready. Any advice for caring for her after all these extractions?

Alisha, I am so sorry to hear about your loss....

Things that have worked for me, or not. So much of it depends on the dog. --braunschweiger didn't work. The dog who needed the pills (Buddy) didn't like it. --peanut butter sandwiches usually work. Always make several "mini" sandwiches, so you have one or two "decoys". --when all else fails, and you have to do the shove-down-the-throat method, put the pill(s) in a ball of Velveeta. Mold it around the pills, and you can get several pills down in one shot this way. Provided, of course, that they aren't huge pills. Buddy always managed to catch on to the pills-in-a-treat method, so we had to resort to the shoving down the throat method. It was better than having him mistrust us at mealtime, and then not want to eat. Fortunately, the new guy, Jack, would probably eat rocks if you offered them up, so pilling him is easy!

That's great news! It's about time you got some GOOD news!

Jack was neutered on November 30th, and they didn't give us any pain meds for him. He did just fine.

Beryl, you've had enough this year. Praying for good news when the biopsy comes back.