JohnF

it might be helpful for a while if you give her one 20mg Human Ranitidine or Zantac tablet later in the evening as well. Once the lining heals there should be less acid reflux issues too. (Put the tablet in a little bit of meat or cheese).

I'm just wondering if as a result of that rat encounter you might benefit from having kidney tests done again? (In the context of Lepto.) When I've had oldies I've always tried to keep them eating little and often. Vet tests for malabsorbtion and even diabetes may be helpful and so too would be a basic check up. I'd prefer know what I'm dealing with rather than trying dozens of things and having them refused or not work and causing stress to both dog and human. I think you're handling it very well and will know exactly when that 'enough is enough' time comes. Let's hope there will be many months of happy living still to come.

Aloe Vera tablets could be tried to help against the IBD. Don't buy the cheap ones it must be from the 'fillet' of the leaf not the rind with the diarrhea-inducing saponins in it. However, as you are heavily into veterinary treatment, run this additional idea past your vet first. info about it below: https://animals.mom.me/internal-uses-of-aloe-vera-for-dogs-12573525.html

Just a little aside. Cheese is an addictive opiate and receptors in the brain release casomorphins. https://barkpost.com/discover/science-reveals-cheese/ Whatever is causing Charlie's mental distress, I hope you can get on top of it soon.

So sorry to read that Lizzie's time came far too soon. Run free and well again Lizzie...

I don't think Trimethylaminuria is seen in dogs. Are you sure it's not an anal gland issue? They all have their unique smells. My last dog smelled like an oiled gun barrel.

Or you could get a an inflatable one. They're quite nice to sleep on.

Yes, you need to watch that they don't lay in the hot sun too long and always make sure your yard has some shade, even if from a giant parasol or pergola thing that can't blow over. I stopped Peggy from running in the summer except in the early mornings, and evenings when the sun was gone, when she reached 7/8. Now she's on her way to 12 she really doesn't like to walk when its over 65 anyway. Definitely no hot high angle sun.

When they took the teeth out, could an infection in one of the bad ones have have worked its way up thru into the nasal cavity and perhaps left a tiny 'hole'? This will take a while to heal and may need antibiotics to help clear it up.

I only wish they'd hold them in the early Spring or Autumn when the sun is not so high in the sky and less of a threat to black dogs in particular.

I have always given Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diet to Peggy when she has an upset. But apart from one time when she nearly died from bad chicken, she has never needed to have more than six cans of it. Like 3 to get her stable and the remainder incrementally reducing by adding back normal food. You can buy cases of it on line much more affordably.

Another one here who thinks anything over 65 too hot to enjoy a walk. Peggy loved it when it went back down under 50 a few days ago. She doesn't like it when the turf dries out and gets hard either. She likes to lay out in the sun sometimes though.

I am so sorry that it has worked out this way for you, and please don't beat yourself up over it. You and your vet did your very best to help Nilla get better... you gave her time. Sadly recovery wasn't possible and now you are carrying out the unspoken promise we all make, that when we have done all we can, pain becomes uncontrollable and all hope of recovery is gone, then we let them go with love and compassion. Absolutely no blame here at all.

Peggy only strongly dislikes hail, doesn't give a damn about thunder though. Wind getting under her coat doesn't worry her either. They detect squirrel prey in the trees when they spot just a single branch shaking, so if it is all on the move then the dog might not know quite what to make of it.

So sorry you have to go this part of grieving. Eventually the happy memories will be safely back and you'll think: now Ruby would have been doing this around about now..

I hope you get some answers soon. Sounds like a case for the UK's Supervet, Noel Fitzpatrick.

I encounter that prejudice often. You get angst from both sides if they wear a muzzle too. Either: It must be fierce if it wears a muzzle, or how cruel you are to make it wear a muzzle. Life's just like that. I think the correct response is: "Your little dog is probably lovely, but why is it showing a bunch of stress signals in response to you ranting at me? Look at my dog, she's calm and under control."

So sorry. Godspeed Ruby - run free in perfect health again on the other side.

The Voice of God can work, but if it's a bossy male dog then it's probably going to sneak around quicker than you think. I carry a stout walking stick in random loose dog areas and can and will use it if one comes at us with bad intent like a torpedo.

She should be fine with a bootie for short walks. If you've got grass now then she can walk on that too. Just no explosive activity that might open up the wound. Put some Aole Vera leaf sap on it (make she she doesn't lick it).

Peggy is a nester too. But if I drape a blanket over her she stays quiet much longer. Your Minerva may be getting cold or may even have uncomfortable joints or a sore digestive system preventing peaceful sleep?

Play bows, lightened-up happy voices, ball, frisbee, seek something hidden etc. I wonder, does he roach indoors? It may be that he's feeling sub-optimal health wise and it just takes having you and your wife there to overcome it. So check his teeth, his joints for arthritis and his gut for parasites. If we humans have aches and pains we don't often want to go 'walkies' either.

My Peggy is like that. She much prefers a complete 'pack' and if there's just two people and one walks off (say just to the bathroom or into a shop) she doesn't want to stay with the remaining one. If there is just one person anyway then only going to a new or rarely visited place will perk her up. I think it's important to know that they don't 'have' to do walks, and if you have a yard where they can snuff around and do zoomies, even less of a need. As the weather warns up Peggy becomes less interested in walks, and when it gets over 60 she thinks walks are morning and late evening things.

OK, I've been there before 3 or 4 times, and twice with it being the start of Chronic Renal Failure with varying survival times from 4 weeks to 18 months post dx. I, think for whatever reason, your dog may be feeling nauseous and so an anti-nausea medication could be given. He may have a very sore gut with spasms, so something like Buscopan could help. What's underlying could be a parasite burden, or it may be something more sinister which only special tests can reveal. One other 'obvious' thing comes to mind: When you are feeding the boiled chicken, you really must remove the fatty skin from it, lest it trigger Pancreatitis?

Very useful. I'd be mad if I discovered the main ingredient wasn't what I thought it was!