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a_daerr

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Everything posted by a_daerr

  1. I can't say enough good things about Missing Link! Everyone comments on how bunny-soft Henry is.
  2. Rhabdo! You've gotta be kidding. I hope Jen (NeylasMom) chimes in soon. She recently went through this with Violet. To my understanding, the prognosis is very good if you catch it in time. Sending my best thoughts for Chase. Hugs for you, Judy.
  3. This. I'd say it's a stress-behavior. New territory... her goal is to try to get it smelling as familiar/comforting as possible. FWIW, I think you're doing everything right. She needs a little direction and more time to realize she's okay, and it's not the end of the world.
  4. I'm glad someone else is in the same boat. I can't get poultry backs or necks at my local grocery store, though. I have to drive into the city to a specialty grocery, and even then, it's hit or miss to what they'll actually chew. Truman completely ignores turkey necks and chicken feet. Henry chewed a marrow bone from the butcher shop once, but it made him so sick, he ended up needing sub-q fluids! I'm not too worried about a higher price if they like them and it doesn't make them sick. That bag of six bison bones was about $12.
  5. Is Embrace available in Canada? They are rated pretty highly, and they have add-on wellness plans that include dentals.
  6. That's just the thing! They won't chew the ones from the grocery store! I can get soup bones there, but they're so huge and messy. I'd need a hacksaw to cut them into smaller pieces. Maybe it's because these are buffalo meat, they find them more appealing? Who knows. My dogs are weird.
  7. I'm right there with you. The other day, I took Truman's muzzle off for literally ten minutes, while he ate. He was like a moth to the flame. He went downstairs and out of sight (he made like he was going out the dog door), but he must've just stood there and licked for awhile. The little cut he had that was almost healed, but he completely opened it up. Now we're back to square one. Sometimes at night, I hear him licking for long periods of time- he can't get to the cut, so he licks the inside of the stool guard. The vet gave us a small amount of Valium to help him calm down. I know that sounds extreme, but there's really nothing else I can do to distract him. It's really sad.
  8. Use VERY high value treats. A lot of people use a "special" treat only for recall training, something flavorful and smelly- like cut up hot dogs, cheese, liverwurst, roast beef. For the first few sessions, just say his name, wait for eye contact, then reward. Work up to recall in the house or on a short line. Eventually, you'll phase the treats out (only giving them for every other recall, or random intervals). He may also do well with a clicker, which will give you a unique sound that he can associate with the treats.
  9. From your description, it doesn't sound like he's really been 'unsuccessful,' just that you're expecting too much, too soon. When we first started recall training in formal obedience, I would say the dog's name at two feet away. When he responded, I'd reward with a high value treat. As the dog gets more and more reliable, you can do further distances and more challenging distractions. This has to be done with A LOT of reinforcement over a period of time. I would not even think about allowing a dog off-leash unless he's been consistently reliable in fenced and enclosed areas for at least a year. One of your end goals would be a successful recall on a 20 foot long line... You just need to work up to it.
  10. Hen's getting a little pink. I think this is fairly normal. What Ducky posted is discoid lupus. If it looks more like that, I'd schedule her at the vet.
  11. You'd need to look for a veterinary specialty practice. Sometimes, it will be the same clinic where your emergency vet is located, but your local vet should also be able to advise you. You can call them and request a consultation with the neurology department. At first Google, it looks like there's one in Houston called Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists. FWIW, the behavior you are describing (dilated pupils, panting) sounds like the post-ictal phase of a seizure. At four-years-old, she's close to the age when epileptic dogs start having onset seizures. This may be something that's easily remedied with daily medication, or it may be something more. Your best bet would be to have a neurologist evaluate her. As someone else said, it would greatly help to video one of her episodes so you can show it to the vet. I would also stop giving her the Melatonin until you figure out what's definitely going on.
  12. Happy ampuversary, Twiggy!!!!!! What an inspiration you and your mom have been. Henry is going on 14.5 months! Other than a few wipe-outs this winter, he's still thoroughly enjoying the tripawd life.
  13. I picked up some frozen RMB's from a local pet store today. I've gotten different bones from the butcher store and asian market before, but they always seem way too large, and they always make a huge, bloody mess. These bones from Primal were a huge hit! Even Truman (who has been known to favor Dentastix over raw turkey necks) chewed on his for well over an hour. These ones are buffalo marrow bones and chicken backs. I put towels down, but the smell wasn't bad, and there wasn't much of a mess. I was also happy to see a picture of a greyhound on the logo of their website! A little bit pricey, but I thought these were well worth the money.
  14. Something similar happened to us with a bag of Iams from Sam's Club. Both dogs had horrendous gas and seemed less enthusiastic at mealtimes. I called Iams and asked if there were any recalls. There weren't, but the company still agreed to send me a voucher for another bag of food. With a company as big as Iams (or Purina), there's a ton of factors that can come up. It's possible your bag got damaged or punctured during the shipping process. I'd at least try a new bag and see if that solves anything before you go through the hassle of switching brands.
  15. No experience with either of the dogs, but my 11-year-old cat has been drinking like a fish these past few weeks. He essentially camps out at the water bowl and seems to drink constantly. I had him at the vet this week. While I was there, they palpated his bladder and noted that it was very full (which at least confirmed that it wasn't all in my head, and that he probably is drinking to excess). He's a little overweight as well, so I was thinking possibly diabetes or Cushings. But, no. Everything on his UA and bloodwork is normal. The vet thought that it must just be the combination of the heater running and dry winter air. I started running a humidifier to see if that helps.
  16. Couldn't be any worse than his post-amputation abscess. I had to manually express and flush that thing at home. The smell was so rancid, it made me dry heave! That was the only time I ever looked at him and thought, "If I didn't love you so much, there's no way in hell I'd be doing this."
  17. I don't have Animax... I could ask my vet, though. No signs of infection (she said it's typical anal gland fluid, no blood or pus). Would it be mean to muzzle & stoolguard him to stop him from licking?
  18. Anal glands were full again!!! I hope this doesn't become a recurring thing.
  19. No worms. He's on Heartgard, but just in case, we brought a stool sample last week. It came up clean... I think I'll bring him back in.
  20. Welp... it's been a week following the anal gland expression, and he's still licking all the time. The vet suggested that I wipe his bum with Tuck's soothing wipes a few times a day in the event that the skin is irritated. I've been doing that, but I'm still a little bit concerned there might be some residual problem, like an infection or abscess. How long would you wait before bringing him back in?
  21. We had good results with the Cerenia. Expensive, but probably the best route you can go for nausea.
  22. I hope it's a one-and-done thing. Thinking of you guys and sending positive thoughts.
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