ramonaghan

Good boy, Henry!

So sorry for your loss. Rest well, Phoenix.

Thinking of you today, and wishing Henry a smooth surgery and recovery.

So very sorry for your loss. Rest well, Lucas.

Oh, Alicia, I am so very sorry to read this. Best wishes for you and Henry in the days ahead.

Best wishes for a smooth surgery and recovery! That is a good-looking crew you have there.

RIP, hedgie. Sweep just tries to drown them in slobber.

Sweep does it as well...I used to think it was reverse sneezing, but it does seem to happen most often when she's excited about a treat or her favorite hedgehog stuffie. It passes within a minute and she's none the worse for wear.

On the bright side, it's a sign of affection! But a high-pitched "ow" and turning your back will probably work.

:wub: That's how Sweep learned too (complete with some initial jumping/overeagerness, which eventually went away). I agree; it's so much easier when they do it naturally! He's so cute.

Yep, that's the one. Finding the right food will probably help with the gas too, but a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt can also work pretty well.

So very sorry for your loss. Rest well, Miles.

She's a beauty! Congrats on the addition.

Yep, for Sweep it is! It really varies quite a bit depending on quality of food, individual dog's metabolism, level of exercise, etc. We might bump it up a bit soon because she gets more exercise this time of year (she is a lazy slug during the humid southern summer), but generally, yes, she's at a good weight at 2.5c of high-quality food plus treats.

I'm by no means an expert, but could the dewormer have been contributing to the diarrhea? Certainly four days is not long, so as you noted anxiety is also probably a factor as well. I'd be more inclined to give it another couple of days to see if things firm up now that she's finished the dewormer. Switching foods probably won't hurt, but I think there are other variables you might rule out first. Another couple of thoughts: are you feeding her 2x a day? 3.5 cups in the morning seems like a lot at one time to me. For comparison, my girl (61 lbs) gets about 2.5 cups a day, split between morning and evening. (She eats Blue Buffalo, which is higher protein and thus she doesn't need a lot.) If she's being fed once a day, I'd try splitting her food up into two meals. Adding a bit of warm water (not so much that it's soupy, but more of a thick, gravy-like consistency) helped Sweep with choking/bolting food.

What a gorgeous photo and tribute. Deepest sympathies on your loss. Rest well, Tex.

So sorry for the loss of your special boy. Rest well, Scout.

Welcome! Manny is adorable.

Yep, here's the excerpt: Trifexis contains two drugs, spinosad and milbemycin. "The spinosad is from the United States. The milbemycin is sourced from China" said Connell. But that hasn't (yet?) been isolated as the issue. Comfortis, which is what I give Sweep, is also made by Elanco and also contains spinosad. Makes me a bit paranoid! So sad for those owners.

Sending good thoughts for you and your sweet boy.

I am so sorry for your loss. Rest well, Shadow.

I have used Musher's Secret successfully to soften Sweep's pads, which does help some with traction on slippery floors and is actually one of the uses listed on the jar ("keeps paw pads supple and helps prevent old calloused paws from slipping on smooth surfaces when applied regularly"). But you definitely have to time it right for the reasons stated above. Best to apply it just before bedtime or before giving a frozen kong or other long-lasting treat (or you can try nonskid toddler socks over the paws while it absorbs).

I give Sentinel (also switched from Heartgard Plus) and Comfortis with no ill effects. My very grey-savvy, grey-owning vet prescribed them both, so I have no concerns about safety. I also wondered about the extra flea preventative, but I live in the south and have never seen a flea on Sweep, so I won't mess with success!

Sending positive thoughts to you and Fintan. I can imagine how hard this must be for you--hang in there! Hope they can find and easily treat the issue soon.

Oh, and re: the stress, lavender is known to be calming, so another option would be a lavender-scented shampoo like this. (I think Cloud Star is the brand our local dog wash uses.) We have a walk-in shower, thank goodness--I can imagine the tub is not much fun for either of you!