lothianjavert

:grouphug

Only problem I can see with the upside down vinyl carpet thingy is that it may not let enough water through. They do make a mesh version in plastic/vinyl with similar little plastic pricklies that deters cats and dogs because it just doesn't feel nice on the feet. I've also tried a couple brands of the shake-on type deterrents with no success. I may have to do the prickly mesh thing with the front gardens. The neighbor's cats are digging it up majorly and spraying & pooping everywhere. (the 3am cat fights are fun too). ICK!

Sending lots of prayers for Quilty! She looks absolutely AMAZING in that photo!! :eek WOW! Talk about a difference from when she first arrived! She is one very, very lucky girl to have you guys!

I second the fasting for a day (but make sure to give him access to water!) and then bland diet for a couple days to see if that calms down his system. Usually people do Chicken/Rice or Beef/Rice (just drain the fat). I use either potatoes or pasta instead of the rice-- it seems to sit better. (and beef, Diesel can't do chicken) If it gets worse, or he's getting dehydrated, you'll need to take him to the vet sooner. Since he's not too long out of the kennel, parasites are another possibility. Sometimes it takes a few doses to get rid of all of them, and they can definitely cause loose stools/diarrhea. When he does go to the vet, bring a fresh stool sample. (I'm sure being newly adopted and stressed isn't helping either, sometimes that alone is enough to cause loose stools!) I've found that it's not necessarily an issue of "good food" vs "bad food". It can be the highest quality food but if it doesn't work for your dog, it isn't the best for him. Avoderm isn't a bad food though. I'm feeding the lamb version here. Two of mine do great on darned near any food, but Diesel has a sensitive stomach and it works the best for him. We've also had luck with Pro Plan Sensitive (salmon) and the old Canidae Lamb (I wish they hadn't changed the formula!). If in the long run it is a food issue, there are lots of alternatives on the market now, and a fair amount of reasonably priced good quality foods as well.

I was quoted $600 for dental + anesthesia (bloodwork -not- included, that's another 120.00) and $100 per extraction, $200 if it's a difficult extraction (per tooth).

We use frontline plus here. It still works fine, but we aren't in an area of the country where it's warm most of the year (i.e. Florida, Georgia, etc., where fighting bugs is year round and they develop resistance pretty quickly. ) Frontline plus is a combination of a broad spectrum insecticide (fipronil) and an IGR (insect growth regulator), S-Methoprene. The S-Methoprene screws up the growth hormones, so any eggs laid are sterile, and juveniles can't complete their life cycle. I use S-Kinoprene in the greenhouse for the same thing (along with imidacloprid and other insecticides as/if necessary) Advantage and Advantix both use imidacloprid (a synthetic nicotinoid) as the insecticide (kills fleas & other insects). However, Advantix also adds permethrin to kill ticks. Permethrin + cats is NOT good, so don't use Advantix if you have cats.

Diesel will get a bald butt every summer (with a little "butt fringe" left on the far sides ) and then it will start to regrow when the temperatures drop in the fall. By mid-winter, he is quite hairy-- to the point that we call him "wooly boy". In late spring, he starts shedding and the bald butt comes back. It's the same cycle every year. Sully's butt will get a bit sparse in the summer, but not as bald as Diesel. He also doesn't get as fuzzy in the winter either.

No, it would depend on location and severity. Remember a "break" can range from a simple hairline fracture all the way to a hideous compound fracture needing reduction, stabilization, etc. So, on one end you have just crate rest or crate rest + cast and on the other end major orthopedic surgery.

Sending lots of prayers! :hope

I have a pair of neopaws summer boots for Sully's corn. They work great! I use a pair so that he isn't "off-kilter" with only one boot on. The neo-paws have a thicker sole, more like a human shoe or boot, so only putting one on would be weird feeling for the dog. Sully wears his on his front feet. We've never had problems with them coming off or rubbing.

OMG, I totally missed this!! I'm glad it went well and that he gets to come home early! Sending prayers for good clean margins and a good biopsy.

Yes, you need to measure for the Neo-paws. If I were to get booties for all of my dogs, they would be different sizes. Heck, I'd end up w/ different sizes for front vs. back paws for one of them! Before I ordered I emailed them w/ Sully's paw measurements (which had been between two sizes) and they helped me figure out which size would be best. I chose the summer boots because they were lighter and more breathable, while still having a good sole. They came with separate neoprene pads that could be placed in the bottom of the booties. As Sully's corns got worse, I added even more padding by measuring and cutting them out from some comfort insoles from walmart. Cushy is an understatement now. Getting a pair is definitely the way to go. If I try to put just one of anything on one of Sully's feet, he just won't use that foot at all. If you do two, he can't do that. Sully wears them on his front feet. He did not like them at first, but he learned pretty quickly that booties=walkies and therefore booties are good! Sully in his booties the other year: ETA-- I just noticed your username. I'm Slippy is Sully's grand-sire!

I purchased boots from a different maker (neopaws.com). They do NOT fall off. They do take a little more to put on, and are not for around the house use. (they have a pretty thick sole, it would be like wearing athletic shoes all day. The padding really makes a difference when it comes to walks though! Sully still has a slight limp, but without the booties, he would be 3 legging it. Without them, we wouldn't be doing walks at all because he's too uncomfortable.) I got the "summer booties".

:grouphug