greylyn

I think I'd be more worried about how your cats would behave with a rabbit than I would be about the GH!

Thanks for the encouraging words, RWM. Both of my dogs are enjoying the raw meals and it was especially nice when we went "camping" this weekend with our little travel trailer. I had bagged each days rations and kept them in the little freezer until needed - there was no turning up of noses when Mom showed up with chicken quarters for brekkie and supper! I have been looking at the idea for some time - I just wish I had tried it sooner! Yes, this area has excellent skiing and as a matter of fact, the new Revelstoke Mountain Resort has the longest vertical in North America and is becoming very popular with skiers from all over. They are still working on things and some day it will be a year-round resort. Maybe you will feel the need to come to Revelstoke again to check out the new runs!

I just started feeding my dogs raw about a week ago, thanks to the great advice in this thread! I have been giving them chicken quarters to start with and I sit with them to watch, just in case someone chokes! No, I'm not a worry-wart! I am amazed at how well they manage! The first night I gave them the chicken, Kieran (11 year old female)just chomped the whole thing up in no time! Otis (almost 9 year old male) is a much more cautious type and he sniffed, licked, and very carefully chewed it. He took twice as long as Kieran did to eat the same size quarter. Now, a week later, he's almost as expert as she is about chewing it all up. When they see that I've got their meal in my hands, their bums hit the ground instantly, with no cue from me - it's just "Oh, good, she's got chicken for us again!" It warms my heart to see how much they are enjoying their meals now. Kieran always has had good poops, but Otis has often had less than ideal BM's - now his are perfect and much less in quantity! We were at the vet today to have Kieran's corns done, so I told her what I was doing with their meals and she was very supportive - I love our vet!

I use the Crest electric toothbrush for Otis and Kieran. I have separate heads (brush part) for each of them and just pull their lips away when they clench their teeth. I use the CET Vanilla-Mint doggy toothpaste that was recommended in another post a few weeks ago. They do try, fairly successfully, to lick off the toothpaste while I'm trying to brush, but that's OK.

Kieran has had corns for several years and sees the vet regularly for hulling. She doesn't have any on her back paws now, but we still have to have the front paws hulled; they do seem to be getting smaller lately though, so the vet and I think we're winning the battle! Otis has never had any at all. They both have lived with us for nearly seven years, so if Otis was going to "catch" them from Kieran, I think he'd have done so by now.

Wise words!

I cried when you lost Strider, I cried when BeBe left you, and now I'm crying for Dallas. Your tribute is beautiful and I'm so sorry for your loss, Kim.

Otis had a similar problem with his dewclaw - the vet trimmed it back and it healed well. However, because his dewclaws stuck out and were more prone to catching on things, she removed them both when he had his next dental while he was under. Kieran's dews had already been removed before she came to live with us - I wish they'd do them all when they are puppies, when it isn't quite as big a deal to do it.

Talk about good timing! I just recently noticed a "bald patch" on Otis' tail - it didn't seem to bother him and I wasn't too concerned but I figured I'd mention it the next time we see the vet. Thanks for posting, OP, and thanks for sharing your knowledge, everyone else!

I hope you can figure out what is happening with your DH soon. How old is he? Can you talk with his doctor about the "odd" things that he's saying/doing/forgetting to see if there is a possible medical reason, such as meds, stress, or even (God forbid!) early Alzheimer's? :hope that it's something easy to deal with!

:grouphug

I'm so sorry to see this sad news! I was hoping you'd have lots more time with him.

Yay for poop!

Thank you so much for posting this suggestion! I checked with our vet clinic and they did have the CET Vanilla-mint flavour toothpaste so I got some and had the bright idea to use DH's electric toothbrush - I told him to buy a new one for himself. I used the regular medium brush for Kieran who will let me do anything. I dremel her nails so I figured the sound of the toothbrush wouldn't bother her too much. She's such a sweet dog! After she was done, I switched the brush head to a soft one, since Otis' gums were very inflamed, even though he had just had a dental at the end of October. I really thought I was going to have to go through a routine of letting him lick the toothpaste off the brush, brushing one tooth, etc., over a period of a few days, but he was great! He didn't seem to mind the sound of the toothbrush; he won't let me dremel his nails at all, but he let me brush his whole mouth! His teeth and gums are looking better already, after just three days! They both seem to like the taste of the Vanilla-Mint toothpaste and their breath is actually quite nice, too.

:grouphug

I am following this with great interest; Kieran has a recurring "yeast" problem and it is very hard to keep her vulva area clean and dry. At her annual checkup visit, I asked our vet about this procedure and gave her the three links you posted earlier. She is going to look into the subject to see if it is a possible solution for Kieran. So, even if it doesn't turn out to be a suitable fix for her, thank you for posting. This is such a great place to learn from other people's experiences and expertise, and when I ask Dr.Janet for her opinion on various matters, she often asks me what the friends on GT have to say about it (in a positive way). It's thanks to GT and the link to the Grassmere Hospital site that she is willing and able to hull Kieran's corns! At our most recent visit, she printed me an article about corns that she'd found on her veterinary site. I asked her if Dr. Feeman had written any of it, and sure enough, he was cited as having contributed to the info! I feel very fortunate to have such a great vet in our small town!

When Kieran has her corns hulled, her paws are tender for a few days afterward so I fill the holes with bag balm, and put baby socks on under her Therapaws.

I wish I knew what to tell you. I hope the vet can get it figured out ASAP!

What a great update! :yay

:weep

I'm sorry. No-one will second-guess you on this. Based on your description, I think I would be making the same decision.

:grouphug

I don't like people "getting in my face" either! Why should any dog be expected to love having other bad-mannered dogs jumping on/at them, whether they are "just playing" or not?