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Brie, I'm thinking of you as you go through this with Doolin. I know how very special he is to you. Please post as soon as you know anything. Hang in there. Pat

Poor Doolin! I hope he's much better today, Brie, and can begin to drink some water. This is something I haven't dealt with before - please keep us posted. My thoughts are with you. Pat

Scott, I'm sorry to hear about Argos's seizure. I hope he's doing okay today and tonight. Keep us posted and in the meantime, you're in my thoughts. Pat

Oh Nancy, I hope it's a one time thing and he's okay. I'll be thinking of you. Please keep us posted. Pat

Thank you, everyone, for such kind words and for your compassion. It is so greatly appreciated as we grieve for our boy. Nancy - I'm so glad that Tally convinced you to take in your own spook. I remember our talks on how to handle certain issues and situations. Joan - you're so right - the ones that make us work the hardest are the ones that are the dearest. And Michael - what can I say? Without you we never would have known Tally. Such a special boy who touched so many people over the years. Thanks so much. Pat

It's with great sadness that we had to let our sweet senior boy, Tally, go today. Tally would have been 15 in May. He was a tough boy right to the end. Over the last few weeks Tally had a very difficult time walking - he'd gotten very lame, and over the last few days his breathing was becoming increasingly labored. We knew it was time to release him from a body that just got old. Tally holds a very special place in our hearts. He was a very, very shy boy (the shyest I had ever met) who, ten years ago, came to stay with us for a few days while his foster dad, Michael McCann, went out of town. Needless to say, Tally never left. In a few short days he endeared himself to us - we could see little bits of the dog inside behind the shyness. We learned so much from Tally. He's the one who made shy dogs a special attraction to us. Tally loved to ride in the car - it was his favorite pass-time, especially as he got older. But his biggest love was Dewey Beach! Somehow he always knew when we turned the corner on Highway 1 into downtown Dewey. He'd get up in the van and stare out the window with a huge smile on his face. He just loved it there! The last few years he wasn't able to walk on the beach, but he still enjoyed the company and just being there. Dewey this year will be bittersweet for us. My husband is having a particularly hard time over the loss of Tally. They were best buds - amazing as Tally was initially very fearful of men. But they had something special between them. We will miss this handsome boy. Even with Star and Faye here, our house is very quiet. Pat

We had this same problem with our shy girl, Faye, when we brought her home four years ago. For awhile (about two weeks) I had to take her out on a 20 foot leash and reel her into the house after she'd done her business. After about that long, she got so if I opened the door, stood way back, and the other dogs came in ahead of her, she'd run in quickly. Good luck! These shy pups have always tugged at my heart. Pat

Please add my sweet girl, Chick. It will be soon be a year that's she's been gone and I still miss that sweet face every single day. With sympathy to all, Pat

I'll keep my fingers crossed, Melissa. You're due for and deserve a Christmas miracle, that's for sure. Pat

My Faye is the same way. Her teeth are grey - even after a cleaning. Her brother's teeth are the same way. Other than the color, her teeth are fine and no special care is needed. Pat

Pet Edge has it very inexpensively - I think their website is www.petedge.com. Pat

Yup - it is from Joes Pet Meds! The interesting thing is the order is processed through Hong Kong - I verified that with my credit card company, made in India, but it ships from Australia. Interesting..... I checked the ingredients and as you say, it's exactly the same as Heartguard Plus. You're so right in you can go all over the place with the protocol. I'm still sifting my way through it, but with the ingredients being exactly the same and hearing that you and a few others use Joes Pet Meds, I think I'll try it. Thanks! Pat

I'm continuing my research on generic Heartguard (I'm also talking with my vet about using Ivermectin and Pyrantel Pomoate(spelling?). But found a product online called Heartz. Has anyone heard of this or used it? Pat

Brie, I'm so so sorry! I hope something helps and Manny gets through this. I'm sending you hugs and prayers. Pat

Brie, I'm so sorry to hear about Manny. The poor boy - he so deserves a break! I'm sending you both hugs. Pat

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and advice. Since I've already placed the order with Joes Pet Meds, I'll see what it looks like when it arrives and confirm where it shipped out of. In the meantime, I'll check on Iverheart and Tri-Heart. If I choose to disgard the generic from Joes Pet Meds I'll just consider it a learning experience. Pat

I've been reading with interest the latest topics on using ivermectin and pyrantel in place of Heartguard Plus and on using generic heartguard - trying to keep my three hounds on it all year round but trying to cut the cost to make it manageable. I was torn as to which to try and was leaning toward the ivermectin and pyrantel - I read that the liquid was recommended more than the paste. The down side, it seemed to me, was the measuring of the cc's per pound of weight etc. I saw the topic about generic heartguard through Joes Pet Meds and decided to try that. (It didn't matter to me that the generic heartguard is tablet form not chewable.) The only concern I have is Joes Pet Meds ships from Hong Kong (I have international alert on my credit card - which is how I found that out). I've read that medications from overseas often aren't reliable. Has anyone used the generic heartguard and purchased it (or other things) from Joes Pet Meds? Thanks. Pat

In a good year, we spend $1000-$1500 all together for our 3 hounds. But it depends on the year and the hound. Amazingly, our old guy, Tally, at 14, has very little medical costs except for his 4 medications. Our youngest, Star, at 20 months, has GI issues and we've spent $1600 on him alone this year. I'll be curious to see the results of the poll and see how we compare! Pat

Good luck Lottie (and Nancy)! Get through that stuff and get home! Pat

Poor Mafi! She's in my thoughts! I hope she's feeling better soon, Jordan. Pat

Thanks, everyone. After a difficult night for Star last night, I got an appointment to see Dr. Bari Spielman at VESCONE in Waltham. She is great - I liked her a lot and would recommend her to anyone in a heartbeat. We have a plan for treating Star's diarrhea with additional metronidizol and a sulfur medication and we got the food allergy tests back, so I'm feeling much better. Pat

My 19 month old, Star, has been having GI/intestinals problems since we brought him home at the end of May. He's been on a bland diet, various prescription diets, and flagyl and we're not seeing much improvement. I'd like to talk with a vet who specializes in GI problems to get another opinion. Can anyone recommend someone they really like in the Boston area? Thanks. Pat

This is such great news, Brian. You made my day! Pat

Nancy, I am so so sorry. I just can't believe he's gone. He was such a very special boy. You're in my thoughts. With deep sympathy, Pat

Nancy, I hope Red is doing okay - I'm guessing it's too soon yet to have gotten any word from the vet, but please do keep us posted. Pat