Dogs and other family pets


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Ube - thinking of you.  Crying is good - it releases all the worry and tension you’d been feeling about your poorly dog.x

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When our pets needed to take tablets we used two spoons to crush them and sprinkle the powder on their food.  Surprisingly the cats never made a fuss but Jack (the Jack Russell) was suspicious and gav

Yes friends, our little Jack is now resting peacefully 4 foot beneath one of our flower beds.   I’ve just not felt like logging on here for a couple of days.  Yesterday morning the very diff

I have now had my new companion for 4 days, Ripley became Jj, got fed up of being asked why we had named him after the place called Ripley! He has settled in really well and up to now has: Pulled

Took Tye to the crematorium 2day, gave her a shower before we took her and put some smellys on her so she was looking and smelling good for her last trip.... The place we took her to was a place called "forget me not" and they are located at Swancar farm Trowell Moor. 

What a beautiful place and the owners are truly brilliant they gave me all the time and support I needed, I would highly recommend them.

I got a lock of hair and a paw print set in clay and the best thing is Tye comes home tomorrow. 

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Tye   R.I.P.  goodnight god bless

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  • 2 weeks later...

We've just had the usual circus act trying to catch our two cats to take them to the vet for their annual check up and injection.

We always plan the capture really carefully and very occasionally the plan works.... but not today.  As soon as they'd come in for their breakfast, we tried to lock the cat flap but it had jammed so we had to put the kitchen bin and a heavy footstool in front of it.  Immediately they 'smelled a rat' and shot under the chairs.  We tried unsuccessfully to extricate them so decided on another plan....to open one door which leads into our hall, shut all other doors, then sit  down and wait.  Paul went out the front door to make room in the car for the cat carriers but as he (carefully????) came back in, the cats, who had crept out into the hall as planned, both rushed to the door and leapt out.  Paul managed to grab one but the other one made his escape.  It took quite a few cat treats to entice him close enough so I could grab him.  What a performance!!!

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Oh, the joys!  Been through this so many times that I've reached the conclusion cats are telepathic!  Actually, I think it's quite possible. They watch us so carefully that they are aware of when we do things differently...even slightly so.  Although I take enormous care not to give any clues about visiting the V E T or even dispensing spot on flea treatment, which my tabby hates, they always seem to know. I can only think they are in some way reading my mind!

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Dogs know what’s happening before you know yourself.  All our dogs have leapt into the car as soon as they’ve sensed we’re going somewhere.  If we opened the cupboard where we kept the car keys they would go and sit by the front door.  When we were going away for an overnight (or longer) trip the cases had to be snook upstairs to pack whilst the dog was out for a walk.  We miss old Jack and all the other dogs we’ve had but we certainly have less restrictions these days …… except for Covid! 

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I’m not convinced that animals read our minds per se, but I know they can sense any - even minor- changes in our usual actions and voice.  They are always wary of anything different.

They are the same with the spot-on flea stuff and we can never get both cats done on the same day!

Anyway, it’s all done now for another year (barring illness etc) but our bank

balance is over £180 lighter!  That’s including the cost of more flea and worm treatment but I can’t help but think that someone along the line is making a huge profit!  The cats went in together and were in the room for less than 15 minutes.

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I’ve always thought that vets fees are a rip-off.  It can be argued that the animal they’re treating can’t tell them where it hurts so in many ways the vet has to be more clever than a GP but the vet is also able to play on the owner’s emotions and love for their animal.   Pleased for you that that palaver is over for another year Margie! 

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A vet prescribed some tablets for my dog, they were £45. When I looked on line the same tablets were £12, but you needed a prescription, funnily  enough the vet wouldn't  give me one.

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I sometimes wonder if pet insurance has something to do with the seemingly extortionate vet bills. When a I had my 2 boys the bills were eyewatering large especially as anti-biotics are done by weight in animals (wonder why this isn’t done in the human species). Even the Advocate for Jj was £11 for one which seems a bit much. Plus our vet pushes their own “wellness” thing where you pay by direct debit every month to get 2 consultations free plus worming/flea treatment. When a Jj is full grown I won’t be getting wormer/flea treatment from them will go back to the place I got it for the boys, Drontal tablets and a generic flea treatment which is on a par with Advocate both being much cheaper than the vet.
My vet has also now altered the appointment system, I have had to download an app. If you ring up there are never any appointments even when you ring at the appointed times, twice a day, they just refer you to the app to make an appointment for a video consultation and then if needed they make an appointment to actually see a vet. I must say I am not very happy about this at all. When I first registered with this practice they had appointments and walk in clinics (these stopped at the first lockdown). I have begrudgingly downloaded the app (after they sent me the wrong link and I had to find it on the internet myself) but will have to see how I get on with it. I don’t see how a video consultation can determine what is wrong with an animal, how do they go on if you know that your pet just isn’t himself but doesn’t have any defining symptoms? 
This vet is only 5 to 10 minutes walk from me and the other nearest one is a lot longer walk so I would prefer not to change if possible but am a bit concerned about it.

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It's concerning. The same with some GPs who are now, apparently, limiting the time one can send an email query to them. They don't do face to face consultations. Home visits? Forget it!  It begins to look as though these very highly paid medics are trying to wriggle out of doing their job. What, I wonder, will their response be when the chickens come home to roost and thousands die of conditions that went undiagnosed? It won't be their fault, that's for certain!

 

Some vets appear to be jumping on the bandwagon. Many elderly people who have pets won't understand/have access to apps.  What about them?

 

As to spot on and wormer treatments, I generally buy them from Manor Pharmacy. My tabby suffers from flea related dermatitis, so it is doubly important that she is protected. Frontline fell down on the job years ago, so now I change the spot on every couple of years. At present, I'm using the RSPCA one from B&M and it's doing the job very well.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Not a happy morning, Misty our older dog a pinscher hasnt been eating much lately, took her to the vet and she saw a slight infection in her gums. Took a blood sample and asked to collect a stool sample. It seems that all the values point to an emphatic problem. My husband has taken her to have an ecograph. The vet gave us a tablet to calm her down first thing this morning but it doesnt seem to have done much.  We cant both go in to the studio because of restrictions so hope when they turn her onto her side she doesnt struggle. The other 2 ( chihuahuas) are getting bathed and having their nails cut. Poor Sushi, my daughters dog has to stay on her own.

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Thanks Jill , the ecograph went well ( for the way the dog behaved as we thought she would panic but she didnt and it was easy to turn her) . Its not her liver they said her stomach lining has thickened so maybe it is gastritis. Shes been given  a course of tablets and the vet has to ring us tonight with more info. Misty is very alert and perky so its reassuring.

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On 7/29/2021 at 8:34 AM, Jill Sparrow said:

Sorry to hear that, nonna. I hope she will be alright. Worrying times

I second that..... Fingers crossed 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Jj at the moment is teething. He is feeling a bit sorry for himself which includes a lot of snuggling, frozen treats and only soft food. His front ones top and bottom are through, canines on the bottom have pushed the baby ones out but only one at the top at the moment, the other one is staying put, hopefully it will come out soon. Just the back ones to cut now by the looks of it.

Hes had weepy eyes, upset stomach, all the usual stuff plus he was scratching his ears and shaking his head so a trip to the vet ensued. Luckily I managed to get an appointment without having to go through the pets app thingy to see if I actually needed an appointment. (Don’t really like the idea of that to be honest, how can a video consultation tell how bad an ear infection is without physically examining the dog?) Anyway he has a slight infection/inflammation in both ears (something cockapoos are prone to with their floppy ears) due to his teething. Got injection and ear drops, go back in 7 days. I wasn’t looking forward to doing the ear drops, have had experience with the boys where I ended up wearing more than I got into their ears, but it is amazing what a piece of cocktail sausage can achieve. 
Went back and he still had a bit of infection in one ear, the other was clear so drops for 5 more days and then if he was okay no need to go back. On the second day the ear drops were nearly gone so checked on the internet and they are £15 but you need a prescription. Rang the vet and they charge £31.89 for exactly the same size which seems a bit extortionate. Asked about the prescription and they charge £10 (wonder how they can substantiate that) for that which would make it £5 cheaper from the internet. Unfortunately I needed them straight away so had to pay the £31.89. At least it takes the amount over the excess on my insurance policy so have made a claim in case we have to go back again. 
It has made me wonder just how much over the years I have overpaid. The boys vet bills were always expensive because of their size (they always needed the biggest antibiotics etc. because of their weight - wonder why human antibiotics aren’t done by weight as well?). Don’t get me wrong I don’t begrudge paying it, my dogs have always been insured anyway, but I don’t like the thought that I have been ripped off over the years insurance or not. 

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No one with any sense would have a dog of that breed with young children in the house. Sadly, too many do and it's always the dog who ends up paying with its life. Not a popular suggestion, I know, but perhaps we should consider putting irresponsible dog owners down.

 

I have never owned a dog but I'm well aware that cats can inflict injury with little or no warning.

 

I remember being taken to visit a friend of my mum's at Clifton when I was very young. Mum's friend had no children but she loved cats and had adopted a black and white stray she named Whiskey.  I desperately wanted a cat but wasn't allowed to have one. When we went to visit mum's friend, all I wanted to do was play with Whiskey but I did it a couple of times when he was sleeping or eating. I got scratched. It bled. It hurt. It was my own fault. I didn't get any sympathy, just told not to bother Whiskey when he was busy doing other things.  Learn to respect the animal and you won't get hurt. Not difficult, is it?

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There are a few breeds that should be given a wide berth and a few owners too.  We had a Golden Retriever when our boys were young.  Supposedly a good breed for families but he was such a Jekyll and Hyde character and we learned to respect his quirks. The worst thing he ever did was bite our 2 year old’s arm, who’d decided to go and cuddle him while he was having his dinner.  It was a really nasty puncture wound that had to heal from the inside out.  
Our granddaughter was attacked by a German Shepherd Dog two years ago (when she was 6 and staying with her Czech granny in CR.). This dog belonged to her friend and our little one was running around the garden with the owner’s children.  It was a really vicious attack, mainly in her hairline so now there are no awful scars to see.  She was in hospital on intravenous antibiotics for several days and has no emotional scars from the experience thank goodness.  She loves all animals, especially dogs.  
Oh,  and that GSD in Czech Republic is still alive apparently …….. 

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Lizzie you're far softer than I. Biting a 2 year old? the dog would be dead within hours...

I have absolutely zero tolerance for a dog that bites. I've heard all the excuses, all the "ooo it's never  done that before" and owners can anthropomorphize all they like, but the dog can no longer be trusted. Saying it's a childs fault for doing whatever is not good enough, even if it is down to lack of adult supervision.

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I have had quite a few dogs, but best of all was my first "Rotti"at the time there going around was a bad reputaion. I must addmit we brought her, because at the time we owned a salon, and it used to get broken into at least 5/6 times a week. So the idea was get a nastie dog and at night leave it at the salon. Now due to the bred (Rotti) master said we should go to training classes, so I registed her with "Cantrol" who did all kinds of training possible.  Bert was a ex police dog trainer/handler so he knew his job, We choose "working dog trials" and started to put "Pip" though the paces she was just 12 weeks old. I used to train her 3/4 times a day. Nearly 2 years old and she was the perfect dog. Example By this time i was also doing a 730 teacher's course at Basford Hall Collage. You had to do a talk and a demo as part of the course. Well my talk was on how to train your dog.  I walked into the classroom with Pip made her sit, the down the told her to stay.  For thoes whob don't know "WAIT" is when you are giving another command and STAY means you are going to leave them and will return. Well there was "Gasps" on seeing a Rotti in collage but when i told her to stay I left the room for about 5 mins. on return she had not moved an inch. 

I think every owner who buys a dog should take it training what ever age or breed then it needs to be told where it is in the peckin order. you are the master not the dog. When i first took her to Bertie, First thing he told us was!!!

IT'S A DOG AND ONE DAY IT WILL DIE!!!  

Any way Pip was brillant till she was two and a half then the vet said that she had bone cancer, what can I do ? I ask the vet Nothing you have only one choice.

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