RE: Loppy's dental challenges - updated 11/24 - he's home now
Sounds like you found a wonderful vet. Has anybody seen that allergy medicine commercial where, at the end, a European looking vet is sitting drinking coffee, wearing green scrubs, when a tiger walks right past in front of him? That's our Ricky's vet and he treats all kinds of exotic animals and birds, a pretty big (and lucrative) market here in S Calif. I am sure Loppy is getting the very best care and I hope it is only good news. Will be waiting to hear from you.
Judy
RE: Loppy's dental challenges - updated 11/24 - he's home now
You mentioned that Poquita didn't do well on the Tramadol... I wonder about that. Even after the injection of pain meds last night/early this a.m. Loppy was agitated, acted confused and did some pacing. That's why neither of us slept more than 10 minutes or so at a time
Cat, if you google Tramadol side-effects veterinary there are some mentions of "mental alteration" and "agitation." The best way I can describe it with Poquita was like her reaction to the 4th of July with fireworks going on for hours. That didn't happen until at least 8 hours after the very small dose I gave her, though. She actually first slept for a few hours and then acted normal for the afternoon. It was not until late evening that she had the "episode." She has arthritis in both knees and her back and is in pain all the time but I can tell when it is bad enough to need pain meds. Well, this particular time, after I had only given her 1/6 of a 25 mg Tramadol, she really scared us. She was inconsolable, heart pounding, panting, racing around the house like a pup. To make matters worse, Rosie thought that meant Poquita wanted to play! :E Anyway, if you note these kinds of symptoms again tonight (hope not!) be sure and tell the vet as Loppy may not be able to tolerate it.
BTW, I take Tramadol myself, for Fibromyalgia, and when I first started on it years ago, it made my heart race like adrenaline. I sort of wonder if that's what our dogs are feeling. It will be interesting to see what the vet says. Good luck and I sure hope it is "only" an abcessed tooth.
Judy
RE: Loppy's dental challenges - updated 11/24 - he's home now
Cat, I forget, does Loppy have other medical issues? It's a good sign that the poor little guy is eating. Always really scary when they don't. How is he on the Tramadol? The other day I gave Poquita 1/6 of one like the Dr in Florida prescribed. She was fine until that night when she ran around panting and looked wild-eyed for an hour or so. After hours, of course, which is the only time pets get sick. :R I looked online and found that old dogs can have trouble excreting Tramadol, due to decreased kidney and liver function, and that's most likely what caused the symptoms. Poquita is 12 now, so no more Tramadol for her. I sometimes give her a small dose of Rimadyl that our vet here prescribed and haven't seen any negative effects from that, but I try to avoid it just because of long-term issues. Good luck Loppy!
RE: Loppy's dental challenges - updated 11/24 - he's home now
Oh, gee, did they mention the possibility of tooth abcess? That can be nasty and involve bone. Soooo painful but dogs and cats don't complain like we do so it goes on longer. Poor baby! Will be waiting for updates and hoping for the best.
Judy
RE: Our pack is expanding, sort of......
That is so cute, how those dogs lay out there with the sheep and just sort of camouflage themselves. Then when Wile-E Coyote shows up, SURPRISE!!! :B Can't wait to hear how the new guy fits in.
RE: "The Clan" / Harlee's Crash Landing...
Yikes, Harlee had a "puppy moment!" :E We all forget how old we are from time to time. :W I'm betting she won't do that again anytime soon.
Judy
RE: Jealous Dogs???
I've never seen Cesar do an Alpha roll, have I missed it? I have seen him put a very dog-aggressive dog into a "down" and then push it on its side until it calmed. He didn't physically hold such a dog, either, rather he intimidated it with body language and blocking.
RE: Do You Think That Heating Pads Are OK???
I bought heated cat beds for our two little dogs several years ago. We only plug them in during what is really cold weather for us here in S Calif but would be a heatwave anywhere else. Funny thing is that the cat hated the beds, but Rosie, who is a single coat chi and near naked on her belly, loves the warmth. Poquita, who has a double coat, doesn't like hers at all. She'll sleep in her bed, but not if it's plugged in. I have seen a ceramic disc that you heat in the microwave and slip into the dog/cat bed and I think there is a foil liner to keep it warm for hours. That might be good and wouldn't use as much power.
RE: Check Those Boobies
But, but, but! I did get a great big laugh at the humorous replies as well. :B
I wasn't offended by them, either. As a matter of fact, I remember reading that a considerable number of early breast cancers are "discovered" by a partner. That has to be a good thing.
RE: Jealous Dogs???
Cesar has addressed that problem several times on his Dog Whisperer show, usually featuring little lap dogs fiercely guarding one person or another in the family. Invariably, it was shown that the behavior was being reinforced, possibly subconsciously, by the protectee. A lot of people think it's cute, but it sure isn't, and is bound to make bigger problems, sooner or later.
RE: Check Those Boobies
We had a scare about that with Poquita last year, she had an unfamiliar lump on her belly. We noticed that the lump was sometimes apparent and sometimes not. Turned out that her umbilical hernia had apparently come undone, from when it was repaired during her spay at 7 mos old. So when she eats, it has food in it for awhile. The vet advised leaving it alone, since he doesn't like to do surgery on 6 lb, 12 yr old dogs unless it is absolutely necessary. From what I understand, mammary cancer is much more likely in dogs and cats that experience at least one heat cycle before they are spayed. Another reason for spaying early and not allowing the "just one litter" that many folks like to do. I agree, this is a scary topic whether we are talking humans or pets.
RE: Where to find frozen boneless turkey in S Cal?
And WalMart has the Whole Boneless frozen Honeysuckle Turkeys as well...supposedly!
WalMart
Bud just got one at the Super Wal*Mart, but it only weighs 48 oz and that's with the gravy packet. Oh, well, I am sure it will be enough for the three of us.
RE: Where to find frozen boneless turkey in S Cal?
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack thread. No problem, glad to know I'm not nuts for remembering them. :W I actually called the Butterball hotline today, first time in my life, and the (sounded like) teenager who answered swore she had never heard of a Butterball boneless turkey, only the breast meat. It's one of the hazards of being SS age, we hear "they don't make that anymore" a whole lot. :B
We don't have a lot of storage room in freezer or fridge and don't like to have a whole lot of leftovers, so the boneless was perfect. I will check out the tips in the next day or two and report back. Thanks all!
Where to find frozen boneless turkey in S Cal?
You know, the ones that are a little bigger than a football? :W There are only three of us for Thanksgiving this year and I'd like (preferably) the Armour or Butterball boneless turkey as those are just perfect. I can find just the breast meat, but not with the dark meat included. It seems to be hard to find and time is getting short. Has anybody seen them at a S Calif grocery chain store? Would really appreciate it.
Judy
RE: Bad month for cats in my area - update
Perhaps I lost the others to make room for this one.
Some of us choose to believe that the pets we lost "sent" the new one to help us heal. It does seem that some pretty special critters happen to come along that way. Good luck with the new baby. Looking forward to a photo (and a name.) :B
Judy
RE: Blood Test Mania!!!
I like the vet very much,she went to WSU vet school,but their standard rates are ridiculous..
You are absolutely correct. These fees are outrageous, IMHO. Our vet doesn't charge for surgical follow-up visits and many other things he could. In these difficult financial times, it is not surprising that so many beautiful pets end up in shelters and even put down because the owners can't afford those expenses. Your cocker will no doubt repay you many times over for your loving care. Thanks for taking the little guy in.
RE: Tootsie's weekend adventure in eating....
An open purse with meds inside it is an even greater danger. People who don't have dogs don't think to put things like that up where they can't be reached. Good reminder, Cat! My brother's GF feeds our dogs junk food, on purpose, every time they visit. :M
RE: Need help with my dog- barks while on the leash.
We had this problem with Rosie when she was young. I just happened to catch a couple of Dog Whisperer episodes and recognized immediately that at least 75% of the problem was my body language when walking her. I made those corrections, basically keeping the leash loose, not sending tension through the lead to her, insisting that she never walk ahead of me and physical correction at the first sign of her alerting to another dog or person. Also, walking confidently, I AM the one in charge here, you (dog) do not have to protect me. It is all pretty subtle, but what a huge difference. So I recommend watching a few Dog Whisperer shows. Cesar's methods worked just great for Rosie and me. Bud walks Poquita, who has never been any kind of problem in her 12½ yrs.
RE: IS WalMart topic still allowed? A little long
Our respect for Wal*Mart and Sam's Club went up greatly during recent S Calif wildfires when we worked as volunteers at Red Cross shelters. Both those stores always sent huge truckloads of food, water, soft drinks and underwear, socks and sweats for the evacuees. Smaller, local stores have always helped, too, but you can't imagine the appreciation for Wal*Mart's and Sam's philanthropy.
Judy
