Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: Rose on October 31, 2013, 10:11:15 PM
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I know this is for humans and their problems but I know there are animal lovers out there and as my dog is female it seems fair to include her. After 3 expensive trips to Vet, they still don't know why Daisy is itching like mad. No fleas, looked at diet etc but she is going mad with itch. My sympathies are with her because we all know how itching is horrible. If anyone can help me to help her, that would be great. I have washed her in very expensive anti itch dog shampoo also and covered the poor thing in natural coconut oil (which the male dog loved!) but don't know what to do now.
Any ideas appreciated as she is my little saviour.
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As a dog lover i so wish I could help. I had an american cocker who was always chewing herself and making sore 'hot spots' - she was constantly having to wear the dreaded lampshade. For some reason Iams dog food seemed to improve her skin and she didn't itch and chew so much.
I think it can become a habit. Can you divert her into doing other things when she starts to scratch?
Some people give their dogs evening primrose to help the skin. Perhaps some vitamin supplements with omega oils?
good luck Dg x
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I would take her off dog food and all her dog treats. Feed her on brown rice and chicken for a few weeks. Have you tried a fish oil supplement.
It's going to be trial and error to try and find out what's causing this. If a change of diet helps then you could try a sensitivity diet. I found Burns dog food to be good.
Poor little thing. I hate it when there is anything wrong with mine. She gets hot spots and licks until she bleeds.
Honeyb
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I have the answer !! :) Rock Sulphur. You can get it at any good pet store or buy it online. It is brilliant and we've been using it for years.
Our previous dog used to be itchy and we ruled out fleas, allergies etc. It is bright yellow in colour and you just add a big chunk of it to the dogs drinking bowl and it cools their blood. This is so spooky because I just washed the kitchen floor and emptied the dog bowl and replaced the rock sulphur.
I am pretty sure the itching will stop very quickly - try it and let me know how you get on!
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One of our visiting cats has really bad itching but has to have a steroid injection every few weeks to control it. I take it your (expensive) vet has tested liver function as this can cause overwhelming itching in animals as well as humans?
Taz x :)
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Harvest mites are doing the rounds at the moment in our area - has your vet ruled this out? Otherwise like the other have suggested I would put her on a very bland diet, chicken and rice or white fish and rice then gradually start re-introducing things to see if any of her food or treats are causing it.
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Sarcoptic mange mite - my cocker had this and the Vet initially thought it was auto-immune disease until a skin scrape was taken. She then had to have weekly baths which I persuaded the Vet Nurses to do ;D and she came back smelling like a creosoted fence.
In the mean time take her off all commercial dog foods and dog biscuits. Buy fresh chicken and beef mince; chop, stir fry, allow to cool. Add a few veg if she will eat them. Bland may give some relief if the problem is in the commerical food stuffs. Even if the packet says 'allergen free' ::) . ........ dogs scavange, taking the paunch from a dead animal as a first choice. They do not get a 'balanace' diet ;) ......... they will eat berries, grasses etc. when they are able to.
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If you have ruled out all the vet stuff & she isn't making herself sore I would just see if it calms down. My job is dogs & a couple of my girls do itch for no reason a few times a year. Maybe its hormones (groan) if she is unspayed. Blossom was my last dog to do this & we just let her get on with it as I feed a really good food & knew she had no medical issues. She just stopped after a couple of weeks. Making me itch now!!! ps our vet is Steve Leonard remember Vets in Practice, he & his brother Tom :-*
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:-* :-* certainly remember them as well as Mark Evans who does TV stuff too: however, unexplained itchyness should be investigated by skin scrapes etc.. Some pets can have hay fever, we had a cat whose eyes, lips, paws swelled from April until November :-\ - he hated the medication and would hide :'(
Some breeds are prone to itchyness, i.e. Westies - also that eye condition where they don't make tears which has a very long name >:( is prevalent in cockers, Westies and other breeds. 'dry eye' ....... our JR used to lick her front feet raw ....... until Dad changed her tinned grub to a US dried food which required hot water over it an hour before eating.
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CLKD all the ladies of a certain age use them :-* Saw Steve at our new Aldi even celeb vets like a bargain!
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:rofl: remind me, where do you live again ;)
If we go back to how dogs would live in the wild, they wouldn't get half what owners give them, there's a HUGE guilt ridden trip out there which is worth £Billions to the pet food manufacturers :-X
My dog loved raw carrots, cauliflower, she would pick ripe raspberries from the canes ...... our sheepdog would eat bilberries straight from the bushes, only the ripe ones mind :-*
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It's a secret now should have asked me yesterday! I swear by Royal Canin but bet there are others who say its crap. Wish my dogs would eat veg, kids hate it so always got left overs. I had a dalmation many years ago who used to steal the strawberries, so cute x
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Thank you all so much for your replies! I am going to change her diet today and feed her separately from the Sheepdog. I will get the rock sulphur and bathe her again today. Then if that fails I'm off to the vet for skin scrapping. I will try everything and anything to help her. I knew you lot would come up trumps! :thankyou:
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Is it possible she has a flea allergy? I had a dog once who never had a flea on him, but would literally drive himself, and us, crazy with his itching, scratching and biting. The vet finally worked out that it was a flea allergy. All it takes is one flea to jump on, take a chomp, and jump off again, and that flares the allergy up.
I can't remember now what the treatment was, because it's years ago and I was just a teenager, but I think he used to get cortisone injection every few months, but I'm sure there are other and better treatments now.
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HOWEVER: yep flea allergy is another route to check it is the saliva that pets are irritated by. My little indoor cat though :'( ........ scratched a lot, because we had a a dog we assumed, due to symptoms, that she had been bitten and developed an allergy. So she was treated by steroid injection as necessary.
Fifteen days before she was pts - for other reasons ; I changed her food. She had been eating a well=known pouch/tinned food with a very nice cat on the packaging ::) for years++. A free sample of another product came through the door and she wolved it down. Within 48 hours of this particular food she had stopped itching. Sadly she had amouth cancer and the pain became too much ....... I do wish I had followed the allergy route sooner in her Life, the guilt will live with me for always :'(
What have you decided to feed your dog on? Do get a skin scrape done ASAP in case it is mange which is caught from foxes. It burrows under the skin and causes INTENSE itching, my dog didn't stop for day after day, even throughout the night :-\
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Thank you all so much for your replies! I am going to change her diet today and feed her separately from the Sheepdog. I will get the rock sulphur and bathe her again today. Then if that fails I'm off to the vet for skin scrapping. I will try everything and anything to help her. I knew you lot would come up trumps! :thankyou:
You do know the rock sulphur is just to put in her DRINKING water don't you? I would honestly just do one thing at once and then you'll know which thing works. Rock Sulphur is dead cheap so I'd go with that first and see if there's an improvement in a few days. If not then try changing her food for a few days and so on. Obviously it's up to you though! :)
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I don't know what Rock Sulphur looks like but I am imagining Rose now with a dog covered in the stuff in the bath & Rose covered in it too. Hate bathing the dogs I need a shower after!
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The image of being covered in Rock Sulphur is something else ::) If I'd taken the time to write properly I would have said; Going to change diet (which I have done as I went to vet and bought food for dogs with allergies. Getting Rock Sulphur to put in drinking bowl ;). Then bathing her in shampoo bought at vet (actually lovely daughter has agreed to do this!) Vet will take skin scrapings if no change in a week. It's spring here in Oz but she has never been like this before. She does miss George the cat as they were great friends and played together. Maybe she is nervous or god forbid, hormonal. I want to have her sterilized but vet wants to find out about skin first. That was a really expensive trip to Vet but my Daisy is worth it. How many times she has comforted me when I've been in agony with my back or sad are too numerous to count.
ps; might look good covered in rock sulphur!
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Rose I had no idea you where the other side of the world! lucky you. I guess you have more things over there that could cause problems for dogs due to the climate.
I booked an appt for my Princess Beeny last year as she had lost a bit of hair in a few places just like a little balding. Then I got the flu off the kids so cancelled & booked for 2 weeks time, then the flu came back again so by the time I got to the vets it had started growing back! I still let them do a skin scrape etc & got a HUGE bill as they got me a skin specialist. All was good & about a week after the appt she looked normal again......doh!!! It's always safe though I usually have a lot of girls visiting my stud dog & you never know with some if they come from somewhere not so nice.
Like you say they are precious & worth every penny. Glad you are not covered in rock sulphur. Its a shame she misses the cat that is sad :(
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SIGH - forgive me for being cynical but of course your Vet will suggest pet food if they sell it >:( - Vets World wide seem to be tied in with commercial food companies these days.
Change of food from commercial - anything commercial - to bland, chicken and rice - would be my way of going and a skin scrape sooner rather than later ;)
I have a UK school chum who is Vet in Sydney .........
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SIGH - forgive me for being cynical but of course your Vet will suggest pet food if they sell it >:( - Vets World wide seem to be tied in with commercial food companies these days.
Change of food from commercial - anything commercial - to bland, chicken and rice - would be my way of going and a skin scrape sooner rather than later ;)
I have a UK school chum who is Vet in Sydney .........
I do agree with this. Our vet once recommended a special food for one of my dogs and it was hellishly expensive. I chose to cook her food instead. I used to buy chicken livers in a tub for about 50p and they'd do her a couple of days. I used to boil up rice or pasta and give her that too. I'd buy small bits of chicken and fish if they were on offer and cook those too.
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I do buy a special food for my dog as she gets struvite crystals in her bladder which makes her wee blood and she gets so sore. My vet does sell it but I can get it online and its half the price and works very well for her.
Honeyb
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Our cat had cystals in his urine - because of the inability to digest thoroughly the commercial pet food I was feeding him :'( and fortunately, he took to the 'special' diet at once. Now that particular product is in PetsAtHome-type stores but Puss is long gone :-\
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Hi Bev, yes I live on other side of the world! Just getting warm here (29 yesterday) but really can't work out why Daisy won't stop itching. Even after the wash, she's at it again. I know that Vets will push expensive products but I got railroaded into it. It's almost as bad as visiting the GP, you think they know everything. I can't find Rock Sulphur. It's so infuriating when something is mentioned on this UK site and it isn't available here. Will keep looking. I see another trip to Vet coming as I can see she is been driven mad by this itch. Typically, the male dog has nothing wrong with him!
Rose x
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Don't know if you have Amazon Rose but you can order from them.
Honeyb
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Oh rose how horrible for your poor dog- and you. If youre a softie like me it is very upsetting as your pets are a huge part of your family. Anyway, my sons dog has been gnawing at his paws for months now- they are constantly sore and bleeding- the vet seems to think its a bit like nail biting- a remembered response to a hot spot- so she prescribed some foul tasting stuff to spray on so he will not want to bite at that part again. I daresay youve tried that thouh. My cat seems to be suffering the same- although it seemed to clear up so we were really happy. ;D I then had a small operation and my head was everywhere since August so I forget to put his flea/ tic treatment on his neck during that time-(Frontline,) and then he was biting his rear 'hock' so they bled again. All I can think is that he is allergic to fleas or ticks as it seems to have settled down although his hocks are red and sore poor little puss.
It seems to be a fairly common problem though so good luck and I hope your dog soon gets better.
(off the subject here a bit- my very old cat who is no longer with us was lying on his back one day- I looked and thought I saw a tic on his lower abdomen- Oh!!! I thought and I tried to remove it - only to discover- horror of horrors that it was his penis!!!!) Well, you live and learn.I swear the old cat was smiling. God bless him.
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ANAL GLANDS!!!!!!! both dogs and cats will reach round to their rear ends and if they can't get to the offending area (under the tail) they will perform displacement nibbling/biting/bottom rubbing .........
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Rose, now I know she is called Daisy that says it all. My daughter has two daxi's one is a Daisy bloody nightmare when they came to stay whilst she was on holiday. Change her name & it will stop ;D She was called Crazy Daisy by the time she left. Hope she calms down though before she does any damage. Is she intact? I am pretty jealous of your weather, first big frost here today & the chimney appears to be falling off in quite big bits all day must be the cold that has set it off. Moving seems preferable to fixing it. xx
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Valiant that is brilliant! I can't stop laughing poor boy though unless it was a large tic! I make a living forever having to touch my stud dog's penis (with gloves!) & I can tell you I feel quite unwashed at times x
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Well at least you have all made me laugh! Yes Valient I am the biggest softie about all animals and they seem to like me too. I have a theory that anyone who doesn't like animals has a problem. All new perspective partners of my kids HAVE to pass the 'animal test' in our family ::) That means that they have to at least pet them once but any brushing them off is a no no. My kids are all as bad as me. Yes she is crazy Bez, but beautiful. I only miss the weather at home when it's xmas here and the temps are 40 and it really doesn't feel like Christmas! Thanks for advice Hurity, will look that up asap. Anal glands, now that's a possibility as she was dragging her bottom along the tiles in the patio. Thank you all so much. :foryou:
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The Vet Nurse offered to show me how to empty anal glands but I told her that I preferred to be at the head end ;D . It was something another Member 'said' that reminded me that glands can cause an animal to displacement groom etc.. ;)
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We've been lucky that none of our dogs have ever suffered from it - I hear it's a most unpleasant (smelly) procedure ::)
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Yep. The 1st time I took my bitch the Vet. knew instantly what the problem was, emptied the glands, gave her a cuddle then I paid up; later I learned that she was in the early stages of pregnancy (the Vet that is) :madeyes: it's a strange, slightly unpleasant smell which I began to recognise so could catch the problem much earlier ..........
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Err does anyone know how to do this emptying of anal glands? Thanks CLKD for thinking of that :thankyou: I thought I'd share this with you all. Was in Florida some years ago and was looking at a newspaper. In the 'dogs for sale' section was this; For sale; cross between Shihtzu and Poodle, lovely Shiht Poo puppies! Honestly I laughed so much but what else could you call them?
Anyway, anyone with any experience of anal glands in dogs only, please let me know!
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It's really not something you could just try out without being shown. It stinks worse than anything I have ever smelled. With some dogs it's easy and others it's very hard.
I have my dog done once a year at her health check. It's not something I would do my self as it involves sticking your finger up the dogs bum. Um no thanks, that's what we have vets for ;D
Honeyb
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I would let the vet do it Rose, some groomers are good at it too. There are certain things I can do but feel happier for the vet to do. Microchipping is another thing people do at home now but to me that is another thing that is vet only. My vets bills are silly ???
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It really is the worst smell ever :sick02:. The nurses at our vets do it for a minimal charge....
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Let the Nurse show you first! If they are impacted it is very painful for the dog. They can if left, cause infection under the tail ::)
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My old boy Timmy got his infected & had to have antibiotics. The vet siad it would come back but touchwood it hasn't. He does this thing where he has old man days & we think this is it & give him some metacam & wrap him up in a snuggly bed in the bedroom for the night & the next thing he is like a puppy again. We are forever waking him up thinking this is it & he is like why do you keep waking me up!! :scottie: Bless him I hope he gets through this Winter. x
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I was told that Metacam should be given daily. It is a high dose initially dependant on the pet's weight followed by a few drops daily. Otherwise it doesn't build to a maintenance pain-relieving level.
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Okay I see another visit to vet! Thank you all for replying and I'll let you know what vet says (probably $90 please) but poor Daisy can't go on like this. Will also check out Metacam x
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Metacam is a pain killer anti inflammatory. It can cause havoc with some dogs stomachs. If the pain is just from an aging dog with creaking joints I take a more natural approach. A magnetic collar and arnica tablets work really well.
Honeyb
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Metacam is given at a very low dose and is proven to work. My dog got a new lease of Life when the Vet noticed that she was limping badly, I felt awful as I hadn't noticed. :-\ Some pets do react badly as they can to Remidil too. (Sp).
Let us know how you get on with Daisy!
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I must have been unlucky with it as none of my dogs have been able to tolerate it. Gave them S&D.
I do know it works for some though.
My dog has had knee surgery and does very well on alternative medicine. No muscle loss or stiffness and she is 11 now.
Honeyb
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Is this thread making anyone else itch ;D
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As long as it does not make you want to rub your bum on the carpet CLKD.
;D
Honeyb
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Hi Bev, yes I live on other side of the world! Just getting warm here (29 yesterday) but really can't work out why Daisy won't stop itching. Even after the wash, she's at it again. I know that Vets will push expensive products but I got railroaded into it. It's almost as bad as visiting the GP, you think they know everything. I can't find Rock Sulphur. It's so infuriating when something is mentioned on this UK site and it isn't available here. Will keep looking. I see another trip to Vet coming as I can see she is been driven mad by this itch. Typically, the male dog has nothing wrong with him!
Rose x
Rose .... I just googled rock sulphur Australia and it's available there. Try a good pet store.
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Nope
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Nope
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Well we were talking about both itching and anal glands so just wondered
;D ::) :-\
Bit confused now to be honest.
Honeyb
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Oh do keep up ::) .... nope, not rubbing my butt on the carpet ;)
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sorry I have not read all the pages so if this has already been said I apolgies.
My border collie has had this just a few months ago. he was itching all the time. He is very sensitive to what he eats. As i had flead him had him checked nothing was found. He now eats Burns mixer with Forthglade wet food and he is totally better now. No itching at all he too is my healer id be so lonely without him.
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It can so easily be something in commercial pet foods >:( ............ it can be allergies to surroundings, have the carpets been cleaned recently, grass pollen etc.; starting by changing the food is probably the cheaper way to go ;)
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Thank you all so much for caring about my Daisy :thankyou: Vet has said it's swollen anal glands and although he expelled the stuff (you were right, it's gross) she may require an op if it doesn't go away. She is still itching. I have changed food, given omega oil which she loves :) Mind you she does love her food and would eat anything. I am cleaning the area every day but hope it clears up soon as I have my own health issues and I know she will be there for me. Will let you know what happens but as I said, you are such a caring bunch! Had to laugh CLKD at the thought of you rubbing your rear end on carpet..bad burns would result! how I know that, would be telling!
Rose x
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:thankyou: for the up-date. Sometimes anal glands require removal but if this is the first time I wouldn't worry too much. My bitch had them expelled regularly ::) ........ a course of ABs sometimes ...........
Read your other thread ;)
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The saga goes on; Despite change of food, expelling anal glands etc, poor Daisy was still scratching for her dear life. One more trip to Vet and this time he found a single flea! Vet says it's probably from cat (we have another cat called Angel) and most likely Border Collie has had fleas too but isn't allergic to them like Daisy. The fun part is getting puss to vet as they are going to spray her with anti flea stuff and then I take spray home and do dogs. He is ordering in a special pump as it will cost too much to do each one individually. Hope this cures things for Daisy :scottie: :catscratch:
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Why take the cat to the Vet.? Be careful with preparations too, I bought a flea zapper once the initial treatment had been done. Very therapeutic. It was supposed to buzz on contact with a flea ;) :D
In my opinion and from experience you WILL NOT have noticed a change in itchyness yet because any irritation isn't out of your dog's system. It may take 5-10 days before a change in diet makes a difference! so go back to basics - chicken/mince: raw if possible: veg., no rice or pasta, water only. Do not have any boosters done on any of the animals because pets can be allergic to them :'( ...... cut out as much chemical intervention once this treatment has been given. Otherwise you won't know what, if anything, is working - skin scrape is essential because mange mite cannot be seen by the naked eye.
What colour is Daisy? Wish I lived nearer, I could help search for runners ;)
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Hi CLKD! Thank you for your advice and your concern. They have asked me to take puss to them as cats are tricky buggers when they feel anything wet on them! To save me getting scratched to bits plus Angel running away (she can open doors, honestly) they said they'd do it for me. I had a feeling that poor Daisy had little bumps on her skin which felt like mozzie bites. She is black and white and has that famous overbite which I find adorable (sigh). She is the funniest character and loves watching television in case any animals should dare come into our living room via the programme. I will be happy to have this solved for her and she can snuggle up with me in bed when I am recovering from op. My DH hates her but he's a grumpy man. All my kids adore her and she loves everyone of them. I would love for you to live nearer me too! Fat chance of running into anyone from this wonderful forum, here in OZ! I have never felt so welcomed and cared for before joining this site. I have friends and good ones at that but they don't have menopausal problems yet. I tend to have younger friends as I look about 45 and have the mind of a teenager sometimes!
Again thank you. Am feeling really emotional at the moment.
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Glad you have found the cause of the itching. The spray should do the trick.
I don't quite understand CLKDs remark about boosters. I hope she means until the flea treatment has worked because as we all know boosters are hugely important to an animals well being. I guess you have a few different ones in Oz, immunisations I mean.
I use Frontline flea and tick treatment. It's really good. You put it on the scruff of the neck a couple of times a year and works really well.
Good luck and I hope everyone can stop scratching soon.
Honeyb
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I used to use frontline on the cats but it stopped working a couple of years back and I now use Advocate although this is also not as effective. My vet said that there are different trials going now as fleas appear to be building up a resistance to both products. I use the Advocate once a month which does keep things in check and spray the house three times a year - if I remember. We never get bitten so are not always aware of fleas in the environment but we have one of those flea traps with the light bulb in and it's surprising how many there are around even if the cats haven't got any on them. I also comb the cats two or three times a week to get rid of any live ones meandering around in the fur. I have big problems though with the fluffy one as there is no way to get a flea comb through the coat.
I am not sure what you mean by not giving boosters CLKD. Have you ever had to nurse a much loved animal through the final stages of feline leukaemia? I have. It's heart rending especially if you know that it could have easily been preveneted. It was a stray who adopted me and was already suffering from the illness.
Taz x
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By a certain age (5 years old) pets should have built up an immunity. More pets than we are told by Vets. have bad reactions to their initial shots and subsequent boosters [What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccinations] :'( ......... it is better to check whether a pet has an immunity before dosing them with chemicals they probably don't need. In the UK pets have to have up-to-date vaccination cards in order to be boarded or work as assistance dogs. In the UK it is advised that a pet has an annual check up when the booster will be given. Of course this is a regular income for the vet. profession ......... and the drug is unlikely to run out at exactly 12 month intervals.
I have nursed pets through terminal illnesses .......... tiring, all consuming - 4 pts within 22 months - the same Vet walked up our path 9 days apart :'( ........
How is Daisy this morning?
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I wondered if you had nursed any of your pets through a terminal illness which you could have prevented by a simple annual vaccination CLKD?
Taz x
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I know that some pets probably don't need an annual booster ...but....and its a huge but.
Vets say that to be absolutely sure that your pet is protected then blood tests really need to be done as every animal is different. Immunity against the diseases must be tested for. Blood tests cost as much as the booster. The one vaccine that only lasts a year is kennel cough and kennels won't take any animal without it being done and every other vaccine too.
You say your conscience bothers you with regard to your pets CLKD.
Mine would bother me if I did not do the right things with regards to my precious dogs health.
I will carry on having the yearly injections done and then my conscious is clear.
My sister had a dog that came to her with distemper. It was a terrible death.
Honeyb
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Kennel cough is airborne which is why boarding establishments won't take dogs these days without a certificate. Never needed to up until the early 2000, so why is this suddenly, apparently, more prevalent :-\
I don't have any consciounce (sp) about not vaccinating. The moment my dog was diagnosed with lymphoma the same week as her booster was due, the Vet. told me that the injection wasn't required. In fact, it would have compromised any treatment recommended. As did Metacam, which she had been given for 2 years, it wasn't suitable with chemotherapy. She required Rimadyl instead. Such a long list of meds to remember ::)
How's the itchyness?
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Is Lymphoma something that has a vaccine? I didn't realise that. We all do what we think best but it seems wrong to me to have a pet and know that there is something that can prevent disease but decide not to have it done and then watch the animal die from it.
I think that in animal medicine as in human medicine things move on which is why over thirteen years ago things were not as clear re kennel cough? They know far more about this illness now or so it would appear. I thought you only had to have it done annually but I see it doesn't last that long.
Taz x
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Lymphoma may well have been caused by continued annual vaccinations by putting chemicals into the body, either human or animal. There is not enough research to find a link. Humans don't have annual vaccinations nor do we get boosters for measles etc. unless visiting certain countries for work or holidays ............ jabs don't run out exactly 12 months after being given ...... ..... if a 'bug' is prevalent in an area then I would consider having the pet vaccinated against that particular issue, otherwise I would have blood tests taken to make sure that immunity was up-held.
Distemper was rife until the late 1960s and there was a case treated by our Vets. locally about 10 years ago. Like Parvo. it can be a killer so I would have initial jabs done but not necessarily all at once. I don't believe in over-load of chemicals either by injection or flea treatments. Flea treatments don't stop the fleas jumping on and biting, so if the pet is allergic to the flea saliva it will still be affected.
Must do write that snail mail :-\
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Hi everyone! Today is the day for the big D Flea! I use Frontline every 3 months on the dogs but didn't think about cat :(. Anyway let's hope this saga will be over soon. You know Taz that that cat chose you to be there for her and you were, so that is wonderful and it will be waiting for you at the Bridge. Most pet owners love their pets and they are part of the family, so when they die, it's heartbreaking but I wouldn't give up the amount of love that I have given and been shown by them. I had a dog way back in the 70's who got distemper and had to be put down. There is feline aids going about here too. Anyway, thanks again for contributing and I will let you know if poor Daisy stops itching so then we can all get back to our own itchy bits!
Rose x
:catscratch: wish me luck with the cat!
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Thanks Rose. The cat did choose us for the last year of his life that's true. We did our best for him - horrible disease though. In the end just as he seemed to be rallying a bit he went outside for his usual sit on next door's lawn and had a massive lung haemorrhage. Thinking about the Bridge I think I will be bowled over, literally, if they all come running!! ;D
Good luck with the Frontline on the cat. I have just Advocate'd mine. At the moment there are three others dotted around the house - none of them actually live here - they just like to call in from time to time.
Taz x
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Oh Taz of course you will be bowled over at the bridge as will I and a few others on this site. There is an old saying that you don't choose cats, they choose you! You must be a lovely person for them to feel so welcomed that they can just 'drop by'. Yesterday my DD and friend, took puss wuss to vet and she typically got out of cat box and hid. A little while later, back they come with Frontline stuff to put behind dog's head. Cost a fortune! I went mad and rang them saying this wasn't what we'd agreed on as the pump would have done all 3 for less. They had stuffed up and apologized agreeing to sell me pump at cost price which was okay but if they are that incompetent (I'd rang them before DD had gone down) then I'm not sure I trust their judgement. Daisy still itching after treatment but hoping she'll be better soon :scottie: and doing more of what this little dog is doing!
Rose x
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Touch wood we don't get fleas as our dogs are not adventurous I guess but I take the worming very seriously. Sometimes we use advocet other times other makes, no one wormer kills everything so its good to alternate. I do like milbemax though. Never get a poorly dog after worming with any of the makes. I do vaccinate every year but you do get a 3 month window & sometimes if a dog is in season or under the weather you have that bit of time after the 12 mths is up. We have a stream at the bottom of the garden so I am always worried about what rats could bring up to the deck by the house. Plus we have foxes & badgers in neighbouring gardens.
I once took in a mum & 9 day old pups as a mission of mercy, I wormed them all when the time was right. They where crawling not even dead & for those of you who know what mummy dogs do when they have pups its a wonder I ever ate spaghetti again. Luckily it was all pre meno when my gag reflex was intact. This is why I can't understand why I feel so sickly all the time as I am not someone to baulk from tasks like that. Sadly I have started with a coldly sore throat today & the worst part is feeling sicky & gaggy. Arggggggg. ps My son would dearly like a cat, I think the flea chat has made me think twice. He is desperate though :cat88:
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Oh bev, sorry to hear you are unwell. hope you are better soon. Please don't be put off by my cat. She is an adventuress and as I said, I forgot about puss when I used frontline on dogs. It's not her fault. I had a prue bred fox terrier and she had six puppies (all prue bred) but didn't want to nurse them. I hand reared them so i know what that's like! The 2 am shift was a joy :-\ as they all looked the same. I had two boxes, one for fed and other, unfed but the little buggers soon started jumping out and going into the 'unfed' box for seconds! I loved that dog even though she wasn't maternal. She was really into female dog rights! i had her sterilized as it wasn't fair on her even though I got 400 pounds for each puppy, she wasn't a money machine to me. I had to leave her with my mum when we emigrated to OZ as she would have hated quarantine. Every time I went back, she knew me and would snuggle up to me. She died last year (cancer) and I cried my heart out with the thought that I should have been there for that. I couldn't as it was all so quick.
Nice to chat to fellow animal lovers :)
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I can't decide if a kitten is too much & will it like the dogs etc. My son is desperate though. Well done on hand rearing, I have never been able to do it with a successful outcome. Only got to 3 days max & only with the little runts not a whole litter. You have to try your best though. My Beeny is due in the coming week she has only had one other litter & she gave up at 3 weeks which wasn't too bad but I used to stay up until midnight then get up 3-5am to entertain them & feed them for 7 weeks solid. All her pups are reserved & I have more owners than she can possibly have puppies :o You have one of our famous celebs in Oz right now about to start a programme & he has one of my stud's pups. I adore my dogs, even very old smelly Timmy. I don't know what I will do when he goes he's older than the youngest children. It's so sad about your fox terrier girl, they are lovely dogs. Sometimes when it is sudden like that it is worse. I get so emotional about things. We had Timmy 're-built' a couple of years ago cost us a fortune but I have told him he has to last another 10 years but knowing him he will last another 20 just to spite us with his drippy willy ;D ;D
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A kitten will be great as long as you separate it from dogs and acclimatize them to each other's scent. I never had any problem with either George and Angel with my dogs. Daisy wanted to play and Bob (Border Collie) ignored them except when they played with his tail! I am sure Beeny and Timmy will get used to kitten and the puppies will love the little thing. Go on, give me a clue to famous celeb (mind you, there are so many here now from the UK) and I promise not to tell a soul ::)