|
Post by sara w on Apr 21, 2012 22:38:34 GMT
Hello all, sorry it's been so long since I updated Rory's thread: we've been very very busy! He's being very good - apart from ripping a large gash in my best dog rug (was my Gt Grandfather's car rug for his Roller once upon a time!) making a nest on the sofa while I was cooking dinner tonight, lol. But we rarely have a difference of opinion... He's very good company, very affectionate, and no trouble out and about - loves other dogs and people, and he's learned where to wait for me to have his lead on, so we get along famously I've gradually sorted the incontinence problem which he had when he arrived, I think... I mean it's got a bit better with change of diet, and I've set a better routine for letting him out. So we very rarely get any serious problems now. It's not going to be cured: but it only happens when he's asleep so I just have to work around it. Regarding diet - I've changed him to all natural food as he had the 'black skin' rash and it was just getting worse, inc on his scar on his back - but mostly all over his tummy esp in where it met his haunches... that was very black and sweaty in the bit which was covered up while he's lying, and the hair esp on one side was receding up his back. And only two weeks later - RESULT!! The black skin has almost gone, he's not damp and sweaty there any more, the fur is growing back inc on his tummy - and THE FUR IS GROWING BACK IN HIS SCAR!! You can almost watch it diminishing, daily. I'll post some pics when it's almost gone So now he eats mostly rice (both white and brown, he loves either) with proper MEAT: beef, turkey or rabbit mince in those blocks from Pets at Home (he turned his nose up at the lamb!). We also get beef hearts or lamb hearts from the butcher at Nayland - only 60p each and it does him 2 or 3 meals Anyway, I've added some more 'walk' pics to the album I began a while ago on FB: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150597120084103.377108.697039102&type=1I'm making another album of 'general' pics now and will post again tomorrow with a link or pics
|
|
|
Post by moopops on Apr 21, 2012 22:43:06 GMT
Fantastic update on Rory, so pleased all is going well xx
|
|
|
Post by zesthounds on Apr 21, 2012 22:49:05 GMT
Lovely update. He sounds as though he's really enjoying life. Look forward to the pics.
|
|
jane33
Guest
|
Post by jane33 on Apr 22, 2012 8:43:46 GMT
Brillian Sara - and how lovely that you are getting to the bottom of his odd conditions....thats REAL TLC
The bond must be so strong now and the trust is making you both totally secure...thats the key, aint it!
Looking fwd to viewing the photos xxxxx
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
I am offline
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2012 8:49:36 GMT
All sounding good. Excellent result with the diet - shows how important good food is.
|
|
|
Post by LurcherLurker on Apr 22, 2012 8:51:14 GMT
Isn't it nice when the right dog and the right owner find each other
|
|
|
Post by Romi on Apr 22, 2012 8:52:13 GMT
Lovely update. Amazing results with the change of diet, well done. I'm so happy for you both that you have found each other.
|
|
|
Post by sara w on Apr 22, 2012 22:14:50 GMT
Here are a few pics - not sure what's on the FB links, but these are via Imagur so you can all see them Visit to the pet shop... He did pee on the insurance sign and then on a display of cat food ;D so next time I left him in the car! Reading the labels for evidence of preservatives, random chemicals, salt etc It was the tins of cat food half way down this aisle which got the er, stream... Getting a really good look at the pigs' ears! - he's a bit short sighted, yanno This is the stuff which really made his rash worse I was trying to find a softer complete food, as he finds it harder to eat dry stuff with his old teeth... As you can see I'm now relegated to the far left end of the sofa..... Ror waiting for me to sit down and give him a scritch behind the ears Poor old cloudy eyes! His peripheral vision isn't too good so I have to always be aware - eg to keep somewhere out walking where he can see me easily, and not to leave doors half open or things he can bump into in unexpected places in the house, or he bangs his poor old nose Sunbathing a couple of weeks ago during the mini heatwave Holding paws on the sofa - you can see this eye is pretty bad too, though he can see for about fifty yards straight in front I'll give you some walkies ones tomorrow!
|
|
|
Post by sara w on Apr 22, 2012 22:23:26 GMT
PS What he really loves, and he's been having one a day as well as his flexijoint tablets, is these: www.petsathome.com/shop/healthy-joints-for-medium-dogs-by-pets-at-home-7-x-175g-80907They had them at 3 packs for £3 about 2/3 weeks ago - I should have really stocked up His joints are rarely stiff now though - he comes on the bed each morning and jumps on and off very easily If he does get stiff at all, it's after an evening on the sofa: I usually have to lift him off to have his late night pee. He does quite a bit of offlead running every day, and also follows me up and down stairs a lot... When he first comes down in the morning be bounds down at the speed of light, then JUMPS around very excitedly asking to go out! It's amazing. I think all the activity helps.
|
|
|
Post by aijee on Apr 22, 2012 22:26:23 GMT
|
|
|
Post by sara w on May 17, 2012 22:55:41 GMT
Sorry for the long silence - it's been pretty busy here Tomorrow we're off to the vet - checkup, and to try to sort a few little problems.... Rory tend to be a little incontinent in the evenings and at night - not always, but often enough that if we can get it sorted, it will save me quite a lot of work (ie washing). And it can't be very nice for him waking up wet... His skin rash is still coming and going; it doesn't seem to be a flea allergy (he's had no fleas here!) but seems rather to be entirely diet related. I'm trying now to keep him to a 'fresh food' diet, ie no manufactured dog foods, as they all seem to make his 'black skin' patches worse, and very quickly too. I'm still experimenting a bit as I can't go to a butcher that often and don't have a freezer, but we mainly stick to cooked minced beef, or beef /lamb heart, and rice or oatflakes (he loves plain cooked porridge too, no salt!) I keep almost getting all the hair growing on his bald patch - then it will suddenly get dark again because I've given him some dog food... but we will get there. Oh for a freezer! I was just reading the thread with moopops' early comments on Rory, when he first came into SLR, and he hasn't changed much! He follows me round like a shadow, and 'under my feet' is no exaggeration.... I've learned to step round and over him as he's always on my heels. He comes to the bathroom with me, and stands right beside me in the kitchen In fact he only vanishes when I'm having a bath - and he does prefer to sleep downstairs, though I usually make him come up with me so he can wake me if he needs to go out (and in any case I don't want a wet sofa...). Walking round the place he's always 'in touch' and I quite often get nudged with his nose in the back of my knee, for no apparent reason except to tell me he's there Out walking, he's almost always off the lead unless we're on a road (or crossing one) and he just loves to run - you can almost see him laughing with delight. He loves nosing about too - in fact he so loves to walk he's started to become quite the nag!! Outside, he gets quite worried if he can't see me and rushes round til he finds me... being deaf, it's not much good calling him unless he's very close (I've developed a sort of high pitched loud call hahaha) - but if I stand in his line of vision and wave my arms he usually spots me quite quickly and comes bounding up, smiling. He certainly has no wish whatsoever to run off - good boy! And he's learned more or less where to wait, on our regular walks, to go back on the lead, so I trust him now offlead most of the time Rory does have a couple of naughty habits, one being that he loves to bark at the neighbours! He can't hear or see them (on one side at least) but he can smell them - he waves his nose in the air, then jumps about the garden making a quite a racket! He's very proprietorial.... You'd think he'd have stopped by now, but nooooo........ he loves the sound of his own bark too much. I guess being so deaf, this is about the only sound he can hear really well - and it clearly makes him feel alive and very top-doggish hahaha He's very good with other dogs - very friendly indeed, on or off lead - so long as they don't monster him. Sadly however he's never forgiven the big black bouncy lab I mentioned in an earlier post! - the one who had us flat our backs. Now when he sees this lab, who's twice his size, Rory attacks him He really goes for him, trying to bite him on the shoulder etc.... I try to grab him and put him on his lead before we get close... and if I let him off too soon after we've passed, he takes off like a rocket up the track behind the lab and his owner - so much for a dicky heart! he sure can run.... and run! Luckily this lab is a real sweetie and just looks on at Rory's feisty antics with total bemusement More tomorrow after we've been to the vet
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
I am offline
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2012 19:40:17 GMT
|
|
indysmum
Guest
|
Post by indysmum on Jun 14, 2012 19:45:34 GMT
Lovely update Sara
|
|
|
Post by Fran on Jun 14, 2012 19:47:31 GMT
How's the lovely boy doing
|
|
|
Post by moopops on Jun 15, 2012 12:31:29 GMT
Lovely updates and photos of Rory How did the trip to the vets go
|
|
|
Post by sara w on Jun 21, 2012 20:31:41 GMT
Sorry for the long silence. We have been having a number of health issues that I've been going through with the vets, and with Jenny, and I was hoping to have more positive news before posting again. The rash comes and goes. I tried him for a while on Hills Skin Sensitive tins/dry at vast expense - but this only made his rash worse again. So I'm back to cooking beef mince for him and also cooking rice as a mixer - he prefers white. Other meat (other than chicken) he either dislikes or it makes the rash worse. It seems a lot of dogs become allergic to various forms of protein, which is why cans and dried food can affect their skin badly as they contain all kinds of meats. Dry foods ditto, and he really dislikes dried food anyway - I think it hurts his teeth (he does have some gum disease) The big problem however is his incontinence whilst asleep. Luckily it's *only* while he's asleep - almost always in the evening and at night, occasionally in the car - but sadly it's going to deteriorate at some point. It's been much better again since I reverted to his mince and rice diet, and we sometimes go two or even three nights without wetting at all or only a little - then he can have a bad night, and wet through both on the sofa (well protected!) and in his basket. So much washing is done... Following two lots of blood tests and also urine tests, and much conversation and emailing, the vet has confirmed to me that Rory is sadly suffering irreversible kidney failure. It can't be cured, but for now it's quite manageable - and Sioux is kindly making us some waterproof fleece mats, which will help life quite a bit. I have to go back to the vet for another chat following the last test results, to see if there is anything they can do to help manage this. My own feeling is that the skin problems are related to his inability to process waste products - so clearly I have to stick to whatever food has proved best for both his skin and his incontinence and they do seem to go in tandem. I add eg parsley, carrot and peas to his food for his vitamins, and he seems very bright and glossy coated and well in himself so I think I'm keeping him healthy enough. He also gets his joint supplements, both as tablets and as treats. He only gets stiff now if he's been asleep a long time (eg end of the evening). He rarely seems stiff in the morning though. I do think the stairs, and lots of off-lead running about, helps a lot. He absolutely loves his walks - gets very animated indeed when he knows we are off out - and has become quite the nag if he thinks I'm a bit late taking him ;D We walk twice a day, one 'proper' walk for about an hour, and a shorter one eg to the village shop or round the allotments or the 'Rec'. And he can still walk a good two miles though he will sleep very soundly after... I don't like to walk him too far though for fear of dehydration, since he needs a lot of water generally due the kidney problem. But it's a joy to see him so obviously happy, running and jumping for fun He does sleep a lot which is a sign of his old age, I think, but in general he's very much enjoying life and is very devoted to me. He's never more than a foot away from me! And he's become quite cuddly and affectionate now. We always have a snuggle on my bed first thing when I have a cup of tea and read a bit - he loves that, but has learned to wait politely before jumping on the bed - good boy! He's much more self-confident and quite sociable now - loves going out and meeting people and esp loves having people come to stay. He enjoys teasing the cats next door and I've made sure he can't quite get at them.... My only problem is with large black male dogs as he tends to go for them if they approach him! - it can be quite unnerving as he's madly brave lol. In fct he's not keen on other male dogs at all. The ladies, on the other hand, get the big hello and lots of tail wagging ;D Anyway, the main thing is he's safe and warm and fed, and getting lots of lurve, and we're all doing our best to make sure he enjoys what's left of his days. Thanks to Jenny for all her help - much appreciated
|
|
|
Post by PawTrax (Pete) on Jun 21, 2012 20:46:03 GMT
|
|
jane33
Guest
|
Post by jane33 on Jun 21, 2012 20:48:33 GMT
Oh Sara - mixed emotions on reading your post....so sad that Rory's kidneys are wearing out and causing problems for you both. But wonderful to hear of the obvious devotion between the 2 of you and to know that he is in the very best hands to ensure his happiness and well being.... Lots of love to you both xxxxx
|
|
|
Post by LurcherLurker on Jun 21, 2012 22:14:28 GMT
I'm so glad you and Rory found each other Sara
|
|
|
Post by sara w on Jun 21, 2012 22:22:49 GMT
Thank you all for your kind words. And thank you PawTrax for the link to those tablets, it's certainly worth a try. In general I far prefer natural and herbal solutions where available [long update on previous page, posted yesterday] A recent pic of Rory guarding the front door while I fumble for the keys: "Hurry up Mum, it's chilly standing here"
|
|