What would you do if it was your dog?

jim king · February 27, 2009, 10:16:25 AM

thecfarm:
I have no idea what the dog was. As you see in the second from the bottom photo when my wife brought him home he was a hairless. Most are impossible to tell the breed when she brings them home and are of mixed breeds but we do end up with many pure breds also.

The dog you are asking about died of cancer . That is the biggest killer of dogs here.
We have also had three with diabetes and every morning they got their insulin under the skin on the back of the neck.

We also have a couple hundred exotic animals that the vets or others drop off. It is a lot of work but my wife could not live without them.

Jim

vt k-9 · February 27, 2009, 02:41:34 PM

hi
Just a thought as I am a new member.But breed german shepherds. We asked our girl what do you want. To be put to sleep or surgery? She said surgery of coarse. So we had surgery on my high drive search and rescue dog. She layed low for 6 week. Recoverd with no problems. Today can still search for hours.We used Arnica a homapathic remedy and its tylinol thats is poison not asprin. Oh ya (Mishia ) our girl says thank you.
Vt k-9

Jeff · February 27, 2009, 04:24:55 PM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum vt k-9.

Wudman · February 27, 2009, 05:11:22 PM

We have a beagle (actually two that came from the pound). My son saw them in the local pound when he was about 12 or 13 years old and just had to have them (We live close to the pound and he would ride his motor bike down to look). I was against it (I knew it would come down to me to take care of them), but my wife conceded. One of them had heart worms and was treated for such when we got them. She survived. A few years back, she was hit by a car and broke her pelvis and tore all of the ligaments in her knee.

If I was in the same shape, I hope somebody would put me back together. The vet said her pelvis would heal okay on its own, but the knee required surgery. Now, you would never know that anything ever happened to her. She gets along fine. I can always depend on a greeting when I come home.

We also have an indoor dog (a chihuahua). Last Saturday morning, I got up and fixed some breakfast. When he didn't come running, I went looking for him. He usually sleeps in our bed, but I didn't see him when I got up. I checked our daughter's room but he was not there either. I found him in his kennel. He was in bad shape with severe abdominal pain and he had been throwing up. I looked the house over for anything that he could have chewed or injested. I carried him to the vet. The vet examined him and asked if he had eaten any fat recently. My wife said she had given him a handful of fat off a ham two days prior. He diagnosed pancreatitis -- basically, his pancreas had started to digest itself. He gave him a bunch of fluid, antibiotics, and an anti nausea medicine. He said it was potentially fatal, and that he should not be given anything by mouth for 48 hours. We could start introducing water after that time and small quantities of white rice or rice based food after that. The little dog laid around and really did not move for 24 hours or so. After that, he started to improve a little and in about 4 days he was returning to normal. Today, he is as frisky and playful as ever.

Bottom line.....don't feed your indoor dogs a high fat diet (especially chunks of animal fat at a time). My vet says it is a fairly common affliction of indoor animals. I was not aware of it. I guess we were lucky this time.

Wudman

vt k-9 · February 27, 2009, 06:42:16 PM

Thanks for the welcome. I enjoy the forum and all the great info
vt k-9,

ohsoloco · February 27, 2009, 08:39:30 PM

Yep, the vet recommends aspirin for the pooch. As said, it's acetaminophen (Tylenol) shouldn't be given to pets. Heck, it's no good on the human liver for that matter.

I've been to two vets and nobody can say for sure what Maya's problem is. I'd have the surgery in a heartbeat if someone said that would fix her...

AJinNZ · February 28, 2009, 05:33:20 AM

Do the surgery.

Dogs are tough and heal fast, but even if they dont show it.....to be in pain all the time? Not fair.

As for the 2 months not running around, might be tough but the payoff its worth it. Besides they get over stuff like that.

IMERC · February 28, 2009, 12:37:54 PM

Quote from: AJinNZ on February 28, 2009, 05:33:20 AM

As for the 2 months not running around, might be tough but the payoff its worth it. Besides they get over stuff like that.

Oreo as old as she is bounced back from her surgery.... it's clearly evident it was all to the good...

long time or has been it been a longer time??? no hear from....
how's it going dude...

ARKANSAWYER · February 28, 2009, 01:41:02 PM

This is LBJ. She is with me all the time for the last 7 years. She is a good dog as any I have had. She grades logs and boards as well as welcomes customers. She lives in the house and is a great squirrel dog.
But last time she was snake bit she did not go to the Vet. Other then a shot once a year at the 4H shot clinic she does not go to the Vet. When she tore a gash out of her leg I but 8 stiches in and taped up her leg. In the past I have had dogs that got bad sick (distemper) or hurt (hit by car, broken legs in many places) and I put them down myself. Was raised as farmer/rancher and on the farm when a animal had a name it was going to be around for a while other wise it was to be eaten or sold. But you would not put $1,000.00 in a $200.00 cow and for sure would not put $500.00 in a free dog. Cruel or cold blooded? Just the way things are on the farm.
So LBJ, as fine as she is, is still just a dog. For as long as the Good LORD lets her live I will enjoy and care for her. But I will not put alot of coin in something that is likly to run out in the highway and get hit by a car. Doubt that she lives longer then another 10 years at best but she will have a home as long as I do. But I would not spend much money to keep her alive. My Inlaws have a dog pushing 20 and spend several thousand dollars a year keeping her alive. She is about blind, death and can hardly walk and has no teeth. They give her pain pills and carry her around. The dog's quality of life is poor but to ease their guilt they keep pouring money in to keep it alive. Personaly would have put the dog out of pain years ago.
Only people have souls. Only people have awareness. We asign our traits to our pets that they really do not possess. Some are very smart and do learn well. They are great compaions and servants. But are still just dogs.
So if you have extra coin and would have just gambled it away any how then by all means help the hound out. If taking the dog to the Vet means you may not make next months house payment or be another year before you can by the new mill then let the dog limp or put it down.
And for people that dump dogs out they should be put down instead of the dogs. Man up and take responsibilty for your businesss. (Sorry but when I see dogs like the ones Jim has it makes me DanG mad.)

SwampDonkey · February 28, 2009, 02:16:39 PM

I'm in Arky's camp and anyone I know in these parts would say the same, even though we all loved our dogs while they were with us. My last dog was murdered. And as far as the pain killers, I know the word aspirin when I'm told. Not hard of hearing. Things may have changed in over 20 years as far as what they know about dosage and such. But spouting off as if I'm deaf or something serves no purpose. End of comment.

AJinNZ · February 28, 2009, 05:59:27 PM

Imerc

"long time or has been it been a longer time??? no hear from....
how's it going dude..."

The "going" part is a long story. ;D

I was getting a headache from being upside down looking for ya.......back the right way up now so it has helped a bit.
The emails I sent musts been fast tracked into the garbage by the gremlins. Shoulda nuked the gremlin factory when we had the chance............

IMERC · February 28, 2009, 11:22:23 PM

Quote from: AJinNZ on February 28, 2009, 05:59:27 PM
The emails I sent musts been fast tracked into the garbage by the gremlins. Shoulda nuked the gremlin factory when we had the chance............

AJ....
check yur personel messages...
rather not hijack here...

Fredh · March 30, 2009, 10:27:50 AM

Just an update on 'Buffett', who started this thread.

We had the surgery ($2700!!) and he is now in the third week of recovery and doing great. Vet was impressed when he took out the staples last week.

First week after surgery was rough (more on me than the dog!),.....up during the night to stop licking the wound...stop him from trying to jump up on the bed....carrying up and down stairs....He hasn't quite figured out why he's on leash all the time cause' he's rarrin' to go chase something, but he accepts it.

I'll try and upload a photo separately because it keeps skrewing up my post.

IMERC · March 30, 2009, 10:40:23 AM

Excellent!!!

brdmkr · March 30, 2009, 12:15:28 PM

Jim,

What is causing those dogs to be hairless? Is it mange?

Chico · March 30, 2009, 04:56:19 PM

My vet told me the same thing about aspirin Swampdonkey I had a Dobie that fell off off my truck while he was drinking thanks to my bro and we thought give an aspirin he's stove up well about 2 days later He wasn't doing so good so we went to the vet and He gave me some meds and told me never give my dogs aspirin Must be one of them opinion things Know what I mean ;D
Chico

IMERC · March 30, 2009, 07:19:01 PM

Quote from: Chico on March 30, 2009, 04:56:19 PM
had a Dobie that fell off off my truck while he was drinking thanks to my bro

yur bro is a bad influence...

Corley5 · March 30, 2009, 08:07:41 PM

I had my 15 year old dog at the vet today and asked the vet about her stiff hips. He said to give her a child's aspirin once or twice a day

okmulch · March 30, 2009, 09:46:18 PM

I have got an english bulldog that is 13 and 1/2 years old, he has bad arthritis so we give him glucosamine chondrotin. It is the same thing humans take. He has been on that for several years and it seems to help him. He still limps some when he walks around but he still can jump up on "his" couch when it is time for bed.

Chico · March 31, 2009, 01:29:09 AM

Imerc your right I was working got home and my younger brother who was always afraid of the dog evidently figured he'd try being his friend Well it worked until Warlock ran out of beer and fred was in the yard with him .I got home dog was limping in the yard My brother was on the roof don't ask me I don't know the answer to that one . Anyway we all had a nice long talk I took Warlock to AA for Dobies and we all lived happily ever after ;D
Chico

Gary_C · April 01, 2009, 02:12:58 PM

I asked my expert about aspirin for dogs and he told me it was alright to give aspirin to dogs but it was not the prefered medication for an anti inflamitory or NSAID as they are called . If you do use aspirin on a dog you should low dose them like a baby aspirin a day or every other day. The problem is higher doses will damage their livers.