Re. RVC, my vet sent Bob my cocker spaniel there when he was ill, as there wasn’t anything they could do, he had blood in his poo. We took him there, told me they would run some tests. If it was what there thought it was, it would be £6-8k and they wanted 25% of that upfront. Bob had internal bleeding and also his blood wasn’t clotting. They were prepared to operate, but due to his age and his condition, it would be taking a big risk. Had to say goodbye to him, it broke my heart.
I am in a very similar situation Greenhithe, hope you don't mind if I share your post.
My one eyed Border collie/Beagle cross called Nelson is losing the use of his back legs, he also has constipated diarrhea.
He's around 13 years old, we've had him for 11 years ( from Dog Trust rescue )
Our vet, (park vet's, Welling ) given him med's for diarrhea but unsuccessful. He has been on Metacam for around 2 years now to relieve his arthritis, vet stopped that & substituted another med'n to help his arthritis condition but he wouldn't tolerate it. He has a lot of attitude!
So from yesterday he's been on antibiotics ;- metrobactin, attempting to stop the diarrhea. Unfortunately the strength in his back legs has worsened considerably in last two days and I fear the end is near.
I may have to decide, have Nelson put to sleep. This is such a hard thing, it's difficult to even post about it. Their is also the guilt, I've decided not to have him x- raye'd. If he needs an operation I couldn't afford it. The vet is scheduled to call me in 15 minuets so I must stop posting.
Hiya, @Addictedoldgit, unfortunately as you say at 13+ his time may have come and I wish you only well in making that decision, with 3 dogs now in the senior age bracket and have made the decision not to operate should they ever need it I can only imagine the pain you are all going through please take care.
Have there been any other symptoms mate? Did it all come on suddenly? Could he have eaten something whilst out on a walk? There's some nasty bastard's around you know! Not trying to frighten you I'm just thinking of other possible causes if this was a sudden deterioration!
Happened recently in Kent (poisoning of cats in Folkestone from memory)
@Lordflashheart it's becoming a regular occurrence in both cats and dogs. Where I live people are leaving scraps of food in areas where many people walk their dogs, a few have been poisoned sadly. Dogs should be trained not to accept food or eat food off the ground unless given by the owner's.
Just why would someone want to do that - I agree with you re feeding, unfortunately some dogs it’s impossible to train in that way, or many owners would not know how to train them not to do it
As alternative to training, can we not just shoot the people who leave out the poison 🤔
Bowyers advanced training at 12 months "Take and Leave" at distance, if you want basic stuff I have that too just shout. I discourage my dogs from taking food from anyone and or drinking water from bowls left out by the lovely intentioned people locally sadly there are people that leave poison food out for animals or would not hesitate to drop something into a bowl of water.
Have there been any other symptoms mate? Did it all come on suddenly? Could he have eaten something whilst out on a walk? There's some nasty bastard's around you know! Not trying to frighten you I'm just thinking of other possible causes if this was a sudden deterioration!
Happened recently in Kent (poisoning of cats in Folkestone from memory)
@Lordflashheart it's becoming a regular occurrence in both cats and dogs. Where I live people are leaving scraps of food in areas where many people walk their dogs, a few have been poisoned sadly. Dogs should be trained not to accept food or eat food off the ground unless given by the owner's.
Just why would someone want to do that - I agree with you re feeding, unfortunately some dogs it’s impossible to train in that way, or many owners would not know how to train them not to do it
As alternative to training, can we not just shoot the people who leave out the poison 🤔
Bowyers advanced training at 12 months "Take and Leave" at distance, if you want basic stuff I have that too just shout. I discourage my dogs from taking food from anyone and or drinking water from bowls left out by the lovely intentioned people locally sadly there are people that leave poison food out for animals or would not hesitate to drop something into a bowl of water.
I am in a very similar situation Greenhithe, hope you don't mind if I share your post.
My one eyed Border collie/Beagle cross called Nelson is losing the use of his back legs, he also has constipated diarrhea.
He's around 13 years old, we've had him for 11 years ( from Dog Trust rescue )
Our vet, (park vet's, Welling ) given him med's for diarrhea but unsuccessful. He has been on Metacam for around 2 years now to relieve his arthritis, vet stopped that & substituted another med'n to help his arthritis condition but he wouldn't tolerate it. He has a lot of attitude!
So from yesterday he's been on antibiotics ;- metrobactin, attempting to stop the diarrhea. Unfortunately the strength in his back legs has worsened considerably in last two days and I fear the end is near.
I may have to decide, have Nelson put to sleep. This is such a hard thing, it's difficult to even post about it. Their is also the guilt, I've decided not to have him x- raye'd. If he needs an operation I couldn't afford it. The vet is scheduled to call me in 15 minuets so I must stop posting.
SO sorry to hear about dear Nelson, bless his heart.
Catching up now @Greenhithe The bloods were tested for? The X-rays of what were taken? I'm assuming hips as you mentioned back leg?
The blood tests were kidny and liver function etc X Ray was stomach as its solid and he aint pooing or urinating Back right leg went last night when we picked him up - just went limp and gammy - he cant walk unless he does a Ray Wilkins sideways shuffle
Have there been any other symptoms mate? Did it all come on suddenly? Could he have eaten something whilst out on a walk? There's some nasty bastard's around you know! Not trying to frighten you I'm just thinking of other possible causes if this was a sudden deterioration!
Happened recently in Kent (poisoning of cats in Folkestone from memory)
@Lordflashheart it's becoming a regular occurrence in both cats and dogs. Where I live people are leaving scraps of food in areas where many people walk their dogs, a few have been poisoned sadly. Dogs should be trained not to accept food or eat food off the ground unless given by the owner's.
Just why would someone want to do that - I agree with you re feeding, unfortunately some dogs it’s impossible to train in that way, or many owners would not know how to train them not to do it
As alternative to training, can we not just shoot the people who leave out the poison 🤔
Why people do it? Not a fucking clue @Lordflashheart, my Mrs has trained all our dogs for last 20 years not to accept food, some nasty bastard's even throw it over people's fences! Shoot them.....hell yes!
Catching up now @Greenhithe The bloods were tested for? The X-rays of what were taken? I'm assuming hips as you mentioned back leg?
The blood tests were kidny and liver function etc X Ray was stomach as its solid and he aint pooing or urinating Back right leg went last night when we picked him up - just went limp and gammy - he cant walk unless he does a Ray Wilkins sideways shuffle
My questions
Stomach full…….. what’s being done about that and what’s he fed on. if it’s kibble, do you feed it dry?
@Greenhithe Have there been any other symptoms mate? Did it all come on suddenly? Could he have eaten something whilst out on a walk? There's some nasty bastard's around you know! Not trying to frighten you I'm just thinking of other possible causes if this was a sudden deterioration!
he had a nasty tick buried in his face 2 weeks ago on holiday in Cornwall. We paid a cornish vet to take it out and that was that - we had to give him a course of anti biotics but he seemed fine.
The vets have tested for Limes disease and given him teh all clear
then he became lethargic and wasnt himself this weekend gone and started hiding under my bedside table for hours on end. Then i took him for his evening walk on Monday and he was basically shuffling and moving really weirdly. We then took him to the Vets Tuesday morning and we are now where we are.
I’m still catching up with this so bear with me……… you had a buried tick removed……… When was this? you had the dog tested for Lymes ………When was this?
And how long after the tick was removed was the test? And when did the symptoms start?
@Greenhithe Have there been any other symptoms mate? Did it all come on suddenly? Could he have eaten something whilst out on a walk? There's some nasty bastard's around you know! Not trying to frighten you I'm just thinking of other possible causes if this was a sudden deterioration!
he had a nasty tick buried in his face 2 weeks ago on holiday in Cornwall. We paid a cornish vet to take it out and that was that - we had to give him a course of anti biotics but he seemed fine.
The vets have tested for Limes disease and given him teh all clear
then he became lethargic and wasnt himself this weekend gone and started hiding under my bedside table for hours on end. Then i took him for his evening walk on Monday and he was basically shuffling and moving really weirdly. We then took him to the Vets Tuesday morning and we are now where we are.
I’m still catching up with this so bear with me……… you had a buried tick removed……… When was this? 2 weeks ago you had the dog tested for Lymes ………When was this? today
And how long after the tick was removed was the test? 2 weeks And when did the symptoms start? Monday
Catching up now @Greenhithe The bloods were tested for? The X-rays of what were taken? I'm assuming hips as you mentioned back leg?
The blood tests were kidny and liver function etc X Ray was stomach as its solid and he aint pooing or urinating Back right leg went last night when we picked him up - just went limp and gammy - he cant walk unless he does a Ray Wilkins sideways shuffle
My questions
Stomach full…….. what’s being done about that and what’s he fed on. Not alot it looks like if it’s kibble, do you feed it dry? We feed him sachets of beef and lamb from Pets at home and Sainsburys etc
Right firstly, you can’t accurately test for lymes within 4 weeks.
Everything I’ve read so far is indicated Lymes and others are saying similar personally I’d be asking for second set of bloods taken.
Having Lyme, as soon as I read that he’d been bitten by a tick I didn’t need to read anymore. The dog has a tick born infection, it may not be Lyme there are many variations. The poor pet will need a full course of antibiotics. Do not take a negative Lyme test as a reason to rule out a tick born disease.
Catching up now @Greenhithe The bloods were tested for? The X-rays of what were taken? I'm assuming hips as you mentioned back leg?
The blood tests were kidny and liver function etc X Ray was stomach as its solid and he aint pooing or urinating Back right leg went last night when we picked him up - just went limp and gammy - he cant walk unless he does a Ray Wilkins sideways shuffle
My questions
Stomach full…….. what’s being done about that and what’s he fed on. Not alot it looks like if it’s kibble, do you feed it dry? We feed him sachets of beef and lamb from Pets at home and Sainsburys etc
Maybe nothing but there was a load of pet food recalled by sainsburys and pets at home this week. Let me see if I can find it.
We cancelled our pet insurance as we thought it was a better choice to put the money aside every month and effectively insure JJ ourselves. It is important to put it away though.
@Greenhithe I’ve just checked if doxycycline is safe for dogs, it is in correct doses. Thats the antibiotic any human gets put on if bitten by a tick. Ask your vet for this.
I cant thank you all enough for your help advice and kind words. Last night and today have been mad but positive.
The Super Vet tells us at 5.30 they haven't got slots for his scan etc as its an emergency. When we go to pick him up at 6.30 last night the Vet tells me hes got worse and he will try and get an emergency MRI etc at the RVC in Potters Bar (which some of you had advised so i was happy) . But he was also saying that the way Freddie was looking its getting bad and he may have a tumour or something on his spine etc etc and we might have to make a decision soon (alluding to the worst outcome) - i was distraught at the thought of that. He says take him home and he will ring soon and when he does we will have to hot foot it to RVC last night. 20 minutes later the vet rings to say we cant have a scan until Saturday morning at RVC, which aint ideal but we'll try and get in there tomorrow and there aren't any other places to go to.
So we take him home. Fuss over him for a few hours, and in those few hours he perks up a little. We then take him for toilet in the garden and he stands on his back legs and walks, not perfect but good enough. An hour later i say "wanna go for a walk" to him and he jumps off the settee and i put his lead on. He walks pretty well to the end of the road with me, but is then knackered and i carry him back, but all good. He tries to go to wee against walls but cant lift his back leg to cock it. During the night he goes in the garden and cocks his leg and walks better. He also eats his dinner and poos and is drinking.
In short we took him to the vets this morning and took his canula out and got more anti biotics and have him at home. he aint perfect and theres something wrong but he seems to be getting better from a dog i was told we may have to put down a few hours before.
We may still have the scan tomorrow we are confused.
I cant thank you all enough for your help advice and kind words. Last night and today have been mad but positive.
The Super Vet tells us at 5.30 they haven't got slots for his scan etc as its an emergency. When we go to pick him up at 6.30 last night the Vet tells me hes got worse and he will try and get an emergency MRI etc at the RVC in Potters Bar (which some of you had advised so i was happy) . But he was also saying that the way Freddie was looking its getting bad and he may have a tumour or something on his spine etc etc and we might have to make a decision soon (alluding to the worst outcome) - i was distraught at the thought of that. He says take him home and he will ring soon and when he does we will have to hot foot it to RVC last night. 20 minutes later the vet rings to say we cant have a scan until Saturday morning at RVC, which aint ideal but we'll try and get in there tomorrow and there aren't any other places to go to.
So we take him home. Fuss over him for a few hours, and in those few hours he perks up a little. We then take him for toilet in the garden and he stands on his back legs and walks, not perfect but good enough. An hour later i say "wanna go for a walk" to him and he jumps off the settee and i put his lead on. He walks pretty well to the end of the road with me, but is then knackered and i carry him back, but all good. He tries to go to wee against walls but cant lift his back leg to cock it. During the night he goes in the garden and cocks his leg and walks better. He also eats his dinner and poos and is drinking.
In short we took him to the vets this morning and took his canula out and got more anti biotics and have him at home. he aint perfect and theres something wrong but he seems to be getting better from a dog i was told we may have to put down a few hours before.
We may still have the scan tomorrow we are confused.
My god i m happy though.
Weird.
Well it’s sounding better - pleased for you and of course him in particular
Definitely keep investigating what’s wrong, as there must something wrong judging by your description of him even given his improvement
Our previous Springer Spaniel - Scooby - was really ill once - stopped doing wee’s, very lethargic etc etc - took him vet, they couldn’t work it out - then he perked up, so we thought maybe he had shook off whatever it was - but next morning I came downstairs and he was in a dreadful way - rushed him to vet, they x-rayed him, and said he had a growth in his gut, and they would operate immediately - a few hours they rang us, not a growth, he had swallowed a conker whole, and it was blocking his guts
That’s very encouraging that he’s perked up with the antibiotics. Fingers crossed there’s nothing in the MRI because that would mean it probably is a tick born infection & that can be managed.
I cant thank you all enough for your help advice and kind words. Last night and today have been mad but positive.
The Super Vet tells us at 5.30 they haven't got slots for his scan etc as its an emergency. When we go to pick him up at 6.30 last night the Vet tells me hes got worse and he will try and get an emergency MRI etc at the RVC in Potters Bar (which some of you had advised so i was happy) . But he was also saying that the way Freddie was looking its getting bad and he may have a tumour or something on his spine etc etc and we might have to make a decision soon (alluding to the worst outcome) - i was distraught at the thought of that. He says take him home and he will ring soon and when he does we will have to hot foot it to RVC last night. 20 minutes later the vet rings to say we cant have a scan until Saturday morning at RVC, which aint ideal but we'll try and get in there tomorrow and there aren't any other places to go to.
So we take him home. Fuss over him for a few hours, and in those few hours he perks up a little. We then take him for toilet in the garden and he stands on his back legs and walks, not perfect but good enough. An hour later i say "wanna go for a walk" to him and he jumps off the settee and i put his lead on. He walks pretty well to the end of the road with me, but is then knackered and i carry him back, but all good. He tries to go to wee against walls but cant lift his back leg to cock it. During the night he goes in the garden and cocks his leg and walks better. He also eats his dinner and poos and is drinking.
In short we took him to the vets this morning and took his canula out and got more anti biotics and have him at home. he aint perfect and theres something wrong but he seems to be getting better from a dog i was told we may have to put down a few hours before.
We may still have the scan tomorrow we are confused.
My god i m happy though.
Weird.
Well it’s sounding better - pleased for you and of course him in particular
Definitely keep investigating what’s wrong, as there must something wrong judging by your description of him even given his improvement
Our previous Springer Spaniel - Scooby - was really ill once - stopped doing wee’s, very lethargic etc etc - took him vet, they couldn’t work it out - then he perked up, so we thought maybe he had shook off whatever it was - but next morning I came downstairs and he was in a dreadful way - rushed him to vet, they x-rayed him, and said he had a growth in his gut, and they would operate immediately - a few hours they rang us, not a growth, he had swallowed a conker whole, and it was blocking his guts
What numpties dogs can be sometimes !!
Ours ate loads of grass as a puppy and had to be operated on when it clogged her up. We now tell her to stop whenever she's sneaking a bit of grass.
Have to say I am in awe of the knowledge and compassion on this thread. Hope things continue to improve for you and Freddie, @Greenhithe
I pay over £100 a month on pet insurance for dog and cat. It feels like a lot but the minute there's anything wrong it just zooms up in cost immediately.
@Greenhithe at 14 months old Bailey starting struggling, gaining weight, lethargic, lameness etc. Being inexperienced I immediately took him to the vets, the vets took blood for what I couldn’t tell you but advised he may need X-rays. To give you a clue Bailey was X-ray twice by the same vet, XRays =£200 GA =£140 because the standard default of a Shep limping I’d hip dlsplacia, we were then sent to eight different vets where opinions such as a bad neck to HD (which the X-rays didn’t show!) before we were sent to the “Supervet” everyone told me this guy would find the problem and although we didn’t see him I saw one of his oppo’s as they took Bailey into a room opposite, I watched as he was sedated and retreated to a waiting area where I was treated to sky tv, free drinks and snacks after 6 hours I was spoken to by a nurse and all had gone well and if I could settle the bill the vet would speak to me as Bailey recovered from the sedation. Escorted to the reception, I was presented with a bill for £9600 for his treatment but it didn’t matter he was all good. Seconds later out came the vet, Bailey was recovering well and was almost ready. In brief he’d had ct and mri scans, they’d run many blood tests including one that had been sent via motorcycle courier via the airport to the USA and with the exception of that test every thing was clear. I asked one question, on the assumption the test comes back from the states clear, what’s the next step. His, “I’m not sure what do you want to do?! So after 9.6k I being asked what I want to do 🤷♂️
To that date, we had paid out 17k in vet bills and worse still had discussed letting him go and he wasn’t even 2, we’d visited 12 different vets now before a neighbour who had pestered me to see her vet in Greenwich and admittedly I’d disregarded her comments on her cats vet (James) who she highly recommended, I was passing her house after a struggling Bailey’s 10 minutes exercise I was in bits thinking he couldn’t be left to live this life. She saw this and left me to go home, but within minutes knocked on my door with a piece of paper with an appointment written on it, please give him a chance take him to James. James had waited on after his days appointments were completed to see Bailey, he quickly and silently assessed him saying “I need you to trust me on this, I want you to take him to the RVC for a blood test it can’t be done here because of the delay, I’m sure my diagnosis is right) reluctantly I agreed as I’d decided no more GA and drove to the RVC I was actually in the car park for an 08.30 appointment at 03.45😉 Bailey was taken for bloods and I had the results in an hour he had Hypothyroidism and had immediately been given a jab to boost his levels, he had a GA so with electrolysis he could be tested for any long term damage caused by the now 14 month delay in treatment. My point being, there are some good vets. There are some very good vets. But there are some fucking shocking vets and quite simply I don’t trust them with my dogs until they prove to me they are worthy of it. 21k was shelled out on Bailey’s treatment and a sixty quid blood test was all that it took to find the cause, was it simply missed by 12 different vets which shows incompetence on a very high level and that question was never answered by the veterinarian profession when I won my case in court. More importantly Bailey will never get back those 14 months of his life. Don’t be afraid to piss them off and ask questions or go elsewhere for an opinion.
After much debate when we lost the second of our elderly cats earlier in the year (Mim was 22) we decided that the house was missing four legs and as we're both retired we went in search of a dog. We decided to try Guide Dogs but no luck there, so we contacted Kent Police for a puppy, again no luck there. Understandably there was a big up take in dogs during the pandemic so we tried a few rescue homes and couldn't believe the hoops we had to jump through with some of them. After a couple of months of searching we came across a Border Collie and as I had had one previously I was aware of some of the issues they come with as a pet.
Enter Skip, or formerly know as Arthur (Arthur!!!). He's a 2-1/2 year old who has had his fair share of trauma in his life so far with a replacement hip at 8 months, virtually no socialisation in that time so he doesn't do traffic easily, especially cyclists. Because he carries his rear left leg at times, we changed his name to Skip. I said I was aware of the some of the issues that come with Border Collies, and his hard stare is one of the most fixed I have ever come across. There is no moving him once he's locked on. (Usually a ball or toy). Although in the six weeks we have had him we've got to know which buttons to press with him and have visited a behavioural specialist with regard the traffic issues. He spins like mad when it's nearby so we have to continue what his previous owners did and take him in the car to woodlands for walks etc. as its too stressful for him on the pavement (not that we have much of that where we live!). He's excellent in the car BTW.
On the positive side he is a great socialiser with both humans and other dogs, has slept every night on his own from 10pm-7am, is house trained, doesn't beg for food and generally has a great character which we hope to work with him over time to get him walking in the street. He already has a few commands under his collar, sit, stay, down and his recall is improving daily, although it will be some time before he is off the lead in the open. We may try some agility with him to try and improve his rear leg muscle.
Our vet has assessed his hip issue and is comfortable that he doesn't suffer any pain with the movement. He can run for England all day long and his pleasant nature has certainly brightened up our home.
It might be some time before we can walk him to the pub, but hey ho, on the positive side his retrieval from a home in a built up area seems to be paying off. I can't imagine what a difficult decision it was for his previous owners to give him up and we owe it to them to make him an even better dog.
I just need him to recognize the St. George's flag now and not the one with the dragon on it ;-)
Comments
Had to say goodbye to him, it broke my heart.
Has he had Lepto 4 jabs or Flea treatments recently?
if so which ones?
Thinking of you both at this difficult time.
X Ray was stomach as its solid and he aint pooing or urinating
Back right leg went last night when we picked him up - just went limp and gammy - he cant walk unless he does a Ray Wilkins sideways shuffle
Shoot them.....hell yes!
if it’s kibble, do you feed it dry?
you had a buried tick removed……… When was this?
you had the dog tested for Lymes ………When was this?
And when did the symptoms start?
personally I’d be asking for second set of bloods taken.
The dog has a tick born infection, it may not be Lyme there are many variations.
The poor pet will need a full course of antibiotics.
Do not take a negative Lyme test as a reason to rule out a tick born disease.
Good luck wee pet & Greenhithe ❤️
Edit it was all cat food
https://news.sky.com/story/sainsburys-and-pets-at-home-recall-dry-cat-food-products-over-link-to-outbreak-of-potentially-deadly-feline-disease-12334199
But may help someone else?
Thats the antibiotic any human gets put on if bitten by a tick.
Ask your vet for this.
The Super Vet tells us at 5.30 they haven't got slots for his scan etc as its an emergency.
When we go to pick him up at 6.30 last night the Vet tells me hes got worse and he will try and get an emergency MRI etc at the RVC in Potters Bar (which some of you had advised so i was happy) . But he was also saying that the way Freddie was looking its getting bad and he may have a tumour or something on his spine etc etc and we might have to make a decision soon (alluding to the worst outcome) - i was distraught at the thought of that. He says take him home and he will ring soon and when he does we will have to hot foot it to RVC last night. 20 minutes later the vet rings to say we cant have a scan until Saturday morning at RVC, which aint ideal but we'll try and get in there tomorrow and there aren't any other places to go to.
So we take him home. Fuss over him for a few hours, and in those few hours he perks up a little. We then take him for toilet in the garden and he stands on his back legs and walks, not perfect but good enough. An hour later i say "wanna go for a walk" to him and he jumps off the settee and i put his lead on. He walks pretty well to the end of the road with me, but is then knackered and i carry him back, but all good. He tries to go to wee against walls but cant lift his back leg to cock it. During the night he goes in the garden and cocks his leg and walks better. He also eats his dinner and poos and is drinking.
In short we took him to the vets this morning and took his canula out and got more anti biotics and have him at home. he aint perfect and theres something wrong but he seems to be getting better from a dog i was told we may have to put down a few hours before.
We may still have the scan tomorrow we are confused.
My god i m happy though.
Weird.
Definitely keep investigating what’s wrong, as there must something wrong judging by your description of him even given his improvement
Our previous Springer Spaniel - Scooby - was really ill once - stopped doing wee’s, very lethargic etc etc - took him vet, they couldn’t work it out - then he perked up, so we thought maybe he had shook off whatever it was - but next morning I came downstairs and he was in a dreadful way - rushed him to vet, they x-rayed him, and said he had a growth in his gut, and they would operate immediately - a few hours they rang us, not a growth, he had swallowed a conker whole, and it was blocking his guts
What numpties dogs can be sometimes !!
Fingers crossed there’s nothing in the MRI because that would mean it probably is a tick born infection & that can be managed.
Keeping everything crossed 🤞🏼 ❤️
Have to say I am in awe of the knowledge and compassion on this thread. Hope things continue to improve for you and Freddie, @Greenhithe
I pay over £100 a month on pet insurance for dog and cat. It feels like a lot but the minute there's anything wrong it just zooms up in cost immediately.