Poorly dog

[jayjay]

Hi, my dog Merlin is pretty poorly, so I just thought I'd come on here and let you know I might not be on and posting much this week.

She has pyometra (womb infection). I've been to the vet's with her this am, serious but not too bad at the moment. Usually means spaying but she's too old for that, so treating conservatively with antibiotics and tests done for the lab. She seems ok in hserself, no high temp or anything, so hopefully I caught it soon enough (started yesterday) and she'll be ok. Will know by Wednesday-Friday.

Keep your fingers crossed. So glad now I came to the meet, might be the last holiday with her. You just have to be brave for them!

[roamingsue]

Oh bless her, she is such a gentle dog. Sorry to hear the news Jackie. Take care

[Graham]

Oh dear, poor Merlin, we will keep our fingers crossed. Hope you have some good news for us later in the week.

Graham

[pendel]

Hi Jackie. We both send our best wishes for Merlin. She is a lovely dog and so gentle. Fingers crossed for complete recovery. Penny , Derek & Barney. xxxxxxxxx

[viv]

jayjay,

Sorry to hear about Merlin, she is a lovely friendly pet and she certainly enjoyed her holiday. Hopefully she will make a full recovery and quickly.

Take care.

[jayjay]

Thanks for all your good wishes, folks.

She seems a bit improved today, only a teensie bit though. Pyometra is usually fatal, sometimes even if a total hysterectomy is done, so just keep sending those healing thoughts! She's a tough old boot really, so there's still hope.

jay

[time2travel]

Hi Jackie

Best wishes from us too

Barbara and Bernie

[jayjay]

Hi! Well the good thoughts and antibiotics seem to have done the trick! She seems a lot better in herself and is eating and all normally. Vet says she needs to stay on the antibiotics for a month, just to make sure it doesn't return... so if anyone has any hints on how to get her to take them easily it would be much appreciated. She used to take them wrapped in cheese, but she's worked that one out now! ;D

The cost of these is quite phenominal! £33.97 for 12! I'm going to get another five days worth from the vet and a prescription to buy the rest on-line... at £21 for 12+ free postage - big difference when you need 28 altogether.

Thanks to all for support. JayJay ;D

[haggis]

Hey, that`s great news Jayjay but, from my experience, there is no such thing as an easy way to get a dog to take a pill. How about wrapping one in bacon?A pea shooter ? Help from the fire brigade perhaps?........ The official way has something to do with squeezing (gently) the back of their jaw which somehow opens their mouth enough for you to pop the pill in . You then hold their mouth closed and tickle under their throat which makes them swallow. However, this is only how I seem to remember my wife doing it with our dog several years ago so please check before doing anything I say. I can`t ask my wife as she is dead. Good luck anyway. Haggis.

[Graham]

Nice to hear the old girl is doing ok and Merlin too ;D

Our cat got into a fight the other week and had a scratched eye and a nasty bite on his leg, he had to have painkillers, antibiotics and cream for his eye.

The bill came to £80 and that was cheap because we knew the vet!

He had painkillers in liquid form in a syringe which was really easy, just open his mouth and squirt it down his throat.

The antibiotics were tablets which Pauline wrapped up in tuna and he gulped it down without touching the the sides, he loves tuna. The vet also said we could break open the tablets and mix the powder in his food.

Hope Merlin carries on with her recovery.

Graham

[viv]

So pleased to hear that Merlin is feeling better.

We used to give our dog pills by just opening her mouth and popping it right at the back of her tongue, almost down her throat. We had to get it right down as far as we could but it did not seem to distress her if I did it quickly without a fuss. Just make sure it goes down and not spat out later, they are cunning these little doggies.

Merlin is such a happy relaxed little dog and she has a smiley face, wishing her a full recovery soon.

[jayjay]

Hi again and thanks to all for tips/tricks on getting dogs to swallow pills! I'll be trying them all sooner or later as it doesn't take her long to figure out there's a pill hiden in something nice! Cheese worked for while, then bacon...

She has to stay on the latest ones for a month... I went a bought a second lot of the first prescription, only to be phoned later on with results of lab tests and that a different antibiotic would be better. Had to go back and pay for a different lot and they will not give me a refund on the ones I bought in the first place, although I'm disputing that as they hadn't even been out of the packet, seal intact.

That lot cost nearly £40, then the stuff they wanted to put her on for a month cost another £107 so altogether this bug has cost around £260. She's worth it tho!

Apparantly it's E.Coli, which usually lives in the gut and does no harm, all dogs have it. (serious case here for not letting dogs ever lick your face!!) However, it can be serious, as in M's case when the bug gets out of control then transferrs from gut to womb. It can also transfer to the urinary tract as well, usually in male dogs.

There has been a spate of the runs in dogs around here and I think this is where it came from. M had the runs when we first arrived at the last meet, which I put down to old age/upset over journey/ not eating enough - and it was gone by the next day, but perhaps it was an overload of E.Coli?

All articles suggest it can be caught from eating contaminated grass in the first place (merlyn is always eating grass, though now only allowed to in my own garden), then the bug transferrs from the anus to other departments.

So please, everyone with dogs who came to the meet, just check they haven't caught it from mine (first sign is having the runs which is not serious), and I am worried in case they have. Although the vet said it was a secondary infection which cannot be caught, I wonder about that. Best to be on the safe side, so watch out for it and wipe their bottys if they get the runs with a baby wipe, so it doesnt go somewhere it shouldn't! Can't be too careful!

[niloc]

Hi Jayjay

Wishing Merlin well and your purse also! Tim, the Rough Collie, is fine despite his intimate attentions to Merlin during their walks. In fact we have just come back from three days at the CC site -Round Plantation -in Suffolk where he could come off the lead within 20' of the van and roam throught the heathland and woods to his hearts content. I'm sure it did my heart good as well, it's just the legs that are feeling their age!

Hope Merlin gets over this quickly.

Colin

[sunshine1]

Hi jay jay,
Was nice to meet you at the the meet! We have just arrived home! So Sorry to hear about Merlin!

Sonny has been fine, but thanks about the warning!

I trust vets very little, since our first German shep Tara, who was a love, a darling and sociable unlike Sonny. Developed problems after a vaccination, vets said it was nothing to do with being vaccinated.(kept falling over) But on taking her to a brain specialist which if we weren't insured would have been in excess of 5k. And he said reactions like she had where not uncommon, but not documented, has the treatment costs so much. Most are put down before they see a specialist. She survived till 11 a good age for a German Shep! So Mr Scarrit Of Ellesmere port if in your old age your a Motor homer and read this a big thank you

Wish you luck and prayers, for dog lovers their are our children!


Sunshine1 Ellie x

[Derek]

Hi Jayjay

How is Merlin now? Our Meg is poorly now with a UTI, one weeks course of antibiotic has had no effect. Back to the vets with a wee sample on Monday for culture. Poor thing is confined to the kitchen at the moment as she leaks.

We had planned to go away this week but that was out, lets hope it gets sorted next week.

Hope your pooch is getting better now

Derek

[djsooz]

Sorry to hear about the poorly dogs. Merlin maybe recovering? But bad news about Meg. I don't have a pet right now but have had both dogs and cats in the past so I know how bad it can be when they get ill. I wish you both well.

Sooz.


PS Remember the saying - dogs have owners, cats have staff

[jayjay]

Thanks to all who responded and sent healing thoughts! Merley is now on the road to recovery... still taking the pills for another fortnight!

I'm glad all the other dogs at the meet are all ok. I did wonder if I'd started an epidemic!!

Derek, I hope Meg recovers ok. Bet that sample was hard to aquire!!! ;D ;D ;D