PET'S CORNER

[Stanley]

It took me six months to get the urge for another dog after Eigg died, 19 years was a long time.....

[Stanley]

Jack gave me a bit of a fright yesterday. One of his favourite games is to chase his ball down the stairs as it bounces from tread to tread, he takes it up there and rolls it over the edge. He was doing this yesterday when there was a terrible shriek from him, really violent and when I got to him he was trembling and whining piteously. At first I thought he'd perhaps broken something but after he'd sat on my knee for about ten minutes getting TLC while I explored his bits and pieces he gradually calmed down and by the time we went out at dinnertime he was OK. I can only think that he trapped a nerve or something. Whatever it was it soon righted itself but it really frightened me for a few minutes. Whatever it was it was a severe pain, never heard him make that noise before.

[Wendyf]

We think Alfie may have had a stroke. He tried to get up but he has no co ordination and is falling all over the place. I've spoken to the vet who thinks he may recover from it...but we are totally and completely snowed in, so can't get help.

[Sue]

Do hope he is ok

[Stanley]

Wendy, if it came on after exercise it might be shortage of blood supply to the brain. Eigg got like that and became more lethargic until in the end I had to take her for the jab. If it is this the consolation is that I never saw evidence of pain. So sorry to hear it.
Jack had a good day in the snow yesterday apart from the fact his landmarks had disappeared. Snow a foot deep is serious when your legs are only 8" long......

[Wendyf]

He has been getting stiffer over the last week or two, but still happy to go for a walk round the field. Yesterday he was a bit worse so we kept him inside. He had been asleep on the settee, woke up and couldn't get down. He couldn't walk properly and was all one sided, going round in circles and crashing into things. His eyes were flicking from side to side. It was horrible. The vet said it sounded like a stroke, but apparently inner ear infections can have the same symptoms or even a reaction to the anti inflammatory drug he has been having.
Anyway, we can't leave him alone as he struggles to follow us. We got through the night OK, but he was desperate for food this morning- then vomited everything up .
Keeping our fingers crossed that the road gets cleared today.

[Marilyn]

Poor Alfie.
It's awful when they get sick.

[Stanley]

It doesn't sound like restricted blood flow, I suspect the vet is correct. Poor Alfie and poor you as well, I know how helpless you feel.

[Wendyf]

Alfie seems to have improved a bit this morning. He can now manage a wobbly walk in the direction he wants to go in without assistance. He can also stand up and sit down without falling over, though if he moves his head too quickly he loses balance. He is drinking and eating soft food, but doesn't seem to be able to chew.
I'm waiting for a return phone call from the vets at the moment to see what they can suggest. The road down to Colne is seriously blocked, and could take days to clear, but it looks like the road to Skipton might be passable now, and ways down to both Earby & Lothersdale. So we can get out and about with the pick up which is parked up by the road, once we have dug through the heap of solid snow at the roadside. We would still have to get Alfie up to the pick up without causing him distress, so unless it became a total emergency we are probably better keeping him warm and calm at home.

[hartley353]

Glad to hear he is a little better, when I told my wife about Alfies problem,she was very worried and has been asking me for updates. Animals are very resilient and never feel sorry for themselves, they just leave us to worry. Though all the worry is out ballanced by the joy they bring. As I type there is one dog squeezed in on my left and another sitting on the sofa arm on my right as we have aged all dog rules have disappeared, they are now equals.

[Wendyf]

Spoken to the vet again and he says it is classic Vestibular disease which is common in older dogs. He should recover within a few days. It's worth looking up the symptoms if you have dogs, because it is quite frightening to see, and causes owners to panic as it looks so much like a stroke or brain damage.
Phew......animals, who'd have em...

[PanBiker]

That's better news Wendy, I hope Alfie makes a swift recovery.

[Sue]

Ah a bit like labyrinthitis. Dizziness, nausea, and not being able to walk without holding on to something. Poor Alfie

[Stanley]

Sounds very much like Eigg. I never took her to the vets so my theory about blood starvation to the brain was my own. She never showed signs of pain but it was the precursor to her becoming more and more lethargic. Just the clockwork running down. Sad and I feel for all of you.

[Moh]

How is he Wendy?

[hartley353]

Spoken to the vet again and he says it is classic Vestibular disease which is common in older dogs. He should recover within a few days. It's worth looking up the symptoms if you have dogs, because it is quite frightening to see, and causes owners to panic as it looks so much like a stroke or brain damage.
Phew......animals, who'd have em...

I did as you suggested Wendy, seems it is split into two types, one serious, one not so bad. the writer offered a simple test. If you place your dog onto its back and its eyes continue to roll its the good type, if its eyes cease to roll then you are facing some thing very serious.

[Wendyf]

Alfie is making steady progress and can keep his balance most of the time as long as he is on firm ground. He loses it if he wags his tail too enthusiastically or tries to shake his head, but otherwise he's nearly back to his normal self. He enjoyed a trip out with Col yesterday and a short walk along the canal at Salterforth.

[hartley353]

Alfie is making steady progress and can keep his balance most of the time as long as he is on firm ground. He loses it if he wags his tail too enthusiastically or tries to shake his head, but otherwise he's nearly back to his normal self. He enjoyed a trip out with Col yesterday and a short walk along the canal at Salterforth.

Now thats the sort of news it's good to read.

[Gloria]

Sounds encouraging Wendy.

[Stanley]

Good news Wendy. One thought, could it be a ploy on Alfie's part to get more attention?

[Wendyf]

Oh Stanley, how could you suggest such a thing.

[Marilyn]

( I agree...Alfie wouldn't do that)

Out on my walk today and a lone dog came towards me, with no owner. I tried to get it to come to me but it wouldn't. It continued on at a substantial pace right down the middle of the road. I had no chance of keeping up, and I was going in the opposite direction anyway. I felt really guilty as I lost sight of him because where I was walking was only one street over from a very busy main road. I was half way home and he passed me again, this time coming from behind me. I tried to get him to come to me but he just continued on, crossed the street and turned right at the next corner. By the time I got there, he was nowhere in sight. So I feel bad again now. I hate to think he may find his way into the peak hour traffic.
(stupid dog!)
One good thing is he had his council tag on and a collar...

[Stanley]

Maz, perhaps the dog thought the same thing about you! (did you have your identity tags on?)
Never underestimate the capacity of a dog to vie for attention. I once lived with a wonderful primary school teacher and her classes were a model of good behaviour without repression. I asked her how she managed the 'naughty' ones and she said "Benign neglect". When I asked her to explain she said that most 'bad behaviour' was attention seeking and all she did was suppress her reaction and deprive the offender of eye contact. She reckoned it worked like a charm in the majority of cases. Jack is a master of the technique, for instance, If I am talking on the phone he brings his ball and continually drops it on my foot to gat my attention. Dog watching is fascinating.......

[Wendyf]

Stanley, I get your point but I hope you don't really think that Alfie could have been putting on seriously distressing symptoms in order to get attention! If Jack couldn't stand up without losing his balance and his eyes were flickering rapidly from side to side would you just think it was a clever trick??

[Cathy]

Marilyn, maybe the dog was taking himself for a walk. I used to know some dog owners that would open their front door each evening specifically to let their dog out and he would take himself around the block and come back. They could time him to the nearest minute and open the front door to let him in.