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Messages - ToddsMom

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Great Pyrenees Discussions / Re: Do Great Pyrs drool?
« on: April 16, 2005, 01:12:56 am »
Generally, my boy does not drool, except in situations where another dog would -- when stressed (e.g. in a training session!), when exercising hard, when having partaken of salt water while wading in the ocean. The thing is, when he drools, he DROOLS! Just like anything else with a pyr, anything another dog does, he does BIGGER!

Nothing he could do in this department, however, holds a candle to the dogs with really loose flews such as the Newfs (famous droolers!), Saints, Mastiffs, and the like.

Oh... mustn't forget the drooling in anticipation of a treat... BIG puddles then...  ;)

HTH.

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Border Collie Discussions & Pictures / Re: Grieving Collie - Any suggestions, please!
« on: April 15, 2005, 01:48:39 pm »
I hope that the tears being shed world-wide give you support at this time.

There really are no words...

Take care of yourself. Grieve well. Tears heal.


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Great Pyrenees Discussions / Re: good companion for a Pyr?
« on: April 15, 2005, 02:20:43 am »
Quote from: Rufiesmom on April 11, 2005, 04:09:20 am
You are absolutely right, Pyrs love cats!!  Rufus loves bossy girls too!  Both of our rotties were bitches.

I think my pyr is afraid of cats!

Cats have nasty claws, and pyrs have tender noses...    ;D

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Border Collie Discussions & Pictures / Re: Grieving Collie - Any suggestions, please!
« on: April 15, 2005, 02:12:38 am »
This may be totally irrelevant, since my experience was with rabbits and not dogs, but it is food for thought.

I had three bunnies, two females and one male (all spayed and neutered!!). The females never really got along very well, but one of them really bonded with the male, and the two of them were like peanut butter and jam.

I had to euthanize my big bunny this past fall, and my little girl was inconsolable. It was awful. I had hoped she would find comfort in the other remaining bunn, but she was just aggressive to her. I did not want another rabbit because there is no vet who really knows rabbits where I am now living, and I felt that I had as many animals as I could manage both financially and in regards to care.

But I could not stand my my little rabbit's grief. My own grief was particularly intense due to many of the circumstances surrounding this death, but I think I have shed even more tears over her loss.

I finally broke down and got her another boyfriend. He was a rescue bunny who had been in an excellent foster home, and the introductions went well. My grieving bunny is a much different rabbit since the death of her buddy -- grouchier, yet cuddlier, too -- but she has done MUCH better since the introduction of the new one. She is even getting along better with the other female.

Sounds like your situation might be similar, but with a different species. And if anybody ever tries to convince me that animals a) do not have feelings, b) do not grieve, or c) do not remember, then you know where they can go! In any event, another dog might be something for you to consider.

I send my heartfelt condolences your way. I know firsthand what a helpless feeling it is to witness a beloved pet's grief on top of your own. It is hard. I send you many comforting thoughts and the hope for a good resolution to your problem.

Take care.

p.s. My rabbits and my dog do NOT mix... The dog is willing, and would be most gentle with them, but the bunnies will have none of it.

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Medical Conditions & Diseases / Re: campylobacteriosis
« on: April 14, 2005, 01:57:00 am »
I should have made the rice sooner! He LOVES it! I made it kind of sticky and was able to make balls out of it without adding anything like egg.

I think he is doing better today, though he is still weird.

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Medical Conditions & Diseases / campylobacteriosis
« on: April 13, 2005, 03:05:07 am »
Need advice.

I'm dealing with new-to-me vets because I have recently moved, leaving a very trusted and beloved vet behind.

Todd has been unwell twice over the past two weeks -- mainly he has been lethargic and off his food. There have been some mustard-yellow stools and some diarrhea. This lasted for about 4 or 5 days followed by some Very Large Loose Poops and then normal behaviour and output for about 4 days. Since Saturday evening, he has been lethargic and off his food again.

Took him to the vet yesterday, who did a stool sample, and she found campylobacter spirochetes in it. She prescribed Erythromycin.

I'm concerned about the Erythromycin causing further stomach upset, and I really want Todd eating food with it. I have to give the pills to him three times a day.

Here's the rub. The vets in this office really have a thing about allergies. My boy has seasonal allergies every summer, and he is beginning to show signs of the skin problems which result from these allergies. There is a possibility that he has started to develop food allergies as well, but we are not clear as to whether or not any particular foods really are problematic.

My problem: My vet's instructions are to allow him to eat his usual lamb and rice kibble as well as boiled white rice. Period. Nothing else. Absolutely no other proteins. I am not sure how much of this is because of his intestinal problems and how much is her concern about possible allergies.

Todd is refusing to eat his kibble. I have been "cheating" and giving him a bit of very mild cheese (dairy, I know!) when I give him his pills, both because I want him to eat SOMETHING with these pills and because I want to appease him for having a pill rammed down his throat. He is happy to eat this bit of cheese (Laughing Cow low-fat... it's MY cheese!).

Any advice? I'd really like to ignore the alleged allergy issue for the moment and focus on the intestinal one... I'll take any advice or references I can get, sift through it all, and then speak again to the vets at this clinic.

In the meantime, I guess I'd better go make some rice...

Thanks.

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Great Pyrenees Discussions / Re: First time Pyr owner
« on: April 11, 2005, 03:07:15 pm »
My dog does not handle my leaving very well, even if he is somewhere that he is very comfortable. For example, we often stay with my mom. He loves her and knows her apartment well, but when I leave him and go to the car or something, he lies by the door and whines.

I used to think he was a big wuss, but I have a new theory. I have often jokingly commented to people, when explaining that the pyr is a livestock guardian dog, that I am his sheep! I know of a pyr that was in Kelowna, BC, during the fires in the summer of 2003 who was evacuated with his owners and separated from his alpacas, and who died of a heart attack. He wasn't able to do his job and it was an enormous stress to him!

I think, with my boy, that that might be what is going on. He wants to take care of me, and when I go off, leaving him in an impossible position for doing his "job," he freaks out.

I don't know if this is any help whatsoever to you (or if there is any validity to it!!).

I second what others have said about the stubborn pyr nature, and I can tell you that once they get an idea into their head, there's little that can be done to change it, including drugs.

But that's another story....

Do find a pyr-friendly trainer. They are unique.

BTW, I found one of the best places to get expert advice on pyrs is at Pyr-L, which you can subscribe to at the following link: http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-pluto.exe?SUBED1=pyr-l&A=1

I hope that it is okay to post that here. Admin can edit it out if not, but there are a lot of long-time breeders and owners on that listserv who really know their stuff. Good luck!!

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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Keeping your dog cool
« on: April 11, 2005, 02:41:04 pm »
Maybe to some extent the coat acts as an insulator against the heat, but not when the temps are extremely high, as we experienced where we used to live. You should have seen the transformation in my boy when he got his haircut -- a MUCH happier pooch! AFAIC, how the dog reacts is more important that what the "experts" say, and in my case, I had much expert advice encouraging me to have him clipped. Do note that I did NOT have him shaved... he was clipped short.

Note also that we did not have air-conditioning. There was no respite from the heat. Even the basement was hot. He did not use the kiddy pool after the first 2 summers. The beach was too far away for a quick dip in the lake. He HATES hoses. Nope... for us, clipping his coat short was the answer, and then avoiding being out in the sun as much as possible. We usually headed for the dog park around dusk, and any trips to the beach for a swim were in the late afternoon after the sun was past its peak.

My big dilemma, actually, was whether or not to allow him to swim, since this was so effective a means of cooling off, but tended to cause skin problems... But that's a thread of its own...

p.s. Don't you love the belly-up pose? I have a similar pic of Todd somewhere...

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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Keeping your dog cool
« on: April 08, 2005, 06:38:17 pm »
Hi,

I posted a longish response, but I hadn't logged in properly (hey, I'm new!), and it disappeared into cyberspace.

Let me just say that the pic accompanying my posts is a "before" pic of my boy on June 4, 2004. The ones below are the "afters."

He LOVED his haircut. I had him clipped every summer in early June before the temps climbed up to the mid-to-high 30's C (90's to 100's F). Never a problem with sunburn. Enough fur grew back in by September for the cooler weather, and by the time the temps dipped to -28 C (-18 F) in January/February, he had his full coat. I never had any problems with the consistency of his coat, but then, he is no show dog!!

Not sure what I'll do this summer now that I'm in milder climes, surrounded by big cedar trees, and with a polished concrete floor that is much too cold in winter but should be nice (for both puppy and me) in the summer...

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