Author Topic: A looooong month with Carter and Katie  (Read 1515 times)

Offline longshadowfarms

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A looooong month with Carter and Katie
« on: August 29, 2006, 03:22:53 pm »
Carter just came back from a full run down at the vet.  Last week he could not use his back right leg all week.  It has been a problem off and on since he came and it has been checked inconclusively once before so it was time to get a full checkup with x-rays.  I hated to do it since I knew he would not be happy about being manipulated and also about being confined.  I was right on both counts!  Since I'm the one who did this evil thing to him, I'm on his bad list right now!  Boy, is he ever p.o.ed at me!  He won't talk to me at all.  It's gonna take me some serious sucking up to get back into his good graces. ::)

We didn't really figure out the problem, but we did eliminate a bunch of possibilities.  His hips are excellent.  Would probably make OFA excellent according to the doc.  No problem with the knee joints either, not by manipulation or on the x-ray.  He said if it was an ACL issue with the length of time we've seen this, there would be some indication on the x-ray but it is as clean as can be.  No arthritis showing up anywhere either.  His joints are beautifully clear on the x-rays.  They also x-rayed his spine to see if there were any disk issues.  He kind of walks hunched up a bit so that was definitely a question.  He sometimes puts full weight on that leg, lifting the opposite one to urinate.  Other times he can't seem to bear any weight on it at all!

Basically Doc thinks he has something like a sciatic nerve problem going on.  His stomach doesn't handle Rimadyl well when he was having the problem but it did seem to help some so we're going to try some prednisone for a week and see if we can get some improvement that way.  Not sure if this is good news or not.  Nerve issues are difficult to deal with but at least we aren't facing surgery.  I keep reading about people here trying to keep their big paws quiet after surgery and just know how impossible that would be with my big goof ball!  He's a wild thang!

Then there is Katie.  She's still a major problem and getting worse.  Carter is up at the house full time now.  Her attacks were becoming more frequent and more vicious and I was very much afraid that she would do some serious damage.  She seems to want to kill Carter and it only gets worse all the time.  She's an absolute doll around humans, sweet as can be, sugar on a leash!  When she gets close to Carter though, she wants to kill.  I tried walking her on a leash with a muzzle figuring at least she could still have her walks but she still tries to go after him with the muzzle on!  She spends the whole walk trying to figure out how to get at him.  I have finally figured out the problem.  He does not initiate the confrontations and actively tries to avoid conflict, BUT he does not submit.  She will tolerate nothing less than absolute submission and he won't do it.  We've been working with the Anatolian rescue group to try to place her but they don't have any foster situations where they can keep her separate.  The prior owners want nothing to do with her.  They said we should put her down. I can't keep Carter up here indefinitely but we can hold on for a while. 

So there it is, the good, the bad and the ugly.  It has been a looooong month!
Daphne

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Re: A looooong month with Carter and Katie
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2006, 05:34:35 pm »
Daphne, I can imagine that is all very stressful!...When the "extras" are heaped on top of our already full plate it is just way too much!...I am sending prayers for you, Carter, & Katie!...How long has she & Carter been at this now anyway?

Offline MagicM3

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Re: A looooong month with Carter and Katie
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2006, 10:13:16 pm »
This sounds like someone could get really hurt .It must be very hard for you.

I know these guys are big and everything? but I wouldn't try to let them work it out at all between themselves,I would put them both in submission to me.(or you in this case)

You might need someone to help you but they need to know neither of them is alpha YOU ARE

Both in submission head to head on their side or back .

It might be too hard for you to do alone and I wouldn't advise it without help.

It sounds like a very difficult situtation.Bot h wanting possession of you.Do they do this with anyone else around or just you.??

I don't know what else to suggest.

Tricia and the fur kids

Offline longshadowfarms

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Re: A looooong month with Carter and Katie
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2006, 12:22:50 am »
She has always attacked Carter, from the day they arrived.  I just figured they'd eventually work it out.  It did calm down for a while but about a month or so ago she stepped up the attacks, getting progressively worse all the time.  If she only did it while I was there, it might be manageable by my controlling the situation.  The problem is that she attacks even when there is no one around.  I'll wake up in the middle of the night hearing a major dog fight.  These are supposed to be working LGDs and there is just no way I can be there all the time controlling their interactions.  Everything I've read and heard says that when these conflicts occur between dogs, that you need to control the interactions, getting both dogs to obey you as leader.  That only works if you can control the interactions.  It does not work if they are away from your control.  It would have been nice if the prior owners had clued us in to the problem.  Basically they dumped the problem on us.  When I asked them about how she interacted with other dogs, they told me she was dominant toward the Lab female and played with their young Pyr male.  That is not unusual.  They also sent me pics of her playing with their Lab female.  They neglected to mention that they had two more Pyr females.  No mention at all of those dogs or how they interacted.  Hmmm.  Katie has attacked Eider a few times as well.  He's just more submissive and quicker on his feet than Carter. 
Daphne