Anna the dog

[jabir]

Hey Mendip, when you finish eating something with the dogs fixated on your every move, do you have to show your hands to them like you're a blackjack dealer?

[headhunter]

we had a big, problem with our beloved sam,had to have 3doxy every morning WITH FOOD,and doxy makes them sick if they taste em,only way was to hide them in those chicken sausage from 7-11 forced down their throats WITH WATER,he was on them for over 2yrs and didn't do ANY GOOD.we feel so guilty that we had to it this way,we had to drag him from under the car,us being told this was the only way to make him better,when it made him WORSE.
good luck dan you have had a good life,dont let them xxxxxds use u as an ATM.
headhunter DOG LOVER FOR EVER.

[Mendip]

Dan is giving us a lot of worry and I took her back to the vets yesterday. Her back seems better and she's trotting about the garden, but she's definitely not herself and is not really interacting with the other dogs. The main worry is that she's completely off her food, even with ham, her favourite. She'll sniff a piece of ham, and almost go to eat it, then turn away. It's a real mystery and it seems that her stomach is the problem now... maybe I think upset from the other meds.

I've been force feeding her steak and fish, grilled and then blended with either gravy for the steak or milk with the fish, and then fired down her throat with a big syringe that I cut the end off. She swallows the food and it stays down, but she won't eat otherwise. The vet gave her an injection to get her stomach and colon working to pass on the food, and some anti acid tabs, and a change of pain killers, but I must admit I fear the worst. She doesn't appear to be in pain any more, but just won't eat and she's starting to lose a lot of weight.

Coco went to the vet today and got the all clear from her tick-borne blood parasite, and had the next of her series of vaccinations, so she's all good. Coco hates to be away from home and becomes distressed until we return, and I wonder if she's worried she'll be dumped again. As soon as we got home she ran off to her safe place with Dan and Tommy!



The vet told us that there's a lot of parvo about in Korat at the moment... just a head's up for anyone living in the area. This spurred me on to do something I've been meaning to do for ages... get Anna and Vigo vaccinated. I persuaded the vet to give me two loaded syringes to bring home.

They were both out back, resting under the neighbour's pickup.

The ever trusting Vigo came out first...



A piece of Dan's uneaten ham then tempted Anna out...



Take a good pinch of skin...



And the injection goes under the skin, into the muscle. These two dogs are easier than our own to give jabs to.



And no hard feelings!

[NamPikToot]

^ i suspect Coco is nervous, its still early days.

[Mendip]

I'm so happy tonight I'm having my first Leo of the week!

I force fed Dan the last of my Thai striploin steaks that everyone was so complimentary about... albeit blended and mixed into a sludge with water...



Down it goes...



Looks like Dan would have preferred an Aussie steak with a bit of marbling as well!



Then Dan had her tablets.

Twenty minutes later my wonderful young daughter had coaxed Dan into tentatively eating a slice of ham... the first food she's taken voluntarily for nearly a week!

This was followed by two more.



So fingers crossed for Dan!

Tonight none of the other dogs ate much of their food... it seems they're all jealous of Dan's wonderful menu and want some of the same.

[AntRobertson]

Go Dan! Hope she's on the mend.

[headhunter]

whats happening with dan is all too painfull to read,we went through the same not knowing what to expect.when its time for her to go she will tell you,and the only pain is what you have to endure.it is so painfull for me to read because i went through exactly the same with our boy,so try not to be upset in front off her as she will only suffer aswell.the only comfort is,when she goes you are there to hold her.our boy told us it is time and he cuddled up to the wife and i watched him take his last 4 breaths of life with him looking in to our eye's something i will never forget.since molly came into our lives it has helped,but it does frighten me not knowing what lies ahead.
my thoughts are with you DAN.

[Mendip]

Kind words HH... but much as we love Dan, she is nearly 14 and we have to be realistic.

I think it can be a mistake to humanise a dog's feelings... they are animals and much more pragmatic about death then we are. When a dog knows it's time is up, it may sneak off to end it's time under a quiet tree with an emotionless acceptance.

My feeling is that Dan's time isn't up, but she needs a little help to get her mojo back. I don't want her to get depressed and my daughter is constantly sneaking off to find her and give her a cuddle. They have a special bond and I'm sure it helps Dan to remain positive... and here I am giving Dan human emotions!

Anyway, the new meds seem to be helping. I think this is mainly due to some tabs that have to be taken before food to lower stomach acid. Last night, after taking this tablet Dan ate some ham. And the same again this morning.

What is it about junk food? I made up a lovely nutritious pla nin and milk smoothie to syringe down Dan's throat this morning, and from her reaction you'd have thought I was trying to poison her. I then tried her on some processed ham and one of my daughter's revolting sausages with a liquid cheese centre and Dan wolfed them down! The main thing is she seems to be over the worst and has her appetite back, however bad her choice of food. Four slices of ham and two cheesy sausages! The wife won't be happy.

Dan even wanted to come on the walk this morning... but the boys are too boisterous so I'll take her on her own later. That will make her happy!

One thing I have noticed... however bullying Dan was to the others while she was the undisputed matriarch and pack leader, they have all been wonderful with her while she's been sick. Wherever she plonks herself down to sleep, the others surround her, almost protectively. The pack dynamic really is fascinating to observe.

[jabir]

Good post, I've never had to put down a dog, lost several over the years through runaway, divorce and the last one given to family to care for when I left UK, but never had to make that decision.

[Mendip]

^ We had to have Dan's brother, Den, put down nearly two years ago due to incurable lymphoma. He was 12, and had had a good, long life.

I'm very glad I have a vet that I trust and who is willing to put a dog down, if necessary.

[headhunter]

i would think the new tabs she's had could be amoxicillin clavulanic an antibiotic that clears any infection like bile and acid,they should make her feel better.
as for humanise a dog,the wife has never been a mother so sam was her baby but he knew what life in thailand was all about,all I can say is the love and affection they give is behond anything else.molly was only 4weeks old when we had to remove her from where she was,so she doesn't know she's a dog so when she comes for a CWTCH the feeling we get as she wants part of our pillow to rest her head on is a feeling of loyalty,love,as she looks on us as her mum and dad and she truly acts as one.i wouldn't want it any other way,but it does hurt when it goes wrong as I have never suffered grief of any kind,till we lost sam,it was manely down to my ignorance of a pets life in Thailand.

[NamPikToot]

Mendip, i assume that Mini Mendip hasn't had to go through the pain of losing a dog yet, in my experience it is the first time the reality of life and death hits a child and it is harrowing as a father to watch them go through it but they do, and learn from it. Hopefully that is a way off yet and Dan stays a while longer.

[Mendip]

i would think the new tabs she's had could be amoxicillin clavulanic an antibiotic that clears any infection like bile and acid,they should make her feel better.
as for humanise a dog,the wife has never been a mother so sam was her baby but he knew what life in thailand was all about,all I can say is the love and affection they give is behond anything else.molly was only 4weeks old when we had to remove her from where she was,so she doesn't know she's a dog so when she comes for a CWTCH the feeling we get as she wants part of our pillow to rest her head on is a feeling of loyalty,love,as she looks on us as her mum and dad and she truly acts as one.i wouldn't want it any other way,but it does hurt when it goes wrong as I have never suffered grief of any kind,till we lost sam,it was manely down to my ignorance of a pets life in Thailand.

HH... the tabs that I think have made all the difference to Dan's appetite are Antacil... purely for acid reduction. I imagine they are just alkaline to help neutralise the stomach pH.

Molly rests her head on your pillow... you've reminded me of something that happened many years ago when I was around 14, at school in the UK...

My first dog, a basenji called Jos used to sleep on my bed, and if it was cold would sneak under the duvet and rest her head on my pillow, just like a human. I remember one day at school when half way through the day I realised that my hair was very greasy and oily, which I thought was strange. Later on in the afternoon (it was a hot day) I noticed that my hair was smelling pretty bad as well, and my mates had started to ask me what I'd done... was I wearing hairspray... all that good stuff. I was mystified.

Anyway, that night I went back to bed and found my pillow was soaking wet and had that unmistakable stink of urine. It transpired that during the night before Jos had slept on my pillow and pissed all over my head. My hygiene wasn't what it should have been back then, and I'd spent the next day at school with dog piss soaked hair... not a good way to get a girlfriend!

... anyway, just a warning for you HH.

[Mendip]

Mendip, i assume that Mini Mendip hasn't had to go through the pain of losing a dog yet, in my experience it is the first time the reality of life and death hits a child and it is harrowing as a father to watch them go through it but they do, and learn from it. Hopefully that is a way off yet and Dan stays a while longer.

My daughter went through Den's passing a couple of years ago. In fact she probably dealt with it better than I did. After he was put down at the vets, I brought him home and we buried him under a mango tree by the pond. We said a few words to him before covering him over and my daughter was very matter of fact about it.

I talked to her about Dan, and she said, "well you know Papa, everything has to die in the end". These kids grow up so fast...

But happily I think Dan will be with us a while longer... I just took her on a 2km walk and she loved it. We arrived home and her tail was up and wagging again, and now the gardener's feeding her with those disgusting meatball things that go in noodle soup. She seems to be well on the mend!

[tomcat]

It transpired that during the night before Jos had slept on my pillow and pissed all over my head.

...sounds circumstantial...you admit your hygiene could have been improved...

[NamPikToot]

I talked to her about Dan, and she said, "well you know Papa, everything has to die in the end". These kids grow up so fast...

They do. Actually that probably plays into the way that Thais seem to be more pragmatic about death that we are in the west.

[headhunter]

that could be why i was always called a piss head.

[headhunter]

one comfort is knowing you have a vet who is sympathetic to us westerners.that was the first thing I tackled our vet [first] 2011 if I ever found I was in that situation where if needed that the vet would do what was needed even if it cost me more than a months wages [pension].

[Mendip]

Dan is better!

She's still a little shaky on her feet, but after a decent breakfast she insisted on coming on the walk this morning and who am I to stop her...



Without going into graphic details, while out on the walk Dan also showed that her digestive system is fully functioning again!

And she got a huge welcome back home from her protege, Coco!



Once Coco's collar and lead turn up in the post Dan will help teach her walk on the lead, and then it'll be five dogs on the walk every morning...

[Dillinger]

^ That's great news mate. Did she eat up on her own?

[Mendip]

^ Yep, she's eating food on her own now, no force feeding necessary.

I'm well chuffed.

Problem now is... she's got used to having 'special' food and she won't go back to her normal diet. Still, why not spoil her!

Tonight she had freshly caught, pan fried pla nin with chopped pork balls in a beef soup.

[NamPikToot]

Tonight she had freshly caught, pan fried pla nin with chopped pork balls in a beef soup.

[headhunter]

^ Yep, she's eating food on her own now, no force feeding necessary.

I'm well chuffed.

Problem now is... she's got used to having 'special' food and she won't go back to her normal diet. Still, why not spoil her!

Tonight she had freshly caught, pan fried pla nin with chopped pork balls in a beef soup.

what about some ICE CREAM.
HH.will get you some. thinking of y dan.

[AntRobertson]

Didn't want to threadjack the other thread so will post it in here, but this:

is an awesome transformation.

Well done chap (and Coco The Travel Dog).

[aging one]

So very well done Mendip, and it only tool 1 hour letter word. Love.