Sidebar: How much anxiety do you think he has picked up from the other in
the house? He may have picked up on the "excitement", but does not know
what it is about and that has him worried. (Someone once made the comment
that herding dogs are the self appointed hall monitors and *need* to make
sure everything is directed correctly.)

"dogsnus" wrote in message
...
I have a problem here. Double dose problem comes at the end of
this post.
Luke, my 7.5 yr. old GSD suddenly turned down his breakfast this am.
He's done it before, so no worries; until now.
This evening, he did it again so I took him into the bedroom
and hand fed him and he ate just fine.
I'm talking about putting both hands in his pre-moistened
food and feeding him a few kibbles at a time. Took about
an hour or so.
I've already softened his food and am planning on trying
a different bowl from the stainless steel one.
Yes, his lower teeth are worn and he has recently been
put under,to stitch up an eye wound within the past 3 weeks.

I already know he's in too much pain to eat normally.
(I'm not a novice in knowing my dogs and their potential
problems).

The condundrum:
In about 3 weeks or so, we are moving @ 2500 miles
in a 5th wheeler and the trio's routine will already
be affected severly.

Yes, I will call my Vet on Monday, as so far, this is NOT
an emergency.
But, it will_ be a problem if this house selling goes
through next week.
We will be packing and lifting and moving and trying, at
the same time, to adjust the dog trio to the new routine
as best we can.

My questions a If he has to have some dental work done
or teeth pulled, what are the long range repricussions and
what can I feed him in the meantime to get him to eat, and
what can I feed him if he's not had that work done before
we move?
If he has had dental work done before we move,
what can we expect him to need and be fed and what to watch
out for?

What canned food or homemade prepared food if he doesn't
have dental work done before we move?

We will have an onboard fridge to prepare and keep
cool some foods, but I cannot guarantee it will stay
at safe temps in the trailer fridge, due to the intense
heat we will be encountering on the way to our end-journey.
He is also on Rimadly for his hip dysplasia;
@ 75 grams/day.
I hope I gave enough information. If not, you can email me
at

I would prefer, however, that this is addressed here on
on usenet.

I'm trying to be prepared for everything for my beloved
dogs, but I"M FREAKING OUT HERE!

I'm terribly worried about my Lukie -boy.
He's my gentleman Luke and my beloved pet.
I would really appreciate any advice from the Teeming
Masses to help me weight all options and I'm open to
all reasonable adivice.


Thanks so much in advance,


Terri

Sidebar: How much anxiety do you think he has picked up from the other in
the house? He may have picked up on the "excitement", but does not know
what it is about and that has him worried. (Someone once made the comment
that herding dogs are the self appointed hall monitors and *need* to make
sure everything is directed correctly.)

"dogsnus" wrote in message
...
I have a problem here. Double dose problem comes at the end of
this post.
Luke, my 7.5 yr. old GSD suddenly turned down his breakfast this am.
He's done it before, so no worries; until now.
This evening, he did it again so I took him into the bedroom
and hand fed him and he ate just fine.
I'm talking about putting both hands in his pre-moistened
food and feeding him a few kibbles at a time. Took about
an hour or so.
I've already softened his food and am planning on trying
a different bowl from the stainless steel one.
Yes, his lower teeth are worn and he has recently been
put under,to stitch up an eye wound within the past 3 weeks.

I already know he's in too much pain to eat normally.
(I'm not a novice in knowing my dogs and their potential
problems).

The condundrum:
In about 3 weeks or so, we are moving @ 2500 miles
in a 5th wheeler and the trio's routine will already
be affected severly.

Yes, I will call my Vet on Monday, as so far, this is NOT
an emergency.
But, it will_ be a problem if this house selling goes
through next week.
We will be packing and lifting and moving and trying, at
the same time, to adjust the dog trio to the new routine
as best we can.

My questions a If he has to have some dental work done
or teeth pulled, what are the long range repricussions and
what can I feed him in the meantime to get him to eat, and
what can I feed him if he's not had that work done before
we move?
If he has had dental work done before we move,
what can we expect him to need and be fed and what to watch
out for?

What canned food or homemade prepared food if he doesn't
have dental work done before we move?

We will have an onboard fridge to prepare and keep
cool some foods, but I cannot guarantee it will stay
at safe temps in the trailer fridge, due to the intense
heat we will be encountering on the way to our end-journey.
He is also on Rimadly for his hip dysplasia;
@ 75 grams/day.
I hope I gave enough information. If not, you can email me
at

I would prefer, however, that this is addressed here on
on usenet.

I'm trying to be prepared for everything for my beloved
dogs, but I"M FREAKING OUT HERE!

I'm terribly worried about my Lukie -boy.
He's my gentleman Luke and my beloved pet.
I would really appreciate any advice from the Teeming
Masses to help me weight all options and I'm open to
all reasonable adivice.


Thanks so much in advance,


Terri

"ZPL" wrote in
:

Sidebar: How much anxiety do you think he has picked up from the other in
the house?
Good call, but not enough to explain this type of behavior.
It really is physical. (sp)

He may have picked up on the "excitement", but does not know
what it is about and that has him worried. (Someone once made the comment
that herding dogs are the self appointed hall monitors and *need* to make
sure everything is directed correctly.)

No, his teeth really are_ worn down.
Im concerned,due to the impending traveling aspect and his lack of
appetite.

If he's eating hand fed, he has an appetite, just not
a taste for what he's currently eating nor what he's eating from.

I *know* my dogs.


Terri

"ZPL" wrote in
:

Sidebar: How much anxiety do you think he has picked up from the other in
the house?
Good call, but not enough to explain this type of behavior.
It really is physical. (sp)

He may have picked up on the "excitement", but does not know
what it is about and that has him worried. (Someone once made the comment
that herding dogs are the self appointed hall monitors and *need* to make
sure everything is directed correctly.)

No, his teeth really are_ worn down.
Im concerned,due to the impending traveling aspect and his lack of
appetite.

If he's eating hand fed, he has an appetite, just not
a taste for what he's currently eating nor what he's eating from.

I *know* my dogs.


Terri

"dogsnus" wrote in message
...
Luke, my 7.5 yr. old GSD suddenly turned down his breakfast this am.
This evening, he did it again so I took him into the bedroom
and hand fed him and he ate just fine.
Yes, his lower teeth are worn and he has recently been
put under,to stitch up an eye wound within the past 3 weeks.
I already know he's in too much pain to eat normally.

He is also on Rimadly for his hip dysplasia;
@ 75 grams/day.

.............What do his poops look like? Where are the stitches - below
the eye? Has that healed up OK, no sign of abcesses or infection? I keep
thinking about a possibility it's abcessed somewhere you can't see it (like
sinus cavity, which could affect teeth). Vet has looked at his teeth
thoroughly so you know what's going to happen, or are you just worried this
is the cause? By lower teeth you mean the big ones, like canines and molars
or are you talking about the little teeth in front? Do you get any pain
response when you feel around his jaw and have you looked in his mouth
thoroughly?

.........Don't know what to tell you until you've had the teeth checked. I
suspect that it's a combination of things. I'd worry, personally about the
Rimadyl and would watch his poops closely. Any sign of black in there, I'd
take him off of it immediately and go to _emergency_ vet. Could just be
he's worried about the move and the physical things he's normally stoic
about are affecting him now. (Since you say he's a gentleman, I suspect he's
one of those very stoic dogs about pain.) Can you go to part canned food?
As weird as this sounds, I'd sit down and talk to him about the move just
like you would another member of the family who doesn't have all the facts
yet and assure him he'll be with you. Describe the new place and any good
things about it - bigger yard, etc. and tell him how long it will take to
get there. Is he the kind that takes care of the family - you or the rest
of the dogs? Ask him if he'll help while you're packing - keeping the other
dogs calm. I have no idea if this will work, but I've found that by
speaking out loud, you'll also set things clear in your mind as to what is
going to happen and this lessens anxiety in yourself, thus lessening anxiety
in your family members.

.......When you go to vet I'd get complete blood panel run. If he needs
dental work, I'd discuss anethesia agents thoroughly with vet. With cats,
they seem to do better if they're on an IV during the time they're out, as
this gets the anethesia agent out of the system faster and helps recovery.
You could discuss this with vet. He may think it's unnecessary, but I think
I'd insist. Don't forget to tell Luke what's going on and how many
days/hours he'll have to stay at the vet's.

My questions a If he has to have some dental work done
or teeth pulled, what are the long range repricussions and
what can I feed him in the meantime to get him to eat, and
what can I feed him if he's not had that work done before
we move?

.........I know this is a really tough time for you, but if he's in pain from
his teeth, get it done before you go, with a vet you know. If you stop and
think about it a second, you'll realize what a trip from hell it would be if
you went, knowing all the time your dog is in pain and suffering. Looking
at all possibilities, is there a way your SO could go on ahead and you drive
Luke later if it became necessary? I think it helps to work out a plan for
any possibility, then you can quit worrying about it, as a plan is already
in place.

If he has had dental work done before we move,
what can we expect him to need and be fed and what to watch
out for?

There's a really good section here on pre and post op:
http://www.bowchow.com/misc.html

What canned food or homemade prepared food if he doesn't
have dental work done before we move?

...............I'd get him canned food. May entice him to eat. But you may
run into problems abruptly changing diets, so I'd just start adding a bit to
his food and work up to half canned or all canned if you want. I don't
think this is a good time to even consider messing with home prepared food.
You have enough on your plate.

I'm trying to be prepared for everything for my beloved
dogs, but I"M FREAKING OUT HERE!

.......OK, that is probably part of the problem. Not that I blame you for
freaking out - I hate moving - and all that it implies - new neighborhood,
perhaps new job, new life, etc. You need to sit down and talk to Luke,
maybe you'll be be less anxious. In the meantime take extra Bs, go get a
massage and REscue Remedy all around. And don't imagine the worst......

buglady
take out the dog before replying

"dogsnus" wrote in message
...
Luke, my 7.5 yr. old GSD suddenly turned down his breakfast this am.
This evening, he did it again so I took him into the bedroom
and hand fed him and he ate just fine.
Yes, his lower teeth are worn and he has recently been
put under,to stitch up an eye wound within the past 3 weeks.
I already know he's in too much pain to eat normally.

He is also on Rimadly for his hip dysplasia;
@ 75 grams/day.

.............What do his poops look like? Where are the stitches - below
the eye? Has that healed up OK, no sign of abcesses or infection? I keep
thinking about a possibility it's abcessed somewhere you can't see it (like
sinus cavity, which could affect teeth). Vet has looked at his teeth
thoroughly so you know what's going to happen, or are you just worried this
is the cause? By lower teeth you mean the big ones, like canines and molars
or are you talking about the little teeth in front? Do you get any pain
response when you feel around his jaw and have you looked in his mouth
thoroughly?

.........Don't know what to tell you until you've had the teeth checked. I
suspect that it's a combination of things. I'd worry, personally about the
Rimadyl and would watch his poops closely. Any sign of black in there, I'd
take him off of it immediately and go to _emergency_ vet. Could just be
he's worried about the move and the physical things he's normally stoic
about are affecting him now. (Since you say he's a gentleman, I suspect he's
one of those very stoic dogs about pain.) Can you go to part canned food?
As weird as this sounds, I'd sit down and talk to him about the move just
like you would another member of the family who doesn't have all the facts
yet and assure him he'll be with you. Describe the new place and any good
things about it - bigger yard, etc. and tell him how long it will take to
get there. Is he the kind that takes care of the family - you or the rest
of the dogs? Ask him if he'll help while you're packing - keeping the other
dogs calm. I have no idea if this will work, but I've found that by
speaking out loud, you'll also set things clear in your mind as to what is
going to happen and this lessens anxiety in yourself, thus lessening anxiety
in your family members.

.......When you go to vet I'd get complete blood panel run. If he needs
dental work, I'd discuss anethesia agents thoroughly with vet. With cats,
they seem to do better if they're on an IV during the time they're out, as
this gets the anethesia agent out of the system faster and helps recovery.
You could discuss this with vet. He may think it's unnecessary, but I think
I'd insist. Don't forget to tell Luke what's going on and how many
days/hours he'll have to stay at the vet's.

My questions a If he has to have some dental work done
or teeth pulled, what are the long range repricussions and
what can I feed him in the meantime to get him to eat, and
what can I feed him if he's not had that work done before
we move?

.........I know this is a really tough time for you, but if he's in pain from
his teeth, get it done before you go, with a vet you know. If you stop and
think about it a second, you'll realize what a trip from hell it would be if
you went, knowing all the time your dog is in pain and suffering. Looking
at all possibilities, is there a way your SO could go on ahead and you drive
Luke later if it became necessary? I think it helps to work out a plan for
any possibility, then you can quit worrying about it, as a plan is already
in place.

If he has had dental work done before we move,
what can we expect him to need and be fed and what to watch
out for?

There's a really good section here on pre and post op:
http://www.bowchow.com/misc.html

What canned food or homemade prepared food if he doesn't
have dental work done before we move?

...............I'd get him canned food. May entice him to eat. But you may
run into problems abruptly changing diets, so I'd just start adding a bit to
his food and work up to half canned or all canned if you want. I don't
think this is a good time to even consider messing with home prepared food.
You have enough on your plate.

I'm trying to be prepared for everything for my beloved
dogs, but I"M FREAKING OUT HERE!

.......OK, that is probably part of the problem. Not that I blame you for
freaking out - I hate moving - and all that it implies - new neighborhood,
perhaps new job, new life, etc. You need to sit down and talk to Luke,
maybe you'll be be less anxious. In the meantime take extra Bs, go get a
massage and REscue Remedy all around. And don't imagine the worst......

buglady
take out the dog before replying

What great suggestions, Buglady. I enjoyed the read! ALL great
recommendations: stress, dental problems, Rimadyl... all should be addressed
by the familiar vet before the move. Good time to get records and such
anyway.

-Sharon

What great suggestions, Buglady. I enjoyed the read! ALL great
recommendations: stress, dental problems, Rimadyl... all should be addressed
by the familiar vet before the move. Good time to get records and such
anyway.

-Sharon

Here is whom you are helping.


http://www.icehouse.net/dogsnus/lukechr.jpg

Ohhhhhh - just tug my heart!! Good luck with Luke.

-Sharon

Here is whom you are helping.


http://www.icehouse.net/dogsnus/lukechr.jpg

Ohhhhhh - just tug my heart!! Good luck with Luke.

-Sharon