Hello Everyone.,

   Yep another animal-type dog lover, reading along with the
same story in a way everyone has.    MY dog same story and
I never wanted another.   My mother alone in the house wanted
another and we found in the SPCA a pup that people pulled away
from and well his early like and medical history had him not
surviving too long ... but she took him.   Lucky dog...she
was a veteran nurse with surgerical and tons of experience,
so his surgerical needs and meds were well met.

My mother died, and a last request was that I care for her dog
which I have faithfully done since March 2005.

At 14 now, he was not expected to get thru the winter...he did.
He has dysplasia, and heres where it got interesting, as with
massage and diet change and aids he not only survived the
winter, but perked up, and got up quite a number of times
on his own without assistance.

Please note, that monthly he is examined and a decision one
of these months will be the last, or he'll go coma like the
other at 19 years.

 A posting here dexamethasone was mentioned.  I use the 
non-steroid METACAM.  37mg first time, then ease back
to his level, which is about 20mg on his food.

As he is now.   I had some skin disease, I think he
picked up last year swimming in the lake.   No more
swimming there.   Lost all his hair on ears and face
and it seemed to spreaf by his scratching with his
paw as that went blad too.    His ear flaps bulged
out like balloons, and all the vet did was drain
the ears and prescribe this and that until that
was it.    Money draining away... I saw his pain
and started a program of methods I heard from people
even a motor oil -tar petroleum bath...but I stopped
at that due to giving him problems he didn't need
to get rid of this fungus type disease.

I washed every day, his bedding, him 
and worn rubber surgerical gloves and washed and showered
every day.    I also started draining the "stuff" out
of his ear flaps every 5 hours it seemed.   With the 
measures and solution and needle-drain time, I finally
beat it.   He now has his hair back, but one ear is
got scarring and is sort of a mess in appearance but
also with hair.

Being a Rot-Staffordshire...I had a muzzle on him, but then
soon learned he wasn't threating me..just concerned and never
gave me problems with the blood draining of the ears.

Blind in one eye ... One vet's meds never came close to helping
him there.   It was an old age thing and then too his history
was catching up to him.

YES ... I am going to regret the day, when it comes, but it
is for the best.   I would never want him to suffer or be
bed ridden.   I am going to enjoy the time I have left
with him.   I enjoy his comeback no matter how short,
and I see him chasing Cats too ... hobbling along...doing
his thing.

NO more dogs after this.   Famous last words....

I keep a medical log on the dog, like my mother used to do
so if anyone wants anything I have you are welcome to the
record.    When I took him off Dog food, it was because it
was salted, and the sauce was fatty-type gravey.

The only canned stuff I give him now is a mix of chicken
and rice, which is like burger and rice a bland food to
help make the stool solid.

Sorry I have taken up your time reading... Thanks again
for the posts I have them written down to discuss with
his medical staff I consult with...

ttfn

      Peter


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