Welcome, all!!

[valerie]

I'd like to welcome you all to Pet Advice and Support!!

Please feel free to post here and ask your questions. I'll try and help, and
Baby Rider is on board, too. (Happy to get hints from anyone else, )

Not an expert by any stretch, but experienced in many aspects.

Got a dog that won't heel? Or a horse that won't jump? Ask away and
be amazed at the results!!

Best of all, it's absolutely FREE!!

Bye kids!

Valerie,

I'd like to tell about my incredible rough/border collie cross.

Sam is now nineteen and a half years old but still looks as black and shiney as he did when he was a pup. He doesn't walk very far any more, partly because of arthritis and muscle wastage and partly because of a heart murmur. He likes to sleep a lot, god bless him.

He's taken to the vet regularly so we can tell if hes ok. Although his last visit found an inoperable cancerous tumour, the vet says he still has quality of life.

We are just bracing ourselves for the inevitable when we have to decide that he must suffer no longer or that he dies of very old age.

[nvalleyvee]

Originally Posted by valerie

I'd like to welcome you all to Pet Advice and Support!!

Please feel free to post here and ask your questions. I'll try and help, and
Baby Rider is on board, too. (Happy to get hints from anyone else, )

Not an expert by any stretch, but experienced in many aspects.

Got a dog that won't heel? Or a horse that won't jump? Ask away and
be amazed at the results!!

Best of all, it's absolutely FREE!!

Bye kids!

Count me in on the question aspect Val. I have many years of experience in the pet industry. I was also raised on a rural ranch.

[pina]

Ok I'm gonna be first with a problem that needs sorted!!!!!
My Beagle who is 1 1/2 is fat. she was a bit chunky when we got her at 7 months old but now she is getting fatter, I give her the light dried food and we have stopped giving her tit bits, but she is always hungry.
I think the biggest problem here is we can't exercise her much through the summer, it is between 35 and 50 degrees. She only wants to go out for ten minutes then drags me back indoors even at night when the temp drops to about 30 to 38 degrees....Winter is fine we go to the beach and she runs around and loses a bit of weight but then gains it again by summer.
Any suggestions?


I thought I was first.....

[valerie]

Thank you so much for talking about Sam. What a wonderful guy he sounds
like.

You know, I once heard someone say that their vet had told them (when
they asked how they would "know" it was time) that if their dog still had
3 things it liked to do, it wasn't time yet. That can be any 3 things. Sleeping
is certainly one of them. Enjoying meals is another.

As the mom of a very old 3-legged girl, I know how hard it is to watch them
when they aren't quite what they were. But they love you still, and you
love them.

Please give Sam a kiss on his muzzle for me. And tell him he's a good boy.

[nvalleyvee]

Pina She only thinks she's hungry. If you could get cake by whinning wouldn't you?? I would not feed her more than 1 cup dry per 20 pounds of dog each day. I know it sounds cruel but her stomach WILL shrink and she WILL be OK - you can do 1/2 cup in the AM and 1/2 cup in the PM. Also - very important - look at the ingredients on your dog food. If any grain is listed First - it is the wrong food. You might do better to give her normal dog food that has an animal meat (not animal by-product) listed first and do a cup a day per 20 pounds of dog with that. She is too young to get lite food and needs the protein from the animal meat and meal to keep her from being hungry.

[valerie]

Pina, is your house fairly cool? You might try some light house exercise,
some people play something called "hall ball" if your girl is interested in
that, or tug-of-war. Or if it's just tossing a little stuffed toy that would help
some.

Have you talked to your vet about food intake? You might want to decrease
it slightly. And to satisfy her need for treats, fresh veggies might work.
Give them to her in conjunction with hall ball and you're set!! (Those mini
carrots a lot of dogs like!) Keep treats to about the size of your little
fingernail.

If you have room outside, a kiddie wading pool can be a cool way to burn
off a little energy.

Good luck, and thanks for asking!

[nvalleyvee]

Pina - I agree with Val too - some mild exercise is good. Mini veggie treats are also very good so she feels special.

[valerie]

Originally Posted by nvalleyvee

She only thinks she's hungry. If you could get cake by whinning wouldn't you?? I would not feed her more than 1 cup dry per 20 pounds of dog each day. I know it sounds cruel but her stomach WILL shrink and she WILL be OK - you can do 1/2 cup in the AM and 1/2 cup in the PM. Also - very important - look at the ingredients on your dog food. If any grain is listed First - it is the wrong food. You might do better to give her normal dog food that has an animal meat (not animal by-product) listed first and do a cup a day per 20 pounds of dog with that. She is too young to get lite food and needs the protein from the animal meat and meal to keep her from being hungry.

Pina, NVV just gave you very good advice! I heartily concurr!!

(Thanks, NVV!!)

[chonsigirl]

My darling Siamese cat, whose name is Won Ton (because he is a noddle head) likes to climb between the floors into the ceiling. Now we have those ceilings between floors with the panels, but all the pipes and wires are up there. When he was little he would climb in there, because us girls would worry-oh, he is stuck, poor little thing. But as he grew, he never gave up this nasty habit. He started falling through the panels, and then it got to be a pain. I have blocked all entrances, but he continues to go up there. 2 panels are out now, and he hangs his head down to see if we notice. I ignore him, then he howls for attention. How do I keep him out of there?