Taurus and Jada

Well Jada is still very sore today, but she is better. I was able to take her to work with me this morning to keep an eye on her, and she seemed okay, other then the fact that she layed there the whole time... which is not like her at all... she is very nosey ussually!

Ok.. firstly, I am a terrible mother. I was outside playing with Jada, and we were playing fetch with her tennis ball which is attached to a bungee cord thing.... I ussually wind it up (like swing my arm) and throw it for her to go fetch. Well She ran right up to me as I was about to let go of it, and it smaked her square in the eye! I feel so bad.... she is opening her eye a bit more now (this happened about 30 mins ago), but not alot. Her eye is really swollen, and bloodshot and bloody... I called the emergency vet and asked if I should bring her in. He told me to giver her 2 asperins and to put a bag of frozen peas (wrapped in a towel) on the eye. My question is: How the heck do I put the ice (or peas) on her eye? She won't sit still... Is this a huge deal if I can't get her to sit still for me? Any suggestions? Thanks, Kara

When you look at litters on the net, or inquire about them. they are grouped into " show quality" and "pet quailty". My question is, at such a young age how do you know? What do you look for at that age ? Just curious because I know colouring can often change as a pup ages, and a dog who has eyes a bit too light for the standard may have standard eye colour when they mature. Also, I dont understand how someone can know if the dog can have the correct tempermant at 8 weeks old? What sorts of characteristics do you look for at such a young age? I realize this will change depending on the breed, but I am just curious as to how the pups are divivded into "show" and "pet" qualities... Thanks, Kara

When I just had Taurus at the vet, I ran into a similar situation. A lady was there with her boxer. They were in the room with the vet when we first got there, and to get out of the room, they had to walk in front of us. She came out of the room, looked at us, and said "_____(her sons name), come this way, as she grabs his hand, we don't go near dogs like that! :evil: made me sooooo mad!! The little boy just kept staring at us, and giving us dirty looks (its amazing how even jedgement from children still hurts your feelings...) while in the meantime their boxer was totally out of control... While her son was glaring right at us... I made Taurus: sit, down, props, gimme a kiss.... :o her sons eyes went big, and he says to his mom... look at that dog, he listens real well!!!" We should teach_____ to listen like that!! lol :evilbat: stupid people!!

awww.. that is really sad. I also hope they will get her spayed now, and she can live out the rest of her life with fewer troubles.... :(

I would think it will come back to bite her in the hiney!! You can't give people advise on things you are not well versed in... thats just wrong. If you are not certified, (or whatever the case may be.. taken the proper courses...etc) then you should not be advertising these services. I agree that it seems that she is trying to set herself apart from the crowd, but it won't take long for people to see right through her. You can't fake people out forever... or can you?? We have a "behaviorist" here in my home town( I dont want to mention any names) but he has obediance classes, and has a weekly talk (call-in show) on the radio. (actually I think he has 2 x week now). He has absolutly no credentials, and my trainer (who has known him for years) said , just one day... he was a behaviorist!! Figure that one out? Alot of people think highly of him, and listen to his radio show (including my mother) but some of the advise he offers people is just crazy!

Some of you might remember when Jada was a bit younger, me posting on her being worried about her behavior around children. She barked at them, and really seemed to be nervous around them, (and when Jada barks, it's scary.. she has a very intimidating bark!!). Her hackles would raise if a bunch of kids ran up to her, and sometimes she would just bark like crazy at them.... We were very concerned about this behavior, for all the obvious reasons.... We were at a loss because we don't have children, nefews, neices, nothing to help us out. I couldn't use kids from the neighbourhood, because Jada scared them with her barking. What we ended up doing was having our friends (the only ones that have kids allready) bring their 4 yr old daughter over to our house. We had Jada in the kitchen sectioned off by a baby gate, and Blaise came in the house and just stood there at first. She was over for about 20 mins, and for about 15 mins, she just stood there on the other side of the baby gate, and that was fine because it got Jada used to her. She didn't want to pet her, but she did give her some treats... the first session went great. We got them together three times in total, and all was well... Jada stopped barking at kids, and it just seemed to be a phase she went through. (sorry this is so long, but I needed to give background info so that people understood the situation). We live in a small town (aprox. 3000-4000 people) in a quite subdivision ( about 100 houses total). Therefore Jada isn't around large crowds alot. I do take her into town and walk her along the busiest street just so that is exposed to more then the quiet street we live on, but there still isn't much going on in town. WELL.. (finally the brag part), this weekend is ribfest in London. Tons of vendors come from all over North America to compete for the best ribs, and it is a big annual event the boys and girls club puts on. I decided to take Jada with us last night. I had never been before, and I didn't realize just how many people would be there. We got there and got out of the car, and started walking towards the commotion, and I though, "uh o, did I make a mistake? Should I have brought her?" I said to Matt, we'll give her a chance, and if she seems spooked, we'll just go home. We were there for well over an hour, and Jada was AWESOME! I was so proud of her. ( with one exception... she saw a chiuaha (no idea how to spell that one..lol) and had no idea what it was and started barking like crazy... I think she thought it was a rat... it was really, really small)....but other then that, she was fantastic. I was very surprised at the amount of people that approached us. Just about everyone in our town is scared of the dogs ( mostly taurus' fault..(just the looks).. but Jada gets painted with the same brush.) We do not solicate many "pets" when we are on a walk. At least 50 people ( adults and children) came up to Jada last night to pet her, and ask me what breed she was. I was surprised at the number of parents that brought their children over to meet her, .. and I was only surprised because of Jada's size... I would think people wouldn't want their children around a mini-horse!!! (he he ...that's what we call her!.. shes 27" tall, 31" long, and aprox 100 lbs). One girl even started crying when she had to leave Jada! Just a very proud mommy... she was walking with us through crowds of tons of people and other dogs, and acting fantastic! ( I guess all the obesdiance work is really paying off!) Sorry for the long story, I was just so proud of her, I couldn't stop thinking about it!

Maybe this is just me being stupid, but is it possible that I would allready see a difference after only 1 1/2 days medication? I have noticed quite a difference in Taurus allready.... but maybe Im just looking for one? But today was the first time in quite a while that he was waiting for me at teh door when I got home, complete with the bum wiggle we have loved in the past! Also, his tail has been wagging all day, which is another thing that he did before, but we had been missing lately.... :cry: I also feel like a terrible mother, because I kept sayign to me husband "Taurus is gettign so fat... what's wrong with him, why is he so fat?"... I have been saying this for about 4-6 months now.... and now I find out this is why... *bad momma*... It was hard for us to tell what was wrong though, because we just had him neutered in February, so alot of these changes in him (fatter, lethargic, lazy) we thought he was just adjusting after the neutering... when it didn't get better, that is when we took him in..... :lol: so glad we did!!

I would think if a prong collar is on properly , meaning tight, and not loose around the dogs bottom of the neck, it wouldn't hurt any more then a normal correction... maybe not?? can anyone clarify more please? :D Taurus has never yelped once wearing a prong collar...??? I do not give him harsh corrections, but I do have to tug on it sometimes, and it does not bother him...?

Just wondering if anyone has had a dog that has had a low thyroid, and has needed medication for it. After the blood tests were evaluated for Taurus, we discovered that was the cause of his lethargy (sp??)... has anyone had any experience with this they would like to share with me? How long did it take to notice a change? Is there possible side effects to the meds that you noticed? Are they on the medication for ever? I will discuss all this with my vey, but its nice to hear some personal experiences from owners who have dealt with it... thanks, Kara

[quote name='Mei-Mei'][quote]Also, she has put the prong and shock collar on herself before ever using either one on her dog to make sure it would not hurt her[/quote] I don't know the person you guys are talking about, but she's not telling the truth if she says a shock collar does not hurt. My friend had one for his dog and I tested it on myself on the lowest setting. It hurt like h***! :evil: I can't imagine what it would be like on the highest setting.[/quote] I have to agree here...I also have a friend that bought one for their dog to teach off leash training. My husband tested on himself and said it hurt quite a bit.... :(

Ok... so Taurus has a low thyroid. The test (T4) showed his at 12... and normal is 15.5-37.5... so not incredibly low... but we're starting him on some medication and hopefully that will help. He is to take 2 x per day for 45 days, and 1x per day for 45 days, and then go get another blood test... so atleast we know now...w ell hopefully. Anyone have any experience with this? Anyone have any insight? I'd appreciate it.... Thanks, Kara

Personally, I would use a shock collar as a last resort. I have never used one, mostly because I have not needed to use one... my dogs have always been able to learn without.... I do use a prong collar on one of my dogs. I do not think a prong collar is negative reinforcement. Maybe I do not understand what that means, but how is a prong different from a choke ( except for the fact that a prong can only pinch so far, and the choke doesn't stop and can actually choke a dog...) :-? Many people have choke collars on their dogs and have absolutly no idea how to use them. When used properly, a prong collar is much safer on a dogs neck then a choke collar. It applies pressure evenly instead of on one specific spot which is the case of the choke collar. I would still use the prong as a last resort also though, and I would never use a choke collar on a dog (atleast not my bull headed dogs...lol) If it wasn't for the fact that my 70 lb dog would drag me the whole walk, I wouldn't use a prong, but a flat collar is just out of the question.... I think alot of people (not all, but alot) look at a prong collar and think they look like a medievil torture device. They look much worse then a choke collar, but they are not.. I will try to find the study about choke vs. prong collars....

[quote name='Carolk9s']Hope your buddy Taurus checks out ok. I would also suggest the thyroid panel if the tests from today show nothing amiss. I would also suggest paying the little bit extra to having his thyroid panel sent to MSU or Cornell, preferably MSU. I can totally understand the 'sticker shock' over the cost. One way I slow my racing heart after such a bill is to remind myself, it is far cheaper to catch a problem early and treat it than for it to wreak havoc on body parts and THEN have to do damage control.[/quote] I agree completly. Thats why we had it done... I am a bit confused though, as the results came back, and the vet told me to give him a call in the morning, and the not also said Taurus is low thyroid....which would explain alot of his symptoms. The results seem easy enough to read... if I had any idea what the tests were!!! It seems the one that is low says : AMYL ... it then shows 500-1500 as normal, and Taurus as 299. I am assuming that is the one he is talking about as thats the only one that seems really out of wack ( a few others registered high or low, but nothing too much over or under). Is that test for thyroid? Or do you know what it is?? Thanks, Kara

Well, Taurus had his vet visit this morning, finally!! The vet did a complete blood test on him... it should be complete, as I left there $260 poorer... :-? Anyways, it was well worth it though, even if it turns up nothing. Dr. Pedden is going to be faxing me the results by the end of the day, so I will know by 5 pm at the latest. They gave me a sheet with the run-down of tests. The included: • BUN, Creatinine, ALK,ALT, Glucose, Total Protein, Albumin, Total Bilirubin, Phosphorus, Amylase, Cholesterol, Calcium (kidneys, liver diabetes sugar, hydration, protein, pancreas, tumors) • CBC (anemia, infection, clotting) • Electrolytes ( dehydration) • Cortisal Don't really know what any of that means, but it seems pretty complete. Another thing I found really wierd about this morning about Taurus behavior at the vet was how skittish he was. Its like he went from this extremly confident dog, not afraid of anything, to a dog that is scared to go to the vets office... :( I sure hope we figure out whats wrong with him....

Hey Sashagirl, No , I wasn't able to get Taurus into the vet until this week b/c of my work schedule, and I need the first appointment of the day (which apparently every 9-5'er needs , lol)...so he goes in this Wednesday at 8am. Thanks for asking, and I will keep everyone informed! Kara

:lol: Congratulations on your new addition. Can we see pictures now?? :lol:

:lol: Yeah for all us Pitty Lovers !!!!

[quote name='DeafAussieLover']ROCK ON!! you go girl!! tell them how it is!! let us know how it goes! got a copy of hte email you sent them?[/quote] The funny thing is that I didn't think I sent him a very great email. I had so much more to say, but I was trying to type it and get it sent during the show. The BSL portion didn't come on until 1/2 way threw the show, so i wanted it to reach him before the show was over. I didn't know if he would email me back right away to voice my opinion, or if he would just read the email.... Here's what i wrote anyways... hi there, I would like to write in regarding the show abour BSL. I own an American PitBull Terrier, and am accordingly opposed to an breed specific laws. There are several reasons why I am opposed to such laws, and the gentleman from Boston ( the interview ) brought up alot of these issues. The question I would love to pose to him is : who will pay for the enforcement of these laws? If the leash laws can not be policed properly , how will they police these new laws? Why are we passing new laws when we can not properly police the ones we allready have? You brought up a point about a pointer being mistaken for a pitbull. This unfortunatly happens all too often. The average person can identify 5-8 breeds. If there are aprox. 10-15 breeds which closely resemble the american pitbull terrier, how can they enforce these laws? The media sensationalises the APBT every chance they get. There is a great website: [url]http://ncrf2004.tripod.com/nationalcanineresearchfoundation/id9.html[/url] which delves into the actual stories behind several "pitbull attacks". The public who knows no better beleives most if not all of what they read, so I understand why the general public has a fear of pitbulls. A site which shows just how many breeds resemble the APBT is: [url]http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html[/url] I have alot more to say on this issue, but I am hoping this email will reach you during your program. Sincerelly, Kara Rijnen Weekes Again... there is so much more I would've wanted to write, but I was typing as quickly as possible....

I was listening to AM 1290 on Saturday( it was the Animal Planet show), and they had an interview with some politcian from Boston taking about BSL. The anouncer said if anyone had any comments to reach him at such and such an email... so I did... and this is what I got back from him! Kara, Thanks so much for your note. And, I agree with EVERYTHING you say. Right on! However, increasingly, politicians - at a loss to do anything...feel like they have to do something...just to do it...even if it's not the right thing. I'm sure we both agree - no one wants to see people attacked by dogs...Problem is that people are always responsible - not a specific breed....even if you can define the breed - which you point out, you can't. I am familiar with that web site. I'd like to have you make your point on the air. I am forwarding your email to my producer...and hope you can talk on the show about it. Thanks so much for listening. steve dale They want me to be on the radio... to have my say!!!! How cool is that!!

He is still eating/ drinking fine... when he moves he just moves slower, so I dont know if he is in pain. He isn't limping, but I know often with the breed, they have a high pain tolerance, and they won't show shomething is wrong right away. Thats why I'm worried that since hes slowing down, thats his way of telling me hes in pain??? When I take him outside, instead of running around like he normally does, he'll take two steps, and lay down. I will walk around the yard with him to try and get him moving, but this is not like him at all... hes not lazy, I know that! DO you think it could be displacia?? :(

Well, he has an appointment at the vet, but I couldn't get an appointment until next week because of my wierd work schedule. It is possible that he's more tired because of Jada, but I doubt it. He doesn't even seem to want to play with her that much anymore. The thing that bothers me the most is how he is reacting with people. He is in no way aggressive, but he could care less about anyone who comes up to pet him. This is not like him ... he is very friendly ... and loves meeting new people.??? Thanks for the input. I was pretty sure it was too early for him to be slowing down... I will keep you informed as to what the vert thinks. Kara

aww... that cute!! :lol:

:lol: Congratulations....

I have a friend who has the exact same problem with his APBT. I can't remember what they used on her, but it was some kind of cream. I will find out though, and pass the info along... :)