Tinsel's Journey

scottanddeb said:
I just love where you are coming from with this. Especially "With Tinsel and Towyn, both rescues, it was to help them achieve a sense of peace and security."
It's taken us over a year -but I feel we've finally achieved this with our Jack. he is a much happier dog than he was when we got him -he is at home -he knows he's loved - and safe. VERY gratifying.
scott
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Yes, I feel as if I've reached the same point with Toby. It is very gratifying. :yes:
 
Tinsel was really very good for stitch removal at the vet's tonight. I'm not saying he stuck his leg out and made it easy but he didn't snap or growl. He took a goodie from Marlene (the tech) afterwards and all was forgiven.
Carol, the vet, has agreed to put him on a trial of thyroxine for the next 6 weeks. Actually her words were "you don't have to convince me". I asked her about the raised ridge of dryness on his nose and she said that it was another thing you would often see in a hypothyroid dog. He will go in for a repeat test of his T4 levels in four weeks. Guess I had better start taking him down there for visits and treats only over the next little while so that he is comfortable going in for exams. He did show some hesitance going in tonight. He loves going in the car, gets all excited and has a big smile on his face. The best thing we did was take him to Mirkka for all those weekly reward based lessons. Even going to the vet for bloodwork and surgery and the bi-weekly trip to the groomers hasn't dimmed his love of going in the car. If we can get his energy levels up to normal I think his whole life is going to be enhanced. Right now a walk for a couple of blocks is his limit. There's a whole big world out there I want to show him with lots of fun stuff to do.
 
Glad he did so well at the vet, I learn something new everyday. I didn't know about the nose bump with thyroid issues. Give the little guy a hug from Hartley and I.
 
Apparently in the hypothyroid patient, skin cells aren't sluffed the way they should be - hence the dead cells stuck on the rim of his nose.
I forgot to mention, he has been going to Meaghan's every two weeks for a brush out and he is doing so much better with the whole grooming thing. It came in handy last night when we were trying to get to the stitch on the inside of his left rear leg. At home, he is about 80% about behaving for grooming. Still an issue with his ears and feet but it's certainly heading in the right direction. On Saturday, his last grooming session with Meaghan, he actually came up to the divider gate and stood on his hind legs to greet me when I returned for him. Usually he stands back and waits for me to come in through the sea of freshly groomed dogs but this time he pushed them out of the way, as if to say "she's my person" and greeted me with the big tail wag. Of course he gets a treat at the local Tim Horton's on the way home so maybe he was just hungry!
 
I took Tin to another barn today to see a friend's new filly. He looked at her, saw she had a soft eye and walked to the fencing to initiate contact with her. The filly put her nose down and they both spent some time sniffing each other without any sign of fear on either's part. Then he just laid down at the edge of the fence and watched while Rose, the new owner, brushed her new baby - who, by the way, has never known a brush or lead work and was in a new place. I was pretty impressed by the two of them.
For the first time I had someone incorrectly identify his breed. She thought he was a mini Aussie - his colouring I guess. I just got my copy of The Canine Thyroid Epidemic. Anyone that suspects their dog might have a problem should read it. Very enlightening.
 
Tagg said:
I took Tin to another barn today to see a friend's new filly. He looked at her, saw she had a soft eye and walked to the fencing to initiate contact with her. The filly put her nose down and they both spent some time sniffing each other without any sign of fear on either's part. Then he just laid down at the edge of the fence and watched while Rose, the new owner, brushed her new baby - who, by the way, has never known a brush or lead work and was in a new place. I was pretty impressed by the two of them.
For the first time I had someone incorrectly identify his breed. She thought he was a mini Aussie - his colouring I guess. I just got my copy of The Canine Thyroid Epidemic. Anyone that suspects their dog might have a problem should read it. Very enlightening.
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Wow what a glorious sight it must have been to see Tin and the philly nose to nose. I must have been asked if Gypsy was a minnie Aussie 100x's.

I just put down Dr Dodds book before coming on the forum. I love her she is a wealth of knowledge. I think all dog owners should read it.
 
Poor Tin. He got up this morning and instead of going out for a pee and getting his breakfast right away he had his pill then had to wait an hour before the food lady, that's me, got on the ball and made his breakfast. He kept nudging me with his nose and waving but his slave didn't seem to get the message! Finally, he got breakfast - you know a sheltie could starve in that hour.:mad: As I had suspected, thyroxine should be given 1 hour before or 3 hours after food - just like my hubby's dosage. Surprised Carol didn't know that as she knows Jean Dodds. I asked her about taking it with food and she said sure, no problem. NOT!
I took him off "Recovery" which is the product I had been giving him for the limping episodes so that I can see if the thyroxine takes care of it as his levels increase and so that there is no possiblility of a drug interaction. Even though it is supposed to be a "natural" supplement, many drugs are made from "natural" sources and can create issues when combined with traditional drug therapy. Fortunately, he takes the pill like a treat - hope that continues. Being me, I am keeping a daily journal - I keep detailed records on all the animals and people I am involved with. Comes from the days of working in clinic but vets love my records, at least so they tell me. Even though I think I want to change his diet, I won't until the 6 week trial is over and we see what his next blood tests show. He's actually booked for retest in 4 weeks. Don't want to do anything that could skew the results.
 
Don't know why but Tinsel is having another bout of "I don't want to go out the door" again. GRRRRR. This has been happening for a few days now. I could understand if the door he didn't want to go through was the one to the car since he had the vet appointments but, no, it's the one to the yard. He can be pretty silly sometimes but I guess he has his reasons for this aversion. I just don't know what they are.
 
Tagg said:
Don't know why but Tinsel is having another bout of "I don't want to go out the door" again. GRRRRR. This has been happening for a few days now. I could understand if the door he didn't want to go through was the one to the car since he had the vet appointments but, no, it's the one to the yard. He can be pretty silly sometimes but I guess he has his reasons for this aversion. I just don't know what they are.
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Sorry to hear this but I know he will conquer his adversion with your loving care as he has done before.

Just a thought have you had any thunderstorms? Fireworks etc in the area. My Chandler wouldn't go out for a couple weeks after fireworks, storms had the same reaction for a day or so his last year or two.
 
That's not the door you brought the medication in through is it? They can be pretty sneaky and figure out things.

Liam has had this thing about not going out in the yard too, but it is because it has been so hot.
 
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