The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

SillyMangoX wrote:

I challenge any dog lover to become a groomer at Christmas time. exhausted isn't the word

I see your exhausted dog groomer and raise you a junior infant teacher 😂😂 do you still have people trying to book in for xmas? I've seen people's faces drop when they're told that no, the groomer does not have any available appointments this week!

I'm doing my second year as a temporary courier, I will sleep through Christmas. It's a mixture of delighted customers when their presents turn up, and absolute panic when they realise one or more haven't arrived yet. And don't get me started on how bad people are at giving directions to their own houses.

tk123 wrote:

EDIT - they’re on Holidays.

Gone away on holidays?

tk123 wrote:

Yep. Somebody takes him out for exactly 30 mins and dumps him back where he barks and howls for hours and then we think one of the neighbours lets him in after a few hours. Pouring rain here today too. ‘He doesn’t like kennels’ was one of the excuses before when we broached the subject - I was telling my friend that there was space for B&L in there brilliant home boarders they stay at when I was organising a holiday so I was ok to book flights etc etc so friend every so tactfully brought the barking etc up and it basically wasn’t up for discussion.

That's just terrible! That's not nice weather to be stuck out in and to be forgotten about like that too!!!

Oliver isn't well, off his food and sleeping a lot, although he was able to eat a small Christmas dinner of roast carrots, peas and turkey and ham, and looked for bit of turkey earlier. I'm watching him carefully and if he's not back to himself tomorrow we may need a vet visit

I think Oliver is on the road to recovery, he barked for his dinner and ate it all, only half what he'd normally have, but I was really worried, he wouldn't even go for a walk yesterday!
At least it's quiet now tk, someone got a puppy near here, heard it crying earlier, every time I went outside for 3 hours, it's freezing here.

Oliver is still not himself, but is eating a bit now, he seems to have a slight cough the last few days, and runny nose today. He didn't even beg for food since sunday (or try to steal it which is everyday normally). He did walk to the end of the road yesterday but if there's no big improvement tomorrow I think we may need to see the vet.

My dog had a tummy bug before Christmas and is still on a slow release antibiotic. His appetite is still not great and I have to coax him to eat. Does anyone have any tips to improve his appetite? He didn’t eat a scrap of turkey over Christmas, which is not like him. We might be back in the vets this week if the situation doesn’t improve. He is eating enough, but he’s not interested in food. I think he’s associating food with feeling sick, or the antibiotic has him feeling queasy.

SAAAAAAKES!!! :mad:
woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..woof x 6.. pause..

Going on HOURS >_<

Bells21 wrote: »

Maybe a phone call to the warden/ispca that you're concerned the dog is in distress and has been abandoned? I've actually recorded our neighbors one this morning as I'm taking it further can't be dealing with it anymore

We bumped into them taking him out as we were coming home...and they’ve dropped him back so another concert of barking! Is there any point in complaining if he’s being brought out twice a day and let in at night? What about the 10 or so hours in between though?

So I took him back to the vet this evening and I stayed outside as he’s calmer when I’m not in the room. They gave him another antibiotic shot and a steroid injection without my knowledge. I was a bit shocked and surprised that they didn’t discuss it first, especially as they said his temp is normal. Anyway, got him home, he showed some interest in a piece of bread and butter I was eating so I gave him a tiny piece, his only food today. He’s just thrown that back up, with a load of green bile. I’m so cross with the vet as I feel they didn’t listen to me and then justified the shot by saying he clearly still has an infection. How could they possibly know that? I reckon it’s going to be twice as hard to get him eating now. Poor little thing, he’s curled up in his bed, totally miserable. I’d be grateful for any advice to get him back on track, this cant go on much longer.

Thanks for your response Bells21, I think there is a connection to the antibiotic and now he has even more in his system!

It was meant to be a PJ chilling day today as I've had a boarding guest staying all over Christmas, so first proper day off, although with a house full of dogs, not sure a chilling day is ever possible. Batch cooked the left over ham and turkey, carbonara, strogonoff and enough curry to last the whole of 2018, poppodums will be bought in bulk. Also filled a load of sandwich bags with cut up bits of meat for training sessions.

I’ve tried everything mymo, scrambled eggs, home cooked chicken and rice, veterinary gastric food. I’m just sorry I brought I’m back to the vet as he was eating small amounts of his kibble from my hand until today. I think the antibiotics are making him sick and I’m raging that the vet injected more without asking me, because I probably wold have said no. I thought they might give him steroids to stimulate appetite. They did give him a steroid injection as well, but he’s much worse now. I’m so worried about him, he’s lying up against me all evening, occasionally shivering. I tried some Greek yoghurt a while ago, but he threw it back up shortly after. He is drinking water though, so I’m glad about that. I’ll ring the vets first thing and see what they say. It might be time for a second opinion.

I’m glad Oliver is better. I did smile when I saw that he ate a “small Christmas dinner” while feeling sick!

I might try liga tomorrow!

Choc Chip wrote: »

I was gonna suggest liga mixed into water or into chicken broth (seeing as he's drinking water now)... but thought folk would think I was mad.

I was also thinking about colostrum but don't know if it's something you'd have handy @fakediamond...

Well I might be able to get it actually as my neighbour has a dairy farm!

Fakediamond wrote: »

I’m glad Oliver is better. I did smile when I saw that he ate a “small Christmas dinner” while feeling sick!

Yes, picked at his dinner, ate half a roast carrot (he loves roast carrots) a few peas and a few scraps of turkey.
Tiffi on the other hand had turkey, ham, roast carrots, turnip and peas, with a little butternut squash soup drizzled over it, then went to finish Oliver's.
We don't give potatoes as they make Oliver vomit for some reason, always have, although a little mash seems OK, roasts, chips, new spuds all make him ill.
He barked for breakfast this morning, and tried to steal cats breakfast too. Think he's back to normal.
Hope your boy is feeling better.

Yay Toby!
Hope he continues to improve, he looks cute and comfy,
I have a soft spot for hairy dogs.

Fakediamond wrote: »

So here’s Toby this morning, nestling in with Percy Pig, his present from Santa

He’s eaten a little turkey this morning and had a mouthful of Greek yoghurt and got some of the cats wet food before I could stop him. Keeping it down so far!

Toby looks like Mr C’s doppleganger! Mr C has a really sensitive tummy, genetics we think, we always have some pumpkin purée & some Hills restorative a/d on hand as Mr C can’t eat chicken & has incredibly stinky bum burps if he eats any type of rice.

I’m glad Toby’s feeling a bit better though.

Fakediamond wrote: »

Really em_cat? My instinct told me that it was the antibiotics irritating his tummy, despite the vets protestations! Anway, she rang me at lunchtime to tell me that she thought the same and was stopping the treatment.

He’s much better now, he has grazed through the day and had a small portion of beef stew for his dinner! I’m so relieved as I didn’t know what to do next.

I just need to gradually reintroduce him to boring old kibble again, which I reckon will be challenging after all the tempting morsels he’s had in recent days!

Antibiotics can definitely upset tummies & if Toby is anything like our Mr C then I would ask the vet to test for pancreatic insufficiency.

We adopted Mr C at about 2 years old and the 1st thing I did was take out pet insurance, waited 2 weeks, ordered a CBC which included testing for pancreatic insufficiency as I was aware that Yorkies/ Norfolk terriers / Silkies and other terrier types are very prone to such.

Turned out I was right. Now we can only feed a vet prescribed diet which is fortunately also covered by his insurance, but at least I can still order online as it is very expensive. Anyway I’m glad I got the CBC as it has saved time & money on ‘ruling out’ with the help of our Vet we can manage Mr C’s pancreatic insufficiency.

Actually that’s why we keep some of the AD around, I sometimes have to slather Mr. C’s kibble with it to get him back on it.

Happy to hear Toby is feeling better.

tk123 wrote: »

Gah! A bit worried about fireworks later especially with the party in town! . I have stuffed hooves if Bailey gets very upset.

Same here, except that Mr C is so frantic we had to get him some Sileo, only giving him half doses though. The lads here let off the fireworks right in front of our place, meters away... Not looking forward to the pots banging!

My friend is looking for a crate for a ****zu, if anyone has one they'd like to pass on.

Cats are not impressed with the weather, all in bed, or hiding.
Managed to get dogs out to the woods for a while yesterday, but its quite wet today again. I was hoping for some nice long walks before going back to work

Daughter went back to college for her exams this evening so I started taking down the decorations myself, found a bounty hunter in the crib...

Any star wars fans?