[AuroraDizon]

=( have you tried making him "people" food? Cook up some chicken and rice there are recipes around the internet, he may take more to it. (Sorry apparently I didn't read your whole post) I would be so heartbroken if my dog was ill =(

[coastie65]

I cut up a slice of Bob Evans Ham and put a half cup of pedigree in his bowl I mixed in the diced ham and he cleaned it all up expect for maybe a tablespoon. As long as I can get food in him, maybe he'll shake off whatever ails him. I know his ear is infected and am working on that.

[AuroraDizon]

I hope your buddy gets better.

[Adama]

Awww... I'm sorry to hear Andy's having some problems, Coastie.

I hope the Doc can help fix him up real quick.

[coastie65]

Thanks. I don't know how things are going to go. It doesn't look real good, although I was able to get him to eat tonight. I took a piece of Bob Evans Sliced ham and diced it up. I mixed it in with a half cup or so of his dry Pedigree Food. He pretty much cleaned it up. Only left a small spoonful.

[rgreen4]

Sometimes you have to entice them to eat. For a while last week Princess seemed to lose her appetite. I started mixing a small amount from a plastic bag the breeder gave me for the trip south (I also had a bag of Benefil so had some of the original left). She started gobbling up again. Right now she wants her Benefil mixed with warm tap water and served right away, so there is still a lot of liquid. When it gets soggy she doesn't eat as much. Of course right now she's eating about 8 cups a day. Two + cups a feeding 4 times a day. If she ate it all it would be more like 9. I want to feed her as much as she'll eat, so when she gobbles it all up, I add a bit more the next time.

[smax013]

Coastie,

Sorry to hear about Andy. Hope he is feeling better soon!

My new "boy", Buddy, is a handful, but is starting to settle down. He seems to like chewing holes in the carpet and also has gotten a hold of my dad's TV remotes a couple of times. And while I have been dealing with some medical stuff, my dad's has been dealing with him...and Buddy has gotten tall enough to now be about to reach up on my dad's desk and get stuff. Thus, when Buddy is feeling ignored and a little frisky, he will go grab something off my dad's desk. And it is kind of funny when he goes into "spaz" mode...he will start tearing around in big circles either in the house or in the yard if we let him out in that "mode".

He is a cute little bugger and he definitely missed me while I was in the hospital this past several days. And he is kind of bummed that I cannot play with him while my incision is healing...in fact, we are keeping he away from me...I only go pet him when he is in the pen. It would NOT be good for him to jump on me right now.

[coastie65]

Hey smax, Andy went through the Remote stage as a Puppy. I lost count of the number of those things he wasted. He even got smart enough to sneak them out the sliding door to the deck and would lay in the back yard chewing them up. Didn't have a screen and the door would be partially open so he could come and go as he pleased. When Andy thought he was going to get to go out front on his tether, he would get all excited and spin in a tight circle. Hopefully we can get a handle on the problem and correct it.

[rgreen4]

Welcome back Smax. When my youngest Schnauzer was about 2 and still in that grab the remote stage, he got the remote to my Truck. Now he got it in a strange way. My next door neighbor used to be a mechanic, and I would just give him my keys when I needed service. He would change the oil, etc. and then park the truck back where I had left it in my yard. This time he was going to be gone on vacation, so he left the key on the armrest. When I got home it was dark and when I opened the door could not find it, even using a flashlight. I went to my spare set for about a week, and about that time the Schauzer's got out and of course were running around having a good time. I got them back in the yard, and all of a sudden the lights on my truck started flashing and the horn honking.

Jiggs, had seen my remote, apparently on the ground, when he was coming back and had started to chew on it. The teeth marks on the panic button were a constant reminder of the incident.

Last night I was talking to my good friends in Texas who for years raised Schnauzers, and at present have on one (spayed) female, about the difference in habits in Schnauzers and Dobies. We were laughing when she started talking about her Sassie and how when she goes out to make a deposit she circles and circles and circles until the finds just the right spot. When the really has to go bad, the circles become frantic. Mine do the same. The Dobies on the other hand browse around to find the right spot, the as they take the position, back up about a foot and then deposit.

They even walk differently. My oldest Schnauzer Heidi does not walk like a Schnauzer but like a Dobe, because when she was a puppy, she was the only Schnauzer amonst 3 Dobes at the time, but she's too small to ever get into the trotting lope the Dobies seem to like. If Red were a little taller, I could probably hitch a sulky to him and take him to a track.

[coastie65]

Just thought I'd update on Andy. It doesn't look good and I'm afraid his time with us is short. He has completely quit eating and if you try to entice him he acts like he is going to be sick. He is pretty weak, but can still negotiate the steps up on the deck, but with a small amount of effort. It is hard to think that he is starving himself to death, but that is about what it amounts to, so I guess a decision will have to be made at some point. The Vet is due out tomorrow to have a look at him.He did eat a couple of his "Healthy" all organic cookies this morning.

[smax013]

I will hope that you are proven wrong and the vet works a "miracle", but it sounds like I wishing hard for something that may not be.

BTW, I don't recall if I relayed Buddy's recent adventure or not...forgive me if I am repeating myself...I am starting to have more and more "senior moments".

Tuesday afternoon/evening I am sitting in my bedroom at my folks' chillin' as part of my recovery from surgery and I hear Buddy in the other room just start yepping up a storm. When I first hear it, I figure he "zigged" when one of my parents "zagged" and got slightly stepped (he does that...he is a fast, slippery little bugger at times), but the yepping did not stop. It went on what seemed like FOREVER (maybe minute total). So, I got up (slowly...I do have a nice incision slowing me down) and went out to see what was happening. A couple minutes later, my mom had Buddy wrangled and he was no longer yepping, but was shaking and looking mighty wild eyed. It turned out he had somehow be zapped by a live wire, but we did not fully understand how because he had been under the leg of the foldout LazyBoy couch...no where near a wire that he could have chewed.

Well, it took us a while, but we eventually surmised what it was. Turned out the wire to one of the lamps next to the couch had worked its way under the couch and had been "pulled" into the entire metal frame work of the couch. Since it is a "working" framework (the framework does the reclining and leg rest action), it apparently had frayed and eventually pulled the wire apart. And the bare live wire was left in the framework on the metal of the couch, essentially electrifying that metal framework when the light switch was on. It appears that Buddy was under a leg rest, touching the metal, when my mom flipped on the light switch to turn on a light and he got the shock of his life (and the light blew).

Fortunately, it appears it was merely a "shock" to him and did him no ultimate harm. But, it sure freaked the crap out of us...and him. It took him about an hour or two to kind of settle back down to his normal self. But, he appears to be fine now. And we have, of course, pinned up the wires so it cannot happen again.

[coastie65]

Hey smax, Just have to wait and see what the Vet has to say I guess. It is heart breaking to see him like he is. You pet him and he'll look up at you with a look that seems to say, it's Ok. He would be 8 in June. What ever it is, it came in a hurry. When the Vet was here about a month or so ago and he got his nails cut, she had a guy with her to hold him. He got pretty rough with Andy, and I think he may have suffered some internal injuries, as he pretty much quite eating shortly after that. I don't know why she just didn't sedate him some as he wouldn't have put up that much of a tussle. Actually, I usually give hima chill pill before I cut his nails. My Mom can sit there and hold him while I cut them and he doesn't act up all that much. Mostly trying to pull his foot away. Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed. Kinda hasn't done much for my appetite either nor sleeping. My Mom seems to be OK so far although I was the one who took him for walks and the one he looks for when I get out of sight. When I go out to get the mail, he will stand at the door and watch and when I'm doing yard work, he seems to think he is the yard boss, as he is always checking things. I get my coffee in the morning, he will sit in the kitchen door and patiently wait for his treat, that he usually gets, as it became a ritual of sorts. It has been awhile since he has done that or sit at the door while I get the mail. One of his big pleasures is when UPS or FEDEX delivers something. He has to sniff that package out thoroughly, so I just put it on the floor and let him have at it. I didn't do that with the monitor I just got as he just stayed on his bed, as he did yesterday when Pizza Hut showed up. That is usually a mess as he usually rushes the door when the doorbell rings and I have to fight him to get out. :D . Anyway, he looks comfortable on his bed and not really in any distress, just that all his weight is gone now. As far as i know he is still drinking water although maybe not as much.

[Adama]

I'm sorry you've been having health problems, Smax. I hope you feel better soon.

[Adama]

Oooh Coastie, I'm sorry that Andy's been having so many problems. I'm still hoping that he will pull through.

[coastie65]

Hi All, Got a call from the VET a little while ago. The blood tests show that Andy's kidneys have failed. The ear infection although treatable, has spread due to the fact that the kidneys are of no help to remove the stuff. The bottom line is that at some point he will have to be put down. When that time comes, the VET has agreed to come pick him up and take him to her office to do it. coastie

[Tech4me]

Hi Coastie. I'm so sorry for Andy has to leave you ....I'm 100% sure He'll be in the Good hands .

Now...Your job is done YET ........ alot of them are waiting for you at the pound ...Help another one ....You'll feel better and thats what I thinhk Andy wants you to do.

Cheer up Buddy.

[rgreen4]

My condolences my friend. My first male Dobie, Hans, died of kidney failure when he was 11 1/2. He had gotten weak and at one point could not get up on a low rear deck at the back of the house. My vet put him on IV's to see if it was a correctable condition or not and with the added boost from the IV perked up for a while. I was checking on him daily, and the next day he seemed improved, but the vet warned that if the kidneys had indeed failed, he was go back downhill. I was to call the vet at noon on the second day to make the decision. The vet called me at 11:30 to inform me that Hans had passed away. One advantage of living in the country, is that he is buried out back.

[coastie65]

Hey rg, Around here it is prettymuch cremation as there is a County ordinance against buring pets in your back yard. I know of several neighbors that have ( former next door neighbors for one and they have buried several back there ). Bear was cremated and his ashes put in an urn. My mother said she wanted them placed with her when her time came. I supect Andy will be with them as well. The infection has gotten into his eyes and I supect is system wide. My sister was by a little bit ago and he got up and greeted her at the door with tail wagging, probably expecting my nephew as well, as my nephew is "HIS BOY". This was Bear:

Both Bear and Andy were Shar Pei's. We got Andy when he was 6 weeks old, some 5 months after the loss of Bear. As long as Andy is comfortable, he will be around. Once he stops taking any food or water all together than a decision will have to be made. The IV's are a temp fix, but in some cases, hopfully they will help to remove the toxins from the system and maybe some improvement. I just found out that they do do transplants, but they are usually only temporary and rather expensive. Don't have a clue as to what brought it on, unless he has had a long term infection that was never caught. Those things can tax the kidneys to the point of failure as well. coastie

[smax013]

Sorry to hear about Andy. That is a definite bummer. I was hoping for the best.

I ultimately lost Max to kidney failure.

[coastie65]

Hey smax, According to the Vet, the Bun& Creatine readings and the rest were off the charts and there was nothing that could be done and that he wouldn't improve. He'll be with us this weekend, but depending on how much water and food he takes in will determine if the Vet is called Monday. It will be a day to day thing, but he won't suffer anymoe than he probably already has.