BBB's Maddy has a collapsed trachea

Glad Maddy's getting better, BBB. I know how attached a person can get to their critters. I am to mine.

Snood
Thanks, Snood, I wanted to get the warning out to dog families about the damage collars can do. TTH has been a great help in warning groomers.

I would like to see warning notices posted in pet supply stores, hoping they would reduce the number of collars they carry.

My vet never warned me about small dog collars even though she saw them on my two dogs every time I brought them in. Why?

BBB

BumbleBeeBoogie
No need to thank me. Actually, thank you for sharing what has happened to Maddy. Unfortunately, it is the tragedies like yours that helps educate others.

It just happens that there is a big grooming seminar next month in the area I live in. I will be attending it with my friend and she will be talking with many groomers about this whole subject. Last year when we went, there were over 400 groomers who attended.

Hoping the best for you and your Maddy

Now, what do I do?
Now, what do I do?

Maddy has started refusing to swallow his two little pills. He clamps his mouth shut. I tried coating them with food. He licks off the food and spits the pills out. The rascal fools me. I think he's swallowed the pills and later I find them on the rug.

The only thing I can think of is to crush his pills and mix them in a small bit of food. I will try that this morning.

BBB

Crush and put in apple sauce or p-butter. if you have it. You need something to hide the bitter taste from an animal that has a sence of taste waaaaaaay better than ours. My dearly departed Cocker could eat around a pill in the bottom of her bowl and not even lick the color coating off, so I know what you mean.

Thanks, I will buy some peanut butter this morning and see if that works.
I have to get another week of pills down Maddy to complete the treatment.

BBB

Bailey is a gited pill-avoider. I've worked out a routine that still manages to fake him out.

Roll the pill in some cream cheese/soft cheese. Dip all of MY fingers in peanut butter (not coated, just dipped). Hold the rolled pill between two fingers. Let him start licking the fingers of the hand that doesn't have the pill, then move to the hand that has the pill. Lick, swallow, lick, lick, lick. Then I hold his muzzle shut with the first (cleanish) hand til I can be sure I've seen him swallow the pill. A bit of a project but it works.

~~~

Did your vet know that Maddy was a 'puller' before this incident came up?

The collar's not necessarily an issue unless the dog's a puller. Bailey was, and can still be on occasion. We've got harnesses for both dogs as back-ups (and to use in the car to attach to the seatbelts), but my preference is on the training side - as a dog that pulls needs training to work around dominance concerns in general.

ehBeth, I wish we had a tape of your pill taking routine with Bailey.

Yes, Maddy is a "puller" on the leash. It's my fault because, in my old and disabled age, it's hard for me to control him because I can't walk as fast as Maddy. That's why I got small dogs. It became worse when I got Dolly. The two of them are attached to the leash by a double extender. Dolly had to learn to keep pace with Maddy because he is bigger and stronger than she is. Dolly goes wherever Maddy wants to go. I'm not able to take them for walks anymore and only use the leash device to control them when I've driven to a destination to which they must go---like the vet, the groomer, or the pet store. Like you, I also use the extender in connection with their doggie seat belts in the front seat of my car.

Sadly, I learned what I should have done too late to protect Maddy from injury. I'm heart broken that I didn't know about causing trachea damage on small dogs. I hate that I was ignorant and harmed my beloved dog.

BBB

Maddy can be trained to be a better-behaved dog. He should not be pulling Dolly around by way of the extender - that is also a display of dominance behaviour.

The extender is really not a good idea unless you've got both dogs well-trained - Maddy cannot be pulling Dolly around - that is VERY bad.

For the benefit of the dogs, you need to do the training.

I've been at dog camp with people doing their training work from wheelchairs. I've got a neighbour who's considerably older than you who's done the dog training work.

You need to do it - for Maddy and Dolly. They're small dogs, with long lives ahead of them. They need to have discipline, and to understand that you are in charge. Without that discipline and understanding that BBB is the alpha, there are going to be escape efforts and pulling and other bad behaviours that could lessen their natural life spans.

ehBeth
ehBeth, I agree with everything you said. In the past, I tried to find a dog trainer that would come to my home, but it was expensive. Now I wish I had spent the money to protect Maddy's health.

Strangely, Dolly bosses Maddy around in the house and in the back yard all of the time. He is not dominant, except on the leash outside and it is not an aggressive dominance. I always thought it was because I cannot keep up with his pace.

Both of my dogs know I'm boss---in the house. they can read my mind and mood. Funny how sometimes if I'm scolding Dolly for something she's done, Maddy will utter a soft low growl telling me to stop picking on his baby sister. It makes me giggle. He knows it will work every time.

BBB

Re: ehBeth


Not so funny when it's recognized as a dominance move - and the dogs win.

I know you love the little dogs, BBB, just as I love my little dogs. You really need to work on this (maybe you could get the Dog Whisperer to drop by - I wonder if butrflynet could nominate you and your pack?)

They're looking for packs in L.A. and Portland, OR right now.

In the meantime, http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/tips/basics_glossary.php#eda

and ask your library to bring in his books and DVD's. They're quite helpful.

I watch the Dog Whisperer all of the time. Ceasar is so smart about dogs.

BBB

I found his book very helpful when we added Cleo to the pack.

Consistency, exercise and discipline. They work - and then we can be affectionate with the dogs.

A better dog groomer work station design
I looked through 6 pages of grooming work stations and all of them had the usual pole and noose collar for dogs. On the last page, I found a better station design that might lessen trachea damage:

http://www.groomers.com/largeimage.asp?ID=60972

Maddy back at the vet in severe pain
Yesterday morning, Friday, Dolly and Maddy were playing in the house, running around, when Maddy suddenly yelped. I watched him and he seemed OK. About two hours later, Maddy yelped several times and I called the vet and got an appointment for 1-1/2 hours later. Maddy let me put his harness for his leash on him. I had to help him get into the car and out of the car when we arrived. On his way in, Maddy peed standing without lifting his leg. Inside, I had to help him as he was trembling in fear. The vet came out and felt his legs, including hips, and didn't find anything broken. Took him to the exam room and she did some more feeling, still didn't find anything. She said she thought the injury was to the soft tissue, not the bone. She weighed Maddy to see what strength of pain meds he could take. She got a small can of dog food and gave him 2/3 of the pill by coating it with the food. He swallowed it OK. She said she didn't want to run up a big bill by x-raying Maddy at this time if it is just a muscle strain and wants to wait 2 or 3 days to see if he gets better. If not, she will x-ray him. She thinks the injury is in his back, muscle or spine, can't tell which at this time.

Last night, I drove to the store to buy a turkey baster so I could force water in his mouth as he is refusing food and water. I was worried about dehydration. I got a little water down him. Before I went to bed, I got him to eat 2 small dog biscuits and a little drink of water. Maddy gets in one spot, standing, sitting, lying down and doesn't move no matter what is happening in the house. If I tell him names of people he loves, he appears excited, but doesn't move. If I didn't see him walk a little, I would think he's paralyzed in his legs, but he isn't.

Maddy is in a lot of severe pain. When I woke up this morning, he was trembling with pain. I got his pain pill and 2 small dog biscuits down him but he refused to drink water. In about 1/2 hour, he stopped trembling. He sat in the spot for over 1/2 hour without moving. Finally, I got him to walk to the front office where he can sit-lay on his window ledge and see outside and be with me as I type this e-mail.

Dolly keeps trying to play with Maddy. I have to keep her away from him and she doesn't understand. I hope it's just a muscle strain and not a spinal injury. My poor sweet Maddy, I hate seeing him hurt so bad. I will do the best I can to get him well.

BBB

Poor Maddy. Do you have any unsweetened applesauce in the house? He'll need some fluids to help the medication disperse.

Applesauce sometimes works for my two dogs - or rice thinned with unsalted broth - it tempts them when water doesn't.

Good suggestion. Thanks ehBeth.

BBB

Poor little guy! Besides applesauce, how about low-sodium chicken broth?

littlek


Thanks for another good suggestion. I have some and will try it.

I just used the turkey baster again and he didn't get much water.

BBB