How I Killed Mitzi!
In 1999 we had another Jack Russel, Mitzi. A lovely little mate she was too. She died when she was but 1 year old!
One day I noticed she was drooling a lot and that she wasn’t passing any faeces. This went on for a few days so a visit to the vet was called for. We were in France at the time so language was, to a certain extent, a problem.
The first vet we visited was just about to leave to go on holiday and obviously wasn’t all that interested. Instructions were to stick some soap in Mitzi’s bottom and that should sort it. It didn’t. We then visited another vet who made an x-ray and discovered that Mitzi’s intestines were blocked and the blockage couldn’t pass through her hips. An operation was called for. The vet confirmed the diagnosis by sticking his finger up Mitzi’s backside whereupon she turned on him. He’d obviously hurt her. I realised later that when he did that he’d most probably damaged her gut, that’s what killed her.
The next day we returned but little Mitzi had died from a ruptured gut in the night. If only we’d gone to the vet we now use maybe she’d be alive today but we didn’t. I stroked her little body, already cold and stiff, and realised I’d let her down. We were devastated. Something I’d given her had caused the blockage so learn from my mistake.
I’d got a marrow bone for Mitzi and “parboiled” it, therein lies the problem. When Mitzi, with much enthousiasm ate the bone it crumbled and those crumbs then got together in her gut to form a block of, for want of a better word, “cement”.
Daisy is Mitzi’s half sister and she never gets bones of any sort.
Beware!
Daisy has cancer!
A few weeks ago I discovered a couple of large lumps on my Jackie’s tummy. It gave me quite a shock.
A visit to the vet confirmed our fears, Daisy had cancer. Luckily x-rays showed that the cancer hadn’t spread so an operation was needed.
Because Jackies are small the operation had to be carried out in two steps. First the righthand side and several weeks later, December the 7th, the left side. Thank goodness it’s all behind us now and Daisy is the bossy little bitch we know and love.
Dogs love having their tummy scratched and stroked and at the same time you can check to make sure that they’re ok. So do it regularly.
Daisy after the operation.
Has your dog got worms?
I found an interesting article on worms in your dog. The first paragraph got my attention.
Of all the parasites a dog can catch, worms take home first prize for Most Disgusting. Nobody wants to imagine little worms crawling around in their dog’s digestive system, but it’s a fairly common ailment that’s easily passed from dog to dog. So if he does happen to contract them, tell your furry fella not to feel ashamed of his worms! They’re easily prevented and controlled with medication that your vet routinely prescribes to hundreds of pooches just like him.
This is an extremely useful read and should be read by all dog owners. You can read it at this page. Make sure your dogs “clean!”
The dangers of dog faeces for our children!
If people don’t clean up after their dog they are causing a potentially dangerous situation. Even the “bag-in-hand” solution doesn’t leave a clean ground behind. Danger for your kids via their football, their toys, their curiosity; beware!
Here is an extract from the site http://kidshealth.org
Toxocariasis is an illness that is caused by Toxocara worms that can live in the intestines of dogs and cats. The eggs from the worms are passed to humans through the feces of dogs and cats. People who do not wash their hands frequently may accidentally eat the tiny eggs of these worms, which then hatch and develop in the digestive system. Babies and younger children who often put things in their mouths are particularly at risk of getting toxocariasis.
Published on: Nov 15, 2009 @ 15:20