(User Above) wrote: :
:0)
Maureen
Sammie
Links: Sammie's Page! *LINK*
Oh, Maureen
How could they even think of putting that dog down?! I am so glad you found her.
> Sam was so full of stool the vet had to manually disimpact her bowel. Once she was cleaned out, her urine flowed out of her like a waterfall.
I am so glad to see you say this, it verifies what I've always thought. I've always said it is much easier to express my dog's bladder when she is not constipated.
The pictures are sweet, and that is such a happy story.
Do you have her on lactulose (think I mentioned that before). My dog simply builds up stool and more stool if we don't keep her moving. I've tried several things, but the lactulose twice a week keeps her stools small and passing.
I do not know if you are able to notice this or not, but I think I remember you are expressing her to keep the dribbling down and the skin healthy? Something I have learned is that if my dog has a ***small bladder*** for a couple of days it means she is getting constipated. I can feel the small bladder before I can feel a full colon. Then I know it's time for lactulose, so we can prevent constipation before it starts. My dog always licks it out of the dish like a treat, she likes it.
> Sam was so full of stool the vet had to manually disimpact her bowel. Once she was cleaned out, her urine flowed out of her like a waterfall.
I am so glad to see you say this, it verifies what I've always thought. I've always said it is much easier to express my dog's bladder when she is not constipated.
The pictures are sweet, and that is such a happy story.
Do you have her on lactulose (think I mentioned that before). My dog simply builds up stool and more stool if we don't keep her moving. I've tried several things, but the lactulose twice a week keeps her stools small and passing.
I do not know if you are able to notice this or not, but I think I remember you are expressing her to keep the dribbling down and the skin healthy? Something I have learned is that if my dog has a ***small bladder*** for a couple of days it means she is getting constipated. I can feel the small bladder before I can feel a full colon. Then I know it's time for lactulose, so we can prevent constipation before it starts. My dog always licks it out of the dish like a treat, she likes it.
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Miller's Mom
Re: Links: Sammie's Page!
Sammie won the lottery when she came to your house. Bless you for being her guardian angel.
Re: Oh, Maureen
Hi! Isn't she the cutest? Thanks to everyone for your compliments. Sam gives you kisses!
Sam isn't ever really constipated, most of the time her stool is very soft and pasty. When she has the slightly harder stools is when it's easiest to get the stool out of her. She does not actually poop on her own, the stool just kind of plops out.
Lactulose for humans is disgusting! I am a nurse and patients tell me how bad it tastes all the time! Just the smell of it is bad! I'll have to ask the vet about it when Sam gets spayed. She is now in heat, the rescue has never offered to even spay her. They want to wait and see if acupuncture helps first. ;0(
Maureen
Sam isn't ever really constipated, most of the time her stool is very soft and pasty. When she has the slightly harder stools is when it's easiest to get the stool out of her. She does not actually poop on her own, the stool just kind of plops out.
Lactulose for humans is disgusting! I am a nurse and patients tell me how bad it tastes all the time! Just the smell of it is bad! I'll have to ask the vet about it when Sam gets spayed. She is now in heat, the rescue has never offered to even spay her. They want to wait and see if acupuncture helps first. ;0(
Maureen
Re: Oh, Maureen *LINK*
Hi Maureen,
That's odd about the lactulose. My vet has two kinds, yellow and green. The yellow stuff smells like cake mix and is banana flavored. I don't remember what the green stuff tastes like but my dog likes it, too. She is a chihuahua and only gets a dime-sized spot of it to lick up, but she's always happy to clean her dish. You have to be careful with it, it takes less than the recommended dosage for my dog. I measure it with a little tuberculin syringe. She gets .4 cc. I guess dogs like all sorts of things humans object to including excrement and roadkill. We tried canned pumpkin to regulate her and she didn't like that. She ate it the first time, then was not interested afterward.
Below I am putting a link to an article on bowel and bladder management, can't remember if I've given it to you before. It gives instructions for triggering the evacuation reflex. It doesn't seem to work with my dog, but there is someone on this message board who uses the technique with her dog every day.
I am not sure how you are cleaning your dog out. Since my dog has firm stools, I squeeze the soft tissue surrounding the anus and grip whatever stool is in the rectum through the skin, break it, and squeeze it out. All of this is done from the outside, no latex gloves required. I hold my dog in a ragdoll position so she has the benefit of gravity. Usually if I remove one piece of stool, more will come down into position. Sometimes if she has enough in her colon, she can evacuate it herself if I start it so the leading end of the stool holds the sphincter open for her to push. During those times when she is pushing she does have a squatting reflex, but not when I am pinching out one section of stool at a time for her.
CLICK HERE bowel management
That's odd about the lactulose. My vet has two kinds, yellow and green. The yellow stuff smells like cake mix and is banana flavored. I don't remember what the green stuff tastes like but my dog likes it, too. She is a chihuahua and only gets a dime-sized spot of it to lick up, but she's always happy to clean her dish. You have to be careful with it, it takes less than the recommended dosage for my dog. I measure it with a little tuberculin syringe. She gets .4 cc. I guess dogs like all sorts of things humans object to including excrement and roadkill. We tried canned pumpkin to regulate her and she didn't like that. She ate it the first time, then was not interested afterward.
Below I am putting a link to an article on bowel and bladder management, can't remember if I've given it to you before. It gives instructions for triggering the evacuation reflex. It doesn't seem to work with my dog, but there is someone on this message board who uses the technique with her dog every day.
I am not sure how you are cleaning your dog out. Since my dog has firm stools, I squeeze the soft tissue surrounding the anus and grip whatever stool is in the rectum through the skin, break it, and squeeze it out. All of this is done from the outside, no latex gloves required. I hold my dog in a ragdoll position so she has the benefit of gravity. Usually if I remove one piece of stool, more will come down into position. Sometimes if she has enough in her colon, she can evacuate it herself if I start it so the leading end of the stool holds the sphincter open for her to push. During those times when she is pushing she does have a squatting reflex, but not when I am pinching out one section of stool at a time for her.
CLICK HERE bowel management
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Connie (Dukie's Mom)
Re: Links: Sammie's Page!
God Bless you and your beautiful family. The world needs more people like you for more pups like Sammie. She is adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Tinker's Mom
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 7:52 pm
- Contact:
Re: Links: Sammie's Page!
I defy anyone to look at your pictures on Sammie's page and not break into a big grin. Maureen, what a wonderful person you are and what an uplifting, happy story. Too many people involved in rescue just don't "get it". They have good intentions but are unwilling to go the extra distance for dogs with special needs who are wonderful, loving animals. I foresee a long, happy life with your family and your new "forever foster". Thanks for sharing your good news.
Tinker's Mom (mom to 2 beagles)
Tinker's Mom (mom to 2 beagles)
Re: Oh, Maureen
Hi Carol, thanks for the link! I have tried the method in the article for "de-pooping" Sam, it just doesn't work. I have to put my finger up in her rectum to get the stool out. She really doesn't mind it and I think it is very effective with getting everything out.
The lactulose for people is brownish in color, we usually mix it with OJ and ice to make it more palatable.
Today Sam was barking at the neighbor's dog, we had just gotten her outside and she saw him on their deck. She started barking and a piece of poop came flying out of her. It was actually pretty comical, the kids were cracking up laughing. The neighbors probably think we are nuts!
I did buy some of the Piddle Pants for Sam, I haven't gotten them yet though. Her diaper stayed on while I was at work today, I was so glad to see that when I got home!
Maureen
The lactulose for people is brownish in color, we usually mix it with OJ and ice to make it more palatable.
Today Sam was barking at the neighbor's dog, we had just gotten her outside and she saw him on their deck. She started barking and a piece of poop came flying out of her. It was actually pretty comical, the kids were cracking up laughing. The neighbors probably think we are nuts!
I did buy some of the Piddle Pants for Sam, I haven't gotten them yet though. Her diaper stayed on while I was at work today, I was so glad to see that when I got home!
Maureen
Re: Links: Sammie's Page!
She is just too sweet of a dog. I adore her,she has the most soulful brown eyes. She is wonderful with the kids. She plays with our 2 dogs like she has known them forever. She fits in here so well!
I love that Beagle baying of hers too. Once I had her out at 4AM before I was going to work, she caught a scent and was pulling me through the yard. I had to take her back inside, she was over the top vocal! She does have the Beagle food snatching skills down very well. She is getting better with taking food from our hands, I am not looking to see if my fingers are still attached after she takes food from me!
We are going to try acupuncture with her and see if that helps. Since she isn't completely paralyzed there may be hope for her yet. I think we would still keep her if she recovers.
Maureen
I love that Beagle baying of hers too. Once I had her out at 4AM before I was going to work, she caught a scent and was pulling me through the yard. I had to take her back inside, she was over the top vocal! She does have the Beagle food snatching skills down very well. She is getting better with taking food from our hands, I am not looking to see if my fingers are still attached after she takes food from me!
We are going to try acupuncture with her and see if that helps. Since she isn't completely paralyzed there may be hope for her yet. I think we would still keep her if she recovers.
Maureen
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Tinker's Mom
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 7:52 pm
- Contact:
Re: Links: Sammie's Page!
Maureen-
You're preaching to the choir
...Beagles are sweet and funny. It's wonderful how she's fit right in with your family and pets- like it was meant to be. And it sounds like you are doing very well with establishing a routine with her and her care.
Regarding food- if she's taking things from your hands roughly, one exercise that may help is to feed her kibble 1 piece at a time from your hands for her meals the next couple of wks and see if she gets more precise/less grabby. If she lunges forward, withhold the piece and she'll get the message. This will also slow down the speed of her eating- if she's like my guys they practically inhale food. (Also, I don't know what the breeds are of your other dogs, but Beagles should not be free fed. And, if you free feed your other dogs she'll probably go after theirs.)
Acupuncture couldn't hurt to try. In addition to hydrotherapy, we've been taking Tinker for acupuncture weekly for the past 3 months and have seen great improvement. (He ruptured a disk and had surgery at the end of Feb. and we started hydrotherapy and acupuncture 4 wks. later).
If you'd like to chat more feel free to contact me at: njbeags@yahoo.com.
-Tinker's Mom
You're preaching to the choir
...Beagles are sweet and funny. It's wonderful how she's fit right in with your family and pets- like it was meant to be. And it sounds like you are doing very well with establishing a routine with her and her care.Regarding food- if she's taking things from your hands roughly, one exercise that may help is to feed her kibble 1 piece at a time from your hands for her meals the next couple of wks and see if she gets more precise/less grabby. If she lunges forward, withhold the piece and she'll get the message. This will also slow down the speed of her eating- if she's like my guys they practically inhale food. (Also, I don't know what the breeds are of your other dogs, but Beagles should not be free fed. And, if you free feed your other dogs she'll probably go after theirs.)
Acupuncture couldn't hurt to try. In addition to hydrotherapy, we've been taking Tinker for acupuncture weekly for the past 3 months and have seen great improvement. (He ruptured a disk and had surgery at the end of Feb. and we started hydrotherapy and acupuncture 4 wks. later).
If you'd like to chat more feel free to contact me at: njbeags@yahoo.com.
-Tinker's Mom