JMack

I know this is an older thread but hoping for some feedback on longevity. My BC is 13 1/2, was diagnosed as in kidney failure a year ago, and has been on a diet to address that ever since (mostly homemade food). According to the vet, she shouldn't have lasted past August (2 months ago), yet seems to me to be going strong, maybe peeing a little more frequently, some mild arthritis and is mostly deaf. When she was diagnosed, the vet gave her a year (which would have been August). Her labwork improved a few months after going on the low-protein diet; again the vet said 'about a year' (which would've been this month). Indeed, from whatever moment or health condition my dog finds herself in, she apparently has a year to live. I'm not sure what I'm asking here except perhaps for anecdotal evidence about old BCs, longevity, and kidney failure. When I got the diagnosis the first time, I put into motion some significant life-change plans, including moving in a year and a half or so (and out of the country). Now I'm wondering if I (we) should plan to stay put for a few more years.

Hello All, My BC & I have just moved to the UK (southwest) for a year. Could anyone help me sort out dog food? I usually feed mostly kibble, with a little wet (canned) mixed in in the evening. Durga is a rescue dog, and I try to feed her very high quality food. She was getting a salmon sweet potato food in the US but I haven't found anything like that here. Any recommendations for food would be appreciated. Also, in the US I buy these little treats made of turkey or duck, shaped like a little cup into which you can put a pill or capsule. I can't find anything like that here. If you are in the UK and have ever seen these, could you let me know what they're called?

"It sounds now like people are arguing that the dogs are really happier when they are in pet homes. So it probably would be better for them not to work at all." I don't hear anybody saying that, either. It sounds to me as if you want to hear that people are arguing for this, because it's an easier argument to have. In fact, I think people seem to be saying to you that this is way too complicated a question to reduce to any easy yes/no argument. Strange, too, that your starting point seems to be that dogs on farms never have problems. Really?

I adopted a border collie because I had met a few when I lived in England & liked them (these were house dogs). When I returned to the states & was ready to adopt a dog, I heard that border collies ended up in rescues, shelters, etc., in very high numbers. So 'rescuing' one seemed an appropriate (& responsible) thing to do. You are strangely nostalgic, Tommy Coyote, for a past that likely didn't really exist the way you've imagined it. As others have mentioned, environments & the animals who are part of those environments (human and non-human) change according to the circumstances. My dog's problems seem to come largely not from her breed, but from her past. Because some idiot on a farm-- who also thought a border collie would be a good 'watch dog' -- bought her from a breeder & then chained her up when she began to herd the goats.

My guess is that Katz's advance on his latest book was (at least) in the mid tens of 1000s, so why he couldn't spend some of that figuring out what might have been a curable medical issue baffles me.

Yes, I've seen this, too. Recently with a pup (perhaps 4 months) who was besieged by other dogs, not unfriendly, just very aggressive play. The pup had its tail tucked and was yelping! One of the owners of the other dogs went to leash them, apologized and THE OWNER SAID: Oh, that's okay. He does that to the cats, so it's good for him. And another instance in which a young dog/ pup was being run over by a group of larger, play-aggressive dogs and kept coming to the owner and trying to hide between his legs and the owner said: It's good for him. He needs to be socialized.

There's a guy who brings his two young german shepherds to the park here & "controls" them by letting them trail their leashes. Once I picked up a stick to throw to Durga (we were perhaps 20 yards away) and one of them jumped up on me after the stick, almost knocking me down. I very nicely called out: Could you call off your dog? He laughed and said: You can't wave a stick around in front of dogs! and then went back to what he usually does in the park, leering at the young women there. What a prince. Fortunately, he's never there if the weather isn't perfect. AND he wears a really stupid hat.

In some breeds Elbow dysplasia for example does not exist or is extremely rare no matter what you do to the dog as a pup. Sorry -- still trying to understand this. Would that not mean that if you stopped "breeding" border collies strictly along "breed-specific" lines, and allowed a little genetic material from a "breed" that does not develop elbow dysplasia in, that you would reduce the likelihood /prevalence of elbow dysplasia in the dog population?

I regularly take Durga to a park at the end of our street, which is an unofficial dog park. It's a good group of (mostly) friendly dogs and (mostly) responsible owners. There are owner/dog combos, whose appearence at the park, signals for me to leash Durga and leave. The park, though, was essential in socializing her and helping her overcome her fear, especially of men. We've made a lot of friends via the park (human and dog). So, as others have said, I think it depends on the park. I do think there are many naive dog owners out there who assume that any dog wants to go play with any and all other dogs. I don't think it's laziness necessarily, just not understanding dog culture very well.

I just read this & now wonder about 2 episodes my 5 yr old had a couple of months ago. She was restless, hunched up, circling, and just ODD. The first time it happened I had been out of town. Her sitter had brought her home around 6-6:30, fed her, then left. I came home about 8:30. The oddness went on for perhaps 30 minutes. The 2nd time we were at the park. I can't remember about her food--but I don't feed her before we go out & try to wait until she's cooled down when we get back. She pooped, seemed fine for a minute or 2, then it happened again, though it wasn't as severe as the first time. Again, she was hunched up, circling, seemed to be in pain, then lay down & wouldn't get back up. A friend went & fetched my car (we just live a few blocks from the park) & by the time she returned, Durga was fine. I thought it was something orthopedic, but the vet could find nothing. It hasn't happened again. I soak Durga's kibble for 5 minutes before I give it to her. (She got rather gassy after going on prozac & this seems to help.) She does wolf it down.

Durga agrees. I read her your comment and she stretched, yawned, and looked rather smug. Then I pointed out how nice it might be not to be in charge of everything all the time. Rather exhausting, isn't it? I asked her. She has retreated (sulkily) into the next room.

What if people stopped breeding dogs? I'm no expert about genetics, but surely that would drastically reduce hip dysplasia in the dog population.

I agree that jblaylock is giving some terrible advice but it seems to me very unlikely, from Pansmom's various posts, that she would take such advice (& jblaylock seems very, very young-- maybe too young to realize how very complex these situations can be) Pansmom, If a behavioral vet seems financially out of the question right now, have you considered talking with your regular vet about going straight to medication? Clomicalm or fluoxetine seems worth a try; both are inexpensive. You (& the dog) don't seem to have much to lose at this point. While it might be ideal to get an exact diagnosis first, medication is always a bit of a crap shoot & you only know for sure if it will work is by use. Just a thought. Sorry you're dealing with this & impressed with your patience & commitment.

Flouxetine has been wonderful for my shy/reactive dog. She's been on it for a few months now. She still flings herself at the front door if anyone approaches the porch but no longer does it when, say, a leaf fall from a nearby tree. I don't think I realized just how much of a change it had wrought until I realized that she doesn't react much to mild thunder, only to full-out storms. It used to be that at the slightest rumble she'd be under the bed. You may see some stomach upset. I've ended up breaking the pill in half & giving it with food twice a day. That seemed to help (& I think Durga just got used to it).

My not-quite-5 year old seems to have developed certain signs of aging almost over night. She is still extremely active, usually the fastest dog at the park. But is rapidly getting a lot of white on her snout & face & her eyes appear to be a little cloudier. This seems to have happened within a span of a couple of months. I've looked back at photos & am pretty sure I'm not imagining this. I'll ask the vet about it when we're in for her next annual but wondered if anyone here has any thoughts on this. The only changes in her life are (1) diet food and (2) prozac.