getthegat

So a really great physio called Scot came and spent an hour with Soph, then after having access to her notes and x-rays, it turns out that she had a double trauma when only a few months old, breaking either some small bones or tendons in both front paws. She was almost certainly left in that condition, unable to walk for at least 2 days, then weeks or months later was when she was picked up by Dog Trust. The particles in her paws have calcified, creating arthritis and over the years she has been off loading the weight, creating issues in the elbows and shoulders and now the rear hips. She is now on a semi retired limited exercise scheme (very tough for her and me) plus reduced food to keep weight down, massage and ice packs and heat pads on the joints. Going forward, I have an appointment with my vet next Friday, with the possibility of an MRI full body scan to see the extent of the arthritis and make an informed decision on the loose pieces in her front paws, as to whether surgical removal will be beneficial.

So a physio came to our house today and spent an hour with Soph. He was very good and so was Soph, letting him examine and massage her. We have to attempt to ice pack her elbows, gently stretch out her limbs and muscles, take a video of her when the limp is there, because of course today she was fine and see if the limp improves in the next few days, then he's going to come back for another one hour session at the end of the week. In the meantime he is going to contact my vet and get copies of her x-rays and reports.

Blimey "oldun" that's makes for excellent reading and amateur veterinary practice, I'll be donning my white coat this evening and doing a thorough inspection. Cheers

Many thanks "oldun" I wouldn't give any drugs without checking it out thoroughly first. She's so special to us, maybe I'm over reacting a little but after being dumped on the streets of Ireland as a pup, she deserves the best life possible.

That's all very useful information and gives other avenues to explore. Many thanks all, and agriv8, no she does do any of the things you asked about.

Sorry, at points she will literally stop and sit or lie down and not want to carry on, very unlike her She has it every day and has done since we got her and she has a bit of olive oil on her meal in the evening. Been trying CBD oil this last month, not sure if it's helping, not significant for sure.

I'm in a quandary concerning my dogs intermittent limping issue. She is a 5 year old lab/German short-haired Pointer, a rescue from Ireland. She loves running, is always on the go, but almost since we got her at around 7 months old, she has has intermittent limping from the front legs. She's had x-ray and scans done with the only anomaly being a bit of arthritis between 2 toes on the left paw. At times she has gone for months with no problem, but recently it has persisted and my vets has informed me that Loxicom and Metacam pain relief, has side effects that are bad for liver and kidneys. The alternative is a monthly injection, for the rest of her life, but to be honest I can't afford to go down that route. Obviously I don't want her to suffer and with the barley ripening and beans coming on, her pigeon retrieval skills will soon be needed, but have I explored all options, could it be that it's a bicep muscle thing, which needs time to heal or is it the arthritis, even though she favours the right leg and the arthritis is in her left paw. I don't know what to do for the best.

Blimey that's good. At the moment it's between Amorak and Xdrive BMW X1, chalk and cheese I know. Could all Chang again tomorrow

Very tempted. Big off road tyres etc 😀 Cool. Thanks. I do like them. Is the 2 litre OK or are the V6s the only way to go?

Hi all you part time off roaders. The last few years have been more than a bit tough for me, consequently I'm looking at down sizing my business and going it alone, which leaves me needing to sell two of my 4 vehicles (not enough space and too much being spent on insurance)and trying to get a "daily " that is about the internal size of my E46 estate, with some modern comforts, pretty good fuel economy, as my work commute is about 8 miles each way at uneconomic speeds, and I would like it to cope with pigeon shooting trips across the fields. I've toyed with a VW Amorak, but too big, too thirsty, to expensive. I've thought about Subaru Forester, but know nothing about them, not a fan of "Landies" and I have between 5 to 10K to spend. By the way, in case you're wondering, the 2 cars I'm keeping are classic 60s VW Beetles. Cheers for any recommendations

All excellent advice everybody. Really appreciated it. 🙂

It never occurred to me to not be upfront and honest, I just couldn't imagine not being able to shoot any more, I've done it for nearly 60 years in one form or another, in fact it's what has helped me the most to cope with things these last few years, being out in the field with my dog is the best escape from the stresses and strains of modern life. My doctor is really good, gives me time and listens, with follower ups. Personally, after getting over the macho man thing of not needing pills, I'm really glad I was given the opportunity to start sorting things out, it's not a drug to zonk you out, more a tool to help for when stuff gets a bit much. Perhaps if more people gave it a try....

Done exactly that, thought not so high a dose. It's the first time she's shown any allergic reaction to anything and I was wondering if it was because it was a soaking wet day, Soph got drenched and was licking herself all the way home.

Hi guys, just wondering how you have all got on with renewing your shotgun certificates, as since I did my last one there is a need for a doctor's report and I'm worried about the different criteria. For the last couple of years I've been on mild antidepressants to help me deal with certain issues. Has anyone been refused a renewal for any of the reasons on the form?

Uh right! Yes that is scary stuff. Looks like OSR is off the shooting list for a while then. Hopefully it wont be such a problem when ripe for harvesting and nice and dry, or when harvested.