Oh Dear, sob stories

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Mikechappers

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My Springer Spaniel Harvey had a 2 minute bout of coughing last night which is unusual for him, another two minute bout a couple of hours ago, so
thought I would Google Springer Spaniel coughing, dear god I swear that within ten minutes I had tears in my eyes, it taught me two things, one
that there are a lot of dog lovers in this world and two if you have any concerns its better to go to the vet than to read of others problems with
their dogs, the stories I read were heart breaking, never again, Im far to soft, so we will see if he has any more bouts tonight if so we will off to the vets tomorrow.

Here he is, my pride and joy, he will be ten yrs old soon, I got him when he was 20 months old after being badly abused and I really mean badly. it took yrs before he would trust me not to hurt him.


Harvey by Mike Chaps, on Flickr
 
Rescues make the best companions.
I hope he's ok.
 
camerassassin said:
What a lovely boy - and he knows it :)
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Thanks, that was not long after I first got him, he is on a long lead because the little b****r is rabbit mad an would disappear for hours
chasing them then be afraid to come back, he would never be far away, he would bury himself in the brambles afraid to come out as the previous own use to beat him when he got him back for running off, shame the f****r did not think of training him first.

I cannot fault him , he still chases rabbits, but his recall is perfect now.
 
viv1969 said:
Rescues make the best companions.
I hope he's ok.
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Im the first to admit he has being a challenge Ruth, soon as he was off the lead he would be gone, three hours would be the norm before he would come back, everyone told me he would never get over his fear of coming back, but all it took was kindness, patience, an large packs of cheap Iceland sausages ;-) plus time.
 
Mikechappers said:
Im the first to admit he has being a challenge Ruth, soon as he was off the lead he would be gone, three hours would be the norm before he would come back, everyone told me he would never get over his fear of coming back, but all it took was kindness, patience, an large packs of cheap Iceland sausages ;-) plus time.
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I hear ya.
Went through similar with my late GSD.
Would love some time in a room alone with whoever f***ed her up in the first place.
 
viv1969 said:
I hear ya.
Went through similar with my late GSD.
Would love some time in a room alone with whoever f***ed her up in the first place.
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Too true Ruth, I just do not understand people, they pay a lot of money for a dog then abuse because of their own ignorance and frustration in not being able to train it.
 
I normally get my collie pups off my old man since he's a shepherd and fairly knows how to breed a good collie, but a few years ago I took on a rescue because I just couldn't say no (my weakness). He was 7years old and had been stuck in the kennels since the age of 1. He died last year of liver problems and all sorts of other niggles with him. He was just a massive, fat teddy bear and you could see he appreciated me taking him home with me.
 
CaveDweller said:
I normally get my collie pups off my old man since he's a shepherd and fairly knows how to breed a good collie, but a few years ago I took on a rescue because I just couldn't say no (my weakness). He was 7years old and had been stuck in the kennels since the age of 1. He died last year of liver problems and all sorts of other niggles with him. He was just a massive, fat teddy bear and you could see he appreciated me taking him home with me.
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You seem the same as myself Paul, a softie, good on you mate, when I first saw Harve I knew he had to come home with me, I have had Springers all my life so thought I would soon sort his recall out, how wrong I was, it took yrs. but I love the b****r to bits all the same.
 
Mikechappers said:
You seem the same as myself Paul, a softie, good on you mate, when I first saw Harve I knew he had to come home with me, I have had Springers all my life so thought I would soon sort his recall out, how wrong I was, it took yrs. but I love the b****r to bits all the same.
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Haha, aye, never take me to a rescue center, especially charity ones because I know a lot of them struggle. I often donate to a few of my local ones. It doesn't take much to buy a bunch of bones, toys or even look out some old bed sheets or towels you don't want anymore. I have a real soft spot for animals ever since my dad gave me my first collie when I was 5 and took me straight out on the fields to train it. I don't think he's going to breed anymore after this next litter so I'm going to carry on the lines. The two collies I have now are pups of pups of pups of my first collie lol. They are both dogs though so when I start breeding I'll have to find a bitch (can I get away with that language on this forum haha)
 
He's a lovely looking dog Mike - thanks for sharing.

I'm a multiple dog (and multiple English Springer Spaniel ) owner myself.

My dog pics are mainly fun snaps but feel free to nosey at my gang here....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinners85/sets/72157623384469663/

I'll not get into the coughing but as you say - be sure to get him checked if you've any concerns (y)
 
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CaveDweller said:
Haha, aye, never take me to a rescue center, especially charity ones because I know a lot of them struggle. I often donate to a few of my local ones. It doesn't take much to buy a bunch of bones, toys or even look out some old bed sheets or towels you don't want anymore. I have a real soft spot for animals ever since my dad gave me my first collie when I was 5 and took me straight out on the fields to train it. I don't think he's going to breed anymore after this next litter so I'm going to carry on the lines. The two collies I have now are pups of pups of pups of my first collie lol. They are both dogs though so when I start breeding I'll have to find a bitch (can I get away with that language on this forum haha)
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Harve never actually came from a Rescue Centre, there is an organisation which specialises in Springer Spaniel rescue, their name escapes me at the moment, they told me about Harve, but the owner at the time would not give him to the rescue centre down here in Cornwall, they wanted the rescue centre to buy Harve off them as they said they paid a lot of money for him, the centre told me at the time that it would be best if I approached the owners an had a chat which I did

What I saw was a wafer thin dog on a small holding in the kitchen on a lead who trembled with fear an started peeing as i knelt to speak to him, there was no way they was going to give him to me free, so they told me the price an basically take it or leave it, trying to control myself I handed over the money, with that they gave me the lead an turned their backs on me an walked off into their sitting room leaving me standing there, now im not a violent man but only god knows how I resisted the temptation not to let loose on the back of their heads, never being treated like that in my life an to me it sums up what type of bastards they were.

But there was no way I could walk away and leave Harve there with them, anyway he has had a happy life with me, done my best for him and that has brought its own rewards for me.

Sorry for harping on.
 
dinners said:
He's a lovely looking dog Mike - thanks for sharing.

I'm a multiple dog (and multiple English Springer Spaniel ) owner myself.

My dog pics are mainly fun snaps but feel free to nosey at my gang here....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinners85/sets/72157623384469663/

I'll not get into the coughing but as you say - be sure to get him checked if you've any concerns (y)
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Thanks Phil, I know you have had some sad times with your dogs lately, I feel for you my friend, its not easy losing a friend, love your pics, I have seen them before ;-)

Im sure you know the reason why I am concerned about the coughing and what it can bring, so far he has not done it again this evening, so will wait an see what happens tomorrow before pressing the panic button, but there is no doubt if he coughs again it will be straight to the vets, he means to much to me not too.

Harve is my seventh Springer, had them most of my life, use to work them until a few yrs back, you no doubt have heard what Springer owners say ' if its not a Springer, then its not a proper dog ' of course this is not true, but once a Springer owner then always a Springer owner. we all have our favourite breeds.

Atb with your dogs Phil.
 
He's a lovely looking dog and I really hope he is okay.
I found out last year that dogs can actually catch a bug similar to our common cold, I've lived with / owned dogs my entire life and had never come across it before, it's possible yours has got nothing worse that that, we had a bout of it in the local park before xmas and mine caught it as well.
 
hashcake said:
He's a lovely looking dog and I really hope he is okay.
I found out last year that dogs can actually catch a bug similar to our common cold, I've lived with / owned dogs my entire life and had never come across it before, it's possible yours has got nothing worse that that, we had a bout of it in the local park before xmas and mine caught it as well.
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Thanks Darren, Harve does go to the local park daily as its on our doorstep, your probably right about it being something and nothing, but you know what its like..... and what we think of our dogs.

The point of my post originally was to say do not read of others problems on dog forums as they are heart breaking, but I seem to have let go of my worries and feelings a bit.
 
Mikechappers said:
The point of my post originally was to say do not read of others problems on dog forums as they are heart breaking
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The same thing applies to when we look online for a medical diagnosis online, unless someone is a doctor it's better to get the opinion of a professional :)
 
camerassassin said:
How is Harvey this morning ?
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Thanks for asking, we have just got home from his morning walk, he has not had any more coughing fits so far today or during the night.
So it seems I could have being worrying for nothing, but im still keeping a close eye on him, if he has another
bout it will be a trip to the vet.
 
Mikechappers said:
Thanks for asking, we have just got home from his morning walk, he has not had any more coughing fits so far today or during the night.
So it seems I could have being worrying for nothing, but im still keeping a close eye on him, if he has another
bout it will be a trip to the vet.
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Dogs are always unpredictable. He may seem fine now then later on when the vets are closed he'll play up again and cost you extra going to out of hours, then when you get there he'll be fine. Dogs are just like looking after little babies :rolleyes: Especially my Shep, he carries a small blanket to every room in the house.

Keep your eye on him for now. If he has another coughing fit take a note of what time but then see what he's like tomorrow, he could well just sleep it off like us "hoomans" sometimes. Make sure he's drinking plenty, eating, pooping and weeing fine etc etc. Also check around his neck for any swelling or anything out of the ordinary.

I'm no vet, infact I've hardly ever had to take my dogs to the vets apart from check-ups, jabs and my old collie that got beaten half to death by two teens. I've got a lot of visits coming up though. When my old man stops breeding I'll have to get mine lots of pre checks to make sure everything is alright, should be though. My dads always been breeding from the best of his litters.
 
CaveDweller said:
Dogs are always unpredictable. He may seem fine now then later on when the vets are closed he'll play up again and cost you extra going to out of hours, then when you get there he'll be fine. Dogs are just like looking after little babies :rolleyes: Especially my Shep, he carries a small blanket to every room in the house.

Keep your eye on him for now. If he has another coughing fit take a note of what time but then see what he's like tomorrow, he could well just sleep it off like us "hoomans" sometimes. Make sure he's drinking plenty, eating, pooping and weeing fine etc etc. Also check around his neck for any swelling or anything out of the ordinary.

I'm no vet, infact I've hardly ever had to take my dogs to the vets apart from check-ups, jabs and my old collie that got beaten half to death by two teens. I've got a lot of visits coming up though. When my old man stops breeding I'll have to get mine lots of pre checks to make sure everything is alright, should be though. My dads always been breeding from the best of his litters.
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Yep they are just like children, the reason I Googled his cough is that I have just got over the Flu accompanied with a very bad cough, I did
wonder last night if dogs could get a cough off us humans, seems not, anyway so far so good . He had a good run around this morning, no probs at all.
 
Hi Mike, like phil i dont want to go in to the detail of Coughing dogs ,i lost my best freind on boxing day after 15 years ,my dog was on medication to help him and we got their early with the diagnosis and the medication worked wonders,more so for the comfort of my Dog as he coughed a lot ,he was a collie and i still miss him big time ,but getting to the vets early certainly extended the quality of his life, as much as i hated taking him to the vets the early diagnosis was a big plus point ....good luck and i hope he is fine
 
den said:
Hi Mike, like phil i dont want to go in to the detail of Coughing dogs ,i lost my best freind on boxing day after 15 years ,my dog was on medication to help him and we got their early with the diagnosis and the medication worked wonders,more so for the comfort of my Dog as he coughed a lot ,he was a collie and i still miss him big time ,but getting to the vets early certainly extended the quality of his life, as much as i hated taking him to the vets the early diagnosis was a big plus point ....good luck and i hope he is fine
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Thanks Den, Im fully aware of what a dog cough can mean an like you say there is no need to go into details, Harve has only had a couple of coughing bouts, both yesterday, none today, he seems fine at present, but he is getting older, so needs to be kept an eye on health wise.
He is my seventh Springer, the other six all died of the same disease....Cancer. So far Harve has out lived them all and im determined it will stay that way, so like I say any sign of the cough returning ... its straight to the vets.

Sorry to hear you lost yours, its heart breaking isn't it when they go, every time I have said never again, no more dogs, but......
 
He's a beautiful boy Mike and glad to hear that there hasn't been any more coughing.

I think this is one of those occasions when Google is really NOT your friend.
Same as looking at human ailments. You start out searching for a sore throat remedy and half an hour later you're convinced that you only have days left to live !!!

I seriously doubt that two minor bouts of coughing are anything to worry about, but, as you say if it recurs, if there are any other symptoms or if you're just generally worried about him get him to the vet - no more Googling.
If the search results don't frighten you to death, the stories will break your heart :)
 
SarahLee said:
He's a beautiful boy Mike and glad to hear that there hasn't been any more coughing.

I think this is one of those occasions when Google is really NOT your friend.
Same as looking at human ailments. You start out searching for a sore throat remedy and half an hour later you're convinced that you only have days left to live !!!

I seriously doubt that two minor bouts of coughing are anything to worry about, but, as you say if it recurs, if there are any other symptoms or if you're just generally worried about him get him to the vet - no more Googling.
If the search results don't frighten you to death, the stories will break your heart :)
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Ain't that the truth Sarah, but you know what we are like, we have to look...

Like you say its probably nothing, but I have never heard him cough so violently before, a two minute bout might not seem very long, but when your there with him, its a long time lol, but the good news is he has not done it again, perhaps a hair stuck in his throat or something, he is almost ten now and covered in fatty lumps which the vet said will not do any harm him unless they cause discomfort, but I think I will rest easier if I get him checked out just in case, so he is in the vets tomorrow morning early.

Thank you for your reassuring words Sarah.
 
GWS Harvey, I don't call them dogs, much more than that and he looks like a fine friend Mike.
Lovely bright eyes and shiny coat shows he gets the best (y)
 
Mikechappers said:
he is almost ten now and covered in fatty lumps which the vet said will not do any harm him unless they cause discomfort,
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Lipomas?

Both our previous dogs developed them when they got into old age. Luke more-so - He had loads!
Not very attractive, but harmless as long as they're not somewhere that causes discomfort and it's safer and less distressing to leave them be than to risk surgery to remove them.

If it's any comfort on that score, both our dogs lived for years after the first one appeared with no ill effects or problems from them at all.
Our vet advised us just to monitor them to make sure there was no rapid change in size or shape and to feel them periodically to make sure that they stayed free-moving beneath the skin rather than being 'attached' to anything.

You're definitely doing the right thing taking him in for a check up, but most likely nothing serious to worry about.
I hope it all goes well for you - let us all have an update when you're back home :)
 
Yes Lipomas, his are all soft and jelly like, I often check him over for any that are not soft or move around easily.

The vet gave the same advice as yours, just to keep an eye on them, not a problem as he is soft as a brush, can do anything with him, when I first had him if you tried to give him a cuddle he would roll his lips back, show his teeth, now he feels hard done by if he does not get his cuddles.

Yes will be sure to give an update when we get home (y)
 
Back from the vets, Harve had a good check over, vet could hear nothing wrong with his breathing, heart seemed ok, the only prob he
could find is that there is a fatty lump resting against his throat very low down on his front, this he said could make him cough if Harve lies in a certain position, in fact as the vet was probing there it did make Harve cough, same as someone pressing our throats I guess.

Vet said that as its in a awkward place the best thing would be to monitor it and if it makes Harve cough badly more often or gets bigger then
it might be best to Xray his chest and if necessary remove it, other wise he is fine which has put my mind at rest.
 
Glad Harvey's been to the vet Mike, and that a limpoma would appear to be the cause....if needs be they're generally easily dealt with.
My old GSD girl Chloe (passed away aged 14) developed a couple when she was 7 and neither required attention.
 
viv1969 said:
Glad Harvey's been to the vet Mike, and that a limpoma would appear to be the cause....if needs be they're generally easily dealt with.
My old GSD girl Chloe (passed away aged 14) developed a couple when she was 7 and neither required attention.
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Thanks Ruth, Harve has about a dozen or so of various size and like you say they are easily dealt with if need be, but as this one is in a awkward spot its best to just leave it unless it gets bigger, I have to say I feel a lot better now.
 
That will have certainly eased your mind - I'm really glad it's nothing sinister.

Please give him a scratch between the ears from me
 
Good news about Harvey (y)

Dogs .............. periods of joy and bliss interspersed with worry. Nevertheless, they sure make make a positive contribution to our lives.
 
Mikechappers said:
Back from the vets, Harve had a good check over, vet could hear nothing wrong with his breathing, heart seemed ok, the only prob he
could find is that there is a fatty lump resting against his throat very low down on his front, this he said could make him cough if Harve lies in a certain position, in fact as the vet was probing there it did make Harve cough, same as someone pressing our throats I guess.

Vet said that as its in a awkward place the best thing would be to monitor it and if it makes Harve cough badly more often or gets bigger then
it might be best to Xray his chest and if necessary remove it, other wise he is fine which has put my mind at rest.
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Glad to hear all is well Mike (y)
 
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