Cairo, 8 year old staffordshire bull terrier just diagnosed

And for your viewing pleasure:

Cairo has this habit of picking up sticks which we try to stop as I'm always frightened of injury, so he always gets his toy so that he's carrying something to stop him stick hunting.

Does it work? Well, the jury's out on that one as he was bimbling along, waited until I wasn't looking, put the toy down, grabbed the stick and then the toy so that I couldn't take the stick off him.

http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Photo0242.jpg

And his best "whaaat?" look

http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Photo0243.jpg

He is so cute. Total innocence there.

Hugs
Sharlene and Molly muffin

Hi Alison,

How is a darling Cairo doing? Hope the heat has gotten a bit better so that walks are more easy.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

The last couple of days have been a bit cooler - between 18 and 22 centigrade and we had rain - it was bliss.

He's got a few little bald patches on his body and his poor ears are bald at the edges but he seems fine. Very unfit but fine.

His latest passion is to outwit us with stick hunting - I'm sure he waits till he sees us blink and he's off. I nearly wrestled him to the ground the other night because he was just grabbing mouthful after mouthful of sticks. He's a cheeky devil.

hahahaha, well it is very good to hear that Cairo still has personality abundance! I'd love to see that wrestling match! Who wins the stick, we'd call it. lol He is a funny guy. Glad he is doing so well still.

Any thoughts to maybe trying to add some fish oil supplements for the coat, or coconut oil, etc?

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

Oh he won the stick wrestling match. I took my eye off him for a second because the kids with the out of control collies were coming up the road towards us and then there was a retriever behind us (two breeds he's not fond of) and because I looked away, he took the chance to grab every stick he could find - along with the toy he already had. I must have looked like some maniac, growling at him to leave the sticks alone whilst trying to wrestle them off him. I swear he was laughing at me - he had that "I've got all the sticks and there is nothing you can do about it" look.

I've ordered him a safe stick - he'll probably want that, and the toy, and all the sticks. :rolleyes:

His coat looks good but it's the bald bits. Any particular kind of oil or amount to give him? Coconut oil might be good or I could give him a cod liver oil capsule?

What a picture that paints of all those sticks, glad he is still doing good. Never used it but Salmon oil is suppose to be good for the coat :)

I'm pretty sure that Cairo is going to want Every stick and Every toy. All his. The trick is going to be for him to figure out how to take them All on his walks. LOL He'll be bringing his luggage full of sticks next. hahaha

I think fish oil usually is a good for coat, and so is coconut, so either could be used.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

He's not good today - but it's chucking it down with rain - so I don't know if he didn't want to walk because it's raining or because there's something wrong with him. He was panting heavily and just plodding and shaking. He really doesn't like being out in the rain, so for the moment, we'll blame that but keep an eye on him.

How is Cairo doing now? If he continues like this, might want to get him in and get him checked out.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

He was better tonight - it was still damp but at least not raining. It was pouring this morning and he fully intended going for a poo and then in again!!

He's such a rascal - it's hard to know if he's fed up because he's being made to go out in the wet or if he's actually ill!!

It is really hard to figure anything out when it is raining isn't it. Mine doesn't want to go out when it's raining either or especially thundering, and she'll hold it forever it seems to try not to go out. Of course that makes her belly feel bad and I'm almost guaranteed to have a dog with an upset stomach and gastro system if she tries that. Hopefully that is all this is.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

He just about needs pushed out of the door when it's raining and if he sees his coat coming out, he runs and hides because he knows that means it's raining. He hates wearing a coat (unless it's snowing, then it's acceptable) but he hates getting wet in the rain - and I stand like an idiot trying to explain the benefits of a coat!

Let me know if explaining it works since Molly doesn't like to wear a coat either. She doesn't really want to be wet and luckily she is small enough I can pick her up and plop her down in the grass. Not exactly an option with Cairo.

Is it still raining there? How is he doing now?

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

Explaining doesn't work sadly. It's stopped raining now and it will be dry tomorrow allegedly. It was raining when we were out tonight and he just kept giving me the filthiest looks and trying to get under the umbrella with me. He really didn't look very pleased. One very peed off puppy!

I'll soon find out how he's feeling - when the leaves start to fall from the trees will be the tester - he loves chasing fallen leaves

oh yea, that will be the test then. Molly likes the leave piles. LOL

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

Cairo's had like scaly patches of skin on his elbows for ages now - since just before his Cushing's diagnosis.

Over the last couple of days, the same patch of scaliness has appeared on his nose. He's booked in at the vet on Friday but anyone got any ideas?

hmm, I don't really know. scaly nose isn't normally associated with cushings, as cushing skin issues come from thinness of fur and calcium deposits that poke up out of the skin, causing sores.

Not sure about the nose thing. Maybe some of the others have some ideas.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

Not sure about the skin but don't you know Staffys can't get wet incase they shrink in the rain :eek:

We have had the rain down here as well it's been a bit miserable

It's strange - it's sort of crusty looking. I was wiping it in case it was something he had stuck on his nose! He didn't look best pleased and wondered what the heck I was doing.

I do worry about him shrinking - or turning into a gremlin.................

His coat is too small for him now and trying to get a coat to fit a staffy isn't easy - I had to make his current coat, so I'm going for fabric tomorrow to make him a new coat. Get him - made to measure coats!

They are many things that can cause a dog's nose to become dry, crusty and/or scaly such as: High blood pressure, an autoimmune disease, zinc deficiency, dogs can get an allergic reaction on their nose from drinking from bowls made from plastic, and the scaly nose can just be from nothing at all.

Hugs, Lori

Thanks all. He's going to the vet on Friday - I guess I'm ultra paranoid with all that's happened with him. Will be a bit mortifying if she says it's a bit of his yoghurt ice lolly stuck to his nose!! I did wipe it though to make sure it wasn't something that was going to wipe off!

As pet parents I think worry is our middle name! :eek:;) I know I am a worry wart ;)

My boy, Harley did have a dry, scaly nose which, I believe, was casued by his high blood pressure, I would put vaseline on it and I have read where one can use vitamin E also. Let us know what the vet says.

Hugs, Lori

He's got a little infection in his nose - plus folliculitis - so he's got antibiotics and I had to scrub his nose with hibiscrub to get rid of the seborrheic build up. He wasn't really keen about his nose being scrubbed.............. :rolleyes:

Awww, well, a nose infection might get him feeling down and explain how he has been acting lately too.

I bet that was funny to see, you scrubbing his nose!!

Glad you got it figured out and as always a Plan to treat. :)

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

I just wish if he's going to be poorly that it was something cheap to treat!!! I was £65 at the vet today!! I think that's about $110 - for bloomin antibiotics!!

My husband think sit is like taking the car to the garage, you don't get the car back until they come up with $500 bucks worth of work to charge you for. :) :)

I know, there doesn't seem to be anything that is a decent price when it comes to vets.


hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

Well, this is weird. Cairo was given antibiotics because he had a little infection on his nose and folliculitis. Since he's finished the course, the hair has started to come back on his ears, his tail and another little bald spot he had on his side. Coincidence? Was it folliculitis he had in these other areas? I've no idea but he's not got moth eaten looking ears any more!

wow...that is interesting! Have you talked to the vet about the reaction? Nice to talk about a "reaction" as a positive thing, huh? :)

huh, makes you wonder what else the antibiotics might have helped with.

Very glad that he isn't looking like a patch baby any more :)

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

We've not spoken to the vet about it. Trying to keep him away from there as much as we can!

It's very bizarre - but in a good way!

Well, I'm not sure what's wrong with Cairo but the boy must be feeling better.

Last night and tonight on his walk, he's been on an absolute mission - he's walked at a spanking pace and wanted to go further than he's gone in months and months - and he even wanted to run at one point!

I'm still letting him just go as far as he wants. If he stops, I wait to see which direction he wants to go - continue or turn back for home.

I think he maybe overdid it a bit tonight - he looked a bit knackered when we were nearly home and his eyes were a bit bloodshot but he did well.

And all his hair has grown back - ears, tail, side - all fully covered.

Well we will just take that good news and say, "Rock on, Cairo!" :D

That is wonderful news!! Go Cairo!! Been awhile since he has felt this good! I think it's great news!!!

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

I've gotten so used to him just plodding along without much interest that it's a bit of a shock to the system suddenly having him trotting along at speed and enjoying it.

Yep, you're going to have to step up your game to keep up him now. :) hehehe

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

We were off on a route march again tonight. I'm officially unfit!!

I wonder if the air smells different now that we're coming into autumn. He adores autumn and winter - it means fallen leaves and then snow (hopefully) both of which he loves to play in. Some leaves are starting to fall and he's really on the alert - ears up, checking out the leaves.

It's been ages since he was so keen on anything.

Isn't it wonderful to see them so interested in the things around them. :)

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

Morning all,

Cairo's last stim test was in June last year and he's been off his meds since April last year but he's starting to show symptoms again so the vet wants to do another stim test to see how bad things are.

The receptionist has booked him in for 3pm for it - is that too late in the day to be getting the stim test or is it OK?

Hi Alison. Since he isn't on meds for the past year the time of the test should be fine.
What symptoms is he showing again?