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Post by cakediva on Oct 15, 2024 15:09:53 GMT
It has been a while! Mr Murphy, our "little" foundling has finally hit the almost 2 mark. Which means it is time for the Bob Barker treatment. He also had a growth on his front leg that they were going to remove. Considering the largest DNA percentage was Maremma Sheepdog, the only traits of that he has are longer hair, fluffy tail, and a herding mentality. Definitely goofy Labrador Retriever both in looks and temperment. But son of a biscuit - the 25% Rottweiler is in FULL force. I cannot walk him, and DH can barely keep him contained. And yes, we've done classes. But today I noticed it looked like he still had his balls - and never having had a male dog, wasn't sure how it was supposed to "look" after a neuter. I called the vet, and she explained that while they remove the testes, the "sac" remains, so if he's been licking, that can cause swelling, especially in older dogs like he is. They wanted to see him, and I'm home alone. I attempted to get him in my car - I'm sure the neighbours were having a laugh at the show. I tried for 10 minutes and I'm done. I got him outside, and had to grab the neighbour's tree to keep from running down the block. I got him back to the car but there was no way he was getting in so we came back to the house. DS was out shopping for a wedding outfit for his buddy's wedding, so he'll be home by lunch and we can both go then. I need a freaking nap! ETA - home from the vet. Definitely swollen - "not the worst I've seen" she said, and it's still soft. So anti-inflamatory drugs plus an antibiotic, and he's back in a cone. I've just ordered a onesie on Amazon that will wrap around that doesn't need to to over his head. That will keep him from licking and we can go back to the donut. UGH And now I'm sure he's going to get the cone sentence - we had one, but gave in and got him a donut - which allows him to reach back there - he's a contortionist! And because I know the rules: Here he is waiting for his surgery appt (after weighing in at 112 lbs):  And here he is with his donut:  And shortly after this (this was day after later in the day Friday) we noticed his paw on the bandaged leg was swollen. We got him in first thing Saturday and the wrapping they had on his leg was way too tight and his poor paw was not getting any flow. They removed it all, and now he has the sleeve of one of DH's old shirts up his leg to keep the staples covered. Poor fella - he's going to be SO miserable with the cone, but if he can't stop licking it will have to be done. It's HUGE and he knocks into everything sigh. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Oct 15, 2024 15:17:50 GMT
One of our labs had been neutered years prior and when he was about ten it looked like he grew his balls back! We took him in and it was some kind of a non cancerous tumor.  It was so weird. Our current lab is about 80 lbs and when he doesn’t want to do something or go somewhere, I sure can’t get him to move. Thankfully he’s also kind of dumb so I can sometimes trick him into doing what I want. |
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Post by taylortroop on Oct 15, 2024 15:23:34 GMT
Murphy is adorable!
We have a 90 lb German Shepherd/Bernese Mountain Dog mix and I understand your dilemma! We had Walker fixed when he was 14 months old and he hated the cone. We also bailed on it and put two tshirts on him at night to prevent the licking. During the day, we kept him within sight at all times. It was a long 2 weeks!
Regarding his “balls”, I too was surprised at the size after his surgery. He was very swollen and I didn’t think they removed them! After doing some googling, I saw pics of after surgery and it was just what Walker looked like so that made me feel better. The swelling will decrease gradually and the sac will diminish.
Good luck with his recovery.
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naby64
Drama Llama
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Post by naby64 on Oct 15, 2024 16:24:30 GMT
Well, I am so sorry but this was a good laugh read! I really snickered out loud, all alone in my office. This also reminded me why we keep our dogs under the 50# mark. We are at 35# with our oldest and our youngest is right at 45#. She goes up and down.
Mr Murphy is quite the handsome fella.
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Post by Lexica on Oct 15, 2024 17:16:05 GMT
Murphy sure is a beauty though. I remember the days of having to have my Weimaraner wear the cone. My legs were covered in bruises because he constantly clipped them as he ran by. I think it was intentional payback.
Is Murphy very food motivated? My Weimaraners both were and I had the most luck getting them to jump up into their travel kennels by showing them food and tossing it into the kennels that were in the rear of my station wagon. My female was pretty good about it but the male was stubborn. He didn’t mind being in his kennel, he was just more interested in whatever was going on in the neighborhood and was hard for me to lift into the car because he got wiggly.
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Post by Zee on Oct 15, 2024 17:17:19 GMT
He's so handsome!
My dog is REALLY strong too, though she's about half his size. Fortunately she does what I want her to, but she could very easily pull me off my feet if she wanted to. She's a mix of all kinds of things that include pit bull, lab, Rottweiler, bull terrier, etc. So, she looks like a friendly flop-eared mutt but the power is in that wide chest and thick neck. If I attached her to a dog cart she could easily pull me no problem.
Hope he's all healed up soon!
My cat has had it look like he still had his nads after being neutered. I'm sure it will decrease over time.
You can buy that elastic bandage for his leg if the Tshirt doesn't work out, it's called Coban. And someone should have told you to remove it after a bit and not gotten it so tight initially, because it can cause swelling from cutting off the circulation. You can easily adjust how tight it is. It has to be on there firmly enough not to fall off, but loose enough not to cause swelling.
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Post by cakediva on Oct 15, 2024 18:20:22 GMT
He's so handsome! My dog is REALLY strong too, though she's about half his size. Fortunately she does what I want her to, but she could very easily pull me off my feet if she wanted to. She's a mix of all kinds of things that include pit bull, lab, Rottweiler, bull terrier, etc. So, she looks like a friendly flop-eared mutt but the power is in that wide chest and thick neck. If I attached her to a dog cart she could easily pull me no problem. Hope he's all healed up soon! My cat has had it look like he still had his nads after being neutered. I'm sure it will decrease over time. You can buy that elastic bandage for his leg if the Tshirt doesn't work out, it's called Coban. And someone should have told you to remove it after a bit and not gotten it so tight initially, because it can cause swelling from cutting off the circulation. You can easily adjust how tight it is. It has to be on there firmly enough not to fall off, but loose enough not to cause swelling. We have a gauze pad and some of that "no chew" wrap around the area where the staples are, and the sleeve is keeping him from getting at it. The wrap from the vet was SO secure it needed scissors, and by the time we saw it he wouldn't let us anywhere near it to relieve the pressure for him. Poor fella. |
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Post by cakediva on Oct 15, 2024 18:22:47 GMT
Well, I am so sorry but this was a good laugh read! I really snickered out loud, all alone in my office. This also reminded me why we keep our dogs under the 50# mark. We are at 35# with our oldest and our youngest is right at 45#. She goes up and down. Mr Murphy is quite the handsome fella. Ha ha - it's been a few hours and I'm still wheezing LOL I'm sure the neighbours are all killing themselves |
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Oct 15, 2024 18:26:37 GMT
He looks like a sweetie. I had luck with 2 leashes for my 90 pound lab with incredible strength. We use this one most of the time. It takes a bit to remember how to wrap it, but it works much better on him than any harness or a plain leash does. When he was little, we used the Gentle Leader, and it worked incredibly well. |
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CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
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Post by CeeScraps on Oct 15, 2024 18:26:55 GMT
Walking help… look at getting a thunder leash. It is a type of harness but more effective. It will squeeze them around their chest. Your pup may whine the first couple of times. It works really well. Look for a YouTube explaining them.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by bethany102399 on Oct 15, 2024 18:29:40 GMT
When George came home from being neutered his cone was so big we had to help him through the door, it was awful and we had to finally take it off of him and just keep an eye on him.
When he had knee surgery I knew there was no way we could put him in a cone, so we bought a lick sleeve - a very expensive version of your DH's shirt, but George had to be in this thing for weeks while the stitches healed. He had to be drugged too as he had to stay off the leg totally for 5 weeks then another 5 on limited mobility. it was awful but he was in pain, so the choices were surgery or put him to sleep and that wasn't a choice for us.
Hugs to you and Murphy. Big dog ownership is not for the feint of heart. it's a good thing they're cute.
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Post by MichyM on Oct 15, 2024 19:12:39 GMT
I feel your pain! Having a large, headstrong dog has got to be difficult. Good thing we love them so much! He is adorable and I hope his healing goes smoothly from here out!
I used to walk dogs at our city’s animal shelter. My first walk after I went through training was a Rotty mix. I was not prepared for his strength and after I leashed him up and we began to head out of his kennel he got so excited and pulled so hard it knocked me down and sent my glasses flying. I still managed to hold onto his leash though, yay me. Those are some seriously strong dogs!
Are there classes you might be able to look into that specifically address concerns with large, strong dogs?
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Post by Zee on Oct 15, 2024 20:52:09 GMT
We just got back from the vet for Jovie's chemo and while we were there, a lady had her dachshund on a retractable leash (because, what older lady doesn't do this) paying no attention to the dog who came over and tried to bite my dog! Who was minding her own business waiting for her chemo!
I was so annoyed. Luckily the dog didn't actually do it. I was tempted to be nasty but I held my tongue. There was no apology but at least the lady admonished the dog. I hope she pays closer attention and keeps the leash locked next time. It's an oncologist, she should know better.
My dog could have seriously injured that dog in her own defense if she was reactive AND if I wasn't paying attention. I hate retractable leashes.
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Post by cakediva on Oct 15, 2024 21:14:20 GMT
@zee omg I can't even imagine a retractible with Murphy LOL
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FurryP
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To pea or not to pea...
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Jun 26, 2014 19:58:26 GMT
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Post by FurryP on Oct 15, 2024 21:41:22 GMT
LOL. Murphy looks quite proud of hmself in the first photo.
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Post by cakediva on Oct 15, 2024 23:24:14 GMT
LOL. Murphy looks quite proud of hmself in the first photo. He's pretty mad at us tonight lol. Dragging him to the vet today, he came home and got the cone put back on. Went outside and would not come back in - DS had to finally lift him up and carry him in. DH got home and once he got over his initial excitement that his person was home, that turned to "run for the hills" when DH was trying to give him the meds. I'm going to get pill pocket treats tomorrow - the cheese isn't working any more! LOL |
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Post by Zee on Oct 15, 2024 23:26:55 GMT
LOL. Murphy looks quite proud of hmself in the first photo. He's pretty mad at us tonight lol. Dragging him to the vet today, he came home and got the cone put back on. Went outside and would not come back in - DS had to finally lift him up and carry him in. DH got home and once he got over his initial excitement that his person was home, that turned to "run for the hills" when DH was trying to give him the meds. I'm going to get pill pocket treats tomorrow - the cheese isn't working any more! LOL Does he like peanut butter? Jovie thinks her pills are a treat now, lol. She hears the pill bottle and comes running because she knows it will be in a glob of peanut butter. I thought she'd eat the peanut butter and spit out the pills eventually, but she seems to not care about them when they're dressed up that way. They're not very big though. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 15, 2024 23:46:29 GMT
LOL. Murphy looks quite proud of hmself in the first photo. He's pretty mad at us tonight lol. Dragging him to the vet today, he came home and got the cone put back on. Went outside and would not come back in - DS had to finally lift him up and carry him in. DH got home and once he got over his initial excitement that his person was home, that turned to "run for the hills" when DH was trying to give him the meds. I'm going to get pill pocket treats tomorrow - the cheese isn't working any more! LOL You can put some squirty cheese (in the can) on the cheese wrap. Our older lab doesn’t always want to take her pills, but she’s happy enough if I add some squirty cheese. I only use it when she doesn’t want to take the ones with just regular cheese. It’s way cheaper than the pill pockets since she gets meds every day. Murphy is a beautiful boy! |
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Post by sabrinae on Oct 16, 2024 0:04:33 GMT
The only way I’ve gotten our headstrong mastiff mix to take her pills is to use fresh pet dog food. It comes in a roll - so I cut off a decent size chunk and above the pill in the middle. Everything else she licks or eats the treat and spits the pill out. Our mastiff mix is 170 pounds - when all else fails I keep some freeze dried dog food on hand and use it to bribe her to get her in the car or to do what I want. I did quit walking her though because she would sit down halfway through the walk and refuse to move. So she gets play time at home only.
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Post by katiekaty on Oct 16, 2024 0:09:23 GMT
He looks like a sweetie. I had luck with 2 leashes for my 90 pound lab with incredible strength. We use this one most of the time. It takes a bit to remember how to wrap it, but it works much better on him than any harness or a plain leash does. When he was little, we used the Gentle Leader, and it worked incredibly well. Yes! Turned my incredibly strong mutt into a walking pretty good doggie. He still has his moments of disobedience, loves to pee on mulc and flowers at Home Depot but… |
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Post by christine58 on Oct 16, 2024 0:39:28 GMT
You need to look into e-collar training. It did my dog, a world of good and it does not hurt them at all. He could seriously hurt you. My yellow lab was trained and it’s a world of difference. Every dog can be trained to not pull their owner
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Post by cakediva on Oct 16, 2024 0:46:01 GMT
He's pretty mad at us tonight lol. Dragging him to the vet today, he came home and got the cone put back on. Went outside and would not come back in - DS had to finally lift him up and carry him in. DH got home and once he got over his initial excitement that his person was home, that turned to "run for the hills" when DH was trying to give him the meds. I'm going to get pill pocket treats tomorrow - the cheese isn't working any more! LOL Does he like peanut butter? Jovie thinks her pills are a treat now, lol. She hears the pill bottle and comes running because she knows it will be in a glob of peanut butter. I thought she'd eat the peanut butter and spit out the pills eventually, but she seems to not care about them when they're dressed up that way. They're not very big though. Sigh - if only he did. We’ve tried all types on a lick mat and no go. He LOVES toast but if there is a hint of pb on it he won’t touch it. Weirdo! |
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Post by cakediva on Oct 16, 2024 0:53:06 GMT
He looks like a sweetie. I had luck with 2 leashes for my 90 pound lab with incredible strength. We use this one most of the time. It takes a bit to remember how to wrap it, but it works much better on him than any harness or a plain leash does. When he was little, we used the Gentle Leader, and it worked incredibly well. So we just got a gentle leader a few weeks ago - Haltie brand. And stupid us put it on him and expected it to work lol. He made it to the end of the driveway (20 ft) before he had it off. So back to the start and I spent almost two weeks letting him sniff it, treats, nose through the hoop, treats, and we got to the full clipped behind the head, treats. So DH tried walking him - and we got a few houses down the block and he wanted to get it off. I might try that other one and see how it goes! |
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bethany102399
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Post by bethany102399 on Oct 16, 2024 2:55:11 GMT
The only way I’ve gotten our headstrong mastiff mix to take her pills is to use fresh pet dog food this is true for our Pyr as well. He also doesn't like peanut butter, but interestingly loves greek yogurt on the lick mat when it's frozen. You might see if he'll go for that. When we had to drug him daily I would bury his pills in wet food and most day's he'd wolf it down. |
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 16, 2024 14:06:21 GMT
I know what you mean about Rottweiler strength. My DD's dog, Odin, is only 35 pounds. He's a mix of breeds including Rottweiler and chihuahau. But, he is strong! I had trouble walking him when I first moved here. He kept trying to drag me back to my house to look for DD. We worked through that, fortunately.
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tincin
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Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Oct 17, 2024 2:27:14 GMT
I thought my son’s 85# dog was a handful. We ended up taking him to dog training classes and he did really well. I can walk him now without him ripping my arm out of the socket. We took him to a trainer who deals with over reactive dogs. He agreed with me that Gideon is a smart, stubborn asshole. He was trainable though. Glad to hear it was not a problem with his balls.
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peppermintpatty
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Post by peppermintpatty on Oct 17, 2024 16:48:50 GMT
You need to put a pinch collar on him. I see so many people who have big dogs and can't control them when walking. Harnesses don't do anything to deter pulling. Pinch collars, if used correctly, do not hurt the dog and make them walk with you and not pull you. I use one on my maltipoo and he really pulls if he doesn't have it on. Put it on and he the lead stays slack. My dd's dog, same thing. Harness he pulls like crazy, pinch collar, leash goes slack.
Don't listen to people who say it is cruel. It isn't. They have covers over the prongs. It is a training tool and a very effective one. My neighbor has a goldendoodle who jumps and jumps and can't be controlled. She's always apologizing. I want to tell her to put a prong collar on him and this will stop but I know she will think it is cruel. My dog went through multiple levels of training and they will only train in a prong/pinch collar. This place is one of the best.
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It was so weird.
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