Illinois...

[chickendreams24]

An update on Molly's vet appointment. Thank you all tremendously for all the support you always share with everyone on the thread. Your kindness is much appreciated.

Molly is home and for the most part my fears are extinguished. We will be wrapping her paw to see if her licking is causing the inflammation and discoloration. The vet feels that is the cause. If that is the case than it is obviously not cancer. Thank God.

Just some thoughts;   Molly is 10 years old.   She may be developing arthritis.    My Maltese who is  old, (guessing about 14. He is a rescue).  He licks his paws  for extended periods of time. He then stops and  doesn't lick them .  I think he has arthritis, and the licking is the only thing he can do.  I read somewhere a long time ago that giving an appropriate dose of aspirin is a possible remedy.  I do not know what the dose amount would be,  I also did not start  giving it to my dog yet.    If the licking was constant, then it speaks for it self. 

Interesting about the paw licking.  Our big dog does the same thing on & off, and we're sure he has arthritis.  He never did damage to his skin, but I thought it was due to his allergies.

We have 2 elderly dogs here.  Our medium dog was diagnosed with cancer in October 2015.  It's very slow growing & he pretty much acts like a puppy.  He still chases (& catches) squirrels & rabbits, plays fetch, wrestles other dogs, dig holes, eats things he shouldn't, and gets sprayed by skunks.  He's an athletic 8.5 year old mix that weighs 80lbs.  Our big dog is a Great Dane mix that is 9.5 years old and weighs 100 lbs.  He's always been more of a snuggler.  Our gentle giant is very slow moving and has trouble climbing stairs & standing up.  He used to move out of the way when laying in the heavily traveled but narrow hallway.  Now we must always step over him.  I am grateful he is still with us because Danes usually live 6-8 years.  Our two dogs grew up together and we have had many years filed with great memories.  We are now in the difficult time that every pet owner must face.  We do what we can to keep them comfortable in their old age.  I feel that when one dog goes, the other will likely not survive long without his buddy.  I am thankful for both and how well they protect the kids & chickens.  It's not like they're trained to do anything, but a person is less likely to mess with a kid playing outside if that kid is fenced in with a barking dog.  Likewise, the hawks don't try anything when there are two loud & crazy dogs ripping through the yard.

Molly has always washed her feet like a cat so the licking did not cause any red flags until I saw discoloration in her skin. She's very meticulous and will even walk around mud puddles so as not to get dirty wet feet. Lol I'm very glad of this as she has four white feet. lol. She has never done any damage before and she hasn't had problems with allergies. It could be some minor arthritis or just a little achy from older age. Shelties often live to 13-15 or more years hopefully we'll get to keep her and in good health as long as possible. It could also be that her cleaning her feet has become an obsession. Time will tell. She is on glucosamine and such for her joints as she blew out a knee a year or so ago. She has put on a little extra winter weight which could also be contributing she will lose that as the weather warms. With as icy and cold as it's been the dogs haven't been able to run and chase each other outside like usual. We will of course be watching to see if wrapping the spot for a while helps both with the discoloration on her skin and also with the licking. If it turns out to be arthritis we will of course make her comfortable and do all we can for it. I'm just glad the vet isn't worried. Our vet is a wonderful woman and I trust her enormously.

Also my Grandma has a chihuahua that has pretty bad seasonal allergies and she also licks her feet to wash them, but during an allergy flare up she will lick them raw almost to the point of bloody if she doesn't get allergy pills.

 

[cavemanrich]

The caveman made that semiannual pilgrimage to the Farm N Fleet store. 60 miles round trip, so I had to stock up.

... 100# of Alflock. 50# Scratch. 50# Sweet PDZ. 100# Wild bird seed. Compressed Pine wood shavings. And as I"m going thru the aisles other things just jumped into my cart. The large pillow is for my Iditarod Team. They can all fit on it and sun themselves.

And those blankies, ??? Yes, I have a soft spot..

And as I am strolling thru the store I run across the answer to your question.
chickendreams24

The answer is at the bottom of the bag. Now you know why they target your flock. They don't want those field mice, gophers, rabbits, Etc. They prefer CHICKEN.

 

[Molpet]

The caveman made that semiannual pilgrimage to the Farm N Fleet store. 60 miles round trip, so I had to stock up.

... 100# of Alflock. 50# Scratch. 50# Sweet PDZ. 100# Wild bird seed. Compressed Pine wood shavings. And as I"m going thru the aisles other things just jumped into my cart. The large pillow is for my Iditarod Team. They can all fit on it and sun themselves.

 

[cavemanrich]

Did you know they opened a farm and fleet in Romeoville, which is near plainfield...451 S Weber Rd, Romeoville, IL 60446 it is across airport rd from Menards

 

[Faraday40]

And as I am strolling thru the store I run across the answer to your question.
chickendreams24

The answer is at the bottom of the bag. Now you know why they target your flock. They don't want those field mice, gophers, rabbits, Etc. They prefer CHICKEN.

Of course this brings up a new question:
What are "LifeSource Bits"?

 

[cavemanrich]

LifeSource Bits are the small, dark kibbles mixed in with our BLUE dog and cat dry foods. They contain a precise blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists.
Enhanced LifeSource Bits | Blue Buffalo

bluebuffalo.com/lifesource-bits/

@Faraday40
Where there's a question there's an answer. orange box is a link
I had to look this up myself. I'm almost as curious as my cats.

 

[chickendreams24]

The caveman made that semiannual pilgrimage to the Farm N Fleet store. 60 miles round trip, so I had to stock up. ... 100# of Alflock. 50# Scratch. 50# Sweet PDZ. 100# Wild bird seed. Compressed Pine wood shavings. And as I"m going thru the aisles other things just jumped into my cart. The large pillow is for my Iditarod Team. They can all fit on it and sun themselves. And those blankies, ??? Yes, I have a soft spot.. And as I am strolling thru the store I run across the answer to your question. chickendreams24 The answer is at the bottom of the bag. Now you know why they target your flock. They don't want those field mice, gophers, rabbits, Etc. They prefer CHICKEN.

Lol wish they'd knock it off or I'm gunna de-evolve them to worm food. No but actually we figured it out and the other day when we thought they took one cockeral we've counted them out and done the math of each breed that was out in the cockeral run. The other day when they were out and I thought one bird was grabbed I think two were. That's a lot of wasted money and time raising those birds for the freezer. Had the cockerals out today as bait while we processed two boys and then after we were done. The fox never showed. We will be trying again tomorrow. The flock is itching to get out with the nice weather but I hate to let them out until we know the fox is dealt with or moved on. My Minnie got out today during chores and I had to put her back in. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen from a chicken. I swear she was calling Mickey and looking for him. Poor baby. I miss my boy. I think she does too. They were the only two hatch mates and very bonded. Had a family Christmas tonight, it was a really good time. Today had us longing for spring. I'm still fighting this cough and such but I think what's lingering is due to my asthma. If not for my illness we might have been processing birds in t-shirts. Hoping to get more boys done tomorrow, as many as possible. We are wanting to add more legbars this year and also DH2B is going to get his buckeyes. Lol he asked me what we're gunna do with all these birds I said well you could always not get the buckeyes. Lol I think he's decided we'll add another coop. We could probably fit them all if we got rid of all the spare boys it would be a little crowded but we have discovered that a little crowded is better for frost bite prevention with good ventilation. Assuming that the flock is tolerant enough and gentle enough not to bully each other. We will probably winterize the coop from Mike's uncle that pretty sizeable and use that for some of the birds next winter. Fortunately we don't need to worry about that right this second. Must not count our chickens before they happen. We also now have three broody silkies and I'm dieing to set eggs. One's nearly a year, one's going on two and one's a six month old that I'm not sure layed for more than a week. Lol

 

[Faraday40]

We also now have three broody silkies and I'm dieing to set eggs. One's nearly a year, one's going on two and one's a six month old that I'm not sure layed for more than a week. Lol

I think this spring weather in Jan is getting everyone mixed up. Even our Magnolia tree is budding! I hope the usual Jan temps don't come back out of nowhere. Of course I am not having fun with the "boot-sucking' mud out back. Our coop & run have sand, & there was actually standing water in it last week during the 48 hr rains. It receded by the next day but we still have several mud puddles and the sand it still wet. The chickens don't seem to mind & the egg numbers are up, but watching them drink from yard puddles is gross!

As for your broody silkies, I'd give one some eggs as an experiment. Also, will you have some pure silkie eggs? DD has been asking for about 3 years for a silkie. She's already working on another hatching experiment for a 4H vet sci project. She really has her heart set on using some silkie eggs. Let's face it, we have plenty of orp eggs and we don't NEED more chickens, but she's becoming really excited about hatching silkies. I know she really just wants another spoiled "pet" chicken, and she's using her science projects as the method to get one. On the other hand, if a kid is actually interested in her project, she will do all the work & be excited while doing it. It's that excitement that shines when she presents and has allowed her to win best in show for the last 4 years. I just hope we don't end up with a house chicken that gets dressed up & wearing diapers. LOL

Meanwhile DS has been asking about when we are going in to schools to teach about chickens. He enjoys helping me when I teach. He gets to visit some former teachers and walk around the classroom holding a giant hen while the little kids pet her. He also enjoys answering all the questions about "his" chickens.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I think this spring weather in Jan is getting everyone mixed up. Even our Magnolia tree is budding! I hope the usual Jan temps don't come back out of nowhere. Of course I am not having fun with the "boot-sucking' mud out back. Our coop & run have sand, & there was actually standing water in it last week during the 48 hr rains. It receded by the next day but we still have several mud puddles and the sand it still wet. The chickens don't seem to mind & the egg numbers are up, but watching them drink from yard puddles is gross!

As for your broody silkies, I'd give one some eggs as an experiment. Also, will you have some pure silkie eggs? DD has been asking for about 3 years for a silkie. She's already working on another hatching experiment for a 4H vet sci project. She really has her heart set on using some silkie eggs. Let's face it, we have plenty of orp eggs and we don't NEED more chickens, but she's becoming really excited about hatching silkies. I know she really just wants another spoiled "pet" chicken, and she's using her science projects as the method to get one. On the other hand, if a kid is actually interested in her project, she will do all the work & be excited while doing it. It's that excitement that shines when she presents and has allowed her to win best in show for the last 4 years. I just hope we don't end up with a house chicken that gets dressed up & wearing diapers. LOL

Meanwhile DS has been asking about when we are going in to schools to teach about chickens. He enjoys helping me when I teach. He gets to visit somTe former teachers and walk around the classroom holding a giant hen while the little kids pet her. He also enjoys answering all the questions about "his" chickens.

I agree this spring weather has everything mixed up! My magnolia is budding up too. The boys have been mating the poor girls non stop and I have had to re-tighten the crow collars. I need to rehome some of these bantam boys, those poor girls aren't getting a break. I am also happy with the egg increase.

I am getting text from the neighbors saying some of your chickens got out, but its the last hatch of bantams that is still small enough to fit through the fence, so they keep going out front to graze on the front lawn, lol.

And hopefully, Chickendream24 will have some silkies for you. I checked with my contact and she doesn't have any. Good Luck

 

[Faraday40]

I agree this spring weather has everything mixed up! My magnolia is budding up too. The boys have been mating the poor girls non stop and I have had to re-tighten the crow collars. I need to rehome some of these bantam boys, those poor girls aren't getting a break. I am also happy with the egg increase.

I am getting text from the neighbors saying some of your chickens got out, but its the last hatch of bantams that is still small enough to fit through the fence, so they keep going out front to graze on the front lawn, lol.

And hopefully, Chickendream24 will have some silkies for you. I checked with my contact and she doesn't have any. Good Luck

Thanks. For us it's the Sebright (Trouble) who likes to fly over the fence. She easily comes & lands on my arm when I call, but when she decides she wants to play in my herb garden, there's really no way of preventing it. Thankfully, she's the only one who can at this time. She drives us crazy when she's playing mama & takes her brood on field trips to the neighbors'.