The NFC B-Day Chat Thread
- Thread starter sunflour
- Start date
Thanks! I tried straw in the nest boxes once and it made my arms itchy. But it was the chopped straw in the bag from TSC and very dusty so I wonder if it was actually the dust? Because that stuff got on everything.
I hadn't considered sand.
I was thinking of just putting shavings down but with the chainlink they usually just kick them all out.
We have clay soil here--Sand helps a lot in the winter. Wear gloves when you put out the straw and it is not too bad
We also have clay soil. I will have to try the sand! Any particular type of sand?
And thanks, that's a good idea!
The lowest cost you find! There is some thought that one kind has more silicia I Think but it is not really bad for chickens. I use play sand from home depot
Thanks!
I think I read once that river rock sand was good but I'd rather not have to place an order at a sand and gravel place and have a huge truck delivered so the hardware store is probably fine
Just got back from the vet around 5 and now at Subway. I haven't eaten anything yet today and am starving haha
The vet took a while only because they were a little backed up so we didn't get in till maybe like 4, 4:20? And done by 4:45. Once in it didn't take long at all. I think I took him in to weigh him around 4 then we waited a bit more.
But anyway, it was actually good that the appointment ended up being later because I was able to take him to sniff all around the property and the surrounding parking lots, peeing on everything lol, and calm down enough to both take treats, which he wouldn't at first, and eventually, after much exploring, sit and lie down. He even rolled over on his side and wanted to stay there being petted haha and when a big Newfie came out he did bolt up into a sit but then just watched him. I told him no when he first bolted up then decided I should reward him for not lunging and barking at him so then I told him good boy while petting him and he stayed calm. I even got him to watch me for a second and he immediately turned his head and looked me in the eyes when I asked him to. Of course the dog was already in the car by that point but still. He just watched then laid right back down when he left.
He was pretty good at the vet's too. Got right on the scale and also let the vet look at him. At one point I think he would have snapped if my dad wasn't holding his head but he was good. He was just a bit disturbed because we had walked him into a new room then immediately restrained him so he wanted to go sniff, check it out, calm down, but was being restrained by the vet and my dad. But the walking around beforehand definitely helped because I think he would have been worse had he not. He used to love the vet but not anymore lol they do scary stuff to him. Plus he does NOT like people touching him and looking at him. Which is weird because he LOVES being petted, even by strangers, but by touched I mean taking ticks off, wiping his eye boogers, checking or touching his ears, handling paws (except for tricks involving paws), moving his fur to look at his skin, teeth, etc. Etc. Now, I realize all that is very important and I make him sound vicious but he's not. He's jist. Avery independent dog and very self aware. He scratches ticks off himself usually. And usually he lets you do all that stuff he just doesn't like it and is visibly uncomfortable. When the vet tries to look at his ears or teeth though, good luck ha so he didn't today.
But anyway, Gator has been losing lots of hair, especially on his shoulder/back of neck area and on his leg. But most especially on that shoulder area. Missing quite a huge patch. And he's been licking and scratching. There was also like yellow stuff on the base of the hairs and hes turning brown? And also dry flaky skin. And kinda red/crusty in a couple spots.
Anyway, vet looked says he has like little red bumps too almost like hives and that his skin is dry and scaly and he took a piece of tape and put it on his skin to see what was on the actual surface of the skin and went and looked.
Came back and said he could see kinda scaliness but also bacteria and it's multiplying. Idk if he said that was the cause or just not helping him feel better.
So vet is putting him on Benadryl to help the hives like reaction, 25mg benedryl 2 of them 3 times a day, and antibiotics, the same one he was on last year, 1 1/2 tablets once a day with food. The antibiotics are obviously to try and kill the bacteria. We have to call Monday and let him know how he is doing and if it is working. He says if it is not then we will put him on steroids too but he didn't want to do steroids if we don't have to. So we are going to try this and hope it helps and if not then we will try the steroids. We also have to pay still because their computers are still down so we couldn't check out so he is going to call with a bill when it gets fixed. It's nice he let us leave. Another benefit of a small, local vet.
I fewl bad though because we really should have taken him in a couple months ago before he lost so much hair but I thought it was a food allergy or something cause he was licking his legs and at first it was just a little hair loss on the leg and dry skin. Then all of a sudden he was losing all this hair on his shoulder. That is fairly new.
We actually tried flea medicine the beginning of this month because we thought maybe it was a flea allergy. That helped some but not really.
I really thought it was just an allergy or a hot spot. I even changed his food and bought a tar & sulfur shampoo, a tea tree oil shampoo, and aloe reconditioner. Haven't used any of them yet though and we asked the vet and he said he wouldn't recommend using those because they are pretty harsh/strong and his skin is already irritated enough. He recommended an oatmeal shampoo so I am going to buy that along with the benedryl today.
But poor guy.
I thought it was dandruff at first, hence the tar & sulfur shampoo and aloe reconditioner, then more recently i read the other one helps with hot spots, fleas, and hair loss and is medicated.
But I think I will buy an oatmeal one now and maybe use the others later to help hair regrowth.
Which btw he said might take a while.
I do wonder though if we had taken him sooner if we could have prevented as much hair loss and wonder how long the bacteria was breeding but like I said, it can be hard to tell when exactly a vet is needed and what is just dandruff or food allergies versus a serious problem. Plus my dad kept forgetting to make an appointment.
We actually wondered if he could have caught something from the chickens but the vet didn't seem too concerned when we mentioned we had chickens so I guess it is unrelated. Idk. He also said flea allergies are usually more the tail area.
But ANYWAY.
At least he went to vet now and I really hope this medicine helps him. The poor guy has been miserable. Constant licking and scratching.
I do wonder what the bacteria could be caused by though. I will have to ask the vet or ask my dad to ask, maybe when we pay him or when we call on Monday to update.
Do any of you guys have any ideas?
Oh and Gator also needs a lyme booster but the vet said he didn't want to do vaccines right now with everything else Gator has going on. So we will late.
We also learned Gator is fat. 146 pounds. I knew he had gained a little bit of weight but did not think he had gotten quite that big.
The vet didn't actually call him fat but I know he is.
The vet actually said I guess it's been a good winter.
But as much as I laugh, he does need to lose weight. Thinking diet and exercise. He sleeps almost all day right now and doesn't go on walks. He goes out to potty several times a day and stays out usually but he just lays down and watches his property when out there, with the occasional barking haha
And he actually does not eat very much at all for such a big dog, usually only around 3 cups sometimes 4. So can't really cut back there but I'll be the first to admit he gets too many cookies and treats. The training treats probably aren't that much of a problem since they're small and I don't train him that often but his cookies are pretty big and he usually gets them when he comes in. Along with cans and sometimes people food, both thanks to my dad. Thinking no more cans for a while. They're not daily anyway but still.
He also got satin balls daily a few months ago when I thought he was getting too skinny and not eating much. I wonder if he didn't gain too much from that....
But anyway, I am thinking the weight loss will come second, after we get this bacterial/skin infection cleared up.
I am VERY relieved it is not something more serious though but I feel bad for the big guy.
He also has this weird skin fold/roll that I don't think was there before which is why I was so nervous but the vet didn't spend much time looking at it and didn't biopsy so idk. Maybe when we go back. It might be nothing.
But first things first, getting the skin condition cleared up.
And actually, if you lift up his fur along the rest of his back, it is thinning down there too and also dry and flaky there so I think he might have the hives/bacteria/problem on his whole body.
But especially crusty and problematic in the shoulder region.
I do wonder though if his immune system isn't starting to suffer or fail between that bee sting last summer and now this skin thing. He NEVER used to have problems and was always healthy as horse and now these issues along with the muscle loss on his head and resulting triceratops looking head/crown.
But I guess we will just deal with the problems one by one as they pop up.
Soooo yeahhhhh.....
That is my day.
The vet took a while only because they were a little backed up so we didn't get in till maybe like 4, 4:20? And done by 4:45. Once in it didn't take long at all. I think I took him in to weigh him around 4 then we waited a bit more.
But anyway, it was actually good that the appointment ended up being later because I was able to take him to sniff all around the property and the surrounding parking lots, peeing on everything lol, and calm down enough to both take treats, which he wouldn't at first, and eventually, after much exploring, sit and lie down. He even rolled over on his side and wanted to stay there being petted haha and when a big Newfie came out he did bolt up into a sit but then just watched him. I told him no when he first bolted up then decided I should reward him for not lunging and barking at him so then I told him good boy while petting him and he stayed calm. I even got him to watch me for a second and he immediately turned his head and looked me in the eyes when I asked him to. Of course the dog was already in the car by that point but still. He just watched then laid right back down when he left.
He was pretty good at the vet's too. Got right on the scale and also let the vet look at him. At one point I think he would have snapped if my dad wasn't holding his head but he was good. He was just a bit disturbed because we had walked him into a new room then immediately restrained him so he wanted to go sniff, check it out, calm down, but was being restrained by the vet and my dad. But the walking around beforehand definitely helped because I think he would have been worse had he not. He used to love the vet but not anymore lol they do scary stuff to him. Plus he does NOT like people touching him and looking at him. Which is weird because he LOVES being petted, even by strangers, but by touched I mean taking ticks off, wiping his eye boogers, checking or touching his ears, handling paws (except for tricks involving paws), moving his fur to look at his skin, teeth, etc. Etc. Now, I realize all that is very important and I make him sound vicious but he's not. He's jist. Avery independent dog and very self aware. He scratches ticks off himself usually. And usually he lets you do all that stuff he just doesn't like it and is visibly uncomfortable. When the vet tries to look at his ears or teeth though, good luck ha so he didn't today.
But anyway, Gator has been losing lots of hair, especially on his shoulder/back of neck area and on his leg. But most especially on that shoulder area. Missing quite a huge patch. And he's been licking and scratching. There was also like yellow stuff on the base of the hairs and hes turning brown? And also dry flaky skin. And kinda red/crusty in a couple spots.
Anyway, vet looked says he has like little red bumps too almost like hives and that his skin is dry and scaly and he took a piece of tape and put it on his skin to see what was on the actual surface of the skin and went and looked.
Came back and said he could see kinda scaliness but also bacteria and it's multiplying. Idk if he said that was the cause or just not helping him feel better.
So vet is putting him on Benadryl to help the hives like reaction, 25mg benedryl 2 of them 3 times a day, and antibiotics, the same one he was on last year, 1 1/2 tablets once a day with food. The antibiotics are obviously to try and kill the bacteria. We have to call Monday and let him know how he is doing and if it is working. He says if it is not then we will put him on steroids too but he didn't want to do steroids if we don't have to. So we are going to try this and hope it helps and if not then we will try the steroids. We also have to pay still because their computers are still down so we couldn't check out so he is going to call with a bill when it gets fixed. It's nice he let us leave. Another benefit of a small, local vet.
I fewl bad though because we really should have taken him in a couple months ago before he lost so much hair but I thought it was a food allergy or something cause he was licking his legs and at first it was just a little hair loss on the leg and dry skin. Then all of a sudden he was losing all this hair on his shoulder. That is fairly new.
We actually tried flea medicine the beginning of this month because we thought maybe it was a flea allergy. That helped some but not really.
I really thought it was just an allergy or a hot spot. I even changed his food and bought a tar & sulfur shampoo, a tea tree oil shampoo, and aloe reconditioner. Haven't used any of them yet though and we asked the vet and he said he wouldn't recommend using those because they are pretty harsh/strong and his skin is already irritated enough. He recommended an oatmeal shampoo so I am going to buy that along with the benedryl today.
But poor guy.
I thought it was dandruff at first, hence the tar & sulfur shampoo and aloe reconditioner, then more recently i read the other one helps with hot spots, fleas, and hair loss and is medicated.
But I think I will buy an oatmeal one now and maybe use the others later to help hair regrowth.
Which btw he said might take a while.
I do wonder though if we had taken him sooner if we could have prevented as much hair loss and wonder how long the bacteria was breeding but like I said, it can be hard to tell when exactly a vet is needed and what is just dandruff or food allergies versus a serious problem. Plus my dad kept forgetting to make an appointment.
We actually wondered if he could have caught something from the chickens but the vet didn't seem too concerned when we mentioned we had chickens so I guess it is unrelated. Idk. He also said flea allergies are usually more the tail area.
But ANYWAY.
At least he went to vet now and I really hope this medicine helps him. The poor guy has been miserable. Constant licking and scratching.
I do wonder what the bacteria could be caused by though. I will have to ask the vet or ask my dad to ask, maybe when we pay him or when we call on Monday to update.
Do any of you guys have any ideas?
Oh and Gator also needs a lyme booster but the vet said he didn't want to do vaccines right now with everything else Gator has going on. So we will late.
We also learned Gator is fat. 146 pounds. I knew he had gained a little bit of weight but did not think he had gotten quite that big.
The vet didn't actually call him fat but I know he is.
The vet actually said I guess it's been a good winter.
But as much as I laugh, he does need to lose weight. Thinking diet and exercise. He sleeps almost all day right now and doesn't go on walks. He goes out to potty several times a day and stays out usually but he just lays down and watches his property when out there, with the occasional barking haha
And he actually does not eat very much at all for such a big dog, usually only around 3 cups sometimes 4. So can't really cut back there but I'll be the first to admit he gets too many cookies and treats. The training treats probably aren't that much of a problem since they're small and I don't train him that often but his cookies are pretty big and he usually gets them when he comes in. Along with cans and sometimes people food, both thanks to my dad. Thinking no more cans for a while. They're not daily anyway but still.
He also got satin balls daily a few months ago when I thought he was getting too skinny and not eating much. I wonder if he didn't gain too much from that....
But anyway, I am thinking the weight loss will come second, after we get this bacterial/skin infection cleared up.
I am VERY relieved it is not something more serious though but I feel bad for the big guy.
He also has this weird skin fold/roll that I don't think was there before which is why I was so nervous but the vet didn't spend much time looking at it and didn't biopsy so idk. Maybe when we go back. It might be nothing.
But first things first, getting the skin condition cleared up.
And actually, if you lift up his fur along the rest of his back, it is thinning down there too and also dry and flaky there so I think he might have the hives/bacteria/problem on his whole body.
But especially crusty and problematic in the shoulder region.
I do wonder though if his immune system isn't starting to suffer or fail between that bee sting last summer and now this skin thing. He NEVER used to have problems and was always healthy as horse and now these issues along with the muscle loss on his head and resulting triceratops looking head/crown.
But I guess we will just deal with the problems one by one as they pop up.
Soooo yeahhhhh.....
That is my day.
Hope his back is better soon!!Hopefully they'll get onto it quick so that you know for sure what's going on. Not knowing is the worst!
I'm off to bed now - hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight. DH has done his back in and he's been very restless these last two nights.is exactly how I feel!
Well said!!Cap, I missed your post last night! Okay, deep breath. Biopsies are done just as much to prove something isn't anything to worry about as the other way around. So we all need to focus on the "ruling out" reason for doing them. Nobody's said anything about "confirming", but if and when that happens we'll deal with it the way we have everything else - with a positive outlook, lots of love and prayers, and a good dose of humor!!
I get up at that time.
Good luck!!I went to Lynchburg today, got lost, walked a lot. Got to the hospital for my Sonogram of the left breast. Apparently i have a 5 cm mass at 7 o'clock ( mine or theirs?). That was not there last year and is oblong and irregular. So not happy. They are supposed to call me with an appointment for a biopsy.
Envious!!
Egg supply is getting better. I got 11 from my girls today and I have 3 dozen in my fridge
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