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Our sweet female doberman/shepard had epilepsy; lived to be 14, went deaf at 12 or so, but up and down stairs to her last day without any trouble (maybe because we bought her a loveseat to sleep on?). She was on an inexpensive med most of that time, and only had a few seizures; no trauma.... does that help?
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Oh Susan,
I am so sorry.
The very best dog I ever had came down with distemper wihin the 3 days of bringing her home from the county animal care shelter. Somehow, I knew she would be living about only ten yrs, vs. her lifespan expected for a normal dog. Of course, I could have returned her. But I didn't.

She kept us up all night, vomiting white fluid. She was in a cage at the end of the bed.
Then my narcissist hub at the time decided this was a good time to move out/ in with his affair. Best thing that ever happened to me, so you see, the dog was already a blessing! Saved my life really, because any more gaslighting and I would have been his victim.
This dog, brought into the home when my elder dog was 12, and severely declining, also saved her life by pestering her to play and exercise. Elder dog lived to age 17!

Looking back, I never would have realized she was my favorite. But this dog, the one I had waited for, the one I looked everywhere for, the one who brought so many good experiences into my life, she was my favorite. She lived 10 years.

Hoping your dog can maybe outgrow the seizures, and improve.  I sincerely hope you will have many good years with your new pup.
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Learned something new about my new dog - or at least his breed. Not only are they prone to back problems (due to long body), but also seizures. He's had 2 since I brought him home. The first one I thought was something else - he acted like his leg was asleep or something and kind of stumbled around after laying down for a long period of time. Now looking back at that, I know it was a seizure, because the 2nd one followed the same pattern, but was worse. Vet says they are "typical Doxie siezures" and not harmful, but of course, to watch and make sure they don't last longer than a minute or so, and that he recovers well afterwards - and to bring him in immediately if he doesn't. (sigh). Go figure!

I hate that he has these - they really frighten him.
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I did have a "guard cat" at one time. Oh my gosh, heaven forbid if any one walked their dog on my front yard. Kitty, a medium hair tordi, would hide in the front bushes, and out she would come, in full Halloween stance, running side ways. Well, we rarely had a problem with anyone walking their dog, or any animal coming onto the property.

The only animal she was scared was was a huge buck who was upset that the deer feeding tray was empty. First time she saw him, she blasted into the house with that "what the he!! was that?" look on her face :)
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Barb - I started Bruce on the harness when he was just 9 or 10 weeks old, so he is very accustomed to it. I've been taking him with me to different places - friends' houses, my place, the massage therapist, etc. Never used the harness for vet visits, only places he'd associate it with good times.

I never got a chance to try walking him till now because the snow was so heavy this past winter. But I do think he's starting to understand the concept!

So I dunno.....I think maybe it helps to start them early. I've never had an older cat take to the harness! I've tried it on 2 of the adult cats I've had in my life, but both of them have just done the "FORGET IT, LADY" thing and flopped over. But it's always worth a shot - I don't think I did it right before. I think I expected they'd either walk on the leash or they wouldn't.

Maybe try taking your harnessed kitty to the park or a friend's place a few times, even if you have to carry him....seems to me now, the important thing is that a cat comes to associate the harness with fun and exploration.
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I've had a pure bred Maine Coon and currently have a cat that's a "half" and from his picture, Bruce looks like he's got some MC DNA. Does your vet have an opinion about this?

I used to try walk my Maine Coon on a leash, but he wasnt having it. I might try it with one of my tabbies, the one who loves to himself for a "walk" in the hallway of my apt building when anyone goes in or out. He can open the door himself with paw to get back in as long as it isn't latched.
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smeshque - Bruce is curiously not scared of people. At. All. He was born into a house with two adult brothers and a little girl, who brought ALL her friends to see the kittens. Then I've been pretty much pushing him into the hands of strangers since he was 8 weeks old! He considers himself the official greeter of the home support workers now, even the new ones, and gets quite sulky if they don't say hello. So if a couple of burglars were smart enough to give his little ego some attention, I'm sure he'd show them where the best stuff is kept!  (Edit:  of course, burglars aren't usually smart.  That's why they have to resort to burgling!)

So I just gave Bruce a good once over in the bathroom light. He DOES have a side ruff, but no major throat ruff. The vet DID shave his throat for a needle back in January, when he had peritonitis, but surely it would have grown back by now if there was a ruff? It's fluffy there, but not a big ruff.  I dunno. Still no clue!
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Dori- glad Bruce got an outing. Most cats are bad guards as they are usually scaredy. :)

Now I gotta look up Maine coon
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mally - I just don't know! His mama was a normal-looking, normal-sized, short-haired tortie - just a bit stout, and with short legs. But no one knows anything about the father. Bruce is big, with a very broad chest and tufted feet....and the fluffy tail seems to point to Maine Coon....but he doesn't have that lion's mane thing around his throat. So I just don't know. Maybe? Maybe partly?
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Dorianne, is Bruce a Maine Coon? My mom has one and it sure sounds like he could be......
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Bruce - who would be a terrible guard cat - got his first visit to the park today. 

There are all kinds of "No Dogs" signs at the park. But I noticed none of them say "No Cats Either"! So we chanced it. (I had a time gap in between massage therapy and the chiropractor - I take him with me.) Nobody seemed to mind. In fact, the sight of a fluffy-tailed black cat on a red leash actually seems to make people grin and giggle.

So Bruce was having a blast climbing around on the rocks above the beach, and sniffing EVERYTHING. Then he saw 2 big Canada geese down on the sand....and tried to squeeze himself into crevice in the rocks! I don't blame him for wanting to hide, though. Those honkers are mean!  And the male goose was staring us down, for sure.

But he's sure never going to keep any burglars away from the electronics.
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Cwillie- And I did some research on the sheep milk. More protein, more calcium, than cows milk, but more fat. I think I read some Ricottais sheeps milk, also.
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Did not know Llamas were good guards. I'd certainly get one if I had sheep. i have known so many people have their flocks destroyed by wild dogs.
My brain has let the building so can
t think of anything else but we did have a german sheperd who was agood guard, then there was the Lab that hid under the bed every time the door bell rang
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cwillie - yeah but now you got me thinking about getting a guard llama.  That'd make any burglars think twice!
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That would have to go on "My Favorite Things" thread Send~
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Time for coffee. Where do we post that?
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Oops, I meant to post those over on the gardening thread... too many tabs open at once!
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"Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the Feta of Greece, Roquefort of France, Manchego from Spain, the Pecorino Romano and Ricotta of Italy" (Wikipedia)
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Guard llama - Wikipedia
"Most research on the effectiveness of guard llamas has been done with sheep. A 1990 study reported that 80% of sheep producers with guard llamas rated them as effective or very effective. The study found average rates of loss to predators fell from 21% to 7% after the introduction of a guard llama. In other studies, over half of guard llamas completely eliminated losses due to predators. Dogs and coyotes have been injured and even killed by llamas"
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cwillie - Lol! I was trying to think about where to just buy the durned seeds, without having to buy an acre's worth....

FF - I've actually had better luck with regular old grass seed in a pot, but it's not working here. I don't think there is enough sun at Mom's.   I think the stuff in the kits....they just don't give you enough dirt! That's awesome that Charlie is swooning over Rosey, but......does she feel the same? Or is she humouring him? Lol!

Brucifer (that's what I call him when he's bad) is enjoying his oat grass, but he keeps leaving bits of it all over the place....he really is an all or nothing kinda guy. And mostly all.
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Countrymouse- is that speaking from experience?
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Dorianne, I tried some of those grass kits, but the cat would pull the grass out by the roots.

My male cat Charlie is now smitten with the recent adopted cat Rosey. He's 17 and she is 12. At 3 in the morning we can hear him calling for her.... with the sounds he is making I would be running the opposite direction, but she comes out of her room.

One night I heard my sig other say to Rosey at 2 in the morning "where are you going young lady at this time of the night?"

One night I told Charlie that Rosey is busy, she is washing her hair [I remember back in high school that was an excuse a lot of girls used not to date a boy].
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Hm, cat grass kits. You know that a farmer sells a whole bushel of oats for only $3...
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So.....the garden centre is selling packets of cat grass seed. As opposed to the tiny, overpriced "kits" you get from the pet store. Which is basically a cheap plastic container that you'd normally buy sour cream in, plus a couple of tablespoons of dirt and a few seeds. Four packets of cat grass seeds cost less than one "kit" at the pet store.

I picked up some already sprouted stuff (yay, garden centre!) to keep them away from the baby seedlings while I grow them fresh. I'm going to plant a "grass patch" in a proper, heavy planter that Big Burly Bruce can't knock over. Because he's good knocking stuff over!

He's really huge. How can I even explain how huge he is at 8 months? He is a full size cat already. With a big, wide chest and a giant, fluffy, curly tail. His head is twice the size of my 13-year old girlcat's. He's going to be a monster.  A monster with a giant, fluffy, curly tail.
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There is absolutely no need to subject a chicken to the indignity of a leash. Pop her on your shoulder and she will come with you perfectly happily. (Best not to wear earrings. Or glasses. Or have a mole on your face or neck.)

The only real danger is that she might migrate to your head to use your hair for a better grip. In which case it isn't the chicken's dignity you need to worry about.
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Yeah, not me personally. But I seen something on chickens becoming popular pets. And some of the owners took them walking, with a little harness leash thing. I dunno, different pets for different folks.
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Wait, you can walk a chicken on a leash?
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Thats great Dorianne, Bruce would love the routine walks. If people can walk chickens on leashes, I think cats would do much better.
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New-ish pic of Bruce in my avi. 8 months old. I can't decide if he just has resting b**** face or if that's his personality.  (Edit:  I need to get a good pic with his tail.  It's ridiculously fluffy and long, and he holds it up so high it curls forward!  My proud little Leo kitten.) 

Bruce did his first leash "walk" last week. I took him to massage therapy, like I do, only without the carrier (but with harness). I was early for the appt., so I let him hang out on the side lawn for a bit (on leash, with me). Then we came back to mom's. After we got off the elevator on mom's floor, he actually walked with me, on his leash! He sort of paused at every door (it's a looooong hallway, like half a block) and looked at me, to see if it was ours, but he was actually quite happy to walk on the leash!

I need to get him out more. I bet he would eventually walk on leash - a set route to somewhere and back - if it became a routine. Maybe I'll start taking him to the mailbox, lol.
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polar- sorry those racoons can be trouble for chickens and gardens. We have a copper maran, they are neat chickens and shes a good layer. I hope yours gets broody soon. We were waiting for one of our hens to want to set, but none commit at this time and I ccouldn't wait. They are too cute.
We have a rooster, he is a good rooster, however I am thinking of getting rid of him, the hens are getting tired of him. Someone had given him to us so we took him. So we have been talking about keeping him or not. Hope you get chicks soon.Especially, for the kids.
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