Life with a dog agressive dog...

krlyr

Free T3 and free T4 are different to T3 and T4 as the free ones are unbound - these are 'biologically active' ones used by the thyroid. T3 and T4 levels can be affected by non-thyroid related conditions so the free T3 and T4 results can help get a more accurate diagnosis

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-dept/small-animal-dept/how-to-test-interpret-thyroid-function.aspx

Dr Dodds also has a FAQ here that may help
http://www.hemopet.org/index.php?option=com_fsf&view=faq&Itemid=27

gettingready

Thanks - so what I put above are ALL the tests I should I ask for or anything else?

tango

krlyr wrote: »

This can often have one of two causes - dogs pick up tension, especially through the lead but also through body language, and as you've had bad experiences you probably tense up in anticipation of issues, your body language shows your fear and the dog takes this as a cue that there is something to be afraid of. Alternatively, sometimes the dog is not confident enough with the other person to express their behaviour in the same way - a bit like how a dog in a large group may not react through fear of being ganged up on, a dog out with someone other than its owner may surpress it's reaction as it's a bit worried/on edge to behave normally.

Had thought about the first point ,but not the second, although not sure this is the case as she is very happy to see my mother. But my mum is older obviously so she may well pick up on that ?

krlyr

I think different labs will have different names for the tests so it's hard to sum up - but I basically asked for full blood tests, and my vet asked which panel I'd like, and I said a full behavioural-based one if they had one, plus a thyroid test that covered as many thyroid levels as possible (there are 5 to test but UK labs only seem to cover up to 4 - which is the ones I had tested, didn't include free T3 - the "thyroxine" on my results is the other name for T4).
If you just say to your vet that you want to rule out as many possible physical causes for her behaviour as possible, they should know which panel to recommend - and you just may need to specify that you want the more detailed thyroid one too as not many vets are that clued up on the various levels and may just go by the TSH test.

gettingready

Thanks a lot everyone.

Well, we are leaving at 2:45 as need to catch a bus to the vets and then about 15 min walk from there, awkward place...

gettingready

Just had a phone call from the vets, we are going for 4:30 instead of 3:30 as Zara's vet got some emergency surgery that just came up.

So have to wait now...

Fosterdog

gettingready wrote: »

BTW - I will get a muzzle for her, I never said I will not. I said I will not have her muzzled AND on a lead at the same time.

I don't muzzle my boy the whole time we are out walking, I know my regular walks well enough to know where we are more likely to meet other dogs and where there are blind spots. I keep his muzzle attached to the handle end of his lead and only muzzle him where there are other dogs around or the potential to bump into one around a blind corner. I even have a few places he can have an offlead run with no muzzle.

I do sometimes still put his muzzle on and off and reward him just so he doesn't associate it as a punishment for when other dogs are around. The same as I do when training recall and you put the lead on and off several times so it doesn't always mean it's the end of the walk.

Once he's been muzzled and met a dog a few times as long as all goes well he is fine with them and will be their friend for life, he does have four "friends" he sees daily, my other dog he lives with and another three he sees around once a week and can be unmuzzled with. With all others I use it as a precaution.

I've also noticed a big difference in his behaviour if my OH is also out walking with us, we sometimes walk together with both dogs, sometimes separate walks with just one dog and sometimes one of us with both dogs. When it's just me whether I have one or both dogs they are easy to control and very relaxed. When OH has our girl my boy gets more anxious and highly strung, he doesn't like her walking too far ahead etc. If it's two of us with one dog it's fine because I stay aware of what's going on.

Our problems start when I see a dog off in the distance and try to get him relaxed and muzzled before he even sees it but OH always keeps walking with our girl which gets my boy wound up and then he won't sit nicely for his muzzle then she starts being silly, goofy and playful at a time when nice calm dogs is all we need. If OH walks them on his own he won't risk assess properly and will always wait until way past the stress triggers have started before he thinks about changing direction or putting the muzzle on and trying to refocus and relax him.

I tend to get so frustrated that I'd rather walk them on my own, I know it's being done properly that way and less chance of his progress taking a step back.

gettingready

Just came back from the vet - he squeezed out the yukky stuff from the sabacous (spelling) cyst at the back of her leg. Checked her all over. Requested all blood test that were recommended here. Watched her walk (we went outside for that), flexed her leg back and forth and said it does not extend back fully. No pain just posibbly some muscular/soft tissue issue.

Metacam and 30 min on lead per walk only for the next 2 weeks and will see then....

£321.00 - direct claim.... sigh of relief here

zaksmum

gettingready wrote: »

Just came back from the vet - he squeezed out the yukky stuff from the sabacous (spelling) cyst at the back of her leg. Checked her all over. Requested all blood test that were recommended here. Watched her walk (we went outside for that), flexed her leg back and forth and said it does not extend back fully. No pain just posibbly some muscular/soft tissue issue.

Metacam and 30 min on lead per walk only for the next 2 weeks and will see then....

£321.00 - direct claim.... sigh of relief here

Thanks for the update. Hope Zara's bloods are ok, or at least provide some clue to her aggression.

gettingready

She was fine with all dogs at the vets - both the ones that were there already and ones that arrived when she was already in the waiting room, fine with them coming over to snif her and say hello.

Fine with 3 dogs we met on the way back home (through the woods, her on a lead) then a fox appeared and a hell broke loose... held on to her of course, she calmed down (eventually), few min later we met another dog - again gone crazy... No pattern there.. sighhhh