The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: doganjo on May 25, 2010, 02:12:42 pm
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As my old GWP (Hester is 13 next week) was getting stiff in the mornings over the winter I thought she'd like a duvet and sourced some on freegle. This morning she didn't come rushing out of her kennel as usual and I discovered she was stuck! A quick glance showed she had been rummaging in the night and ripped the duvet to bits, making a nest. She had got the threads and some of the cover wound round her leg very tightly, and despite pulling and tugging I just couldn't release her. She was beginning to cry and her leg was cold, so I dived for a pair of scissors, managed to edge in the point of one side, and sawed till I cut the duvet off. It was very scary, a little bit longer letting the dogs out and who knows what might have happened. She ran out - a bit wobbly at first but soon got going and took off round the front paddock at a high rate of knots as usual. From now on, no comforts for her - it'll be plain old vet bed - at least I know she doesn't chew things any more. ::)
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That was a close call Annie, glad all ended well. :)
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She's absolutely fine now - been running round the front paddock chasing little birds - and anyone who dared to come anywhere near HER place! Her beach towel was in its usual place at the top of the garden ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Scary. Our dogs have Barka Parkas - have had for 9 years until we replaced the covers this year. They've been great - just top up with polystyrene beads every couple of years. The cats like them too - but not their own.
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poor Hester, good job you got there before she got really hurt.
Sheba is a devil for trying to chew through cushions. the bed she has now has a tough "wipeable" cover (do I mean nylon? can't think!) that she's yet to get through *touch wood*
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Hester is a German Wirehaired Pointer - her teeth and jaws are extremely strong - she can rip ANYTHING! So she will get vet bed and nothing else as this the only material she has left alone. The problem was the constitution of the duvet - because it is made in channels she had ripped a piece off at one end and it had got wound round her leg very very tightly. If I hadn't found her quickly the circulation would have been damaged. I dread to think of the consequences. The vet bed can be chewed but they can't get bits off for them to get entangled in it.
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I have used duvets in the past but always put a duvet cover on them as well and the worst thing that happened was the plastic press studs got chewed off. Close call there Annie but glad all turned out well.
take care
Anna
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She had chewed the cover off too, Anna - and the roof of her wooden indoor kennel. I have a feeling something must have disturbed her as she is not usually destructive. At 13 she usually sleeps quite long in the mornings.
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I used to use old quilts but got fed up with them being unstudied!! so I use an assortment of fleece blankets as they are easy to wash and dry!!! I also found a huge role of thick material that I cut off and thats warm and comfy too, mind you, sometimes all 4 sleep in the same cage as I do not shut the door and so 4 Labs certainly generate a lot of heat!!
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When I mentioned Hester's experience to my obedience trainer last night she said that their young flatcoat bitch had just had a very expensive oepration to remove the end of a towel from her guts. She had chewed the stitched thick end and swallowed it, and couldn't pass it at the other end, going downhill rapidly. It cost them almost £2000. So from now on it is definitely vet bed only for mine.