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Posted 3/15/2010 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Hi All, I have had neck, shoulder, back pain for at least 15 years.  At first I pulled the ole self medicating thing, we all know well that works.  I got sicker feeling and more fatigued as time went on.  It turns out that I had Hepatitis C.  Treated with interferon and ribaviron and cleared the virus, it has been 2 years and I am still clear / cured YES!!  I kept blaming my worsening aches and pains on that treatment.

I had a brain MRI checking for leisions, thank goodness it was clear.  Had an MRI of my neck and it showed problems with just about every disc from c-3 on.  Had nerve conduction test and it showed problems in elbows and wrists on both arms.  Saw a neck surgeon, he said mine was not a surgical fix as too many discs were involved.  went to a pain clinic and they wanted to do a cervical epidural, researched that and there was no way.  I am sure there is more that I can't remember.

Went to a rheumy and finally got the diagnosis of fibro which my GP had mentioned 7 or 8 years ago. In between all that I had been going to physical therapy, chiro, massage.  Bought every neck massager / vibrater out there, got a hot tub, .....I think I tried just about everything and am still trying.

I have 5 German Shepherds + 2 four week old puppies, 2 horses, 1 pony and about 20 chickens. Life is busy tongue

Posted 3/15/2010 2:00 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to you and your zoo! Sounds like you have a great life there on the ranch. Glad you joined this forum, you'll find lots of support here.
Posted 3/15/2010 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, if it weren't for the fibro you life would be really boring.... LOL! Sorry about all the pain but you are in the right place if you want understanding and support. Sounds like you're eating right... but do you harvest your own chickens? Don't know if I would like chicken if I had to do that.... turn

Denise, I'd like to ask a favor. Could you please shorten your signature by eliminating the spaces between lines? The boss (owner of the site) requests that we keep our signatures to ten lines and under. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Posted 3/15/2010 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Shortened my signature, sorry about that but it looked unreadable all smushed together but I figured that out (I think). 

My chickens are egg layers that have gone on strike this winter.  They better start laying or they might just be in the stew pot.  There are specific birds for cooking and I don't think I could eat them after feeding them. smilewinkgrin

Posted 3/15/2010 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
Denise,
Thanks for fixing that... about the chickens. My father-in-law used to say they kept a red light bulb on in the hen house at night because it made the hens feel more in the mood for laying. Don't know if it's an old wive's tale or not but that's what they did. (Maybe that's where red light districts came from? devil LOL!
Posted 3/15/2010 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
Jeannie,

    I swiped the light for my new litter of puppies but they quit laying a month before that.  I never heard about the red light tho gonna have to research that, thanks.  The birds are molting and have been for 2 months.  Oh BTW, they lay green eggs.  smilewinkgrin

Posted 3/15/2010 5:39 AM (GMT 0)
I thought only Dr. Seuss had green eggs. I'm a city girl - I would have already named the chickens. No way I could turn around and eat one. Lol. You've inspired me to try and eat healthier. Welcome to the forum. Everyone is extremely kind here.
Posted 3/15/2010 9:32 AM (GMT 0)
Denise,

I just got a new german shepherd puppy. She is seven and a half weeks old. Do you happen to know what I can do to stop all the biting? I tried distracting her, thumping her nose, saying no. She just gets more frustrated. I even asked the Dog Whisperer. I would really appreciate some input. I love her to death, but am afraid that this behavior will only get worse. She is getting so that she bites less hard, but I would like to stop that all together. I have grand children and I don't want them to be bitten. I know she is playing, but it is still bad behavior.

Thanks

Hugs, Karen
Posted 3/15/2010 11:37 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome Denise! Sounds like my home...lol We raise grass fed cows/steer for our own eating. We used to have laying hens and I'm thinking about getting more. I miss them except for the poop part. We let ours free range 90% of the time. They're great for bugs and such. Anyway, nice to have you here & you will find love, understanding and great support here!

Karen, we have a teacup terrier/pug mix who likes to play bite sometimes. We combat that with a toy or tell him to go get a toy. It works for us. Don't know if that will help you or not, but I wish you luck in your puppy behavior issues. :-)

Take care,
Cathie
Posted 3/15/2010 12:02 PM (GMT 0)
gettin' by---Start now and find a very favorite toy and redirect her attention.  She is very young, too young, in Pa the law says no earlier than 8 weeks till they go to their new home and momma usually helps quelch that and then the new owner has not so hard of a time.  I would keep the puppy away from the grandkids when she gets too wound up, that is what I do.  You want her to know the kids but don't want the kids afraid.  when she gets a little older a little spray bottle with lemon or lime juice squirted in the mouth with a STERN NO, Pretty important question is, do you know her bloodlines? American lines or German lines? I will explain later, animals are calling.

 

Posted 3/15/2010 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Denise, and welcome!  I'm glad you found us and joined our fibro family!  We do have some great people on this forum and you will get a lot of help and feedback.

 

Be sure to check out Fibro 101...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to a lot of information about fibro and you will learn a lot.  Don't hesitate to ask questions, either.  We are here to help you.

 

By the way, one of our mods, Chutz, used to have egg laying chickens.  I'm not sure if she does now or not but she loved "her girls".

 

Karen, I used an empty soda can with a few pennies in the can.  I would shake the can when Sabra was doing something she shouldn't and say "NO" firmly and she would stop immediately.  Now, all I have to do is tell her I'm going to get the can!  LOL  It worked well.  Also, if she nips and you try that and she continues, put her in her crate for a while.  Pretty soon she will realize that if she nips, she goes in the crate.  I think that will help stop her, too.

 

Sherrine

Posted 3/15/2010 6:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Sherrine.  I already checked out some of the fibro 101.

The pennies in a can do work but she is so very young, I honestly wouldn't want to make her afraid, it is hard to explain.  I know that you are a Mod and all but I try to make the crate a "good" place that is all their own, kinda like a den or cave.  My dogs go in their crate to nap or just hang out, I don't know the last time I shut the crate door.  Don't get me wrong, I have used the crate as punishment but not usually. 

Like I would have the crate where she can't see the grand kids for her time out.  But while she is in there I would give her a puppy Kong with some soft cheese smeared right inside or stuffed with soaked puppy food and sometimes I freeze that, sometimes not.  It is so hard with a young pup, especially with little kids.  I am always afraid the kids might step on a pup leg-I have seen it but not with one of mine.

I participate in the sport of Schutzhund and am and have been around the dogs for about 15 years.  Before Schutzhund I showed in the AKC show ring.   I am not bragging but just giving my experience.  It is so hard to explain in writing.  I do use some positive reinforcement but I also will use a correction.  I have bred 4 litters in my 15 years and when I have sold a pup I highly reccomend puppy obedience classes AFTER all their shots. 

Feel free to ask any time about any questions, gettin by.

 

Posted 3/15/2010 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise, I welcomed you on another thread this morning before I got to this one but will welcome you again. Where do you get all your energy to take care of the animals??? I have two little dogs that wear me out. I love German Shepherds too but the days of having big dogs are over for me.

 

I was farm raised. smilewinkgrin Most of our food was home raised and I only had one problem with that, I couldn't stand to eat beef that I helped raise from a day old calf. I didn't have a problem with the hogs or chickens we raised.

 

I had fibro for quite awhile before I would admit and couldn't explain away the fatigue I was having since that was my first and worse symptom. I think it takes most of us time to realize something is really wrong and it's not going away.

 

Do you get headaches from your neck pain???

 

Keeping asking and sharing what works for you.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

 

 

 

 

Posted 3/15/2010 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
GSDGirl. my dog loves her crate...especially during a storm.  So it didn't have any adverse affect on her.  I didn't make it a punishment but I did use it for down time and she is so smart that she put two and two together.  That's what I was referring to.  Like you, she had her comfy pillow and a couple of favorite toys in it.  Sabra's breeder is the one to tell me to do this for training and down time so I guess there must be two schools of thought on that one! 

 

I totally agree with you that you don't want the crate to become punishment.  Sabra's crate is next to my bed...just in case a storm rolls in here in sunny Florida!  smilewinkgrin

 

By the way, I showed Sabra at the Havanese Speciality Dog Show in Denton, Texas and she came home with five blue ribbons!  I AM bragging!  turn   It was a wonderful memory and the only time I showed her.  I just wanted the experience.  You have come to a great forum here because we have many animal lovers for members!

Sherrine

Posted 3/15/2010 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
Sherrine, I wrote in a hurry as I was at our office and I don't always write what I mean so please don't be offended   wink  WOW, 5 blue ribbons!!!  I would brag too. 

"A horse trainer once told me that the only thing that each of them could agree on was that the other did not know what they were talking about LOL"

There are many schools of thought on training but some people get the wrong idea and take the easy way out, not that "gettin by" would but I like to clarify and give other options.  I would still put the pup "up" (crate) until the biting gets a little under control.  Is that understandable?  I always worry that someone wouldn't be able to stand the biting and not keep the dog.  I also have helped with different rescues and kept many homeless (ready for the euth) dogs here until I found the perfect home, so far so good.  I am just so very passionate about dogs and just about every other animal and NO I am not of the thinkings of PITA....ughh shakehead . 

Marlee2, I could not feed an animal every day and then eat it, at least I don't think so.  My first 3 chickens were named by one of my employees---Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.  Thanks for the welcome

Posted 3/15/2010 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
GSDGirl, you don't have to worry about getting by.  She is a true animal lover and has wanted this puppy for quite a while.  She will take wonderful care of her, too, like she has her other animals.  She'll train her properly.

 

Oh, I'm not offended in the least.  I have learned a long time ago that your words can get misunderstood because you can't hear the emotions or see the facial expressions.  I've been misunderstood several times on this forum.  So, don't worry about me! 

 

We have two feral cats that we took in and now they are as spoiled as the dog.  They are never outside except on our screened lanai and they don't want to be, either.  Spoiled rotten!

 

Sherrine

Posted 3/16/2010 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
marlee2, yes I get headaches from my neck pain.  Awful headaches,been getting them for since 1997 that I can remember. 
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