isis's advice column

I've been away for a while due to a serious illness and subsequent health issues.

Favourite quotes of the moment:

The children of Israel wandered the desert for 40 years - Even in biblical times men wouldn't ask for directions!

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. whatever we do to the thread, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. - Chief Seattle.

We spend the first 12 months of a child's life teaching them to walk and talk. We spend the next 12 years telling them to sit down and shut up!

As you slide down the bannisters of life, may the splinters never be pointing the wrong way.

May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

I've been very happily married since August 1980 to a wonderful man and have beautiful twin girls, now aged 31. Both are married to wonderful young men and one of our girls has recently made us grandparents to a beautiful, smart and feisty granddaughter. I studied geology with the Open University. I am retired from being a manager in a large UK based insurance company which I actually quite enjoyed. (How sad is that?). I love anything to do with the environment and wildlife and try to do my bit for preservation and conservation. I would like there to be a decent world for our grandchildren to inherit. I also have CFS so find life a bit of a challenge at times but always hope for better health in the future.

I have a deep interest in the spiritual and the paranormal worlds, having experienced several incidents myself, and have been involved in meditation groups and groups that (safely) explore the paranormal. There is more to this life than we would normally credit, so an open mind is always the best option. You're not so likely to get caught by surprise!

I have a deep fascination for anything to do with Ancient Egypt, as you can probably tell by my name. I have statues and paintings all around the house. As my hubby has a similar interest in Native Americans, we tend to have a lot of unusual wall decorations, like a tomahawk.

I love cars, especially vintage ones, but my all time favourite has to be the Bugatti Chiron, what a car!

I have had a lot to do with animals over the years. I have fostered many, helped to set up a wildlife charitable hospital and raised a diverse range of young animals from bats to fox cubs and different species of birds, even a baby deer! I have had great pleasure in sharing my life and home with a number of animals over the years, most of them rescues. I am currently sponsoring an Amur Tiger, they are such beautiful cats and desperately need help, there are so few of them left. I was lucky enough a couple of years ago to meet some Aye-Aye's and Livingstone's Bats, a truly wonderful experience. We now have three cats, Oliver and Mollie, a brother and sister, he's a ginger and she's a tortoiseshell and a black and white called Daisy. She arrived in a taxi and was left on our doorstep in a cat carrier with the message that 'they knew we loved cats and would be good to her'. She has settled down well and gets on wonderfully with the other two.

If you have a pet that is showing ANY signs of illness or distress, please, please, please take it to a vet! Even if finance is an issue, work that out later. It is cruel to leave an animal suffering for any reason. Most animals do not show signs of illness until they have been ill for some time, basic instinct tells them it is a display of vulnerability, and certain death in the wild. Their instincts have not caught up with domesticity.

I do feel that we should all treat others as we would wish to be treated. Bad karma comes back to haunt us.

advice

I have a little 11 year old shih tzu, who is in still, very good health. The only problem is her teeth and breath. Her breath is so bad right now and her teeth will fall out very soon unless they are taking care of. Today, I went out and bought toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mints for dogs. I tried to brush her teeth but she just wasn't having it. She rarely opened her mouth and she went into this physicall fit. Turn her head every direction possible so that I could not brush her teeth. I tried to keep her head and body in place while trying to keep the brush steady but she was starting to fight with me. I didn't want to be too forceful because I felt like she'd get hurt, so I stopped. How can I get her to stay calm or at least let me brush her teeth? I don't want her to lose teeth because of this.

I also have a very adorable but stubborn 11 year old shih tzu. It is a little late to try to clean her teeth now but firstly, if you haven't already, take her to get checked over by the vet to ensure there is no gum disease or rotten teeth that need to be removed.
If all that checks out ok, forget the toothbrush for now, put a little toothpaste on your finger, try poultry flavour, (shih tzu's tend to suffer from allergies and beef is one of the main culprits), and let her lick it off. After she gets used to that, gently rub her front teeth with the paste. Because of the way they are built it is very difficult to get anything large between their teeth and gums, so it can be painful for them to try.
If she accepts the front teeth being cleaned, gradually extend the gentle cleaning further round her mouth until you can reach as many as possible. Do this a couple of times a week to start with and if she is fine with it, you can start to build up the frequency.
You may never be able to use a toothbrush, but even paste on your finger is better than nothing. If she won't accept even this, you will have to resort to the chews designed for teeth.
Keep in mind that as YG says, they do tend to smell as they get older and their breath is only a part of it. However, they are such funny, loveable and individual characters, it more than makes up for the pong!
If she does have or develops itchy skin, keep to her off anything with beef or beef extract in it, try hypoallergenic food and treats, (she should be on a senior diet by now), and there are also specialist shampoos you can try.
Good luck.

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(Rating: 5) Wow, that was amazing advice! You were truly helpful, thank you! :)

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