Jen Greaves
03-16-2005, 12:50 PM
I posted on doggie doors but didn't have enough time to get any reply
so here goes again! And again I am soo sorry about the length!
My family now is Jessie 12yrs (lab/springer/collie), Zia 4yrs (shepherd), Echo 2yrs (huskey/lab/wolf), Spaz 10yrs (big cat), Storm 9yrs (fat cat). The dogs are all girls, the cats are boys, all fixed except Echo.
I've had all of them since they were babies except Zia who I took in one year ago after she had been abused and neglected. House training a full grown shepherd wasn't the funnest thing I've done!! She's doing very good now. The pecking order is Jessie, Echo and Zia at the bottom, it has been like this since the first day Zia came home. The pecking order before her was still Jessie then Echo. Zia is not my problem though, I wanted everyone to know her story incase it's playing a part in this.
Up until almost two weeks ago everything was great, never a fight. About two weeks after Echo's last heat (her third) she attacked Jessie three times over about five days. Once inside (not bloody) and twice outside (bloody). Zia stays completely out of the fights, and as far as I can tell has nothing to do with instigating them. My vet told me they have to figure it out for themselves, in about five seconds the last fight was very bloody, Echo was ripping Jessie apart so I stopped it, actually I stopped all of the fights. Jessie is now staying at my parents house until she is healed (almost there!!) and Echo is fixed. My vet took one look at Jessie and said he should remove Echo's canines when he fixes her. This is something I'm having a problem with, I live in the country, what if she has to defend herself? And it just seems drastic. At the same time I don't want Jessie to get torn up anymore. I have started Echo and Zia on nilif about a week ago and Echo is doing very well, Zia is a bit slower. Should I remove Echo's canines?? Why is Echo suddenly attacking Jessie?? Could it just be hormones??? I should also say that Echo circles Jessie with all of the fur on her back up, what does this behaviour mean??
Is it a challenge?? I will do anything, aside from finding new homes. I want all my girls to stay with me, as much work as that may take. Please, please any advice will help.
so here goes again! And again I am soo sorry about the length!
My family now is Jessie 12yrs (lab/springer/collie), Zia 4yrs (shepherd), Echo 2yrs (huskey/lab/wolf), Spaz 10yrs (big cat), Storm 9yrs (fat cat). The dogs are all girls, the cats are boys, all fixed except Echo.
I've had all of them since they were babies except Zia who I took in one year ago after she had been abused and neglected. House training a full grown shepherd wasn't the funnest thing I've done!! She's doing very good now. The pecking order is Jessie, Echo and Zia at the bottom, it has been like this since the first day Zia came home. The pecking order before her was still Jessie then Echo. Zia is not my problem though, I wanted everyone to know her story incase it's playing a part in this.
Up until almost two weeks ago everything was great, never a fight. About two weeks after Echo's last heat (her third) she attacked Jessie three times over about five days. Once inside (not bloody) and twice outside (bloody). Zia stays completely out of the fights, and as far as I can tell has nothing to do with instigating them. My vet told me they have to figure it out for themselves, in about five seconds the last fight was very bloody, Echo was ripping Jessie apart so I stopped it, actually I stopped all of the fights. Jessie is now staying at my parents house until she is healed (almost there!!) and Echo is fixed. My vet took one look at Jessie and said he should remove Echo's canines when he fixes her. This is something I'm having a problem with, I live in the country, what if she has to defend herself? And it just seems drastic. At the same time I don't want Jessie to get torn up anymore. I have started Echo and Zia on nilif about a week ago and Echo is doing very well, Zia is a bit slower. Should I remove Echo's canines?? Why is Echo suddenly attacking Jessie?? Could it just be hormones??? I should also say that Echo circles Jessie with all of the fur on her back up, what does this behaviour mean??
Is it a challenge?? I will do anything, aside from finding new homes. I want all my girls to stay with me, as much work as that may take. Please, please any advice will help.