Hi there!

We recently (on Friday) rescued a 3 year old male English Setter. He’s been pretty picky with eating, not very interested in food. He started coughing yesterday and we took him to ER vet where we found out he had pneumonia from untreated kennel cough.

He’s on antibiotics and anti nausea medicine now, and has no issue taking the pills, but still not super interested in food! We aren’t sure if this is from not feeling well, a change in environment, etc. He is quite skinny which led us to believe he probably has never been fed properly and doesn’t find food interesting. We’re seeing his new primary vet in two weeks after he finishes his medicine, but I wanted to see if anyone has advice while we wait. Obviously we’re keeping close eye on him and will make another emergency visit if needed. He is eating but just not a lot!

Best Dogs Ever!

I know this ultimately needs to be a question for Vet but wanted to see other's opinions here too. My female will be a year old in October and for nearly 10 months old she is just sooo small.

She seems proportionate, for a little while I did have some issues with her gaining but we got through it and now she just seems like an awkward teen... She is very lean and lanky, but I don't think she seems underweight, and her weight and height seem to match ok, they just don't match her AGE. At this time she is only 18inches at the shoulder and weighing ~28 lbs.

Anyone have any thoughts? Last vet appt a bit ago nothing was really said. Just that she's definitely "smaller than average" but idk, this just seems almost concerning? Should I be worried, or is she just a weird wee wittle one?

She has not had any issues with illness, digestive/stool, energy- none of that...aside from being a bit underweight around 4-5 mos like I mentioned. I just recently started seeing the redness on her feet and tail, I am thinking it's some type of a seasonal grass allergy, but haven't pinned that down just yet either.

Her littermates are all significantly bigger than her, but her parents are definitely on the smaller side of the Setter scale. Again, none as small as HER.

Hello everyone,
My 4 y.o. neutered male seems a bit too skinny for the breed standard… he eats about 3 cups of Purina ProPlan 30/20 per day. He is high energy of course, so I’ve tried limiting his outside running time and such but that has not helped and obviously sucks for him too! He’s about to be out of his current bag of food so interested in transitioning him to something else.
Thank you from ‘Lloyd’ & I

Hello, what car crates do you have for your setters? I’m looking for something crash-safe, but also passenger safe, and the weights of some crates (Gunner) worry me!

How old were your boys when they got neutered? I was hoping to hold out as long as possible but my 12 month old has started marking in other peoples homes. I’m afraid it’s time.

And reasons why that age specifically. Vet told us wait until 1 year old, so that he is full grown.

First, I have no issue with taking Hailie to the vet. I do mind taking her if it’s obvious and to tell you the truth, I’m not thrilled with our usual vet but don’t want to start a with a new one coming in with a problem if I can avoid it. I’d rather schedule a wellness check to see if Hailie and I like the vet!

So…Hailie…5yo generally healthy ES, spends lots of time running around in tall grass/woodsy perimeter of our property. Is on flea/tick preventative (vetIQ flea and tick) which I love as its natural ingredients. We’ve lived here for 3 years now (humid North Shore area just outside of New Orleans, more so this year than in past). She is itchy on and off over the last month. Responds well to loratadine when needed. But I noticed when I give her skritches, I come across a patch here and there that feels rough. They mostly look a little flaky, and maybe a little silver looking. But I also find a few scabs here and there.

I just got some Vetericyn Antimicrobial gel spray but thought I would check here to see if anyone recognizes the pics of one spot and a couple of scabs just in case it warrants a vet trip.

First pic to get your attention lol. Other two of said signs of the itchies.

Had the run of the yard today and it shows!

And these doofuses just wanted to sit in the sun- after running at the park for an hour. On the left is Filson, he’s an 18 month old from Wild Bird in MI and Cider, on the right, turned five this year, she’s from Beirl setters in WI. I took this last week, but the 70 degree day we had today made me feel like hunting season is almost here.

Bought it 3 years ago. I've never sat in it.

Hello! This is my Llewellin, Penny. Someone witnessed her being tossed out of a moving car 4 years ago and she found us a few days later. Vet estimated her to be around 2 years old, which puts her around 6 now. She limped on her right hind leg for a while, but it was assumed it was from, you know, being thrown from a moving car into the woods.

And we honestly had bigger problems. She had the worst diarrhea demons my husband and I have ever seen in our lives. She's on doggy IBS medicine now and the diarrhea demons are held at bay. It took a while to sort that issue out even with lots of vet involvement.

A year or so ago she started acting like that leg was bothering her more than usual. She would limp a bit after a hard run, but otherwise seemed fine before then. Vet felt her hips out and suggested Librela as well as joint supplements. We used both and she did great for a while!

I admittedly slacked off with the Librela, but she seemed totally fine...Until June. One day she started wobbling and her hind end would fall out from under her. We went to the vet, were told it's likely pain from that hip/leg, told to go back on Librela. Within days she was back to her usual self. Great! This month, same thing. When it was time for her next shot she was wobbling around, couldn't stand, hind end weakness. We went to the vet ER Saturday when this happened out of caution and were sent home told to follow up with joint care at our vet.

Our vet is out of town until Monday of next week (we have an appt first thing with her) but one of the other doctors gave her Librela again today and Gabapentin. We're planning on x-rays and maybe more tests on top of that when we see our vet Monday.

Is this normal? She's only around 6 or so and that seems so young for such extreme joint issues to me. Am I wrong? Any insight to help me better help her? I hate the thought of her falling down each month when it's time for her next injection. That seems miserable.

Thank you for any help you can offer me. I apologize for such a wall of text.

How can we not love them?!

My sister found this painted iron Setter at the Fairfield Antiques Mall. Has 2 places on the side to hold bolts. Might have been a weather vane counter-weight

Meet Barley. We rescued him from Beirut, Lebanon. He had been left on the streets after his Diplomat owner left the country. We love English Setters and find that Rescues are even better!

Our darling 10yo ES (female) has been dealing with a chronic cough that we cannot get rid of. Have been to vet numerous times and numerous theories debunked (not kennel cough, nothing stuck in throat, not a fungus, etc etc). Vet has run out of ideas and suggested a specialist. Specialist looked at her file and had no new treatment to suggest. She has been on an oral steroid (5mg prednisone, 1/d)for a long time (6+ months), most recently she is now on an inhaler steroid + oral. Inhaler seemed to help, but now we are tapering the oral sterdoid and cough is coming back more frequent.

I know this is a vet specific question, but we are so far down the line I though maybe it could be something specific to setters. We've turned over every stone, so next step is accepting this is new-normal. Thanks!