One Dog, One Thread

[We Hope]

I know this will sound familiar to those of you who are at the Canine Cushing's board--the idea of keeping all information about your dog on one thread.

If you're having problems, it makes it a LOT easier for those who can offer suggestions/help to be able to easily read what's been happening with your dog. In this way, we can see things like insulin/insulin dose changes, food changes, and so on, so we don't possibly offer suggestions for things you are already doing or may have tried before. At the other diabetes board, there was no system for this and when someone wanted to help, he/she would spend quite a bit of time using "search", trying to get some history.

The board will automatically bring your thread up as current, so we will all be able to see that you posted to it; you won't get "lost" by doing it like this. The other "plus" to it is that those who are looking for news on their friends, will automatically get "the latest" every time they come to the board.

So going with the "one dog-one thread" system as the Canine Cushing's MB has had, should make it a lot easier for those in need of advice or help and those who are willing to offer it.

[ladysmom06]

Re: One Dog, One Thread

Hi,

I think this is a great idea - was hoping you guys would do it this way. It does make things so much easier. I have a question - I would like to start a thread on Lady and show how we got to where we are today and then any questions I have I'll post them there. On the cushing's board it's called Lady's story - diabetes and cushing's. Should I start it under the discussions and can you merge the thread I started on the lancets? TIA

[We Hope]

Re: One Dog, One Thread

Lynne,

Please do start Lady's Story just as you did for the Canine Cushing's board--we can then merge the lancets thread with it when you start it.

Having spent a lot of time with the other board's "Search" when someone needed help, sometimes my eyes were like this:

Lynne,

We're going to ask you to start Lady's thread whenever you're ready--but we've decided that we won't be merging the Lancet thread with it because the thread may be helpful to someone else who's looking for information on lancets/testing. Not merging that thread with Lady's means that someone who needs it in a hurry can find it if it's left as "Lancets".

[johanna]

Re: One Dog, One Thread

Sounds great !!!!!

[Kiska'smom]

Re: One Dog, One Thread

Hi Lynne,

Another "friendly face!" It will be good to keep up with Lady's story here, too!

Hugs,

Jeanne and Kiska

[bowens2]

Re: One Dog, One Thread

Good Morning! The sun is shining in OHIO (well at least southern Ohio)!
Ok - So how do you want us to do this? Do you just want me to start a thread that says Monkey? Also I often do a search for the problem I am having such as pancreatitis, will I still be able to do this? I think it will search the whole message for a word won't it? So when I have something to add or ask to I then post a new thread or go back to my thread on Monkey? I will not be posting much for awhile. I am in my busy season. But I do come on an check to see how every one is doing at least every third day.

Sorry if I am a little confused. I just want to make sure I get it right. The board is so nice and organized.

[Dollydog]

Re: One Dog, One Thread

I love this idea...it made it so easy to use the Cushings site. When the diabetes was diagnosed I was in too much shock to be able to use the diabetes board as it was too difficult to get around and keep everyone straight.
I think I just started Lady's thread in the Let's Start part!!! Oh well...I'll check some of the other thread's to see what they're doing...this is what they call a learning curve...right?
Jo-Ann & Lady

[acushdogsmom]

Re: One Dog, One Thread

Also I often do a search for the problem I am having such as pancreatitis, will I still be able to do this? I think it will search the whole message for a word won't it?

Yes. The search engine in vBulletin (which is the software that this message board uses) is very powerful and very fast, too. So you can search for a "keyword", like pancreatitis, for example.

Just look at the top of the message board page for the word "search". Click on that, and the search page will come up. You also have the option when doing a search, to have the results listed by threads that contain the keyword or by posts that contain the keyword or keywords.

You can even specify that you want the search to show only the threads or posts that any particular member has posted. If you don't enter a specific member's name in the appropriate search fields, you'll get all posts or threads (by all users) where that word appears in all posts or threads. So your search results can be as specific or wide as you choose.

So when I have something to add or ask to I then post a new thread or go back to my thread on Monkey?

Yes, that's the idea.

We started doing things this way (one dog, one thread) a few years ago on the Cushing's board, and it just made things so much easier. We no longer have to look all around the message board to try to refresh our memories about what has already been posted about that dog before replying to that person. When we know what the "history" of that dog actually is (dose changes that may have been made along the way, diet etc) we can much more easily reply with an appropriate answer.

There is another way to search for all posts or threads by a particular user (without any specific search words). Just click on the member's username and that will take you to that member's profile page. When you get to their profile page, you'll see that there's an option to find all posts by that member or to find all threads by that member. So it's easy to find anyone's "one thread for their one dog".

If all the questions that have been asked about that dog and all the info that has been posted about that dog is all in that one thread, it's easy to read back through their thread to see what has been posted about that dog already, and then reply to the most recent question appropriately. Or you can just use that feature to find the thread of one of your friends here, just to see how their dog has been doing.

I will not be posting much for awhile. I am in my busy season. But I do come on an check to see how every one is doing at least every third day.

If you come to the board, and haven't posted in a while about your dog, but want to find your thread to add something or ask a question, you can click on your own username, then click on "find all threads" that were started by you, and easily find your thread about your dog, even if your thread has moved to the 3rd or 4th page (or further back) on the board by the time you do come back to post again.

And you can go check on your friends' threads too, without having to scroll through pages of thread titles to find the one or ones that you are looking for.

vBulletin boards are different than ezboards (or now, Yuku) but once you get used to the differences, I think you'll find that the differences are good. Just click around the board and experiment in the part of the board that is set up for doing that. And you'll quickly get used to it, I think. We chose vBulletin for our Canine Cushing's message board, and we love it!

Sorry if I am a little confused. I just want to make sure I get it right. The board is so nice and organized.

I agree! And I knew that this board was gonna be well organised as soon as I found out that it was Natalie's board.

Hope I was able to clear up the questions you have.