westiemum

Thanks Rosetta thats a good idea. Forgot to mention apart from his black patches of fur, he has some very light golden tan colouring around his ear edges, and eyes as well - maybe part of a Cairn colouring?

Funny you should say that - the night he arrived we popped into my fellow westie rescue friends on the way home and the moment he clapped eyes on him he said 'oh has he got some Cairn in him'? So I'm certainly beginning to think that Cairn is a distinct possibility. He's just turned 6. He was chipped with an early March birth date.

Yes thanks Little Gifts - the the eyes get you every time!! He's a gorgeous little guy who I think was very neglected until he wound up in the pound. He's just turned 6 and I think he was just the dog in the backyard somewhere. Yes the mackeral and sardines are a good idea. I use them with the westies but am out of them at the moment. Will get some tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder. The reason I was querying the Malaseb is that some say it really dries the skin and I was wondering if its OK with flea allergy??? Thoughts?

Thanks Aussie - yes he is a cutey and I doubt I'll have trouble finding a really good home for him. His coat is odd - really wispy and quite soft towards the front and much more wirey towards his rump. But might be to do with the coat coming back?

He has a carrot tail like a westie but its longer and a chunky body - he's quite heavy... And quite a long pointy nose...

And a couple of body shots - he was really hard to get a photo side on as he continually turns towards me and the camera! Little show-off! Here doing that long body stretch - he does that a lot...

Meet Oliver - so named because he always wants more - attention, cuddles and food! He arrived from Hawkesbury a week ago tonight. First thing he got was a Malaseb bath x 2 - he was filthy! He's a really cracker little terrier cross (I think). I'd love to keep him but I don't have enough money or arms. So I'll start looking for a home for him in 6-8 weeks time after I've rehabbed his ears, skin and coat. When he arrived his ears smelled so bad I had him sleep in a warm crate on the back verandah. His teeth are good. He's learned to use the doggy door (didn't have to teach him - he just watched the westies), taught him to eat out of a bowl, he's learnt to eat raw meat a little veg, chicken wings and bones, taught him to sit and his lead walking is improving - all in a week! He sleeps through the night in a donut bed or on the floor. He's very food oriented and a very active busy little dog. He's lost his coat in patches on his back legs and rump due to flea allergy - his fleas were treated by his foster mum in Sydney and the coat seems to be growing back really well - I've seen improvements in his coat in the last few days. (Amazing what a decent diet does for him!). He was desexed last Monday and bounced back that night as if nothing had happened. Vet said he's really 'out of the school of hard knocks'. He also had his ears flushed at the same time (they were very pussey but no perforation), a watery cyst on his neck popped and drained and a biopsy of a polyp in his left ear taken (no results yet but not expected to be nasty). So I think he's doing really well - he's very needy but I expect that will decrease a bit as he gains confidence. I'd like to be able to give potential new parents for him an idea of what he is? I've taken some shots of him from various angles in the hope we might collectively come to some conclusions? I also want to ask whether anyone thinks he should have a supplement of some sort to help his skin and coat? (Nothing yeasty though which might affect his ears). Also I know little about regrowing coats after flea allergy? Apart from regular flea control, what else should I do for him if anything? I have used my evening primrose oil shampoo on him this week. Is there anything else which might be better for him with his flea allergy? In the photos ignore his messy looking ears - the Otomax is making them look really grotty! But they don't smell as bad and appear to be getting better. Although he's still very sentive, (I think they are very painful) and will nip and yelp sometimes as you put the ointment in. TIA and here's a couple of photos of the munchkin. Any other suggestions very welcome.

Agreed Stitch. I started asking here as I couldnt justify premium dry food prices - and I have an extra mouth to feed here at the moment with a Hawesbury foster. So was very pleased to find this reasonably priced grain fee food agrees with my guys and is easily avaiable. And if VIP do increase the price they'll lose their market share (which must be increasing), good will and market differentiation - as I suspect that most people will swap back to the other high priced foods if there isn't an advantage to buying the VIP.

Well said. And hence why some of those Science Diet, Royal Cain, Eukanabe all have low star rating but yet the price paid here in Aust is like for a royal treatment. Same with clothes such as Guess, Ralph Lauren, GAP, etc are all cheap everyday clothes in the US. Jess thats right. The recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Adobe, Apple and Microsoft pricing also proves your point. And dog food doesn't seem to be any different. My guys are doing very well on VIP grain free as an occasional food (I feed raw/barf usually). Its good to be able to buy a reasonably priced Australian product

Mac continues to do well. I haven't seen the getting caught in corners happen again which is good. Interestingly, while I was away. my great friend doggy-sat for me and did a marvellous job - and she's a really good observer - and she said she didn't think he was seeing very well. Perse said he walked into her at the beach last week and I think I noticed tonight that he was smelling rather than seeing a chip I gave him... so I'm wondering if the getting caught in the corner was actually that he couldn't see to get out... hmn...

Hi Jules, I feed my westies half a large chicken frame as one meal replacement so I think a quarter of one to start with as a meal replacement would be fine for your puppy. She'll love it. As Boronia says there is something very satisfying watching my guys eat carcasses holding it with their paws like a lion, even if 'the kill' is from the meat section of the supermarket!

Jelly not that this is my area but when I was reading your description of Roo on meds, as Nekhbet said, I too thought to myself she is better off without them. And I absolutely agreee with oonga. Give Nekhbet your complete undivided attention for at least a month - and follow her advice as closely as possible - and no-one elses - for a month. Then see where you are. Keep going - you're doing brilliantly. Roo is one very lucky girl. In fact I'm not sure I could have kept at it the way you have.

Link to article here

Jules she is growing up so fast!!! She is beautiful!!

Thanks Kirty and Sheridan - that's really helpful. Mac seems to still be coping on his own - but I'll keep a close eye on him. Not sure at this point what I'll do drug wise - might finish the Vivitonin I've got and talk to the vet at that point. He's definitely better this weekend - and he's so smoochy. Is it possible to love a dog more? I don't think so.

Thanks B, your positivity seems to be working. He seems much better this weekend. I think having me around helps too.

Thanks Boronia but yep Sheridan thats absolutely right - AQIS wouldn't allow it into the country.. My fault - I should have checked instead of just assuming. Mac is better today - brighter and more 'with it' Not being able to work out how to get himself out of corners aside, maybe the prolonged heat is pickling his brain - bit like his 'mother'! There are a couple of other drugs - not many - that I might try for him. I'll ask the vet. We're a long way from giving up yet.

Update on Mac: He is definitely getting slower and more confused - for the first time last Wednesday night that I've seen he got himself into a corner and couldn't work out how to get himself out. I had to pick him up and turn him around and then he trotted out. I've also noticed that he seems to be coming to a dead halt in the middle of the bedroom or lounge and then just stops and stares into space. Its as if he's completely forgotten where he's going and it takes a distraction to get him going again. This really seems to be a worsening of his symptoms and is sad, given how stable he appears to have been for such a long time. I'll get him to the vet ASAP to see if its worth changing his medication (i'm wondering if the Vivitonin has stopped working?). In the meantime if anyone has any other suggestions then I'm all ears. TIA.

OK Everyone!! Well I've just sent off some beautiful photos of two very worthy contenders! Cross all fingers and paws please and pray my friend chooses one of them!!!

MM - All your dogs are just stunning - and those cuddle photos are beautiful. But that last photo of Willow gardening is... well... I'm a westie nut so of course I'm biased

Thanks T - have pm'd you.

Yes and wouldn't it have been courteous/thoughtfu/easier to have said so to start with vicdrg? You never know who can help out in this amazing community. (For example I know good dog people in Bendigo, Wangaratta, Ocean Grove, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne...). I'm sure others have as good if not better networks than I do. I recently helped out someone out at Golden Square who said it was a suburb of Bendigo. Good luck with finding someone to help out.

Whats happening with this boy. Is someone able to help him? AWR? Unfortunately I'm not in a position to take rescues/fosters at the moment. Hope someone can help him.

MM: . But where's more cute westie photos???