Staffyluv

We are off to training again this morning, hopefully it will go as well as last week.. He has been very good at home this week. But he has also been a bit sick, so training has been really limited as we didn't want to upset his tummy more with treat type food, so we just used bits of kibble...

I don't know how much it costs to train a guide dog in Victoria but according to the WA Guide Dogs website, it's around $30,000. That should be the minimum cost of the fine. I agree, not to mention the cost of independence of Matilda's owner.. It can take a long time to match up dog and owner... I can't imagine the horror of being in this situation. Years ago, Ollie and I were bailed up by a big dog and that was scary enough.. Being attacked or watching (trying to defend) as your own animal is attacked by 4 others would be so incredibly traumatic... I wish there was jail time for the owners of the attacking dogs... After they hold their dogs while they are PTS...

How bloody horrible.. What a terrible ordeal to witness... RIP Matilda.. I hope the other pup pulls through... I have no words just utter contempt for the owners of the attacking dogs.. I hope they are caught and the dogs PTS... I love my bull breeds but there are so many now (and other breeds) with such incredibly stupid and irresponsible owners...

Oh he feels better.. Typical dog, as soon as I take him to the vets he perks up. He is trying very hard to get me to throw his squeaky ball... Mind you he is supposed to be resting. I might have to bring his crate back in...

Sorry to hear that KM.. We didn't have insurance, so can't comment on that and ours was a different cancer, the prognosis of ours was 12-18 months. Ollie had 6 months of chemo and was holistically treated as well with Chinese herbs. He had other supplements while undergoing chemo. The Chinese herbs were used after the chemo. He had Lymphrodran, anti-Ox, 5 mushroom drops and vit c while undergoing chemo.. Ollie lived just shy of 6 years post dx.. I also think there is a lot to be said for diet in cancer dogs... Limit the grains and other starchy carbs and stick to good quality foods. We cooked Ollie's while he was having chemo, there was a lot of conflicting stuff about cooking his food but we chose to cook it So a good canine oncologist and a good holistic vet liaising with your regular vet is imperative to good treatment... My vet was funny about the holistic stuff at first but I just told him it is what I want to do and I need his help to send the results he gets to the holistic vet at the same time as he sends them to the oncologist... He was fine after a while...

$150 later we have instructions for a fat free diet of bland food for the next couple of days and then start to reintroduce his food... We got some antibiotics, rehydration stuff and some probiotics for after the antibiotics.. Vet wanted to do bloods to see pancreatic levels but said we could try this for a couple of days but if he is still throwing up tomorrow night we should come back for bloods on Saturday... So much for hybrid vigor of mutts.. He is quite a delicate boof head... But I love him to bits...

Well we are off to the vets this afternoon as Ziggy is still funny with food. He seems OK in himself and is still drinking but won't touch his barf patties or even some raw mince. He spent 2 days on chicken broth and rice (with chicken added the second day) and seemed OK but back to normal food Tuesday night gave him a barf patty and he bought it back up. so gave him nothing til morning and he seemed like he was starving. Gave him chicken necks (2) for breaky - within minutes of eating them he bought them back up - so resting his tummy all day Wednesday. Last night gave him some more chicken broth and rice and that was OK. A small serve of low fat mince (raw) was offered and he has been a bit flat on and off today, so think it is time for a checkup.

Nobody is being arrogant about the reality of poverty - we all understand that costs matter more to some people than others.. You could have shopped around and paid less, you chose not to pay less and are now complaining about it - what is it that you want to hear? There are people on this forum that would take out a second mortgage on the house (or get an extra credit card) for their animals (I am one, my old staffords chemo, holistic support and ongoing treatment cost me in excess of $20K over 6 years - it was my choice to follow that route with him but I don't complain about it)... I realise others would think that spending that sort of money is ludicrous and not even think of spending that sort of money on their animals. Vets charge what they charge.. Different vets in different areas charge different amounts - it is up to YOU to shop around, if you don't agree with what is on offer at your local vet.. The fact that it was a group cremation is irrelevant - it was still a cremation for the pet and you requested it.. The society we live in dictates we pay for what we want but we also have the choice to shop around.. Maybe next time, shop around, so you are not so offended by the local vet and pet cremation business trying to make a living...

Yes we did and what a difference.. He is much more responsive, even to the point of looking at me when asked (while other dogs were barking in the back ground). Taking treats for good work.. He was almost like a different dog... There is still work to be done but we are definitely getting there... It makes you so proud when we work together so well... It was a great training session and I am trying to do the same with him each day, so we have another good session this weekend. I think a few good sessions with other dogs around will reinforce what we have started... I used cheese and frankfurt as treats (a suggestion from the trainer)... She said to use things that he would never get at home that he really likes... I was treating at the smallest good stuff. Like a 5 second look at me, I shoveled about 5 treats into him.. It really worked well.. Thanks again for the advice...

Sounds a bit pancreatic to me - something to watch. I'd be crating him in another room and when they ask where he is tell them why. I thought the same thing... My old stafford had a couple of bouts of pancreatitis, poor old man... It's not like we see them that often (maybe twice a year).. I will just be more forceful next time they are here and tell them. It to feed him at all.. Everyone else that comes knows he doesn't get crap... MM! I think he eats a fair variety of foods but I just don't give him stuff that I don't think is any good for him. He had a pork bone once and was sick on that, so I tend not to give him any form of pork... He is the same with roo, he gets really stinky on it with bad tummy rumbles and runny poop.. So I don't give him that at all either..

The cost to deal with your animal when it dies is no different than the cost of looking after it when it is alive. It is a responsibility of pet ownership. It costs what it costs... Everyone has the option to shop around to get the best deal if they so choose... Personally I would pay as much as it takes, to be able to deal with the vet of my choice. And no, I have never been unemployed.. But I really don't see what that has to do with it.. If you choose to have a pet, then you are responsible for their care while they are alive and for their bodies once they have passed away... It is simply the cost of owning a pet...

I paid $340 for euth and cremation.. Admittedly our vet spent a lot of time with us.. We took Ollie in about 3:30pm, he had an anesthetic, then we said our goodbyes and he was given the final injection.. We didn't leave until about 4:30pm He was taken to be cremated and returned to us in a really lovely pottery urn, with a tag and his collar wrapped around the urn..

I think a dog chiro might be able to help if it is his back that is giving him some grief.. Maybe a softer diet for ease of digestion but i would still offer him some bons like chicken wings, necks and maybe even smaller brisket bones to chew on so it keeps his teeth healthy.. Poor little mite, I hope he feels better soon...

I feel so sorry for them when they are not well.. Ziggy eats his toys and ropes and cardboard... They don't seem to bother him but hot food or greasy hot food and he barfs every time poor lad..

Ziggy is predominantly barf fed... He also has cottage cheese, eggs, sardines, fruit and veg and if I am super busy he might get a bit of royal canin kibble. Plus the raw bones.. Brisket, chook necks and carcasses.. Family over yesterday and they gave him cooked bacon (we had a BBQ brunch for the kids birthday after the big night before).. He was sick for the rest of the day. Ate no dinner and I gave him some chicken necks for breaky this morning and within minutes he bought them back up.. So no tucker all day again and tonight I have given him a bit of chook stock with a tiny bit of chicken and rice.. He seems OK now, thankfully... It was the same with my old boy... I know they mean well but cricket it's annoying...

I am so sorry Trifecta... RIP Rogan

My previous research was more on Oxalate crystals so I have limited knowledge on the struvite crystals but from what I read they will recur if there is bacteria there.. So clear up any infection and they shouldn't come back. Also just because there ate crystals, doesn't mean stones will develop that will cause problems.. I remember Ollie still had Oxalate crystals after his surgery but no further stones, after the big one was removed from his bladder.. We did manage his with diet and we removed high Oxalate veg and from memory we had to limit offal.. That all changed again once he got mast cell cancer, which was totally unrelated to the stones...

Struvite crystals.. Unlike Oxalate crystals, often strut tie don't need a change in diet as they mostly develop from bacterial infection... There is some interesting reading in the link I posted... My old stafford had Oxalate crystal issues when he was about 6 years old... Good luck..

My old stafford had a few fatty lipomas removed over the years... One was really big (about the size of a golf ball)... He always bounced back OK.. As with all surgeries there is always a chance of issues but if the lipomas are increasing in size and they are in a position that could be troublesome, then it is best that they are removed... You want a fine needle aspirate done first. If any removed look suspicious, then you also want pathology done.. Just to be sure all is OK.. Good luck.

Sorry for your loss, she sounds like a wonderful girl..

Ziggy used to be like that with collar and lead but he sits lovely for them both now. Even at the park (just him and I), when he is not on leash and playing with his ball, if I say lets go - he runs to me and sits to have his lead put on.. He seems totally fine today.. You may be right huga about me coming over his head - maybe he was drifting off to sleep and I startled him (I honestly thought he was awake but you know how easy they fall asleep)..

Watch it here Hope that worked

He has seen the remote in my hands plenty of times.. But I must admit that the way he was laying, sort of under my arm so it had to come over the top of him to turn the TV off... He is pretty soft, so maybe I just startled him (although he wasn't asleep).. I just felt bad for the poor guy, he was totally terrified. Even when I went to move him, it was like he was frozen - nothing moved and every muscle was so tense...

We got Ziggy from the pound when he was about 6 months old. He is now about 16 months old. He was very scared and would crawl on his belly to come up to people and other dogs. He would not go anywhere near males for a good couple of months when we first got him and even now, if someone is wearing a hoodie or cap he is very wary. He sleeps on my bed of a night and last night I saw a reaction in him that concerned me. I picked up the remote control to the TV in my room to turn it off and it didn't work - the batteries had died.. But being lazy, I tried it a few times and because I was sort of waving it over the top of him (based on where he was laying) - he froze. He started shaking and let out a little whimper and it was like his whole body was frozen... He was awake, not asleep. I put the remote down and got, walked around the bed with a happy, do you wanna go out mate - to try to bring him out of it but he had crawled to the edge of the bed and wouldn't look at me - he was terrified.. All I did was point the remote at the TV (over his head because he was laying near me) and try to click it a few times and said a few bloody bugger its.. It was more an annoyed voice, not angry, that I had to get up to the TV.. It was like he thought I was going to take to him with the remote or something - you know when a dog is so scared they drop and curl up on the ground - well that is what he was doing.. I think it took me about 10 minutes (well it seemed like it) to bring him around and even then he stayed curled up in a really tight ball. Why would he react like that? Any ideas? He has never been mistreated here and he gets plenty of attention and training. This morning, he seems fine again...

Agree timing is very important - it is one of the things I need to do better..