Staffyluv

I will bring Ziggy out without Coco next time, some can stay and play in the mud.. He and Coco are going to have play dates at the scar here in town a couple of afternoons a week, so she can still socialize.. It is funny how she reacts to Ziggy compared to other dogs... I might suggest training to her new owners.. All Ziggy wanted to do was run and play in the mud...

I spent well over $20K on Ollie's cancer treatments over the years... I don't think cost has anything to do with it. It is an individual dog owners decision to spend or not to spend how ever much they want to or can afford on their animals... I used to get 'a needle would be cheaper' a lot from family that never really took the time to get to know Ollie... I used to say, I would remortgage the house if I had to... That used to send them on a tangent about wasteful spending... I would do it again in a heart beat. It gave 6 more years together...

Edited because I did not realise how old this thread was and posted based on the first few pages... Doh!

Heike Hahner?? Yep that is her, thanks... TW, if told off he leaves no problem and to date has never had a go back at an y dog that puts him in his place... I will be calling the trainer first thing tomorrow... I don't think it is him giving me the middle finger, it is almost like he gets so excited to see the other dogs that he just goes... Whereas before I could call him back and he would come first time.. It is just like he has forgotten his manners as he was always really good before. Everyone at the park used to comment on what a good boy he was... I was wondering if having fosters come and go has derailed him somewhat, as each foster is different with different issues and different training needs... I might take a break from fostering and concentrate just on him for a while as when it was just us, that is when he seemed so focused on me and not the dogs...

Good luck with your journey, it is rarely an easy one but you know your dog and what is best for them...

My sister lost a lovely dog a few years back because her husband was against desexing 'male' dogs... Tex was visiting a farmers border collie that was on heat... The farmer told her hubby to keep his dog off the property or he would shoot Tex... 3 warnings later, Tex was shot... Sadly this is not uncommon but it is every primary producers right to protect their livestock...

I have a staffy cross that is a pretty impressive excavator...

We are getting ready. I have him running around like a loon now to remove some of his energy before we go... Might head over a bit earlier about 9.30am and get him really running

I can't see how it can be a 'breed' thing.. Personally to me it is more a temperament thing. They all have their own personalities and quirks and it is up to us, as owners, to make sure that the house is a safe place for all the dogs that come not it..

He is gorgeous whatever the heritage. It seems that he's being a typical teenager. It's ok, it will pass. You know what to do :D Ah, I thought about that but them thought, I have given him a lot of free time lately and now I am paying for it... He has crossed his boundaries a few times and as I have been busy, with the foster etc, he has gotten away with stuff I would normally pull him up on... Cheeky boy, just melts my heart...

Just watching the pups play and Ziggy has a ball that Pippa wants, so she is diving on his back and nipping his ears, when he turns around she dives on the ball and takes off with it.. She is quicker than him but her long legs get in her way...move she has good coordination she will be u stoppable...

Ollie dog Staffordshire Bull Terrier 14 years and 4 months old when he was given his wings. Ollie was diagnosed with Mast cell cancer when he was 8 years old and given 12-18 months to live with chemo as it was already systemic... With chemo and holistic therapy he lived a long, happy and very spoilt life... He passed away on October 25th 2011... I still miss him every single day...

I think it looks bigger but it could be the light and angles of the pictures... Back to the vet for an aspirated to put your mind at rest... Has he played rough of fallen on a that side at all? Perhaps it is just a hematoma! Good luck with the vet...

One of the best canine oncologists in the country is in Brisbane. Rob Straw. That is who treated Ollie dog..

Our holistic vet is in Sydney and we are in Canberra. We never saw them. We liaised via our vet and email and phone... When you say a natural diet, do you mean raw foods only? Dogs with cancer need a bit extra.. In general it is believed that carbs feed cancer cells. So limiting them is important. No rice, flours, grains, sugars in the diet at all. Increase meat, raw bones and vegetables. Ollie had cottage cheese, plain yoghurt, fruit, fish oil tablets and vitamin c tablets every day. He also has a few other supplements from the holistic vet based on the reports sent by our vet. He had Lymphrodran, Anti-Ox and five mushroom drops daily. He also had a course of macrolone, not to everybodies liking but I did it anyway... Antihistamines are just to slow or stop the histamine release from the mast cell tumours. Mast cell tumours release histamine... Ollie had 1 polaramine tablet every day from the day he was dxd. wishing you all the best.

Ollie was given a 12-18 month time frame depending on Chemo... He was 8 years old when dxd.. He lived another 6 years. He had 6 months of chemo and was holistically treated as well... Diet plays a very important part in the treatment of cancer. Please have a read of Ollie's thread... Mast cell cancer, here in the palliative care forum.. There is a world of information and advice in there... I am also happy to answer any questions. Moopers dog Jack also had MCT grade 3 and that was a few years ago now... It does not have to be a couple of months (unless you have chosen not to treat). The first point of call is find out what you are dealing with (you have) Get a good holistic vet Change the diet Adopt a very positive attitude (not always easy) Is chemo or radiation an option? If not there are still plenty of other option.. Ask your vet about Palladia for one...

Yep count us in... I am having some issues with Ziggy at the moment so if he misbehaves we may not stay long... His overbearing focus on shy dogs was out of hand earlier this week and even with a really decent reprimand from the dog in question and me before hand, he just would not let up... It is like his excitement level just goes overboard...

OK each day at home since tuesday I have been doing a lot of stays and at home he is great. I am the centre of attention and can pretty well get him to do what I want. So off we go to the dog park this afternoon and he was walking with me and sitting when asked, coming when asked.. Until... Another dog turned up.. Then nothing... He won't come when called, not even for treats or toys or me... It's like he forgets it all as soon as another dog turns up... I even took the clicker and he did turn and look at me once when I clicked but went to the dog rather than come for the treat.. So my new question is.. How do you recall a dog that does not care about toys, treats or me anymore... Needless to say, once I got him, he was leashed and I walked him around the park trying to regain his attention. After half an hour, we left as it was pretty obvious that he was focused on the dogs and not me... I do recall someone givingme the name of a trainer here in Canberra or Queanbeyan but I can't remember the name There are so many on the Internet that I don't just want to end up somewhere like bark busters... Thanks in advance

I don't know -I have had heaps tell me he is a pit bull, he is a stafford, he is an amstaff.. To me he is a staffy cross and that is OK (I do wonder what with but I will never know)... He is divine most of the time -when he is not digging, running mud through the house or annoying other dogs at the dog park.. He has taken to being really in the face of a couple of really shy dogs and even though they have a snap to tell him to stop, he just won't. He has missed out on so much run time this week with me trying to get his recall back to what it was. It has gradually become worse to the point where last week, he would not recall at all while he was annoying this poor black dog at the park... I had to leash him and take him away...

I totally agree with this - iPods were made for those of us that don't want to listen to others kids carrying on in public. However, it is still the responsibility of those that choose to have children to make sure they don't bother those of us that don't want to be bothered in public places :) Just as an example - I was at a restaurant, eating with my boys (grown up now) and 2 tables over were a group of parents with their kids.. When the kids finished eating the parents put them off their chairs and the kids began to run in and out of the tables - annoying other customers (I was not the only person annoyed at this)... I would NEVER have done this with my boys when they were smaller. (No I was never a perfect parent) We would change our plans if the kids were tired and we knew they would not have sat, eaten and behaved themselves for the duration of our time out... To be perfectly honest, I would never have taken my little kids to a place where they would have to sit still for ages while me and my friends had dinner, drinks and chatted about whatever for ages... The kids that can tolerate sitting still for that long are few and far between (my oldest would have but my youngest would have driven everyone, including me up the wall in half an hour)... When you have children, you realise that life changes with that decision - no you don't have to be a hermit but guess what... Kids change your life, accept it and live with the knowledge that you can go back to your fancy restaurant when you have a babysitter or the kids are old enough to look after themselves...

See I don't understand a vet not aspirating a suspicious lump at the first visit.. Why should you have to make and pay for another appointment when it could have been done and resolved at the first appointment... The odds on her introducing an infection by doing an aspirated in a sterile vet surgery using sterile equipment is all but none... I hope if you do in fact require a follow up visit to get an aspiration that you get it at follow up prices... Sorry but his blasé attitude of some vets with some lumps annoys me.. Just so you know, my old stafford had a lump, that was treated the same way.. Then when it did not go away, it was aspirated, only to discover it was mast cell cancer.. There was another lump, which felt totally different to the first that was aspirated and it to was mast cell cancer... I am not trying to scare you but lumps that come up and look or feel suspicious should be aspirated to be sure... I hope and pray that your dogs lump goes down and you never see another one...but if it still there in a few days I would be insisting on an aspiration... Keeping everything crossed that it just goes away.

'English Staffy' is one of my pet peeves... It annoys the crap out of me... SBT or Stafford = Staffordshire Bull Terrier Amstaff = American Staffordshire Terrier... It is really not that hard.. I agree with Pav, Staffy = generic pound type staffy dog... To me I does anyway...

Make sure the vet does a fine needle aspirate to see if there is any fluid in the lump...

Yep, she is going to be a big girl when she grows up.. She has the prettiest eyes and her coat is so soft.. Zig loves her and lets her chew on him all the time...

and one more because I think he is stunning