nell.m

Also forgot to mention, after Jasper's chemo finished, I took him to an animal naturopath. She perscribed him supplements to keep his immune system as high as possible. I do think this really helped his quality of life during remission. He was beaming with good health!

Hi Halledaisy, so sorry to hear your Halle has Lymphoma. My darling dog Jasper was diagnosed with Lymphoma in March 2008. He underwent chemo and was in remission for 1 year. The chemo gave him great quality of life and during his remission he was the happiest I had ever seen. He had endless energy and was like a puppy again. Sure, the chemo caused him a few off days, always a day after treatment, but on the whole he was a very happy and pampered boy. The vet told me they had never seen such a textbook case as Jasper's journey through chemo. Everything went according to plan and his blood levels were always high enough for the recommended dosage every treatment. I firmly believe this is due to the diet I fed him throughout this treatment. I followed the "cancer starving" diet, which is pretty much what has already been mentioned above. No cereals, and lots of omega oils. Sadly at the end of September 2009 Jasper passed away. He declined in a matter of days and there was no real warning that it was the end. To me chemo was the right choice- it gave him another year 1/2 of happiness and adventure and there was no prolonged suffering... Hope that helps, you are always welcome to message me if you have any questions. Good luck. Nell.

HAHA, classic! What a funny girl! What lovely photos, she is so cute

Haha, nice try, Cooper Very cute!!

Thank you everyone for your replies. I sectioned off her pooping room and she went really well for a few days, then one morning she pushed her way through and pooped in her corner!! So I am guessing I will have to buy a special barrier! She looked really guilty when I went to clean it up- she was slinking around and wouldn't come over. It has only happened once since I posted this thread- so I am hoping this approach will work. I have repeatedly cleaned the area with disinfectant and mopped it...hopefully she'll forget her special corner in time?

Thanks very much! I don't own a pen but I'm going to fence off all rooms except the living room. She hasn't gone to the tiolet in there since a young pup, so I'm hoping that will do the trick...will let you know how I get on.

I got my girl from an amatuer breeder in Gympie, QLD. I found them from another breeder in the same area. There aren't many, but they are out there, you just need to do a bit of research.

Hey guys, well my 5 month fox terrier Ruby has lapsed back into a habit of pooing inside. I'm trying to do everything right- taking her outside first thing in the morning, after naps, food and a few times at night. Early morning or late night seems to be when the inside pooing occurs- and ALWAYS when I'm elsewhere, like in the bathroom or another room. I've never caught her in the act, and she's usually by my side. She has a special place where she poos, in the fartherest corner of the house. I chastise her (lightly) when I find it, and she looks guilty and sulks away. I take her for long walks every afternoon, but she rarely poos then. In her defense I'm in Queensland where it's been raining torrentially the past few days, and this habit of hers has been worse during this time. But we have still managed to go for some walks. I thought I could solve the problem if I walked her first thing in the morning. This morning I took her for a walk and I was delighted when she did a poo. But a few hours later there was one in the corner again! When she was at puppy school, the trainer said a good way to stop this habit was restricting her access in the house. I close bedroom doors, etc, but her special spot is in a room that's too big to "fence off". Is this the only answer? I feel like I've failed her somehow Thanks in advance.

Poor fella! Here's to a speedy recovery!

Awww, dont you just love patient older dogs What lovely photos!!

Oh, also RosieFT, Ruby is obsessed with brooms and mops. I cannot sweep the floor if she's nearby because she goes nuts! Is Rosie the same with brooms, mops etc? They are crazy crazy dogs but life would be so dull without them!

Hi Helen! The link is just my email address. At the moment my website doesn't show any pet portraits (I'm currently rebuilding my website), but it's: http://www.nellmckellar.com

I wouldn't say i would die for my dog, but I would probably put my life at risk for her! She would be the first thing I would grab in any bad situation! Survival instinct is stong however protecting your "children" is also a very strong force (I'm not comparing pets to children but we are their protectors).

From NineMSN news: More than 50 per cent of pet owners are willing to put their life on the line for their four-legged friends, a new study has found. The New Zealand-based poll found that 58 per cent of people would return to a danger zone rather than allow their pets to perish. Steve Glassey, a distance education student at Charles Sturt University in NSW, said 99 per cent of people deem their pet to be a family member. "They've got quite a strong bond so that means in a disaster they're quite less likely to abandon them if they're told to do so," said Mr Glassey, a former officer for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mr Glassey conducted the online poll after discovering a lack of provisions for pets in emergency shelters was one of the reasons people were reluctant to evacuate their homes when Hurricane Katrina tore through the US in 2005. "A lot of people failed to evacuate because they couldn't take their pets," he told AAP. Mr Glassey found about 80 per cent of the 92 people he polled in Wellington would be more likely to leave their homes if evacuation centres catered for furry friends. "It comes down to core value," he said. "(People are) seeing pets as more than just sentimental property so they want to make sure that all their family is evacuated, not just select members." Mr Glassey said pets include all "companion animals" - everything except livestock. The results were presented at the Annual Emergency Service Conference in the capital last week.

Time flies but the pain doesn't ease...for my personally. I just get used to it. It's been 6 months since my special boy passed. For me the pain is still there, but I just know how to deal with it better.

Nice to hear a good news story for once! ;)

Thanks guys! ;) RosieFT, Ruby LOVES water! She has her own paddle pool and believe it or not, she actually enjoys being bathed! She is obsessed with all things water. I'm guessing your Rosie is too?

She is very sweet and affectionate, and very active! Like most puppies really! Really good with other dogs and young children too. My previous fox terrier was a real macho hunter though, a typical foxie...Ruby seems to be the opposite so far!

Oh she has one of those special harnesses on! I was thinking of getting one as I'm sick of being pulled along on walks

OMG how precious! What lovely dogs. It's lovely the patience some dogs show to pups

Haha, it's always satisfying to have a tired dog after a walk. Good job!!

Classic! What an awesome photo! It certainly gave me a chuckle! Is he in one of those shell kiddy pools? I have one for my dog and she's made about it!!

What a happy dog! Great photos!!!

Hey everyone! Introducing Ruby! She's a fox terrier that came into my life late last year. It was after a very traumatic time when I lost my old fox terrier, Jasper, to cancer. Ruby has made me smile and laugh again! She's a very happy little girl and I'm so thankful to have her in my life

Thanks for your kind words Denise. The pain never goes away, but you learn to cope with it. It helps for me to know that it was his time. Take care, Nell.