tdierikx

Wouldn't most of the complaints be about the Moorook followers chasing the "naysayers" and threatening them with all manner of crazy vengeance? T.

See... what is overly apparent with regards to a few rescues (and their followers) is the overwhelming desire to be looked upon as being "fighters for the cause" - with one problem being that some people have a greater desire for positive accolades than is commensurate with their actions. It really isn't "for the animals", it's for the feelgood factor the person gets when complimented on how many animals they have "saved". Rescue should not be about how MANY we "save", but how WELL we do it. Taking on more animals than one can safely look after on one's own, and thusly becoming reliant upon volunteer workers and lots of donations, is not how one runs a safe and successful rescue. Rescue does not have to be a money pit either - one could (theoretically) run a financially viable and successful rescue if they wanted to - however, it would mean being a hell of a lot more selective about intake and expenses, how one allocates time and resources, etc. The only hurdle to this goal is the nature of the beast - the urgency to get animals off the euth lists at pounds - that many people tend to start letting the heart rule, when the brain really should be the organ doing the thinking... and that's when they start getting in over their heads. T.

Gnarla is certainly looking a lot more interested in her surroundings in the latest pics... and a lot healthier. The babies are doing really well too - look at those little fatties!! T.

Thor, Dante, Zeus, Apollo, and Conan... ?? T.

$70 vet fees... errr! Peace of mind that all is OK... priceless! Maybe a day or two of softer food until the owwie goes away may be in order? T.

Hope the vet finds that he's only got a bit of an upset and that he's his old bouncy self very soon. T.

You'd think that a chip found, but with no detail on the current state's database, would prompt a quick lookup on the website that checks multiple databases - then all that is needed is a call to that register saying you are with a pound and need to have the owners contact about their dog... We had a rehomed rescue of our end up in a QLD pound, and they had managed to track him back to us and gave us a call - no probs organising his transport back to us either... and it certainly didn't cost $1500. T.

I'd try this too... T.

I hope that Zig is feeling better this morning - and that you haven't succumbed to his gas... I used to have a Rotti boy who would occasionally get a tummy ache with similar symptoms to Zig's - I would sit and stroke his tummy for a while until he farted or burped, and that was usually the end of it - then he'd go off to sleep and all was well with the world again. T.

Yet, people like you and your foster carer give others like me hope for humanity... because we know there ARE people who DO care... Loving your work my friend! T.

So - anyone game to see if AA want to check out the happenings at Moorook? I'm too scared to go near AA myself... they be truly strange people IMHO... T.

... and we spend so much time and energy trying to shield our children from internet bullying... but forget that adults are doing it to each other too. T.

Actually, unless she has written to sas as a representative of her legal firm, she may just get a "wake up" slap on the wrist from her employer if reported. Many young people today just don't think about any possible repercussiions for their more stupid actions - mainly because society tends to let them get away with being egocentric little shits for way too long. At 27, she should understand that there WILL be repercussions for her more stupid actions. T.

If Ms Bellamy is the future of our legal representation, then methinks we may be in BIG trouble... *grin* I thought they taught much better debating skills than bullying and calling rude names in legal studies... maybe she was sick that day? Seriously, who wins an argument by resorting to those kinds of tactics? Also, no lawyer worth their salt would ever commit such dialogue to written communication - be it on paper or electronically transmitted like in an email... If she'd like, I'd be happy to give her a crash course in internet communication and dialogue - dog knows I've gotten plenty of experience via many contentious debates right here on DOL... lol! T.

I wonder what the AR nuts would think of Moorook? *grin* Anyone game to ask them to have a look? T.

See if you can find some newspaper - put it all round the areas that may get cold, 4 or 5 layers worth at least, then put some extra bedding on top. The newspaper will act as a bit of insulation from the floor. When I have pups out in my granny flat in cooler weather - which is just an old garage divided into 2 rooms - I will put one of those fairly cheap upright heaters in the room, just to raise the temperature in there to a non-freezing level. I also make sure that the pups can't get to it by erecting some of the Bunnings compost cage panels around it or them... T.

Dogs are pretty resilient and heal fairly quickly from surgeries that would flatten most humans for a lot longer... but if they are in real pain, it will have an effect of them wanting to eat or move around much. To promote healing, Gnarla needs to eat and move around more. Can you call the vet and ask about safe pain relief for her? One of my Rotti girls responded well to half a panadol tablet twice a day to take the edge off her surgery pain, and she only needed it for a couple of days - my Lab girl needed Noracarp for hers. Normally you shouldn't give a dog paracetamol, but if you check with the vet for dosage for her current weight, you can tide her over until you can get something better. Looking at her size, I'd say the vet shouldn't have a problem with half a standard 500mg paracetamol tablet for short term use. T.

I have found nothing under the law in any state that says a third party can't pay towards a vet bill... which is why I will happily make a contribution directly to a vet clinic for an animal's care, but not directly to a bank account for them to allocate to whatever they wish. That way I know exactly where my contribution is going, and the vet clinic is also happy to send a receipt (not usable as a tax deduction though). T.

I'd go with third time lucky - contact a few people from your waiting list, and if she is still with you after that, then she was meant to stay... *grin* T.

That last picture is heartbreaking - poor girl does look like she may be in a bit of pain from her surgery - or depressed in some way. Please talk to your vet about safe pain relief for her... you may see a marked increase in her appetite and enthusiasm for survival. Getting more calcium into her will also see her perk up some. Her condition is bad, but definitely looks recoverable - she has a bit more meat on her bones than our Minnie had... and if Minnie could come back from her condition, then Gnarla can/will too. Seriously, try the Pedigree puppy tinned food... with or without flavoured rice... and maybe mix in some powdered calcium with it. Have you tried offering her ice cream yet? And try some raw chicken wings if she has a preference for raw food - beef/lamb may still be a bit rich at this stage. Keep up the addition of Nutrigel and/or honey in her water. Did you try offering her some of the puppy formula? Apart from feeding herself, she is feeding pups, and as she's been desexed, her milk production will be much less than if she wasn't - more things like formula, calcium powder, or even a daily sub-cut shot of calcium will help her milk come in better. Thankfully she is only having to try to produce milk for 5 pups, so if you can get it to come in better, they will have a better start too. How old would you say she might be? T.

Caesar is only a young fellow, isn't he? Many young dogs don't have great manners when bounding up to other dogs and wanting to play - and some dogs react badly to the lack of tact that an exuberant pup displays when looking for a game... A long line lead might be a good idea to let Caesar have his run without any chance of other dogs getting testy with him... at least until his recall is much better... T.

And that is why when I'm donating towards an animal's vet care, I call and make the payment to the vet clinic direct. I'm not looking for a tax deductable receipt - and I can be 100% certain that the money I'm paying is going directly towards the vet care. No way on the planet would I donate directly to a rescue's bank account - not even the one I volunteer with. T.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/half-of-australias-vets-sickened-by-animals-they-treat/story-fngwib2y-1226641178248 ALMOST one in two vets contract infections from animals they treat because of bad hygiene practices, a study has found. Research by the University of Sydney's Veterinary Science department shows poor infection control has led to 44.9 per cent of vets contracting an infectious disease during their career. More than 75 per cent of the 344 veterinarians questioned admitted they did not use masks, gowns, or gloves when performing surgery, dental procedures and post-mortems. "Our profession appears to have a complacent attitude towards the use of personal protection," said the study's author, Dr Navneet Dhand. "Not using appropriate protection when necessary is just like having unprotected sex with a stranger and thinking that it will be alright." The study found almost 22 per cent of vets did not have eating areas separate from animals, and more than a third (34.8 per cent) did not isolate animals with contagious or known infectious diseases. Dr Dhand said this was of particular concern since an increasing number of people had been affected by zoonotic or animal-borne diseases such as the Hendra virus and avian influenza. "Vets are likely to be among the first people to encounter animals infected with these pathogens," said Dr Dhand. "Their vigilance has implications not only for their own health but also the health and safety of the wider community." T.

Agree that dogs will happily eat weird combinations. Also good idea to check with vet if she could have post-surgical pain that might be helped. Meloxicam might be suss, tho'. Hasn't been rigorously evaluated with lactating animals. Also risky when the current health status is poor. So vet check critical. See Precautions: http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=ed2227e6-8c69-4057-a8b2-94f74cb11264 Thank you for that mita... I'd always check with a vet before giving anything to a lactating bitch - you can't ever be too careful. Excellent reading material mita... and looks very similar to how we nursed our Minnie back to health. We did adjust a bit for added calcium intake due to her needing to nurse her babies too. T.

She's probably not cleaning them because their waste doesn't taste right from the AB's she's taking - you are going to have to stimulate and clean them yourself before and after feeding methinks. A warm damp towel or facecloth will simulate her tongue. Also, the fact that she has been desexed means that her hormones are all out of whack, and that will reduce milk production. Go easy on what you feed her - if it's too rich, she may react badly to it. Can you cook up a large pot of rice with a couple of chicken stock cubes in it (for flavour) and see if she'll eat some small amounts of it to fill her a little? You could even mix ice cream through it for extra boost - dogs don't care about things we may find weird with food. You can also try Pedigree puppy tinned food - I haven't met too many dogs who will turn their noses up at that - mix it into some boiled rice and see if she'll take it. The aim of the game is to try to up her milk production some, so she can feed her babies as much as she can - while also trying to put some weight on Gnarla. Lots of small meals is the trick. Could she also be in pain from her surgery? Can the vet give you anything for that which is safe for her babies? My bottle of Meloxicam doesn't say anything about not giving to lactating animals... Minnie - the girl I posted pics of - responded very well to all of the things I've posted here. We had her on a drip for the first 3 days and really thought she wouldn't make it at that point. She had 11 pups 4 days later, of which 3 survived - which was no mean feat, as we thought for sure they were all going to be dead. It was a lot of hard work, but the outcome was well worth it all for Minnie and her surviving babies. Minnie's weight on arrival with us was 29kgs (and a good portion of that was her babies in utero) - and when she left us, her weight was 65kgs, which was a perfect healthy weight for her size. T.