tdierikx

Here's a pic of our emaciated mumma when we first got her... 8 weeks pregnant to boot! WARNING: Do not look if easily upset! ... and here she is just before she was rehomed...

Try giving Gnarla some ice cream - vanilla flavour is a fave with our poorly mums... will up her calcium a bit also. Raw chicken wings (whole) are also a fave. As she is rather underweight, may I suggest 5 or 6 small feeds a day - her tummy may have shrunk a bit by going without for a while. Is she drinking much? If not, she may need another dose of fluids (possibly by IV). If she is drinking OK, put some honey or Nutrigel in her water - or even some electrolytes - just to give her a boost. If you are supplementing the pups feeds, maybe you could mix up some of the formula for Gnarla too... We had a completely emaciated large breed mum a while back, and the above is what we did to help her get back on her feet... it worked a charm. T.

This is how my Lab used to look in her younger years... and how I prefer her to look... which apparently was "too skinny" in other people's eyes. ... and this is how she looks now... as you can see, I'd like to drop a couple of kilos off her, but she's still far from fat... most people are not calling her "skinny" any more... T.

I only pay for the vial... T.

What I was trying to show with the Pickles example is that feeding the "recommended" portions as per the side of the bag for a particular weight is not necessarily the only way to make sure your dog is going to end up in a healthy weight range. Pickles also has sighthound in her breed mix, which means she is of a leaner build type to start with. I was also trying to point out that even though she is lean and invariably has her ribs visible, she doesn't have her hip bones protruding... Maybe your overweight dog might need even less food than he's currently getting if you are having issues keeping weight off him? T.

Another fan of Royan Canin Junior here... feed it to all my fosters and they thrive on it. My own large breed (cross Dane) pup was on RC Junior up to 16 weeks, then I switched her to Nutro Adult Lamb and Rice - she's in beautiful health and has hit all her growth milestones just fine. She is now 8 months old, and I've cut down the size of her feeds as she isn't spurting (growth) much any more. T.

I get told sometimes that my Pickles (mobility challenged camp dog) is skinny. Firstly, her weight is strictly controlled because of her mobility issues. Secondly, the way that she moves means that some areas where most dogs have muscle, she doesn't have full development of same. Thirdly, she eats twice as much as my other large dogs who are twice her weight, but as she is a very "busy" dog, she uses up the extra just to get around. Pickles' hip bones are not pronounced, but most days you CAN see/feel her ribs. Pickles also obviously has some sighthound in her, which does give her a much leaner frame than most pet dogs. Then again, people tell me that my Lab is skinny too, and I reckon she could happily lose about 2-3 kilos before I'll be totally happy with her weight... *grin*... I keep telling her that she has "booty"... lol! T.

If she were mine, I'd probably like to see a little less of her hip bones... but it's early days for her so far. Give it a little bit of time for her to settle in and get some good food into her, and I'm sure she'll be fine. Overall she does look to be in a pretty healthy state muscle tone wise... Does she have a name kirty? T.

You are probably getting a consult as well as the vacc... T.

Seems a little bit silly detailing their defence of the charges in public like that - just gives the RSPCA a better standing for their prosecution by allowing them the chance to refute each item on the list before it gets to court. T.

Cutie patootie!! T.

Will get it oranised and to you asap LG. T.

Snook - one of your screenshots shows an action planned for June 24 at 4 Kay Ave, Berri... I believe that is the court house... so that may be the date she has to appear?? T.

Jed... you are an inspiration to many - what you have been through would have completely crushed most of us. I have always respected your sound advice and the amazing knowledge that you so willingly share with many a newbie (and some "veterans" that need reminding now and then also). Hoping that the rest of your recovery is less painful than what has so far been endured - and grateful that your spirit is still strong. T.

That's a pretty scary list of issues that they say were evident in the dogs/cats they seized. I don't know how they are going to counter them... T.

I have some printer transfer paper I bought a while ago LG - unopened... would you like me to send it to you? T.

Definitely another vote for MTD's work... she's great! T.

Aggressive or "protective" behaviour in public is not acceptable from any dog - no matter it's size. It is NOT funny when a little dog decides to provoke a larger dog - just as it's not funny when a larger dog snaps back and injures the provoking dog. There are no different sets of rules for small or large dogs - ALL dogs in public are supposed to behave in an appropriate fashion towards humans and other animals. T.

Definitely a Cavalier then... *grin* T.

Interesting to note the time the dog was surrendered... the exact same time as keetamouse was posting here for help with him... Obviously the owners weren't too willing to take on board the advice given and hold him until someone could be found to avoid him going to an even higher stress place than the one he was already in... *sigh* T.

Cavalier? Cardigan Corgi sounds great too. Labrador? Don't know how large/small she would be happy with... T.

Awww... she's a pretty piggy, isn't she? Very tame... must be a pet... T.

Many pounds and shelters charge a surrender fee - and so do many rescues. Our rescue asks for a donation rather than a fee for surrendering a dog - most people can front up around $20, sometimes more, or food/bedding donations and the like... As for adoption fees, ours fluctuate for many reasons - age of the dog, desirability of the dog type, etc - but is normally around the $300 mark. T.

Maybe a basic fact sheet on each breed advertised could be a goer? Include things like what it takes to breed and raise a happy, healthy, purebred pup; what colours are acceptable in the ring (and/or for breeding with); what levels of activity the breed is prone to need; and the like... As for "rare" blue staffords - they are as rare as rocks these days, but demand will always bump up the asking price... *sigh* T.

You'd be surprised at how many rescues can and do assess their dogs for rehomability - and if not rehomable, do the right thing by the dog and the community. Warehousing animals for indefinite periods of time is not the answer - even if they appear to be fine/coping in the environment they are warehoused in. It's not healthy for the dog, and it's not healthy for those charged with caring for the dog. That "perfect home" for a dog with serious issues doesn't come along very often... seriously, who goes looking to adopt a dog with issues? And I don't think too many people are going to trek out to the back of Woop Woop to get a "broken" dog either... not when there are so many perfectly adoptable dogs out there to choose from. I have a dog with mobility issues - she is a failed foster. When it came time for her to be up for adoption, I had a serious think about what sort of person would be looking to adopt her, and decided that as I was used to her needs, and she was used to my home, she should stay with me. Basically, once the novelty of her funny walk would have worn off, any prospective new owner would still have had a disabled dog to cope with... but I certainly wasn't looking for a disabled dog to adopt. T.