tdierikx

rmc, You'd be amazed at how well you can say goodbye in a short time if you have to... my Shadow knew she was truly loved by everyone she came into contact with for her last weeks - including all of our vet staff. She was actually in hospital for her last 6 days being fed on a drip due to the tumor not allowing her to eat properly. We were allowed to visit with her for a few hours each day also. In the end, if you can't have the time you want to have with your beloved baby, you make sure that the time you do have is of the highest quality you can offer - and when the time comes to do the right thing for them, you know that too... I'm still sending good vibes that you have caught your baby's cancer early enough for her to live a long and happy life... T.

I feel for you rmc... I lost my dear Shadow from this insideous disease a few years ago. Hers was in her mouth and it was only 2 weeks from first discovery of a small growth to having to pts. Good vibes being sent your way hoping that your baby's lump was found so early that she makes a full recovery... T.

My girls got a bath yesterday... their first in about 12 months... We then went to the off leash park where the little darlings found the first huge muddy puddle and wallowed in it... hahaha! T.

Paint Shop Pro has built in red-eye removal tools for animals' eyes... maybe there is a PhotoShop filter that you can get to do the same? Basically, a standard point and shoot digital camera is not going to give great indoor or low light shots - especially if it's megapixel rating is on the high side - too many pixels crammed into a very small sensor causes all sorts of issues... grrr! Best bet is to try taking photos of your sweetie outdoors in good sunlight. T.

I've never had to get a male dog desexed, but my various females have cost anywhere from $250 to $350 - depending on weight, which dictates how much anaesthetic the vet needs to use for the surgery... Torn toenail removal on my old 45kg Rottie boy used to cost me $325 a pop... and the clumsy bugger used to do it reasonably often... grrr! T.

I might have to bring my foster girl Princess down for some beginner lessons with you Monika... and last time we were at training with Trouble, she had been promoted to White class... finally!!! Zeddy was in Blue and loved it when you were the trainer... Trouble won't do anything when Ron is nearby, because she knows where he keeps his treats... grrr! She is bum-bag crazy! We have been doing lots of socialising down at Leichhardt (Bones Cafe), and the girls are quite comfortable with having other crazy dogs around - except for Princess, who is only about 7-8 months old and just wants to play... lol! T.

Monica is the best instructor! She always makes her classes fun... Zeddy loved her too! If I could get Monica to take Trouble's classes, we'd be there regularly too - and Trouble might actually learn something new! Trouble has lots of potential, but she gets bored VERY easily! Congratulations to S&J and Stevie for getting promoted... you'll be having one on one lessons with Trish next! T.

You could try Hawthorne Reserve at Leichhardt... try a weekday when there are fewer dogs there at first if you can. T.

If it appears to be just basic conjunctivitis, you can try using Brolene ointment (human eye ointment from the chemist) - it's much cheaper than anything you'll get from the vet, and it works great! My vet has checked the ingredients and says that it is fine for dogs eyes. Not only that, but it works a heck of a lot faster than anything I've ever gotten from the vet... *grin* T.

I have a Rottie/Pittie cross who wouldn't even wait for one of my old Rottie girls to finish before she was into it... gross! Now the cross and Lab eat each other's, but leave the stuff coming from my foster girl alone... it's not doing them any harm, and I clean up daily, but it's an uphill battle... T.

I've seen the S5 IS go for between $525 and $650... and I paid more than that when I bought it about 8 months ago... T.

It depends on what you are looking for from a camera. Most lower budget digital cameras (I've found) have a wee issue with low light or indoor shots - and just cramming more pixels into the tiny sensors doesn't help things in that area let me tell you! Last Christmas, I bought a couple of Canon Powershot A460's for my cousin's kids (at $138 each) - and they actually take very nice photos!!! They are 5 megapixel, with 3x optical zoom, and are touted as very good entry level cameras... I have a Canon Powershot S5 IS, and love it to death - but they retail somewhat out of the budget you have described above... errr! I wish I could afford an EOS and have the time to to learn how to use it... lol! T.

I'd have the test done just to be absolutely sure anyways... doesn't take long or cost much... T.

Thanks Shauna... it's starting to look like maybe his little gut didn't agree with the antibiotics (maybe)... I found switching from puppy food to an adult feed of the same brand worked well when my pups started getting the trots from the puppy version. Supercoat Adult Chicken worked well for my babies - with a small sprinkle of calcium powder mixed in - all made slightly softer with a small amount of warm water. Ask your vet if this may be worth a try for poor young George. T.

The puppy dry food is great due to it's higher fat content. I've used it with one of my Rotties that had a high metabolism and was hard to keep weight on - even though he was one of the laziest dogs you'd ever meet... lol! T.

When my Trouble was a pup the poo patrol was always an adventure... lol! The things that she ate and passed were incredible! T.

Ewww... my dogs won't touch Pedigree... I've found that the best "poor" dry food seems to be Supercoat Adult Chicken for my babies - they love it, and seem to thrive on it. I pay $42 for an 18kg bag at my local pet food store - and it's great for dogs with touchy tummies like my recently departed (bone cancer) Rottie... T.

I know what you mean! I have one that is totally food obsessed... but I strive to keep some sort of waistline thing going on - her dinner portions look so small, but she definitely doesn't need more than she is getting! T.

Hmmmm... I've been in a similar situation with my Labrador when she was a pup... one TV remote open and chewed, and could only find one of the batteries... Straight to the vet we went - made her vomit - not there! X-rayed - not there either (thank god!)... was worth it for the peace of mind though. We never did find where that lost battery went either... errr! If you think that Snot may have swallowed the chunk whole, you could have a problem if it gets stuck at some point while it's trying to pass through... a very expensive problem requiring some pretty major surgery and all. If you think he may have actually broken it up into smaller bits before swallowing, you might just find some interesting things when you do the poo patrol tomorrow... *grin* Dogs do these things at the most inconvenient times, don't they... lol! T.

What was George on antibiotics for? Might give us some more insight as to what may be going on... also some idea of what his stools were like prior to the antibiotics, and what you had been feeding him before the antibiotics, would be helpful... T.

External drives are actually cheaper nowadays than buying DVD media that may not be as reliable in the long term... that said, I cull anything that isn't halfway decent... lol! T.

Hey labmummy, have you read "Marley and Me"? It's a must for all dog lovers... so funny and poignant, and really well written. The love this author had for his dog was truly unconditional... lol! My brother has a lab called Kane who is the perfect boy like your Harry... I have a Marley... her name is Trouble... errr! But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world... T.

I've found that Brolene (human eye ointment) works wonderfully well for doggy conjunctivitis and eye irritation/scratches after the irritant has been removed. My vet has checked the active ingredients and declared it safe for use on dogs - and it's a whole lot cheaper (and works faster) than anything you'll get prescribed from the vet... T.

Goat milk yoghurt is very low lactose - I think the most popular one is called Attiki and has a pic of a goat head on it... Are you giving your baby any liquid calcium supplement? That can make them squirty too. If you are, change to a powdered version instead, OK? T.

My brother's dog was trained to only cross the road if he is given the command "cross", or hears the crossing noise at intersections. He will sit for hours until he is told to "cross" - even if people he knows are calling him over... T.