tdierikx

Thought this might be a good place to ask... Does anyone know a criminal lawyer in Sydney willing and able to take on a case against the RSPCA - some experience in same would be great, as most seem to be afraid to take the buggers on... grrr! T.

Thank you so much everyone... it's so comforting to know that there are other people out there who understand how hard it can be when we know our loyal friends are not well. Trubs had an outing to her Auntie's (human) place yesterday, and I swear she ate almost her own weight in treats... still wanted dinner last night too... lol! Pickles was a bit jealous when we got home - could probably smell the Schmackos on Trubs' breath... but I'd saved some for her and Harper, so all was forgiven... hehe! T.

Trouble's is most likely an haemangiosarcoma... and also most likely a secondary metastasis... and we are reluctant to upset it by doing biopsies or the like, as that willl only speed up the already rapid growth... *sigh* So far she's not being troubled by it much except when she lies on that side and it pushes on her throat making her gag/cough - she's still wolfing down chicken carcasses like a pro... gotta love a Lab's appetite at times like this... lol! T.

Yeah... not fair, is it? T.

Thanks ZM... I think so too... *grin* T.

He's going to be a large boy methinks, and so you will want to grow him slower, rather than faster... too much weight during growth can cause issues later in life. Great Dane Rescue has this awesome document about feeding large breed dogs/pups... http://www.greatdanerescue.com.au/Docs/diet_section.pdf T.

Here's a recent photo of Trubs... T.

On Wednesday, I took Trouble (Lab) to the vet to have a looky at what I thought was an enlarged mandibular lymph node... ... and we found that it wasn't the lymph node, but an inoperable malignant tumour of the tongue/larynx. She's on a course of antibiotics and Meloxicam to reduce possibilty of infection if she accidentally nicks it while eating, and to reduce any inflammation it may be causing... but we are actually just on a watch and wait, and reassess at regular intervals ride now. No predictions of how long before the tumour grows enough to have to make any final decisions, but as I only noticed the swelling about a week or so ago, it probably won't be very long... maybe weeks? She's her normal happy and crazy self still... eating and swallowing just fine... and the vet was very impressed with her overall health considering that she's 12 - and should be slowing down (hear that Trouble?) This is the hardest part about living with our furry companions, isn't it? And just not fair... grrr! T.

Huge hugs to you and Sniper... please give him a cuddle and kiss on the nose from me... I've just recently had one of my dogs diagnosed with and inoperable tumour of the toungue/larynx... I can truly sympathise... T.

As someone who has a penchant for fostering multiple pups at a time, I can say that it CAN be a lot of hard work... but also can be VERY rewarding to watch multiple different personalities shape and grow into beautiful canine citizens. Shar Pei can be "funny" temperamentally, so be sure to get them out and about once they've had their shots, and socialise them as much as you can (or they will handle), so you don't end up with issues later on, OK? See how they react to lots of different stimuli, people, other animals, etc... and try for as many positive experiences as possible to get them used to being socially adept. T.

I bet the RSPCA inspectors were terribly disappointed to find a much loved, but naughty roadkill snaffling pooch... they probably only responded to the call so fast because of the publicity possibilities... *sigh* Doesn't Moby look pleased with himself though? Hahaha! T.

I rocked up with a big KFC feast and lots of happy memories to talk about last night... and we had lots of laughs and a few tears... Saffi is being remembered REALLY well... as she deserves! My friend still has a 7 year old AmStaff cross she adopted from me as a pup - one of my many fosters. Bonni (the dog) is so far quite happy to go with the flow of the routine changes and no cranky Saffi telling her off for being a doofus. She was in fine form last night showing us how she can hide her ball and find it again... lol! She also got to have a couple of nuggets and some chips... even though she's supposed to be on a diet... errr! T.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions... Sadly, Saffi became an angel today... but my friend is so pleased that you all made the time to suggest things to help... T.

I know this should be in the Health section, but figure it will get more viewers here... My friend's nearly 13 year old Stafford has been diagnosed with failing kidneys. She has been given the Hills KD stuff to feed, but the dog refuses to eat it... and actually gets so distressed when offered it, that she stress vomits and pees all over the floor. Saffi (the dog) has also dropped a lot of weight recently, and has some food intolerances. We have found that she can eat raw turkey necks (which she loves above all else) and also loves cooked chicken thighs with brown rice. Raw chicken makes her vomit... I'm of the opinion that it's come down to a quality vs quantity question with Saffi... feed her what she will actually eat and not have a meltdown, and just know that her time is more limited but less stressful for her. My friend is also leaning towards this option, as she can't bear to see Saffi so stressed at being offered food that will maybe only give her a few more months with us anyways. On the flipside, my friend is a bit distressed herself that Saffi will probably be flying with the angels sooner than she'd like. Does anyone here have any ideas about what other foods we can try with Saffi that may have a lower protein and salt content, so her kidneys aren't working so hard... and maybe will give her a little bit more quality time with my friend? My friend has also just retired from work last week... and I really don't want her to start fixating on Saffi's issues in place of the hours she used to be working... that wouldn't be healthy for either of them IMHO... T.

If she were to get a Lab, I'm sure a Tapua one would be perfect... *grin* T.

... and they are temperamentally amazing also... T.

I recommend Tapua Labradors... Pauline and Pete do an amazing job... you won't get a better Lab in my opinion. T.

I have 3 of these in my yard at the moment... pure dingoes... only fostering... T.

Foxes are opportunistic hunters... if they are hungry, they will kill whatever is at hand - even killing more than they can eat, and leaving some to come back to later. They are not fussy as to whether food is fresh or rotting... it's all food to a wild fox. That said, their preferred dinner is rabbit... if rabbits are thin on the ground, then the foxes will go for the next best thing - rodents, chickens or slow livestock, and native wildlife. A chicken coop looks like a smorgasbord to a fox... all that food in the one spot... very appealing to the lazier hunters or those needing to take food back to babies in the den. Peak times for unwanted fox activity should be during winter (June-August) when the males are all roaming to find females to mate (you'll even see more daylight attacks), and again around October-December when the kits are old enough to eat solids, but not old enough to hunt themselves. Foxes have a pretty high bite pressure for their size... more than the average dog... which means they can kill very quickly with one bite... especially smaller prey like chickens and rabbits. T.

I've got 2 shedding undercoat here too - Pickles is a demon for shedding... but the rest of the coat is gorgeous on Freddie, so can tell he's in great nick... T.

Awww... Dulcie is so cute... I love how all your dogs are in such beautiful condition - both the house pets and the working ones - simply stunning... T.

Naww... too cute! T.

We seriously need a massive Love button! T.

That's my boy! You go Pudden... don't worry when mumma perse laughs at you... T.

Merry Christmas Pudden!!! Love ya, ya big galoot! T.