Ruftybear

Thanks Jamabaar. It's comforting to know that people are here who care about their dogs as much as I care about mine :-)

He's 6 months old poodlefan. I hope he bounces back quickly, and I know puppies are noted for it but looking at his poor belly it might take some time. Fortunately we have a cage/crate to pop him in if he starts getting to bouncy with the other dogs :-)

Thanks everyone. I won't be charged for any more surgeries and the vet has been great. She has been in touch with a specialist, if we want to take that option, as well as finding out about blood tests to check for testosterone (to see if he maybe only did have one testicle). He is home and very quiet at the moment. He will be in for some sore and sorry days though and I am taking him back to the vet on Saturday so she can check and see how things are going with him. He has antibiotics and pain killers and we'll make a decision about which way to go when he has recovered from today. We will be making sure that there is nothing left, and there will be no risk of tumors relating to it in the future. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. I appreciate it, I really do :-)

They did have a look around, but ran out of time because they have normal surgery this afternoon. That's why she wanted him back next week. I'm still not keen at all and am wondering what the risks would be if we just left well enough alone?

I put our puppy in to the vets today to be neutered. Only one testicle had dropped so we assumed that the vet would locate the other on investigation. Unfortunately she (and the other vet) weren't able to find the other one. They want to put him under again to look for it somewhere else, but I'm not too keen at the moment. I'm wondering if ultrasounds would be a better option, and whether anyone here has been through this please? Any idea on costs of ultrasounds at all? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

That's exactly how we felt when we got Toby after losing Charlie. I couldn't believe how quickly Molly got back to her old self again, and by making her happy, it made all our family happy. She's never looked back, and it's so lovely to see her that way again. Molly is the last of our old dogs now (we lost our other 3 oldies), so I am dreading it when her time comes. That's why we got Harry, so that Toby won't be alone when that happens.

We had he same problem when we lost our little boy. One of our girls was so close to him and she was severely depressed. We found that getting another dog worked for both her and us. As other people have said, it's such a personal decision and one that only you can be comfortable making. I don't think there is any 'right time', but you will know when (or if), that time comes for you. I haven't forgotten any of our three we have lost in the last couple of years. Their ashes are in the lounge room, with their photos next to them and I say hi to them and tell them I miss them. Sorry, I don't mean to sound odd, but I do miss them and even though we have another 3 dogs, there is always a place in my heart for those I have lost. No other dog will ever fill that space, but I hate having a house that isn't filled with the chaos of my furry family. I'm so sorry for your loss, and I hope you can come to a decision that gives you both happiness and peace.

I had exactly the same with one of my dogs. Even the vet couldn't explain what had caused it because he had been perfectly well and eating until the vomiting started. Two days later we lost him and I was devastated. He was ten years old. He was the first dog I had ever watched being put to sleep and I cried for weeks. I'm so sorry that you had to go through this too

I would suggest a groomer if you are having so many problems. We have Toby clipped every 8 weeks or so and our new boy Harry will have the same. I have a brilliant groomer that I have been going to for several years, who always clips my dogs beautifully and she also cleans their teeth and does anal glands etc. It makes the coats more low maintenance for me, and I think the dogs are probably more comfortable too, especially in summer.

We always like to spend some time with our puppies before we name them. We initially called our new addition Jazz, but after a couple of days we decided he looked more like a Harry (and the speed he runs at he should have been called Hurricane Harry ... lol). I like the suggestion of Jules that someone else made

Actually there's usually bumps along the way.. adolescence being a big one!! Hahahaha ... agreed. Best to not think about it right now though. You don't want to spoil the surprises in store for later on ... ahhhh dogs, they are like the gift that just keeps on giving ...

Maybe it's winter and you want something to cuddle up to in the cold weather? ...

I hope mine turned up, because I posted them last week

That is the BEST news!! I'm so happy things are working out for you all. Puppies can be a bit of a challenge for a while, until you figure them out, then there's no looking back

Nothing prepares you for the sadness of losing one of your furry family. I have lost 3 in the last 3 years (the last one was 3 weeks ago), and I still miss them all terribly. I try to console myself with the thought that I always did my best for them, and when the time came to say goodbye, I made the right decision for them. I'm so sorry for your loss, but please remember that you will see Oscar again one day

I've been thinking about you today. I know it's an awful time, but I hope everything has gone as well as it can for you all.

That's great news

You have shown that you will be a brilliant dog owner when you try again, because you have been able to put his welfare before your own feelings and sadness. That makes you really special to me :D

That's a lot of pressure to put on both him and you. I agree that it's too much pressure on you both. We have had, and lost, many dogs over the years. I have had people say that when they have lost a dog they couldn't possibly have another one, and I think that is sad. I love my dogs to death, and they have a wonderful life with us. We cry when they are gone, we have them cremated and bring them back home with us, we put them in the family room with a photo .... but we still get another dog. I couldn't imagine my life without one. As someone else said, because this dog may not be right for you, doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with you or the dog. You just don't belong together, but there is probably one out there that is perfect for you. Plese don't give up, and stop being so hard on yourself.

That's great. It's nice to know that there are still caring businesses out there

How awful. Sending lots of positive vibes your way.

There is something so special about Labs, and the puppies just make you want to cuddle them forever

That fabric is brilliant Boronia. I love it

What an absolutely awful thing for you to have to deal with. I can't offer any advice better than you have already got, but I wanted to send you hugs. Some puppies can be so demanding, while others seem to need less attention. I must admit that I haven't had that many problems with puppies because I was able to have someone home with them until they settled, and we were never a single dog household, so they didn't have the issues with being alone. Good luck with a decision that isn't going to be an easy thing for you or your partner.

Thanks everyone. I feel much more confident about having two boys now