Boronia

Thank you everyone for your kind words, and, yes, it is quiet though there is new-dog Saffy's paw-noise now. She is helping fill the void. My friend stayed with us last winter and took these photos, he sent them to us when he found out that the little guys had passed away. Sad photos for me but I still love looking at them. Hoping for a treat and snuggling in their blankies

http://www.abc.net.a...-goldie/7790086 The trouble with Goldie Donating a much-loved pet to veterinary science. ABC South East SA By Kate Hill Updated about 10 hours ago Once you fall in love with kelpies, Australia's loyal and intelligent working dogs, there is no going back. Photo: A diagnosis of a rare and progressive brain disease would see kelpie pup Goldie put down and her remains donated to science. (ABC South-East SA: Kate Hill) When I lost my Indie, my three-year-old rescue kelpie, to a car on a sunny Saturday morning in January this year, I knew it would not be long before another one would steal its way into my heart. In the midst of a jumble of yapping bright-eyed puppies on a south-east farm, I met her. She was chocolate-coloured, had a stumpy tail and was positively bursting with cheek and attitude, despite being the runt of the litter. I took her home and called her Goldie. The first sign that something was up with my young puppy was just a faint movement of the head, nearly imperceptible. Those blue-grey eyes would fix on you, but her head would be nodding, nodding away all the time. Watching Goldie play on the lawn in those first few weeks, it soon became clear there was something wildly off. Her balance and walk were unsteady and every two or three steps she would crash blindly into the ground before hauling herself up to a wide-legged stance and launching merrily off again. Photo: Goldie at eight weeks old: a stumpy tail and full of personality. (ABC South-East SA: Kate Hill) She would fall down stairs and struggle to eat, her head refusing to stay in the bowl. Sleep was the only time her little body would remain still. Whatever she had, it did not seem painful. But there were times when I would look into those intelligent little eyes and fancy I could see some sort of awareness that all was not well. And it was getting worse. When her walk turned into a stagger and that once-adorable head nod developed into a violent jerking up-and-down, I booked a vet appointment. A genetic lottery Watching Goldie stumble around the floor of the clinic, my vet told me straight away she suspected she had early-onset cerebellar abiotrophy (CA), a rare brain disease passed onto puppies by a defective gene in their parents. I had never even heard of it and my vet had seen just a handful of cases. In itself, CA would not kill Goldie she said, but it would make her life hell. It would steal her balance, her movement and affect her ability to eat, drink, play and function as a normal dog. It is a cruel kind of genetic lottery. The disease can sometimes pop up and swiftly affect numerous puppies in one litter, or creep up slowly on an animal when it is one or two years old and take years to progress. CA variants have also been found in Arabian horses, Labrador retrievers and American Staffordshire terriers. There is no treatment and no cure. After symptoms grow progressively worse, many owners simply decide to end their dog's life. I went home with Goldie and watched her play on the lawn. I could give a disabled dog a good life, couldn't I? But an online search of the disease made me think again. There were videos of staggering dogs wearing helmets to prevent them crashing into things and incredibly sad stories from owners who had to put down their adult dogs after the disease stole their agility and balance. The words "heartbreaking" and "euthanasia" came up a lot. Watching Goldie take a tumble down a small flight of stairs that night, I made the decision to put her down. Late on a Thursday afternoon, the vet pressed the plunger of bright green liquid into her little veins and it took just a few seconds until Goldie's head shook for the last time, her body at peace in her favourite blanket. There was one small bright spot in that afternoon. The night before, I had been in contact with researchers at the University of Sydney, conducting a long-term study into cerebellar abiotrophy, hoping to develop a genetic test that might one day halt its progress in the kelpie breed. Would I consider donating Goldie's brain and blood to the study? The researchers were kind yet gently persistent, knowing that with her death, the window for her use in the study would close. The need for something good to emerge out of this mess won out over my initial feelings. As the vet took her little body away through a packed waiting room, I went home and began filling out pages of forms to give my consent for researchers to use her tissue samples. With that, I passed Goldie over to the hands of researchers. On the autopsy table Later that night at the Mount Gambier veterinary clinic, Dr Rebel Skirving took a scalpel and carefully sliced open the skin over Goldie's head, then used a small bone saw to remove the top of her skull. Delicately, she lifted the small brain out and placed it in preservative solution. Replacing the top of her skull, Dr Skirving sewed the skin closed with small precise stitches of surgical suture. "She just looks like she's sleeping," commented a vet nurse, who stopped to gaze at the young puppy on the table. The whole procedure took just half an hour. Photo: Goldie's remains ready to be picked up. (ABC South East SA: Kate Hill) The nurse gently wrapped the body in a towel and then a muslin bag. Sharing a shelf with tissue samples and blood transfusion packs, Goldie's remains spent the night in the clinic fridge. The vet, who had seen numerous dogs affected by the disease over her years in practice, was keen to hear what the university's researchers have to say. "I hope Goldie helps give us some answers," she said. Search for an elusive gene Tucked in ice in a small blue esky, Goldie's samples arrive by courier at the University of Sydney's Veterinary Faculty of Veterinary Science, one of Australia's oldest veterinary teaching hospitals. The university houses the world's biggest collection of samples from CA-affected dogs. On a mild Thursday afternoon, a red and tan kelpie wandered down the fifth floor corridor, wagging her tail. Three-year-old Tangerine belongs to PhD student Annie Pan and, along with her beloved frisbee: she is a regular in the building. Photo: A good place to bring your dog to work: Annie Pan and Tangerine, a regular at the faculty. (ABC South East SA: Kate Hill) For six years Ms Pan, Professors Claire Wade and Rosanne Taylor and Associate Professor Peter Williamson, have been working to identify the rogue gene, or genes, responsible for causing cerebellar abiotrophy in the Australian working kelpie. A genetic test to determine which dogs are carriers of the disease would let breeders know which dogs are affected. They could then retire them from the breeding gene pool, effectively eradicating CA from the entire population over a period of time. It is a complex task, a kind of molecular detective work, which requires time, resources and ongoing funding. Finding CA-affected dogs, before they are put down, is one of the study's main problems. It is impossible to know how many affected puppies and dogs are simply put to sleep on the farm without ever seeing a vet or having an accurate diagnosis. Goldie is one of only two dogs to be donated to the study so far this year. Photo: Goldie's samples arrive at the lab. (ABC South East SA: Kate Hill) In a busy fifth floor laboratory, test tubes filled with the blood of around 40 CA-affected kelpies from around Australia are banded together, identified by only a number and a name. Participation in the study is strictly confidential. Finding out the disease runs in the bloodlines of their animals is upsetting for owners and breeders and can also affect the futures of valuable breeding animals. Using a dog's blood to collect DNA, each individual chromosome will be scanned. A complex computer algorithm then interprets the information into endless reams of data. Ms Pan will then study that data searching for a sequence difference in the genome of an affected kelpie, which will hopefully stand out when compared to healthy kelpies. If the researchers are lucky, one difference will stand out above the crowd and pinpoint the problem region. "Would you like to see Goldie's brain?" Ms Pan asks me, tapping a small white container. Snapping on rubber gloves, she uses tweezers and deftly lifts the brain from its protective pool of formalin and places it gently on a small tray. It is a strange thing to see — small and perfect-looking, with no outward sign of disease or abnormality. Photo: Preparing to dissect Goldie's brain. (ABC South East SA: Kate Hill) I find out about Purkinje cells or neurons, which form a layer in the cerebellum and play a critical role in brain function. When CA ravages these cells, the affected animal loses its sense of space and motion, leading to the disease's distinctive range of symptoms. After I leave, Ms Pan will get to work, dissecting the brain to see if CA is present. When Goldie's results come back, they show that her brain is riddled with patches of degenerating cells, irregular spaces. Some Purkinje cells are missing altogether, a classic case of early-onset CA. Five weeks after her death, the final box is ticked and she is now accepted into the study. A genetic test for cerebellar abiotrophy may still be years of complex research away. (ABC South East SA: Kate Hill) The researcher and her dog When Ms Pan first began working on the disease seven years ago, she admits she knew nothing about the disease and had never heard of the Australian kelpie. "After I started to get to know the breed, I realised the importance of a kelpie for people who are working on the farm," she said. "If they have CA and can't work, farmers pretty much have no choice but to put the dogs down." In some cases, owners have donated affected dogs and puppies for the researchers to observe, before they are euthanised. Ms Pan confesses she often gets upset when clinically studying these animals, who become stumbling, nodding shells of the normally lightning-fast and loyal kelpie, once CA takes hold. "It's just so sad," she said. "It's not their fault but they just cannot enjoy their life like a normal dog can." Somewhere along the line, the breed won Ms Pan over. Three years ago, she picked up a tiny red puppy from a cattle farm in Grafton. Now Tangerine plays her own part in the study, donating blood as a healthy control for Annie to compare to affected animals. Photo: Annie Pan and Tangerine go for a run on the vast university grounds. (ABC South East SA: Kate Hill) One day, Ms Pan hopes to find the mutation and play her part in eliminating the disease from the breed her life and study has become so entwined with. "That would make me really happy," she said, while Tangerine sleeps at her feet. "Knowing this would help save Tangerine's breed would make me really happy." I leave the university happy, knowing that the study is in the hands of a fellow kelpie lover. Moving on Photo: Goldie and Indie's resting place, beneath the apple tree. (ABC South East SA: Kate Hill) Goldie is buried in the backyard beneath my favourite apple tree. She's right next door to Indie, so they can keep an eye on each other. Meanwhile, life moves on and that love of kelpies has won out again. I've had Frankie for three months now and, although I watched him closely for signs of CA the first few months, he is just your average happy, healthy and semi-bonkers puppy. Every so often, I'll get an email from researchers giving me the latest study updates. The riddle of CA is not going to give up its answers easily and a genetic test for the breed may still be years away. But in death, Goldie has played her part.

I can't live being dogless! so..... this is Saffy our little newby eight years old and is dieting already! She has explored the house/bedrooms/bathroom/toilet/veranda/sofa/chairs/beds/garden/rocks/trees/chook- pen/compost-heap/plant-pots and frog-pond. She learnt how to climb up and down the 17 steps so now knows where her back feet are. She is nearly 2kg overweight but not for much longer as she loves her walks and low fat minced turkey necks, chook gizzards and vegie slops She is busy healing our hearts. Thank you Saffy.

Mac picked up pretty well with his McDowell Herbals drops, he became much stronger and wasn't coughing/retching to clear his lungs (he was still on Lasix and Pred X) unfortunately he went downhill five days after he realised Daisy and Penny were just not here. I was in the process of taking him to the ferry/vet and we had 1/2 hour before leaving for ferry-catching so we sat on the sofa together and I talked to him, he looked at me, gave a shiver and passed away with his head on my lap. He just pined away. Have fun with your bestie-girls Little Fella xxx from me

Don't go HW, (unless you are going to join my Hyena men of course) B

I felt that I had to write a memorial to my two girls and now my little pal Mac. Penny: 24/11/1998--19/8/2016 Daisy: 20/05/2002--16/8/2016 Mac: 01/03/2000--23/08/2016 Many Dolers already know that Daisy and Penny passed away last week, you contacted me via Dogz and also personally, this meant so much to me and I do thank you for your thoughts and support. Penny was saved by a woman (Dol Moirat) near Kenilworth in 2007 (post # 6 and update #60 in the Westie forum http://www.dolforums...age__hl__westie) I bought Penny and Mac from Moirat's daughter in November 2008 after Moirat and her husband were tragically killed in a road accident This a photo of Pen, snooozing with her teddy shortly after I got her...dear old snaggle-tooth Penny was such a contrary dog, she feigned deafness if she didn't want to do something that she felt was below her status, she was a grade-A guts and would stare at Mac until he was so intimidated he would let her have his bone. She loved going to our little beach but always headed off into the mangroves in the hope there would be a disgusting bit of dead fish that she could eat or roll in. She had several operations but survived them. She was a tough old bird, bossy-boots, queen of our place, killer of rats, starer-down-of-all-dogs and my love. You laid your head on my hand and then you were gone I miss you my little darling, Love from me, who had eight years of pleasure with you. xx not impressed with the dress-up Old but happy and my favourite, Pen's 17th birthday ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------- And Daisy.... My funniest, happiest little dog. You thought I was the best thing since sliced bread. You came to live at our place when you were seven and decided this would be fine with you. You loved sitting, with your eyes closed, on the landing, in the sun You barrel-rolled with joy after you got a cuddle, you threw yourself into the wet sand with glee, you were such a clown. You were the dirtiest dog ever, you'd just pick out something on the ground that took your fancy and dive at it...dusty paths, bandicoot poo, mangrove mud, chook poop...whatever, it made no difference, you just loved it all. You teased Mac and put an extra spring in his step, you loved learning obedience and when you became deaf you had fun learning sign-obedience. You got in a tizzy and ran to tell me when you had a stick or cobblers pegs in you hair. You were the easiest dog to have and you filled my heart with giggles at your antics. Maybe you did wait until I came home, did your welcome zoomies for me then quietly died with your head on your paws. I do miss my little clown Maybe you will brighten everything up over the Bridge. I reckon you will. Goodbye my happy friend Love from your Human in her younger days...the result of poking her nose into rose cuttings taking it easy and with Mac on the veranda And Goodbye Mac ❤ my best little buddy, you were so brave overcoming your fears of flapping leads, going under fences and swooping birds. You loved your dog play-agility and were so proud of yourself when you jumped over that bar and worked out how to go through that tunnel. You had been crook for a while but picked up with your special diet and we thought that there may have been a light at the end of the tunnel but you just decided that you wanted to be with your two girls too much to stay. You lay your head on my lap and even though I told you that we would get you a new friend soon you just looked up at me, through your hairy eyebrows, and then you were gone. You loved going to the tidal pools hunting for toadie fish and trying to grab pippies before they dug back into the wet sand. You loved the vet because you got liver treats. You loved killing rats and burying them under the sofa cushion and chasing those pesky magpies off the veranda and you love your hidey-hole Houndhouse and mauve igloo and riding to the shops in the bike trailer You were a funny little bloke, you spent hours trying to find a good place to bury your bone then changing your mind and digging it up to finally place it carefully in the corner of the shower You will like being with Daisy and Pen again, you will also find new friends...look around for another Mac and a little red Danny, they will also be there for you. Bye bye Mac, my friend From Me.

I have bought stuff (slippery elm and charcoal capsules) from IHerb WM, they are pretty good to deal with. If I remember correctly it's best to join their newsletter/email list first because they email you a discount voucher, you can then cunningly use it on your first order (I think it was this company anyway) The cornsilk seems to be pretty reasonably priced: http://au.iherb.com/product-reviews/Nature-s-Way-Corn-Silk-400-mg-100-Capsules/1864/?p=1

Maybe contact McDowell Herbals saying exactly what is wrong and what medications the vet has prescribed., the treatment they sent me for Mac's lungs has made his breathing easier. https://www.mcdowellsherbal.com/treatments/for-dogs I thought it interesting that there is also, in the kidney listings, a specific heading titled-->Kidney Health in Greyhounds

I bought a plastic kid's slide at a garage sale, we took the steps part off, glued on carpet and screwed 1" square x width-of-slide pieces of wood as foot-grippers about every 30cm up the slide so the dogs can use them for hand paw-holds. because it has a flattened top it will sit on the bed, We also put grip-type material like rubber on the bottom where it touches the floor. It can be popped under the bed during the day A photo of it leaning against the wall

O Dear, I am so sorry DDD Danny has been such a part of DOL for so long, we will miss him. You just can't fix Old can you Hugs for you this afternoon

A woman and her dog are rescued from a car in Baton Rouge on Saturday, as floodwaters swallowed the vehicle. Shot by local television station WAFB, three men are seen trying to break open the car that is almost submerged in the water. One of the rescuers, David Phung, jumps in and pulls the woman and her dog out I can't embed so here is the link (the video is a bit scary ) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2016/aug/14/woman-and-dog-rescued-from-sinking-car-in-louisiana-flooding-video

well at least he takes your bag outside and doesn't pee in it, Penny does if I leave it on the floor

I wonder if it would be worth contacting McDowell herbals WM https://www.mcdowellsherbal.com/ I am in the process of ordering some stuff for Mac's lung cancer, it's not cheap but may well help is breathing even more than the fenugreek/white millet/linseed/nettle/dandelion/rosehip and parsley items Kate suggested I buy (these have helped his breathing enormously) Their mixtures are not overly cheap (the special canine mix is $126) but if they help it's money well spent In her email to me Kate also said: http://www.k9natural...fd-200g-dom-k9n usually available from Petbarn and good petshops. eta: you can get tripe from here--> http://www.naturalpe...?rf=kw&kw=tripe also the cost of the special canine mix is for the 200ml size, 100ml is cheaper

non pasteurised apple cider vinegar...Google 'Mercola dogs with yeast infection' Westiemum this is one of the choices listed http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/06/07/dog-yeast-infection.aspx

I get my (5% Curcumin content) turmeric from here http://www.countrypark.com.au/product/turmeric-powder-1kg/ I keep it in the fridge. I think Westiemum buys her turmeric from the NSW branch, I buy it from Ruth at the Qld shop, lovely people to deal with, very helpful

I bought 400g for $45 at the end of last year, it was out fairly economical, from a naturopath in Caloundra, It was on ebay, I see they are still selling it but now in 1kg bags. It really helps my oldies if you copy and paste & search in ebay: Canine MSM Chondroitin Glucosamine Powder 1000gm Dog Joint Arthritis Dysplasia Maybe contact them and ask if they have smaller amounts edited to say that I checked out their other items and they do have 400g for sale: $50, it's the same product that I bought...good stuff! http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MSM-Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Powder-400gm-High-Strength-/141807105193?hash=item21045cb4a9:g:drMAAOSw4UtWSmWU http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/magiknutrition/m.html?item=141958744810&hash=item210d668aea%3Ag%3AGZUAAOSwIwhWSkfF&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 I give 1/4tsp daily for my dogs (they weigh between 8 and 9kg)

It's a good story, thanks for posting Thistle. I love this piccie of an alarmed Miss Piggy

I have some vetmedin: 62 x 1.25mg capsules as well as 28 x 1.25 chewable tablets. The chewables are broken in 1/2 as Mac's dose was 1 capsule and 1/2 chewable morning and night. Anyone's dog on these? Mac was taken off this medications...maybe I'll sell them on Gumtree

This was on the Westie facebook page, seems a good idea

I saw a lovely Boston terrier at the ferry terminal a couple of weeks ago what a neat little dog!

I'm so sorry Caz. Goodbye Charlie, you cutie...have fun over the bridge

More good dog people Go Spud! http://www.abc.net.a...-attack/7628286 Bundaberg pensioners pull together to crowdfund Spud the dog's vet bills after attack ABC Wide Bay By Ross Kay and Brad Marsellos Posted about 3 hours ago Photo: Spud is recovering well after the surgery. He has stiches in his shoulder and leg. (ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos) It was one of hardest decisions Steve Cox has ever had to make — could he afford to save the life of his best mate, Spud the dog? Steve's only companion, Spud the jack russell terrier, had been mauled by two larger dogs at Bundaberg West. He had large gashes on his shoulder and back leg, and the vet bills were piling up. "Two dogs had pushed open the gate, the steel gate that they had in front of the house, and they had Spud. He was getting torn to pieces in their mouths," Mr Cox said. "I raced over, grabbed him, threw him in the car and took him straight around to the hospital. They took care of him after that." Mr Cox was faced with a vet bill totalling thousands of dollars, but as a pensioner he simply could not afford it. But when he broke down at the thought of losing his little mate, a group of friends decided they would step out of their comfort zone and set up a crowdfunding campaign to help. "Steve was so upset, we were all upset, poor little Spud," said Jan Cutmore, one of the pensioners responsible for setting up the campaign. "He didn't have the money for it and it was so expensive, so we thought we would try and do something, and this was one way of trying to get some money together for himIt was one of hardest decisions Steve Cox has ever had to make — could he afford to save the life of his best mate, Spud the dog? Steve's only companion, Spud the jack russell terrier, had been mauled by two larger dogs at Bundaberg West. Audio: Steve Cox, and friends Joan and Jan, talk about the group effort to save Spud (ABC News) He had large gashes on his shoulder and back leg, and the vet bills were piling up. "Two dogs had pushed open the gate, the steel gate that they had in front of the house, and they had Spud. He was getting torn to pieces in their mouths," Mr Cox said. "I raced over, grabbed him, threw him in the car and took him straight around to the hospital. They took care of him after that." Mr Cox was faced with a vet bill totalling thousands of dollars, but as a pensioner he simply could not afford it. But when he broke down at the thought of losing his little mate, a group of friends decided they would step out of their comfort zone and set up a crowdfunding campaign to help. "Steve was so upset, we were all upset, poor little Spud," said Jan Cutmore, one of the pensioners responsible for setting up the campaign. "He didn't have the money for it and it was so expensive, so we thought we would try and do something, and this was one way of trying to get some money together for him. "It costs so much money, and we thought that's his best mate, that's all he's got." Photo: Steve Cox says he would be lost without his best mate Spud. (ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos) Spud's road to recovery After the attack Spud was taken to veterinarian Kate Schroeder's practice and was pieced back together with more than 800 stiches. "He had two big incisions on him. The big one on his shoulder was about 20cm and it had damaged the tissue underneath the skin," Ms Schroeder said. "The biggest risk with dog fight injuries, apart from the initial blood loss and shock, is infection. There are lots of bacteria in dogs' teeth. "The next day after surgery Spud was much happier, but he stayed in a couple of days just to make sure he was okay. He was a pretty good little fella. He's a fighter." Spud continues to recover from his injuries, and from reports posted on the Save the life of Spud campaign page, is doing very well. "You wouldn't even know half the time that he's been hurt. He's running around, he's already caught a mouse," Mr Cox said. "He's a bloody good ratter. I'd like a dollar for every one he's caught, then I wouldn't have had to worry about looking for money." The gratitude Mr Cox has to the group of friends who set up the crowdfunding campaign is immense, as words fail him when he talks about what Spud means to him. "I can't really thank them enough. I've appreciated everything they've done for me," he said, holding back tears. "I've had Spud just on five years now. He's my life. It's just him and me really. I'd be lost without the little bugger."

it's the pits isn't it Caz, old dogs...it's just day by day

how true DDD, each time they poo it is like the first time EVER and a highlight for their own personal doggy celebration :laugh:

what WM says ^^^^^^^