yellowgirl

Amber has phantoms and she does have them as per a normal pregnancy, in the normal time frame. She was particularly hungry after her last season, even barking at me for food!!! It sounded like your dog had swollen boobies quite quickly after her season? Amber doesn't get the swollen boobies for a couple of months after her season and does a manic digging session before getting her milk in. Thanks JulesP :) So your Amber goes for about 2 months? That's how long Stella has been going for now. Her boobies started swelling DURING her season, most of the cases I've read about indicate that the phantom pregnancy usually starts after they've finished. After Amber starts producing milk, how much longer does she go on for after that? Does it stop quickly or do the boobs take a bit of time to reduce? Does she have particular indicators that show she's coming to the end of it? It's hard to tell if Stella is different to normal, she was only 5 months old when she came and had already been through a lot, and she came into season within a couple of weeks of arriving. Some of her behaviours seem like they could be hormonal, but then again I didn't really know what she was like before that so it's hard to tell.

Glad you like the photos VM - I love sharing them :) Fluffies eh? LOL! Will believe it when I see it DDD ...lol ;)

:laugh: Are you putting down a cash or phantom deposit? :D Whoops, forgot to reply to your post DDD :) Yes, it's the first time I've done an adoption without a home check ..lol! I think you have enough references though ;) Good point TSD! I guess it will depend on how cute the imaginary babies are!! (to be honest, I already have a fundraising idea for this ;) )

They can go on for longer than 3 weeks. I guess you should consider seeing the Vet again if you are worrying. Maybe all the stresses this wee Darling has suffered have kicked her whole system into disorder. What an adorable pair these two are. Thanks VizslaMomma :) I'm not worrying particularly, she had another vetcheck a couple of weeks ago and the vet was very happy with her overall health and progress. I was reading that most phantoms resolve themselves within weeks, rather than months - and naturally it's on a Saturday night that I start wondering about it more ;) Thanks dancinbcs :) From what I've read (yes, I know everything is true on the internet ;) ) phantoms don't generally go as long as an actual pregnancy, although some dogs do go the whole hog with nesting, producing milk, etc. She's getting lots of exercise playing with Jordie, after a bit of a tricky start she's using the leg really well now. As opposed to a cruciate surgery for instance, it's important that with this particular surgery that they start using the leg as soon as possible to build up muscle loss and strengthen the joints.

Thanks Kirty :) I was under the impression that it wouldn't go for much longer than an actual pregnancy but there's no sign of it abating by the looks of things.

Hi everyone :) I have a little Chinese Crested x girl, Stella, in care. She arrived in early June, 5 months old, with a fractured hip. Due to the fracture already being left for too long, she had to have the whole ball joint removed. We had to wait for the specialist to be available for surgery, and she had the surgery on June 24th (and was also diagnosed with Perthe's Disease - corrosion of the ball joint - at that time). She had come into season a couple of weeks after arriving in care so she couldn't be desexed during the hip surgery. About a week after the surgery, she was still very much in season and her nipples looked a bit swollen. In mid July our vet confirmed that she was having a phantom pregnancy. The vet said it would resolve itself but as it's been going on for two months now I thought I'd get a bit of feedback from others who have been through this for some idea of time lengths that others have experienced. At this point in time it looks nowhere near looking like it's thinking about resolving itself, however she is still happy in herself, eating well, she's very healthy and is recovering well from her operation. Not sure how this works into the situation - but she is 'in love' with our long-term boy, Jordie, and they have developed an incredible bond. Jordie went through radical cancer surgery on 11th July and Stella hardly left his side. They've been inseparable from the minute Stella arrived. Is it possible that this bond that they have has contributed to her phantom pregnancy? Is it likely to go on longer if that's the case? I don't seem to be able to post pictures so I'll copy the links to the facebook page so you can see what I mean. Jo xx Stella after surgery (surgery June 24th). Also contains links to explain the surgery she had done and information about Perthe's Disease: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue/photos/pb.125509400898351.-2207520000.1410001984./621568361292450/?type=3&theater Mid July - you can see Stella's enlarged boobies here.. https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue/photos/pb.125509400898351.-2207520000.1410001979./632202930228993/?type=3&theater Mid July - another booby photo. Her vulva is still quite swollen in this one too. It's reduced a bit since then but isn't back to normal. https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue/photos/pb.125509400898351.-2207520000.1410001979./634260386689914/?type=3&theater Early August: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue/photos/pb.125509400898351.-2207520000.1410001970./642851319164154/?type=3&theater Mid August: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue/photos/pb.125509400898351.-2207520000.1410001969./649249335191019/?type=3&theater Late August: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue/photos/pb.125509400898351.-2207520000.1410001965./653063461476273/?type=3&theater Current: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue/photos/pb.125509400898351.-2207520000.1410001965./658803190902300/?type=3&theater Edited to correct dates.

I just love to see people doing selfless things for rescue, what lovely people! I'm so sorry about their little one passing away, it just goes to show what beautiful hearts they have to continue to think of the rescue dogs in spite of their pain. Making the bikkies in memory of Molly is just beautiful Got your PM HazyWal and will reply in a sec. Thank you for thinking of our LLDR bubs :) xx

Yep, these are the 'crinkly type' :) I don't know how I missed the link you posted, I'd been googling like mad to find other avenues. Thank you though, I've sent them an email. xx

They really are sweethearts Cat :) Unfortunately if they have been vaccinated then they test positive for FIV anyway so you will never know if it is from the vaccine or if they actually have the virus. Thanks Redangle, Ams and Wildthing, the cats were tested when they were at the RSPCA, they came in with several other sick cats from a hoarding situation and they all needed to be tested to see who had what. They all had cat flu but not FIV. xx

That's good to hear Ams, thank you. Cleo and Patrick have improved such a lot since being here. They were coughing and sneezing quite a bit to start with and Cleo's eyes in particular were very weepy, but as they continued to settle and feel safer here there's been a great improvement. Patrick does get a cough when he hisses at the dogs though, but these days that's not very often as he mostly tolerates them unless they get a bit too nosey for his liking. Beat me to it. Exactly this. Get them on Musashi lysine ASAP. One of mine is on it for life as he was terribly ill as a kitten. As soon as we take him off it he gets congested. All my foster mums get put on it as a matter of course and my own cats get the same dose as Dizzy when they go into boarding. Thanks kirty and TSD :) I had a sample pack of lysine and tried adding it to their food but they refused to eat it. I couldn't risk them not eating, especially in the beginning, so I stopped adding it. As you mentioned Kirty, I noticed more coughing or sneezing when they were stressed, their stress is very limited now so any relapse is minimal at this stage. I'd heard really good things about lysine for cats so I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't give Cleo and Patrick the benefit of it. I might try adding it to one of their water bowls, I hadn't thought of that.

I think you're right there RuralPug :) They've just been quietly getting on with it ... I, on the other hand was too excited not to shout about it to everyone :laugh: I think it deserves shouting about though, it's a pretty huge step forward for RSPCA SA

Yes I agree Merry Xmas YG. I love LLDR (and Iggy Rescue :) ) and I also follow you guys on FB. Thank you HazyWal (new name? :) ) and thank you for your support this year. I hope you have a lovely Christmas too :) That's a really good point Ams. Just wondering if any cat experts have any input on this? My understanding is that cat flu is only spread by a carrier cat sneezing or coughing directly onto another cat and is not spread by bedding, bowls, general touching, etc. FIV on the other hand is the one that is far more easily spread just by cats being in the same area and sharing bowls, etc. Do I have this right? No I think you have it backwards. Cat flu if very easily spread thru direct sneezing/coughing or indirectly coming into contact with dirty bedding, food bowls etc FIV is like HIV and spread via blood or other body fluids but not very easily transmissible. Oh, you're right aussielover, thank you. Glad I asked. This link was helpful http://www.freewebs.com/pembrokeshirecats/cathealth.htm

That's a really good point Ams. Just wondering if any cat experts have any input on this? My understanding is that cat flu is only spread by a carrier cat sneezing or coughing directly onto another cat and is not spread by bedding, bowls, general touching, etc. FIV on the other hand is the one that is far more easily spread just by cats being in the same area and sharing bowls, etc. Do I have this right?

These two are pretty chilled sparkycat :) They're really no trouble at all, they just want sleep, food and a bit of cuddle time. I'm going to really miss them when they go. Merry Christmas to you too my friend :) It's been a hell of a year for both of us hasn't it? I've had enough of a 'rest' now, I'm really looking forward to getting back in the swing of things in the new year. I hope you're taking care of yourself. xx

Very confused here - what about all the posts for dogs looking for a home that are fostered in rescue? I was under the impression that this was the same scenario but cats. I thought the only rule was they must be desexed and not from a back yard breeder or puppy farm advertising them? I recently did a post about a Himalayan cat needing a home/rescue (all vet work done). That wasn't against the rules. I'd originally posted in Cat Chat. Troy said the post would be better in the rescue forum so he moved it here. xx Thank you honey. Have you seen the latest post on LLDR - we are working with RSPCA SA now!!

Umm, I don't know anything about any other threads getting deleted. If Troy's okay with my edited post then that's fine, if he feels it needs to be removed then that's fine too.

Done :)

That's a really good point Ams.

My apologies, I must have missed it. Could you tell me which number rule it is?

Hi cat people :) I have two gorgeous Devon Rex cats looking for a very special forever home. http://www.littlelegsdogrescue.com.au/devon-rex-cats.html I'm open to them going further afield than Adelaide, but ONLY if a local rescue group with a good and ethical reputation is willing to assist with a home check and being a backup if the cats should need it. I've fallen totally in love with Cleo and Patrick but it's not comfortable for Patrick having the dogs around and I don't want to risk bringing new dogs into rescue while they're here. So we're at a bit of a stalemate until I can find them the perfect home. All the info and contact details are in the link. Jo xx Edited to add - I've changed the title of the thread as I not only don't want to break the rules but I also need ideas to help make these two amazing and affectionate cats more appealing so I can find them an awesome home. You'll see from the webpage writeup that they've had a pretty crappy past and as a result, these two 8 year old Rexes are now immune compromised and possible flu carriers. They are also wary of people until they get to know you and once that happens they are the biggest cuddle bums and so, so affectionate. For safety's sake it's best to find a home without other cats, and as Patrick isn't any closer to being comfortable with the dogs getting too close, I don't want a home with dogs. Little kids will be too stressful for them and Patrick coughs if he gets stressed. I won't cut corners with finding the best home for them and they have to go together. Any ideas for promotion or presentation to generate some interest in them? Do I need to change the details on the webpage to make them more appealing? They are currently on Gumtree, Petrescue, Cat World, Devon Zone, Rex Rescue (not Rescue Rex), facebook - personal and rescue page, and they've been shared a bit through facebook. I've had some enquiries but mostly from people who have dogs or cats or are interstate and are convinced that Cleo and Patrick will be just fine. I won't risk it. I don't want them being messed around, I want the right home the first time. Very open to any advertising suggestions or reworking of the webpage link if anyone has any ideas. xx

I just posted a very happy announcement on our facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=525098437606110&set=a.125533404229284.23859.125509400898351&type=1&theater

This is what I do for meet and greets. After some email and/or phone discussions, I have people come to my place to visit the dog they're interested in. I tell them that it's our policy to take a copy of each visitor's drivers licence and I ask them if they have any issues with that policy. I do take a copy when they arrive, then it's out of the way. No one has had an issue with it so far, although I must admit that on only a couple of occasions I've been glad to have done it (you know how you get that 'funny' feeling sometimes). I've met some absolutely lovely people through these meet and greets and some have even become friends. The majority of visitors are absolutely genuine and I get a fair bit of information about prospective visitors beforehand through emails and phone calls. Sometimes it's not even necessary for them to come over because we've established that the dog they're interested in won't be a good fit from what they've told me. As far as people coming to my home, I don't have anything to hide (and even less to steal ..lol). My house is always tidy and well presented as I think people see that as a good reflection of the rescue group itself. People can also see the security measures that are in place so if anyone's thinking about doing anything dodgy they know not to bother. I don't get out and about much these days and I must admit that the meet and greets here pretty much become a happy social occasion for everyone. I've even had return visitors, purely for the sake of catching up and having a cuddle with the dogs :)

Please let us know how you go and what your vet says xxx

We've had really good results with the Vivitonin for our senior Pom, Raffi. He's around 15 or 16 we think. He started the night wanderings and lots of aimless circling, he seemed confused a lot of the time and he was breaking my heart. Very glad to have tried the Vivitonin first as it's made a wonderful difference to him. I also took a video of him to show the vet - they NEVER display behaviours at the vet so I always take my camera to show the vet any footage.

There are several hair variations Persephone :) The majority of cresties are generally hairy to some extent and need trimming to look like a 'true' hairless. A true hairless crestie isn't that easy to find. My beautiful Banshee (RIP) was a true hairless. Of the four I have here at the moment, Madeline and Pepper are moderate hairless, Sarge is a hairy hairless and foster boy, Jordie, is a very hairy hairless :laugh: