Muttaburra

A very sad loss They had a great life with you - and you with them.

So sorry

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) I have a Pedigree Jack Russell Terrier bitch, from the former Myrmidon Kennels, she would be regarded as a pet quality JRT. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? Further to Weisnjacs excellent account, I have also read in various places that the Parson John Russell also kept his pack in the house with him, an uncommon practice in those days, and liked them to be companionalble as well as good hunters. 3. How common is it in Australia? I think the Jack Russell Terrier should become the National Dog of Australia, there are so many of them. (Of course Kelpie and ACD owners might disagree)

Yep, those feet are substantial. He looks a lovely dog, but will be pretty big by the looks of him, the colouring suggests Mastif or Mastif cross perhaps in the father. I thought Amstaff too, but those legs are pretty solid even for an Amstaff? So there is little doubt you have a large solid dog, with some timidity, it's good to hear you want to go ahead with the training, that is pretty important for all dogs anyway. Oh, and don't feel too badly NJ, I once met someone with a huge Collie, it had been sold to her as a Miniature Collie, she loved it very much anyway and had kept him for many years, but was a bit of an issue since she lived in a home unit.

Merna, so sorry for the sad loss of May, she had more to give and gave so much in the little time she had left. It was a privilege to see there was some happiness in her last days. Run free May

Wow, she's growing up into such a lovely girl. Still has the "mowhawk" wrinkle, so cute.

Thanks for the update, May is looking a lot more comfortable, and appears to be doing well. A few weeks on the meds and you will see an even more marked improvement.

Fish oil too might seem the obvious supplement for the joints, except that she has had unidentified blood loss, so thinning the blood (as I believe fish oil can do) might be contra-indicated. Also does anyone know if dogs have issues with electrolytes or potassium loss if on diuretics, and is there a vet treatment for that?

If you have difficulty giving her her pills, try the lowest fat cheese. I had to go on low fat everything because of high cholesterol so don't feel guilty now about using cheese as a medication wrapper It's the salt that is the issue, where fluid retention is the problem with the heart condition, low fat cheese is still salty. Maybe try low fat salt-free margarine. In very small quantities the effect should be negligible, especially if the dog is on diuretics for the fluid retention.

Amazing that in one post you manage to totally disregard the dangers of giving this dog a processed meat (high in salt)! What, in your medical opinion would be considered too much salt for this dog who only 2 days ago was ina critical condition from her CHF, Muttaburra?? Anything other than a tiny bit occasionally. I'm not sure that "tiny" needs a definition, it should be in the dictionary. Anyway, she would do well to discuss with the vet, since there may be other dietary issues to attend to.

Chinaplate, that's something you might want to follow through with the vet, the best diet for her with her health conditions. And weather or not there might be some dietary supplements that could be beneficial. A tiny bit of ham as an occasional treat would have little impact, but too much salt would be detrimental. Thanks again for the update, she does seem to be enjoying her time in the sun, good food and of course your company. What a dear dog she is.

Thanks for the update, looking forward to hearing when she can go home. A warm bed and some good tucker and some meds for the heart will make some difference too. Sounds like she has bonded with you quickly, and apprecieates all the love you are giving her.

I guess the concept of mentoring and learning from others with more experience is not for you. My words were Also I have never heard any criticisms about not trying to help difficult cases and plenty of criticisms against. Conflating it to to the meaning of - not supporting newcomers being mentored and learning from others with more experience is just plain twisted and infantile. And for the record I have made many postings here to newcomers wanting to help rescue, to contact established groups about the support they need.

This is what I am talking about, she is suffering yet kept alive to make the humans feel better. Please do the kind thing and let her go, look at her poor face, she is in pain and sounds like she hasn't got a good prognosis. It's about the dog remember, not the humans. She is suffering yes, from untreated medical conditions. Some heart failure can be treated and a good quality of life maintained, once she is given some diuretics and other treatment. The sores also should clear up once her condition improves should also heal. Also I would try some Manuka honey (anti bacterial and encourages granulation of the wounds)on those sores too, and give her some as well. Once she is being kept in a clean, dry warm place they might dry up a bit. There's no guarantees for this girl obviously, but someone has decided to give her a chance in the hope she will have some comfortable and enjoyable years, being loved and cared for. Also I have never heard any criticisms about not trying to help difficult cases, that's an interesting twist Jdavis, but you do see plenty of people flying in here to critisize people when they do try to help them. So I am sure novice rescuers can decide for themselves. Cynthia, don't forget to post about the sausage sizzle in general rescue and also Shel can put it up on Pet Rescue, although I think they need a bit of lead time.

Well, if donations fell short or were not offered, there are other ways to raise funds to pay the vet bill. There are even books written on fundraising Let's see........... Sausage sizzles Guessing competitions Garage Sales to name a few. Seems there was a committment made to the dog before the full condition was known about, it was decided to follow that committment through.

PS, does Marnie have a blue tongue?

OMG!! You must have the best mum ever! Marnie is gorgeous, congratulations on your new best friend.

It sounds like the dog may have been aroused and stimulated too from all the activity, and could have become over-excited, along with territorial issues already mentioned. All I can think to do is make your front fence so that your dog cannot jump it, otherwise keep her away from the front yard and try and set up the agility course elsewhere or perhaps join a club where you can practice.

Hannah She was a special little dog.

So sorry for your loss, after so many years you will miss her. She had a great life with you. Run free Sage.

Little Rye sounded so lovely, so sorry to hear it was his time for passing,

I think you need to carefully weigh up the pros and cons, and maybe get a few opinions from different vets. Your Springer is 9 years old and has diabetes, at his age there will be a likliehood of arthritis setting in too, so if it is only going to extend the life of your dog by a few months or even a year, being an older dog, the benefit is debatable, especially if some of that time it will be undergoing uncomfortable treatment. It was suggested only as a precaution. Though since the tumour is in the throat, it is in a place where it would be very uncomfortable if it was to recur, so that does tempt one towards the idea of chemo. I would lean towards holistic treatment in this case, that's not to say there might be some arguments to support chemo. In the end it's the quality of life that needs to be considered, along with the natural life span of your breed of dog, and what if any inherited genetic diseases are present or likely to occur. You sound like a lovely caring owner.

Sorry to hear of Ollies lastest development, I guess that's why he yelped. Keeping fingers and paws crossed for better news and possible resolution.

Sorry to hear Ruby is in the wars. Thank heavens she found someone like you to help and follow through her treatment.

I wonder if it might help to have a "Frequently Asked Questions" as a pinned topic. Maybe some who have been around the BSL issue for a while could put something together. It's understandable that many people believe BSL is wrong, but it would be nice to see the argument laid out in a concise manner. It would seem that in order to preserve the Pit Bull as a breed that solutions are desperately needed. One way of finding the solutions is to have a clear outline of the problems and challenges that exist. It worries me that many of the better well bred dogs will gradually be outnumbered by mavericks breeding quasi-pit bulls that find their way into the wrong hands or irresponsible owners. A recent example of pup being acquired and the person breeding it not passing the information about issues that may arise with an RB on to the new owner, that is not responsible breeding or homing IMO.