Little Gifts

The power of both good police work and social media!

I had an old stafford girl. I also had her son (both foster fails) and he passed. She aged overnight. Then we ended up with an older pup for temp fostering and she got a new lease on life. A few years on from that we lost a doggo for behavioural reasons and the remaining female dog (who was not old) really struggled being an only dog and started being quite naughty. We ended up taking in another male dog similar in age who needed a home and all the behavioural stuff settled, but the strange thing was when she passed of old age the remaining boy doggo loved being on his own! He did not skip a beat! I wouldn't necessarily recommend getting a pup of course as they will have very different energy levels, but certainly I think some dogs feel safer being part of a pack, while others are just fine. You don't need to rush anything but just keep your eye on how your Jack Russell is coping. You might need to create some new energy around the house and give your boy more focussed attention too. Most rescues are likely to want the dog to be indoor outdoor but it can't hurt to ask them and tell them your situation because they might know of just the right dog for you.

Rescues I know of in QLD are already doing work like this all the time. Sounds weird to me too that an interstate pound has managed to get involved, unless they just happen to have a better transport arrangement for that area or know someone personally in that pound.

Quick Albert update - he is doing great on the Royal Canin. He was so excited to go back to kibble! Weirdo! In another couple of weeks I'm adding fish to see if he still tolerates that.

I've got a dumb story relating to this. We had a big gauge out of our backyard (suburbs) due to a flooding incident. When my stafford boy passed I decided to take him home and bury him in the hole and get it filled back in. I used to live rural prior to that and burying your dogs at home was the norm. Fast forward quite some time and we had foster fail Stussy, also a pied stafford. She was only a couple of months old and came into the house one night with a huge bone. I asked my sister if she'd given it to her (nope) then I worried a neighbour had thrown it over the fence. Then I went all around the yard and found out poor Bundy had risen to the surface over time and she'd dug him up! Never again!

Had a consult with my amazing vet this morning (which he didn't even charge me for!). Given all the info about when the nausea happens, types of vomits, types of poos, overall health, etc, my vet is still feeling it is a developed dietary intolerance (he talked about other symptoms that would usually be evident with both the pancreatitis and bacterial overgrowth). Since he has no issues on the chicken and rice that is a good starting point but it wont meet all his dietary needs. So we will be trialling Royal Canin Anallergenic and every 2 to 3 weeks we will introduce a new protein and just keep building from there. This week I also bought 3 huge chickens on special so I can boil up and keep on hand AND a huge bag of rice so we never run out of that either! I also rang Pet Circle and they worked with me to refund a full/unopened bag of Black Hawk Salmon I still have here (which was nice of them). I have everything crossed that he goes ok on the Royal Canin and we can keep adding things and he stays well! Thank you everyone for all the great advice!

Thank you both so much - that was very interesting reading! I have a vet consult this Thursday to discuss all the suggestions/advice with my vet. I usually have a bit of a gut feeling about things but I still can't get a sense of whether he might have an actual condition or has just developed food sensitivity. Apart from an upset tummy and some unpleasant looking poo here and there he appears happy and healthy, like nothing is wrong. But if the wrong thing is in his stomach and he starts processing it and realises then it wants out again. That makes me think its the food because if it was bacteria or related to an organ not functioning properly you think you'd still see some indications on the chicken and rice. But a day back on that diet and everything is totally normal again. But I really do appreciate all the suggestions to look into (I've made a list!) as it must be awful to repeatedly have an upset stomach. I think we've got whatever it is early too - no noticeable weight loss or ongoing disinterest in food at present (although I don't feel chicken and rice will give him everything he needs). Once I know what he can and can't tolerate I'll be excited to organise a new diet for him (even though kibble with toppings is easier). From what I've now read though this can all take a while.

Coneye I was one of those volunteers for a couple of years. I can still remember when they stopped letting us feed the dogs and pups (for reasons unknown). We were allowed to do the cleaning and socialising. The staff were nowhere to be seen for hours at a time. We'd have done all the cleaning and the pups in particular would be starving and we couldn't do anything about it The refuge would open at like 10am and those unfed pups and dogs were all feral so we couldn't be in there socialising them and noone was interested in them because they weren't being all calm and cute. There was noone we could talk to about our concerns either. This was a while ago now so things will have changed, but the staff attitude towards the dogs at that location was abysmal and that stuff is entrenched. There was also a huge walk in cage up the front for surrenders. People would come in tears giving up their pets. Reception would say all these kind things to them about them getting a new home straight away then black tag them and put them in the cage for immediate euth. They weren't even being assessed and I think that happened at times when they were already full. That's the organisational culture people are donating their money to. To me though are no better than the church run orphanages of old. They just shouldn't exist anymore.

Yes thank you Mairead. I have it written down to talk with the vet about already. Was just wondering about testing options so will add TLI to the list!

As per another topic I have going about specific kibble, it look like Albert has a bigger problem than we thought. A half serve of the Hills Biome kibble with his chicken and rice meant he was sick all last night. We've gone back to chicken and rice today and will call the vet tomorrow. I'm just wondering if anyone has done testing for food intolerances and sensitivities? More for gut issues than skin issues but I assume testing is the same? Did you do it through the vet or did you try a company like this one? The cost seems reasonable to me to just go ahead and organise one for him and use it alongside whatever the vet suggests moving forward, but I was after people's thoughts. Thank you! https://www.testmypetsaustralia.com/

I definitely have to listen to this! My sister and I feel Albert is always trying to tell us stuff!

That's interesting Rascal. I've switched between BH and Canidae for years now without problem, but each dog is different and of course quality of brands can also change over time. Most important for me too is that the dog likes it and does well on it. Albert isn't now so its gone. The challenge now is finding something he will eat and maintain condition on. What have your doggos liked and done well on the best?

We've had problems on the Hills Biome now. No vomiting but upset stomach and scared to eat. We've been to the vet and he thinks he's developed a sensitive stomach, so we are back on chicken and rice then will start reintroducing items to try and pinpoint what he can and can't eat. Luckily he likes chicken and rice but it doesn't keep him as full as kibble.

He is back on the Hills gut kibble without issue and after that runs out I'll open a new back of BH salmon I have here and we'll see what happens. I'm going to go through the open back of BH chicken to see if I can see any contaminants in it but wont be feeding it to him again.

Look at it from the seller's perspective. If they sold you a puppy without issue and you wanted to return it because it has become fearful in your household, why would you sell it back to the same people? Something or someone in your household potentially made the puppy fearful so there would be no point going back to that same environment. I don't know the breed or your background as dog/puppy owners but fears can become entrenched at certain ages. The breeder is trying to act in the puppies best interests now (which is what a good breeder does). If you do get another puppy down the track at least you now have a better idea of their needs. They really do depend on humans and they do need a safe place to settle into a new home after a big change like leaving their mum and learn and be guided by what is expected of them. Patience is also required while they learn. Another good option is a puppy school where they can socialise and you can learn about their needs and how to have a good life together. Chalk this up to a learning experience. And next time be honest with a breeder about your past pet owning experience too because it may just be that you require a pup that is a little more bomb proof than you thought. The aim is to match you with the right pup so it is successful for everybody. Good luck!