Abigail

Why would I be looking for an argument, cvs? not at all in fact. I thought that if all the kids were present when meeting the pup, that the boy with asthma would have reacted after a short while ;)

My son has asthma and has 'died' several times before his 5th birthday and only been revived with adrenalin injections. THank goodness these days he is great ;) We have always had many dogs and cats and they have slept with him. He was allergic to cold air!!!! which is why we moved to QLD and he has never had an attack since. Maybe you need to brush up on asthma. italmum, I'm devastated for you and your family, I know how much you were looking forward to sharing your lives with Ollie. I'm very very sorry. Hopefully you may be able to find a pet that does not spark off your son's allergies. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you all.xxxxxxx The only thing that needs brushing here is my hair and my teeth which is done a few time daily anyway, thanks very much. As I said, asthma does not affect all the sufferers in the same manner but there is that element of risk that animals could be a direct contributing factor and hence one should do their homework a little more thoroughly. I too am sorry that things didnt work out, I just hope that next time the little boy will be present when choosing the next dog. In having said all this, I don't doubt for a moment that italmum and the kids can and will provide a loving and fabulous home and I sincerely hope that the quest for another pet is not abandoned, that would be a real shame.

Now I'm confused having asthma doesn't necessarily mean it will be triggered by pet hair. My OH had asthma as a child it was triggered by lactose, some preservatives and certain pollens. But they had both cats and dogs without a problem. I'm sorry it must have been heartbreaking. I hope you're able to find a dog that doesn't trigger your sons asthma What is there to be so confused, VA? I am fully aware that asthma sufferers react differently and that not all are allergic to the same thing but when one does have asthma, common sense has to set in and with that the realisation that there is an element of risk that one could be allergic to certain things including animals, right? What this boils down to is that the son should be taken along for the ride when next seeking another dog rather than adopt an animal only then to have to return it, sheesh.

Wow, I never imagined our Sh!t tasted better than everyone elses. :rofl: Sounds like dogs in Brissie bypass human excrement solely because of the effect humidity has on it, I guess they don't like it sodden or laden with mildew!

I am surprised that you wanted a cavalier given that your son has asthma ;) The best option would be to take your son along next time and have him spend a good hour or two with a dog in order to ensure that there will not be any further reaction.

Sorry to hear that italmum. Don't give up on the idea of owning a dog; perhaps a dog that does not shed would be the go such as a poodle, westie, maltese, mini schnauzer, etc etc.

A friend owns a Toyota Hilux twin cab with a full canopy, and with a few blankets thrown in, is ideal for people with multiple dogs. The dogs are comfortable, the owners are also comfortable in the knowledge that the interior of the car will not be made to suffer with dog hair and dirt and of course Toyota is also a reliable car or should I say, ute in this case, mechanically speaking and I have heard this from more than one mechanic's point of view

Jackie, I have always found that no matter which vet I dealt with in the past when it came to euthanasia, they all asked me what I wanted to do with the body after the deed was done, that is inevitable that such a question would be posed. You also have to bear in mind that the topic of "body disposal" is not such a simple subject as you like to put it for a fair few people. Personally, I found it instantaneous in thinking about what should be done pertaining to the body and hence did not and do not require researching the subject, the thought was with me as soon as the decision arose to euthanise; ideally I prefer the idea of cremation or burial but sometimes burial has proven to be out of the question due to clay soil that proves nearly impossible to dig, depending on where I lived. Cremation was carried out in a few cases but cost can be preventative. All in all, when it comes to body disposal - the vet always asks what one chooses to do soon after the animal has been put to sleep. If the person does not choose to remain with the animal then the question is posed before the deed is committed.

Out of curiosity, what do you define as a lot of serious health problems? Kuges has had two knee ops (luxating patellas), an op to sew up a bad cut on his leg, an op to sew up a bad cut on his tail, an op to remove a lump on his tail, front dewclaws removed during one of those procedures seeing as he kept fracturing them. (BTW, by 'op' I mean under anaesthetic) He's had arthritis since about 7 or 8 (managed with cartrophen injections, Jointguard daily and a Rimadyl on the really cold days) and a heart condition for approx 4 years, he's had 10 or 12 teeth removed due to a tendency to bad teeth regardless of bones and regular cleaning by me and professional cleaning by the vet during all those other ops. We also suspect he has testicular cancer but at his age and with his heart condition more than likely wouldn't make it through an op so nothing has been done re that. I'd consider all that to constitute fairly serious health problems and yet he's still with me and nearing 15 1/2. Kudos to you, hotfurball for sticking by Kuges and Kudos to Kuges for having been thru so much and yet he is still with you. Give him a big hug for me

WOW That is some achievement, 19 years and still going strong if not for a tragic incident She was on a healthy diet, that's for sure. I must say that I am surprised in reading so many posts which stipulate that they fed dogs on supermarket stuff and yet still lived a long life. Wonder will never cease! Luck of the drawer and genes? and no annual vaccinations ??

Sounds like there is something to be said in not revaccinating a pet every 12 mths. I just wish vets would soon take hold of this and stop sending yearly reminders for boosters but hey, the almighty dollar is all that matters in the end.

It's been 12 mths since I had to have my beloved Barley pts due to aggression towards livestock; I was there whilst this was done and there isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of him; he was a clown, he was close to me and only me and was known to bail people up so rehoming him was not an option and I didn't want to take the risk where he would be rehomed and perhaps misbehave and end up being maltreated. After much rebating I made the final decision and even to this day I still find it heartwrenching. It is painful enough having to put a much loved sick pet to sleep but to have to make that decision on a healthy pet is far far more heartbreaking. RIP my beloved Barley.

my err.

I think it was a good idea, in fact, to post this video on a forum. The sad reality is that there are so-called "dog lovers" who may still be ignorant to the fact that more dogs are being bred than there are homes for them. Perhaps such a video will open the eyes of those breeders who genuinely care about the outcome of the litters of pups that they bring into this world if such stark reality is brought to their attention. Then there are breeders who are simply doing it for the almighty dollar and such a video will not make an ounce of difference. I watched it in the hope that the majority of animals are put to sleep in a humane manner; I have seen videos far grimmer than this, dogs being thrown in a gas chamber and being made to die a slow agonising death. Such a sad sad world. May those innocent animals play on greener grass on the other side, I hope there is another side...but whilst we are on planet earth I guess noone will ever know for sure.

Indeed they are ...... I am biased though (ps. Ruhtless took these gorgeous photos ) Tooooo cute

:laugh:

Will bear in mind to show these photos to my partner when he comes home from work; I wonder whether that will make any difference, lol. I am not holding my breath though. Loving those photos stonebridge

I must say that I am finding the responses very surprising. Who would have thought that a dog fed a diet of Chum or Ped Pal would reach a ripe old age, very interesting.

I gather she doesn't cook mice for him It is a worry that he is being fed cooked bone scraps though. This sounds like one dog that has nine lives given that he has been run over 4 times already, well I certainly hope so anyway.

Sandgrubber - not sure on that one but I stumbled on this website that may answer your questions. Happy reading Sorry, I deleted the link as after careful reading I discovered it wasn't answering your question.

I am wanting to conduct a survey, if you will, in order to have some idea as to what is the best diet to feed a dog ??? I would especially like to hear from owners of dogs that have lived to a ripe old age or who are still with us and are past the age of, say 16 years. I know that a good diet is not always conducive to longevity as other things can step in the way but it sure must play a role in most cases.

AWWW, this is the stuff that memories are made of :D Thanx dog geek ;)

Ohhh, wish I did get to see that show, I'm always missing out on things that I know I would really enjoy - SHUCKS !

Good for you for rescuing cats and kittens in need Those photos of greyhound and cat speaks volumes especially given that most greyhounds are usually trained to kill (given that most are bred to chase in order to win races). A sad existence for the unfortunate greyhound that is often bred to race and if it doesn't meet the grade is readily given the green dream when it could have made such a beautiful pet; I know I have gone off-topic here but those photos are really touching.

I would never put tiles over floor boards in an old QLDer. Better just to sell the house and buy a low-set modern house if you want a tiled floor. Hey Greytmate...you are right in saying that it isn't the greatest idea to put tiles over floor boards but it has been done ample times in the past and need not prove detrimental providing that the grouting does get sealed on a regular basis but all in all, as you have said, it is best to buy a home that has a concrete slab and then proceed to lay tiles.