lilli_star

Yay Wizzle! Good to hear from you, but I'm so sorry to hear that Wee Wizzle has been making you so sick. Did the drs think you may have twins because you were so sick? I've heard that twice the babies, twice the sickness Hopefully you will be feeling better soon, and not be sick the entire time. KTB, how is Master Hoover? Was it conjunctivitis? When I was living (and teaching obviously- no way would I have voluntarily chosen that place to live if it hadn't meant a job! :D ) out west, the kids at school would often get "the junc", and I have to admit, I was always a wee bit disappointed I never caught it because it meant a couple of days off school! Silly really. I think wearing glasses would make it harder to catch anyway ;) KA and KTB- I never get to go anywhere near as exciting as you two for conferences/inservices! Damn teaching! :D ;) KA, one of the families at school's father is a doctor. Last year his wife brought in a "present" for the then teacher of one of her children who was also the computer co-ordinator- a mouse pad that was sponsored by Viagra! We thought it was HILARIOUS!!! ;) I'm pretty sure she meant it quite innocently though (non-Australian background). Miss Roo had her stitches out today. Of course she bounded into the vets, tail wagging (she started as soon as I did a u-turn and parked as she must have worked out where we were ) and looking for treats. She weighs 22kg now She was pretty good while the vet took the stitches out and waited almost patiently while I chatted to him about Ruby's tummy upset (note to all- diarrhoea by itself is not too worrying from a vet's perspective. At most, withdraw food for 24 hours and gradually reintroduce afterwards. If it's combined with vomiting, and goes on for more than 24 hours, then it's a worry.), although she did try to have a bit of a stickybeak in their bin. Aussie, I remember when you said Mindy only had 3 stitches, so I was bit concerned to see 5 in Roo! To me, they looked pretty untidy too, but I suppose as long as it heals well, that's all that matters. I'm having lunch with my sister tomorrow who is up from Sydney, so I'll shamelessly use her for her veterinary knowledge and see what she says After I brought the wigglebum home I then went to the first of our next level of dog training classes with MDTL. There will be 6 dogs including Roo, mostly older owners (no cute single men. Sigh), but they all seemed nice. Quite an assortment of dogs too- there will be a Lab X, a GSD, a Husky and I can't remember the other two. I also got to play with MDTL's assistant's Choc Lab puppy :D So cute! Hard to believe Roo was that little not that long ago. He was so well behaved too! After the introductory class I did the dog first aid with MDTL and 5 other people. It was really good and I learnt lots that will come in handy. I learnt how to find and take a dog's pulse. Did you know a dog's normal body temperature is between 38 and 39 deg? Now you do! ;)

How absolutely devasting for you. As somebody else wrote, nobody ever expects that when they take their dog (or any pet) to the vet, that they won't be bringing them home afterwards. Reading your post and others' made me cry and my heart ache. Your loss is shared with anyone who has ever loved a pet. I'm so sorry for your loss. Run free Sophie :D

It's pretty effortless and low-maintenance. I have it because it's a handy way to keep in touch and make sure people are alive. When you join, let me know and I'll send you the link to my FB page so that you can add me. Mmmm. I'm still trying to hold out for as long as I can. It's not like I have anything exciting to share with the world. I had a friend from high school ring me out of the blue a couple of months ago and she said "...you're not on Facebook- it's like you've dropped off the face of the earth!" Errr, no. I still have the same email address as before, you could just email me.

I think she's fine. She still posts on facebook. I messaged her the other day and she said that some days were very tiring so she was resting a lot. Oh okay. Suppose one of these days I'll have to join the darkside and give in to Facebook....

Haven't seen Wizzle around here in ages. Hope everything is okay.

Wow KA! You really were lucky! Thank goodness the taxi driver found it (and was honest enough to leave everything in it!). Hope you bought a lottery ticket too, just in case the luck holds out Are you attending the conference to learn stuff, or are you imparting information to the masses? KTB, those photos are gorgeous! Elbie plays the part of long suffering big brother so well! Still don't know how either dog could be comfortable enough to sleep like that though! Wuffles, hope Ava is doing well and keeping "quiet" Ha! In other news, Miss Ruby had another upset tummy last night. No idea why, since she didn't have anything out of the ordinary to eat (that I know of ) except whatever treat the vet gave her, but they just looked like dog biscuits, or maybe cat biscuits. Anyway, the poo machine had been quite prolific between the time after her trip to the vets yesterday and before I came home- 3 not so normal, plus a normal one from that morning. I put it down to maybe the heat or maybe to do with her stitches. I mowed the lawn, she had a bone and everything seemed fine. Til 11pm last night. Then again at 2:40am (may have been earlier but that was when I got up to take her outside), then again at 5:10, 6:10 and 7:10am. Poor doglet. She ate some chicken for breakfast and I could tell she was really hungry so risked it with some Pal puppy biscuits and some mince in a Kong for her when I went to work. I rang my sister and she said that this will be life with a Labrador- garbage gutses. She said her Pug X is the same at least once a month. My worry was, at what stage do you get worried? Ruby had 7 loose poos in less than 24 hours. She said that if she seems bright and happy, not to worry. She ate all of her dinner, and is asleep in her crate. I'll mention it to the vet tomorrow though. The swelling seems to have gone down at least.

This is what Roo's belly looked like on Monday night when I brought her home (3 days after op) Ava's look much neater :D

Sozz. Was on the phone to my older sister. She used to be a vet- it's so handy, everyone should have a family member with a medical background I sent her a message this morning about whether she thought I should take Roo in to see the vets here this morning, and I ended up doing that during my lunch break today (yay for no playground duty! ). Roo had been such a sooky lala last night and this morning about it. She wouldn't let me get close enough to the stitches after I put Woundguard (antiseptic spray with deterrent) on it last night, and was still sooking this morning. When I came home at lunch she was bouncy like there was nothing wrong, and dragged me into the vets once she worked out where we were :p The vet said that the stitch was on the borderline of the normal/infection range (I guess that's how you describe it), but within normal limits. While it looks inflamed on the surface, she said it wasn't under the skin. But she is thinking it's probably best to take the stitches out on Saturday instead of Monday if they have healed enough because otherwise the stitches are going to cause more irritation. I'll take her back again on Saturday morning for another look. Roo was kept happy with some treats and even let the vet put some Vicks around the stitches without sooking! Wuffles, Ruby had 5 stitches! I wonder why Ava only had to have 3 :D Roo isn't a rebel- no tattoo for her. Funny how some vets do the tattoo and some don't. I used to have a female cat that was tattooed after desexing, but my other girl at the time who was a year older wasn't. Same town, different vets. His Royal Grumpiness Jasper the cat doesn't have a tattoo either. How's Ava doing? They didn't keep her long. If I hadn't been so busy last weekend after Ruby's op, they would have kept her in overnight the night before and then the night of the op (no charge). Better take the sooky lala outside, then I'll look at your vid. Happy birthday Kuma! Love the hat! Gotta say, I think that's the first pic I've seen of him where he isn't smiling! Guess he really wasn't impressed

Hmmm, I'm not sure about one of Ruby's stitches. :D It seems redder than the others (it's the one at the end towards her tail). Think I might drop into the vet tomorrow and see what they say. Just don't know when. Would prefer it to be before work, but they're not open til 9. Might have to try and take her at lunch She may just be over doing it, and if so, that's her fault! I mowed the lawn tonight and after I was done, I lugged the bin out the front for garbage night. I ended up chatting to the neighbour across the road and my next door neighbour for a bit. Ruby was left in the main back yard. When I came back to get her (maybe 15-20mins), she had dragged some toys out, tipped over her clamshell to get a toy and dragged it out. Then pulled out a plank of wood that was under the fence and dragged a log of firewood ojnto the grass.

I hearby rename Max- Teflon! :D

No. It was a teddy bear head type item that was made from what looked like a knitted sock, bought from Big W. It was threaded through a tennis ball with rope on the end and a squeaker inside the sock part. It was version 2, as version 1.0 had to be binned due to munching. A couple of weeks ago, I binned the tennis ball and rope in this one after Ruby had nommed on it too much, which left this weird slug with a teddy head/sock monster thing with one ear. It's now gone to toy heaven. Bert, our Hoover lookalike (now in doggie heaven), was originally owned by my eldest brother who nicknamed him "Hey Man", because he thought Bert looked stoned all the time! In other news, Roo seemed to be okay today (according to my neighbour). I sprayed some woundguard on and a couple of dabs of Vicks around the area before I went to work just in case though. She was a bit sad she couldn't play with her doggie boyfriend/best friend this afternoon though, so I took her for a walk that was a bit longer than usual. I checked her stitches and they seem okay. One looked a bit icky, so I gave her another few sprays of Woundguard. This did not please her, and she has since retired to her crate. Can't wait til the stitches come out. The vet said it's usually the first day the stitches worry them, or towards the end when it gets itchy as it heals.

She's just polished off one of those skinny rawhide chew sticks (Lucky Dog brand?) and is now laying on her back playing with an empty container. Should take a pic of her belly. Just got to wait for camera batteries to charge. KTB- your videos are fantastic! Just watched your vid for Brandy. I hope it helps to find him a forever home. I know you've had a couple of successful rehomings (thanks to your vids, naturally )- what's been the feedback from the rescue folk about your vids? ETA- In the space of 10 mins, Ruby ate this (I'd already cut the ear down level with the head) then some of a plastic bottle. I guess they didn't feed her while she was at the vets???

Hey all. Roo is back home I picked her up after work (after stopping at the butcher to buy some lamb shanks for the spoilt doglet). I could hear her coming down the corridor, then she launched herself at me! But phoar! Was she ever stinky!!! Not sure where they had been keeping her (inside or outside), but she is one stinky dog. Shame I can't give her a bath (although the weather isn't co-operating anyway), so made do with some of those doggy wipe things (like mega baby wipes) which of course Ruby tried to eat. She had a shank bone and as the sky was growing more and more menacing, do you think the little bugger would let me catch her to put on lead to go inside?! Nope! Eventually I bribed her with a toy and she dropped what was left of the bone which I quickly grabbed and put in the bin. Ha! I win! (If frustration and bribery after 15 mins of trying to catch her can be considered a win! ) She is now snoozing in her crate. We've had some thunder- mostly rumbling, but a couple of large claps, but I think she slept through it. She didn't seem to worry when outside and there were a couple of rumbles, but then she was occupied by her bone. Stitches come out next Monday. Hopefully she'll leave them alone. Speaking of obedience, Ruby will start the next level of classes with Magical Dog Trainer Lady in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure how many dogs there will be, but I don't think she has more than 5 or 6 at a time. I thought it would be better to do the next level with MDTL since it would be familiar to Ruby and considering she was so feral for most of it last time, I could only imagine what she would be like at normal obedience with heaps of dogs! I go this Saturday for the first class- no dogs for the first one apparently and then after that I'm doing an animal first aid course with MDTL. Thought it sounded interesting.

The wedding was nice, very simple and no frills. Bridesmaids dresses were from Big W apparently The bride was obviously very keen to get things happening- she arrived before some of the guests did! I ended up wearing a black shirt and black and white skirt and there were lots of other people wearing black too (including the bridesmaids). The garden thing today went well too I think, although I didn't get around to any of the gardens except the one I was on. Thankfully the rain held off, so looking forward to hearing how much money we made for school. I pick Roo up tomorrow afternoon after work. No doubt she will be full of beans. The cat is going to be very miffed- I think he thought "Yes! All my plans to get rid of the black monster have worked! Once again it is just the human and I!" Sorry, J. I did tell you it was only a temporary holiday from the doglet. I was looking at your latest videos KTB- just gorgeous! By the way, and I hope this doesn't come out sounding stalker-ish/crazy, but every time I put a load of washing on this weekend, I thought of your doglets. My washing machine is a Hoover brand

Awww, I love this photo! Those were some pretty impressive holes your kids have created, Clastic.

I rang the vets today to check on Roo and she was awake but alot quieter than usual ;) Hope she'll be good over the weekend. It's so quiet here, except for the cat who I can't tell if he misses Roo or is celebrating the time apart. I have no idea what I'm going to wear to this wedding tomorrow. I bought new clothes last weekend, but they seem to be mostly black. Plus its still bloody cold here Oh well. Think I'll just wear it and be done with it.

It's very quiet at my house tonight- Miss Roo is having a sleepover at the vet in preparation for her being desexed tomorrow. Jasper the cat is loving it- he's currently stretched out in front of the heater (yes, my heater is on in November I think today got to a grand high of 14), I've got mixed feelings. On the one hand, yay, don't have to go out in the rain tonight (it's trying hard to storm), on the other, I miss her Roo is having an extended stay at the vets over the weekend because I have a surprise wedding to go to on Saturday (surprise as in it was supposed to be in January, but was moved forward and I was invited on Monday), and then on Sunday I have to help out at our major school fundraiser for the year. So all in all, not really able to supervise the quietness that is required for the first few days post op. I'm hoping that by Monday, Miss Roo will have forgotten they have taken out some of her insides and that she has stitches in her belly I really ummed and ahhed about when to get her desexed, but at the end of the day, with at least one entire male dog next door (Ruby's best dog friend) that I know of, and no idea how many others in the neighbourhood, me working fulltime and no front fence (backyard is all fenced), I just couldn't risk it. Plus there's a bit of drama happening in my family at the moment, so just wanted to get it done in case I have to go up home at short notice. Breeders and vets disagree on when is the right time to desex, which didn't help at all. Anyway, I just have to hope that everything will go well and be okay in the end. KTB, looks like Hoover is enjoying his crate, and your new sig is lovely. :D

Roo has a floppy frisbee that I got from the $2 shop (actually it's the 2nd one- Ruby ripped the 1st one up too much) that she can sometimes catch. I don't make her jump for it though- I throw it at her height.

Such clever doglets I'll be sending Roo to you to teach her how to roll over- the lazy slug will only go halfway! :D

:D

I think I missed this somehow but glad it arrived. I just checked my account and saw what your payment reference was- tee hee! (For everyone else, KTB wrote "Soft crate woohoo".) Hope Hoover likes it. Sounds like he was a model student at dog school today. Good of them to let Hoover join in. Hopefully he can keep going there instead of waiting til next year. I think I'm going to take Roo to MDTL's next course that starts in November. She should be completely recovered from the big op by then. Unfortunately, the timing of it would mean that we miss the very last class because I'll be away (Bon Jovi! Woo hoo! ), so I'm waiting to hear back from her to see if we can do it anyway and just miss the last class. Otherwise we would have to wait til next year, and I'd really prefer not to have such a big gap. Having said that though, I'm sure I'll be cursing in a few weeks when I'm trying to mark assessments and write reports and having to fit dog school in too. Gah! The storm here never materialised (but thankfully the ants vanished again), but even though the sun is out, there are a lot of dark clouds around too. Sigh. I'm over the rain. A quick question for you all- when you guys go to dog training, what do you take as your "mat"? I've often wondered. MDTL had those hessian bag bed type items, but as I don't have one at home, I don't think Ruby understood the whole "On your mat" command. On the last lesson I took the little mat I use at home and put it on top, but Ruby barely fits on it now (compared to when she used to be able to lie on it and there was room left over! ).

I didn't know snakes could climb bricks

Hi all. Hope everyone is having a good weekend. It's looked stormy all afternoon, but no rain here as yet. The ants in my pantry seem to think it's on the way though :p KTB- glad that Hoover's baldness can be fixed without a trip to doggie Advanced Hair. Years ago, my dad's red Kelpie Fido (yes, that really was his name ) used to get mites/a hotspot on his bottom just above his tail a lot, and Mum used to put tomato dust on it, which seemed to help from memory. No idea how, but it did KA- Kuma looks quite at home directing Mr KA is the backyard You just need to get Kuma one of those fluro vest thingys I know I've said it before, but Kuma is always so smiley in his photos! He looks like such a happy doglet. Wuffles- Loved how Satch jumped in the water while Ava got as far away as possible! :D Thunder is a common fear in dogs, isn't it? Our old dog Fido (see above) hated it! If we didn't tie him up when a storm was coming, he would try and run away. I've seen they make tshirt things for dogs to wear that are supposed to calm them down in situations like storms or fireworks Ruby is yet to experience thunder I think. Not sure. Raven- What shiney little puppies they are! And mama dog too Niques- do you give James Omega 3 tablets? I hadn't thought about it for Ruby. She gets 1/2 tin of sardines a couple of times a week mixed in with her biscuits though. Max- I'm not sure if there is a special spot Roo likes to be rubbed on. In other news, Roo is booked in to have the big operation on Thursday. The vet will board her overnight Wednesday, then on Thursday and home on Friday or Saturday. The vet was so lovely when I had a chat to her yesterday about it. She said what I expected about when to get her desexed- the sooner the better now that she is 6 months old, especially with an entire male pup next door (lots of other dogs around me too, but I don't know if they're desexed or not or male or female). I told her I wasn't worried about the op itself, since it's pretty straightforward, but I WAS worried about how I would keep Roo quiet for 10 days. The vet said quite simply "You can't" The first 3 days are the most important she said, and some people even keep their dogs at the vet during that period just to make sure. I'm still tossing up whether to do that or not just because my school is having a big fundraiser on the weekend that I said I would help out at. Hmmm. Still not sure.

Hi everyone. Well, tonight I left Ruby outside while I went to a meeting. While Ruby is outside during the day, she's usually inside by 6pm, so I wasn't sure how she would go. My lovely next door neighbour (who has Ruby's best dog friend a GSD pup) stuck his head out when I came home and said she was fine- barked a few times, but more like a "What am I doing out here still?" bark than anything else he said. She was very happy to see me, bless her, and is now asleep in her crate. Ruby's package of toys from Dstore arrived at work today. I was a bit reluctant to tell the people I work with what was in the big box No I don't really spend over $100 on toys for my dog... I got her a tugajug, a Cuz, a buster cube and a Busybuddy bone. I opened the Busy buddy bone and gave it to her this afternoon, and she was so excited! She was rolling around on the ground with it! ;) I left it with her tonight when I went out too. Also on my doorstep today was the Provisor guard thingy I ordered from a lovely man recommended on DOL. It's supposed to be a better version of an Elizabethan collar- giving the dog more movement, while still restricting their access to chew on stitches (this along with a bottle of woundguard from Dstore in preparation for when she is desexed) etc. I haven't unpacked it yet, but the man (Tasi), said he would walk me through how to put it on over the phone. It was only $19 including freight Hopefully I won't have to use it for long. I still have to catch up with the vet- school is busy as always, and I have a prac student on my class now too. Kind of not really what anyone needs in Term 4, but what can you do. Hope you've all had a good day Wizzle, how is Wee Wizzle coming along? Still making you feel seasick?

Big hugs KTB. We're all here for you. I hope Hoover's hair loss isn't anything serious. Do they have a doggie version of Advanced Hair? :D