*kirty*

I'm so sorry Jane. Mickey was so lucky to find you. RIP Mickey

As far as I know, they are a referral service not a rescue group? Sorry your mum had a bad experience and good luck finding her a new dog. :)

Pregnant sighthounds always look odd to me. :) Just doesn't suit them.

I agreed she was a bit too thin?? My friend is an experienced sighthound owner and has it all under control. She knows Alice needs to gain some weight and has already ordered her a coat. She is an indoor dog now so its not like she will suffer in the cold. I don't like the really skinny look either but its how many sighthounds are traditionally kept and shown.

She is a bit thin but the breed is meant to be skinny. If you look at these pics you'll see that they are kept very lean. :) http://www.google.com.au/search?q=ibizan+hound&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=112LUbn8KIbOkAXNnIGIBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=356

Photos as promised. :) She is already so much braver and I got tail wags and kisses this morning. :) Just FYI, she is on a chain at work because she hangs out in our staff room which can't be shut off. At home she is apparently in love with the whole family now and likes to sleep in my friend's bedroom. :) Having a scratch with another colleague: So pretty! And with Cheechy :)

Hehe the camera doesn't work on my phone! I'll try and get some tomorrow. :) She really is gorgeous.

Thought I'd give you all an update on the Ibizan. Alice finally arrived in Melbourne on Sunday and came to work with my colleague on Monday and Tuesday. She is GORGEOUS!! She is very nervous but is improving so quickly. She has already started wagging her tail at us and loves when we wrap her in blankets on her bed. My colleague and her family just adore her. :) And Cheech is so excited to have another Ibizan in the family lol.

Hugs Tamara! Maisie was pretty out of it after her surgery too. Has he got a pain patch on? I found it made her really groggy but she still needed Ace tablets to keep her calm! I'm assuming you will still be taking him everywhere with you, which I found helped Maisie settle and made it easier to keep her quiet. Maisie's recovery was quite slow but she is great now. Got everything crossed for Dexter. :) ETA Just saw your post. Maisie's wound didn't bleed at all so I'd definitely call the vet and ask their advice.

I wateched it and had tears in my eyes too. The whole thing is still so fresh in my mind. I was spitting chips with the kitten stories though. Normally anything under 600g is immediately PTS. But of course they couldn't do that on TV (although the vet seemed keen to knock off that litter at the end).

Agree!

I agree with all of your posts and I can't stand her or the show. But I would still rather they have puppies from a reputable source rather than plug some pet shop puppies.

Tell her to contact guide dogs or vision australia. They almost always have puppies and I'm sure they would be happy for a donation in return for showing off their puppies.

No, calendula tea is marigold tea and you'll have to get it from a health food shop or online. :)

Maybe zinc cream? Like the ones you use on babies?

He looks to have something very wrong with his eyes.

I have no doubt that there are great breeders out there breeding BBs that are perfectly healthy. But insyrance companies don't charge double premiums for certain breeds for nothing! FYI those insurance quotes were all based on an 8wo puppy with exactly the same info except breed.

That's great.

Oh my gosh!! She is soooooo gorgeous!!! You just wanna smoosh that little face!! And look at all those rolls!!! Too cute. :)

Congratulations dekadent! Yes, photos are a must! We had a 12wo baby in last week and he was so squishable!! :)

I completely agree that any dog can have issues, but some breeds are more prone to health concerns than others. If someone told me they wanted to buy a Great Dane, I'd tell them to put money aside in case of bloat. An iggy, money for broken bones. All brachycephalic dogs are prone to airway problems - that's why any vet will consider any brachy dog to be a high anaesthetic risk. Brachy breeds are over-represented at my work for eye conditions - entropion, cherry eye, scrolled third eyelid cartilage, extra eyelashes, etc. We had a Bulldog in today, two in yesterday and one having surgery tomorrow. I'm not sure what you mean by 'what do we advise our clients'. We don't have any prejudice against any breed - in fact we all love having Bulldogs come in because they are such awesome dogs. :) Another eye clinic once told me that Pugs and Bulldogs represented over half their patients. I know for a fact that many breeders are working hard to correct these issues, but not all of them are. It can also just be bad luck. I did a little experiment and checked insurance premiums for a Kelpie x vs a British Bulldog. Insurance companies charge more for breeds that they believe will cost them more. Its not a breed bias, its based on research they have done. Sorry but I think people should be prepared. Its why I insured my IG because I couldn't afford to pay thousands if she broke her leg. Petplan Kelpie x Petplan British Bulldog RSPCA Kelpie x RSPCA British Bulldog

Sorry, realised I went OT. My point was that bias and excuses also get in the way of good assessments. :D

Where did I say they all had problems?? I said the breed can be prone to problems. The following pages were written by Bulldog people. I honestly don't know why people have to be so defensive. Labrador people recognised their breed was prone to HD so they work to improve it. They don't deny that Labs are prone to it though? http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/information/british-bulldog.asp http://www.rochdaleshowbulldogs.net/BulldogHealth.html

I work in a vet clinic and see them every single day. I'm not knocking the breed, but can you honestly say they aren't prone to eye problems and airway problems? If its not true, why does it cost more to insure them? I have Iggies - they are prone to broken legs. Its a fact of life if you own an Iggy, be prepared to pay to mend breaks. Rotties are prone to cancer. Not knocking any of them, but people should be prepared. We see people all the time who have saved to buy an expensive pedigree dog but can't afford the surgery it needs to fix its entropion.

Sorry but while I agree that all dogs can have health problems, Bulldogs are one of those that tend to have more than their fair share. As I said, I love them (and my MIL has two Frenchies) but you can't deny that owners should be prepared for future vet bills. Its why insurance companies often charge a premium to insure Bulldogs.