Her Majesty Dogmad

This dog isn't used to children so I wouldn't be comfortable placing her with children until I know more. The owner has allowed small children to "jump all over her" and she has gone to hide, I'm sure she's lovely but it's not fair to risk it. she is also protective of her food so would need to be fed separately from other animals.

I'm trying to help someone who has moved into rental without permission, and has now been given 2 weeks to remove the pets. The female staffy is around 9 yrs of age. She lost a leg when she caught it on a fence, getting out during a storm (this is not recent). Like many dogs, she is storm phobic and also frightened of fireworks so will need good fencing. She has had all vetwork done and has lived with a cat and other dogs (kelpie males) and been fine. She is mainly black with a white chest splash (photo will follow). She loves to chase a ball and can still go for walks. Unfortunately she has been living outside since moving to Sydney, in all that heat. She's housetrained and needs to be inside with the family. Can anyone help?

Save Our Strays have a yard check in Neutral Bay for 2 of their little Min Pin crosses. Can anyone assist? Thanks!

Taken far too soon, very sad for you. Look after yourself at this very tough time

I've got some here - Primrose the Chi cross that bounces and bounces on the side of the bed at around 6am .... Diamond the Italian Greyhound that pokes me in the back with her legs at around 6am. The rest are better behaved ..... yawn

Has anyone experienced a dog with urinary incontinence caused by nerve damage? I was wondering if you'd had any success with something like acupuncture? Medicine has been tried and hasn't worked. All tests were done (ultrasound etc) that ruled out all other causes. The dog is not with me or my rescue, I'm trying to help someone.

Thank you Better Late - I do need a hand with this!!

Very sad for you, Henry has gone too soon and left a huge hole in your heart .... I do understand - I lost a budgie I had for several years very tragically (it was my fault). Until I owned him (he'd had 3 homes before mine), I had no idea how much love a little bird can give and my despair and sorrow lasted for months. You gave Henry a wonderful home when he needed it, it's very sad he couldn't stay much longer.

more gremlins

.....gremlins

Definitely report the attack, next time it could be far worse. It could be a child or an elderly person walking a dog (not that children should be walking dogs unsupervised but only yesterday I saw two young children out on their own with a small dog) and they will come off far worse than you. This is so irresponsible of the owners - doesn't matter where the dog has come from - breeder or rescue, they KNOW that it has issues so they must take full responsibility for taking much more care to ensure the dog does not get access to any other dogs. Personally I strongly disagree with pounds/rescues placing dogs that they know to be dog aggressive or those who don't temperament test dogs before rehoming (Pound Rounds is one of those groups). People often don't get it or just don't listen to the warnings and then something terrible happens and others and their pets suffer.

We've got a potential home for a young Italian cross who is in need. Is anyone in the area please? THanks!

Thank you Dansir, i'll pm you!

If they are friends' dogs that are known to be good with other dogs (no matter what their size), then you could socialise with them. At that size, I wouldn't mix your dog with larger dogs. You even need to be careful of some small dogs - I am currently fostering a 3 kilo Malt cross that was nearly killed by a Jack Russell. I am very careful with my own littlies, as a rescuer I hear far too many horror stories.

We rescued a Whippet in VIC about a month ago, she's a beautiful girl and is in foster care in Melbourne. We've got a lovely sounding home in Bright, VIC - about 3-4 hrs away. Is anyone in the area that could help with a yard check please?

Have you tried contacting some of the cat food manufacturers? Local Petbarns etc.?

Very sad for you, hugs

It has to be the Ultra ZD and you can buy in a canned version. I used other dry dog foods (very exy) that were fish or duck based. The problem with IBD is the meat protein, you can get away with the odd serve of unusual meat protein which is why the duck was ok occasionally. You can buy grain free food at Petbarn, fish based - maybe give it a try?

And this is how I lived for several years, I would never want to do it again. Different vets have different ideas on IBD, I had been to 3 different surgeries (the 2nd one put him on Salazapyrin) and the current one told me about Carafate, I've been going there since 2004. The first vet practice told me that NOTHING except the Hills Ultra ZD biscuits could pass his lips. He was very miserable and life was very hard, he was starving and wouldn't eat. I eventually found that someone in the US had a blog about her battle with IBD and she had tried sweet potato = I did that too and it was a real success. As time went on, I eventually tried tuna (in spring water) once a week, just to give him some variety without making him sick. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, it is a truly distressing disease.

I've been in more than one pet shop and found animals without water, I've asked the same thing - for the attendant to get water asap. In one case they were very very slow so I made a big noise about it - said they hadn't had time since opening (it was 2 hrs after opening) shop full of customers and said I'd be back to check that all cages had water in 10 mins time. The very best answer to this issue - apart from naming and shaming which I agree totally with - is to shut pet shops down once and for all. These are not good environments for any animals and they generally sell to anyone with the cash. As a rescuer, I regularly see the results of poor choices.

Did your vet ever tell you about something called Carafate? I virtually lived in the vets with my IG with IBD, I can't even begin to estimate how much it all cost (this was in 2000-2004 before it was stabilised), it was thousands for sure. Plus you carry around the continual guilt that you can't seem to get it right and your pet is constantly suffering. My vet told me about Carafate which is available over the counter. Get a syringe, crush up half a tablet and mix with water and give to your dog as soon as they go off their food or you hear stomach rumblings - this is what got me through for a long time plus the Salazapyrin and special diet of course. With my current IG who cannot have an endoscopy to diagnose (similar symptoms to IBD but not as bad as my first IG), I give her the Carafate at the first sign that all is not well and she recovers within half a day - without it is 1-2 days recover per episode and they happen regularly.

This is why, as a rescuer, I will never rehome desexed dogs with undesexed dogs. for the average dog owner it is very difficult to manage the situation, different for those set up as breeders. I've had the misfortune to bring home dogs that then went on heat and have had a hellish fortnight or so to deal with, some of my desexed males were fine but some were not. It usually ended up in me having to pay for boarding of my own dogs in order to manage. If I were you, i'd reconsider breeding if this is going to happen every time.

I don't know if this would help but my first Italian was eventually diagnosed with IBD. Until that point he was on limited diets and all sorts, nothing held the bloody diarrhoea at bay for long. Initially he was put on cortisone and a nightmare couple of years followed but I changed vets and they tried different meds. he was then put on 3 doses a day of an old drug called "Salazapyrin" - not sure if that spelling is correct. He was also on a special diet and the combination of the two kept him pretty well apart from one episode most years where he'd end up on a drip for a few days, usually after getting hold of someone's discarded food whilst out on a walk. Has your vet tried a medication like that?

Can anyone help with this please?

I've been given Movie Cards which I love to get and also Petbarn gift cards which are fantastic too. I'd feel uncomfortable able being given cash.