Her Majesty Dogmad

I've seen them going down and down in price at the local petshop and then they are large puppies with little socialisation etc generally. At this shop a couple of years ago a couple of remaining Schnauzer puppies were going at such a bargain price that they were purchased by a very elderly couple ... a few days later they realised they were out of their depth and tried to return them - petshops DON'T take their sales back. Luckily a good rescue was able to help. Basically - nothing to do with puppies and other animals being sold by petshops are good. You've got the money - you can buy, that's all that needs to be said.

heartbreaking but a wonderful idea. wish I could have such a beautiful pic of my loved ones, I still haven't stopped looking for Echo and Mickey at mealtimes and in the night, I lost them in May and July this year.

That is a very interesting article, dog parks are very unsafe - largely due to the inexperience of those that frequent them, having no idea about dogs' body language etc.

Terrible, so sorry for the poor little mite and for those who have to deal with this. Kirty, hugs to you.

glad you'll be sticking round Aphra, I love your work

I agree with your assessment of your fear, very strange. Small dogs have been declared dangerous, don't you worry.

Adorable!!

Not sure where i'd put this on Facebook?

If he's chipped to your colleague, they should be getting a call no matter which pound or vet he ends up in.

I should say they are very close to Hornsby - Waitara, Wahroonga

I will not provide exact details on the forum but it has come to my notice that there is an individual in my area (Hornsby, NSW) that has adopted 4 rescue dogs and euthanased 3 of them (this is what we know of at least). They are a range of ages (the last one was surrendered to a rescuer that I know) but generally small and short haired. The rescuer has issued warnings to those they know but I know there are plenty of other rescuers out there with dogs that fit the general description. This is not illegal of course but the current dog (a puppy) was going to be euthanased simply for chewing on something. I have no idea what the vets who have euthanased these dogs have been told but it is also not illegal to go into a vet and have your dog put to sleep. However, I issue this warning because if it happened to one of the dogs I'd rescued and loved, I'd be devastated. This person is mentally unbalanced and I hate to imagine what the dogs have endured before they go. This person is actively seeking a new dog now.

To Kittycat7 Sarah - go do the DNA test yourself. Your demands are unreasonable. edited to add - kittycat7 is disgruntled re her adopted cat being labelled DSH xx LP xx Goodness, you should love an animal for itself, not for what it is - ie a purebred this or that .. - you could have a shock like a friend of mine who is into a particular breed. Adopted a beautiful dog after fostering and thought she'd send off for a DNA test, was pretty sure she knew the dog was a cross of an xxx. Dog turned out to be a Rottweiler cross - the last thing my friend would want BUT she loves the dog and it has a beautiful nature, that's all that counts.

I'm only sorry it took them 9 years to get rid of him, poor little chap. He looks great now and deserves only the best of homes for the rest of his days. Great work Maree!

So sorry Kirty, it's so tough when we get to these stages. My vet is always wonderful - since 2007, I have lost dogs most years, all to different illnesses - my vet has always said to me that it is better to make the decision a bit earlier rather than leave it until the dog is suffering so badly that you have to rush them in as an emergency. It just depends what it is, sometimes you don't know that they are about to leave you. When I have known what is wrong and it's taking a major toll on them (cancer, heart disease, cushings etc), I try and be brave and make the decision before the dog reaches a crisis. With my old Cattle girl who had liver cancer, the last two weeks weren't good as she was very unwell but she was still playing ball. The day we went to the park and she had no interest was when I got back in the car and went straight to the vet. With another dog, I gave her a special last day before taking her, she was going downhill and it wasn't fair, my vet felt she was only struggling on for me as she was so devoted. It's never easy and I wish you strength and send you hugs.

My vet dosed my old Cattle girl on Metamucil when things got bad!

Some dogs like other veggies too - pumpkin's brilliant for constipation and diarrhoea apparently - mine also enjoy carrot, peas and some of them like broccoli and cauliflower even! I wouldn't feed anything with oil as that could lead to other issues.

Due to an elderly person having to go into a nursing home, they are surrendering their Italian Greyhound to me (Iggy Rescue). The dog has been in a vet for the last month (owner in hospital) being treated for pancreatitis. The owner had not made a decision until yesterday so i'll be going to collect him on Saturday. I haven't personally had a dog with pancreatitis before, it was no doubt brought on by his owner feeding him sausages and chocolate (that is what they said they fed him!). Anyhow, I do have other dogs and would just like some advice from anyone who's managed a dog with this illness. Should I be looking for food with a fat content under a certain percentage? Can you only feed a particular Hills diet or similar? Is it possible that he'll also need medication? Even if I'm careful might he have a relapse? I'm ultra cautious because I adopted my first Italian from a rescue group and he had Inflammatory Bowel Disease which was challenging and he had episodes most years. I will read on the internet about it too but I wondered if anyone had some good tips/suggestions for food and general care? Thanks!

She's probably lonely and lost - any reason why she can't be inside with everyone else? I'm the first to tell you that I don't agree with keeping dogs outside but especially not when they are on their own and other dogs get to be inside. Just not fair - and they do understand. I also agree that when one dies, there can be some minor skirmishes and squabbles until the pack settles down again but that doesn't sound like this is what your issue is, I'm not really sure what it is ...

Muffin is a beautiful boy who weighs about 6/7 kilos. He loves being brushed and his owner does this every day. He plays with toy mice and throws them up in the air. He's loving but is not a lap cat, likes to sit nr you rather than on you. He doesn't mind being picked up but doesn't want to be held for long periods. He's an indoor cat, housetrained and doesn't have bad cat habits - he doesn't scratch stuff or jump on kitchen benches! :) He loves the family dogs who visit regularly and used to live with another cat that passed away. He has a very tall scratching post that he loves and this is what he uses for scratching - this will be given to a new owner along with his bed. His owner has him shaved once a year to keep him cool - at the vet under anaesthetic. He's on the CD Hills Diet and Hairball biscuits by Royal Canin - food costs around $22 per month. His owner is having to rehome him due to family illness but although he has had some homes offered already, they have not been safe for him to go to.

I think I'd rehome Leroy as your first dog - the one you must also put first - is going to have ongoing issues. You might be able to keep the cruciate going along but not if you've got a large and strong young dog that is going to keep causing issues. If you'd fostered him you'd be rehoming him, at least this way you have the opportunity to learn a bit about him and his needs and find the right spot. You could then get a much calmer dog that wouldn't bump her legs or induce her to go crazy. I speak from experience - I have an older dog with cruciate issues, he's not allowed to go off lead - ever. I can't keep a very playful foster dog for long if he and that dog go crazy playing because my old boy ends up limping, back in the vets having treatment.

Yes, walk a mile in their shoes why don't you? Judging by what people say to me about rescuing just 1 dog, there would have to be very few people that could do it. Not many people want to put their hand in their pockets AT ALL. We do live in a me and mine first society. Yes, I'm a dog lady - not a hoarder. Just someone with compassion for that elderly dog whose owner just died - family don't want them, no they can't afford to pay for the dog's desexing, vaccination, mouthful of rotten teeth, xrays of their heart, Cushings tests/medication and so on BUT they don't want them to die - they are very loved - of course they are!

Snap! And my Italian Greyhound often tries to gas me in the night - ewwwwwwww ....

I recommend not using the spot on treatments either 48 hours before or after a bath as they rely on the natural oils in the coats to work. Capstar will help but only for 24 hours. If you have mats you could sprinkle flea powder on them. If you have cats around, then fleas are hard to control no matter what you do.

Because I'm unfamiliar with Iggies and Whippets I'll sometimes get the two confused. I have met some (what I think to be) small whippets and without an Igg standing next to a Whippet, I do struggle with their sizes. How big do full grown Iggies get Dogmad? Mine's about 5 kilos, 5 or 6 kilos is the norm but we at Iggy Rescue have had one at 3.5 kilos, an adult. We've also had the larger end of the scale. If Iggies are from an American line, they can be around 10 or 11 kilos like my first Italian "Luigi" - he was a rescue back in 1999.

Most people think my Iggy is a Whippet puppy! :D She's magnificent at 12 yrs of age.