Queen Maeby

*Going to the shops to buy chocolate*

I thought heart worm was transmitted via mosquitos? Oh is it? I don't know why my vet said that then. Sorry :laugh:

Wanting to learn how to treat your dogs so they live a happy and healthy life is not, in my opinion, being a control freak. Having a mini break down because someone offers your dog a treat at the dog park (something I strongly disapprove of BTW LOL) would be. :laugh: You are still grieving for Grover, but you could perhaps be a little kinder to yourself and stop beating yourself up about it :). Slowly and surely, you will get there Agree. There is nothing wrong with having these thoughts. It is totally normal. You should see the hysterics I have if I see the dogs eating something in a park because I lost a dog to bait. It wasn't even in a park. Like your experience with Grover I was there when my dog died and it wasn't pleasant. Not that any of the deaths have been. Even my 20yo cat passing in her sleep was horrible. One of the local postmen gives the dogs Good-o. Not something I would buy and not something Amber is supposed to eat but for some reason the dogs frigging love getting those Good-os. I give them homemade gourmet biscuits. They are also really naughty when they see the postman, they even pull on the leads But they love it and the postman loves it, so I relax my standards for this interaction. :laugh: Thank you for sharing that. I feel so much better :) My dad used to give Grover Good-o's and it drove me nuts!

Wanting to learn how to treat your dogs so they live a happy and healthy life is not, in my opinion, being a control freak. Having a mini break down because someone offers your dog a treat at the dog park (something I strongly disapprove of BTW LOL) would be. :laugh: You are still grieving for Grover, but you could perhaps be a little kinder to yourself and stop beating yourself up about it :). Slowly and surely, you will get there Thanks, that's so nice of you :) I don't allow people to give my dogs treats. I am pretty neurotic about that :laugh:

I agree - our family dog was never fussed over and lived on Go Cat biscuits her whole life (didn't like dog biscuits) and lived to 18! I know people who spend so much time and money taking their dogs to holistic people, specialists, only the finest raw diets etc and these dogs seem to have the most health issues - I wonder if it's just that they aren't picked up in the dogs where care is more 'relaxed'? I think you have to find the balance between being neurotic and spending your whole life freaking out about things that could happen, and preparing specialised meals for your dog and wrapping them in cotton wool - or you can relax and just make the most of the time you have with your dog and face the fact that shit happens Oh thank you for saying that! I p*ssed myself laughing when I realised how neurotic I'm being. I'm just such a perfectionist... I even do crazy things like mop the floor twice. I feel so much more relaxed now :laugh:

Maybe I'm just being a control freak and I'm still feeling guilty about Grover's death... I guess you just have to enjoy them while you have them.

Here is a tip that my vet gave me, which I thought was quite good... If you live in a low-risk heartworm area near the beach, and you choose not to treat for heartworm, take your dog for a walk on the beach first thing in the morning, before heaps of other people and their dogs walk there, after the tide has gone out and washed the beach clean. Make sure you walk your dog along the shore line and don't go anywhere near the dunes where they can catch some fox-related disease (I can't remember what it's called). And stay away from the beach at high peak tourist times like Christmas. That's when all the tourist dogs come to visit.

I changed the title of this thread because I was worried that it sounded too preachy, like I was expecting other people to do the same as me. I would like to know what I can do to give my future Pugs the best chance at a long and healthy life. In hindsight, there are things that I would have done differently with Grover and I will be doing these things with my future Pugs.

I can see that there's a big difference between my current vet and how she does things compared to previous vets. She is more likely to let things work themselves out/heal on their own while previous vets prescribed cortisone for every single thing. I wouldn't say my vet has a holistic approach but she is definitely more progressive thinking and less traditional than previous vets. I'd say she has a more gentle, balanced approach, and I like it that she treats me like an equal. I think it really helps to have a good vet who's on the same page as you.

Yes, I agree with keeping them lean and fit. Grover got regular exercise but I fed him too much, and a lot of crappy treats when he was younger. He was overweight for half of his life. When I changed to a homemade, high protein diet he started losing weight. I will be much more rigorous with my future Pugs.

I'm definitely going to feed a homemade diet, and I will never buy dog food again. I've thought of going organic (that's what I did with Grover when he was diagnosed with cancer), but I think the most important thing is to minimize carbohydrates. I'm going to titre test after the puppy shots. I will definitely be reducing the amount of chemicals I was using, ie. for the last 18 months of his life, Grover was on a herbal worming treatment and when I had his faeces tested he didn't even have one egg, let alone a worm. eta Sorry Jules, I just saw your post :)

I guess I see it like a fun game with the goal being having my Pug live to 15+.

I know what you mean, and that is very good advice, but I would like to know what I can do to give them the best chance. In hindsight, there are things that I would have done differently with Grover and I will be doing these things with my future Pugs.

****I changed the title of this thread because I was worried that it sounded too preachy, like I was expecting other people to do the same as me. I would like to know what I can do to give my future Pugs the best chance at a long and healthy life. In hindsight, there are things that I would have done differently with Grover and I will be doing these things with my future Pugs.**** Because of my experience with mast cell tumours, and Grover dying so young, I'm interested in finding out what I can do to give my future Pugs a long, healthy life. Ideally, I would like all my Pugs to live to at least 15. I thought I'd post this conversation, which is from a Pug forum I belong to... What do you think about the suggestions mentioned by the second poster? Do you agree/disagree with any of them? Is there anything else you would add that you think would help keep dogs young and healthy? Poster 1 asking a question: I am asking this question because I have seen posts where Pugs have lived to be 17, 18 years and even older. None of my Pugs even reached fifteen. Chinto, who I got as a puppy, lived to be 12 and 1/2, and died of a brain tumor. Marris, who I rescued at four years, lived to be just a month shy of 14, and died of a fatal seizure. Darcy, Chinto's granddaughter, who I adopted at seven years, died at 11 and 1/2 of breast cancer, which spread to her lungs. Now, we have Napoleon, who we rescued at 5 years, and would like to live a long life with us. So, what am I doing wrong? We give them tons of love, regular vet care, heart worm and flea and tick meds, take them for walks, and feed them what we believe to be premium quality food. Poster 2's response (poster 2 is very experienced with Pug rescue): Luck and genetics play into the equation heavily and for the most part those cannot be controlled. What you CAN do: 1. Maintain your pug at optimum weight. I would rather see them be a little underweight than a little overweight. 2. After the puppy shots, if at all possible, stop vaccinating. Wing-N-Wave Labradors Vaccines, Infectious Diseases and the Canine Immune System 3. Feed a species appropriate diet of the highest quality possible. Minimize carbohydrates. Eliminate empty calorie, processed and flavored treats. Give age appropriate supplements. 4. Address health concerns immediately. Have an annual exam and annual bloodwork and urine done when they are under 8. At 8-12 have it done twice a year. Over twelve, ideally 3-4 times per year. 5. Keep them out of extremes of temperature. 6. Address breathing issues as young as possible, before deficits cause more or worse problems. Same goes for eyes. 7. Have regular dentals done by a good vet with good anesthesia protocol and familiarity with pugs or brachycephalic breeds. 8. Keep them out of areas where herbicides and insecticides are regularly used, especially things like RoundUp, weed & feed, etc. 9. Have a good fence that keeps them in and anything else out. 10. Touch them a lot. Not only is it good for them and for you, but it allows you to notice growths, swellings, bare spots and other problems while they are still small.

Great post OsoSwift What I really like about the Victorian Pug community is that a Pug rarely, if ever, ends up in a shelter because breeders work so hard behind the scenes to find the Puggies a home. It's a wonderful, supportive community and I'm proud to be a part of it as a Pug owner. Well that's my experience of it anyway :)

Online... Just tell them to type in "pyjamas for dogs + Australia".

It just means my Pugs and I won't be able to go to obedience training, but I don't mind :)

Wow, how exciting! Congratulations! :)

Awwww, that's a great photo of him in front of the fire :)

Some people use a laboratory in WA called Vetpath to have their titre testing done. You get it done through your vet who sends them the samples. My vet has no problem doing this at all. http://www.vetpath.com.au/ I haven't used them yet but plan to use them in the future.

Good to hear she is getting better :)

I don't think you'd need to offer a prize, DOLers love giving name suggestions :) plus it would also be an excuse for us to look at gorgeous Pug puppy photos Okay, no worries :) The mum will be mated again in October/November when she comes into season... So the puppy will be born December/January, and then home with me two months later. Is that right?

Oh no LG, I'm sorry to hear that. I don't have any experience with vasculitis but I just wanted to send you hugs

I'm thinking of having a competition where I ask people on DOL to help me name my puppy... And I will pay $50 off the winner's vet bill... But I won't start it until the puppy has actually been born. What do you think? Are you allowed to have competitions like that on DOL? eta Actually, no, don't worry about it. I'll just think of a name myself :)

I am SO overjoyed even though it's such a long way away