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Hi all, Once again, thank you for your kind words & support - to someone feeling down & alone you may never know what it has meant Was a quiet night - phones by the bed & praying they didnt ring (I think you all have been through that too). I rang vet at 7am as instructed & thankfully Penny is still with us :) The vet siad though that they have tried to wean down her frusemide (sp?) but her chest filled again so they dosed her up again & it has cleared again. She said she is still oxygen dependant though which is worrying me. I lost a boy to heart failure a couple of years ago & we couldn't take him off oxygen for the couple of days before he died. Before that, he coped with his bad heart for a few months so I am not sure if that means Penny is at the bad stage or not?? She hasn't eaten for 30 or so hours but I guess there's a lot of reasons why including stress. I do get to go see her though at 2pm so can't wait for that! I guess I have hounded them till they have given in :D I just want to bring her home - it's amazing that no matter how many you have, you instantly notice there is one missing & it feels empty.

Hi Lillypilly, Penny is here because of you remember! She loved her time with you & NSW Animal Rescue before she could come here. I think she spent a few weeks with you whilst she was desexed & health checked & she was so well looked after. When I worried if it would be fair to bring her here with other dogs or go to a home where she was the only dog you reassured me to try & the rest is history! Would you believe that was already 4 & 1/2 years ago

Just heard from vets.......they have done some x-rays & other tests & looks like it is definitely congestive heart failure The vet said she still has a lot of fluid around her heart & lungs but it has lessened. When she first went in they couldn't hear her heart for the fluid but now can & can definitely hear the murmur. They will do an ultrasound later tonight but have started her on vetmedin. She has had massive doses of frusemide to try & clear the fluid. The vet said that Penny is resting at the moment & is clearly exhausted but says she is heading in the right direction as far as improvement. I asked if i could see her but it is a hard decision whether to disturb her - I know I would love to see her but I don't want to stress her either??? They will call me through the night if there is any problem as I requested (I am only 5 minutes away) otherwise I am to ring at 7am to see if she needs to stay or be transferred back to my regular vet for more observation (the emergency vets here close during normal vet hours). Thank you for your thoughts & support - I already feel less alone

Some may remember this shot from a couple of years ago - I have since lost 3 of these babies

One more piccie - this is my dear Penny

In case it isn't known by some, all of my babies are rescues & a few are here with me now thanks only to the kindness of some wonderful, compassionate DOLers! Peibe, Lillypilly, Gillbear, Ruralpug, Sir WJ, Teebs & PAWS have all played a part in my happiness these little pekes have brought me! Penny was "discarded" when the family had a new baby & she was living in an exposed courtyard with barely any contact. They would not allow her inside at all. She was 6 yrs old when they said they had no time for her

Thought I would share a picture of my babies.....photo was taken when they were waiting on some chicken for their dinner. I hand feed them their chicken so they all get equal share. Penny is top left of the photo with my three other ill oldies next along to the right. We call it the "sacred circle" :)

Thank you everyone for your support............have been alone here all day (husband 3 hours away on night shift & no family close) so can't stop thinking all sorts of thoughts Have tried not to bother the emergency vets too much but haven't heard anything for a few hours. I think one of the worst things is I have had experience with heart failure before unfortunately so know what she will be going through even if she makes it home. Because I have had so many little sweethearts go through so many different illnesses over the years, a lot of naieve optimism for their prognosis has disappeared & a lot more fear set in.

Hi all, Don't often post about my furbabies illnesses but am feeling rather lost & alone at the moment. Can I ask for some prayers for my little peke girl Penny please? I had to race her to our emergency vet in the early hours of this morning as her breathing was rapid & she was looking very distressed. She is on oxygen & awaiting x-rays but they believe it is sudden acute heart failure She was a little "off" on Friday afternoon so I took her to my vet who said she had some fluid sounds on one side of her chest. He gave her a frusemide injection & said to watch her over the weekend. She ate very well last night but still had slightly odd breathing to me??? She wouldn't settle through the night & I couldn't "wait & see" any longer cause I just knew something wasn't right. It has only been 4 months since I lost another of my babies suddenly - she too began breathing badly & made it through the night at the vets but died as they took her out of the cage to check her stats that morning. I never got to say goodbye or hold her as she passed & I am still beating myself up. My vet said she wasn't critical & to decide whether she should stay there overnight or transfer her to emergency overnight care. We agreed it would be clamer & quieter for her there as she was blind & we believed she would stress more in an emergency environment & I know I made the wrong choice. I think she waited till someone arrived that next morning & it wasn't me I also have two dear little oldies battling on here with dynamic airway disease & trachea collapse as well as another oldie with heart failure (we are keeping him as stable as possible with meds)so I have been bracing myself everyday for them to deteriorate). I never expected Penny who has had perfect health to suddenly be in trouble. I keep asking myself why I put myself into this heartbreaking position taking in the oldies but I know that they have given me more happiness than anything & the hurt is part & parcel. It is just so hard though.

Also received thank you..........have sent one more PM with just one last question :)

Really happy for you both.........so glad it is better news than trachea collapse Was just wondering if anyone knows anything about the homeopathic treatment for trachea collapse that was mentioned in an earlier post? I did PM Chocolate but haven't heard back yet (I know everyone's busy & understand) & am so eager to see if there is something more I can do for my 2 oldies with trache collapse? If anyone can fill me in that would be soooo appreciated.

Hi, Just wanting to let you know that I am currently going through this with two of my 13 year old rescue pekingese right at this very moment. I may get flamed here but I want to say that please don't give up yet!!! Mine are proof that it can be managed (sadly not cured). I had my oldest boy down at SASH for 5 days at xmas with a collapsed trachea & secondary pneumonia. Every test was run & I just want to say that I would not put him through anything that would make him suffer or cause him major distress. The pneumonia was managed due to antibiotics etc & they prescribed prednisone & a drug called Theophylline. They recommended Linctus cough suppressant when needed & told me to get a nebuliser & nebulise him once or twice a day for 10-15 mins with saline in the nebuliser. HE IS STILL WITH ME 6 MONTHS LATER & STABLE!!! When he gets a bit stressed he does tend to pant a bit but we have managed this by keeping him out of stressful situations (like heat, meeting other dogs on outings etc). He rarely coughs now also. It is necessary to be very disciplined with the medications - ensuring none are missed & they are given at 12 hourly intervals. My other 13yr old girl pekingese has been diagnosed with tracheal collapse also & is now on all the same regime. She is by far the worst with coughing, however I have found it is mainly when excited as well as worsens when she "panics"(for want of a better word). As soon as I pick her up & hold her upright, as well as massage just under her chin, she calms completely & the coughing ceases. Please, please talk to your vet tomorrow about these medications & at least give them a go before making any final decisions. I saw a difference in days. I will do what is right by my babies when the time comes, but I am grateful I didn't make a decision without trying the medications. Please don't hesitate to message me if you need to talk. Edited to add: I should have also said that the last 6 months have not been with dogs who really shouldn't be here but is just being kept going with medications! They are now back to the stage where we go on gentle (if not very slow) walks, they play, are eating very well & loving the extra cuddles & attention of course! They are back to basically just being normal old dogs!

Thank you for the thanks Tdierikx but it was my pleasure to have somehow played a part in his safety. He couldn't have ended up with a better foster mum! I would like to give a HUGE thank you to NSW Animal Rescue for offering to take in this little man - the girl that managed to get him originally was so happy to be treated so beautifully by Lyn & Tracey (hope I spelled it right?) & couldn't believe the professional operation they run, the lovely facilities she saw as well as the friendly reception she got! A massive difference from the way she was treated initially from other places. I also think it is lovely from the other side to have actually helped such a lovely girl also - I have never met her in person but she has kept me updated all the way right up to messaging me when she finally made it to Sydney with the pup yesterday. Sometimes ones you help never let you know outcomes so this was a lovely change! I hadn't also seen the pup so I am so glad you have posted such beautiful photos - if I wasn't a crazy peke lady I would have gladly taken him in!

Hi all, Thank you for your replies. Thanks to the kindness of some Sydney based rescues, she has some hope of help. She has spent two whole days phoning everyone she can from her local rescue groups & has basically been left to her own devices. She was at wits end & very upset late this afternoon till I posted here & had kindness shown to her. She felt the people she spoke to thought she was just wanting to dump one of her own puppies or something & were a little abrupt. I did explain that rescue groups go through so much helping dogs that one could only imagine the excuses they hear & the things they have to cope with so maybe they have had a bad day that she isn't aware of. This was truly a genuine case from a girl just trying to do what she thought was right & getting in over her head. She asked if I could pass on her thanks to you all here on DOL.

Hi all, Had a call from a friend whose friend needs some advice please. She was out & about & a man approached her trying to get rid of some of his puppies. He asked the girl to take one or he would have to take them to the pound to be pts as he didn't want them. She was very upset & being young, didn't know what else to do but take one. She intended to at least try & save it & rehome it herself. It is a little rhodesian ridgeback pup about 10 wks old, not microchipped (she has already checked at the vet)& is quite healthy. I don't have much experience with this so thought I would post on here for her. She cannot keep the pup (for genuine reasons) & rang me to see if I knew if there were any rescue groups who take pups from situations like this in for rehoming. She has rang a rescue group who suggested finding a foster carer herself through posting on facebook etc. She has absolutely no experience with rehoming dogs & is very scared to do it herself especially with a little pup involved. Any advice appreciated - she is in Newcastle area but happy to travel to Sydney etc if help can be given.

So lovely to have such kind offers of help...........it is very much appreciated. I am still working on the details but will let everyone know how I get on ASAP. To now have options where there were none a few days ago is such a relief. Thank you so much.

Hi Mita If I could get temporary foster care for her that would be ideal! It would enable her to be safe & hopefully quarantined & I would definitely want to adopt her given a few weeks to prepare here. Will do whatever I can anyway - will keep working on it. Thanks for your reply & advice - much appreciated

Hi all, I have come across a dear 8yr old pekingese I could probably give a home to with a little help. The sweetie is in Orange RSPCA. Getting down there (from Newcastle) & home again isn't the problem. What is possibly stopping me is a concern I have with bringing her straight home. At the moment, I have three 13 yr olds here - 2 are going through trachea collapse & are on medication (1 has had a bout of pneumonia) & another has serious heart problems. This is the issue: as I don't have a lot of experience with dogs coming from pounds (especially RSPCA), I am presuming she should be quarantined for a couple of weeks (she is vaccinated etc.). I live in a small suburban house with absolutely nowhere I could separate them. Can anyone advise me on this? The three unwell ones have always been vaccinated up until thier last due ones in the last 4 months as my vet has advised against doing it this time. Also, if definitely needed, is there anyone out there (either near Orange or even Sydney) that would be willing to help us out & foster/quarantine her for the necessary time frame? I would of course pay for all expenses & effort. Secondly, what do others think about if I should bring another peke into my home anyway in regards to my 3 unwell babies & upsetting the balance? Does anyone have any thoughts on if this is best? I am in two minds as I know it will help a dear dog in need but I also don't want to cause issues with my existing furkids. Any advice/help appreciated.

Thank you Teebs - have sent u a PM Pekes are ADORABLE!!!! in every way. They are always happy especially when getting attention. They are great to own as they also like their quiet time too so best of both worlds. They can be very stubborn though :) If it weren't for their many health problems they can have I would say everyone should have one!

Thank you Dogmad & Teebs for your reply Have PM'd you Teebs :)

Hi all, Was just wondering if anyone lives or is near Orange that could possibly check on a little Pekingese that is supposed to be in Orange RSPCA? Her name is apparently Snuffy & she is 7yrs but there are no photos on anywhere she is advertised or on the RSPCA Orange website. I'm not sure what I can do but I could hopefully do something if I know a little more & have a photo or at least someone to let me know if she is purebred or not. The ads say she is but it would help to know for sure if I could start looking for a home. I am in Newcastle so any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Thank you so much Katdogs Very much appreciated & I can definitely make that timeslot so good news!

Hi all, Was just wondering if anyone knew how I can find out the exact (or close to) times for certain breeds of dogs being judged at the show? I am wanting to go down this Thursday when the Pekes are being judged but cannot seem to find any time frames?? I know it is definitely Thursday but that's it. Any help appreciated.

I phoned the specialist this morning & they advised that there is no injectable equivalent to his antibiotics unfortunately Apparently, the combo he is having is the only & best solution for him. I will definitely go buy some nutrigel - I had it many years ago for another ill baby & had forgotten about it! I only rescued him 1 yr ago (he is now 13) so he is REALLY set in his ways about what foods he eats. He normally loves chicken but I made the mistake of hiding a tablet in there & he found it & now he won't touch chicken the last few days. He also normally loves chicken necks (I crush them & cut them up into little pieces) but he won't go there either. Other than that, he hates other raw meat.

Unfortunately he won't take the tablets now in anything & because the tablets do have a taste/smell to them he won't go anywhere near the food if I do hide it He really has started associating food (& my hands) with his tablets. Is protexin ok to be taken with antibiotics? I have read conflicting info so not sure what to do. I have rung the specialist hospital up so many times I feel awful ringing them just to ask that.