Kelly_Louise

And what a gorgeous boy he is from the pics... a real little angel I hope he gets an awesome home with as much love as he could ask for, after all he's been through...

Good for little Wall-e but how sad for all those other pups, to deem them too sick to survive and then have one of them survive a needle for euthanasia really makes the vet sound incompetent. Totally agree... how can he be too sick to live, but survive his 'illness' AND the euth needle, to go on to be healthy enough to be adopted? Poor things... makes you wonder... Can't imagine how traumatic it must have been to be wandering around amongst the dead bodies of your littermates and most likely, other dead animals... I'm glad this issue has highlighted a need for better resources - hopefully something else good will come out of it.

It's nice to hear good news stories about dogs Especially big dogs that don't normally get good coverage. What an awesome dog Dave is And a real beauty too. I love the pic, they all look so relaxed and happy. And good on Dave's owner :p

No amount of preparation can prepare you for how much it's going to hurt, how empty you will feel. I'm so sorry for the loss of your lovely boy, sounds like he had an awesome life. It's hard when they are ill... you invest so much time and effort into doing what you can to keep them well - so sometimes when the time comes, it's that much more painful, even though you know it's coming. Hugs to you all. RIP Caesar.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Feel proud that you gave her the best years of her life, and she left you as a happy, loved girl. RIP little Snowy

I received my Hill k/d today

Did your girl tear her cruciate ligament? If so, are they unable to fix it? I'm not sure if it would be affected by the previous surgery? Is your girl with a specialist orthaepedic surgeon? If not, I would consider taking her to one. She is so young, you want to give her the best chance at a long and normal life. Surgery, if done correctly - isn't a bad thing, it can give great quality of life to those who otherwise wouldn't have... I know, my girl had cruciate surgery done on both her legs and it has given her a good extra 5 years of relative pain free and normal movement (and everyone told me at the beginning it was the wrong thing to do).

Sasha is a magnet for all people of all ages - they love her because she is so big, but so cute and placid looking. Unfortunately I have to ask people to approach her in a certain way though as she is afraid of strangers approaching her, which scares some people off. If only I had a dollar for everytime I heard the 'if you put a saddle on that you could ride it' comment - or the 'that's a big dog' comment. I do love it when kids tell her how cute she is though, that she's a good looking dog, or when people take the time to ask me about her - and what kind of dog she is. Chloe... well, who DOESN'T love an adorable grey face?

What a wonderful friend That is an absolutely awesome thing to do. Lucky you indeed!! It is a beautiful portrait, hope it continues to bring you much joy in the years to come.

No flaming from me - I think it's lovely that you care. And if these dogs are not comfortable, then it's definitely a problem and no it's not right. It's a hard one though. Chloe, my 13yo dog always lags behind (in summer/winter etc)... but you just TRY and tell her she's not going for a walk!!! And my other dog, who is almost 5, will also lag behind when it's hot - I've had people comment 'oh she looks exhausted' when we haven't even done half a kilometre, it's just the way she walks when she's hot - she is panting and walking more slowly with her head down. In saying all that though, I'd never take my 13yo old out in extreme heat. We wait until the evening when it's cooled down, and on those days we usually just take her over to the park, then sit in the shade somewhere so she can watch all the goings on, then come home again. Perhaps you should stop and just have a general chat and pat the dogs and see up close how they seem to be doing. Then when you have reached a friendly level, maybe suggest at their age he should take them when it's cooler or not take them as far or something? My sister has a staffy, and she lies frog legged and tongue hanging so far it's touching the ground all the time LOL - but she never lags behind, too much energy for that!!!

I've had numerous mats and bedding custom made through these guys: http://www.greatrugs.com.au/ Not overly expensive, great quality, custom made to your measurements and for your required thickness of foam etc, with a range of different covers for ease of cleaning/chewers etc. Highly recommended!!

Thanks so much for the comments and opinions everyone, they are definitely very helpful and allowing me to learn more and more about the disease. I do understand that different vets approach things differently, and I fully trust Chloe's specialist and his treatment of her. I find it's the same with her Cushings disease - I find that many vets have different approaches to treatment of it, which is why I pulled her out and took her to the specialist clinic. She will go back for further testing every 2 - 3 months (or if ever her condition changes with her kidney issues or her Cushings disease), so I'm sure if the need arose where she may benefit from medication he will pursue that. It's also a very delicate situation with her Cushings, it's a bit of a balancing act to keep the Cushings symptoms at bay, but also not allow it to affect the kidney problems. She has full testing each time - all the levels that Rappie mentioned are tested each time, and she is also tested to ensure there are no low level UTI's present. So we will be able to keep a close eye on her progress. Her levels have not changed since December (and we really didn't know we needed to do anything different so her diet hadn't changed in this time), so that is a good sign. Now that she will start the prescription diet, I hope that she can continue to have little to no changes. Thanks again for everyone's input - and Rappie, your information is invaluable. Sometimes her specialist will explain things, but it's not until I come here that I fully understand the real meanings of some things

Yes I've also been reading that it's mostly used for heart related conditions in dogs - and only a few instances of it being used for kidney related issues (but not sure exactly what issues). Maybe if the kidney issues affects other organs or puts stress on the heart or something? Staranais, I think you might be right - if Chloe's specialist thought it would help her, he would certainly have recommended it. I'm positive of that. I did ask when we were discussing the results if there was any medication to treat it, and he said no... so I'm assuming that it wouldn't help in Chloe's case. I will discuss it again regardless, but I have trusted him with Chloe's life, and he's never let me down and don't think he would this time either. Still haven't received my book as yet, could take a couple of weeks - but I'm excited to see the info it contains, have read really good reviews about it and I'm sure there will be something in there that can help or guide us. Also can't wait to receive the prescription diet to see if it will be well received, or she'll turn her nose up at it She's doing well, seems to drink alot more water at night (and occasionally has an accident in her bed) - but otherwise is eating well, tonnes of energy to walk etc. ;)

How cute!

Ohhh okay - thanks Sheridan. I was beginning to suspect that as much of the info I read on the net says it's for more heart related issues, but I could see some are using it for some kidney complaints. Guess it won't hurt to discuss it with the specialist.

Can you leave the balcony door open, and partition off a small area or room of the unit that is 'chew' proof? That way she can use both areas (in case of bad weather), but stay clear of the main dangers or possessions you don't want her to get to. I wish you luck with her - I have no advice on the bitter spray sorry.

Thanks for the info Rubiton! I'm sorry your girl is also going through this. So, there is medication that can assist with kidney disease? I asked Chloe's specialist about medications or similar that can help treat it, but he didn't mention anything at all??? If so, then I can only assume that it may conflict with her Cushings disease and perhaps that is why they are not treating it with any medication??? Food for thought, I will check it out!! Yes the Hill prescription diet is very expensive isn't it... but if it can help (and if she'll eat it) then it's well worth it in my mind Will also re-start her on the cartrophen... I'm not sure it will be as effective anymore, but it's worth a shot. In saying that though, she normally only suffers badly with her arthritis in summer - in winter it doesn't seem to affect her as much (which is weird I know - but she's always been a bit backwards with everything!!). She will also have regular blood tests to check all her levels, so at least we will always know where she's at and how she's coping, and if what we are doing is working. She goes back in mid April - so hoping that again the levels at least remain stable again.

Yeah, I think the value of a wet nose, comforting paw or sloppy dog kiss when you're feeling sick/sad/upset is highly under rated. Sasha is very comforting, if I cry she will push her head in until she reaches mine and just stay there, usually with a paw on me. It's amazing how or why they do this, especially when they can't possibly 'know' what's happening or how to help. The only time Sasha isn't really a help, is when I'm injured. Usually, she has no idea what to do - so will either jump around like a looney, or will simply just stand on you (if you're on the ground). I'm not sure why she does this, or what it means... but that's her way of dealing with it. No wonder I like my dogs more than most people.

Oh dear...

Yep, there is priceless value in a microchip!!! Makes life so much easier for not only the owners, but the kind people who find and try to return pets.

I purchased some prescription k/d online, and was told the same thing - and that shipments would arrive early March. However, I got an email today saying my order had been shipped - so maybe it came in earlier than expected (otherwise it was sourced from somewhere else)???

There's something really awesome about a dog, that's been given their second chance at life, coming good isn't there? I've watched the same transformation with my own rescue girl, and it's truly heartwarming. Like Newfsie, I will always have rescue dogs now. There is just something so special about them. And I like knowing that I've done a small part to save the life of a good dog, and make room for more to be saved. If only they could all be saved...

Oh, and I can't wait to get home to see the video of Little Bear!!! Keeping fingers crossed for more good news to come for this precious little one.

Love certainly is blind, thank goodness. I think she gets it from her Mum ;)