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What Boronia said. You will regret it if you delay. Bless you

You know the answer to your own question otherwise you wouldn't have come here and our answer will always be to say goodbye today. We all know the hell you are going through but it is always best to take the sooner than later option. Your little Lucy has had a good life and to prolong it now is just causing distress to her and you and what is another day going to bring? You can't fix old and sick I will be thinking of you and your dear Lucy today B

There is a poem that may help you make the decision: The Last Battle (poem, not novel) It starts "If it should be that I grow frail and weak ...

We are having a bad run at the moment. Our other CKCS nearly 14 yo girl Lucy was diagnosed with acute renal failure & kidney stones around 3 weeks ago. Leading up to the diagnosis she had gone off her food on/off but still drinking water. Vet said as long as she is eating and drinking all is ok. She is in visible pain & on painkillers and has lost so much weight I can count the bones in her spine. She refuses to eat anything but chicken which I know is not ideal but even then sometimes that's a stretch. Yesterday she ate nothing. This morning she ate a good amount. Enough to get some meds in her anyway. She is very wobbly on her feet so I can't walk her. The vet seems to think that this is from a sudden onset of arthritis which she has never had so I'm more inclined to think its part of her kidney disease. We said to each other when she started refusing food again we would put her to sleep. So we decided that last night but after she ate this morning now I don't know. I need someone to please tell me what to do. What would you do?

Gosh it has been so long since I have posted on this site. On fathers day our beloved 13yo girl CKCS Zara woke up screaming in pain and unable to put weight on her front paw. We rushed her to the emergency vet who did a thorough check up on her. She came to the conclusion that she has a slipped disc in her neck. Gave us anti inflammatories & pain killers and advised us to give her strict rest. She is in a tremendous amount of pain even with the painkillers & cries throughout the night whenever she moves. When I am at home all she wants is to be cuddled. Its heartbreaking. I'm off the our regular vet tomorrow to get more of her heart medication for her heart murmour & I'm going to ask for stronger pain killers but just wondering if anyone has any experience with a dog recovering from this at her age?

I'd leave it be.

Horrendous

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-09/teenage-girl-dies-after-singleton-dog-attack/105751342

Pretty sure that any vet looking at that nail will want to remove the entire nail surgically under an anaesthetic, which will result in him requiring the foot to be bandaged and protected while the new nail grows in, including regular bandage changes and vet revisits to check healing. I had a Rotti boy who'd do the same thing on a regular basis (clumsy boy) - he was also anxious, but only when confined in small spaces, so I used to have to be with him for his pre-anaesthetic, and post surgical recovery, before taking him home once he could stand... so he never had to go in the vet cages. You might be able to get a vet to make a housecall if that would be more comfortable for your boy - how is he with visitors? The vet could bring injectible sedation if that would make it easier to look at and possibly treat the issue at home, maybe a dremel might allow better access and drainage of the split while the rest of the nail grows out. Good luck... T.

I am so glad my friend recommended Rosehip Canine Vital (RCV) to me in ~Feb 2025, after her Jack Russell showed miraculous improvement (from barely walking to running with ease). I began a trial with my 2 older working dog crosses (12 & 15yo). Both suffered serious malnutrition as Aboriginal camp dogs pre-rescue. The younger needed 2 consecutive knee reconstructions for her congenital luxating patellas when she was about 16-18mo, and her knees which then served her well, have since (predictably) grown arthritic, one especially bad since Feb 2025. She is also suffering kidney disease, was found to be stage 3 in Jan 2025 but reduced to stage 2 after 4wks on renal diet. My 14yo's spine is fused by arthritis; and he had very dodgy hips & weak back legs by Feb 2025 when he started RCV - he was stumbling, struggling to stand and walking very slowly. He also has liver issues. Daily 200mg SAMe with 15mg Milkthistle supplemental powders (from capsules) have kept his liver working since ~Jan 2023. A week into the RCV loading dose - easily mixed into their tinned fish+water+dryfood breakfasts & tinned chicken+water+vegies+dryfood dinners (they also each have a free-range chicken drumstick for lunch) and both dogs began showing improved mobility and general happiness. I weighed them at start and 4wks later and my older dog - who'd started spontaneously running a lot by then - had lost 3kg. He was too skinny for the first time in 13yrs! I had to double his dry food to cover all the extra running he was doing and keep him at a stable and healthy weight. RCV has been amazing for him, with one scoop now, morning and night, on maintenance dose. I've since heard of one case where guardian doesn't think RCV worked in his dog refusing to walk up stairs. A vet told me it helps with kidney disease, too. My younger dog's bad knee is still poor, but she's gained general mobility & muscle on RCV, and both dogs seem happier. I've even taken some myself for my own joint and muscular pain (after sports injuries/falls), and find it's got an amazing anti-inflammatory effect, fast-acting. When I pause it, the aches & pains return. So... I definitely recommend a 2mth trial, and note it's cheaper to buy online direct , with free & fast postage, too. I'm not suggesting RCV healed my dogs' arthritis, only reduced their pain to allow more mobility and that may then help their joints. I was sceptical at first but am a definite convert, now, 7mths after starting RCV.

Can you give him a tranquilliser before you take him to the Vet. Your dog may require antibiotics at the very least. A similar incident with the nail on the front paw happened with my Giant recently. We took him to the Vet who operated and stitched the split skin. He had a bandage with a sock over it for quite a few weeks. He could still walk but was limited to restricted daily walking. And because the nail is so sensitive they don't like it being touched. I always gave my dog a mild sedative (Trazadone) prior to visits.

and we will never know. It was obviously still powerful

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-08/greyhound-advocates-lobby-tasmanian-government-ahead-of-shutdown/105724644

Hi all, Our 48kg, 5yo fosterdog of 2mths, has a new split in one of his outside front paw nails, that runs from the tip about halfway to the base. It hasn't bled. He's a very sensitive dog who suffered significant violent trauma from humans pre-rescue, so is distrustful once his fear is triggered. Any vet treatment is likely to raise his baseline anxiety, which has really lowered in our care, so we're keen to avoid vet IF safe to do so. Please see 2 photos, attached, taken before & after we managed to trim the nail tip, yesterday. This required his 2 trusted carers; nail clipper; muzzle (he's fully trained for); nil force & lots of treats. He growled & momentarily air-snapped shortly after the single clip, but recovered well, with limited apparent impact on baseline anxiety. We're painting or briefly soaking the cracked nail in 1:10 diluted Bettadine, to try to keep bacteria from colonising the crack & reaching the quick. He's been licking the nail/paw occasionally, but we discourage/distract him from this & it's not been too frequent, so far. I think an Elizabethan collar will significantly raise his anxiety & he'll paw at it with damaged nail (he has history of removing one after de-sexing). Likewise, I think an adhesive dog bandage on his paw would soon be torn off, potentially damaging the cracked nail further. Also, just putting bandage on will likely require force or sedation, both of which we hope to avoid. We hadn't tried to trim or file his nails, yet, because we're still building his trust in having his paws touched & handled. He's particularly sensitive about having his paws, tail, ears & mouth touched. I've read that human split nails can have the crack temporarily covered (until they grow out) by means of fine gauze (teabag paper) coated in nail varnish. I've researched non-toxic nail varnish for dogs, but am concerned it may still irritate quick if this is exposed through crack. I also fear dog may chew treatment off. Another forum site offered the idea of supergluing the crack to prevent further splitting. But again, I'd be concerned about toxic chemicals, possible irritation of the quick & ingestion if he chews the glue off. I'm also unsure if keratin nails form a strong bond with superglue, or if glue will hold on a fine joint like this crack. So am wondering if any readers have had any comparable experiences; know of any safe repair/binding method; or other useful ideas? Thanks

Ten year old large/giant breeds dog. I wonder if it had undiagnosed or untreated medical issues.

Poor girl - I hope she pulls through. That would have been horrific for all concerned .

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-05/bystanders-help-save-girl-in-dog-attack-at-newcastle/105739430

We had to stop using it altogether this year. Our boy was doing really well on it then suddenly developed food intolerances and we've had to do a long elimination diet. He can eat all the proteins we already knew about so I feel like there was some kind of new additive in the kibble that suddenly made him sick. Prior to all this I've been feeding my dogs grain free Black Hawk or Canidae for years without any problems.

Has Black Hawk improved since they opened the new manufacturing facilities a couple of years ago? I know it used to cause diarrhea in some dogs, but not sure if that's the case anymore, which would make it pretty good as far as kibbles go? Has anyone tried the air dried option? It looks like they're bringing out a high meat dry food as well...

What has this got to do with a breed post? Far Out

Don’t care what breed it is, no dog is guaranteed to respond correctly in the event of an attack by a strange human unless they are trained to do so. Some may be more likely to respond correctly, but there are stories of Dobermans that licked burglars, and chihuahuas that hamstringed a purse snatcher. 9apps tutuapp

I just read this & crying… I miss my golden so much, after 2 years.. 192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1

Rest in peace Bobo, if you know you know, the real offender here was the person who jumped my fence will a steel pole connecting with my brother's head shattering the left side of his face, eye socket, top and bottom jaw, sinus collapsed, reconstructive surgery could not rectify the multiple dispersed fragments of my brother's left eye socket causing major swelling resulting in the eye having to be removed completely, my dog/family member was witness to this putrid act of un prevoked violence, yea we were doing burnouts there's no denying that, but what old mate did was met after the fact with an act of violence deserving of his initial action. Don't believe the hype, if I supposedly released my dog to attack him, how was his injuries to the front of his groin, victim's statement and fact sheet show he said he was running from the dog I released and therefore being pursued by the dog, reason would come to believe he would've obtained injuries to his buttocks, thigh, calf ankle!

My uncle Peter bought his father in law's sheep station at Inverell after really severe drought . After rain finally came he restocked it with very aged ewes, he was a city raised the locals were laughing their heads off when they arrived but Peter said to my parents, even if I only get 3 lambings from them, they are culled for ages stud ewes so the best of the best of their year, all were already in lamb. When the classer went through the fleeces the next year it was Peter laughing. He also bought two dogs with them, an older well trained and younger trained. He said the dogs knew exactly what to do , best buy he made too. Adored his sheep dog's His toughest task was learning to ride his new horse, Blue But he soon learnt

Many, many years ago, like in the 80's, vaccination schedules were: one year parvo alone, the next a c3. I had vets in rural and capital city that followed this.