Loving my Oldies

I certainly won't say BUT. On the contrary, I am the first to point out the failings of the RSPCA. There is so much more they could and should be doing. Like so many large organisations, they long ago became arrogant and believed their own publicity. They should go back to basis and act in accordance with their name. That is not to say there are not good people there. There are, but the old adage "a fish rots from the head down" is pretty well always true.

I know this isn't the point of this thread, but I have just been talking to the rescuer for whom I foster (she has been doing this for over 30 years!!!) because she has just posted on her FB page looking for foster carers for four dogs who are coming from the RSPCA. The RSPCA (Yagoona) has 180 dogs there at the moment and they are not in air conditioning and it is 31C today and 39C tomorrow. That is just one place in Sydney; considering all the council facilities there must be hundreds if not a couple of thousand impounded dogs all over the place. It is such an awful situation. God knows how many cats and kittens there are in these facilities. And, yes, I did put my hand up for one of the dogs because there didn't seem to be enough takers and all I could think of was this dreadful heat. My a/con is already up and away.

i don't know how naming and shaming would help. One of the things I do when people ask about dogs or even just in conversation, is to point out the pitfalls, the best rescue organisation and stress the need to do their homework.

Oh boy, does this resonate with me . Many years ago, I put my hand up to look after a woman's little dog as she had to make an emergency trip overseas. The little dog had several issues, but I was devastated when I met her: the woman had been less than honest and the dog was obviously brain damaged. I did all I could for this little girl, spending ages with her doing T-Touch (she could not be picked up) and trying to sooth her when she was distressed - which was a lot of the time. I spent several weeks just being sick at heart for this poor little dog who was never going to get better and lived her life in a state of constant stress and fear. When the owner returned, I was preparing dinner listening to the sound of my dogs playing on the couch. The woman came rushing in saying, "[LMO LMO] your dogs are fighting!!" This woman eventually branded herself as a dog trainer as she'd done some course on line. God help any dogs she supposedly trained. And, yes, I have had euthanised a little dog who lived her life stressed, afraid and angry and was a danger to me and other people who visited. Still haunts me to this day and I will always wonder if I could have done more.

Unkind. The poster was just looking for some answers, not provoking. She was asking to be informed. Being around dogs who need special care can often be dramatic (and traumatic) as you know well.

Regulation and education. We hear this over and over and over again - about any sort of industry. A report into the NDIS found $1.4bn lost to inefficiency and fraud. If a loss of $1.4bn of taxpayers' funds isn't enough to galvanise the powers into action, I can't imagine there will be too many people worrying about stressed and dangerous dogs and the unsuspecting people who end up with them. There are more than enough rules and regulations in place: it is the management and enforcement that are lacking. And quite often it is those who are supposed to be following and managing the rules and regulations who are turning a blind eye. Who do you suggest does the regulation and education? Councils? We all know councils are some of the most corrupt bodies around. I don't know what the answers are and the longer I live the more frustrated I become.

I have been involved in rescue for many years and I have never subscribed to the belief "anything with a pulse." I believe some dogs are better off being released from the sufferings of whatever life has given them or whatever ills and ailments they might have been born with. A reputable rescue group should always rehome with a proviso that, should the rehoming not work out, the dog is returned to them. I would be interested to know what has happened in this case. Maybe the rescue group has folded. As with every business of any kind there are the good, bad, terrible, etc and everything in between. The dog was two years of age when adopted. I think anyone would be prepared to give a dog of that age a chance to heal and become a healthy happy dog. I wonder how old the son is, what it was like in foster care, etc etc. If the dog truly came from a rescue group, I wonder how much thought was put into whether the people were suitable for the dog and vice versa. I believe when dealing with living beings, there should never be a one-size-fits-all approach, each individual needs to be assessed accordingly. Pounds don't do this: pounds operate on a first come first served basis and this dog might have come from a pound. A lot of people say they have a "rescue" dog even if the dog has come from a pound or a petshop.

If the poster is serious and not just throwing a grenade into the mix, then I have to ask what are the reasons for wanting to become a breeder. Simply because you love your girl and think there should be more like her doesn't really cut it. As @Deedssays: pounds of full of these crosses and pure breeds.

I don't make anything of it. I started by making a point of saying, "Stay" over and over as I went out. Now, when they get excited and I tell them they are staying, they understand and I rarely have any difficulty in getting out the door. Mind you, mine are littlies and a foot in the way generally blocks them if they do think they are going out as well. Sure, they look at me as though I am the worst in the world and why would they want to live with me . . . . . . .

We can really make a rod for our own backs and overthinking how our dogs will "suffer", something that I have been guilty of over the 30 years of being a multi-dog household. I just leave LOL. What else can I do? Yes, I do allow myself to worry a little bit about any dog/s left behind, but I can't take them all every time one or more need to go to the vet or groomer. I have a camera set up so I can check when I am out, with or without any of the dogs. They just generally lie around, occasionally doing zoomies and racing around the house, but generally, they are on their beds or waiting in the hallway for my return.

No, I don’t know about those, so I will have a google LOL. I was thinking about getting a more powerful one, though. Post a photo, please

The media is a huge problem today, more than ever. They all want to be stars and papers want graphic horror headlines and coverage. I never listen to commercial radio, or commercial TV news coverage. I can’t bear the stupidity, shouting, rubbish that comes out of those people’s mouths. And they become stars!! Talk about seeking the bottom rung on the ladder. Vets come in all shapes and sizes. I am sure there are as many overcharging or not particularly good at their job as there are in any other line of business. There would be countless more just wanting to do their best by their clients and their pets.

I haven't and won't read those links @tdierikx, simply because the news is so awful these days and every day. My first vet was my brother, but he has been retired for nearly 20 years, so I have seen many vets and many specialists over the time, but I was able to see the enormous stresses that vets and their staff experience, not just occasionally, but day after day after day. The horrors they see, the vitriol spat at them, the lies they are told about how long the pet has been ill, or whether it has access tdo poisons, etc etc. And then of course there are the physical threats. OMG, I used to be afraid for my brother from time to time and I do recall one occasion where he went down to the clinic late at night to meet an enraged pet owner and his wife called the police she was so worried for his safety. It seems to me that people feel so entitled today. Something goes wrong in their lives then someone else should pay for it, usually the government, and that means the public. People seem to expect to be paid for just being alive. I was listening to a story on TV news today about a woman who gave birth to a premature baby and used up all her paid maternity leave while the baby was in hospital. She now believes that parents of premature babies should have their paid leave extended so they can have time at home when their babies come out of hospital. Now I cannot imagine the fear those parents would have gone through everyday before the baby was well enough to go home and was on track to be a healthy baby. But that is life, things happen all the time which throw our lives into chaos and confusion. Where do all these people clamouring that the government should do something think the money comes from? And so it seems with pet ownership. People seem to think it is going to be all fun and games and cuddling on the couch. Nope, pets get sick and because of the huge strides made in veterinary medicine, they tend to think everything can be cured and when their pet isn't, they look to blame someone.

Several years ago when my dogs at the time were getting old and needed to be carried or at least helped downstairs before bed, I bought a headlamp so I could see where I was going (the back yard isn't lit) and have my hands free to help the dogs. I now use that all the time when I am cutting up tablets or giving eye drops. God know what anyone who is passing by would think to see a torch light flashing all over the place. I have a few different sorts of pill cutters and just take it nice and slowly. Getting better at it

@~Anne~ and @coneye You need to read a topic in full . I did call, several times. She is never available. As I said, when you ring the clinic you get a human answering machine service (not someone on site, a service centre), then you get a call from her assistant and you go back and forth. And I didn't notice the "mistake" on the script until I had had it filled. I have never had a medication changed by a vet without having it discussed with me first. @Dogsfevr, I have never come across a vet who is constantly on the road and never answers phone calls from clients. @Rebanne Strawby is not in a bad way still thank goodness. Yes, she is nervous and runs when I approach her. The big BUT is that she stops, turns and looks at me and doesn't go to the ends of the garden to hide in the bushes. In fact, as I type this, she is lying less than 2 metres away in the study with the other dogs and keeping a close eye on me. Yes, when I get up, she will hightail it out of the room, but, as I say, she doesn't go far and I am beginning to think it is more learned behaviour (not all, of course) than actual fear of me. And talking of high tails, hers is mostly up these days and wagging . @Mairead I have been fostering, rescuing and rehoming for a long time now. There is no way on this earth that I would keep a dog going who was in irreparable physical or mental pain. Strawby is doing really really well and just about everyday, she does something new that makes my heart sing. I would put up a video I took of her doing zoomies around the house and playing with the others, but in it she slips on a rug and I would be castigated for that, I am sure @~Anne~ . I know what you mean about people's interpretation of the written word and just as often the spoken word. I know I can come across as forceful and loud, but that is far from the truth. Okay, I am loud , but that's because I have severe hearing loss. I think I am just have a chat, but people think I am having a go or getting cross at them which seems to be the reaction to my email. To my mind, I was just telling the vet what had happened and, incorrectly it appears, thought she would respond by explaining her thought processes and whether or not Strawby should be on the higher dose. I thank everyone for their responses and it is obvious that I need to look very carefully at how I phrase things. Looks like this old dog needs to learn some new tricks

Thanks @tdierikx. Strawby doesn't need a behaviourist, she needs time which she will get. I agreed to the behaviourist only because the rescuer suggested it and because I thought I might learn even one little trick to help Strawby. Nope, the behaviourist simply altered her medication and told me to continue as we were. I said in an earlier post that her "report" after our consultation was obviously a cut and paste job and at least 90% did not apply to Strawby.

If the vet was a normal vet at a clinic, you'd be right in being "mind blown" at my comment. I have edited my opening post to give an explanation as to how this behaviourist operates. She is mostly on the road or out at consults, rarely in the office.

That's all it was about, @Diva, not listing the vet's faults or reprimanding them. If she had wanted the dog to be on a higher dose, why, when I rang to check the dosage did she not explain that, instead of just confirming 1/4 tablet, which, of course, defeats the purpose of the higher dose. I just wanted to get to the bottom of what turned out to be a bit of a fiasco. She does not need to drop the scripts off (and they aren't free ). They can be emailed, but for some reason she drops them off. Maybe she lives close by - I don't know.

At the Sunshine Coast . I feel hot just looking at him. So gorgeous

I'll to make this coherent LOL. I have been fostering a little dog with severe trauma for just over a year. She has made huge improvements, but is still very scared and still runs when I approach her. She was prescribed various medications one being Fluoxetine and also came with Alprazalom from the RSPCA. This latter was discontinued in favour of the Fluoxetine. When the Fluoxetine was finished, I contacted the rescuer and behaviourist for a new script, but before that was issued, I went through my "box of tricks" and found the Alprazalom and gave her that. I contacted the behaviourist vet who said that was fine and to continue to give her the Alprazalom for a few weeks to see whether that seemed to have a more beneficial effect than the Fluoxetine. After a few weeks and further consultation with the vet, we continued with the Alprazalom. When I needed a new script for the Alprazalom, I contacted the vet and she dropped this off in my letterbox. I took the script to the chemist only to find that it was a restricted drug and he would have to get it in. I tried a couple of more places and managed to source it, but would have to wait a couple of days. I collected the meds and when I opened them, I saw they were a different colour from the ones I'd being giving. I checked the original container which came from the RSPCA and discovered that they were 0.5mg 1/2 tablet once daily whereas the new meds were 1.0mg yet still 1/2 tablet a day. I looked at the script and saw that they vet had actually crossed out 0.5mg and written 1.0mg dose, but did not adjust the dosage. Again, I contacted the vet and was advised to give 1/4 tablet daily. I was concerned at this because the tablets are already very small and was worried about daily dosage being plus or minus what was necessary. Note that only once in all this contact with the vet did I actually get to speak with her; all messages went back and forth with her assistant. At one stage, I said to the assistant that I thought the vet could have popped in for a few minutes when she left the script in my letterbox. I was told, no, she is too busy. I finally decided to write an email to the vet copying in her assistant and the rescuer. This is my email: Dear [XYZ] I am very disturbed that [DOG] was prescribed the wrong dosage of Alprazalom. Of course, I admit that should have picked up on the fact that you had crossed out 0.5mg and replaced with 1.0mg and queried it, but one tends to trust that our professionals have been correct in their prescriptions, but in future I will be looking at every detail on prescriptions. The biggest worry is that you failed to adjust the daily dosage from ½ a tablet to ¼ tablet. It was only when I opened the package and noticed that the tablets were a different colour from those I had been using, that I investigated and saw the mistakes on the prescription. It is a powerful medication and I cannot help but feel very concerned at what would have been the affect on [DOG] had she been receiving double the dose. I am also now concerned at having to cut an already very small tablet in quarters, in as much as it is extremely difficult to be exact and I worry that the doses are going to be plus or minus that prescribed. This medication is very hard to source and I had to visit in person and ring around chemists until I was able to find it, and then I had to wait a couple of days before it was ready to collect. As you know, after I had looked at the script and the previous bottle from the RSPCA, I immediately tried to contact you, but had to pass messages back and forth with Sheila – who, I have to say, was extremely efficient and accurate in passing on my messages. Even so, I would have preferred to have been able to talk to you directly. Regards Cynthia I have read this through several times and cannot see anything controversial or aggressive in it. However, the response from the vet has left me gobsmacked and in a real quandary. This is the vet's response - no greeting or salutation: [DOG] is on a very low dose. I did make a mistake and put a more standard does. I’m sorry you feel that way but I’m very happy to forward [DOG] medical notes on to another vet. Regards [XYZ] I think this response is really very poor and extremely unprofessional, but wonder whether it is worth pursuing. The rescuer of the little dog thinks this vet is amazing, but from my one meeting when she came to assess [DOG], the emailed "assessment" of [DOG] was obviously a cut-and-paste job from a pro forma response and the fact that she is rarely available to talk directly with me, I don't think the same. Thoughts please. Don't be too rough with me though LOL. Edited to add: I was confused and puzzled by some of the responses, but then realised I haven't explained the vet's set up at all. She is not a vet that you take your pet to for a consult; rather, she is a behaviourist and she visits you and your dog at home. After the initial consultation all contact is via the phone which is answered by a (human) answering service and then her assistant returns the call. I don’t know how much time she spends in the office, but she has been out on the road or at consults whenever I have phoned which is why she has dropped the scripts in and which is why I was surprised she didn’t drop in to see for herself the progress of one of her patients.

Oh the darling girl. She is so happy. Well done, police

Why are people so violent? Poor people and poor little Phoenix. Hopefully all will heal and not be too traumatised.

Gosh, my heart did a huge lurch and my eyes filled with tears. All these beautiful dogs of yours, @Kirislin - we have followed them over all these years, rejoicing in the births, gutted at the losses, watching with immeasurable pleasure as they grew up and lived wonderful lives with you and others. Goodbye, dearest Widget. You were so beautiful and will remain ever so in many many hearts. My heartfelt condolences, K.

And I can attest to that having been a volunteer at a pound in another lifetime.

The world's population is approx 7 billion, so probably at least 6.5 billion would fit into that category