Loving my Oldies

I do like your entrepreneurial spirit, Tobster. If it is good for the economy that's all that matters, eh? You don't have lots of relatives who fly regularly in and out of Canberra do you?

She's probably busily colluding with Louise Brooks regarding getting just the right colours. And if it takes a little longer, just think of the amazing mixes that she might produce in the meantime. God, it is soooooo exciting. Such a wonderful revolution in the designer dog dealing.

Someone left a treat on my pillow: I didn't realise the photo was so blurred - my treat is a little bit of left over pig's ear.

It seems as though you are destined for a long wait, Cosmo; but think of the puppy you will eventually have - remembering the photos of the eventual parents.

When I was volunteering at a large Sydney pound, the very new, very inexperienced GM (but a legend in his own mind) asked one of the councils the pound serviced to clarify for him the laws regarding rehoming of impounded and unclaimed Pitbulls. In his email correspondence with the council member he said something along the lines that he couldn't understand why people would want these dogs anyway. So it is a pretty poor state of affairs when you have that sort of mentality operating in places where animals can live or die on someone's personal whim, like or dislike.

How very very sad. I remember those photos. ;) ;) ETA: Looking again at the photos - she looks so vibrant and heathy. Hard to believe that inside the body is going through fatal changes.

She is probably having so much fun that she has been given a new lease on life. She sounds in much better condition heart and lung wise than Rover was at the same age, but he took about two days to get over his dental. His anaesthetic was Isofluorane and he was absolutely zonked out. On the other hand, Tirra had a huge amount of work done on his mouth a couple of years ago and you wouldn't have known he'd been in hospital . Metabolic differences, I imagine, play a large part in how they react.

My heart aches for some dogs. In my neighbourhood is a couple with a gorgeous dog who is walked twice daily and is taken to the park where they play ball. But while walking he is on a retractable lead which the man constantly lets in an out and the dog is constantly being jerked back from a sniff here and a sniff there. And if we meet up while I am walking my dogs, the other dog can't even say hello or sniff bottoms, etc etc without being jerked back and forth. It reached such a point of amazement to me that these people just wouldn't let the dogs play and sniff that I asked if he was their first dog. Nope - they'd had dogs all their lives.

I had a small dog with pancreatitis some years ago. I still do the following today and the dogs just love it (without the l/d, though, that I used with my little girl). I cook a whole chicken in a large stockpot, let it cool and take out the chicken then shred the chicken meat taking care to ensure even the tiniest bones were out. Stand the stock overnight in the frig and then skim off the fat. Strain the stock through cloth (linen tea towel is good), freeze in several containers. I cook rice via the absorbtion method (one cup rice to four cups stock, bring to boil and simmer stirring every now and then until rice is cooked (looks like risotto). With the girl who had pancreatitis, I used to use 1/3 chicken, 1/3 l/d and 1/3 rice. Today I buy large packets of diced frozen vegetables and lightly cook them in the stock as well, blend then mix into meat. With just one dog, it is pretty easy and far from expensive. Probably a chicken and a few cans of l/d would last a week mixed in with the vegetables and rice. Don't buy the chicken mince from pet shops because that is all the bone ground up and too fatty for a pancratitic dog. Good luck. It isn't too difficult if you follow the rules.

How very disappointing. It is easy to give advice when you aren't emotionally involved :D , but for what it is worth my feelings are to go with the suggested December pups. If none available start looking elsewhere and all the time hoping you don't find one (LOL) and end up with a pup from the original pair's later mating. How's that for sitting on the fence .

I have to do the same with my dogs . I just casually cross the street and call out to the other dog walker, that my dogs are the problem - very embarrassing. I have to say, though, that when I first adopted my two tiny little Maltese puppies, being a 100% novice dog owner, I did see every other dog as a potential killer . Back to the topic, though. It is all very well to make allowances for cultural differences, but there comes a time when people need to realise that they have to adapt to the culture of where they live and not vice versa. For example, if someone who is not used to dogs wants to go walking where there are lots of dogs, it is up to the person to adapt not to expect all the dog walkers to find somewhere else.

From what you say, Caz, it would appear there isn't any infection and all that chomping will probably result in cleaner teeth in no time. Totally understand that comment - LOL. How much Racing Club work are you getting done these days . . . . . . . .

I've been using Flaxseed oil as well, Caz, with the fosters. My own dogs are such fussy eaters there is no way I could disguise anything in their food. Vanilla is itching like crazy since her groom, so I'll give her a rinse again today and put some aloveen conditioner on her. Tammy is pretty old, so I imagine a bit of her weight problem is due to that. Old people lose interest in food and I guess dogs do too. Her teeth look pretty brown in that smiling photo. Could they be hurting her? A dental can sometimes be the turning point for dogs, but then you'd need to consider the risks of a GA for a girl her age.

That is one happy (oooh boy am I HOME or what?) Dog !!

I had one - and then he went and retired :D

Name: Humphrey Bogart ..... look at his eyes in the second pic. LOL

The one with Ruby in the tinsel has my vote.

I know (I think - LOL) that Cazstaff will excuse my going off topic to tell you the story of one of my oldie rescues. However you need to be aware that the sorrow and heartbreak when they leave you is no less if you've had them for 6 months or 6 years. This is the story of Dumas from 2003. He lived for a week under 12 months: Dumas was already a very old dog when I rescued him from a pound on Saturday 7 June 2003. Although he was fragile in the elderly sense, his condition wasn’t too bad: he was well fed, his coat was healthy, but his teeth! Oh dear. We put him on antibiotics for a week to build up his system as his remaining teeth had to be extracted, but still the veterinarian was concerned as to how he would cope and was worried that his jaw might shatter. We needn’t have worried - he had his operation at 9.30 in the morning and that evening he was “gumming” chicken necks in my backyard! Dumas had a bark (for want of a better word) that sounded like the hounds of hell were being strangled. Gussy Cat was terrified of him and the other dogs looked at him askance. If they gave him the slightest bump or just rushed past him without even touching him, Dumas would scream as though suffering the most dire torture. He would go into absolute paroxysms of delight at the sight of his food bowl and even towards the end, when a tumour had virtually destroyed his bottom jaw, he still hoed in without a second’s delay. He loved his wobbling walks and sniffing was his greatest joy. A walk with Dumas meant standing still and waiting for 5 minutes while he sniffed the bejesus out of a blade of grass, two steps forwards, another wait of 5 minutes, a quick retracing of steps in case we’d missed anything ...... and so on. I will never forget the time at Hawthorn Parade (near Cafe Bones) when Dumas was prepared to throw caution to the winds and follow a lovely little female . . . . . . . Dumas crossed the bridge 51 weeks after he came to live with us. My oldies have been Tilly, Rover, Dumas and Gong Zhu. I can really relate to when Caz talks about checking their breathing. Gong Zhu used to love lying in the sun in the back yard, so If I had a dollar for everytime I went down and stood over her to see if she was still breathing, I could set up kennels.

What book is your beautiful daughter reading to Tammy?

Oh dear, all those photos are just so heart warming. It's wonderful to see dogs out of the pound just relax and feel they are at home. You can practically see them thinking: oooh boy, I don't have to worry about what is happening around me or be stressed by the stressful [unavoidable sadly] atmosphere.

Didn't you notice the size of Caz's yard . Once around it and up and down the stairs a couple of times and Tammy will have had her 20 minutes . Lucky lucky dogs. LOL at Ziggy and Rocko

No, the humping lasted only a few seconds and, although it probably isn't clear in the photo, I could see he was actually nowhere near her, it was just all movement without any bits involved. Don't worry, they will be visiting the vet tomorrow ETA: I keep leaving vital words out - LOL.

He is marking all over the house, so you a very welcome to him - LOL.

No, but she may have been. The pup was estimted to be between 8-10 months old (I didn't see him as he'd already gone to a new home), but her undercarriage is a bit suspicious. Hope she isn't pregnant

A little family of three was surrendered to Renbury Farm. Baby Bear (about 8-10 months) was adopted but Mummy Vanilla and Dady Caramel were not and so Powerlegs and I have rescued them and I am foster mum - LOL. Mummy Vanilla is in the usual matted state a Maltese is in when impounded; Dady Caramel, a large Pomeranian Cross German Spita, I think, isn't tooooo bad, just the usual dreadlocks around his ears and copious amounts of loose hair. Mummy Vanilla was carrying about 2 kilos of muck under her eyes and we have got to her just in time as once one lot was cut away, we could see that the skin was wet and weapy and would have become infected very quickly. She probably needs a complete shave, but I will phone the groomer (50 metres up the road from me - aren't I lucky) and see if they would be prepared to come. I don't really want to wait out the quarantine period. Anyway, here they are. Only a couple of Mummy Vanilla because she wouldn't stand still and is already want to climb on me at every opportunity. Two naughty ones, so if you are easily shocked, look away. Don't worry, they will be desexed as soon as they have settled in a bit. Plenty of air between and "no bits" involved - LOL And the rest are of a boy who is going to be an 100% stunner when properly groomed and regularly brushed.