fifi

So sorry to hear this WP. Is this the rescue girl we talked about a few years ago ? the LW one ? I guess its very similar to elderly people where you have brittle bone that fracture easily. Usually associated with osteoporosis. If she were human they'd probably do a bone denisty scan. There was no sign of degenerative joint disease or arthritis ? We dont know if she was leaching or not properly absorbing minerals either. She does need to be drinking, I think I'd be getting a 2nd opinion there. Have you tried chicken broth ? boil up some chicken & give her the water. poor old girl, I have to say after my old girl Molly went through surgery for torsion & splenic torsion, she didn't bounce back & tumours were scanned on her liver. we made a decision years ago, that we don't put the older dogs through this surgery now, I just havn't seen enough recover sufficiently with long term quality. But that is for our breed, who are old at eight. I've seen old dogs in other breeds spring back :-) Quite a few people are using the stem cell supplements with reported success. fifi

Priceless !!! fifi

All of us at our clinic won't use the drop down menu options if its a oodle thing !! all three of us will type in the oodle X floodle, It really annoys me that all the major practice software has the designer dog names on the dropdown menus fifi I just assumed it had been added in there by past staff and wasn't installed, cause any time we add a new breed it asks us if we want to add it to the main list. And we have the ability to completely delete breeds from the menu. Which is helpful when staff think someone is coming in with an English Taffy I know Rx works & Ciderhouse has them pre-programmed in We use CHS and its much easier to edit, so I've gone through and deleted all the DD's in the menu fifi

All of us at our clinic won't use the drop down menu options if its a oodle thing !! all three of us will type in the oodle X floodle, It really annoys me that all the major practice software has the designer dog names on the dropdown menus fifi

Great to read they are both home :-) YAY for microchips !!! fifi

It's pretty scary, but you would be surprised how many people think that because a pup has two purebred parents of different breeds....its still a purebred pup :p only yesterday I had this conversation at work, and absolutley could not convince the person that their cross bred pup wasn't purebred (insert hitting head repeatedly with brick image here !!) fifi

I am banned from the reception desk some days because the other staff fear that bad things may happen :p :D Yep, my vet only has to overhear some bullcrap from an 'oodle' or puppyfarm type customer, and suddenly she is hovering about in the background to ensure the customer leaves in one piece and my 'educational' rants don't become a blood bath !!!!! she knows me too well !!! fifi

Try working in a vet clinic !!! There are times when I almost bite INTO my tongue to shut myself up !!!! fifi

Heavypaws, I think for good development young hounds need a good sized yard to learn to free gallop & move about, with a smaller run or yard for rest time & safety when they aren't being supervised. Up to about twelve weeks a small yard is sufficient. We don't do formal excercise straining those young growth plates. Under a year old, I think free play is enough, apart from a tiny bit lead training - everything else is at their own pace. I'll take a young hound off lead in our big paddock once a day & they gambol about, and when they've had enough, they'll just come back and free walk beside me back to the house. over a year old we take them for longer loose lead walks on dirt tracks / roads - not concrete/tar now & again, and of course from 2nd vaccination onwards, a trip to town & little toddle around the markets / town to socialise. But honestly, nearly all our dogs exercise is being let out in the paddock to run, play, chase things, sniff, ect. obviously for longer periods as they grow & mature. They do so much more if we go for long wanders too, then they use us as the 'home base' & go off exploring a bit & come back. I have owned them in suburbia, but lived near a little beach they could be off lead a couple of times a week. We notice the difference now that we have more room for them to develop & grow. They settle down after their paddock runs and are snoozy for the rest of the day until the afternoon/evening runs. Young hounds are so varied in their personalities, some are destructive & some arent ! but yes, I think having free exercise is a big help. dogs adapt to their situation, but personally I think an ideal home environment is at the least a very big suburban block with room to run around. And some nice loose lead walks as they mature. fifi

:p NOOOOOOooooooooooooo........I'd have to visit and confiscate all those conditioners !!! wolfhound coat = harsh, rough texture, think of wire coated terriers !!! NOT FLAAARRRFIES !!! *runs away to bury face in pillow* fifi

Lots of wolfhounds live with cats and adore each other :D but personally I would restrict that to inside cats only. I've seen wolfhounds that have grown up with their cat from puppy & kittenhood, give chase when it was loose in the yard. They simply saw movement took off. sighthound = chase it if it runs !!! Many people have wolfhounds & cats outside together, but I know my own hounds and how keen they are to chase, its not a risk I'd take. Our hounds have a respectful relationship with our cats inside, but the feral cats are prey in the paddocks. fifi

Hi, it can be a long wait sometimes. Contact the Irish Wolfhound club's puppy referral person, http://www.irishwolfhound.org.au/iwcnsw/ and they may be able to send you a list of breeders to contact. Also the breeders listed on the Dogsonline breed page. Not many older wolfhounds come up for adoption or rescue. If you can begin with a good introductory email or phone call, outlining your interest in the breed, your living arrangements, dog owning experience ect. You can begin to have breeders get to know you and vice a versa. People who stay in touch, ask thoughtful questions about the breed and spend the waiting time researching the breed, are more likely to be considered when a litter is born. fifi

I'd almost forgotten the great computer changeover ! I remember putting 'Pending' on the entry forms for a pup I'd bought. fifi

That is very sad and sounds very much like owner neglect from the bit you know. But we are talking about extreme behaviours as a reason to pts. and if the owner has done everything they can in conjuction with their vet, trainer ect. then I would never condemn for pts in that situation. Until you've lived it, its difficult to imagine how immobilising that life can be. fifi

Absolutley, a full health check & bloods should be one of the first ports of call. fifi

Totally agree, I would want to hold the dog & say my goodbyes. Had to do this with a rescue wolfhound, she self harmed horrifically and despite trying everything, in the end there was no choice fifi

The problem isn't always caused by owners rewarding behavious, some dogs are just hard wired with anxiety ect. And sadly, crating isn't always a solution either, I have seen dogs with horrific injuries caused by panic behaviour in their crate. The very sad reality is that some dogs with these issues are better off PTS. fifi edited to add; I have rescued a very large dog with 'issues' and after having our shed, verandah and laundry virtually demolished - even when he was valiumed to the eyeballs, is a real eye opener for those who think they can take on these dogs & alter their behaviour quickly.

We've had client dogs who are utterly storm/noise terrified or shockingly separation anxious, in some cases - behaviour modification / training, drugs, crates ect have had no effect and the dog was euthed. We have also had dogs that were re-homed for this issue become someone elses living nightmare. Sadly sometimes no matter how hard you try - you just run out of options :-( I fully support people who are driven to this sad decision, and thank goodness they don't take the easy way out and simply dump the poor dog at the pound. Until you have lived with this problem, it's hard to realise just what a prison it can become. fifi

Thank you so much for the update Toohey, happy not to have personal details, just to know the very basic's of how Jed is doing takes the edge off. This roller coaster must be taking its toll on family and friends :-( sending all our love & hope to Jed and the wonderful people around her. Plunger coffee anyone ? :-)) fifi

What a scary & very upsetting thing to happen. we have a phsyco neighbour as well, and had an rspca inspection as a result of his trouble making. Felt exactley the same as you - terribly upset. But when we asked the inspector who had made the complaint, he gestured with his head towards the neighbour's place, but of course could not tell us who !!! Is your neighbour known to police ? our's is, and because of his previous actions towards all who live here, he only has to look at any of us in the area the wrong way and we have the police on his doorstep now. I think all you can hope with idiots like that, is that karma backs over them in the form of a B-double !!! fifi

Oh no Monika, Not your handsome Rex They are here for such a short time, but dogs like Rex stay alive in memory for our lifetimes. hugs from our pack fifi, danny & hounds xxxxx

Thank you for the update Toohey, I was speaking to a nurse friend who has worked in ICU & burns units, she said time will be a huge factor and expect setbacks. Hoping with all my heart this is just a small hiccup for you Jed. Thinking of your family too, as they travel this road with you. Just making a morning coffee and lighting your candle again. fifi

Been away for a few days, thank you for the update Toohey, Jed, candles are still lit here for you :-)) fifi

Thank you Steve for posting those piccies. They are so heartening. such precious little dogs, great to see them looking so well, and cared for with such love I hope Jed will be allowed a fluffy visitor or two once she's further down the recovery road. fifi

Try a vet practice that has greyhounds, they are universal donors. (no cross matching issues) or a greyhound owner may be able to assist. fifi