trifecta

You've made some great points here, Nic oh lah!

A couple who were friends of mine had a pair of Bulldogs. Unfortunately they split up but agreed the dogs should spend time with each of them. Just as in the case of children, they have access days, weekend & holiday time with the dogs. It works out well for the dogs as they never have to go to kennels & the schedule is worked out around work commitments. The former couple also share major expenses such as veterinary costs. Of course this was an amicable split, but the arrangement has worked well for some years now. Obviously this does not work for everyone, some people are quite jealous about ownership, others may go off & form new relationships with partners who already have pets, other individuals may not wish to have any contact with their former partner at all...... the reasons are endless why such an arrangement will not work, but just wanted to cite a case where an arrangement has benefited both owners & dogs. Lastly I agree strongly with other posters that this matter should be nutted out between you, & for clarification, the outcome of your negotiations put in writing for the benefit of all concerned.

Cazstaff, you need Legal Counsel, have you looked into finding anyone yet? I have a few contacts in the legal profession if you would like me to find out if there is a doggy lawyer around...... or maybe there is someone lurking on DOL? I know Happy Paws Haven were represented pro nono by a barrister in their Land & Environment Court Case, but I think he may specialise in Local Government matters. Happy to find out for you, though :)

I haven't read all through the thread but have you had a thyroid test done by Dr Jean Dodds? I would be looking at a clinical explanation for the hyperactivity - the endocrine system being out of balance. Ironically, hyperactivity, poor concentration & anxiety can be indicators for hypothyroidism in its early stages. I thought I had one of Dr Jean Dodd's articles explaining this bookmarked, but cannot find it at the moment. Erny is the fountain of knowledge on this stuff :laugh: maybe shoot her a PM?!

Heike had to evacuate on Tuesday night due to bushfire & remains packed up & ready to go at the drop of a hat, so maybe save any enquiries until the weather has cooled down a bit.

Heike would certainly go out to Yass as she does sheep stuff over there, not sure about Wagga though.

Not sure where you are staying in Sydney but k9Pro have a good range of cooling wear. Have to sympathise about being between sizes - my guys are like that too!

Lots of activity here at Bungendore - sky is full of choppers & planes - guess they are bombarding the fire Wondering how people are going over Yass/ Bookham way, there is a bad fire over there, smoke is probably impacting on North Canberra? Also members at Tarcutta, Jugiong, Wagga, hope things are better for you this morning!

The Sand Hills fire near Bungendore started at Mt. Fairy (Sand Hills Rd) then came through the back country onto the Kings Hwy at Hazelldell Road. It crossed the Hwy & has spotted into the Mulloon. The Kings Highway is still closed this morning between Bungendore & Doughboy (intersection of Braidwood Road & Kings Hwy) though they are bringing in heavy machinery to build containment lines. It was very cool here this morning, waking up to 13 degrees was blissful :D

We still have a serious fire burning 13km east of Bungendore which has closed the Kings Hwy (main route south Coast to Canberra). Just as well the change hasn't come through on a big sea breeze otherwise things could be a bit tricky. There may be some DOLers in this area or trying to get back from the coast, so this is the latest from the rfs website issued at 2143h: Emergency Warning - Sand Hills fire (Palerang) 08/01/13 21:43 Posted: 08/01/2013 A bush fire is burning in the area 13 kilometres east of Bungendore near the Kings Highway. Current Situation The fire is burning in the area of the Kings Highway near Timber Hills Road. The fire has spotted over near Mulloon Road and properties may come under threat in this area. Firefighters are working to protect properties in Hazeldell Road. They are experiencing difficult conditions, with winds gusting at more than 100 kilometres per hour. The Kings Highway is closed at Braidwood intersection and at Bungendore. Advice People are advised not to travel along the Kings Highway as it is closed between Braidwood and Bungendore. People on the northern side of the fire are advised they can still leave the area by travelling north up the Braidwood to Goulburn Road towards Tarago.

So sad to lose one so young - hope your dad is doing OK!

Thank you for sharing Inka's story. She sounds like a special girl who wormed her way into everyone's hearts.

I haven't read all the thread, but what has happened is abominable. Condolences seem trivial, I'm lost for words, but send you courage to pursue this for Buddy's sake

Thiamine, Protein, Vitamin A, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper and Selenium lots of good things :) I haven't added any organs to Abbeys raw meals, what would be the best to see if she will eat them? My last lab wouldn't eat organs I'd go down to her heard of a morning to let her out and there wouldn't be shriveled up kidneys ewww and if a labs picky welll..... One of mine doesn't like liver - I think it is the slimy texture! I started with a small amount of lamb's kidney, chopped small so they can't pick it out. You could even mince it or make it into a slop with some vegies in a food processor. From there we have graduated to small amounts of chicken liver as well, which does not seem to be as distasteful for the liver hating dog.

Sorry to go off topic, but have you considered turmeric / curcumin? I started to research it when Rogan had cancer, it is a good anti-inflammatory & would be worth looking into, in my opinion. You need to use the high potency tablets for best results & they are quite expensive. I bought mine from a health food shop, but you may be able to find them cheaper online if you are interested in giving them a go.

I class roo tail as a weight bearing bone - I no longer feed them, though the dogs love them. My Belgian has sustained two slab fractures to molars through chomping on roo tail I was going to ask what the logic on weight bearing bones was. Is it that they are too hard for teeth? Exactly, non weight bearing bones are softer, thus kinder to the teeth & better for cleaning teeth & massaging gums.

I class roo tail as a weight bearing bone - I no longer feed them, though the dogs love them. My Belgian has sustained two slab fractures to molars through chomping on roo tail

Thank you everyone for your kind words & wishes! I couldn't let the new year in without acknowledging the passing of our no.1 boy, & it has certainly been a cathartic exercise for me although I am not generally an emotional person :)

Sorry for your loss, persephone, what a crappy start to the New Year Things can only get better

What about dolomite powder - a natural source of calcium & magnesium? I don't know the correct dose for a bitch post whelping, having only ever used it as a supplement for horses, but maybe your vet or a holistic practitioner could advise you?

:clap:

Highly unlikely, Ziggy was adopted from the pound by Staffyluv, so would have been breed identified by the rangers firstly when he arrived at the pound & secondly when he was sold & microchipped. The rangers at Queanbeyan are personable & professional - you have nothing to fear, Staffyluv, & hopefully the woman has taken up residence under the bridge again..... or wherever else she came from!

As the 'old' year draws to a close, I just wanted to post a tribute to our boy Rogan who left us on August 2nd. At the time, I wanted to write something suitably eloquent for such a deserving dog, but the grief held back the words. Rogan came to us from the Sydney Dogs Home in April of 2004. We chose him on the recommendation of Denise at PAWS & juice who looked after him while he recovered from his desexing surgery. Rogan was a German Shepherd x, most likely 3/4 Shepherd & 1/4 Kelpie - so not the sort of dog that Denise usually rescued :D However, she was smitten with his handsome good looks & his soft temperament. He was the most biddable of dogs, generous, kind & loving. Rogan had been picked up as a stray in Botany, but took to life in the country enthusiastically. He loved nothing better than to be out in the bush, sitting by the river, swimming in a waterhole or at the waterfall - his favourite place for a hike. He became the darling of the cafes in Bungendore, a hit with everyone from kids who loved to pat him & bury their faces in his soft fur to his bikie mates who rode out from Canberra every Sunday to have coffee with him :laugh: Unfortunately just after Easter we noticed a lump on his lower gum at the back of his mouth. Around the anniversary of our adopting him, he had been with us for eight years, it was confirmed Rogan had mandibular osteosarcoma which had already metastasised to his lungs We can only guess Rogan's age, but presume he was around 10 years of age. While we did everything we could to keep Rogan well, we could not stop the tumour from growing. By late July, it was becoming insufferably large & we knew every day was precious. On August 2nd, being a dog to the end, Rogan chased a rabbit & presumably put his tooth through the mass. We rushed to the vet but the bleeding would not stop, we all knew it was time to say farewell . I have attached a couple of pics of Rogan, one when he was younger & another one with one of our young foals in October 2010. I would like to share with you the e-mail I received from Denise on the evening of Rogan's passing: "......I also had a little dog put to sleep today, she was not a giant dog just a little Shih Tzu who came to us with a rare condition usually only found in German Shepherds. I could not rehome Squish so kept her with me, she lost her battle today. Rogan and little Squish are together now along with all the other dogs at Rainbow Bridge....." Now that's a twist of fate! Miss you heaps mate, run free Rogan, til we meet again at the Bridge

Sorry to hear of your loss, Kirstin. 16 is a good age...... hoping your memories warm your hearts & bring you comfort

I remember Ellie, dogmad - I postered her around Canberra :) Lovely to see she is living the good life