MelodysMum

Oh what a terrible shock it must have been for you! Poor Sarah! My thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time.

I call Brianna my baby and I am 'Mummy' to her and my husband is 'Daddy'. We say that our human children are her brother and sister. :laugh: It's only very lighthearted though. We tell her that our eclectus parrot Barney is her little green brother and similar things with the other birds, and our rabbits are her brothers and sisters. :laugh: Just harmless fun. :)

That is so sad!! The poor man, and poor Rocco!

Thanks mini girl! :) She is doing really well and is even starting to have fur grow back on her tummy. :)

I am so sorry for your loss Rozzie. Mandrake looks like he was a very special soul and I am sure you must be heartbroken. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Yes, it was very scary. I thought I was going to lose my girl, and I was devastated. Her operation cost $1800 and it was worth every cent. In spite of the fact that the incision was huge, there is almost no scar visible now and she is doing really well. I really cannot believe how well she is after we came so close to losing her. :) Liz, no, there was no progesterone or oestrogen treatment. The first time she went to the dog's home and was boarded there for a couple of days. A progesterone test had indicated she was about to ovulate, but while she was there she refused to let the dog service her. The dog's owner took them both to the vet and another prog test indicated she had come out of season. We think she was fretting because she was a two hour drive away from me. The second time we tested her again, got there and we waited to see if she would let him near her. She was flagging, but as soon as he tried to mount her she was screaming and refusing to let him. We left her there, and the next day she was taken to the other breeder's vet again to have an AI. A second one was performed the next day. She did not conceive. The third time the breeder let me have the dog for a few days. I decided to try Karen Hedberg to see if she could manage to get a pregnancy. She prog tested Brianna and we took both dogs over to her twice for Brianna to be AI'd. Once again there were no puppies. So we don't know what happened. After all the tests etc. we decided that was enough and didn't put her through it again. I was really disappointed and it took me a while to get used to the idea of no puppies, which is why I delayed having her desexed. A few weeks before she got sick I had said to my husband that I wanted to have her desexed in the new year. Brianna had false pregnancies after each season, and I think this contributed to her getting pyometra.

Yes, I think some of them do actually believe that!

Yes, they are extremely worrying comments aren't they?

An interesting story (with video) in the Herald - http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/nurture-or-nature-a-question-of-breeding-20120113-1pzhn.html Nurture or nature? A question of breeding BULL terrier breeder Norm Jessup dotes on his dogs like children. They sit on chairs beside him and nuzzle into his shoulders seeking affection while he sips a cup of tea. These dogs once held a fearsome reputation with their sloped ''Roman noses'', sunken eyes and powerful jaws - attributes bred over generations for fighting bulls. He embraces his animals with a father's warmth. Research has proven that in these tender moments dog owners produce a hormone called oxytocin - the same hormone which helps parents bond with their children. But experts, such as animal behaviorist Dr Linda Marston, believe this bond can blind owners to their dog's dangerous potential. ''It's like that rosy glasses effect,'' she says. ''People see their own dogs, generally speaking, in a much more positive light than other people might see them because they love them.'' Researchers at Azabu University in Japan found that a dog's gaze is enough to increase their owner's oxytocin level. And that feeling is probably mutual. Dr Marston says dogs experience similar feelings in the close company of their owners. ''When your oxytocin levels go up so do the dog's.'' Jessup keeps his six dogs in a secure network of cages at his Pearcedale home on Melbourne's outskirts. He watches closely when he lets them out. Jessup says the bull terrier breed has suffered from bad publicity and insists they are friendly and gentle. ''They are a strong-looking dog and I can imagine people being a bit scared. But their nature isn't that way unless they're in the wrong hands,'' he says. Animal behaviour experts believe irresponsible owners of dogs with a violent heritage may be incapable of judging when their animal is a threat due to their close relationship. The mauling death of four-year-old Ayen Chol by a stray pit bull terrier last year prompted calls to ban the breed. State Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said the dogs had ''lost their licence to exist''. The state government introduced tough new legislation requiring pit bull owners to register their dogs. Councils can now seize and destroy restricted breed dogs including pit bulls. Dr Marston opposes banning particular dog breeds but believes owners must understand the purpose for which their dog, including the bull terrier, was originally bred. ''They had to go in and hang on to a bull's nose even though it had a rampaging huge animal attached to the end of it until they brought the bull down by effectively suffocating it.'' Aram Vartanian owns three American Staffordshire Terriers, which are closely related to pit bulls. He is drawn to their muscular physique and ''beautiful '' nature. Vartanian rolls playfully in the grass with his dog Atilla while his two nieces watch. He admits the dogs evoke fear in others. ''Sometimes I see people move away. I've even overheard a parent say 'don't go near those dogs they're dangerous','' he says. ''I just think they're misinterpreted.'' Vartanian says a balanced upbringing will produce a family friendly pet even though its ancestors were bred for fighting. He supports tighter scrutiny of owners because ''hype'' surrounding American Staffordshire Terriers attracts the ''wrong kinds of owners''. Police say intimidating dogs are used to project an aura of violence and intimidation. Brimbank Superintendent Graham Kent says some criminals treat aggressive dogs as status symbols and use them to terrorise people in crimes such as enforcing drug debts. He has supervised investigations of dog attacks and instances in which vicious dogs were used as weapons. ''We sometimes see people walking around the suburbs with these dogs. They'll have their dog on display and they'll have their tattoos on display. It's a bit about a show of force and intimidation,'' he says. ''You can't help but think it might be a status symbol.'' Dr Marston agrees. ''There are certain parts of the community that may specifically want that behaviour,'' she says. Intimidating dogs are often associated with ''street cred''. Dr Marston says culture and fashion dictates which breeds are regarded as dangerous and this perception changes over time. German shepherds were once banned in Australia and Dobermans, Rottweilers and bull terriers have also had ''image problems''. In the US, pit bulls are considered the ''American national dog'' while bull terriers are now common pets in the UK. Jessup fears ''incorrect publicity'' about bull terriers will result in them joining Victoria's dangerous dogs list alongside pit bulls. ''The bull terrier over the years has carried the tarnished name that it's an aggressive dog but it's not,'' he says. Jessup and Vartanian insist their bull terrier breeds make great pets. But Jessup says owners and breeders should have to meet rigorous standards of education and safety. ''In the wrong hands any dog can be an issue,'' he says.

After several unsuccessful attempts to have a litter, including AIs during two seasons, we had not gotten around to desexing Brianna, who is now seven. In November 2011, for a couple of days she was off her food, even refusing her favourites - barbecued chicken and sausage. Thankfully that told me fairly early that she wasn't well, so I took her to the vet when she didn't improve. By this time she had a really high temperature, and as soon as our vet felt her tummy he said he wanted to do an ultrasound. He came back and said there was fluid in her uterus and he thought it was closed pyometra! He said that he could operate, but there would be no-one there over the weekend to look after her, so he recommended that we go to the Animal Referral Hospital (emergency vet) to have the surgery as someone would be there to care for her around the clock. So she was rushed to the Animal Referral Hospital for emergency surgery. It was awful, I really thought I was going to lose her. I was so afraid of her uterus rupturing during the surgery, that I was a complete mess, and I found it really hard to leave her. The vet there was amazing, and she said that we had caught it early so she hoped it would be all right. Brianna was in theatre for almost two hours. I had gone home, so the vet rang to say that the surgery had been a complete success; the uterus had come out intact with no leakage, and that she had managed to tie off all the blood vessels even though they were so enlarged but that it was lucky we had not waited any longer as the uterus was huge, and it would have ruptured if it had been left much longer! She said Brianna would not be out of the woods for at least 48 hours. Thankfully Brianna recovered quickly, and she was allowed to come home the next day because she was refusing to eat. We brought her home on trial, to see if she would eat, on the understanding that she had to go back if she didn't eat. She ate as soon as she got home, and she hasn't looked back. She saw our vet three days later (the wife, not the husband who had seen her the first time) and she could not believe how well she was. She said she was a 'miracle dog' and described her incision as 'magnificent'. The vet who operated did an amazing job, but it was an absolutely horrific ordeal, not only for Brianna, but for our entire family. We were absolutely devastated even at the thought of losing her. This is Brianna the day after her operation - It was an absolutely massive surgery, much more difficult than a routine desexing, and I never want to see another bitch of mine go through it. I still cannot believe how lucky we were not to lose her. Any girl that I have will be desexed if I do not plan to breed with her. Sorry for the long story, but I just wanted to convey how traumatic and terrifying pyo, especially closed pyo can be. Brianna is now fully recovered and doing really well. She just needs to grow some fur back on her tummy! :laugh:

Clyde, I just saw the FB page. I am so sorry to hear about Alvin! You must be absolutely frantic with worry, and poor Grace! I'm praying for Alvin and for you and Grace! I really hope that he is found soon!

A dog thought dead in the US has made an amazing reappearance four days after it was believed to have been buried in an avalanche that killed its owner. Oly, a Welsh corgi from the Western state of Montana, is now recovering at home after digging himself out of more than a metre of snow, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports. David Gaillard, 44, and his wife, Kerry Corcoran-Gaillard, had been cross-country skiing with Oly following in their tracks when the avalanche struck last Saturday. Mr Gaillard told his wife to "retreat to the trees", which she did, grabbing a tree to stop herself from being carried away. After frantically digging in vain to try and find her husband Mrs Corcoran-Gaillard returned back to her hotel and raised the alarm. A search-and-rescue team located Mr Gaillard's body later that night. On Wednesday, four days after the avalanche, a local resident of Cooke City, Bill Whittle, noticed a Corgi outside Room 17 of the Alpine Hotel, the same room where the couple had stayed the night before the ski trip. "We're thinking he dug himself out because of his short legs, and he followed the trail back to the point they parked to go ski," Kerry Corcoran Gaillard's daughter, Silver Brelsford, told the Chronicle. A skier followed Oly's tracks back to the avalanche, Mr Whittle told the newspaper. 'He was buried about 50 feet below David, about three feet deep," he said. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8399613/dog-buried-by-avalanche-that-killed-owner-turns-up-alive Very sad that the owner died, but what a great little dog! He looks wonderful and how clever was he to dig his way out and find his way back! ! It's so great that he didn't die too!

As I mentioned on FB already, I am so sorry for your loss Griff. I know how special Ryan was to you and your daughter. He was a beautiful little man, an absolute gentleman, who I had had the privilege of meeting. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Oh that made me cry! I am so sorry for your loss!

Cas, I am so sorry that you have lost your special girl. She was absolutely adorable, and I am sure your heart must be breaking. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time. RIP little Shannon, and watch over your mummy.

Oh that is so sad! The poor dog!

tlc, I have just seen this! I am so pleased to read that Tully is all right! It must have been absolutely terrifying for you. I can only imagine how I would have been if it had happened to Brianna! It is wonderful news that she is doing so well!

I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you.

The one at St Marys Vet Clinic in Queen St, St Marys has always been really good. Not sure how it is now, but we took Brianna there and I have told several other people about it since then. They have all thought it was great. South Penrith Vet Clinic in Stafford St, Penrith also has a good one.

Here is the story with a video clip from Channel 9, which I have to say is quite disappointing. They have obviously just gone and filmed some larger breed dogs at a pound and the footage includes a GSD. The dogs are all barking (who wouldn't with a camera in your face, when you are locked in a pen?), and it makes all of them look dangerous. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8297934/melbourne-man-seriously-injured-in-dog-attack

That's wonderful news! Hope that everything goes well at the vets today. Looking forward to puppy photos soon!

What an absolutely wonderful tribute to an amazing dog. I have tears streaming down my face. You and Emma were so blessed to find each other. You opened your hearts to one another as true kindred spirits and I am sure everyone who met you both could see that. Thank you for sharing Emma's story, it was an absolute joy and privilege to read about your special girl. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you come to terms with her passing. RIP Emma!

Darien, I am so sorry for your loss! You must be devastated. You gave him a wonderful home and he died knowing that he was loved. I hope you can take comfort in knowing that he had a wonderful life for the time he was with you. My thoughts are with you! RIP Hamish!

Thanks for posting this. I just ordered this one for Brianna. Penny

What a beautiful tribute to a special boy. I am so sorry for your loss.