di_dee1

I personally would not be giving chemotherapy to a pet. My love would be great enough to have them put to sleep. I finished chemotherapy myself in April.

My 3 blue heelers thrive on supercoat, raw added to it daily and are thriving. The vet has commented on their health and shiny coats. My last blue heeler (RIP) died at age 14 and was fed pal meaty bites, raw occasionally and he thrived too. To me, the best diet is the one your dog does best on.

My father in law had an oops pregnancy with his working dog, I took her, looked after her, kept 2 of the 4 pups, (had the females desexed later including the mother) had great homes lined up for the other two. The home for the male fell through, I was diagnosed with cancer, had to start chemo fast and it would have been too much to screen new owners so I sadly surrendered him to a rescue. They were wonderful to me, kept me informed and he found a wonderful home. I have heard from them too. I too hate people surrendering for trivial reasons and bless those who run rescues.

My advice is to continue as you wish it to be later or confusion sets in and you may have to go through it all again. I would ignore the barking and reward when quiet. Do not go in there when she is crying or barking as she will learn that this gets the results she wants and you would be reinforcing this behaviour. Good luck.

I have two 6 month ACDs. One female scratches at the door or stands at it to go outside, like her mother does but the male as yet does not. I have to be vigilant in letting him out every couple of hours. I live in hope.

I too only use as needed...frontline plus. They get wormed as needed too and have yearly heart worm injection.

I can not fathom why to use a pet loo if they have access to outside. I have 2 pups, now 5 1/2 months old. All adults in your house have to be consistent I must admit I have not read all the responses. My way has been that they go out very regularly. After a sleep, outside, after eating...outside, if sniffing around..outside. I use the command widdle widdle. Being on a farm with no neighbours I have peed on the grass myself to show them. Some collect urine in buckets to do this...works fast too. Much praise when they pee or poo. I say widdle widdle whilst they are doing it so they associate word with action We have very few accidents now. If we do, it is my fault for not paying attention.

I replied before but am adding the dogs and ages. Dickie, Australian terrier age 18 pal meaty bites, pal wet and table scraps. The odd meaty bone. Tara, GSD, about 18 as well, again same diet. Blackie, BC cross, same diet, definitely age 18. Shadow..ACD blue heeler, same..age 15 Father in laws's 2 kelpies are age 14 and still going though in retirement. My 3 ACDs, heelers get supercoat, Raw each day, some raw egg, sardines, yoghurt. Only 18 months and 5 1/2 months yet. They are on a farm. I too believe environment plays its part. All previous dogs Bar Dickie (who was rehomed to my mother) have been on the farm. Tara, the GSD only spent the last 5 years of her life with me.

I have just had my female ACD desexed at 5 and a half months. There is no way I would personally do this before now. My male from the litter will be done later. Their mother came into season at 6 months and even though I was paranoid about that I still waited for the time between chemotherapy and my radiation treatments to do this in the best interest of my bitch. My vet, who will not desex under 6 months was great that he would do it 2 weeks early to fit around my treatments.

I have chewers, the doggy toy box saves everything here, has kongs, pigs ears, rawhide bones, tennis balls, 2ltr juice containers, the cardboard rolls on used gladwrap. It also pays to keep your stuff out of reach. Mine are in their pen at night though.

I am 53, have had dogs all my life. Most have been very long lived. In the last 20 years they have had a farm life but my diet for them has always been the same. A good dry food that is on tap 24/7. A raw component a day whether it is a chicken wing, some beef or lamb offcuts from the butcher, minced chicken carcass and/or meaty bones. They get the odd raw egg and sardines, suitable table scraps.

RIP Beam.

I am sure my blue heeler knew I had cancer before I did. She was always smelling my breath, nudging my chest (that is where the tumour is). I am half way through chemotherapy. On my chemo days she knows I have had it, keeps smelling my breath and she stays very close. My tumour has shrunk by 75% already, she no longer nudges my chest.

I have 2 pups, litter mates, 4 and a half months old blue heelers. They have not bonded to each other rather than me. As I am on a farm I do not do walkies, they have the run of the place. I find they are great company for each other while I am away from home. They are in their 15ft x 21ft pen at nights in their snug dog box and love it, go into the pen to play even when out all day. I do find that training can be a problem at times with the two together. I do not do training sessions as such but teach to sit before food, toilet train as things arise. As it is now, widdle wiidle said as they get let outside sees them squatting together at times....like synchronized swimming. At the moment I have these two, plus their mother, all flaked out on my lounge room floor.

Hahahhaha. My dog's best effort was getting a pre loved sanitary pad from our on farm tip and shredding it on the lawn in front of the house, just before I brought home a visitor.

I send you my love. I too had my darling old cat PTS this morning but at the vet's. With any death (my animals come home and are buried in a pet cemetery on our farm,I let any dog/cat sniff them, sit with us. After this happens they really don't seem to have any grief, maybe they are just a bit quiet for a little bit then for them it is business as usual.

OT a tad, I have lymphoma. Currently undergoing chemo. If one of my dogs was diagnosed I would be getting all the information I could then make a decision. I think I would be concerned about suffering side effects that can not be vocalised like humans can do. I think it is wonderful that we can give a last gift of love if it comes to that with our pets but not our loved humans. I am sorry that I am not much help at all. Good luck, hugs.

Chicken wings, bones, off cuts both lamb and beef from my butcher a big carton of each today for 5 bucks each. Roo meat if son goes shooting. Sardines.

Hoping for some good news.

I had a pup 15 years ago and have another now and will be doing exactly the same thing. I stayed out in the lounge room on a camp bed with the last pup next to me on the floor for a few nights. We then moved into my bedroom (I had moved to loungeroom so hubby got some sleep) and Shads slept on his bed on the floor, or with me when whingy. He settled well and quickly as he had reassurance and once he was confident he then chose to happily sleep outside, on a chair in the loungeroom or on his bed. If Hubby was away he was allowed on the bed. For 15 years he was a self confident happy dog.

This is reassuring to me as well. Thank you.

He looks so good with the wonderful care you are giving him. He is one lucky pup to have you.

I find I am procrastinating about everything today, lol.

I have 4 seven week old pups. There are a few bought toys but their favourites are a pair of hubby's old work jeans cut into a few pieces, pine cones from our trees, an old unused broom, toilet roll cardboard, Cardboard box. My only problem is vigilance as their mother jumps into the enclosure and pinches them for herself. I LOVE the chicken stock idea, Thank you. Oh, really hot days I freeze a 2 litre bottle of water for them and have a couple of spares ready and as they love to dig in the sand (we are on a farm and house is on a sandhill, their enclosure is under the carport (car and ute in the sun for the duration) I also wet a section so they can dig, be cool and shlump.

Hubby and Father in Law (farmers) use voice, whistles and hand signals with their working dogs.