Little Gifts

Noooooo, we can't let anything bad happen to Bazza! Tell Aunty T, the Queen of Puppies all his symptoms and let's see what the collective knowledge here on DOL can suggest.

I have to say that I did use disposable baby nappies on my old girl for the last year pretty much all the time because she would just stand up wherever she was and go. I bought them based on her weight and cut a large cross in the tail area about a third of the way down from what would be the front on a child, but which sat on the back of my dog. As soon as she went pee or poo everything in the nappy just dropped away from her body so I never even needed to wipe her clean. There is obviously something in nappies now that keeps the urine trapped. I'm only suggesting this as an interim desperation measure while you address the key issues you have with her, especially given you wont be leaving the nappies on her for very long while you are out. Also spray vinegar (and water?) over the wet patches to take the scenting smell away.

There's always a broken one! Congrats to everyone!!!!

In the last six months of her life my old sbt girl was at the vet's every month for a check up because I was finding it impossible to work out if she was suffering in any way (she was such a toughy). She probably would've lasted on another 3 to 6 months on her own stubbornness but her mobility and mind was unpredictable and I had to decide that I'd rather she go knowing us and feeling no pain than to come home from an outing and find she got herself jammed somewhere and gotten injured or distressed trying to get free. It was an incredibly hard decision and I questioned it for weeks afterwards. Two years on I can see I was worried about robbing myself of time with her rather than the other way around. I know she had a full life with us, right down to the very last day, and left this world content and pain free.

My sbt girl had pancreatitis (chronic?) and survived for at least another 7 years. Absolutely no treats or snacks - only her Hills Prescription W/D ever since she was diagnosed. We were tough. She developed other health issues over time and she got her wings at almost 17. But that diet consistency prevented any further incidents of pancreatitis. My wonderful vet did try and find a natural diet option for her - something I could make myself, but it contained about 20 ingredients so I decided the W/D kibble and tins would have to do!

I worked for the state government and we had a purpose built building that we worked from. There was nothing formal about it but several of us took our dogs into work from time to time (working on weekends or when big storms were due and we had scaredy cats). Another person cared for wildlife and often had animals/birds with her for monitoring and feeding during her long work day. A friend of mine currently works in advertising and takes her dogs to work regularly. I really think it depends on your boss, other staff and workplace culture because it was also extremely common to have staff's babies and children at work too (as well as the dogs!). My funniest incident was having my old pied sbt boy with me one day. He wasn't well and I only came into work to speak at the monthly managers meeting. He was asleep on his bed under my desk with his leash looped around my chair. My co-worker was in our pod and was to keep an eye on him while I did my spiel. She ended up on a phone call after I went in to do my bit. All of a sudden I was following people's eyes watching the bottom of the glass meeting room wall as they saw a dog strolling up the hallway pulling a chair behind it!

They are gorgeous!

Congratulations!!!!

Please tell me it was Max? Fluro earplugs come out the other end looking pretty much the same as when they went in. Why they'd want to eat my ear wax though is a whole other matter.

Is it no more fostering because of the parvo or will you be taking a break with your back and all? If I was down that way I'd clean up for you. Very hard to face after the event. Take care of yourself and if you are up for it we have the most beautiful little pei baby on the Peiradise FB page. Ams also got a new bubba of her own and we will have both at an event tomorrow in a pet pram. Should be good for some serious cuteness! XXX

Oh Tracey I'm so very, very sorry, particularly because I didn't notice this last night when I messaged you something so trivial. It would be impossible to go from having this lovely bunch in your home to them all gone so quickly. This is the horrid side of being such a prolific foster carer. You did actually save them from succumbing to an awful disease by noticing the change so quickly. Their suffering had to be minimal. Big hugs to you and I think it is your turn to curl up in bed and spoon a dog or two and let the world just pass you by for a bit. XXX

At first I was hoping someone had opened up your old thread but dear dawg another incident? I had to come straight to the last page to see if you had updated. That is good news but also weird news. Do you think he needs some bloodwork done to determine any food processing problems? Maybe something (besides all the grass!) is not working properly in the poor boy and some kind of toxin levels build up and make him sick? Clutching at straws here of course but he obviously felt sick and ate the grass but couldn't or didn't throw up. We can't have all this trauma happening to our Zig!

She sounds and looks like a very committed mum. Go Elly!

I'm going with weight management as overweight dogs are prone to illnesses that can shorten their lives. Large overweight dogs might also suffer mobility problems that shorten their lives.

Someone does not look impressed!

Stussy ate 2kg of almonds in one sitting once and didn't even work up a sweat when it came out the other end.

You can also make no sew dog beds with these and if you have a chewer you should have plenty of dead pillows and doonas to stuff it with!

My sbt girl played rough right up to her last day (just shy of 17). Instead of running around though she would plant her butt on the carpet and swivel, making the younger one do the running while she just provided the bitey face. Plus of course she was getting some carpet action on the tush at the same time! And she was nosey right to the end as well, barging her way through the crowd to try and see what the excitement was even though her sight was down to just shadows. We can all hope to still be so engaged in life at their ages!

I have always travelled a lot. A major OS trip every two years since I was a teen, going away for three months at a time at the very least. Luckily I always had a reliable dog loving family member stay at my house to care for the dogs (even though I worried about them a lot while I was away). After my oldest SBT hit 12 (her son was 11) I decided it was unfair on anyone else to have to make a decision about her future if I was busy enjoying myself on holiday for months at a time and she developed a health issue. Both were rescue dogs left in my care who never actually left my house again. The son injured himself during a panic when he was 12.5 and was pts. His poor mum just aged overnight after he was gone but then another young sbt needed a carer not long after. She never left either and my old girl came back to life. My old girl has been gone 2 years now and that young naughty sbt has ended up being my heart dog. I left her for a month last year and it was HORRIBLE!!!! She was fine - it was me who didn't cope. So no long holidays is the biggest sacrifice I've made for the last 6 years and I don't regret it one bit! As an adult though I don't think there has ever been a day when either myself or someone I arranged has not fed my dogs and let them into the house before dark. I have never felt comfortable with upsetting that schedule just so I could stay out after work. Their comfort and basic needs are my responsibility, even if I have to drive an hour to do it before turning around and heading back to where I was.

Someone pointed out to me that my photos for Little Gifts usually have a dog in them inspecting what is going on so pretty much anything I do includes three supervisors and nothing leaves this house without hair on it! All the fabric has to be piled high on furniture to stop certain dogs making nests in it all! And I have had someone eat one of my lovely beads that once fell on the floor. I've also been trying to hand stitch something and discovered someone chewing on the end of the thread. So far wool is about the only thing they show no interest in but I often have to knit with my elbows sticking in the air because I have someone on my lap!

Tuxie I'm not sure what Ams messaged you but Peiradise volunteers and dogs needing adoption will be at the Green Heart Fair this Sunday at Chermside. Entry is free and you could come and say hello and see what the world of pei is like! I am a foster carer/volunteer with Peiradise and we always need help with bits and pieces and are an extended family really, all linked by Ams and her rescue dogs. Also people travel from different directions out to Ams' place and to other events so catching a lift is also an option if we are having a volunteer day or special event. Our Peiradise colour is lime green so if you come to the fair keep your eye out for people wearing lime green shirts and that will be us! Oh and we will have some baby pei there too. How could you resist that!!!!! We are also on Facebook if you want to search Peiradise - Shar Pei Rescue Qld and see the kinds of things we get up to! Welcome to the wonderful world of rescue!!!!

In Qld they regularly get one off monies through the gambling funds (administered by the state govt)to purchase goods/equipment/vehicles, refurb buildings and even build whole new facilities. I don't know if other states have the same grants system but I know for a fact that the RSPCA is often successful with these funding rounds to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year here in Qld. Whilst these funds are for specific purposes it does free up other internal funds for other purposes. Maybe they didn't make as much money from MPW this year? I was personally shocked to see how much they were charging other not-for-profit groups (inc other rescue groups) for stalls at the event. I just wasn't feeling the 'all creatures great and small' love. Peiradise still dressed up (inc the doggies) and walked to draw attention to the group. Apparently those lime green doggy tu-tus and fairy wings worked a treat! PS If anyone wants to know how to make doggy tu-tus of neck ruffles just let me know!

My BIL works down in the mines and he brings home thes plastic pallet things and I've told him he should sell them. He wires them together to create temporary fenced yards on their farm. He has also concreted them to give a cool patterned outdoor area. They'd even be fantastic for drying out wood that had been chopped and you'd be able to see any snakes that might be hanging out in the woodpile. Same for storing stuff off the ground. They are down in Woodstock and the mine is an hour north. Staff grab them all - the mine doesn't sell them but if anyone lives down that way I could put you in contact with my BIL?

That's hilarious!!!

Last night all the dogs settled without any jostling from Temp. Still no barking and way less pushing for attention from any of them. I'm loving it! The hardest thing for me is not rubbing anyone's chest because I think it is so soft and they seem to love it but seems they all quite like butt scratches as well (yuck for under my nails though).