bamboo

This sounds the same as the cancer my Tibetan spaniel x Loki had.An attempt was made to surgically remove the lump but it was not possible. None of the vets had encountered this form previously due to its rarity. We chose palliative care only for Loki, and he stunned everyone by living a few more years. He began to have seizures due to the pressure on his brain, but these were quickly and effectively prevented with nothing more than metacam for around two years. His head became grossly mishapen as the bony lump grew,but Lokis quality of life remained good. I would estimate the lump was around 5cm thick at his death. He was euthanized when his back legs became weak and uncoordinated. Please let your client know that if they are lucky their dog too might live happily much longer than expected and to not rush to euthanasia if the dog becomes peculiar looking as the lump grows. I found it quite confronting as Lokis head and face became distorted, as did others who saw him, but neither the vets or I could see anything that suggested he wasn't enjoying life.

20 years ago I managed to persuade a friendly vet to remove my bitches uterus but leave the ovaries. She was a large 40kg mutt. I firmly believe that we don't have a full understanding of the hormonal complexities of the body, and wanted to minimise disruption. The vet refused to do a tubal ligation due to the risk of pyo and this was the compromise we reached. Ailsa's seasons were almost unnoticeable afterwards, with hardly any bleeding. She usually attracted no males, and there was very little impact on our lives. She did develop a mammary tumour which was successfully removed. She enjoyed excellent health until the age of14. I realise one dog does not make a study, but thought those thinking about options may be interested. I would do it this way again if I have another female.

While I do expect my dog to be able to walk calmly and politely beside me in busy or riskier situations, most of our walks are for his enjoyment . If that includes regular pee stops, sniffs, and sometimes interactions with dogs that I judge to be friendly then so be it. This afternoon he played fetch in the river. That's why the back of my wagon has a dog blanket. I tend to feel a wet muddy dog is a happy dog in my case , and watching him play in his own way makes me happy. My priorities might be different though if I had a heavy coated dog instead of a fairly lightly coated border collie.

Teekay , what a tragic experience for you. I am so sorry you lost your baby

I have always had cats and dogs together without issue. Response to new family members has ranged from Yay you bought me a kitten from the Great Dane to Why would you bring home another one of these smelly things from an old cat to new pup. The most recent newbie spent quite a bit of time tied to the coffee table when young so the cat could relax, but there is no problem now. Did take about 6 months to convince the dog the cat could not be chased under any circumstances , but he is totally trustworthy now and has In fact defended his cat from others. I have always chosen dogs from breeds or combination of breeds that are not known for having a strong prey drive as I would be devastated if my dog killed cats or wildlife.

Could it be that the dog foaming at the mouth was in an anxious state therefore distressing him? Could be for on monoxide poisoning? It actually fills up small places like cars and pushes oxygen out. Small amounts can cause poisoning. Lots of idiots in car parks who leave their cars on to warm up the engine etc when you really should exit ASAP to prevent a build up

Could it be that the dog foaming at the mouth was in an anxious state therefore distressing him? I don't think so, twodoggies2001, he had never previously shown concern at being left by himself, and also had his best friend for company that time. Nor had he been barking-a great dane barking in an undercover carpark would have been noticed! He was not a generally anxious dog, and the vet believed his symptoms indicated heat stress, although he was not able to determine the cause given that the other dog, also large and under the exact same circumstances, suffered no ill effects at all. The best we could come up with was that the dog was a bit older,although not obviously unwell, especially for a dane, and had lost some of his ability to self regulate his temperature. Needless to say, he was never left under similar circumstances again and we made every effort to ensure his comfort temperature wise for the rest of his life.

I am super, super cautious about leaving a dog in a car, because sometimes the unexplainable happens. I left 2 big dogs in my car, windows partly down, in an undercover carpark on an overcast, not hot day. When I came back one dog was totally fine, the other was foaming at the mouth, greatly distressed,wobbly and I feared for his life. He was taken directly to the vet's, across the road, cooled down and examined but no cause was determined.He had no known health issues and never had any further issues with overheating.I would never have forgiven myself if he hadn't recovered fully.

I don't have any advice, but would also like to commend you for taking responsibility for your dog's actions. So many people seem to have the attitude it's just a cat, that's what dogs do. Thank you for not falling into this category.

I used to do my danes whenever I did my own, using the same polish. He seemed to enjoy the attention and didn't object to the smell. I guess if they don't like it they won't cooperate, and I wouldn't force a dog to do something so frivolous for my own entertainment.Pink toenails on a black male dane did cause comment though.

I am very fortunate to have a few options for offleash running and swimming for Bamboo, so he has the opportunity to run and explore a few days most weeks. His recall is good, not perfect, and I find that off leash his social skills are much better than on lead, so although we have had a couple of minor skirmishes, I am comfortable that the freedom he enjoys is worth it. I don't play angry birds either. We enjoy exploring, playing fetch etc together. I adore greyhounds, and have seriously considered adding one to our family, but the thought that I may have to keep it on leash all the time puts me off. Don't get me wrong, I am sure the grey owners out there love their dogs and meet their needs in other ways, and that their dogs are happy, but I would miss the interaction and enjoyment of a free running dog.

I had a Dane who spent the last couple of months on painkillers and appeared content and well. At one point he was put onto strong painkillers and seemed comfortable and able to enjoy his life. One day he growled and snapped at me when I asked him to move. For me that was the deciding factor and he was euthanased that day. If there is a drug option that can genuinely keep the dog comfortable and able to enjoy life I see no problem with continuing. I had a Tibetan spaniel cross with a rare cancer that grew in the bone of his skull. He was put on macrolone for what was expected to be a few weeks. 3 years later he was euthanased, and I made sure they were good years for him. He amazed the vets with the quality of life he was able to enjoy despite his skull being approx 4 cm thick.

My dog has trained me to provide him a stream of treats when he interacts politely with a dog at obedience that I know he finds a challenge . He will allow some polite sniffing and then look straight at me with his best I deserve a treat face. I am happy to provide it because regardless of his motivation he is practicing the desired behaviour and his social skills have improved enormously. Win win is how I see it.

I've always gone opposite sex when getting a second dog and not had any coat ability problems. However my current bc boy, though much improved, can be very jealous of some dogs playing with his female friends at dog school so I am wondering if I would be better off with another boy in this case? make that compatability problems!

I had a cat done 16 years ago due to fracture in the femoral head. No physio or anything but he is still fine except for a very slight limp sometimes. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if needed.

It would be wonderful if we could have faith that approved authorities maintained a level of vigilance in all animal related enterprises that was sufficient to ensure animal welfare was protected but this is not the case. I can't help but suspect that atrocities would continue behind closed doors, the general community would be blissfully unaware, and animals would suffer if there were no truly independent third parties involved. I am not saying that some aren't misguided or zealots, and I know that sometimes innocent people get caught up with devastating consequences, but if no legal body is doing an effective job then what are the options. Personally I am more concerned that suffering be stopped quickly , wherever it occurs, than with how it is discovered.

Sometimes it can't be helped. I left my beloved dogs alone one night a week every week for 4 months. My daughter was born 13 weeks early and spent that time 200 km away in hospital. No family nearby, and given the dogs were a Dane and a mastiff cross there were safety issues to consider about allowing a stranger access. The dogs were fine, but i still feel guilty for the death of a rabbit from injuries that weren't discovered sooner due to me being away so much .

Very good point Sandgrubber, I find the distinction made between pet species and livestock species in relation to cruelty and welfare issues incomprehensible.

Oops double post

I traded the car for the Great Dane in a separation. It was included in the legal separation contract giving me proof of ownership. This meant that if my ex had taken the dog, as he did to a previous partner, I would have proof of ownership and police would have the power to retrieve him for me. I was advised that otherwise I would have little chance of getting him back. I didn't love the car, did love the dog, and the peace of mind was worth it.

I don't want to clone any of my pets. While I think they are fabulous, their individuality is a huge part of my love for them. I look forward to future relationships with other unique individuals, not imperfect repeats.

I always thought it was fantastic that dogs for these types of jobs were sourced from shelters. How disappointing to think that they are just handed back when no longer useful. Surely they are as deserving of a forever home as any pet dog.

While I would be offended if someone told me I could lose a few kilos (and I should), I don't think I would feel the same way about being told my dog was a bit fat, if the person appeared polite but concerned. My dog is not me, and I just wouldn't take it that personally. I have only had one dog who was overweight, and while I was a bit surprised when my vet told me she would be better off 5kg smaller, I wasn't offended. She was a large dog, so 5kg wasn't a huge amount for her to lose, and she did. I have, however, been offended when someone told me I wasn't feeding my dane enough (I was) and that a relatives greyhound I was walking was ugly and too skinny.

I totally get that if you have a foster dog you love and care about of course you want to do everything possible to guarantee it a good permanent home, and you have every right to undertake the screening you feel necessary to achieve this. However, as a person who is by nature quite private I would be put off by a rigorous screening process. I don't like people coming to my house and looking around that I don't know - I would tolerate it for the perfect dog, but it would make me uncomfortable. Lots of personal questions on top of that, I am probably going to go elsewhere. My fences aren't fabulous, however my 2 year old bc has never escaped. If no-one is home he has access to the house and a secure courtyard only. My 3 previous dogs never escaped. But I expect I would be failed on the fences. Some shelters insist that a resident dog should be taken to the shelter for a meet and greet with prospective new dogs. My dog is not going to go well in that environment, he is selective about which dogs he likes, has numerous doggy friends, but there are some he dislikes and will respond aggressively towards, especially if he is leashed or in a stressful environment. 2 years of obedience has taught me to predict accurately which dogs he will like immediately and be trustworthy with. But if I have to take him with me to a shelter type environment I can pretty much be sure his responses will not be calm and friendly. Failed again! My point is that nothing is black and white - I know I am a loving, competent and responsible owner, and that any animal I take into my home will be given a good life, but I would not be confident about passing some screening processes. I'm not whinging, I just think screening is a difficult and imperfect process. Anyone who is involved in rescue has my respect, and I would accept their decision, because it is theirs to make.

If the older dog would be happy to just sleep or chill for long periods close to the family, perhaps it could be protected by a playpen.