Dog_Horse_Girl

I think he's gorgeous, in every sense of the word. As a short-arse myself, I would be happy to have him as a companion...but I think my OH might object! :rolleyes:

Well, as we've been tenants, home-owners and propery investors (and I've spent two years as a property manager), let me say that I prefer to take each person as I find them. Just because some tenants are irresponsible with their dogs doesn't mean we all are; our former PM allowed a previous tenant to keep a dog and it was a complete disaster but that was due to the type of person the tenant was and nothing to do with the dog, per se. We have an application in at the moment and are working on a second one...the first house is with 3 agents and one says "no pets" but the other 2 agents seem ok with pets, therefore I summise it's not necessarily the owner saying no pets. There are some pretty *stoopid* property owners out there who clearly believe that all pet owning tenants are just completely irresponsible and unworthy of renting their (often shitty) properties. And yet there are some delightful owners out there who understand that some people who have pets are clearly very responsible and deserve the right to rent a property they own. Had we (a) not made a loss on the sale of a property and (b) sold our block of land which has been on the market for 2.5 yrs, we would not be renting but purchasing. But that's life and we're quite happy to rent for a couple of years. We are excellent tenants who care about other people's properties and treat them as our own. We also just happen to have 3 dogs and NO kids.

Jed, it's great to see you back here. I'm so sorry for your losses and I can't begin to imagine what you've been through. I've been lighting candles and sending healing energy your way, as have we all. While we don't know each other personally, I feel your grief and sadness as it comes through in what you write about your beloved dogs. Sending you more strength so that you may face what comes. Sending you more love so that you may see love all around you. Sending you more joy so that you remember what happiness feels like. Sending you "virtual" grog - because that surely doesn't hurt! Take care, rest up, get better.

I hope you get this rental Di...you really deserve to have Coco home again, somewhere that she's welcome! We have just applied for a rental today. The PM seems very switched on. We've been through a few of her properties and she knows our situation and that we have three dogs. We saw this house on Tues and liked it. She has already spoken to the landlord about including a dishwasher for us, so I think she has also talked about our circumstances. The landlord is willing to put a dishwasher into the house. We have offered a lower rent than advertised but with a 12 month lease and ready to start the lease in under three weeks. The house has been vacant for about 3 or 4 wks which isn't unusual at the moment and I believe nobody else has applied (it's with three different agents!) in all of that time. We also saw another house today that we'll apply for as well. It's in the suburb we live in and while it's a slightly smaller (and older) house, it's on an enormous block AND has a pool. This will be great in summer although of course useless at this time of year. Wishing you lots of luck! Please know you're in my thoughts...and I completely understand why you have Coco with you now...despite the silly body corporate or whomever has complained.

Happy Birthday Ollie!

Ruby is 10 and has had two recent surgeries; a splenectomy to remove her spleen and a large cancer attached to it, and a cruciate ligament repair. I wouldn't be opting for anal gland surgery on an 11 yrs old dog at the first sign of a recurrent infection...attack it with more antibiotics, introduce a fibre supplement, and see if you can get some anti inflammatory ointment to apply to the area to reduce the swelling/inflammation. That should help reduce any discomfort your girl is feeling. P. S - Ruby has always scooted. ;)

I'd be leaving them alone for now. An infection is best treated with antibiotics. This should clear it up relatively fast. Then start your dog on a fibre supplement to increase the poo volume which helps to express the glands and reduce the chance of further infection. I've only dealt with this once, and Ruby is now fine.

Please provide references for this statement. You might have manufacturers making an appointment to see you in court - I have scoured the literature re Cartrophen and can find no references to long term kidney and/or liver damage. Sylvia Maybe my dog who died from from those causes, because his arthritis was so bad there was no alternative? Why are you so aggressive? I was reporting my experience, and after losing an extremely special dog, it is hard to even discuss his treatment, and I wanted to warn of the unintended consequences. It is strange that you have reacted so strongly and unpleasantly. We are meant to be sharing our experiences, and just because mine is different, you do not have to react as you have. My vet said all along that long term it could affect him. And yes, I know the difference between it and Carprophen, which is also known as Rimadyl. Cartrophen helped him a lot, but eventually it caught up with him. I console myself that without it we'd have had to let him go much sooner. My vet told me that it gradually built up and his kidneys failed. It got so that after each injection he became incontinent, and while the injections helped his pain, we'd worry about him having the whole course. We got him through them, but they also stopped being as effective, which the literature does warn of. NOTE, I said, TOO MUCH, not to avoid it altogether. With most drugs there is a downside as well as benefits, and it is always a balance and quality of life is very important. Also, my dog did not suffer from arthritis in the cruciate ligament leg. Even though it required a lot of surgeries because he reacted to the line used, we took a very proactive path and he had a lot of laser treatment as soon as the stitches were out. It really made a huge difference, and if stem cell had been available I would have used it. And I am not saying that I would never use it again, just that I would not want to use it too much. Your attitude is the reason I rarely post to this forum, and I shan't bother posting to this group again, too many painful memories. It's odd but I didn't find this reply aggressive in the least. I actually thought it was a sensible reply given that this is a public forum and drug manufacturers are very protective of their collective reputations. I would hate to see anyone on the board taken to court over something said here, perhaps Sylvia was looking out for you? As for cartrophen causing problems, our staffy cross Ruby has had a course recently, also following cruciate ligament repair surgery. She has also been on Rimadyl and our greyhound has been on Metacam. None of these drugs has caused any adverse reactions to date. Ruby is aged 10 and so is the greyhound. The greyhound was on Metacam for a slipped disc in her neck. Cartrophen has been used to assist in the treatment of arthritis for some time now and many vets and patients' owners find it works a treat. I'm sorry that you lost your dog, it's always difficult to lose such a loved family member. If he wasn't on cartrophen as a result of the knee surgery, then may I ask for what reason he was prescribed it? To the OP - a course of cartrophen is one injection weekly for four weeks. Repeat at six-monthly intervals if needed, i.e twice a year. Swimming and other non-weight-bearing activities are a good idea as well as this helps to strengthen the muscles which support the joints.

Oh, Di... Firstly, I'm so sorry for your loss. I know your boy was on the way to the Bridge...but you must be very sad at his passing nonetheless. Secondly, get Coco out of that situation. Anything is better than where she's been. Now, as to the Notices to Remedy Breach, under what circumstances were they issued? Did your landlord direct the agent to issue them? Is your landlord even aware the Notices were issued? What have you actually breached, your lease agreement or the Body Corporate's odd rule that no pets are permitted in the complex? Did you say someone else there has a pet? If so, are they also being required to remove the pet from the property? I'm sure you said that your pets were approved in the lease agreement - if so, I'm wondering how you could have been in breach o f it??? Anyway, get Coco to safety - she'll be fine for a couple of weeks in a kennel as you try to sort out another rental. Brisbane seems to have lots of pet-friendly rentals and some do let dogs indoors. The only problem is that the property managers here almost never reply to e-mails or return phone calls. I wish I was joking. :D It will all work out. I know you're feeling distressed and probably panicked, but trust that things will work out. I wish we could take Coco even temporarily but as we are looking to move soon, it's just not possible.

Candle re-lit for you Jed... Hoping for further good news really soon. Toohey, as always, thank you for keeping the thread updated with Jed's progress.

We have padlocks on gates here too. Dogs are always inside unless we're with them...but gates are never opened without us unlocking them.

Well, here's my 2 cents worth: Ruby is our staffy cross. She's 9 yrs old. Early last year, Ruby started going lame in one leg. Nothing unusual as she has gone lame several times before... Vet diagnosed cruciate ligament damage, possibly rupture but not 100% sure. We were advised to keep her quiet and limit her exercise/activity levels. As she was also battling mange (for the second time in her life) and a serious allergy issue (related to food and environmental causes),our vet advised us to sort these problems before booking Ruby in for exploratory surgery and repair if needed. Once she recovered sufficiently, I booked her in for the operation. But by this time, the knee had (apparently) repaired itself sufficiently and no longer needed surgery. So we were thankful and still kept her as quiet as possible. Not easy for a staffy cross! We then moved to Brisbane, and Ruby went severely lame. There is a specialist vet practice nearby so we booked her in for a consult. The conclusion was that the cruciate was ruptured and that surgery was a must. We opted for the DeAngelis procedure as this was considered a reasonable chance of a good outcome and the cost was a bit lower than for the newer techniques (also the newer surgeries are specifically designed for much larger dogs). But Ruby ended up with a splenectomy due to cancer and the knee surgery was delayed again. Fast forward: new (general practitioner) vet who recommended the surgery and was happy to complete it for us at half the price of the specialist centre. We paid about $1500 with the GP as against nearly $3000 that the specialist centre quoted. If you don't have the surgery, your dog will not improve and will steadily worsen. Particularly so if you don't crate rest this dog and exercise only on the lead - no jumping, no running, and no other strenuous activity. If you do have the surgery, I'm fairly sure that $4000 is a rip off, to be blunt. If you do the surgery, and you don't rest the dog for at least six weeks post-op, you will undo all of the work to repair the joint. Get yourself a decent crate, keep the dog indoors, supervise ALL outdoor activity and ensure the dog is always on a lead, yes even in your yard...toilet her on the lead so that she cannot put any further stress on the joint. No walking up or down stairs either. We still carry Ruby up and down our stairs because we can't put her through another surgery. Oh, I recommend getting another opinion and quote. That could make all the difference. And once the surgery is done and the wound is repairing, start your dog on Cartrophen - this is an injectible anti-arthritic drug that is given weekly for four weeks.

Another candle lit for you Jed. Please know you're in my thoughts every day. Gee, this waiting room is mighty full again.

At five months of age, your pup is growing, both physically and mentally. They do get bored quickly, plus you have a Sheltie, which is a very intelligent breed. Your pup needs jobs to do, otherwise she will find her own activities that may not please you or your neighbours. Start with the exercise. A 15 minute walk is not enough IMO. A good dog is a tired dog, nothing truer than this statement. Walk her for at least 30 mins twice daily. I know she's young and growing, but some other form of exercise will help - try agility equipment at your local dog park as she will have to think about this as well. A thinking dog becomes tired more quickly than one not required to use the brain. So get lots of different activities and make your pup work for her food. Kongs are okay, but there are treat balls with varying degrees of difficulty - they are great! You can also get a range of other interactive toys. Make your pup work for her meals, don't serve them in a bowl. What I mean is this: if she's on dry food, scatter her meal throughout wherever she's kept through the day. Put some in treat balls (we also used old softdrink bottles as a cheaper alternative but replace them the second they start to crack), some in a sandpit, some in the garden (if you know she won't dig the plants up!), and some perhaps in her kennel. A sandpit is an awesome tool for you to help your dog. Digging comes naturally to dogs, so work with that and place toys and food in there. If she's on a raw diet, you can safely scatter her meaty bones throughout the yard too. Just don't leave her unsupervised with a "recreational bone" as she may get a larger bone stuck on the roof of her mouth. Make sure that the bones are soft enough that she can chew through them readily. In the warmer months, you can use a 2 litre ice cream container to freeze treats in, such as sardines or chicken wings/necks. She will have a ball trying to melt the ice to get to the food. Can you also leave a radio on where she can easily hear it? If so this will provide her with "company" when you are out, and is likely to reduce her desire to bark, as she won't be as easily influenced by outside noises. Hope these tips are helpful. Oh, one more thing: obedience training before/after the morning walk is a great idea...the brain has to work in order to tire the body out!

I've got a greyhound who is literally bomb-proof... We're near Chermside...just PM me and we'll go from there. :D

Ruby our mixed breed recently had the cruciate op...our local vet did the surgery and the results have been fantastic. Ruby was completely lame in the leg prior to the op and while it's taken a while, she's now using the leg about 85% of the time. She had rimadyl post-op followed by cartrophen weekly for 4 wks and will repeat in 6 mths or so. We chose the lower cost option due to Ruby's size and prognosis and have been very pleased with the result. She was crated for the first week home. Restricted to lead walks to toilet for the first 4 wks. We still carry her up the stairs though she can walk down most of the time. I recommend crating over anything else, as they need complete rest in order for the wound to heal up properly. Ruby's looked a bit manky so we took her in after 3 days but it was all good. Talk again with your vet about the options as there are several different types of repair, some of which are more suitable for larger breeds than the option we chose for Ruby.

In Brisbane, it's very pet-friendly for tenants. I know it's the exception rather than the rule, having lived in Canberra three times, Darwin twice, Melbourne once, and Cairns once as well as Sydney. But we're so glad to be in Brisbane because we can easily find a pet-friendly rental property here. The only potential issue is that dogs are still considered by a select few as being "outdoor only" pets, when the majority seem to understand now that "outside only" can lead to problems for tenants and neighbours alike. We haven't found our ideal rental yet but we're working on it, and most of the property managers we've dealt with haven't batted an eyelid when we asked about having the dogs inside (and we have three dogs).

Candle lit and more healing thoughts sent Jed's way.

Um, in my limited experience of living in QLD (twice), the answer to that question is probably: "Never." There are so many issues here which confirm to me that people here think *very differently* to everywhere else we've lived. One example is the issue of daylight saving. I can't believe people here actually think that they are getting a "longer day" if we switched to daylight saving. Yes, people were quoted in the major daily newspaper stating this view. Of course dogs should be allowed in cafés, and on public transport, and in holiday accommodation. But then "people with allergies" would get terribly sick and not to mention all of those nasty diseases that dogs carry. So we're better off banning dogs from just about everywhere, just in case someone gets sick or upset. Sigh. I dare say that QLD will never be similar to the other jurisdictions because QLDers like being different. It sets them apart from everyone else you know.

I'm still trying to absorb what has happened. When I (briefly) heard of the news story, I had no idea who was involved. I'm so saddened by this news and my thoughts are with Jed and her family and friends as she recovers. The MDBA PACERS are to be thanked for stepping in to help as is the RSPCA. I hope Jed finds the strength to carry on without her beloved dogs. I can't imagine having to go through such a tradegy but she did what most of us would: tried to save her family. Jed, please know we are all behind you, wishing you a speedy recovery from your injuries. We know your heart may never mend completely.

I've lived and worked in Darwin three times in my life. The first time I was in my early 20's. In and out of work constantly. Rents were high even back then. Second time was 9 yrs ago. Third time was for nearly 3 yrs and we only moved late last year, to Brisbane. Good points: beautiful climate for most of the year. Relaxed lifestyle. Close to Asia so cheap enough to travel overseas. Lovely houses (the ones built for the tropics, anyway). No traffic. Not much noise either. No pollution except the fires smoke in the dry season. Bad points: everything is expensive, much more so than you imagine. Rents are very high. Finding a dog-friendly rental is very difficult and as I was a property manager for 2 yrs, and as I was constantly encouraging my landlords to consider pet owning tenants, you will have trouble because they assume that all dog owners are irresponsible gits who allow their dogs to be flea-infested (and sadly there are many dog owners who are just like that). Vet care is variable and costly but if you find a good vet, stick with them. Doctors and dentists are impossible to see due to high demand and if you manage to get an appointment, you need a loan to pay the bill. Shopping is awful but only important to females anyway! Cane toads - enough said. You can't swim in the ocean due to stingers and crocs. No surf. Anti-social behaviour from a certain sector of the community. High crime in certain areas. I loved our time in Darwin, and I do miss it, believe it or not. It's just that Brisbane has so much more to offer, rents are lower and demand is also much lower so as a tenant you have a good choice of properties. Shopping here is awesome. There is lots to do and plenty of choice in everything. I can afford to have my dental work done here as it's 1/3 of the cost in Darwin or lower. And if I need a doctor I can generally get a same-day appointment and only pay the gap up-front. Would I live in Darwin again? Maybe, maybe not.

I've been buying DAP products from the UK for years...I love the stuff - or more correctly, my dogs love it! My experiences with the spray have been very positive. Ruby is our car-sick dog and with a combination of small doses of valium and DAP spray, she's improved tremendously to the point where there has been no vomiting for quite a few years. The DAP spray is great for car travel and also for hospital stays etc as it calms the dog but you do need to repeat it frequently.

Priss, I thought it was your older boy. I'm so sorry to hear it's Miko. I know some of the issues you had, and you know you did everything possible to resolve them. Miko knew how much he was loved. :D Run free Miko!

Seriously? Dogs have been fed bones for far longer than dry & other processed foods. It used to be that when a person visited the butcher shop, they would buy the meat for the family and the butcher would throw in the bones and off-cuts for the family dog. Fast forward 40 yrs and now butchers - who used to give this stuff away because it wasn't human grade or table ready - now charge ridiculous amounts for what is essentially unsaleable scrap. Customer service is not what it used to be but guess what? We vote with our feet and wallets and any business that doesn't treat its customers well will most certainly lose out eventually. When we lived in Cairns, there was a local butcher we had for the dog food only. I had to ask them to make up bags of suitable bones because what was on display wasn't ideal for our dogs at the time. They did it, but it was begrudgingly. I stopped going there altogether and found another butcher 2 kms down the road where the service was awesome and the prices good.

Puppy food at this age isn't really necessary IMO. Once a pup reaches 5 or 6 mths, they can transition to a good quality adult food. Euk and Hills are OK but not super premium unless you mean the Euk naturals range which is much better quality than the standard stuff. You may find you need to try lots of different and higher-end foods for your Boxer dog; they are naturally exuberant and energetic, so they can burn lots of calories just being themselves. One of my dogs does well on Royal Canin which is specific to her size and lifestyle. One does well on a combo of Pro Plan Sensitive skin & stomach and the Euk salmon (she has severe food allergies). The other dog is currently on Purina lamb & rice and is doing fine on that although her condition has dropped a bit in the last few months. I'll be adding yoghurt to their food again to see if that helps. You may find adding a decent, full fat plain yoghurt to the dry food will help too. Dog roll isn't what many consider to be a good food nutrionally speaking, same with Coprice. I'd suggest visiting a good quality pet food store and seeking out samples and recommendations. Some really good brands are: Nutro, Eagle Pack, Pro Plan, Artemis, Royal Canin. Perhaps your dog isn't interested in the foods you've tried because they lack smell, taste and texture? One way to help the dog become interested in dry food is by putting warm water onto it and letting it soak for a while. You could also try a dog gravy, canned fish (sardines, mackerel etc) or adding some fish oil to the dry food to make it more appealing.