52 thoughts on “Open Thread”

  1. These collars –

    http://www.breakawaycollar.com/

    are all that we use now. We had a “collar incident” some years ago where two large dogs were playing around and one caught his lower jaw under the other’s collar and it twisted, trapping him and strangling the other. There were three human adults in the same room and we just managed to get them untwisted and the collar off, but it was not easy (as both were panicking).

    I’d much rather replace a lost collar than a dog, you know?

    They have disadvantages (like you can’t grab a collar to stop a dog running out the door or something), but when I came home one day to find my little dog “naked” and later found her collar on the lever arm of the recliner (they must have been running around and around the living room, as they do and she got “skewered” by the lever because she was just the right height for it), I decided that the benefits outweighed the disadvantages. She might have been able to back herself off the lever – or she might have panicked and twisted a regular collar. Either way, I didn’t need to find out, thanks to her breakaway functioning just as it should.

    No commercial interest, just our experience. Oh – and Boomerang tags (http://www.boomerangtags.com/) are quite awesome, too.

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  2. Look at my new foster dog! Bongo is his name-o: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bunchofpants/6787481984/in/photostream

    He looks like a Boston/Frenchie cross, or maybe a “Boxton.” I call him a “Boston Plus.” He has a completely awesome personality and gets along with my other dogs really well. Unfortunately, he is HW+, but he’s going to start treatment Monday. Once he’s through that he will be available for some really, really lucky person to adopt through Boston terrier rescue of NC.

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    1. That’s a good looking dog! So glad to hear that he’s going to get well and will be safe with you until he’s ready for his forever home!

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  3. We’d like to share our veterinary hospital’s blog with everyone:
    http://www.encinavet.com/blog

    We also often do Q and A sessions when it comes to veterinary care (general, oncology, internal medicine, behavior, neurology, emergency and more!), contests and share pet news with our Facebook Fans. Be sure to “LIKE” us so you can stay up to date with what we have to offer you!
    http://www.facebook.com/encinavet

    Happy Wednesday & Happy Leap Year! :)

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  4. Any Dallas area readers looking for doggie day care or boarding? Check out this web site that I stumbled across. The place looks phenomenal! I’m in Memphis…kind of a long drive for day care…but I would love to see the place.
    http://www.bennysdogresort.com/

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  5. My dog “Progie” is my “Foster 101 Failure” is in a lot of pain and needs surgery to repair her knee.

    Since June 2010 I have saved and placed 24 dogs without any help. This is the first time I have ever had to asked for help.

    Here’s the link to Progie’s story and chip-in. Please help.. Please donate. Every penny will help her live pain free. If you can’t donate, please share.

    http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthecatlady.chipin.com%2Fprogie&h=YAQEmjYLAAQG0rsS8UUI9NAh68gyw5HO0Poj_KhP4qnSLBQ&enc=AZMt8ZNWVI_xe-ziNagytP0_f-tonTBp11EOugHeAmujukHP9gOItDFiA9FhAKnqY7KPprJz_IJeWrJsF1oRUo5b..

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      1. Not true! I can tell you that the links people post in the comments always get a lot of clicks, according to my WordPress stats. And I clicked!

      3. I clicked. I could only give $5, but Shirley gave me permission to give $1. I beat that by a factor of five ;-).

      4. Ohh.. that’s wonderful… thank you so much. I’m thinking my video of Progie doesn’t show up like the video posted.. is because I didn’t upload to Youtube. So, I’m doing it now. And Thank you again.

      5. Hi Dot, I donated. Just a thought, I don’t know which type of surgery you are having done. We have a dog, Soco, a 75# pittie. She blew out BOTH rear knees within a day or two of each other. There was no way we could afford the more expensive surgery on both legs. I think it was called TPLO. Instead we did the surgery where they stabilize the knee with heavy duty sutures.. It was much, much less expensive. Two years later and she gets around pretty darn good. We only ended up having the surgery on one leg because the other healed up pretty well with all of the bed rest.

      6. Thank you for your input. I took her to a specialist. He said he did all of the different types. He told me he would decide which route to take once he was in there. He said he would most likely have to make the new “part” from another part of her body.??? I’m not sure what that means. But he said it was pretty bad. I’ve kept her a quite as possible so she doesn’t do more damage or damage the other knee. She is so miserable. She wants to play so bad. I have had her on “Healthy Select Joint Care” for the last 3 months, hoping it would help. The vet told me it wasn’t hurting her to give it to her, but she needed the surgery. I’m not looking forward to this at all. I’m just so grateful she is crate trained and trusts me so completely. I hope the vet will let me be with her after the surgery, while she’s waking up.

      7. I clicked, too! I’m just so glad you had the courage to ask for help, for Progie’s sake. I know how hard that is. A little from each of us will make a big difference for Progie!

      8. Thank you.. and yes it is hard to ask.. there are so many fur babies in need. Progie’s injury is so minor compared to some.

      1. She is.. but she’s not quite right. I was so afraid she wouldn’t be protected.. I just couldn’t trust anyone but me to protect her from any harm.. So I failed my first foster.. I’m so blessed to have the sweetest dog in the world. She is such a big help when I bring new foster’s in the home. She seems to tell them they are safe. Here’s a photo that gets a lot of votes for best picture.
        http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=214542725245905&set=a.213848005315377.57454.100000705384440&type=3&theater..

  6. I reworked an old slide show recently to make it more positive, so this is your feel-good break for the day, if you’re so inclined. One of my favorite Fisher tunes (which they have so graciously allowed me to use.) . . .

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  9. I posted this once before but I wanted to re-post in case anyone missed it. This group, Leggings for Life, hand-crochet leggings for pets who drag their back legs. This prevents the disabled pet from getting ulcerations on those legs and can be the difference between a good quality of life and euthanasia. Although the video shows a cat, they make them for dogs also. The service is free to the pet owner; the group is not-for-profit. Anyone can request leggings from them on their Facebook page.

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  10. @ Lisa… I also wanted to thank you for your donation. If there’s ever anything I can do for you.. please ask… If you know me on Facebook.. you’ll see I’m all about the animals.

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      1. Well that’s weird, because I’m seeing the page. here is the article’s text:

        DUNN, N.C. — Dunn police say they’ve handled dozens of calls about aggressive pit bull terriers in the last year, prompting Chief B.P. Jones to request a citywide ban on the breed.

        “We’ve got a problem, and it’s increasing,” Jones said Wednesday.

        In 44 calls about the aggressive dogs, no serious injuries were reported, Jones said, but pit bulls are still a dangerous breed. They are quick to bite, often turn on their owners and have even tried to attack police officers, he said.

        Veterinarian Guy Beretich said many pit bulls are bred to be fighters, but others, like his dog Duke, lack that trait. In fact, Beretich said, Duke is the farthest thing from an aggressive dog.

        “He’s a wuss – a wimp,” Beretich said.

        But Jones, who plans to discuss his proposal for a pit bull ban with the City Council this weekend, said owners of the breed don’t take the necessary precautions to protect people from the dogs.

        “They treat pit bulls like any other dogs, but the pit bull dog is different from other dogs,” he said.

        He wants the city to model an ordinance after Rockford, Wash., which bans pit bulls because of their breeding.

        “The breeds have been universally and historically selected and bred for dog fighting,” the Rockford ordinance states. “The breeds are unique among dogs in that they possess characteristics of aggression, strength, gameness, viciousness, unpredictability and savageness.”

        Other cities, such as Denver, Colo., have similar laws.

        Beretich said banning the breed isn’t the solution.

        “Any time you start painting everybody with the same brush, it’s unfair,” he said.

        Jones acknowledged that a full ban might be a tough sell, but said he hopes it will lead to tougher rules for pit bull owners.

        “If you’re going to keep a pit bull in the city, you’ve got to have a covered pen that, not only has a top, but a bottom, so the pit bull can’t get out,” he said.

        In December, an animal shelter in nearby Cumberland County considered halting adoptions on “bully breeds,” including pit bulls, rottweillers and chows.

        There aren’t any pit bull bans currently on the books in North Carolina, but the town of Edenton in Chowan County requires owners to register pit bulls, rottweilers and chows. The law also requires owners to properly contain the animals and post “Beware of Dog” signs.

      2. thank you so much for posting that… I am so glad I got to read it… But this really makes me mad… I have 4 female pitt pitt/mixes in my house and they are all the sweetest dog .. even to strangers coming on my property.

      1. Puppy strangles is a bizarre autoimmune condition that strikes randomly and can be cured with cephalexin and prednisone. Sophie the Christmas Pup had a recurrence (which is not uncommon) after the video was made. She’s recently finished the meds and was deemed ready for spaying. She had an owner who decided to give her up because the landlord said the dog had to go.

      2. Is it something that could have been prevented? Will/could it come back? She sure is beautiful…I hope you keep us updated.

      3. There’s no prevention for puppy strangles, and yes, it can recur. She’s ready to go to a new home soon, but it has to be to someone who is cognizant enough to watch for another recurrence. Thank you for your interest!

      4. Your welcome. I rescue and foster for rescues, so I consider this important information. I’d like to be able to help a dog like her, but I would need to know what it takes do do so. Are the meds expensive? How often did she need to be seen by the vet. (I don’t have a car) Any information would be a big help. Every animal has the right to live a healthy life, Thanks for your help

      5. Dot, she saw the veterinarian once when she was diagnosed. The meds are basic cephalexin and prednisone, and are not expensive at all. Get your vet to write a prescription for you – don’t buy it from the vet b/c the price is inflated. The Publix grocery store chain offers cephalexin for *FREE* in their pharmacy.

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