Please READ

One thing I would like to try in the Dog Forum is a sort of "welcome center" for those of you who have just joined, those who have been a long-time member, who are checking it out or who are just thinking about joining.  Please feel free and encouraged to respond to this post and introduce yourself - your name or nickname, your dog's name or nickname, what made you choose the Dog Forum, what you are hoping to learn or share with others, etc.  Just a few sentences.  Don't worry - I don't bite, just wag my tail and beg for treats.

For you long-term Dog Forum folks, please introduce yourselves and welcome a "newcomer".  Make them feel right at home.

Also, please ask any questions or concerns that you might have about the Dog Forum.

lonewolf

[txsilver]

Hi.  I am Sandi and I am owned by a 14 yr old Spitz-Sheltie mix named Max.  Max has been diabetic for 2 years and is doing exceptionally well.  I have been around dogs all of my life and cherish them as family members.  My husband and I do a lot of pet sitting, too.  I joined the forum to help where I can and learn along the way.

[lonewolf07]

Nice to "meet"you.  Dogs are family members for sure.  I'm new to this CL thing but am hoping to learn, share and communicate with folks who love their dogs.

Seems like Max has a caring human to look after him.  Diabetic dogs don't just need their meds, they need affection too.



lonewolf  and dogs

[April2]

Hi I'm April! I have a 12 year old Maltese mix named Willow. We got him from the Humane Society about 7 years ago. 2 years ago he was diagnosed with Cushings Disease. He's been doing great though! He's showing normal aging signs like diminished eye sight, a little hard of hearing, stiff, arthritic legs at times and he's a little heavy. No matter how much I feed him the diet dog food, he still manages to sneak into the cat food or my son or daycare kids drop food to him! He's a pretty good dog. He's a mama's boy. :)
I came here to learn more about Cushings and other topics, like best dog food, best way to train, aging dogs,etc. I think it's a great sight! I love dogs and cats and have both, so I like to go on both forums and see what's there for the day! I've learned so much. Keep up the good work! It's a great forum! :)

[lonewolf07]

Hi

Glad to "meet" you and your dogs.

Don't know much about Cushings Disease but will try to find out more but you probably know more than I do.  This forum can be a learning experience for all of us.  Hope we can address all kinds of dog issues - from humorous stories to grief.

Hope to read your posts soon or you can PM me if you want.

lonewolf

[laminas]

Hi, my name is Kathy and i'm in Australia. I'm not sure where most people on this forum are based. I have a beautiful little alaskan malamute puppy called Loki. He is only 7 weeks. I have grown up around dogs all my life and have missed not having one since I moved out of the family home about 7 years ago.  I joined the forum because ever since I decided to get myself a dog all I have been doing is researching on the net about preparing for a puppy, what to feed them, training tips and health topics.  I hope I don't drive you all insane with constant questions.

[lonewolf07]

Hi

I've been around dogs since I was a child (back in pre-historic times).

Never had a malamute but have had generations of Siberian huskies.  You won't drive me crazy; there is always someone out here who can answer your questions.

Glad you are part of the Dog Forum  = )

lonewolf and Miss Puff, the husky, who is waving her paws at young Loki

[Missy216]

Hi,
I'm Missy and I have a very sweet little Westie named Abby.  She has been diagnosed with Cushings Disease and I was trying to find others that have also been dealing with this problem.  I am grateful for the nice people who have already responed to my first post.  Thank You.

[lonewolf07]

Hi

Glad to "meet" you and am glad you are in the Dog Forum.

I saw your posting about your Westie but I don't know much about Cushings Disease.  I hope both you and Abby are doing well.

lonewolf

[browneyedmama]

hi there!!  my name is cheryce and i have a 5 year old shih tzu named Zoe and a 6 month old english bulldog named Diva. i absolutely love my dogs to death and considering them my children. i have a  4 year old daughter named Taryn and am expecting another baby in September.... so things are pretty hectic around the house right now!!  
i joined this forum mostly to get a little more feedback about my bulldog. i dont know much about them. i know that she is VERY hard to train.. and seems "dumb" at times, but she is still a puppy and i know that i have to give it time. any input at all would be appreciated, and i look forward to many discussions in this forum!!!

[gemtwinks]

Hi all, I'm Sheryl. I currently have three dogs. Patsy (aka Princess) a 10 yr old black & tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Riley a 6yr old black and tan male CKCS with obsessive compulsive disorder, and Brody a 2yr old cavalier poodle accident. Quite a diverse little group with the princess believing that those two boys are interlopers in her home and she's waiting for them to go away. ; 0

[browneyedmama]

one of your dogs has obsessive compulsive disorder??  i really didnt even know that was possible. what kinds of things does he do??  that is very interesting!!

[lonewolf07]

Hi

Browneyedmama and gemtwinks - glad to have you in the Dog Community.  A dog with OCD - that should be interesting.  And Browneyedmama - how wonderful that you are having another baby.  I have four kids and four dogs and three cats.   Gemtwinks  - love that name - a cavalier poodle accident LOL  Never heard that before.

Hope we can all learn something in this Community and even have a  few laughs along the way  = )

lonewolf

[browneyedmama]

thank you!!

[gemtwinks]

Congrats on the baby, you will have a very interesting and busy household.  My little guy with OCD has chased his tail for two hours straight (ended up at the emergency clinic with that one, I thought it might be seizures) and now licks at the air all the time. Really, all the time!! He's the sweetest most loveable dog I've ever owned, but he's not quite right. The cavapoo looks nothing like a cavalier, just a slightly scruffy poodle. I have a 19 yr old son as well, but the pups are my babies.

And lonewolf07, thanks for the welcome. I just happened on this little community while researching a rare human disease (me). It's great to have resources like this available. I can't wait to find out if anybody else has a dog with OCD.

[aggieone]

Hi Again!!!

I am Aggie, I joined Med Help when my Sandy Grace (beautiful yellow lab) was so sick with kidney failure, I was desperate trying to find more help for her.  We lost her on February 5, 2008.  I stayed with this site because of the support and wonderful friends I met here.  We still miss her so much and still cry for her almost every day.  When does the pain stop????

I still have Charleston Hershey who is a chocolate lab.  He is beautiful and such a loyal baby.  He is your typical chocolate and is full of himself.  He keeps us hopping and still thinks he's a lap puppy.  Strongly considering adopting another beautiful yellow lab.  She is undergoing heartworm treatment with her foster mom right now.  We are  spending as much time with Charleston as possible.  We have him spoiled, he thinks he should ride with us every where we go.  Our babies are like our children (child now) and we are dedicated to them and lab rescue.

This is a wonderful site and we learn so much from it, and  I have made such wonderful friends here, keep up the great work.  Linda   (Aggieone/Aggie)

[lonewolf07]

It's never easy to lose a pet.  My Siberian husky passed on five years ago and I still miss him.  Sometimes I even think I can see him or feel him walking in circles on my bed to find a good place to sleep.  The pain does ease up with time but you loved your dog and she will always be with you in spirit.  You gave her a good life and have no doubt that she felt loved and wanted.

You will know when it's time to get another dog.  It sounds like you might have a connection with this yellow lab.

I had to laugh when you wrote that Charleston is "full of himself".  That's how my husky, Bifff - the one who passed on was.  Does Charleston like having his picture taken and want be part of everything you do?  Being "full of himself" is a good thing  IMHO for a dog.

Yes, our dogs are family.  You sound like a wonderful dog owner.  If you do adopt that yellow lab, I have no doubt that you will make her life a happy one.

Please continue to post if it helps your grieving process.  We are all "dog people" here and will be as caring and supportive as possible.

lonewolf and dogs

[AAlexander]

I have a 6 year old Rottweiler named Carley. I adopted her last Christmas from the Humane Society. Her front teeth are worn down to the gum line and we've had a couple challenges due to her being out on the street for quite some time, but she is turning out to be a wonderful family member.

[lonewolf07]

We're glad to have you and your rottie as part of the Dog Community  = )

It looks like Carley has found a good home and is going to be a new family member.  It's also good to hear about "older dogs" finding a good home.

Please post anytime you want.

lonewolf

[chihuahuagrandma]

Hello to all!! My dog community name is Grandmachihuhua, for I have 5 Chi's, 1 ferret, 1 parrot, 1 fat cat, 1 fish, and everything that stubbles into my life in need of a drink and food and looking for a loving family....(rescues)
I have a huge infinitive heart for all animals, including the skunks that walk the roads that leave the beautiful scent in the air for us to know, "We here too", LOL
I beleive everyone has their place, and how fornunate that the pets I got to have are mine and I cherish their lives and try to give them in return for their unconditonal love a good home...
I love this forum, I stubbled into the forum on accident researching a diagnosis a vet gave me during a very intense live or die situation w/my pet dog, during the course I am still in mourning over a pet I lost prior...after coming on board here, I realize I am not alone in the world w/dogs...And, the communication is rewarding, the advice is greatly received and appreciate, the suggestions are wonderful, the support during a crisis of illness or death is full of typed via email hugs.....This forum has saved me in a time of need...and very thankful for this forum...and enjoy the people from around the world I meet....
My Family: NoonneeMale (past away) recently, BooBoo/Male, Prissy/Female, MooMoo/Female(Cushings), Noonnee II *nickname NooNoo*/Male, Pappy/Male*nickname Happy Pappy.....all the dogs..
Ferret/Female Booger.....Parrot/Male  Tatoo is his name, Resucue 20lbs no claws front or back, someone took out, named Rescue, Goldfish to which I am babysitting called Fish, these are just the animals in the house.....LOL
Welcome to all that come onboard, and thank you to all for sharing....
I live in the Dallas, Texas area and it hot and dry here....:o)

[have 2 kids]

Hi.   We have a 2 yr old golden retriever.  Her name is Lizzie.   We are working hard at
getting her allergies under control.   About a month ago we switched foods and that has made a huge difference.     We've had many pets over the years and we miss them all.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

hi my name is Barbara i have a 10 week baby girl shihtzu, i had a 17 year old baby boy kizmoe lost him this year to cushings, he was my baby and it has broken my heart,so i got a little girl this time and her name is tizzy, shes rotton and am asking questions all the time trying to keep her allergy free.   potty training not so fun anyone want to potty train her than i get her back?

[AHP84]

Hi, I'm AJ and I have two dogs. There's Blackie and my best description of her would be a side-of-the-road-Alabama-purebred-mutt! She's mixed with, to the best of my knowledge, black lab, chow, and corgi--the head of a lab and black hair (obviously), the hair, tail, and tongue of a chow, and the shortness and stumpiness of a corgi. Yeah, she's an interesting little lady, but soooo sweet! And yes, I picked her up off the side of a rural AL road after watching her get hit by a semi truck. She should've died, but miraculously recovered in two days, and the only thing I can contribute that to is the prayers from two ladies in the parking lot of my ob-gyn doctor clinic, as I went there for my pregnancy checkup and they saw her in the back of my car, practically dead (I was going to take her home to die peacefully and bury her). So there's Miss Blackie's story. I've had her for 3½ years.
Then there's Eric. Oh, my sweet, sweet little Eric. He's a border collie, two years old, and I got him as a free-to-good-home wee little pup, maybe 8 or 9 weeks old in Aug 2006. The couple giving him away thought he was blind, which thankfully he wasn't. As he grew up though, I noticed he "wasn't right" by the time he was a year old. He didn't jump and he was very weak. Last summer, a vet diagnosed him with mild hip dysplasia. By Jan 2008 (about 6 months later), I sought a second opinion from a more trusted vet, who told me Eric had neurological problem, not hip dysplasia. From there, I took him to a specialist to get a CT scan on his brain with financial help from my mom, who's the greatest ever! Eric was then diagnosed with cerebellar atrophy and given very little hope for the next few months. I've posted a couple journals about Eric and his condition for more information.
Well, I'm certain June 2008 is going to be my dear Eric's last month of life. I'm believing for a miracle, as happened with Blackie, but I'll accept anything that God wills to happen, because I know there will be peace no matter how it turns out. It's still heartbreaking to deal with, though. So heartbreaking.

[lonewolf07]

Hi

I'm really glad you came to the Dog Forum  = )

Chi - Haven't I seen you somewhere before  LOL  How's "the baby"?
We had a husky named MooMoo (he looked like a cow)

Have 2 kids - Lizzie has allergies; humans can be allergic to things so why not dogs?
How do you figure out what she's allergic to?  Do you have to give her meds?

heartfluttersflyawayplz - I think I remember you mentioning Tizzy.  We have a three year old neutered male who thinks he's a supermodel and dressed up as Snow White last Halloween.  Shih tzus are pretty intelligent dogs, even with potty training.  Ours learned from his "big sisters".  Are you crate training her?

AJH84 - Blackie was so fortunate to have you find her.  IMHO a dog who knows he/she is loved and wanted fights harder to survive.  The prayers didn't hurt either nor the fact that you were having a baby.  It's "unscientific" but dogs sense so much more than people and Blackie must have sensed the good, caring, nurturing part of you.

You never know - Eric might surprise you.  We've had dogs who should have been dead last at least two years.  If he does pass on, you can feel free to come to the Dog Forum.  Most of us here have lost a "fur baby".  It sounds like Eric's difficult life has been made easier by having caring people around him - you and your family.  Whatever happens to him, he knows - he just knows - how you all feel about him.

Hugs, tail wags, drool and milkbone to all the "new" dogs and "dogparents".

lonewolf and dogs

[crabby70]

Hey crabby here....you know I have alot....so here it goes a boxer named Sara, boston terrior Frankie he has blue eyes and two pugs Daisy and Rosco three cats Molasses,Boots,Tigger a tortoise named Nell and red earred sliders and some fish....Think thats it

[lonewolf07]

Hi

Lots of pets and they all get along.  How did you come up with the name "Molasses" for your cat?  One of our cats is named Pond Scum and I thought that was a rather strange name for a cat - but he's 23 yrs old now and why am I talking about cats in the Dog Community ....

Glad to see you here  =  )

wolf

[Bobbe]

Hi Aggie and everybody else!  I just joined medHelp today because I am so full of pain
I don't know what to do anymore, but talk to other people who have experienced similar
grief.  On June 1, 2008, I had to put my precious dog, Becca, down because she had
endstage renal disease and was seizuring for nearly 2 hours.  She had brain damage from a temp of 44C and my heart was broken and still is.  She was 13-1/2 years old
and we lived together in a little house.  I am divorced and have never remarried (no desire
to), but now my little house is so empty and full of so much pain.  I was forced to make
the decision to put her to sleep, because the vet said she would not recover, except
maybe to lie around the house in her own feces and urine.  I couldn't do that to my once
proud girl,  but will I ever be sure I did the right thing?

Bobbe

[chihuahuagrandma]

You are a wonderful pet owner....Becca was truly loved by you, its take a very strong and loving owner to help give peace to a little friend....yes...very hard decision, very painful,,,,and will stay painful for a very long time....memories of good and the end...
I admire a human who has companssion like yourself....
You now have a bright and shining star in the sky named Becca and an angel to be with you daily....and maybe one day if you may,,,,there will be another little friend who is in need of your love and affection....
I loss last summer, did not want another pet, cried out loud, when no one around , would screamed to the God and ask why???? Very painful to loose our little friends....
My husband brought pup home,,,,not wanting the pup....someone had to take care of it, I am not cruel....the little pup was the best and easiest and happiest little dog I have ever seen....he needed my attention when I wanted to mourn and stay in my sad times...but,,,quess what??? The attention of pup who needed me in the NOW!! He save me from either depression or literally I wonder to this day,,,,would I have taken my life, for the dog I lost, saved me from bad events in the past,,,,gave me will to live when needed most, and was my dearest friend for the longest...
I named my pup "Happy Pappy", this dog saved me again, and he must of known my pain....I am now a surivior of a deceased pet....so, maybe one day, you too, will give your love again to another pet....who needs you now...
Welcome to the site, glad to have you onboard, wonderful people here, and stay w/us, keep posting...hugs to ya...

[ginger899]

I know this thread has been around some time, but I didn't see it before, and just found it tonight.

I like this thread, enjoyed reading it, and it'd be nice to keep it going. There must be lots of new community people out there who would like to introduce themselves...?

Well, here's me anyway -lots of you know me already...(?)  My dog Misty was a rescue Street-dog, with the woods in her soul. I let her run free in the fields and woodlands, to find the little wolf inside her. She is a sweet-natured mixed breed, golden-red dog with a lovely temperament, incredibly obedient and a beautiful friend to me.

I'll always do what I can to help if anyone has questions and needs help. I am always aware that at the other end of the words on my screen there is a dog who doesn't feel so well, perhaps, and owner(s) who are worried. I don't always know the answers, but will do what I can. Even if you're half a World away!  

[Jessi18]

My name is Jessica, but i go by Jessi.  I have a few different dogs,  but my two babies are Oreo and Max, oreo is a jack russle terrier, and max is a boston terrier, blind in one eye, whom we rescued.

[ginger899]

Hi Jessi! I looked at your picture, the one with you and your dog. What a lovely dog! Welcome to the Dogs Community.

[Jessi18]

thank you for the welcome