Pet Appreciation Thread.

[wretched34]

Originally Posted by RichKlit

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but does anyone have any recommendations for a small/medium breed of dog that will do well with a smallish yard(I live in a townhouse) but will be walked/run for about an hour everyday? I would like a dog that likes to run, I run 5-6 miles everyday, and does well in our climate( fairly warm in the summer and cold in the winter.

Do any breeds jump out to anyone that fit that description? Looking for breeds around 30-50lbs max.

See if you can find yourself a Staffordshire Bull terrier. Being a bully breed, they are completely happy lounging around and being lazy, but are also incredibly athletic, and more than capable of keeping up with you on your runs. A purebred should be anywhere from 25-40lbs full grown depending on sex. They're a short haired smooth coat, so easy to maintain from a grooming standpoint. As far as climate goes, bring water in the heat, and throw a coat on it in the winter.

[RichKlit]

Are they aggressive im not familiar with the breed?

[wretched34]

Originally Posted by RichKlit

Are they aggressive im not familiar with the breed?

This is a great question, and I applaud you for asking and admitting you're not familiar with the breed.

This is the first step in making sure you don't end up with an aggressive dog.
If you are an inexperienced owner, and not willing to go through an accredited training program with a pup, this probably isn't the breed for you.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers are not prone to people aggression. They are actually a great family dog, but as such, can be protective of their people, which can lead to animal aggression. This isn't any different than most breeds though.
Proper training and socialization starting at a young age will go a long way in preventing any sort of animal aggression in any breed.

Here's some links to info that you may find helpful:
https://www.blackmores.com.au/pet-he...ds-for-running
https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/staff...rrier#/slide/1

[RichKlit]

Very much appreciated!

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by RichKlit

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but does anyone have any recommendations for a small/medium breed of dog that will do well with a smallish yard(I live in a townhouse) but will be walked/run for about an hour everyday? I would like a dog that likes to run, I run 5-6 miles everyday, and does well in our climate( fairly warm in the summer and cold in the winter.

Do any breeds jump out to anyone that fit that description? Looking for breeds around 30-50lbs max.

Border collie might fit the bill. Our boy likes to run, usually 5-10 km in the morning and then a walk in the evening. Hes about 40 pounds. As long as you work their brain and give them socialization they are not as crazy as people say

[RichKlit]

Appreciate that. They are a beautiful dog.

[Johnny Makarov]

South Centre suspended their dog intake. Too many dogs i guess.

[Inferno]

I didn't think that this thread was over a year long being inactive but I felt since I honored my last cat in 2018 that I should do the same for my other cat who he was adopted with.

I said goodbye to my 21 year old cat Bailey early this morning. It always sucks to lose a pet but I would rather it be because his kidneys shutdown due to old age rather than something like cancer which is what my sister had to go through with her 12 year old cat who should have had atleast another 5 years left. I'm still devastated since I've had him for almost half my life but I don't feel cheated. Unfortunately they can't live forever and I'm just glad he didn't suffer another seizure like he did in December when we were told because of his weight and age he didn't have much time left. This time last year we were told he was 'the healthiest 20 year old cat they've ever seen' so that just shows you how quick things can change.

Rest in peace buddy and say hi to Beacon for me.

[Senator Clay Davis]

What a great boy.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1404894298785603591

https://twitter.com/user/status/1404894303994929153

https://twitter.com/user/status/1404894305450442756

[Erick Estrada]

That's an awesome story.

[btimbit]

Wonder if anyone in here had run into a cracked nail on a dog before.

Should I just wait for it to fall off, or cut it off and get ready for blood? Doesn't seem to be hurting him but he does lick at it quite a but

Spoiler!

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Wonder if anyone in here had run into a cracked nail on a dog before.

Should I just wait for it to fall off, or cut it off and get ready for blood? Doesn't seem to be hurting him but he does lick at it quite a but

Spoiler!

Had my guy lose a claw today. Was a ton of blood everywhere with a lot of whimpering and whining. Ended up heading to the vet. He is very unhappy right now.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Had my guy lose a claw today. Was a ton of blood everywhere with a lot of whimpering and whining. Ended up heading to the vet. He is very unhappy right now.

Was it a dew claw?
My dog has those and they bleed like crazy if they rip on something.

[RichieRich]

New to cat ownership (but was brought up with several so am quite comfortable with them) having a new little dude around - he's 15months, neutered, chipped, shots, rabies, and healthy and friendly/good natured. Looking for decent Vet in NW Calgary preferably somewhere around Crowfoot/Arbor Lake/Sage Hill/Nolan Hill/RockyRidge/Royal Oak areas. Rabies expires end of year. Looking for Vet recommendations, plus what else to look out for. Thx

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Was it a dew claw?
My dog has those and they bleed like crazy if they rip on something.

I’m unfamiliar with the wording. But if I had to say it was his “pointer finger” equivalent haha. Bled like crazy. Seems to be coming around now.

[Sr. Mints]

Right before Christmas I bought a puppy. Total whim, I went with some friends when they were buying theirs (after encouraging them to adopt, no less) and I have no willpower so bought one when he looked at me with puppy dog eyes. I had been looking to adopt a young-ish small flat-faced dog since my pug died early last year with no luck at all.

Last week my little guy was going down two steps and he screams before hitting the ground, and continued to scream every time he moved. It was late so I called the vet, they said bring him in the morning and it ended up being a broken elbow. I feel a bit guilty about not going to an animal ER, but my vet said they would have just done X-rays and left him there overnight anyway. As long as I could make him comfortable and calm at home.

Freak accident, and the break happened in such a way that it affected his growth plate. I watched it happen, and it's hard to say what he did - but the vets think he hanged his arm on the nose of the step. A surgeon had to be called in (he flies his own helicopter from vet to vet to vet) and he was unsure if he could even do the operation, but he was able to and said he was happy with it.

Had he not been able to do it, it would have meant amputation. And because the rotund little football-like stature of his breed, and being his front leg, it would not have worked out for him and probably meant being put down.

So I opted for the surgery, it was a no-brainer because he's part of the family now, and I wanted to give him a chance. A screw and a plate in his front arm, three day overnight at the vet. He has to stay in a cage a few inches bigger than him for 3-4 weeks, except when going pee and then I have to hold him with a belly band. I could also carry him around, but he squirms like mad.

Fast forward a week, and he rarely stops barking. Not from pain, but I suspect boredom. He only stops when I get down on the ground, open the cage door and play with him, trying to mix up which toy we play with, what we play. Snack games, he goes through about 1/4 cantaloupe, 1/2 cucumber, and 2 carrots every day. He's a four month old puppy, and just wants to do puppy things.

The vet gave me some tranquillizers that are supposed to work 12 hours at a time, but they calm him down for only 3-4 hours.

I keep wondering if it's cruel putting him through this, but as my vet & surgeon say, he has a 90% recovery chance and this is only a small sliver of his life. But my god, when I have to close that cage door again and his crying/screaming starts up it kills me each time.

Anyway...... more of a diary entry here than anything. Here's my good boy, Henri. Gets his stitches out on March 4, they'll do some more x-rays then to see how he's coming along.

[Nyah]

Omg that face.

[Sr. Mints]

He's certainly got the looks

[bagofpucks]

Oh man, we went through something similar and it was tough. Sending positive healing vibes to your pup! Our dog had back surgery and needed to let it heal for a number of months. We were lucky in that he was quite lazy and happy to hang out in his bed, but then he’d get a case of the zoomies and we’d have to try and settle him down. The surgery was successful and our dog lived another 9 years of fairly normal life; he had to go back on medication a few times, but nothing serious.

Looking back, it was definitely worth it, but yah, those months in recovery were brutal.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Enjoyed some sun in my parents yard this morning.
After the wild celebrations of yesterday's OT winner, Coco is chillin today.

Spoiler!

Spoiler!