Elderly dog with bronchitis - Tweed OAP Health

@CaroleC - which is why whatever "beauty" products I buy - and they are really only face cleansers, pure moisturisers [necessary for this old woman!] shampoo and conditioner- even toothpaste [I do not wear face [paint] and all of both Pereg's and my supplements and vitamins and many other things that I want, I buy from the US as each one is guaranteed to have not been tested on animals and are all "nasties" free.

I hate the thought that beautiful Beagles are still used for testing. But I do trust the site from where I buy things when they state that the products have not been tested on animals and that they are "nastie" free. Parabens and all that junk.

I have to be ultra careful for my beloved Pereg. Also for me because of my not-so-good health. But unless is was a life or death situation, I would not permit anything for either Pereg or for myself.

I am fully aware of the fact that many medications were, and still are, tested on inocent animals, but some of the things that Beagles have, and are still are, being forced to do is so very very wrong.

If it is for life-saving medication I might, repeat might, be able to accept it.

But shoving cigarettes in the mouths of close-caged Beagles? Squirting shampoo and heck knows what in their eyes?

Please do not just call me "kind". I am a dog lover. An animal lover [although I hate mosquitoes and snakes] and although I do accept that some new drugs need to be tested before they are [I am forgetting my English, sorry........] being proven to work, testing medications on mice or rats is one thing, but sticking cigarettes in the mouths of tightly caged Beagles, squirting stuff in their eyes...

I try to be careful about how products I use have been tested. When I am deciding on a new product I first check the internet which will usually give me a corporate phone number. Once I see what they are claiming I check out what other people are saying. The phone call is almost always necessary and I get switched to different people within the company many times. Of course you have to keep in mind that if a company is not testing on animals they would probably be bragging about it and many say they don't know but persistence often pays off. My feeling is that there is not one thing I use or one medication I take that an animal should be made uncomfortable or die for. I don't care for rats and I have a completely unreasonable phobia of frogs but I still don't want them hurt. I also fail to see how they can justify it. There is little we have in common other than we are both mammals. Yes, we all have two eyes but their composition is very different. One heart, one liver, two lungs. But all very different. As usual...if I don't understand it I want nothing to do with it. I've seen some of the anti-animal testing sites but I leave as soon as I start to get tears in my eyes, so I'm not there very long.

@CaroleC It sounds like Eddie has been trained as a service dog like Pearl who is my service dog. I trained her to detect when my blood sugar is getting low (I'm hypoglycemic not diabetic) and to signal me when it is and then to bring me a small package of glucose tablets that has been left where she can reach it. Quite a feat for a formerly abused and neglected 3 pound Chihuahua who was not expected to ever be an emotionally or physically sound dog.

That is fab! What a clever little girl. You really must post a photo of Pearl. You'll also have to compare notes with Tina, whose JRT K9 is her service dog, and special boy.
Ed is also a rescue, at first we did Working Trials and Obedience, but when I had big ops for two cancers in 12 months, then chemo and RT, he started carrying things, and picking things up when I dropped them. He just seems to enjoy trying to help. I've built on this, rewarding him for showing willing, and then for succeeding.
He got his CDEx and was just starting to do really well in his tracking stakes when he started with Ulcerative Colitis, which has not proved responsive to treatment. As KC Trials require a 4 ft Scale and 6 ft Long jumps (for his 15 inch height), I decided to retire him, and now we just do Obedience and a little Heelwork to Music.

Even though I follow the directions exactly I always have problems getting my pic's to show. Someone, usually Malka I think, goes there and fixes it for me. I appreciate the help but I hate that I always need it. Pearl is another of those wonder dog stories. Abused, beat, neglected, covered in cigarette burns and weighing under 2 pounds. It took a lot of time and energy on her part and mine but today she thrives and she is the smart and beautiful little dog she was meant to be. I saved her....now she saves me. Life is a trade-off.

@manydogz - Debra yes I am still up - I will "fix" and re-post photographs as it is easy to open a link, see the photograph, copy the link to it and post it, but it is so easy if you do what I do and use http://tinypic.com/

Have a look at at it and as long as the photograph you want to post is on your computer, just following what TinyPic says will give you a link - and you just have to copy the URL link and post it either on Breedia or Dogsey and both will show the photograph when "Post Reply" is hit.

I have been to tinypic and posted following their instructions. I am probably missing something. I will try again tomorrow with a photo of Pearl.

Debra - I think Dogsey and Breedia are different regarding posting photographs. On Dogsey, once you have the TinyPic link you just have to post the URL code straight into your message.

Here on Breedia I think you have to go through the Image site? Hang on, let me check...



Nope - just pulled that out of my downloaded files [I save all sorts of things there!] and posted the IMG code directly here. So it is the same on Breedia as it is on Dogsey if you use TinyPic.

Well.......If it shows up in the post before this one.......that's Pearl..all 3.5 pounds of her!!

She's gorgeous - love her markings.

Eeek - Debra, Pearl is exquisite!

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Thank You! It's amazing to me that she was able to become a "normal" dog after all the neglect, abuse and plain old meanness she suffered during her first year of life. Her story could have been a tragedy had it not been for a woman who was brave enough to take her from the owners yard in broad daylight and get her to my friend who had a store in the same tiny town where I used to live. I then got THE CALL and the rest is history.

Pearl is such a sweetie. You must be very proud of her achievements.

I am quite proud of her. She went from being a confused and paranoid lump to a wonderful and secure service dog.

I am in with Pearl