How have we moved from Great Danes to our favorite people? Just a natural progression I would guess.
And here we have our host....the one and only....Rjuddharrison...Randy!!
The nice thing about being a Great dane -
Love the pic of our dear Randy...but the other two should be burned! Ha Ha. Sure do miss you guys!
Yokwe,
Shari
All of the pics are great. And Shari, you know we aren't gonna burn your pics! LOL
Oh what great memories! Hard to believe it's been a year. They say "Time flies when you are having FUN!". So, I guess that's proof we are all having fun! I agree Shari....love the DG fix! Y'all are the greatest!
Loving seeing the pictures of "smiling eyes" and "handsome hunk" !
I think that is a great description of the first picture on this thread!
You got it!!!
What a beautiful doggie!!! You are so lucky, Bless you
oh my!
I had heard that Great Danes were lap dogs in disguise...
I have Dalmatians that like to snuggle as close as they can but they just cannot compete with that wonderful Dane in the photo.
cheers from NZ
- Dalfyre
Aloha dalfyre, post some pictures of your dalmatians!
My babies aren't going to be with us much longer, they are nine years old - which is vast old age for this breed, and they are getting the stiff back legs and trouble getting up from their beds - I am not sure if the gloucosomine (sp?) is helping or not anymore, but they get it faithfully. Apart from their hind quarters the Vet says that they are in very good condition for dogs their age...we are living on borrowed time now.
Aloha!
I was told by a vet that a supplement containing both glucosamine and chondroitin is best for stiff limbs and articulations: for humans and dogs.
Sylvain.
Aloha Sylvain,
Yep, that's what they get - hard to say if it's working on not because they have been on it for the last two years. Thank goodness for Cosco, we get the liquid type which just gets mixed in with their breakfast and supper and they don't mind the taste - a pill would be left in the dish I am sure. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to pry open a danes mouth to chuck a pill in if they don't want to open up! They are very suspicious of hiding pills in a piece of chicken too, somehow they can eat the chicken and still spit the pill out, so the liquid is great both for them, and for me too!
Aloha.
Apparently, fresh ground ginger is also very good for arthritis. Trust me, with Gail's arthritis, we have tried everything. Hers is so severe that it didn't work. Nothing short of cortisone injections actually has any effect.
I will wish Brave Heart many more years living with you in your paradise environment under your good care.
Take care,
Sylvain, a.k.a. Pu'ole.
I had my old girl Chita on glucosomine & chondroiton but found NZ greenshell mussel extract really helped put a spring back in her step.
Right now it is summer & she is feeling frisky enough to jump up onto the deck & couch in a single bound (most days)
Chita is 14 & her son Copper is 10.
Last year I had him at a show & when the judge asked 'how old' I said '9' she asked 'months?'...
he is a goofy boy!
Well, what a pair of cutie-pies with lovely spots! Thanks for the info on the NZ greenshell mussel extract, I haven't see it here but I am sure going to look as it has made such a difference for Chita.
You must take very good care of Chita and Copper to be able to throw a judge as to Copper's age! They are beautiful!
I think luck in choosing good stock...
Chita's dam made 14 too - & was put down after a 'stroke'.
I suspect she had what Chita has just recovered from, Canine Vestibular Syndrome.
It is seen in older dogs mostly & results in dogs losing balance, they walk in circles, lose appetite, have vertigo, head can tilt to one side.
For all the world looks like a stroke.
Given a few days to a week or so they recover.
But many vets have put down dogs mistaking the symptoms for a stroke - which actually is very rare in dogs.
So if you have an older dog that appears to have had a stroke - don't be too quick to have them PTS as it is far more likely to be Canine Vestibular Syndrome.
There is no treatment proven to help other than TLC & time.
If I hadn't taken Chita to a clued up vet she wouldn't be here today.
Seeing her in such a state I had her all but dead & buried.
A month later & she is back to her normal self.
Old , slow & half blind but happy & still able to frolic with her son & jump up & down from the deck - approx 2ft high.
She stands at about 19 or 20 inches so it is quite a leap for her.
Hi all sorry I hadn't been back to this thread before , I just couldn't .
My Gypsy was pts on Dec 3rd.
I used to foster dogs and had her originally as a rescue/foster she was emaciated, had numerous wounds, lacerations all over her body and feet.She had been beaten around the head so had limited vision on one side. Of all the ones I had fostered and adopted out , Gypsy spoke to me like no other she was my heart dog so I adopted her.Even after all the trauma she had been through she was such a gentle, loving soul.She became ill , deterioration was pretty quick :( and luckily ( in one way ) my next door neighbor is a vet. I called him and he came out from his practice
Gypsy was 10 years old and he diagnosed cancer of the spleen and also internal heamoraghing (sp) , extremely elevated heart rate etc. He did say he could operate and try but chances were very, very slim. I said no , I am not going to put her through that, ( surgery, being away from home etc ) she has been through enough.
This last year I went away for two weeks and she wouldn't eat etc.
So I held her and she slipped gently away.
RIP Gypsy.
The picture , not very good is on the day I received her
This message was edited Dec 25, 2008 12:08 AM
Oh fleurone, I am so terribly sorry - it's one of the most heartbreaking things to lose a pet. Bless you for allowing her to go gently...
love and hugs,
Jenn
So sorry to hear of your loss. There is no way to protect ourselves from the pain of loss. Bless you for letting Gypsy go gently.
love, katie
I am sooo sorry. Had our precious Hannah put down in August. Multiple problems. 16 years old and lived a very pampered life. Fully understand your grief.
So sorry to hear about your Gypsy. I know the feeling. We lost our Chow, Chelsea, 14 yrs old a few years ago. I think I cried for a solid weekend! I thought I'd never have another pet until we got our cats Dusty, and Rusty. Now they are almost as spoiled as our dogs were!
It is soooo hard to lose a pet! We will keep you in our prayers!
Jeanne
Just happened across this thread while "lurking". Love all the pups! Canines are such wonderful creatures! My DH and I hope to someday have another dog in the family but for now it's just 3 older cats (down from 5 last year.)
I don't know anything about the Great Danes but seeing Braveheartsmom's first photo of her Dane sitting on the sofa ... I just had to post this photo of my sister and BIL's dog. They have 3 large dogs in the family, one being a 3 year old English Mastiff that is on a special diet to gain weight ... he's @ 215 lbs now and the Vet said he was underweight. When he wants to sit down he just walks over to the sofa or chair, backs up and sits. In this picture my sister was sitting there reading the paper and he just sat on her. She had to push him to the side and she scooted over to the corner. He is way too heavy to be a lap dog!
This is Big Bubba, a Gentle Giant:
He is so cute!!
Fleur: So sorry for the loss of your dear "Gypsy". I know how hard it is to lose a loving member of the family. My Mom used to call our backyard our pet cemetery as we have 3 dogs and 6 or 7 cats, as well as a bird buried out there. It's so hard to make the decision to have a loving pet euthanized but you did the right thing for your Gypsy. I have known some who just can't let go and they don't realize their pets are suffering. I think it's always right to do what's best for our pets, rather than us. We want them to hang on as long as possible but sometimes that isn't the best thing for them and it is the humane thing to let them go.
You truly are an inspiration ... there is a special place in Heaven for those who rescue neglected and abused animals. I am one who truly believes we will see our loved ones again some day ... humans and pets alike. This is for you and everyone who is grieving the loss of a dear pet: http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html
edited to say: turn up your volume and get out the hankies. Makes me cry every time I see it, but happy tears!
This message was edited Dec 29, 2008 10:12 PM
Pepper: He is cute but HUGE! My sister and her husband have 3 large dogs. Bubba is the largest but they also have a yellow lab that weighs 105 and a black lab/chow mix that is right at 100 lbs (but she is overweight and on a diet to lose a few pounds!) They are very friendly dogs but have NOT been trained! My BIL jokes that "Zach" the yellow lab, flunked out of puppy kindergarten!
We have always been fond of large breed dogs in my family. My DH and I had an Alaskan Malamute and a mixed breed (Lab/German Shepherd) in the past .... but we could never have any dog, large or small that is not trained! The older I get the scarier it gets going to my sisters house with those big dogs. Their dogs are very friendly, but like to jump up on you to try and get attention. Before my Mom passed away she was very frail, and we were so worried that she would get knocked down by one of the dogs and end up with a broken bone. Luckily that never happened but those dogs are like a bunch of three year olds, vying for attention and trying to push each other out of the way to get all the attention.
My dear friends who read this, if you intend to click on the above link, make sure your hankies are at hand. I just clicked and watched without hankies. I am now wearing a white T-shirt with wet sleeves. You have now been warned twice.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
Love the picture of Big Bubba, he IS a big boy!
It is a wonderful website for all who have lost a dearly loved pet. Whenever we have to have a pet euthanized our Vet sends us a sympathy card for that particular pet, along with a laminated card with the Rainbow Bridge Poem. We've lost many an old guy/gal over the years. We had one cat that almost made it to the ripe old age of 24! We had to have her euthanized 2 months shy of her 24th birthday.
Didn't mean to make anyone sad with posting the link. The first time I saw it, I was very sad but now I find it a joy to click on that link every once in awhile. Reinforces my belief that there is a place in heaven for all of God's creatures!
Remembering those special companions that are no more is a good kind of sadness.
Thanks.
Sylvain.
Thank you everyone I miss my girl but I know one day another needy one will come along.
bump
Bump... Bumb... Bumbe... Is that like Inspector Clouseau in the original Pink Panther movie: "There iz ae bumbe in ze rumm"?
My other favorite line from that movie is: "Duz yur dogue baate?". And of course, he gets bitten. Seen it a thousand times, it's always funny.
How are you today, princess?
Big kisses and take care.
Pu'ole.
Better.
I'm glad to hear it.
These things take time. We're all pulling for you.
Alhoa.
Pu'ole.
I miss having Danes. I bred them for years....German/Italian bloodlines but the short lifespan was heartbreaking so I converted to American Bulldogs.
Jen, how is Braveheart and Sandy?
Christi
Aloha,
What beautiful animals ToucanOasis, and you are so right about their heartbreakingly short life span.
Both mine animals are very elderly now (being 9 1/2 years old), and both have back problems which cause them to drag their back feet sometimes. Luckily we have found a vet that comes to the house when needed as it would be almost impossible to load the dogs into the car anymore. We are fast looking at the inevitable although the vet says that given their age they are in good shape.
I have never in my whole life been without a dog (or three!) but I will not be getting more pups when my clowns go - but if I did, it would be Danes again ! If any of you know the cartoon "Marmaduke" - that is just what a Dane is like!
Special hug for you Christi ^_^
Aloha!
Oh, BHM and everyone who reads this thread, may your babies live a long, healthy and happy life and may they be with you for a good long time to come, before being recalled to that great dog park in the sky.
And when the inevitable comes, may you find solace in the fact that their life was good, they never lacked for anything and you cared deeply about them. I have lost pets before. It is very hard on those who stay behind. Gail and I are the kind that mope around for 3 days when we lose one of our tropical fish (a rare occurence).
Our ball phython is reputed to have a life span of 30 years. She is just about 1 year old now. So I guess she'll outlive us. Who will take care of her then? Let's live in the moment. The rest will follow soon enough.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
I needed to be reminded, Sylvain. Live in the moment.
Christi
Yes, live in the moment and for the moment. You cannot alter the past and you have precious little control over the future. Live each and every waking moment to the fullest because tomorrow will come but we may not be part of it.
Five years ago, I was forced to look inwards into a deep, dark, hidden corner of myself. It's a place you will only enter kicking and screaming and only when you are forced into it. It doesn't kill you but you inevitably come back a changed person. I remember the day I went there like it was yesterday, like it was a physical place, like a place I visited in my cruises. I returned a changed man. Every day, I thank Him above for that experience. It was like being reborn. It saved me.
My conclusion: live fully and regret nothing. Je ne regrette rien. I regret nothing. Here's a link Mme Edith Piaf singing what has become an anthem for me. I offer you 2 minutes 24 seconds of pure pleasure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5gpBncR8zI
I love you all, my friends. Keep well.
Sylvain.