Sunday

Watch this space

Lenno has decided that this blog needs a make over with plenty of new and exciting content. Here he is helping me get started. Stay tuned for a some exciting changes...

Wednesday

An amazing video I just had to share!

Take a look at this video. It is amazing!

I alway encourage pet owners to monitor their pets around their children carefully but this cat is obviously a baby whisperer!

Sunday

Remembering Zoe


A couple of weeks ago I had to euthanise my dear little dog Zoe.  She was fifteen and was suffering from kidney failure.  Zoe came in to my life nearly ten years ago. Back then she was a middle aged rescue dog and was always very loyal and very loving. I miss her little face and wagging tail terribly.


Euthanising my own dog was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do but I was grateful that I was able to comfort her and be with her until the end.

Deciding on the right time to euthanise a pet is always difficult but I always say to my clients, and said to myself when I was faced with the daunting decision, "a week too early is better than an hour too late." Knowing that Zoe is no longer suffering is the greatest gift I could have given her.  Next weekend I will bury her ashes in her favourite sunny spot at our farm.


Wednesday

Lenno's weekend away

Lenno recently had a little doggie break. He stayed at The Pets Hotel in Port Melbourne. He has been there a few times now and when we arrived last week he jumped out of the car through the air and dragged me in the door. The friendly girls at the front desk loved Lenno's enthusiasm for the place so much that they instantly upgraded him to a large suite with two other canine friends. Lenno was in heaven!
Lenno on his way to The Pets Hotel:
Lenno can't recommend The Pets Hotel more highly. He usually hangs out in a Petzecutive suite (described on their website "for discerning dogs, who are used to the finer things in life.") However he never complains when he is in a classic suite as life here is so much fun! Here's a photo from their website of Lenno's favourite suite:
Daily play times during "Yappy Hour" means he gets to hang out with all sorts of friends in "Central Bark". The dogs are closely supervised and the bigger and more boisterous dogs play separately.
Lenno always comes back from his time at The Pets Hotel with so much confidence. He must have a ball when he is there and I wish I was a fly on the wall...AND luckily, you can!! Owners can view their dogs via a webcam or receive email updates of your pet's stay. Here is a photo of Lenno during a stay earlier this year playing "keepings off" with a green ball.
The Pets Hotel also has accommodation for cats, doggie day care as well as grooming and spa facilities (see link here). Lenno came home yesterday smelling very clean but then rolled in a dead bird during our afternoon walk. As stinky as he was, it was nice to have him home but he certainly wasn't very happy after another bath.....

Sunday

This is the life!

I met the cutest little dog last week. His name is Feathertop and he is the resident pooch at Boyntons Feathertop Winery in the Alpine Valley in northeastern Victoria. He has a pretty good life and this is the view he wakes up to every morning...



This is Feathertop himself, a cheeky and affectionate 7 year old terrier...



Feathertop advised us on a few wines and we enjoyed a delicious tasting plate. Bliss!

Thursday

Lenno has a girlfriend

Lenno has his first girlfriend. Her name is Bo. Some would say that Lenno is a bit of a puppy snatcher as Bo is only 5 months old! Lenno and Bo kiss non stop whenever they are in each other's company! (stay tuned for video footage!)

Bo has the cutest ears....





And Lenno has a constant smile on his face around Bo....


Monday

Cats always find the best spots

If you want the best spot in the house, you'll have to move the cat!

How is it that every cat knows the best position in the house? If you want a cosy place to settle, look for the cat.

This is the very intelligent Neville, owned by a very special friend of mine. Neville is the luckiest cat in the world to have this person as his mum. As you can see below, Neville definitely knows the best place to rest his paws!

Thursday

How well trained is your dog?

Have you seen this amazing video? If only Lenno could do some of these tricks!

CLICK HERE and enjoy!


Meet Dorothy J!

Introducing the gorgeous little Miss Dorothy J.



"Dot", as she is known to those close to her, is a six month old rat owned by loving parents Amber and Johan. I'm told that Dot's favourite meal is peas and corn.



When she is not sleeping or having a swim in the bath, Dot loves to collect paddle pop sticks!

Monday

Snake eyes

Last week I was lucky enough to sit on a very special (but also a little scary) examination at the Healesville Sanctuary.



Our patient was a 20 year old Eastern Brown Snake!

This scaly critter had his eyes checked by a veterinary eye specialist (also known as an Ophthalmologist). The snake was diagnosed with a cataract in his right eye. Fortunately this won't affect him as his wonderful keepers care brilliantly for him bringing him all types of tasty morsels (including baby mice!). This EB snake has been at the Sanctuary for many years as his tail was damaged, probably after being run over by a car :-(

Here is a photo of him being anaesthetised:



Breathing in the anaesthetic gas allowing me to get a little closer!




And scanning for a microchip!



Checking his eyes with a slit lamp that allows examination of the structures inside the eye...



Next up: photos of an Echidna and a Tawny Frogmouth!

Saturday

One to make you smile!

Here is a gorgeous photo I was sent via email - I just had to share it. Hope it brings a smile to your face!

Monday

Woof!3 : Lenno has his photo taken

Last week Lenno had a photoshoot! I sound crazy don't I?! I promise I haven't lost the plot - it is for a good cause so please read on!

Just before Christmas I signed Lenno up to feature in an amazing coffee table book: Woof!3. It is the third book created by Ella+Friends Photography.

Here is the cover of the first:



These books are amazing. I purchased the second book as a present for our coffee table for Christmas. The books showcase dogs of all breeds, shapes, sizes and ages with their owners. The photos are sensational and once you start looking at them you can't stop turning the pages. The third book (featuring the one and only Lenno) will be published in early 2011.

Here are a few examples of photos from the second book...





A small $75 participation fee is required and this is donated directly to a dog charity. How cool is that!? So far, they have raised over $30,000 for dog shelters. This year the funds raised will be donated to Rescue With Love Inc (www.rescuedwithlove.org)

David was our photographer and he came out to our home and to Lenno's favourite park to catch him in action. He spent two intense hours with Lenno before Lenno decided he was too tired to play tricks in front of the camera any longer. David was a natural dog whisperer and Lenno loved him! I can't recommend Ella+Friends more highly, it was a great experience and Lenno had a ball.

Here is a sneak preview of one of the shots they took. Next week we will select our favourites to include in the book. (David took nearly 800 photos!).



You can visit their Woof!3 blog to see a preview of a few of the other dogs involved in the third book. (http://woofbook3.wordpress.com)

To have your four legged family members included in this unique publication, call Ella+Friends Photography in Melbourne on (03) 9596 1310. You can check out more at http://www.ellaandfriends.com.au/. But hurry as they close off entries late February 2011.

Friday

Lenno is loving Summer

Happy New Year! Last week we took Lenno to Sydney. He went on the plane in his traveling crate. He loved it and he is a real jet setter now! We were so lucky to be able to take him on our holiday and it was great to share the lovely Sydney weather with him.

His favourite adventure on the trip was definitely the walk from Bondi to Bronte. There is a sneaky little bay along the way where plenty of dogs meet, play in the rock pools and even dabble in some doggie surfing.



Here are some photos of our dear little Lenno (also known as the Otter) enjoying the waves!





The rock pools were equally as good...







After hours of fun it was home time for one very wet little dog!

Wednesday

Lenno - smoking is not good for you!

I've told Lenno time and time again that smoking is not good for him! He just won't listen!



Ok, this is not a real cigar, it is a Chicken Chew Stick. Lenno loves them and I was going to give it to him on Christmas day but he sniffed it out before I could hide it away!

Only 2 more sleeps!!

Time is running out for you to send me your Christmas Pet Photos!! I've got five gorgeous Disney Santa Paws DVDs to give away.

Email me at: fithevet@gmail.com or post them on my Facebook fan page here

As Christmas approaches, it is easy to over indulge and it is the same for our pets. Here is a photo I took last Christmas of the very handsome Oscar. He would LOVE some Christmas ham!!!



Vets commonly see plenty of stomach upsets around Christmas. I often dread working the following week as I usually see so many sick pets!

Please be extra careful and be on the look out for potential dangers. Fatty food can cause your pet to become very sick and even develop a painful and potentially life threatening condition called Pancreatitis.

I have also seen dogs that have eaten meat from the BBQ and got either a cooked bone or even a skewers/shaslick stick stuck in their intestinal tract eventually leading to intestinal perforation (basically the skewer pierces the lining of the stomach). This is NOT GOOD!

Fruit cake, macadamia nuts, grapes, sultanas and chocolate are another hazard - don't leave them in your dog's reach. AND NOTE: Dogs will eat through wrapping paper and get to anything under the tree. When I was younger my dog opened a present under the tree and ate an entire box of Lint Lindor balls (She had good taste in chocolate!). Thankfully she was ok.



Cats can get themselves into trouble too as they love playing with Christmas tree lights and Christmas decos (the string on the decos may be a hazard if swallowed). Again, be aware!!

On a happier note, I hope you have got your pet a Christmas present. I've got a little surprise for Lenno on Christmas day- I'll pop some photos up for you all to enjoy!

Merry Christmas to you and your pet,

Love Fi and Lenno xx

Friday

Tell her she's dreaming....

I took this photo in Morocco a few years ago. It is still one of my favourites.

Thursday

Fuzzie Wuzzie

This is Wuzzie. Wuzzie has one very long but very cute tongue.



All the better to eat dinner with...



And lick the plate clean...



Wuzzie is a very well loved dog who also goes by the name of "Chunky" and STIG (from Top Gear).

Lenno and Wuzzie are going on a doggy date in the next few weeks so keep your eye out for more photos!