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The place to be if you have paws

All the sociable dogs met down on Fitzroy Street, St. Kilda and compared stories after the Million Paws Walk. They discussed who was wearing what, who had a new girlfriend and who had shed a few kilos since last year's walk.

The smell of scrambled eggs and good coffee could be smelt by dogs miles away. Here are some photos taken outside Banff, a cafe that is a perfect spot for brunch with your pooch. These great looking canines were happy to rest their tired paws and catch the last of the Autumn rays.


Fitzroy Street St. Kilda in front of Banff


Beautiful "Pip" the Whippet


Big "Bear"


"Miss Molly"



An adorable 8 week old Chocolate Labrador...unfortunately I missed his name as I was so busy trying to take his photo.



The last two photos feature Rocco and Bella (Bella is the smaller of the two). These dogs are a cross I had never come across before; Jack Russell Terrier x Cairn Terrier. They were the most gentle and kind natured dogs, beautifully behaved and great friends. It was a perfect end to a great day.

All Paws Aboard

Melbourne 16/05/2010: It started out a little frosty but a spectacular Autumn day emerged for the annual RSPCA Million Paws Walk. The event was held nation wide with more than $300,000 raised to help assist the RSPCA. These funds go towards operating animal shelters and provide community education on animal welfare issues (something I'm very passionate about - education is invaluable when it comes to caring for an animal).

Nearly 100,000 paws walked in Victoria alone and I was in heaven. I highly recommend this event to anyone, dog or no dog, you will have a ball - pardon the pun...

There were so many different sizes, shapes and breeds that it was a challenge for me trying to keep up with identifying them all. It surprised me just how many "pairs" of dogs were out there and you'll notice this common theme in the photos below.

See you there next year!


Ronan and Sissi the very photogenic Samoyeds



Zander and Ledger the eye catching Great Danes (they were getting a lot of well deserved attention)


Mitch the Bull Mastiff - what an amazing smile!


Wallace (5 months old) and Harriet (5 yo) The Great Danes
Harriet had attempted to try and lead young and innocent Wallace astray, heading into the lake for a Sunday afternoon swim.


Lana and Zayney the Giant Schnauzers - this duo stood out from the crowd and when I told them they were going to be an internet sensation, they were very happy to have their photo taken.


Penny and Jimmy - a perfect pair


Olive and John, dear little Olive was much happier soaking up the sun than exercising



Even though she was recovering from elbow surgery, Anika wasn't going to miss out on the festivities. She was treated to a very comfortable and stylish tour of the lake.


Jimmy was more interested in checking out the swans than finishing the walk...

Stay tuned for some "after the walk" shots...

Milo the super cat sleeps

After looking through my photos I realised I had heaps of gorgeous photos of Milo the super cat sleeping in various positions. They all make me want to pick him up and cuddle him, he is the cutest little cat ever!

Wedged in the back of the couch...a perfect spot for a cat...



You woke me!



I'm so tired...







Milo loves a good snooze...



And my all time favourite....



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

Zac and Jessie

These are two of my favourite patients, Jessie and Zac. Jessie is in the pink, Zac is dressed in blue. They are both full of energy and are always so excited to come to the clinic (it must be the liver treats).

Dear little Jessie has a bit of arthritis in her knee but she is receiving arthritis injections monthly and these seem to be helping her mobility. Jessie is a Jack Russell Terrier crossed with a Papillon, hence the huge, adorable bat like ears.

You may be wondering why Zac's eyes look a little green in one of the photos. This is completely normal for a dog and is a reflection from the back of the eye.

Zac and Jessie are the happiest pair of pooches I have met..ah, what a dog's life.

Horsing around

I thought it was about time I added a photo of a horse - horses are definitely up there with my favourite pets.

Meet Robbie. Robbie LOVES carrots, sugar cubes and follows me around like a dog. He is learning to jump and has finally started walking through puddles when we are out and about.

William the spunk

Move over Prince William...check out this gorgeous and cuddly William. What an absolute spunk! The white markings on his nose make him extra special.

William is a Ragdoll and this breed make exceptionally good pets. I would one day love one myself- if I haven't stolen William when I next see him. They are very loving, have a great temperament and make a fabulous family pet. Snuggled up on the couch with one of these is sure to make anyone's day better.

Thankfully, William will be an 'inside only' cat. Because of this, he is likely to live a longer and healthier life and is not at risk of contracting Feline Aids (spread by cat bites), won't be hit by a car, and won't be stolen by the admiring neighbours.

Now we just have to find William a princess...

PS. I just got a new digital SLR camera so hopefully the quality of photographs will improve!

Mouse in the house

This little guy was brought into the clinic earlier this week. I think he had been caught in a trap as he was missing the tip of his tail. This didn't seem to bother him and his injury had healed perfectly.

He ate some apple and enjoyed the hot water bottle we gave him. These photos show off his dark, winter coat!

What's in a name?

Meet 'Zit'. I was very intrigued as to how this Jack Russell Terrier was given his name and perhaps you have already guessed it. His black head may give it away...

It is by far the most creative and original name for a dog I have ever come across. It gave me and those I have told, a great laugh. The story goes, Zit was nameless as a tiny 5 week old puppy but over a few bottles of wine and with the help of some creative minds, 'Zit' was chosen. Brilliant.

If you have a great story behind naming a pet please let me know. My email address is at the bottom of this page. Or maybe I should put it here too, just in case you get distracted on the way there! e:fithevet@gmail.com

Meg

This is Meg the Golden Retriever who carries her lead in her mouth wherever she goes. Meg is one of the most gentle and kind dogs I have ever met and she was a pleasure to examine.

When I offered Meg a well earned liver treat at the end of her consultation, she was so reluctant to drop her lead that she attempted to eat the treat with the lead in her mouth!

A bit of a Pickle

Last week I arrived at work and was greeted by Pickles, an adorable 18 week old kitten. I had a very soft spot for this tiny little girl as I also own a cat named Pickles. It is not a very common name so you can imagine how surprised I was when another Pickles then visited me that very morning!

This Pickles was a Siamese. She was extremely well behaved and crouched very quietly on the consult table while I gave her a check over and her yearly vaccination. I think she thought that if she didn't move, I wouldn't notice she was there. She still let me take her photo.



My Pickles is a very personable little cat who has the loudest snore and always insists on jumping on your newspaper, computer keyboard, or in this case, my cookbook!

Dog heaven

If you could hear what the local dogs are talking about right now it would be West Beach Bathers Pavilion. I was lucky enough to visit this great new cafe in Melbourne on the weekend. This is a place where all dogs can visit and enjoy an early morning dip in Port Philip bay and then drool at your feet as you eat your bacon and eggs. This is an impressive cafe/grill/tea room and not only is it a great spot to eat, it is completely dog friendly.

There is a huge outdoor decking so you can sit with your dog and read the weekend papers with a good coffee. Pictured is one of the most handsome patrons, Freddy the Cavoodle (Cavalier x Poodle). I spied Freddy, enjoying brekky with three of his doting girlfriends.

Max on the other hand, was happy just chillin' in the sun. Max told me that he recommends the pancakes, even though he is not meant to be given any table scraps.

www.westbeachstkilda.com.au

Felix the frog

Ok, so this may not be everyone's choice of pet but this little guy is pretty cute! This is Felix, a Peron's tree frog, and he lives in a bird house at my family's farm. The bird house is nestled right outside our kitchen window and the little frog peers in at us with his beady eyes.

The first time he was spotted, my mum mistook him for a bird. A closer look revealed a slimy but adorable little frog!

At night, with his sticky feet attached to the window, he enjoys a meal of moths and other bugs that are attracted to the kitchen lights.

Nelson's first visit to the vet

Who could resist a face like this? Nelson is a very cuddly 12 week old Labrador who visited me yesterday for his vaccination and first health check. He loved the liver treats we had in the consult room - he didn't even notice when I gave him his needle. Puppies need a course of vaccinations and then boosters throughout their adult life. This not only protects your little pup from potentially fatal diseases, but other dogs too.

Nelson has very caring owners and an older Labrador companion at home, Meg. Meg is showing him the ropes and teaching him some manners! I am looking forward to watching Nelson grow into an adult dog.

Shaggy

I couldn't resist adding this photo to my blog because each time I look at it, I start to laugh.

This little goat was spotted on a walk near our farm in north eastern Victoria. He was very happy to have his photo taken and even stopped chowing down on his green grass for the shot!

Meet Nibbles

Here are a few photos I took late this summer of a cheeky ringtail possum who decided to come and sleep in my geraniums. The brave little possum, who I named "Nibbles", managed to get up to the second level of our apartment, climb the walls and sit himself in the window pots. He did a good job of finding himself a comfortable spot and the plants definitely came off second best but I didn't have the heart to move the little guy on.

It was very cool up against the window and he enjoyed the nectarine and fresh water I left for him.

Many possums suffer terribly in the hot Melbourne Summers and they are often brought into the vet clinic after suffering from heat exhaustion. It is a good idea to leave out a shallow bowl of fresh water for our wildlife on the extra hot days.

Nibbles has sadly moved on but I hope he returns next summer.

Milo the super cat

Here are a few photos of 'Milo the supercat'.

Milo was rescued as a 4 week old kitten, after he had ruptured his Achilles tendon. After a bit of TLC, Milo is now one very happy little cat.