RSPCA

[craftycarper]

Had a knock on the door the other evening from the above. Out and about doing there rounds trying to ponce money. Wanted £3 a month, he haggled trying to get £2 out of me, told him I donate enough loose change locally and clothes etc, a right dimwit "sir I hear you have dogs, what breed are they" lurchers mate ...."oh I've never heard of them" says it all really, told him to sod off in the end

[Bigbob]

There usually up the town centre dressed as furry animals they stroll over and ask for a donation but scarper off pretty quick when you say ,Why so you can squander £325,000 pursing hunts i dont think thats what folk give you donations for ?.

[Gunman]

Bit of post but recently I was approached by a local dogs home trying to give away second hand dogs . Just round the corner I was accosted and I do mean that by people from Guide dogs for the blind a worth organisation . I suggested they should get together , but he didn't think much of that .

 

When the RSPCA do come door to door I ask them when arnt they campaigning for a proper system of licensing for animal ownership . That usually gets them .

Edited March 2, 2017 by Gunman

[Red-dot]

RSPCA are on the TV/radio/streets/mailshots but i still manage to keep my heartstrings un-tugged.

[washerboy]

Had short words with one last year after he blocked my drive with his van and wouldn't move until he had called on a neighbour, didn't like it when the neighbor sided with me and told him not to park outside my house as I kept dogs and it doesn't look good to have one of their vans outside

[bruno22rf]

'Going off on a slight tangent - we have "Medical Detection Dogs" charity close to us - always collecting money but I have yet to see or hear of one of their dogs ever saving anybody's bacon - they drive around in brand new vans with pictures of dogs emblazoned on the sides which cannot be cheap - they say that the Dogs can tell, for example, if a Diabetics blood glucose level is low so I took the opportunity once to stand my son next to one when his levels were just 2.8......not a blink from the Dog. I'm beginning to wonder if it's all pollacks.

[krugerandsmith]

Had a knock on the door the other evening from the above. Out and about doing there rounds trying to ponce money. Wanted £3 a month, he haggled trying to get £2 out of me, told him I donate enough loose change locally and clothes etc, a right dimwit "sir I hear you have dogs, what breed are they" lurchers mate ...."oh I've never heard of them" says it all really, told him to sod off in the end

 

A toothless Tiger...... Like the United Nations Organisation. Ask the Foxes.

[Jonty]

'Going off on a slight tangent - we have "Medical Detection Dogs" charity close to us - always collecting money but I have yet to see or hear of one of their dogs ever saving anybody's bacon - they drive around in brand new vans with pictures of dogs emblazoned on the sides which cannot be cheap - they say that the Dogs can tell, for example, if a Diabetics blood glucose level is low so I took the opportunity once to stand my son next to one when his levels were just 2.8......not a blink from the Dog. I'm beginning to wonder if it's all pollacks.

That's because the dog wasn't trained to monitor your son Bruno. I have a friend with a diabetes detection dog which has changed her life. Due to the complexity of her diabetes, Prior to getting the dog she actually lived in hospital for three years hooked up to a machine that was constantly sampling herr levels and feeding insulin as required. Now she lives a relatively normal life at home with an amazing dog that indicates when her levels go out of the 'safe' limits. The dog, holly, will also bring her her medical kit if neccessary and also go and find a family member if my friend goes into a coma, They certainly aren't a load of Pollocks mate, they derinately are life changing and worth every penny in my eyes.

[AVB]

That's because the dog wasn't trained to monitor your son Bruno. I have a friend with a diabetes detection dog which has changed her life. Due to the complexity of her diabetes, Prior to getting the dog she actually lived in hospital for three years hooked up to a machine that was constantly sampling herr levels and feeding insulin as required. Now she lives a relatively normal life at home with an amazing dog that indicates when her levels go out of the 'safe' limits. The dog, holly, will also bring her her medical kit if neccessary and also go and find a family member if my friend goes into a coma, They certainly aren't a load of Pollocks mate, they derinately are life changing and worth every penny in my eyes.

 

A friend of my daughter has a ' Hypo hound' and as you say it has changed her life. She also has a form of diabetes that means her insulin level can fluctuate significantly and the dog, a most beautiful cocker, monitors her 24X7. As you say worth every penny.

[bruno22rf]

With the greatest respect - Insulin levels do not fluctuate at all in Type 1 Diabetes - this is entirely dependant upon how much Insulin the patient administers and it is the blood glucose level that fluctuates if an incorrect dose is given/ calculated. Modern testers will give a 95% accurate reading in about 7 seconds and some even include a Bolas score that takes into account your carbohydrate intake and current levels and thus gives a suggested Insulin dose. On a different note surely the dog works on scent - I 'm no expert but surely all Diabetics emit the same scent when BS levels are low? NOT looking for an argument here....just like to know.

Edited March 5, 2017 by bruno22rf

[AVB]

With the greatest respect - Insulin levels do not fluctuate at all in Type 1 Diabetes - this is entirely dependant upon how much Insulin the patient administers and it is the blood glucose level that fluctuates if an incorrect dose is given/ calculated. Modern testers will give a 95% accurate reading in about 7 seconds and some even include a Bolas score that takes into account your carbohydrate intake and current levels and thus gives a suggested Insulin dose. On a different note surely the dog works on scent - I 'm no expert but surely all Diabetics emit the same scent when BS levels are low? NOT looking for an argument here....just like to know.

I'm also no expert but I understand that some people have what is called 'brittle diabetes'. The internet says this about it. "With brittle diabetes, however, the fluctuations are more serious and tend to result in frequent hospital visits, interruption to employment and can often contribute to psychological issues such as stress."

[Jonty]

With the greatest respect - Insulin levels do not fluctuate at all in Type 1 Diabetes - this is entirely dependant upon how much Insulin the patient administers and it is the blood glucose level that fluctuates if an incorrect dose is given/ calculated. Modern testers will give a 95% accurate reading in about 7 seconds and some even include a Bolas score that takes into account your carbohydrate intake and current levels and thus gives a suggested Insulin dose. On a different note surely the dog works on scent - I 'm no expert but surely all Diabetics emit the same scent when BS levels are low? NOT looking for an argument here....just like to know.

Most gun dog commands are the same, yet all our dogs don't act in unison at a shoot. From what I understand of my friends dog, it was trained specifically to her and would be no use to another diabetic. To the point that when my friend's condition alters or treatment changes, the dog goes back to be "recalibrated'" I appreciate that a tester will give an accurate result very quickly - I use them at work, but in this particular case, the girl in question would be a pin cushion if she had to test herself to monitor her sugars, before getting the dog she literally was hooked to a machine via a central line 24/7 and spent 3 years living in hospital. If she had been my daughter I reckon I would have sold both my kidneys to get her out.

[bruno22rf]

Interested in the term recalibrated - regardless of treatment, a low BS is a low BS and the body responds the same way? We must surely be talking specifically of low BS here as a diabetic can be quite unaffected by levels of 20+ ( normal 4 - 8), but obviously long term prospects are not good. I cannot understand how the dog prevents her being a "pin cushion" - surely if the dog alerts her she then takes a reading - which, had she done so in the first place, she would have no need for the dog? Regular testing is the name of the game and testers are small, fast and accurate. As for "Brittle Diabetes", well that's another as there are more often than not psychological issues at work.

[Jonty]

Interested in the term recalibrated - regardless of treatment, a low BS is a low BS and the body responds the same way? We must surely be talking specifically of low BS here as a diabetic can be quite unaffected by levels of 20+ ( normal 4 - 8), but obviously long term prospects are not good. I cannot understand how the dog prevents her being a "pin cushion" - surely if the dog alerts her she then takes a reading - which, had she done so in the first place, she would have no need for the dog? Regular testing is the name of the game and testers are small, fast and accurate. As for "Brittle Diabetes", well that's another as there are more often than not psychological issues at work.

Bruno, you're obviously well versed in your own son/daughters diabetic condition and that's great, if my kid had a similar condition then I would do exactly the same. That said, you can't knock a square peg into a round hole, not every form of diabetes is the same, the dog stops her being a pin cushion because her sugars vary on a completely arbitrary scale and do not follow the usual rules of diabetes, hence her being plumbed into a monitor for three years. then he body reacts to the insulin. I'm neither a doctor nor a medical emergency dog trainer, just a passing observer who has seen someone's life transformed by a dog whose 'pedigree/worth' you questioned. If you want more info, Google hirtas disease.

[bruno22rf]

Do you mean Hiratas? Different ball game and way outside normal Diabetes. BTW my knowledge comes from having had type1 for over 30 years but now cured.