Originally Posted by Sgurr

I can appreciate that you want this Staffie to have a much better quality of life and you've been given some good advice already but I think you may be a bit too closely involved to be able to see the more positive points of the situation.

The family took the dog from rescue and the Staffie immediately bonded with the father.
She has been with them since 2000 and she's part of the family, sweet natured and good tempered. She's being fed in a rather haphazard way but isn't obese. (Onion is harmful as it causes a form of anaemia but an otherwise healthy dog can cope with occasional small amounts without noticable effect - the red blood cells are just relaced naturally). The small fatty lumps she had when she came obviously are not malignant even though they have grown somewhat over the eight years - quite likely they are lipoma which are painless and harmless.

The Staffie is only having exercise in a dirty, paved area - not good by any way, but could not your girlfriend clean up the dog poo and swill down the area every couple of days, after all, she lives there. And both of you pick up a lead to take the dog out. If the parents object on the grounds that the dog hasn't had shots, then that's your intro to discuss getting the Staffie to the vet or have one of your girlfriend's vet nurse colleagues to call round informally to see the dog. Current veterinary advice is that in situations where a dog does not have regular vaccinations, provided the dog was vaccinated at some point after three months of age that is often sufficient. It seems most likely the Staffie would have had shots either with her first owner or in rescue.

Again far better for her to see the vet and get regular shots and get her lumps looked at - and to start taking short walks suitable for a dog of her age.
I think there is a lot you and your girlfriend can do in a calm, rational manner, without making a huge fuss, and getting the outside area clean would be a good start.

Sgurr

Originally Posted by mrsdusty

What kebab does the dog have? Is it a shish or a doner?

Originally Posted by cavy_gal

Well, we never get take aways so I have absolutely no idea! Its just, how I can describe it is that its just strips of meat in a bag and then they put it into a bowl for her. But its covered in grease as you can imagine and then mayo and onion with it. You can probably say "oh well its only once a week, don't worry about it", but she eats and eats and eats and never gets exercise and they don't get it that if you eat and just lay about all day doing nothing as Jade does, its going to make you lazy and fat.

Originally Posted by ajshep1984

eek:

She's missing out on ESSENTIAL veterinary care!!!

Originally Posted by cavy_gal

I felt the same reading that post aj, Jade is a dog capable of exersice if she was treated at the vets first.

Originally Posted by Jo P

Please correct me if I am wrong but.......... your gF still lives with her parents, yes? Well then the dog is a family dog - can your gf not take her for a walk? Can she not pick sh*t up from the garden? Just cos you live with dirty bast*rds doesnt mean you have to be one!! Just because you live with people who think it's ok to neglect their dog doesnt mean you have to allow it!! Sorry to be blunt Cavygirl but dont bleat about the dog on a pet owners forum - do something to help it.

Originally Posted by mrsdusty

And also how does the dog get to meet the kid from over the road if it never goes out???

Originally Posted by mrsdusty

Give yourself a pat on the back - absolutely superb post.

Originally Posted by cavy_gal

You don't understand the situation, her family are "superior" over my gf and they will not listen to a thing she says! I don't live close by to help out as often as I would like to, she lives down in West Sussex, I live in Lincolnshire so it is not very practical.