Samantha Rose is an author and freelance blogger/writer living in Perth, Western Australia and also the creator and author of the popular Facebook page My Dog Brutus.
She holds the NCTJ Preliminary Certificate in Newspaper Journalism (London) and Cert IV in Screen and Media (Documentary) (Fremantle) and has a particular interest in writing entertaining stories about talking animals.
Samantha shares her life with her husband Abdel, her dog Brutus and a cat called Kevin.
In her spare time she can be found at dog shows, or hanging out with her Italian greyhound friends whilst clutching her notepad and pen taking notes for stories. Samantha’s debut novel titled ‘Planet Iggy’ is available in Kindle, paperback and hardback versions.
Welcome to The Pigaloo Diaries – a place to escape with your sense of humor and indulge your imagination and maybe have a laugh along the way.
*Disclaimer*
The animal stories in this blog are works of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and coincidental.
After all, who would like to admit to their own dog smoking, drinking dog beer, and going to skimpies bars to watch beagles dancing with no collars on? You would get yourself locked up if you admitted that.
All entries to this blog are copyright (c)
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You can purchase Planet Iggy Here
The Pigaloo Diaries 
Fantastic – loved every bit of your blog even if it does make one more self-aware re quite a few categories
Thank you so much for your nice comments xxxx
Fascinating site! On reading just a few bits here and there – I just know you are a survivor and will rise above the awfulness of Sjogren’s. Don’t let the disease get bigger than your colourful personality…..
From a fellow sufferer.
Thank you Moondancer, today is ‘methotrexate day’ and rather than dread it, I am trying to turn it around and do something nice as I inject myself. I would like a nice glass of wine, but I guess tea will suffice. Nice to speak to someone else that has this disease xxxxx
Hi Sam, great blog. I have to find a way to send you a pic of our black kelpie, Tilly, who looks so much like Rocky, it’s not funny! Cheers
Hi Sam; as a fellow Sjogren’s patient and a veterinarian, I enjoyed your blog. Thank you for your clear post about Sjogren’s. Have you tried cevimiline (evoxac)? It is a salivary stimulant but I’ve found that it also helps my eyes. Good luck in all of your endevors in Austraila. I am writing from Northern California.
Hi there
Sadly we don’t have access to evoxac in Australia, I would love to have that 😦
I do fear for my teeth and the methotrexate makes me feel so sick yet helps so much with the pain, you cant win really.
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it becomes available soon. I thought we were usually bad here about getting new meds, that always seem to be available in Europe and Canada before we can get them here. Pilocarpine is another salivary stimulant I have tried but I think it is shorter acting than cevimeline, which is already three times a day. It may also have more pronounced side effects (sweating/hot flashes). I’m not sure, I’ve only tried it a few times. I am lucky enough not to need the methotrexate, but I have gotten to the point where any upper respiratory problem goes immediately to my lungs and I’m currently weaning off of Prednisone from my latest episode. Of for the ‘good ‘ol days’ when a cold was just a cold.
Well, I’m off to bed. Have a great day.
I think I have just found my long lost twin! Down to every last detail! The dogs, the old friend “wine”, the sjogren’s taking over our lives, EVERYTHING! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing!!!! I “joined” your blog just now.
Holly from Florida xo
Thank you for your nice comments Holly.
I really believe that the rule book needs to be re-written on this disease, I had a procedure done the other month which involved fasting and there I was on the bed, lying in agony – my bones hurting. Normally I consume about 4 litres of fluid a day and I had nothing, not a drop so you can imagine the pain I was in. All the doctor was interested in was how I managed my dry mouth – trying to tell him that is the least of our worries, he looked confused, he genuinely did not know about this disease and some of the nurses had the grace to search for it on the internet.
People need educating that this is a potentially serious disease and so much more than a dry mouth.
And yes, my old friend ‘white wine’ is sorely missed, sometimes I would like a glass just to feel normal.
Hi Sam..was a relief to read your experience with friends & family re your Sjogrens, knowing it just wasn’t me who got the negative comments. I too am a sufferer and get the ‘you don’t look sick, except your eyes look red’. It gets bloody tiring and I just don’t bother telling people anymore. It has been hard enough dealing with this lovely disease without the negative comments. Going from being an active person all my life, to spending most of my time these days on the couch is basically shit. I take Plaquenil, Prednisone & steroid drops for my eyes. After reading your experience with Methotrexate, I hopefully will never have to take that. Actually I do have one supporter in my cat, she seems to believe everything I tell her. But the sympathy only lasts until its time to be fed, then its ‘get off the couch and feed me human, you’re not sick, you’re faking it’ 🙂
Anyway was great to read your comments, I think you have a great attitude.
Michelle from Brisbane xx
Thank you for your comments Michelle.
I dont know about you but the more comments like that I get the more I am inclined to cut these people out of my life.
My diagnosis has changed to UCTD as I have an overlap of lupus/sjogrens and RA but that is something I do not even have the energy to explain to those that already think I am faking it.
Its amazing yet a crying shame at how hard we become through this illness.
Love the blog Samantha it is refreshing reading fun exploits like exploding beds that we call “snowing” in the backyard 🙂
Hating sjorgens disease though loving how my fur babies thinks it means mum has more time for pats due to me being stuck either on the couch or bed in pain.
Thank you for the laughs and great pics will look forward to more fun exploits .
Jeanie melbourne.
Hi Samantha
Love your blog.
I think there is a story brewing with the limited access to cannabis as a medical therapy for Australians. There are rolling rallies across the country with a highlight at Parliament House in Canberra on the 7th February.
If you would like to get involved I’d love to hear from you.
I would like to know about medical Marijuana, I dont know anything about it and wonder if it would affect someones performance at work or ability to drive.
It has to be better than some of the toxic painkillers on the market.