Stitch

I presume that you have taken your dog to a specialist dermo vet & they have prescribed the cortisone drug? I am wondering if vitamin B3 might help as it is a mild auto immune suppressant. If there is an infection present the dog might need a course of antibiotics to go with the B3 but definitely consult a specialist vet. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options for auto immune diseases.

Yes, that is an option but it looks terrible and doesn't actually teach the dog anything. I thought of laying chicken wire over the garden and putting mulch over the top so it can't be seen but that is a lot of work. He did it again this morning, dirt everywhere all over our front verandah and plants dug out. He doesn't do it when I am around... it took me ages to rectify it so that my husband wouldn't see the destruction.

Yes, citronella isn't a great deterrant for some dogs but it is worth a try. I don't know what he is hunting - maybe he has turned into a truffle finding dog and is worth a fortune!!! :laugh: Edited to add: He usually hunts snakes & large lizards but this seems to be on a smaller scale. Doesn't touch toads or frogs even if they sit in front of him. Could be crickets I suppose???

I have tried the Citronella in the past but I will give it a go again. I do like the sound of the Ping String though so if the citronella doesn't work I will look into it. Many thanks for your suggestions.

We are having terrible trouble with our Dobe boy digging up our garden area. He is 5 years old and should be over it however he is a hunter and for some unknown reason has taken recently to digging around the root systems of our established shrubs, 20 of them to be exact!! Each one has been half excavated - he is particularly active after rain when it obviously has irresistable smells around the roots. He re-excavates them after we fill it all in, again & again!!! Does anyone know if there is anything available, like a hot ribbon or something similar, that we can put down to deter him from this habit as he is almost impossible to catch doing it. This is an area of about 20 metres or so and about 2 metres wide. It is not like he has no other areas to amuse himself in as we live on acreage and he has a huge area to run, play and investigate in. Unfortunately he prefers the area of shrubs that is my other halfs pride and joy to dig up. He is not winning the popularity contest at the moment!! Does anyone have any ideas??

Mine go for toads and frogs, in fact anything that they can catch - they are great hunters. I had one of mine get very sick by grabbing a green frog. She vomited about 5 times, frothed at the mouth, looked very seedy for several hours and generally suffered very badly for it however it didn't stop her from wanting to catch frogs and toads in the future. I can't let mine out after dark without being on the lead and in this weather the little toads are around during the day so I have to supervise that as much as possible too. All part of the joys of living in rural Queensland.

The quick answer is that you should feed whatever your dog does best on! I feed both and I have found over the years that what suits one does not necessarily suit all. Factor into it what is best for you too and you will have the right answer for your circumstances.

If you are sure that it isn't toads, then have you considered little frogs?? Frogs can produce a reaction exactly as you described. At the moment we have very tiny toads all over the place. Larger dogs don't worry about them but small dogs might as they are closer to the ground???

I will no longer accept a vet talking down to me. I have been caring for dogs for way too long now to take advice that I know to be incorrect. That said, I think you need to be careful when changing a dogs diet, especially a young pup, unless you are absolutely sure that what you are doing is what the breeder would recommend or if the breeder isn't experienced enough, then what is the best food for the pup. Some pups definitely go off their food when they go to their new homes at 8weeks (or whenever). If this happens I recommend the new owner just reduce the quantity of the food they feed, not change the variety or type of food. Puppies will always go for the food they like best which is not necessarily what is best for them. Once the pup is eating happily then gradually increase the quantity. I feed BARF and raw bones BUT I also feed premium dry food in certain circumstances. I like my puppies to be happy to eat dry food as well as the BARF etc.as there will be times in their lives that they will need to be able to eat it. Premium dry food will definitely give the pup correct nutrition (especially important in the larger breeds), it may not however give the small dry poos or other benefits of BARF but some BARF mixes can be unbalanced. There should be no guilt attached to the decision of what to feed your pup. You should feed your pup what it does best on and what gives optimum nutrition. A pup should not be skinny and should always have a good covering of fat over the ribs.

Poo eating or Coprophagia can have many different causes. Link http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_PoopEating.php for more information. To see if diet/nutrition is a factor try feeding a good quality dry food mixed in with the BARF for at least 6 weeks. All you can do is experiment with diet & see if it helps. Sometimes good quality dry food is more suitable for particular dogs than feeding raw. I feed BARF but I do have dogs that can't eat it or do much better on a good quality dry food.

I do hope that the CCCQ is ready and able to 'protect' their own! That said, 10 is a lot of dogs. I wonder how many non-puppy farmers ie. CCCQ registered breeders would keep that many breedable dogs??? Sounds like RSPCA has plans for 'doggy world domination' or at least Australia!!

You can't even take a debarked dog outside your property in Victoria so I would guess that it is illegal there!!! Debarking is something that I would not do as my circumstances are such that I don't have any close neighbours. I can afford to say I would use other methods in order to keep the dog quiet however I would rather see a dog debarked than PTS.

Does anyone know exactly how much input the CCCQ is having with this proposed legislation?? Is anyone else representing the breeder of purebred dogs in Qld???

I am surprised there hasn't been any discussion on DOL about it if it has got to the stage of being reported about in the news reports. I haven't heard any rumblings about it from CCCQ either - or maybe I have missed something???

I heard on the news yesterday that Govt. were going to legislate that puppy breeders/farmers were going to be rigorously controlled.....unfortunately I only picked up on the end of the broadcast. Can anyone fill me in on this? It sounded like it was in Queensland. There has always been these kind of mutterings about but if this is now going to be definite does anyone know what it is going to cover??? If it is just puppy farmers, that's great!! If registered breeders are going to get caught up in the net...hmmmm???

Thanks for that. I have just ordered one. When I purchased the last record book I thought I bought it from one of the Kennel Associations. Do you know if any of the Kennel Assoc. still sell them as I can't see them anywhere on their sites??

Anyone????

That warning has been current for some time now. It is very difficult in some instances to know exactly what is in the food we are eating let alone what we are feeding our dogs so where ever possible I thoroughly read the packet. I used to feed piggy ears as the ones I always got were supposed to be made in Australia with human grade ingredients however you never really know as some Australian suppliers now get their piggy ears from Brazil. Recently I switched over to a low fat alternative ie. kangaroo tendons and kangaroo jerky. That has also proved to be difficult as I discovered some of the tendons had shards of bone (not able to be seen) in them which I found afterwards as my dogs left the bits of bone!!! I have now tossed that brand of tendons and have bought the cleaner, thinner variety which have no where to hide bone in them. I also give the Natures Own small treats so I hope they are still OK.

I need a new Health & Breeding Record Book. I have a computer program but I find it much easier to write things down for the day as I am watching TV. If I can't get what I want I guess I will have to make one up for myself but it would be much easier if they come ready made. Anyone found one??

As long as the 'architecture' of the nose is 'normal' then it shouldn't be a problem. When you look at the nose closely it should look like a cobbled path all over it ie. the same on the white as it is on the black. I would not let a dog with a white nose have too much exposure to the sun though.

I have been through the IBD/IBS with one of mine plus I have had one that had the appetite of a bird and we did all the tests over many months and could find nothing wrong. I know how frustrating it can be! The absolute BEST thing I have found when a dog is feeling sick is to give Lectade. I know it is a simple thing but I have found over the years that giving Lectade often helps to 'turn the corner'. My lot will drink that when they are ill and won't touch it any other time, so there is obviously something in it that works for them when they feel rotten. One things for sure about giving Lectade is that it can't hurt them. It just replaces the lost electrolytes etc. and rehydrates them. Rehydrating makes a BIG difference. The next bit of advice I can give is, if you find something that the dog will eat, just stick to feeding that in small quantities at set times and don't change it. Getting them into an eating routine is important and will help things to settle down.

A healthy, active lifestyle and proper nutrition can help support a dogs immune system. Plenty of exercise and activity eg. playing with toys, walking, swimming etc. Exercise will also relieve stress, which can affect immunity. A clean and fun environment will help eliminate stress and boost immunity. A balanced diet with fewer carbohydrates and more proteins and vitamins is essential to supporting the dog immune system. Avoid cheap dog food that is usually composed mostly of carbohydrate fillers and find a quality product with plenty of proteins from recognizable ingredients, such as chicken or beef and not a generic "animal meal." Vitamins, herbal or fatty acid supplements can provide immune system support. A dog with an over-active immune system will require different treatment than one suffering from a deficient immune system.

Thanks for your replies unfortunately I can't get our Dobe boy around in my car, he hates it. I have to borrow the ute and put a huge wire cage on the back to transport him around. It is worth it to get someone to come to me!

Don't forget to give the dog Lectade to drink. It will provide lost electrolytes and rehydration the dog needs. I have found it to be very useful when you have nasty situations like this. Available at vets, pet barns and produce merchants it is invaluable and very safe.

Maybe because of the recent heat and the chemically treated plastic collar the dog may have sweated underneath it causing a reaction. Or maybe the dog was extra sensitive after getting the tick treatment at the vets?