jr_inoz

Thanks for the advice everyone. If I bring the visit forward, would an x-ray a day or two before 7 weeks show up skeletons clearly? The last ultrasound was pretty cool - could see little skeletons and moving around puppies. (6 and half weeks). Also saw little heartbeats. I thought bones calcified at 7 weeks. (which is why lots of vets x-ray at 8 weeks). If it is an infection, would like to get on top of it early when we can still use stuff that is low key.

nope I don't. She has never had ear issues before. Apparently shelties don't get them very often. What do I use and how do I do it?

you'd not be please to hear that the local pet store here had "miniature poodles" in it the other day. They were just 8 weeks old and already bigger than a sheltie puppy would be at 4 months old. I couldn't help myself and went in and asked them how old they were. When they told me 8 weeks, I said "There's no way they are miniature poodles - they are too big". They said yes, they knew that, but the " 'breeder' had told them they were miniature poodles, so by law they had to advertise them as that". When I said I hoped that they were letting possible purchasers know that they will be much bigger than a miniature poodle, they said that they were, when they came to actually buy them.

Came home from work tonight and noticed that Rommy has one red ear. It doesn't seem to be bothering her. We have a vet appointment on Thursday for a check up. Should we go earlier? If she needs antibiotics, what are the risks for her and her puppies. She will be 7 weeks pregnant on Wednesday.

I use OMG for general grooming - it is a good detangler. Plush Puppy volumising creme is good - I mix it in water (according to the directions) in a spray bottle. This works well. Thick n Thicker, not the spray but the liquid to put on the coat during a bath is also really good. I can give you some of this to try at the next show if you like Give me a PM meant to add - I've also got OMG concentrate and have heaps to spare so don't buy anymore you can have some of mine. PM me - if you bring a couple of containers to the Adelaide Hills shows, I'll bring my stuff along.

I think you should try skim boarding with her. Check out twig... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nagbJcRe-vA

Good luck! I know of a few girls now that have been supplemented and have gone on to deliver healthy litters of puppies! For interest could you post prog numbers, the days tested and when you have supplemented? Good idea re the U/S and the Vets theory her first prog test was on day 31 (day after ultrasound) and was 21. This was a Saturday and due to a server problem with the pathology place, we couldn't (as in the vet) get the results until Sunday afternoon. We started supplementing Monday morning. (I drove two and half hours to pick up tablets). I also had her tested that morning and her level was 20.4. We haven't tested her since she started the supplements - the reasoning being (from both repo vets) that the progesterone will raise her levels and over supplementation isn't an issue. The weekly ultrasound is what is important. She stops the supplements 4 days before her due date and I think we prog test again two days out to see what is happening. Doesn't matter if she whelps before her due date, but regardless, she will have a caesarean on her due date if she hasn't had them by then. Apparently, with prog supplementing, it can cause a bitch not to go into labour and so both vets have advised to not let her go past her due date at all. In future litters, I will insist on a prog test at 21 days I reckon and again at 28 days. I was really worried that we were too late this time around. If it turns out that she has these puppies safely, I will probably do one less ultrasound than what I am doing. I will do the DNA test for the pregnancy loss syndrome after she has had this litter. If she has it, she won't have another. Week 7 - 7 and a half is a big hurdle for me - it is the time that she lost both of the other litters. Steep learning curve. Only one other breeder in my breed, in this state has ever had to prog supplement before.

Six and a half weeks and ultrasound showing healthy, growing puppies. Fingers still crossed. It was recommended that she have regular ultrasounds during this pregnancy to make sure puppies are ok. The thinking by the two repo vets here is that if she just has low progesterone which causes the pregnancies to fail, then that is ok, but if the low progesterone is caused by puppies dying first, then it is important to check puppies so that the you can make sure things are ok and the progesterone supplement isn't stopping the bitch from getting rid of puppies that may have died and thus putting the bitch at risk. So far so good.

slightly OT - but this is definitely the case with a few of the courses at my local Uni. "International Tourism" is one of those courses. Not a single subject in the whole course that isn't from another discipline. It attracts lots of overseas students.

My vet sends the bloods to the local gribbles for prog testing.

I am so glad you got your prefix - but can't believe the trouble you had!!! Take a look at sheltie prefixes on sway's website - lots of really similar ones on there. Am really curious (bad of me I know) as to how christmas with your mum went (or did you not see here?)

Tell that to my dogs dogs are normally most active early in the morning and later at night (dawn and dusk)... and sleep most of the day if we aren't around. Mine has access to a small part of the house during the day (where there are no powercords or things she can destroy) and also the backyard through a dog door.

my girl won't pee when she is out - well rarely anyway - and never on lead. She will poo on lead though - cos she doesn't seem to be able to 'hold' her poo. Had an interesting time when we were away. She ended up peeing in her bedding overnight each night cos she couldn't hold it and wouldn't go before bedtime. I do need to teach her to pee on command.

Are you allowed to ride a bike with a dog on lead on bike paths? I thought that was ok?

Im not sure I agree with that statement. French Bulldogs for example, are worth around $3000 which is pretty expensive for most people. Especially if you have a mortage, children and well, a life. Just because that's an out of reach price for some, it doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't have the money to take care of them properly. I worry that wellbred purebred dogs are going to become out of reach of the average person leaving bybers as the only option if someone is desperate for a certain breed. Ten years is not a great deal of time for some of the prices to have risen like they have. The average pay packet wouldn't have increased by 400%, yet the majority of dog prices have. I wonder how high they can go before some breeds become only for the elite The health testing now required is already pushing the costs of breeding through the roof, everything associated with Breeding has increased cost wise. Some Breeders have been forced out because of it, naturally it is going to make the cost of a puppy more expensive, but some breeds have always been at the top end of the market and out of reach of a lot of families that hasn't changed. I have observed that stud prices seem to drive up the prices of puppies. I've only been around for the last 4 years - but I have noticed a huge increase in stud fees during this time, and the puppy prices in my breed have increased with them. It seems that the stud fee rises first, then the puppy prices follow. I am not sure if this is a direct correlation (increases in vet fees etc not withstanding) but it is just something I have noticed.

He doesn't need a rest to get his sperm count back up, give him a feed of red meat and he would have been ready to go again within a couple of hours. Wow facinating about the red meat and a couple of hours - infact after their meal last night I found them tied again - ON MY BED!!! oh well as long as it works - that makes 3 ties so we should be ok - I was under the impression that they needed 48 hours to get their sperm count back - but glad to hear that its not necessary. He is totally besoteed by her again today and won't move more than 6 inches away from her - but she seems to be getting a bit past it and prefers to sit next to me - but you never know there may be one more for the road - but I feel pretty sure it should all be ok. - oh God just heard a yelp - they are tied again and on my bed again - better learn to shut the door - I am running out of clean sheets!!! The things we put our selves through. You let them run together? Wow. Don't know any breeders here that would allow their dog and bitch to mate unsupervised.

also evens up the playing field a bit for those of use who are from states which have half the shows of some of the others.

sounds like the obedience place i go to, it's probably the same one! i'm starting to get over it :rolleyes: We got bored in traditional obedience classes too (I think many dogs and owners do!)... not sure why some instructors are determined to suck any fun out of training your dog! i think so too! probably the reason why i never see a lot of them ever again :laugh: i've thought about dropping out at times too, it really isn't fun doing the same repetitive excercise over and over again for 45 minutes when you've got a puppy with a short attention span and the trainer demands to keep going without stopping. Wasn't a repetitive exercise that got me in the end - it was standing around with our dogs in a drop stay or sit stay for 10minutes at a time while she rabitted on about her and her dog's trial experiences - using the exercise as an excuse for being able to talk endlessly about herself. Don't think she was aware she was doing it. I lasted 6 months. We never got out of grade three because of it.

Handy hint: my husband gets some pliers and bends each end of the coil in when they are in the right place, stops them moving. Works a treat. Always leave one end free and attach with dog clips, that way you can join as many sets together as you like and they are very versatile. I also wrapped gaffer tape around the coils as well (no sharp edges for the dogs, and they don't work their way up or down the wires either)

I had an obedience trainer who loved to talk way too much and who told us to give the command "drop" as the judge in a trial will say "down your dog" and you don't want the dog to drop on the examiners command but on yours - (drop). The requests from the judge are different from what you would tell the dog. They say 'forward' while person says 'heel' They say call your dog, the person says 'come'. they say 'leave your dog' the person says 'stay'. I think there are exceptions. I didn't get past grade 3 cos me and my dog got bored to tears with endless standing around each week whilst being told lots of stuff. We didn't do enough actual work. So my information is only from what this instructor said, and not from my own experience - but it makes a bit of sense.

Do you have a link? I am reading everything I can get my hands on at the moment. Cheers

so far.... ultrasound at 30 days, prog test at 31 with low levels, supplement started at 33 days.... ultrasound booked in, to monitor at 37 days. All fingers and toes crossed still. (thanks for your help)

What breed? Shetland Sheepdog. Small litters are normal. 2 - 4 puppies is about average. I've been reading lots. My mentor and breeder, and the other breeders near me have never had to progesterone supplement before. Steep learning curve.

Just back from the vet.....and am a little nervous at posting. All fingers and toes crossed for a healthy litter - due 15th February. Confirmed 3 puppies on ultrasound. After the last two attempts, am hoping that progesterone testing throughout the pregnancy and supplementing if required will have a different result to last time.

This association scares me..... especially seeing as the language they use is all about being responsible breeders but that they can sell to "approved" pet stores. This association seems to have been set up just so that puppy farmers, breeding cross breeds can say they are responsible registered breeders (and thus suck the public in).