karly101

I was reading about one scheme where the puppy farmers pay a fee, then fill out a self auditing form (!!) to become a fully accredited member, which they then receive a nice badge to put on their website, what a joke. And one of my friends swears (from Pets Paradise) that none of their puppies are from puppy farms but all registered breeders (registered with whom???), but in arguments with her she sees nothing wrong with the concept of mass breeding of puppies. It's all about consumer fraud, no wonder the public are so confused.

My friends labs all wear harnesses in the back which she attaches to a restraint point on the floor...very effective and if you do get in an accident will keep the dogs in the car rather than smashing through a window/barrier...

Another for Dyson with the turbo head.. it just plucks shepherd hair right out of the carpet. It's also amazing when you use it for the first time anywhere and see how much dirt it pulls out of the carpet- we used it on our rental house which had been 'professionally vacuumed'... I had to empty it twice to do one room! Shop around as well... saved $80 on mine and surprisingly it wasn't the big name shops that gave the best deals.

This is quite insulting to the many good vets.... there is no possible way that my employer (and any vets that I have visited with my own animals) would want to see any dog suffering skin issues...it's horrifying, we feel the frustration with the owner (and the poor dog!) because skin is so difficult and costly. We generally refer onto specialists as we have found in the long run that saves our clients money as they can then identify a cause rather than trying lots of different solutions which without knowing the cause may not work. And to the original poster, yep I would probably mention it to your vet but one thing you might want to rule out first is flea issues with a good spot on treatment.

Usually the registry people are easy to get on to but sometimes it can be busy or there are computer issues etc then it can be delayed. Sometimes the owners don't answer when you try and contact them, sometimes they are really blase and don't care! Also I guess the vet clinic you dropped the dog off at could have been busy and slow contacting the owners...we only have a small amount of cages so thats usually motivating to get them picked up as early as possible lol. There is a fee for the pounds but it depends on the area and also if the dog is registered.

Have tried a few different bones with my sisters dog and he refuses to eat them so at the moment he is getting Hills T/D for his dry food... from teeth check it does seem to be doing its job of maintaining the teeth but I think it would be more effective if we did a proper dental first. I know the dental specialist in Melb actually doesn't agree with feeding bones at all as he believes they are more damaging to teeth causing wear and fractures.

Sorry Erny I've been having computer issues so have lost the paper but here is a copy of the abstract for everyone to read- I haven't seen any more recent studies unfortunately I'm guessing the funding/interest just isn't there to study this but I would be keen to know more.... we have only tested a few dogs at my clinic (most people are using heartworm preventative and those that aren't are not willing to test) and thus far all have been negative. My workplace is close to wetlands and plenty of foxes in the area as well so the risk factors are certainly there.

...I would always be concerned about heartworm in any areas where there are mosquitoes, a study on foxes in surburban victoria found out of 156- 6% had heartworm. Therefore you can assume there is a population in Melbourne that can infect dogs. Also it can be passed by infected interstate dogs which can happen at any time of the year when mosquitoes are present.

Get to vet.. my dog was tail down, hiding in bathroom and whenever we let him outside he hid in one of the bushes, he had a high temperature and sore tummy, he's had antibiotics, pain relief and a mild diet for a few days and is much better Pyometra is also a real concern if she is entire.

Revolution is a very good product (safetywise, effectiveness) and what you are doing now does cover everything and if given after going to the beach you should have no issues. BUT.. if cost is an issue (do check price online as well and make sure you are buying the 6 pack which is cheaper) ... Sentinel Spectrum is very good and much better priced for multiple dogs. The cons is that it doesn't cover everything (mites/lice/and only sterilizes fleas).. and we've had a couple people complain that their dogs vomit after it. If fleas are BAD in your area (where I work they are terrible and Sentinel isn't often enough) then you would need to couple it with Capster or Comfortis/Frontline/Advantage..... It's up to you how wide a coverage you want...

Its interesting.. I'm really surprised clinics are downplaying fluids... my clinic won't do a surgery without them (exception is kitten castrations) just like if you went to a hospital you'd be on fluids.... I would opt in for fluids....the benefits are huge, if there is an emergency you are better equipped to deal with it, it supports the kidneys. IMO from being in clinics which use and don't use fluids, recovery is much quicker and better with fluids. But it is up to you and yes plenty of desexing is done without fluids and without even a IV catheter!

I would get her checked out as you have mentioned she's not quite her usual self....if they are happy and bright then it may not be necessary, you can also pick up some electrolyte solution for her which will help.

One thing to keep in mind is all RSPCAs I've been to have night cages that are unlocked and available to place animals in after hours. Not ideal and technically they aren't meant to provide them, but they are available for these kind of situations where you can't keep a stray animal at home till opening hours. It's a shame that no one was able to help you with him but the problem is a lack of resources. Interesting that the public around you were apathetic, I've found public are fairly good in my work area as we get a lot of people catching and bringing us stray animals...we can't always accept them due to cage space etc but do our best, if there is a 24 hour vet clinic in your area they may also do the same.

Remember to be comparing the same thing... What anaesthetic is used? IV fluids? Pre anaesthetic bloods? What monitoring equipment do they have? Is pain relief included? Suture removal (or are they internal?) is a buster collar included? It doesn't sound expensive too me...but .. if it were my dog.. I would want IV fluids.

I'd forget about second opinion and just ask for referral to specialist.. best not to mess around with eyes

Would love to see how its done ... I have 3 ferrets but they've never seen a rabbit in their lives! Is it possible to train older ferrets, I'm wondering if its more an instinctual thing? I've just introduced raw rabbit too them and they love it so I'm getting them a bit closer haha...I should work on training recall but they tend to just ignore me and keep sniffing when I take them out on the lead IMO this kind of hunting is very humane, my dad often goes out shooting feral animals at his cousins farm and absolutely nothing is wasted...they normally use dogs and it was amazing watching them work.

There's a fairly new travel medication for dogs.. haven't heard any feedback on it yet- http://www.pfizerah.com/product_overview.a...&species=CN It's called Cerenia.

It was extremely frustrating as we were badly missing a dog after the passing of our 21 year oldie ... I had wanted to support one of the smaller organisations as I have volunteered for RSPCA and was frustrated with their management.. but after that....I am appreciative that they were willing to work with us to find the right pup.

We experienced the same issue... A lot of organisations weren't even interested in rehoming a dog with us because we work full time ...I can understand some dogs may not be suitable for that situation but they weren't even interested in taking our details down for future dogs or even directing us to other rescues. We aren't new dog owners, have a fully fenced yard and the dog is inside with us whenever we are home. We did end up getting a nice little maltese cross from RSPCA who is very happy sleeping in one of our beds during the day when we are at work.

A lot of vets bury the sutures.... I guess its a fancier finish it does take more time and is a little bit more involved technique wise but quite common at least I've seen it from all the vets I've gone too... it does take a bit of time for them to dissolve.. just keep an eye that they aren't poking out and keep a buster collar on for at least 2 weeks post op as you don't want to risk them being pulled out

organic not really interested.. if someone could import or produce something like Wysongs ranges I would be happy and it would be different compared to what is already in the market here- http://www.wysong.net/tnt-raw-dog-food.php

Just like people can.. dogs can have allergic reactions to things like the antiseptic wash, the suture material.. etc. Best to take him to whatever vet did the desexing operation for aftercare, I would have thought if allergic reaction was the suspicion that they would have given him a cortisone shot... it may also be just infected from the licking which could have been from irritation or from allergy. And yes complications do happen.. surgery is never routine.

You are looking at this the wrong way round.. right now you are building this pups foundation....you want a good one! Put everything into it now with a good food or a good raw diet and then once the pup hits 9months-12months, then you could switch to a cheaper dry food.

I was told that the collars are on the way to becoming available in Australia but that was a few months ago! Until then the suggestion was to spray a bandana (or similar) and put that on the dog when needed.

Yes you can get very quick growing lumps.. a nice reference I found on all sorts of different lumps - http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=424 I'd prob recommend getting it checked out by a vet...due to his age the important thing is that he is comfortable, not in pain and eating.