tdierikx

Generally Kennel Cough sounds a lot worse than it actually is... I saw a lot of it when I worked in rescue, and as such it doesn't freak me out any more... *grin* Sometimes we get a bit overzealous with prescribing treatments for Kennel Cough because it is more distressing for us to see/hear them coughing like that than the actual effect on the dog in question. Personally, I tend to only be concerned if they develop a respiratory infection, evidenced by yellow or green snot/mucous, or the dog is very young (under 6 weeks old) or older (over 10 years). The cough usually only lasts for around 2 weeks, and most dogs deal with it and recover perfectly fine without medical intervention. The only thing to remember with Kennel Cough is that it is contagious still for up to 2 weeks AFTER the symptoms go away... you need to NOT take your dog out and about for at least 2 weeks after all symptoms have gone to make sure you aren't spreading it about for other dogs to catch. T.

Is Don... is good! Bobbin seems to be starting to understand that not all dogs are to be bashed up... good girl Bobbin! T.

Hmmm... it sounds a little hinky to me... due in 6 weeks? Dogs have a gestation of roughly 9 weeks, and I'm pretty sure it must be at least 4 weeks along before one can tell for sure if there are actually pups growing in there. At 3 weeks gestation, it would be nigh on impossible to tell exactly how many pups, nor to tell whether the bitch will carry to term. I wouldn't be handing over any money, that's for sure! If you are getting a vibe about this breeder, trust your gut and run a mile... T.

Bloody hell!!! That is just so sad... Massive hugs to you @Elle23... T.

Such happy shmooshy faces... I just wants to grab those cheeks and plant a kiss right between their eyes and on their gorgeous snouts... Methinks Apollo is going to be a very big boy when he finishes growing... *grin* Luckiest puppies having such an awesome place to live... T.

Go Bobbin! That's the spirit little lady! Good boy Clive!! T.

Who euthanaises a pup without contacting the breeder before doing it? Surely his issue wasn't so grave as to require that as a first option? Especially as his condition was disclosed prior to them agreeing to take him, and diet, etc was provided to ensure he stayed as healthy as he could be... You managed to raise him to 10 weeks as a happy healthy pup... so what went so horribly wrong within 24 hours of him leaving your place? T.

See Bobbin... Clive is a good boy... T.

Good girl Bobbin... Clive will be your best mate in no time... T.

Canex, Fenpral, and Popantel are all a lot milder than Drontal... they are the ones I used to use when I fostered lots of very young puppies. T.

Clive is a big boy now, and I'm sure he will adjust to the new normal just fine... he does still get his one on one time with you, so all is well with his world really... The big test will be when Bobbin has to deal with the inevitable puppies she's going to meet along the way... errr! Maybe she will be a little less mean as time goes by and she learns exactly how life goes on in her new home. T.

Yep... that it is... already undergoing transformations now... We have meerkats!!! ... and antelopes... Keep an eye on their Facebook page @grizabella... the boss tends to advertise there... https://www.facebook.com/Central.Coast.Zoo ... and/or here https://www.facebook.com/amazement10 There will be primates... monkeys, not apes... but that could change - the boss is a very resourceful guy... lol! T.

@Luke GSP, is this course theory only, or is there a hands on component? I'd be more likely to look at going the TAFE route - Cert 2 Animal Studies, then Cert 4 Vet Nursing - if your daughter really wants to work in a vet clinic, as a quick lookup of the course in question seems to indicate that it's a pathway to Vet Nursing anyways. TAFE also has the Smart and Skilled fee structure, which can work out very cost effective in the long run if your daughter is receiving any Centrelink income assistance. None of the subjects in this online course will gain your daughter any RPL (recognition of prior learning) for the Cert 4 Vet Nursing course, whereas the Cert 2 Animal Studies will. Your daughter will be more likely to get work in the industry if she goes the TAFE route... I don't know anyone working in a clinic who has done this particular online course, and I'm pretty sure that she may still need to do the Cert 2 Animal Studies course at TAFE in order to be able to do the Cert 4 Vet Nursing... worth thinking about when you factoring time and costs involved in getting where she wants to be in the end. T.

What breed is your pup? T.

Hahaha! I asked a vet that question once, and she said "about 10 mins before they pass away"... lol! Good girl Indi!! T.

Congratulations... sounds like you have a perfectly normal Labrador puppy. They are into everything, very inquisitive, and SMART! The level of SMART requires some training to redirect, and just changing diet is NOT going to be the solution... you are going to need to keep Indi BUSY. I'd suggest that if she is as highly food oriented as most Labs, then puzzle feeders, frozen kongs, etc will be really useful tools in keeping her occupied and getting rid of some of the nervous energy - spending time training and playing games with her will also help a lot. Teach her to "go find" after hiding portions of her food around the place, go out in the yard and spend 30 mins throwing a ball for her to fetch, take her for at least 1 long walk each day... those things will get rid of most if not all of the excess energy. Good luck... Labs are great dogs once you get past the silly puppy stage... although my 11 year old one used to just up and start doing zoomies just because on a regular basis... they are crazy buggers... lol! T.

Ditto this ^^^ T.

Vaccination records, worming schedule (and when next dose due), feeding advice (what puppy has been eating, so you don't get tummy upsets changing diet too fast), papers (limited/mains register if pedigreed), microchip change of owner form (filled out with signature of breeder)... a lot of breeders have all of these ready in a "puppy pack" for you to take with your pup. It is also a good idea to take your puppy to your own vet within the first few days for a general checkup and introduction to the clinic - you will quickly be aware of any issues with health or wellbeing that way. Oh... and once you have said puppy, it is mandatory that you need to come back here and post some photos for all of us puppy tragics to ooohhh over... *grin* T.

He so wants to please... is Don... is good boy! LOL! T.

You paint such an amazing picture @persephone... I can picture it all so clearly... thank you so much! T.

Technically, there is nothing that can stop you breeding with your girl - you just won't be able to paper her pups with a recognised pedigree. No responsible owner of a papered male will likely allow you to use their male for breeding with her either. Frenchies are notorious for having issues with giving birth, with a high number requiring caesarians, which are very expensive and give no guarantee of live pups or even mum at the end of it all. Are you willing to put her through that? I'm not sure which hormones you are referring to with regards to making her have pups that will be more positive for her than to be desexed and not have to go through all the hormonal changes that could increase the risks of pyometra or mammary cancers later in life... Just because she is a pretty girl with a nice nature, doesn't mean she will pass any of that onto pups either. T.

1.5 hours each way on a weekend with little traffic... gonna allow at least 2 hours for weekdays... errr! 100km each way from my place. The Dural site will be operational until after easter holidays, then all moving to Wyong Creek site... Worth the commute to be able to work with the exotic species they have there IMHO... T.

As this site is predominately aimed at the purebreed community, you may not get many responses promoting any breeder who breeds crosses... just giving you the heads up there, OK? Personally, if I were looking for something other than a purebred, I would be looking at the many rescue groups out there who have so many awesome dogs/pups looking for their forever homes... most of these dogs/pups come vaccinated, temperament checked, all relevant health checks, and they will try their very best to match new owners and dogs to try to ensure that both will be compatible... which is worth way more than the asking price IMHO... T.

The person who has bought the business I work for also owns Amazement Park in Wyong Creek... I went up to get my bearings, and figure how long a drive it was going to be to commute... errr! I was given free reign to wander wherever I liked (even staff only areas) and take photos of the animals... woohoo! I was good though, and tried to keep my photos to the perspective that a member of the public could/will see and be able to replicate... so if the new boss uses any for social media, the public will be able to get just as close to the animals as I did and get similar angles/shots. AND I only used my short lens! Got REAL close regardless... There is also a bit of construction going on up there building new enclosures for a few more exotic species that I'll get to work with... woohoo! Totes exciting! Anyways... here are some of the photos I got yesterday... Florence Ostrich Crumpet Camel Emu Red Deer Ringtail Possum Llama (Vicuna?) Alice Camel (gives good kisses!) Baby Goat 2 weekends in a row where I got to kiss camels... am I the luckiest girl ever?? T.

My Spanish is not good, but that Echogram diagnosis looks pretty bleak... I'm assuming you are not in Australia... ?? I am not a veterinarian, but I am a vet nurse, and we are trained to do a process called IPPV if ever called on to assist with a surgery where breathing is impaired. What you need is to see an emergency veterinarian or a specialist veterinarian... no general veterinarian would be equipped to perform the surgery or the follow up care your dog will require. It will be very expensive, and there will be no guarantee of survival either during the surgery or the following days after the surgery. Draining the fluid from around his lungs should not be at a 5% success rate, but it would ease his breathing issues for now - but I would be looking at an emergency or specialist vet clinic for that sort of procedure too. I am sorry to paint a bleak picture, but your boy is a VERY sick dog. I wish you and Ruffo all the very best... T.