tdierikx

I have to drive past the Yagoona shelter on my way to work, and they've been upgrading the facilities there for at least the past 2.5 years. The vet clinic was the first upgrade, and I am reliably informed that around $2 million was spent on it... apparently it's pretty swish and has all mod cons, including a state of the art eye clinic... I haven't been inside it, so can't confirm myself. The new kennel blocks look to be almost completely finished now also. All those upgrades apparently were using a $7.5 million grant from the NSW State Government a few years back. I am at a loss to see what further upgrades are needing the $12 million apparently just recently spotted by the NSW State Government (June 20, 2019)... especially since the most recent upgrades don't seem to have made a single dent in the operating practices (read euthanaisia rates still disproportionately high) - funnily enough, no info on what the money is actually going to be spent on... And back in January this year, the NSW State Government also extended the lease for the Yagoona Shelter land for another 20 years... at a rental rate of $481 a year - https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/lands/news/lease-extension-to-save-rspca-millions T.

With the limited number of public areas dogs are allowed to venture out to nowadays, is it any wonder that so many of them are not as well socialised as we'd like? Just saying... T.

Skin issues can be only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to blue/blue bred staffies... I have seen a few hermaphrodites... also some with sight/hearing issues... I'd be more likely to go with breeder who doesn't breed specifically for blue, but occasionally throws same in regular coloured litters. I'd be very leery of anyone who tries to talk up how "healthy" their blue/blue bred pups will be long term. I'd also like to know how anyone can be mains registering (for breeding/showing) Staffords that are not conforming to the colour standards set for the breed. Oh... and blue Staffords are as rare as rocks nowadays, so paying higher prices for them is ridiculous and money-grabbing. T.

I assisted a dental on a 9 year old beagle cross the other day... she had a fair bit of plaque, but only one small pre-molar needed extraction. Her owner was so upset that her dog must have been in pain from that one small tooth... but we assured her that where that particular tooth was, it wasn't too involved with her eating, so she may not have really noticed any pain from it actually. All of the rest of her teeth were in beautiful condition, just had some plaque build-up. As for bad breath, that can have other sources... not only from teeth issues. Some gastric issues will cause bad breath too. Best to get a thorough vet checkup (and full bloods) to make sure it's only from a bit of muck on the teeth and not something else more sinister... T.

Is your roof colorbond or corrugated iron? And the rain makes noise on it? Just because you mentioned she barks at the blender, I'm thinking it could be noise related... There are rain/storm CD's that you can buy to try to desensitise dogs to the noises of same... maybe you could see if she reacts to one of those? I have a storm phobic dog myself at the moment, but just normal rain doesn't upset her much at all - we've deduced that she is sensing the barometric drop that happens with proper storms, so noise desentising doesn't work for her. She knows a storm is coming hours before it happens... *sigh* T.

You could try putting a dollop of plain greek yoghurt in her dinner... won't necessarily stop the farts, but will take the bad smell away... a good teaspoon should do it. T.

Pickles is somewhat indifferent to the cold, but if it's particularly chilly, she'll either hog the heater or take herself off to her own nice warm beddie... and of course tries to push me off my electric blanket overnight... lol! Harper has a toasty warm jacket that she will not let me take off pretty much ALL winter... *sigh* I'm more of a sook when it comes to the cold weather than my dogs... lol! T.

@Snook... from what I understand, Antinol's active ingredient is extracted differently to other green-lipped mussel formulas... something about this process apparently makes the difference as to it's efficacy over other formulas. T.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722199/ Another study using green-lipped mussel extract on dogs - with amounts given listed... T.

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2011/307121/ Section 6 of the above discusses some dosage rates and testing done on dogs with arthritis @Snook I'm thinking the active ingredient in Antinol is a closely guarded secret at this stage, therefore comparing it to other green-lipped mussel extracts may not necessarily give similar results. T.

Have you talked about Polaramine or Zyrtec with your vet? I have seen lots of dogs taking one or the other with few side effects... and they are cheaper than Claratyne and Aerius. T.

Love the smarty ones trying to go up the side to not get their feet wet... lol! T.

Did your girl have papers with her registered kennel name on them? If so, you could contact DogsQLD and ask whether that breeder is still active... If you run into all the dead ends 16 years could throw at you, then if I may be so bold as to recommend another excellent Labrador breeder in NSW... look at Tapua Labradors... I've met a few, and they are stunning in both conformation AND temperament. T.

@Loving my Oldies... that's most likely so the receipts can go to the right people for their tax purposes... nothing sinister... T.

My friend's dog is doing great on Antinol... I'd highly recommend it @Snook... T.

The beauty of a killed/modified live vaccine... doesn't require to be administered by a vet... *grin* T.

Bad breath can be indicative of digestive issues also... not just teetth/gum issues... Maybe a full blood panel might be helpful to make sure all is well with your boy? T.

Maybe if you try the C3 only in 3 years time (or 3 years from his latest vaccination)... it is very uncommon for the C3 to illicit adverse reactions... C3 covers the 3 biggest killer diseases in dogs - Parvo, Distemper, and Infectious Hepatitis - none of which you ever want your dog to contract. All 3 can kill your furry friend in most unpleasant ways. Even though we don't see Distemper or Infectious Hepatitis much any more, the very least you could try is a Parvac vaccine for Parvo only, OK? T.

The clinic I'm doing my TAFE work placement at uses the C3 vaccination and the intranasal version of the Kennel Cough components to make up the C5 vaccination - we have had virtually no adverse reactions to this combination. I have personally found less reaction happening with the C3 vaccinations of many many foster pups (and my own dogs) over the years... it's when they start combining more components into the vaccine (C4 through to C9) that problems and reactions seem to become more common. It is most likely that the reactions are to the combining agents used in the vaccines, not the actual antibody stimulants they contain, and which are the active part that causes immunity to those diseases. The issues with puppies dying back in the 80's and 90's was from one particular brand of vaccine... and as vets started realising this, they stopped ordering it in droves. That pretty much sorted that issue... Personally, my dogs only get a vaccination if I have to board them for some reason... and that is VERY rare... I have no life... no holidays for me... boohoo! T.

Iz Don... iz very distinguished! Those eyes get me every time... he loves you so much @persephone... Good boy Don! T.

Firstly @Darkstar... I'm so sorry you find yourself having to say goodbye to your loyal mate sooner than you ever thought... As for the clinic not giving you the meds to take home and administer, it is most likely that they are extremely strong medications that are of a shedule that means only vets (and nurses under direct vet instruction) can give them. Paperwork probably needs to be filled out for government inspection in order to even dispense such medications each time he requires them. If your boy is on such medications, he will not be aware of anything around him except that he is in less pain... and to be perfectly honest, I don't think you want to remember him in that state, do you? Vets do not recommend euthanaisia lightly... it is an option of last resort in order to end suffering... and it's the one true gift that we have the option of giving our loyal furry friends when they are in a position like your boy is in. You don't want him suffering or so doped up he's not aware of anything (even your love and devotion)... maybe it's just his time NOW, despite it being so hard for you to accept right now. Hugs to you... and hugs to your boy who needs you to be strong for him right now. T.

I'm an omnivore... and mindful of waste... I eat leftovers, and always ask for a doggy bag if out and the meal has been too big to eat in one sitting. Think of it as a free lunch... lol! I don't produce much waste for my bins either... it's not uncommon for me to take a month to fill my red bin enough to warrant putting it out for pickup. My job requires me to be mindful of all relevant laws, regulations, and codes of practice relating to the animals in my care... and I am tasked with maintaining best practice at all times for them. My personal pet dogs really don't fancy being taken out for walks, or on leads full stop really... so we have playtime in the yard for their exercise requirements instead. They do like going for car rides, so sometimes for a treat, they get a ride for 10 mins or so, then they race back inside and ensconce themselves on their fave pieces of furniture and dream happy dog dreams... hehe! I'm not a fan of blanket rules/regulations enforcing some namby-pamby idea that all animals of a certain type will benefit from the same regimes/treatment. Apart from the 5 freedoms, most other things should be based on individual animal needs/requirements IMHO. T.

By the time your dog shows signs of ill health, it will become emergency surgery to fix it... very expensive, and very risky for your dog. Please take them to the vet ASAP! T.

Desexing them before rehoming will stop that possibility... There are vets who will do desexing for a discounted price for people on pensions - the National Desexing Network - you can look up your closest one here... https://ndn.org.au/ Get Mum and pups desexed, then rehome the pups... easy! T.

As long as the buyers are aware of the back story of the pups they are buying so cheaply, what's the problem with selling them for under $500? Your friend will at least recoup the cost of microchipping and vaccinations (and hopefully worming treatments also). You only have proof that the mother is purebred/pedigreed (if only on limited papers), so pups can't be guaranteed same, as you have no idea who/what the sire was... T.