mita

Yes, to the above. I use Advantix. For worms, my tibs get Interceptor.

When I read these instructions for putting the anti-tick/flea stuff on big dogs, it gave me the idea of putting it in two places on my small dogs. On/half on neck near between shoulders & the other half further down closer to the rear end. But I have to be careful with this second spot....tibbies are lithe with their long backs & can twist around and lick the stuff if placed too far south!

Dunno, RP. Based on how they fit on a small dog's face, they may be made for dogs. And he looks so relaxed wearing them, maybe a regular thing. I know we do have to protect our tibbies' slightly popping eyes from grit & dirt blown by the wind. I was really curious when I came on the pic. I'll ask about them on the international tibbie list.

By coincidence, I found a pic on the international tibbie site, showing a tib wearing eye protection, seated beside the open window of a car. I think the person who's signed the pic is a Danish breeder. Tibs are a flat-faced but not as much as a pug. Scroll down: http://www.tibbies.net/tibbie_facts.html

I'm saying that letting the general public know about the advantages of adopting purebreds from good registered breeders...& the fact that they can....would syphon off many pet buyers who are presently supporting the existence of pet stores. Because they think they can only buy from pet stores. However, if demand should then drop for puppy-millers' & BYBers' puppies via pet stores, those creeps will find other ways of selling. Like thro' the classifieds, over the Net, 'front' houses in the suburbs etc. So the existence of the millers still needs to be addressed. However, continuing publicity which encourages pet owners to consider going direct to registered breeders, would further drop their customer numbers. CHOICE (the Australian Consumers Association) has for some time now, had a more than subtle push to dog buyers, to go find good breeders via the state canine associations (& to adopt from decent rescue). This message just needs to be ratcheted up, to get to the public. It's like pulling teeth trying to get those canine associations to do so. I guess they'd argue, they're simply a registry. But I notice that the US Kennel Association carries out a lot of PR activities. I take the point, tho', that there'd be an issue re supply.

It's just one strategy, but an important one. Based on the fact that many people don't know where else to go, other than pet shops. I've met so many good pet owners who believed pet shops were the only places that pet people can go to purchase puppies, where there's some regulation behind it. No, they can also go direct to registered breeders & no, there's no regulation behind pet stores (except very limited codes of practice which can be ignored anyway). If I had a dollar for every pet owner who's told me they thought only people wanting to show dogs can buy from registered breeders, I'd be rich. The second fact is that good registered breeders have been found (via research) to raise puppies to be better socialised. Thus setting them up to live a more well adjusted life as a companion dog. All round... good registered breeders provide an amazing 'service' to pet owners, pre & post sale. And welfare of their animals gets top spot.

We've gone over this so many times on DOL, because it's so badly needed. The same suggestions keep coming up re promoting purebreds from decent registered breeders. PetRescue & others are out there promoting dogs from rescue. 'Rescue' dogs are getting firmly into the public consciousness & the promotion of the one-portal website shows them where to go. Must add something, that others have also said. Our individual purebreds, out & about in their pet lives, provide publicity. My tibbie girls from great breeders, with their lovely looks & typical tibbie temperaments keep winning people they meet. I'm forever passing over info & contacts on how to get one....to good people who ask. And I know these people would then have access to an amazing global purebred community for my breed. Recently I had a tricky health problem with one of my tibs. I got great advice from the good breeders across a number of countries. When the vet's conclusions were in, they were exactly as these breeders had said. A food intolerance triggered by a processed dog treat. Now she's back to normal on a diet that the breeders recommended (natural foods only) & the vet totally agreed with. This contact with knowledgeable & experienced registered breeders is pure gold. Freely given. The US Kennel Club have an annual Pedigree Pride Day, when meet-up & show & tell activities are held throughout the country. That's one of the things I'd like to see here in OZ.

Not true at all, we built the ALV website, we also built the oscar's law website, and we know them personally. They are not against keeping animals as pets as all. In fact, all of the dogs saved from puppy mills are either kept by volunteers from ALV themselves (as pets), or rehomed as pets. That statement obviously refers to the general attitude towards animals. I'm just mulling this over, so only first thoughts. Maybe adding one word about animals' position could make a difference...'not just as the property of others'. OK, even as I wrote that, I'm thinking, 'Yes but that makes for a vague definition & the law doesn't handle well, vague definitions!' (As in the carnage that followed the Qld BSL law that referred to 'pitbull types'.) So maybe there's a way of qualifying animals as 'property' which also gives them some individual redress & protection. Maybe like the way children can be afforded separate legal representation. There's already a welfare aspect that can overtake the property aspect re animals, in that under cruelty laws, animals can be seized by authorities. Perhaps that welfare aspect could have added to it, a component of the animal having some independence under the law. I understand that a specialist in animal law at Griffith University, Steven White, has produced an argument for this. His paper: 'Companion Animals - Members of the Family or Legally Discarded Objects?', (2009) 32 UNSW Law Journal, 852-878. I'm no lawyer, so. as I said, just mulling it over. Going this route, could either protect animals more OR create an almighty confusing legal mess. On different slant, I wish there was a follow-up program telling the public about better ways (for owners & dogs) of getting puppies. The lass in the program referred to shelters & pounds. But the public needs to know how to get purebred dogs from decent registered breeders. With examples showing how to go about that & the enormous advantages in doing so.

Your peke knows he was born to be an aristocrat. By chance, I found this in a 2009 interview of the current Tibetan spiritual leader, Gonsar Rinpoche (selected by the Dalai Lama). I was born into a Tibetan aristocratic family. Most of these families keep Tibetan Spaniels. Pekingese dogs are also popular with aristocrats. The dogs are treated as members of the family and often sleep in the bed of their owner; my dogs sleep in my bed with me. He says that the Tibetan name for a Pekingese is 'Gya Khyi'.

If you ever get up (or down! :D ) to small dogs, I can give you the contact for the Tibetan Spaniel Association of Victoria. There you'd find heaps of Buddhist tibbies who can go into the calm zone, right from birth. I can't resist posting this pic of a baby tib & a passing relative flat out 'meditating'. In the meantime, I'm sure your study will go well & be a useful addition to the research literature. :D

I was one of the people who phoned the vet surgery to donate & would be very happy for any of my donation to be used in this way. I'm glad that all Missy's needs have been covered. And that the family now have a better Christmas to look forward to.

What a pity you don't need small, laid-back dogs. Tibetan Spaniels would be perfect....they go into the calmest Buddhist zone. One of my tibbies had to have an ultra-sound recently. The vet said, no breakfast as often the dogs have to be sedated. My girl was totally laid back, no sedation needed at all. Best wishes with your study, Tiffany.

We used to board our shelties at the Samford Boarding Kennels (I think they might call it Samford Pet Resort). We were very happy with the care & attention. Now it's the only kennels where we'd leave our tibbies. They have a pick-up/return service from various vet clinics all over Brisbane. So owners don't have to drive all the way to Samford...which is just outside the Brisbane boundary, near the north-western suburbs.

All this is a steep learning curve for me, too. So that was no thread-jacking, Erny. You got an answer I needed to know!!! Staranais, you've given me more reason why it'll be necessary to have those biopsies done. I'd been wrongly thinking....well if they're pretty sure it's Inflammatory Bowel Disease, why do something invasive. Now I understand it's an essential part of making a real diagnosis. Got to admit, I'm puzzled why it came on so suddenly & full-on. Annie's nearly 4 years old & has been the picture of health. She didn't gradually start having bowel problems that got worse.

Thank you, Dogmad! You & Stormie have answered the questions I was nervously wondering about! :D I'll now take the step of getting Annie's bowel tissue sampled. I was wondering about adding some kind of vegetables, but couldn't figure what might not set her off. Sweet potato was top of my questiion list....because it's so nutritious for humans. Also I wondered about some tuna....for the fish oil in it. By coincidence, the vet metioned there was an older med that still proved helpful for IBD...& I wonder if it might be Salazopyrin. I'll bring it up with her. Fortunately, Annie has a truly glorious nature & happily chomps down whatever's given her. It's the runny poos that can happen afterwards....& her discomfort and being so downed. I feel truly dreadful watching this happen. It makes me so nervous about adding anything on to the chicken & rice & Farex. But she desperately needs more nutrition. ADDED: I googled Salazopyrin & it led me to this site. Has the best info on IBD I've found. Med of choice is Salazopoyrin. http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings...7&O=Generic

Stormie, the tests so far ruled out anything to do with pancreatitis. After Annie's first bowel-rest of having just chicken & rice, the vet tried prescription diet for digestive problems. But Annie got a runny poos attack. Then they tried the prescription diet for allergies. Same unhappy result. The vet herself took Annie to the specialists for the ultra-sound & talked with the specialist while it was being done. I'm interested you've said the puss-cats had the bowel biopsy for a definite diagnosis. That would be the next diagnostic step for Annie. I was not keen, but what you've said makes me re-think this. Meantime, the vets are pretty sure it's Inflammatory Bowel Disease. And she's responded well to the Metragyl when the runny poos happen. The biggest problem is getting some nutrition into her...when so many things, including the prescription kibble diets, set it off.

Our young Annie was brimming with good health. Then in August, she suddenly got uncontrollable sloppy poos in the night-time. The vet was puzzled because she said Annie was already on a close to perfect diet. It was scaled back to just basmati rice & lightly cooked chicken breast. But as soon as any kibble was added (specialist ones like for digestion & for allergies), back came the attacks. When they happened, the medication Metragyl cleared them in days. But I wanted to prevent them happening in the first place. Because she is so uncomfortable when they happen....her innards rumble & she lies with her tummy up towards the sun, like using a hot water bottle. The total opposite to the happy, sparky little dog who loves to play with the greyhounds next door. She's had blood tests (nothing found!), faecal analysis (nothing) and an ultra-sound (nothing). The vet is thinking Inflammatory Bowel Disease which is medical in origin, not simply the results of diet. But diet gets affected. She's back on just rice & chicken. I've found she can tolerate Farex rice cereal for babies....it has some iron & antioxidants in it. Tho' when we just added some baby liquid vitamins, she got the runny poos again....with all the other signs of discomfort. The real problem is how to prevent these attacks & how to get some nutrition into her. It's awful to see such a gorgeous-natured little dog laid low by this colitis. A further diagnostic step can be to take samples from her bowel walls for biopsy to see how thick the inflammed cells are. Either mild, moderate or severe. I don't know about that....as the management would still be much the same. I'd really appreciate hearing if anyone else has had or still has this chronic colitis-type problem with their dog????

A pembroke corgi girl, named Victoria, growled bossily at my tibbie girl, Angel, when Angel went to drink out of a water bowl....at a Blessings of the Pets event. Angel, who looked like an angel, did fat Victoria over. The man who owned Victoria told her it was her own fault for trying to boss a feisty foreigner. :D We had a cardigan corgi when we were kids, named Bridget (Biddy). and she was the most fantastic all-round compact-sized, sensible, safe & loving family dog. She was just as happy being a lap dog as going out on Moreton Bay on my father's launch on fishing trips with a bunch of men. Biddy was so well known that the passing charter boat skippers would yell out across the water...'Gidday, Biddy!'

Thanks guys. Mita we are members of givit so will use them to help her find some crockery and linen etc. Good thinking. The mum will also be needing household items to set the family up again. Maybe someone can pop in a soft dog bed for Missty, too.

Maybe bring the family & Missy's need to the attention of GIVIT, which is Brisbane-based? They ask for help of all kinds for people, when charities that are registered with them, bring cases to GIVIT's attention. I think Pacers is already registered with GIVIT. Also some time back, the lady who runs GIVIT asked the supporters of that group, if they'd consider adding animal welfare needs. Got a 100% 'Yes'. Missy's case involves the welfare of the family, as well. They've been thro' sheer hell. http://www.givit.org.au/ That vets is just down the road from me, in Brisbane (sort of!). I'll make a donation.

Cardigan Corgi from a good registered breeder. Great sensible all-round family dog.

Agree with this advice. A good vet told me to add some quality fibre to the dogs' food, to help the poop do its job with those damn anal glands. Physillium fibre (I get it from the health food shop, but have seen it in the health foods section of our supermarket).

Good question. A young girl who serves at a pet store near me, goes into a little spiel about how breeders of purebreds are producing all the dogs that need to be rescued. Useless pointing out to her that research says the opposite applies. Like water off a duck's back. But on rare occasions, a gem pops up. Another young woman served in that store, for a period, & she was as smart as a whip. And not backward in coming forward to correct misconceptions. Turned out she was a vet science student in her final year.

Just my opinion. But I think the Cardigan Corgi is at the smaller end of the medium dog range. And I think they're one of the hidden treasures of the dog world. Sensible dogs that are all-round moderate. Our family had one when we were children. At the bigger end of the medium range is the Smooth Collie. Another one of the hidden treasures. In both cases, of course, I'm talking about purebreds from good registered breeders.

The dog registration system in my council area, specifically says that registration is dependent on owners doing certain basic things. Wouldn't hurt to add only a couple of more well- considered 'basics'. Could readily be a Clayton's licence system.