coogie

Issy's favourite is her Hide-a-Squirrel with or without treats. She has had a ball with this and never seems to tire of it. It is getting a bit loved now so I will be on the lookout for a replacement,sadly she is not keen on squeakers so it cuts down the options a fair bit.

We use this probiotic: Probiotic powder (I was given some to try by another DOLer - thanks Ams). We have two Pei who are both prone to sensitive stomachs and we have tried most diets with varying degrees of success. They now eat two different super premiums,sardines,chicken mince,necks and frames. They also get eggs and natural youghurt plus Manuka honey and flaxseed oil from time to time. The probiotic seems palatable to them and we stick it directly on their food. It seems particularly good if they have had to have antibiotics as they pretty much always get the runs from these. We also give them steamed pumpkin if they are "runny" for more than a day or so.

Alfie gets carsick but is gradually improving, we recently went on a long trip and I was worried about how he would cope. We borrowed a bigger car as we were delivering a rescue dog - he seemed much better lying in the hatch area than he has ever been sitting in the back seat. He was on a tether but not as restricted as he is in his harness,have you tried him in a different area of the car if you are able?

We go to Kroll Gardens all the time and have not found it dirty other than on the odd weekend when it has been very busy,it is lovely during the week.The council have been much better recently with regard to mowing and repairs. We also go to Sweeney's Reserve at Petrie,a word of warning - the fence is still down at the momment following the floods, although if you have good recall it is not too much of a drama as it is not near the road. The creek is the boundary on one side and the dogs can have swim. Sylvia Gibbs Park, Nyora St, Everton Hills is also good and Beachmere on the Bribie Island Road is fantastic if your dogs are beach fans.

Thanks for that Rottifan and to everyone else for all the advice and replies,sorry to hear that Gretel glad she is fine now - the bad news is our girl Issy has now got it as well - so another trip to the vet this morning,hopefully we have caught hers sooner. It is much easier to tell if she is a bit off as she is usually the energiser bunny type and she would not get up this morning. The good(ish) news is that since she caught it from Alfie the vet believes it is most likely a bug and apparently therefore less likely to be recurring. They are now both confined to barracks for a few days as it is clearly infectious. They are currently having a terrible time lying on the sofas under their blankies. OH has just said his throat feels a bit sore :rolleyes: Please, please, please not Man Flu as well. ***Adding Cepacol to the bulging first aid kit.***

You can get these in a few doggy designs from Etsy, they are not cheap but with the Aussie dollar as it is they don't work out too bad. Black and white duvet

This one has lots of breeds but may have a GSD somewhere? Doggy quilt eta - sorry it is the same one!

Thanks for the replies - I will definitely try the "witches" brew Kerry, he already gets yoghurt for breaky sometimes so I could give him a bit extra. I also got some probiotics off a friend last time and they helped. I guess we will just have to wait and see if it comes back,it sounds like it is much worse in cats, glad they are all ok. Hopefully it won't come back, and I have to add he is like a different dog this afternoon,he is eating the soft food, taking his tablets and being a little bit spoilt with the odd cheese slice.

I didn't know dogs could get warts either, glad he is on the mend - he looks like a beautiful boy.

Alfie has been a bit off colour this week,pretty none specific although he had eaten some grass and been sick once. The following day he ate and he was still playing and wrestling with Issy so we thought he was fine. On Friday he ate nothing and was a bit "mopey", I took him into the vet on Saturday morning as he is normally a good eater. He has tonsillitis! In all the years we have had dogs I have never come across this,he has had a pain killing and anti-inflammatory injection and is on antibiotics,half an hour after the jab he was looking for food so must have been in some pain. My question is if anyone else's dog has had this did it just happen the once or as with humans did it keep coming back? He has eaten some soft prescription diet this morning and is clearly on the mend but I am concerned about the antibiotics if it is recurring, as they tend to upset his stomach? Any advice/experiences welcomed.

Well said Willow.

Julzjc, sorry to hear he is still not eating but pleased nothing underlying, sending good thoughts to you. XXX. Have you tried Manuka honey - not enough nutrition on its own obviously but it might get him to eat if you smear it on whatever you are trying to tempt him with.

Hoping Indie is ok

You could try this - it calls it a rain coat but maybe you could use fleece? Doggy pattern

LOL @ Raz

A number of people have asked why I don't have a litter from Issy as "her eyes are perfect". Well yes they are, but sadly her hips are not and she has luxating patellas; hardly breeding stock. I always say this quite bluntly and am met with blank stares and "oh but she's so pretty." One delightful chap said "more fool you, you could have made some money anyway" to me when I said she was de-sexed. I was stunned into silence, how low can you get?

Moreton Regional Council also has two dog limit but you can have three with a permit.

We have used Virgin Blue and never had any issues,we have paid separately - they don't go as excess baggage but under "pet in hold" ticket. The charges vary according to weight, they weigh the pet and crate together. We paid about $100.00 each way I think she weighed 23 kilos with the crate. Issy wore her collar but no lead,the hold is at the same temperature and pressure as the cabin according to the groundstaff. We always put a bed in for her we had a crate but Virgin can supply them. The drop off is just near the domestic terminal and we had to have her there 90 minutes before the flight. I would check the pick up arrangements in Sydney as different airports have different rules,in Mackay we picked her up in the terminal the first time but subsequently had to pick her up from the cargo area (could be difficult if you need to collect her from freight in Sydney depending on what transport you will be using there). I would also check before you book your ticket as they had a limit to the number of pets per flight and you need to book the pet in hold ticket separately through customer service. They have always been very helpful and were good with Issy at the drop off point.

Thankyou

Wow Dxenion, that is seriously well organised - that feed bin looks great. I must investigate to see if there is a slightly smaller version,our bin is on the way out I fear. I had trouble with mould on the lifejackets if we hung them outside anyone got any tips for storing them?

We have two wooden chests - one for leads,harnesses,travel bowls, life jackets & other kit and the other for bedding, towels,bed covers etc. Plus a closed cupboard for medicines and first aid kit. We also have what I think maybe the world's most expensive lead hanger. LOL. I did get in a teeny bit of trouble for buying this, but I think it is absolutely beautiful - not my fault if it ends up with dog leads hanging from it - it is so handy.

Crazy when it is 21 klms up the road! Was the manager willing to say what circumstances they do consider exceptional? I really hope you find a way to sort it out,$140.00 seems quite high for a non refundable admin fee as well,particularly if they are saying they are just rejecting most claims. Hopefully Dxenion will have some more positive advice- fingers and paws crossed for you here.

Dobesrock, did the ranger say why it would not be approved? - friends of mine lived in NT and had no problems getting a permit. The council just checked the property, checked if they had had any previous complaints etc. I think they may speak to any neighbours nearby - but they did not have to cite any "exceptional" circumstances. They just wanted 3 dogs. I had a quick glance at Darwin Council website and it doesn't appear to say you need to show your circumstances are exceptional? Are the council good at keeping their site updated? Maybe you could call the council to get more information around what exactly are the criteria before you put in the application so you can check off any potential issues before you pay the fees? Our particular council has regulations pertaining to block size and number of dogs,but I know things differ from area to area .As to appeals and court I think you would have to look at the grounds of refusal(if it is refused) before you could make a decision. If it is refused on the grounds of neighbours complaining or the size of your block (things that will be hard/impossible to change) I think you would have an expensive and uphill battle - just my opinion,I'm sure there are DOLers with more legal knowledge than I have that could help with that side of things. I hope you are all feeling a bit better and that this gets approved for you.

So sorry to hear this Dobesrock, they both look beautiful. Thinking of you all.

Thanks Miss B