shepherds

Thanks... I do the same (weigh and monitor everything that goes in their gobs).... I have one older dog with health issues who badly needs condition and the coconut oil hasnt made any difference to him and a youngster (8 months) who is maintaining condition very easily and I have cut his food back but he is getting loose in ligamentation - and I cant figure out if its an age thing or the coconut oil....and loose ligamentation is the last thing I want.......

Since adding coconut oil....has anyone noticed a change in their dogs weight....has it helped them put on condition or have they lost weight??? - Ive read conflicting reports on that Thanks

One of my boys did exactly the same thing...and although I dont mean to worry you, even if neurologically all is okay, can I suggest at some stage you get her checked out by a good chiro. My boy appeared fine after the event, but had actually done some damage through compressing the vertebrae in his neck down into his spine from the force of the impact. He showed nothing at the time (being the tough nuts that Shepherds are) and it wasnt until a few of weeks later the injury started to show itself.... But hopefully all is good for your girl......we ended up putting big white taped crosses across the bottom of our sliding door...the things we do for our dogs.

Happy for you to use them Snake Catcher, anything to help as you have been very helpful to us. Let me know if you would like any more as I can take a couple more from different angles and ones that might be a bit clearer.

Thanks OsoSwift....one can only hope.... A friend put me onto this builder and think it helped that he was an obvious dog lover and the boys charmed him. :D It did take a week to complete and although some might think that was a long time, he was very very thorough...even to the point that inside the box where he put the cement sheeting he also ran additional framing around the top so there are absolutely no gaps. Wish I had actually found him before we built the dog runs, cos he had some great ideas!

Well guys, snake meshing/proofing of dog runs finished. Found a wonderful builder who said quote "will fit you in as soon as possible as have to keep the wee doggies safe". Thanks for everyone's suggestions, have used a little bit of everyone's ideas. Essentially ran the snake mesh across the back and down one side of the run then created a new fence in front of the doors. Also cement sheeted the inside of all external parts of the boxes on the inside as well as the mesh along the back. Took the roof off and insulated. Mesh has been dug several inches into the ground. And while I know everything is not 100% certain (hope your boy is going okay Idigadog), have done the best that I can. Here are a couple of piccies of the finished result.

Hi MnD I have been looking into using coconut oil on one of my lot. Can I ask was it an obvious grass allergy (as in figuring out what was causing the rashes etc) and did you start with a full tablespoon or build up a bit by bit and did you notice any other benefit from adding the oil, like improved coat condition etc. Thanks And yes - I've also seen Yoghurt Plus in Coles - I only know of one person who tried it and their dog couldnt cope with it as it gave them the runs....

I can fully empathise with you on that front. Not to mention you get soo bloody jumpy! x 2............ Nerves are shot........ everytime hear a rustle, see a flicker of movement. It poured with rain here yesterday so provided a temporary respite from it all..

In relation to the GSD - Dry - relates to the muscular aspect of the dog.....that is they are firm and dry and no looseness in their ligamentation. Cheers

Awful....just saw it on the news, cant imagine how the owner is feeling, going down to her car and finding two of her dogs dead, it would have been horrific and your worst nightmare One of the prices we have to pay living on an island and wanting to travel with your dogs. I did the Spirit once with a dog, 12 hours and when we got to the other end he was quite stressed and had shredded everything to pieces that I had put in with him....and he was one of the most laid back dogs I had ever had. After that, its fly - which is not without its problems either. Sincere sympathy to the owner/family of the gorgeous looking rottis.

Hi Pheebs, can I suggest you email Sherel and ask her for her advice. She is very very helpful and might be able to pinpoint what has caused the change. Cheers

Our running yards have cyclone fencing which has the thickest grade shade cloth on the outside of it going the whole 6 foot height. The fencing and shade cloth are buried a foot into the ground. Gaps have been filled with either mouse mesh or that expandable stuff in a can. Every door going into the dog shed has mesh under it and all the gaps between the shed and the slab have been filled in with either blue metal or the expandable stuff. The colorbond fencing that runs around the night yard and our house yard has been back filled (which is a big no-no apparently ) and the gaps between the gates also have mesh over them. I mow the grass around the running yards to within an inch of it's life and our paddocks are clear of debris etc. Our dam is at the opposite end of our property but our neighbours dam is closer and both have water in them so it's not like the snakes are desperate for a drink and have to get into our shed. I'm just stuffed as to what to do next? Frustrated, defeated, pissed off, the list goes on! I'm just so upset. I really thought we had done everything right. When we lost Drifter last year and had Rookie and Sully bitten, we upped the anti big time. I walk the dog yards before letting them out, we constantly check the outside of the fencing, our dogs are not allowed to roam and chase any of the local fauna yet we are still not winning. When this happened to Cooper on the weekend I just lost it. I really feel like I have let the boys down and no matter what I do, I will never be able to protect them. Thanks SC. Cooper is lying here beside me and is recovering remarkably well. We were lucky I guess that we caught it so quickly and he hadn't even gotten to the wobbly leg stage by the time we got him to the vet. He's a tough old buggar and the most awesome dog. I just hope he forgives me Thats just gutwrenching Idigadog. Words are just completely inadequate given everything that you've done and I have nothing to offer, except I understand your pain and frustration and it just must be doing your head in. Very good to hear Cooper is recovering well

Mine have much firmer stools with BH than the previous food I fed them, which is an absolute blessing when doing poop patrol. I do watch my eldest boy after being given bones as due to his age he can have a problem with constipation and now for the evening meal where he has had a bone during the day, I add just the tiniest amount of oil and no problems the next day. And while this is slightly OT, in addition to firmer/better stools, the condition of all of them has improved and again my eldest is thoroughly benefiting the most from the no wheat in the biscuit and I been able to cut his "vet" arthritis medicine back while still supporting him with homeopathic and herbal meds.

Well fingers and everything else crossed it continues to work for you. Your runs and the extra yard bit is lovely and I just hope your lot appreciate all the hard work that has gone into them. :D I guess thats one advantage of Tas, we are still getting colder nights (so I can let the dogs have a really good run very early am without stressing at all) and sometimes we can get four seasons in one day...even in the middle of summer, so on occasion we get some relief.

Well thats just soul destroying then. Have you had any issues since you did yours?

Could have written that myself.........I have just come back from one of my neighbours explaining what I have done with water down the boundary. I was watching her two little dogs bouncing around in the woodpile, piles of bricks scrap metal and knee high grass and all the while thinking hmmmmmm whilst looking back at our place which looks like its been napalmed. I have no complaints about my vet at all (two vials was $1200) ...but unfortunately I think some vets take advantage when you dont have a choice and at your most vulnerable. Its either pay up or the dog dies and alot of people just cant afford that type of money.... Im very grateful I dont need to be thinking about whether I can afford it or not...it might mean a dent in the credit card...but whatever it takes is whatever it takes...but to have the added financial stress while watching a beloved pet suffer from the effects of a snake bite would be just awful. Can I ask what type of fencing do you have and how is it put up?

Hi Idigadog Thinking of you and wishing your boy a full recovery. I can fully relate to your comment amount feeling so defeated, four times in two years is way too many and must be heartbreaking. I nearly lost my young dog two years ago and since then we have removed all snake cover areas, the block is completely clear and yet the snakes still continue to venture into our yard. Every time we see one, we step it up another notch in terms of prevention and clearing the area further out from the house. Unfortunately we cant do anything about our neighbour's blocks either side which are just pure snake havens. After having removed yet another one from the front yard last week, am now about to fully enclose the dog runs with another fence of snake meshing, I have spent the weekend brewing up the clove mix suggested by Snake Catcher and have also put water down the boundary fencing to try and keep them from coming into our block. Hopefully that will assist, but outside of moving to NZ or into the middle of the city, Im not sure what else we can do. It has almost become an obsession, keeping the dogs safe. But hearing the stories of people who lose their pets and almost nearly losing our boy and then dealing with the long term health issues he has suffered with since its very hard not to be paranoid about snakes and the dogs safety. Its going to be a long tough summer methinks.

So sorry Memphis......dreadful time for you and your family

:D I'll have some too please!

Thanks NicB...mind you they dont seem to appreciate them at all and when we are home what they get up to bears an uncanny resemblance to your description of yours And dont get me started on the vacuuming and dusting....especially at this time of year when they are dropping coat.

That is the retaining wall which is now back filled . they are not very often locked into the small runs these days as I have attached the yard so don't go to the toilet in them, but I hose them out through the doors as the doors have nothing underneath them like yours would have. Putting up snake mesh or mesh with shade cloth around the outside may be a good idea. I did read somewhere that you need to slope it outwards at the top as that makes sure the snakes cannot climb the mesh. If you did that you could make up gates from angle iron so that the angle iron gate shuts into and angle iron frame and that would be very snake proof. That is the recommendation I was given many years ago as a snake proof gate. Snake mesh comes in 90cm and 120cm from memory. I would consider snake mesh and burying it into blue metal as then it shouldn't rust as quickly or much at all. The other thing you need to keep in mind is that if you have mice issue and they are digging mouse houses under your fence that snakes love mouse holes and can use them to go under a fence Thanks again...really do appreciate your help. Have a friend of ours who is really good with figuring things like this out coming around tomorrow to have a look and help us decide on a plan and then will go from there. Will let you know what I decide on. Cheers

Thanks Ososwift. In the 2nd picture it looks like you have another wall/barrier running the outside of your runs? Or is it just too early in the morning and Im not seeing it right? Your runs look like they sit directly on the ground?? And how to you go hosing the runs out? Am really spewing now builder didnt measure correctly as it would be so much easier to run meshing straight down the walls past the edge of the slab straight into the ground. Am wondering whether it would be more secure to build another barrier/snake proof fence a meter high around the outside of the runs to ensure there arent any gaps??? That would be a bigger job, but would rather do it right the first time. Cheers

You are braver than me......... Wouldnt get me anywhere near a paddock with grass any longer than a couple of inches! Who me? Brave??? You may laugh, but every time I asked a farmer to use their land, I have enquired "how often they see snakes in the warmer months." I often wondered why they - looked at me funny!!!!!! Nope, no laughing here.....I think I saw that look on the snake catchers face, when I was tormenting the poor woman with a 101 questions. I think she was close to telling me to move to NZ. :D Friends golf at Cranbourne. They have frequent frights. Tooradin pet property owners....NOW, they are brave. That one has gone over my head....please explain Snake catcher...you are my hero. Mad (in a good way). x 2

Hmmmm What do you think of the idea of attatching either shade cloth or snake mesh and bending it so that a couple of inches are flat onto the cement and then using galvanised strapping dynabolted with small dyna bolts into the concrete? I would go at least a metre high. You would of course have to do under the doors as well and on the doors. I have used thin conveyer type rubber around the doors. It is attatched to one side and shuts up against the other side of the frame. Alternatively you need to make your doors shut into angle steel with no gaps. I would make sure all around the bottom of the wood house had no gaps and if it did I would use expanding foan to fill them up. Hope that gives you an idea or two even if they are not exactly what you are after Thanks Ososwift - thats exactly the type of info I was after. Im planning on running shade cloth completely over the wooden section at the back of the runs - dug into the ground and the sides I have already filled with expanding foam. I am still trying to get my head around your description of how you handle the doors on your runs...you dont by any chance have a photo of them? Cheers

You are braver than me......... Wouldnt get me anywhere near a paddock with grass any longer than a couple of inches!