blacklabrador

It would take time for the testosterone (the boy hormone produced by the testes) to reduce in the dog's blood stream. If it was only desexed today (OMG imagine how much that would cost on Christmas day!) then I would expect the dog's ability to become aroused would be hampered only by sedation and pain. Give him time - it's impossible to say whether it's worked at this stage as he was only desexed today. It won't prevent it happening but perhaps it would happen less often after desexing. My desexed male can achieve a tie with my entire bitch. It takes a lot of work but he manages eventually. If your father isn't a breeder of pedigree dogs (which I doubt because he wouldn't have agreed to desexing so readily) then it was probably better that the dog was desexed anyway.

I don't like shanks for dog bones - they tend to splinter. It's common for my dogs (one in particular who doesn't chew so well) to vomit bile the day after eating bones. I believe it's due to a small piece of bone blocking the exit from the stomach into the intestine and allowing a build up of stomach acid. He vomits it up, chew it up small and eats it again (ewww) and is all better. He's been doing it for years and it would never stop me feeding bones.

I get bones for about 50c/kg but I can't reveal my sources... . I wasn't overly impressed with Canine Country. There is a greyhound supplies store near here that does chicken mince in bulk. I can pass on those details to you if you like. I am sure they do bones as well but I think they are a bit more expensive than my other place.

Unless the bandaid on the wound is really big, you should be able to observe around the edges for signs of infection (redness) and possibly oozing through the bandaid (some would be normal). Hope she recovers quickly. Sorry to hear that that vet has changed. It had a good reputation.

It's okay to say NOOOO when you catch him in the act of peeing in the wrong place - then you take him out and try to get him to finish the pee outside. If you find the puddle there's no point saying anything. Any time he does pee you have to act like he's just done the most WONDERFUL thing! Lots of praise and pats and ear rubs. My puppy does his pee and then comes right on over for his praise when he's done. :lol: He's 13 weeks so we're half way there. He won't ask to go outside but he does seem to be waiting until we get outside.. just as long as it's not too long otherwise we have an accident.

If the dog has done it you need to prevent him from doing any more. An e collar will take care of this. Stitches don't usually work themselves loose so you can assume he's done it while you're not looking. If the wound isnt' gaping with that suture missing then it doesn't need treatment. Just prevention.

I thought that was the Midori

I wouldn't think that greenish poo is a problem as long as it's not runny. Dogs fed on bones frequently do light green poo.

:cool: She was beautiful. I'm so sorry Kirty. This wasn't your fault.

I bred a pup with severe elbow dysplasia. The surgery, to my understanding, was never to cure him but to improve his quality of life. It was also my understanding that running about and retrieving etc was off the cards. His joints will degenerate and arthritis will develop - the more wear and tear, the sooner that will happen. After a period of conditioning prior to surgery and a period of rehabilitation afterwards he has been rehomed with a lovely family who understand his limitations. Meanwhile I am still paying off the loan!

Have a look at diabetes insipidus. He may have just been drinking a lot of water that day for some other reason. Have you noticed him drinking heaps of water?

Sorry to hear about the itty bitty kitty. Fly free catty.

Puppies dont' accumulate muscle mass until after the age of 12 months. Be careful that you're not overexercising her.. her long bones are still growing.

I thought BARF was raw food?

Is she entire? Entire bitches can shed in accordance with their hormonal seasons rather than the environmental temperature. My bitch was naked during winter and has the most glorious coat just now. She's 6 weeks out from a season and is hanging on to every hair. My boy sheds more sensibly with the seasons.

Funny you should say that, because I know that 'sometimes' he is. But it doesn't matter to me. He's "checking in on me" and that's something for off-lead stuff I want him to do anyway. So all is good, whichever way it goes :D. Initially, when the focus was on toilet training though, I kept such a close eye on him that I don't think it escaped me what he did (or didn't :wink:) do. :D But to answer your OP ..... don't start doing stuff like putting tarp down so he won't get his paws wet. As you've already guessed for yourself, it WILL make a rod for your own back. And even if YOU didn't care about that, what about when you might need someone else to look after him? You gunna give them all the rules about laying tarp down so he'll go to the toilet outside? Nup. Definitely don't go there :D. Your little boy needs to learn to 'toughen' up and that you just gotta lump some things in life, wet paws just being one of those things. :D. ETA: When my boy did his first ever voluntary outside visit for the toilet, even though it was raining, he got 'jackpot' reward :D. I just know that my kids would be running inside every few minutes for a treat. "Maaarmmm I did another weeee" But yes okay I will ditch the tarp idea and tell the little bugger to HTFU. He seems happy to have me standing out in the rain while he sits on the edge of the cement watching me. I'd put him on lead but I don't want to create a negative assocation with me clipping on the lead to drag him out to somewhere where he's not happy to be. Jackpot?? do tell!

LOL Erny how do you know he's not lying? :rolleyes:

He just backed out a steamer on the rug... about five minutes after I wrote that post. Kids will make damn liars out of you at every opportunity

I have a ten week old pup here - toilet training going well and he's having very few accidents. When the grass is dry it's his preferred place, but when it's wet he gets all funny about walking on it (little girls blouse!!) I can put a small tarp over one corner so he can walk off the cement onto dry grass but is this making a rod for my back? It's raining so frequently at the moment and I'm concerned about this upsetting his newly formed habits. Suggestions appreciated

He will grow into his skin in time - it's not an indication that he should be getting more food! Two meals a day with no dry food in between will be enough. It's important to grow large breed pups slowly. There's no hurry, even if he is going to end up big... and labradors are always going to be hungry no matter how much you feed him so you cannot take his behaviour as any sort of yardstick.

21kg is a lot for a pup not yet 6 months old ( of course this is relative to his build/bloodlines/final height etc) They don't need 3 meals a day with dry bisuits in between so it sounds like you are over feeding. I have a ten week old pup here who is being fed twice daily and growing nicely.

This is totally OT but (and this is my claim to fame)...my Ex's uncle was Guido Fanconi (of Fanconi Syndrome and Fanconi Anaemia). Totally not related to us naming our puppy Guido Now back to your usual programming.

How do we recognise what 'chicken treats from China' look like? If it's been publically announced then I don't see a problem with you posting it here. Sorry to hear about your dog.

Supermarkets and health food shops.