westielover

Karin is great - my 3 fur kids are graduates of the get smart clicker course - her workshop would be definately be worth going to

Awww Puggles - I'm so sorry - RIP Mollie

the latest handyman magazine has some fencing ideas for escape artists ..... another suggestion is to run wire inside PVC piping along the top of the fence line so that they can't get a good foot hold ...... that could also be a portable option should you ever move.

Aaaaahhh - sorry Tess - didn't realise you had already done the research and why you had chosen the nobivac. It's scary reading about vaccinations and how potentially dnagerous they can be, hey!

My vet at Nth Willoughby draws blood and then sends it off to a lab in Melbourne somewhere. The first time I had a titre test done was at the Natural Vet at Five Dock - they had to send the blood to a lab in WA back then. It usually costs me around $90 I think ..... a little more than the vaccination but I would rather do the tests annually or so than just vaccinate. I feel it's just too risky to keep vaccinating every year. I want my fur babies to live long and healthy. My dogs don't get the annual heartworm injection either.

Tess - if he was my puppy I wouldn't vaccinate again until 16 weeks and then a year later after that. From that point onwards I would only vaccinate every 3-4 years depending on titre results. Whatever you - don't overload his system with unnecessary additional vaccines while he's so young - it could do more damage that good. You need to give his system time to strengthen. He won't develop immunity by vaccination alone - it will also come from environmental exposure. Is your pup a merle collie by any chance? Merle collies apparantly have a predisposition to adverse reactions to vaccines - so even more care should be taken when vaccinating. These are the guidelines recommended by the testing labs: Titres of less than 1:5 are considered seronegative and (re) vaccination is recommended. (Seronegative is a general term that means 'absent from the blood') Titres of >1:5 are considered seropositive. (Seropositivity is the presence of a certain antibody in a blood sample). Titres of >1:5 but <1:20 indicate that revaccination should be considered, especially if disease exposure risk is increased. Dogs with titres of >1:20 probably do not require revaccination I have also read that if a titre shows ANY antibodies, immunity is present. So a response of 1:5 may be considered by your vet as not good enough - but it shows that your pup has anitbodies present. If your vet is suggesting that your pup should have another vaccs now - I would be changing vets. I have westies, and as everyone knows, westies are apparantly prone to skin conditions. I started questioning vaccines about 3 years ago - I started doing research and discovered that we are over vaccinating our animals and by doing this we are slowly killing them. Annual revaccination of dogs has been an industry norm that is being challenged due to increasing proof that protective immunity lasts for longer than one year (and often longer than 4 years) and the knowledge that vaccinations may in some cases have detrimental side effects ranging from anaphylaxis to immune-mediated disease. Some dogs who are vaccinated every year survive okay, while others have all sorts of problems inlcuding skin problems & allergies to this that and the other. We, as humans don't need to be vaccinated every year for various diseases - why do our pets need to be vaccinated every year??? I haven't vaccinated by dogs for almost 3 years. I had my westies vaccinated for 5 & 4 years respectively - then I switched to annual titre tests. Their results have been coming in at a ratio of 1:80 for parvo & distempter for the past 2 years - this year will be the third titre test - so the results will be interesting. If I knew what I know now - I would have started titre tests when they were 2 years of age. The other interesting thing I noted over the past couple of years is that neither of my westies caught kennel cough (or any other disease - not that I have had any parvo infected foster dogs) from any of the foster dogs who came through my house. 99% of the foster dogs who have come thru have been straight from the pound and have had kennel cough. I honestly believe it's because my dogs have a strong & healthy immune system which comes from reduced vaccinations and being on the BARF diet. (Kibble is another questionable subject which I could rave about - but won't now!!) Everytime your dog is vaccinated - his immune system is 'weakened' temporarily. The vaccine contains the diease which the animal is being vaccinated against. The body doesn't know it's a vaccine - it thinks it's a real disease - so the body goes into 'fight' mode and responds accordingly, hence compromising the immune system temporarily. This can also be confirmed by the number of diminished white cells in the blood after a vaccine. Giving your puppy another vaccine now will only weaken his immune sytstem again. Personally, I would stick to the protocols suggested by Dr Jean Dodds: 8-10 weeks - Distemper & Parvovirus - MLV (modfied live virus) (I think minimum available in Australia would be C3) (Pups have their mothers immunity until they are 8 weeks of age). 14 weeks - as above 16-18 weeks - as above (optional) 1 year - as above Annual titre tests after that. A book I would highly recommend is 'Stop the shots! Are Vaccinations killing our pets?' by John Clifton. His book explains vaccinations, antibodies, antigens, titres etc in a manner which is very easy to understand. He doesn't suggest that we never vaccinate our pets again but he certainly makes you think about vaccinations and what they are doing to our pets.

Thank goodness they are finally doing a study here! My dogs have been titre tested for the past 3 years - with great results so far.

With the fosters who have come thru the house my dogs have been great. My westies always show interest at first and then resume normal life. Sometimes they engage in play. My BC x Britt generally engages in play when a dog comes to my place - he's young so loves a good play with another dog. However, outside the home - for some reason - not always so - but we will get there!

I got some 'kangaroo shanks' from that Petcare200 store - there is one in Castle Hill and their other store is in Carringbah. Dogs LOVE their roo shanks!

Rest in peace Luke ....

I much prefer Ian Dunbar over Ceasar Millan and have purchased this but I am yet to watch it. Should be interesting.

Hey sidoney - have you got wireless at the camping site?????

Stay away from the supermarket raw pet food - they contain sodium sulphite - which is a preservative used to keep meat looking red & fresh. Long term feeding of this is toxic to dogs & cats.

Oooohhh la la - time to go shopping

Great pics Vickie. Glad you guys and the dogs had fun - that's what it's all about at the end of the day

Aahhhhh BMP - you make me laugh. There's always a funny story to tell whenever you post. Glad you and Peebs had fun

Unfortunately, mostly from overseas as these type of books are hard to get locally. Here are some websites to get you started: www.dogwise.com www.cleanrun.com www.amazon.com One local place which might have the odd book or DVD is www.airdogs.com.au Don't spend too much

Hi Westiemum - he'll come good with the BARF diet - don't go anywhere near commercial food for him. BARF is doing wonders for your westies (and mine) - so I am pretty certain it will do wonders for your foster boy. Sounds like his immune system needs a boost and the BARF diet is a excellent start to strengthening his immune system. One other thing to keep in mind - DO NOT vaccinate him while he is in this condition. It will only weaken his immune system. I'll give you a call later today to have a chat

It's possible Millipop. Causes of Canine Anterior Uveitis include: - Unknown-Idiopathic - Trauma (accidental and surgical) - Viral: Hepatitis, Distemper - Bacterial: Corneal wounds, Bacterial sepsis (e.g. pyometra, dental disease), Leptospirosis, Borreliosis, Brucellosis, Tuberculosis - Protozoal: Leishmaniasis, Neosporosis, Toxoplasmosis - Parasitic: Dirofilariasis, Angiostrongyliasis, Toxocariasis - Rickettsial: RMSF, Ehrlichiosis - Fungal/Algal: Blastomycosis, Histoplasmosis, Coccidioidomycosis, Cryptococcosis, Protothecosis - Immune mediated: Lens induced uveitis, uveodermatologic syndrome - Metabolic: Hyperlipidemia, Diabetes Mellitus - Genetic: Uveitis in Golden Retrievers associated with iridociliary cysts - Neoplasia The viral cause is interesting as small amounts hepatitis and distemper would be in the C5 injection. That could be the link between the vaccination and your dog getting uveitis. If you aren't sure what to do - I would suggest at the very least stop the annual heartworm injection and replace with monthly chewable tablets instead. If you don't board your dog - drop from C5 to C3. As an alternative to annual vaccinations - perhaps start titre testing instead. As long as there is an immune response to the titre test - it means there is no need to vaccinate at that time. My suggestion would be to do some research about annual vaccinations, titre tests, Dr Jean Dodds DVM, check out Cavandra's web site on one of the links above etc. There are also books available on these topics. At the end of the day - you won't find the direct answers which will tell you what you should do but at least it will enable you to make an informed choice when it comes to the well being of your animals.

GoldiesRgreat, no doubt it's a big paradigm shift. It's a big decision and there are lot's of pros and cons to take into consideration. However, if it's any consolation, my westies have had titre tests for the past 2 years and so far have not needed a vaccination booster. For peace of mind, I would rather pay for titre tests until there is solid proof that vaccinations last for more than 12 months/ a few years. So far, with my westies, it seems that vaccinations do in fact last more than 12 months .... in fact 2 years so far. My Brittany cross boy is due for his vaccinations. I got him from the pound a year ago - he was estimated to me about 12 months old. He was vaccinated at the pound. I have no idea what his vaccination history is prior to that. He will undergo a titre test this time ...... the results should be interesting.

Love your post Warley and really liking you as a responsible breeder, only to become a great breeder with a terrific attitude like that

Poodlemum - are you feeding sardines in oil? Perhaps it's the oil and not the sardines. Try tuna in springwater and see if that makes a difference. Might also be worthwhile trying the mackeral - mine LOVE the mackeral. I must admit - I never feed sardines/runa/mackeral as an entire meal. I generally add a tablespoon of tinend fish as a 'side' to whatever else they are eating.

Good on you Warley - your animals will only benefit from your research and decisions.

Forgot to mention above that an 'allergic reaction' may include hives, facial swelling or even nausea - but the worst allergic reaction can be anaphylaxis ie. shock or sudden death. For the sake of your beloved pets - do some research and question your vet - ultimately by over vaccinating our pets - we are slowly killing them.

The problem is that your dog can have no reaction for years then suddenly have one, and many dogs have no reaction at the time but build up in their system over years to react later in life in the form of arthritis, cancer etc........If we humans had a Hepatitis injection every year I think it would make us very sick eventually, and that is what we are doing to our pets "killing them with kindness" I see you are in SA, you are lucky indeed as Dr Jean Dodds is the guest speaker at the Golden Retriever National in May, to get a good knowledge of what Vaccines do to our dogs this is a seminar not to be missed I can understand finding what is causing the reactionc but the suggestion here to me is not to vaccinate? Is that correct? I find the idea of not vaccinating terrorfying. I would chance a reaction rather than chance parvo or anyother illness like that. For me the remote possibility of an allergic reaction rather then the near certainty or illness if i dont is a small worry for 24hrs compared to a lifetime of worry or are they gonna cath something. Only one out of I dont know how many hundreds of clients I have, have had bad reactions. Thats the same as this cancer vaccine for younger women. Some reacted babdly but most were fine. Small price to be vaccinated against cancer I say. But thats my way of looking at things. I don't think there is a case for not vaccinating at all but Dr Jean Dodds is saying that after the puppy vaccs plus a booster one year later - your dog is pretty much covered for life. We are over vaccinating our animals these days - there is absolutely no need to vaccinate every year. In fact, by vaccinating every year, we are making our animals sick. Auto immune disorders & skin problems are just some of the problems which come about from over vaccinating our pets. There is absolutely no scientific justification for annual vaccination. According to Dr Ronald D Schultz, head of pathobiology at Wisconsin University, and the world’s most eminent expert on canine and feline immunology, “once immunity to a virus exists, it persists for years or for the life of an animal”. Vets, however well-meaning, are educated in colleges that rely upon vaccine and pharmaceutical companies for funding in the form of sponsorship, research grants, scholarships etc . Colleges reliant upon big business for funding, and few people are willing to bite the hand that feeds them. Vets’ education with regard to vaccines tends to stop beyond “do it”. Our knowledge about immunity has improved greatly over the past five years. Some of the information coming to light about vaccines will present an ethical and economic challenge to veterinarians. But your pet deserves to come first, over and above any such challenges. If your vet says annual vaccination is necessary, ask him if he has heard of the research coming out of America, and the advice that annual vaccination is unnecessary. If he has heard of this research, he cannot dismiss your questions. If he has not heard of it, then he lacks the knowledge to advise. I asked my vet about annual vaccinations and he agreed that we over vaccinate - but he also said that he is not really willing to voluntarily advise his clients about this until the pharmaceutical companies change the vaccination protocols. If a client asks about annual vaccinations he is more than willing to discuss it, but from a legal stand point he's not willing to confirm reducing the frequency until the the pharmaceutical companies confirm to do so - he is worried about possible litigation. He supports my choices - he knows I have pound dogs coming thru my home and he still supports my decisions. We conduct annual titre tests to check 'immunity'. As long as there is an immune response to the titre test - it means there is no need to vaccinate at that time. All vaccination packaging carry warnings that they should be injected only in HEALTHY animals. A dog or cat should never be vaccinated when they show any signs of illness. If your pet is already ill, his immune system may not be able to produce antibodies the vaccination is supposed to stimulate; and your pet stands a chance of being overwhelmed by the small amount of virus in the vaccine, and succumbing to the illness he's being vaccinated against. These days I think it's important to take the time to do some research and question your vet, then make educated choices regarding the welfare of your pet.