Jed

The backyard sounds pretty boring too. How about a big meaty bone on Mondays? A big Kong smeared well with peanut paste, or jammed full of dog dries on Tuesdays? A treat ball with a few dries in it on Wednesday? And another big bone on Thursdays? And so on. A kids' wading pool (about $25) with water in it - or sand, for digging. Some rope toys, or ropes to pull around. Take all the toys away, and only put a few out. Change them daily, so the dog has something new to play with. Get a big ball she can't pick up in her mouth, and let her push it around the yard. Take her for a walk before work.

I think this is a different puppy ..... a guard dog puppy.

Every site, book, and decent vet would refute this. Just because someone is a vet, doesn't mean they are always right.

Good idea Toohey - the breeder should be your first port of call, Sophy, so maybe give him a ring. Unless you got the pup from a p/shop, in which case, don't expect too much assistance.

I found the blender a bit of a problem - needed a lot of liquid, specially with the harder veges, and it was all too runny - wore out a lot of blenders too. I use a food processor. I had a small one, which died. A couple of months ago, I bought a Kambrook combination processor/blender - had both appliances on the same base. About $80, and so far, it has been great. Kambrook make very affordable appliances, the only problem in the past was that some of them were a bit shoddy. The quality seems to have improved, and I am very happy with this one. A lot cheaper than the next one, which didn't seem much better to me, but you never know until you try them. I put the blade in, chuck the lot into the bowl, and zoom it all into squashies!! I also have one of those juicers you put the fruit into, and it spits out juice on one side, and pulp on the other - the dogs get the pulp, which they think is alright, although they all reject citrus. Pity, as I do a lot of oranges!!

Those sites look quite impressive. Morgan, have you tried any of the products with success?

This is simple guarding - he has reached an age when he sees his function to protect you and your property. If you are swimming, it will be difficult to stop him protecting your belongings (oh, the bliss of being able to leave your wallet on the beach!!). My cockers would be in the water too, bugger the towel!! As far as protecting you from other dogs on walks - simply saying "no" should be enough - might have to do it a few times. Once he understands you don't want him to do that, he should stop. Just check that the pups he is chastising are not behaving rudely towards him - ie, jumping on him. If so, he is telling them to mind their manners. My cocker protects his car, and his property, and breaks up any squabbles between the other dogs. On one occasion, I went out, leaving a pregnant bitch, not due for 5 days, and not looking like whelping. Returned 2 hours later - no bitch, no cocker. She had dug a hole under a big wooden box under the house, and was whelping. He was sitting at the entrance of the hole, growling horridly at any dog stupid enough to come near. I was so happy, as the other bitches would have pinched the pups! They are a very devoted breed, particularly the boys, and like to take care of things for you - and take care of you. When mine was about 5 months old, he met my adult daughter for the first time. We had been out the night before, and he hadn't seen her. He was sitting on my bed, and she came into the bedroom. He rushed to the bottom of the bed, and growled at her. His rationale was that a stranger had invaded his territory, and threatened his person. My daugher was most impressed! I told him "no" and they are great friends now. His behaviour is definitely not related to "cocker rage" - this is just the normal behaviour of a loving and protective dog. You just need to make him understand he does not need to do it.

Plenty of people do use human shampoos on dogs, without any ill effects However, people shampoos have a different PH, and can damage the skin. Some dogs are not affected, but some are. The damage is often not apparent for years. The owner presents a dog with a skin problem to the vet - and it is almost impossible to get a diagnosis, so the dog is put onto cortisone or some other drug to control the problem. It is much safer to use a shampoo specially formulated for dogs, because your dog may just be the one who has a problem in 2 or 3 years.

Emma79 You can only buy Innova from Pets Hell, and there is only one puppy food. If, like Innova, it's complete and balanced, it should suit both small and large breed puppies. It's fomulated to do that. Tiggy, there are a few premium dry foods - Nutro, Nutrience, Eukanuba, Hills etc., and Advance isn't bad either. A lot like Eagle Pack - it seems to have too much grain for me, and lots prefer other things.

Cooking meat destroys the calcium, and also the enzmes which dogs need - one of which helps with digestion. NO onions raw potato tomato grapes - incl sultanas and raisins You can put the veges into the food processor and turn them into mince and mix with the raw meat. Also fruit - apples, pears, all stonefruits, rockmelons, bananas (not this week at $7.99 kg), strawberries, paw paw, etc - anything but grapes - mine wont eat citrus under any circumstances, but others do. Fruit/veges should only be about 20% of the ration, and green veges are good. Re - corn - I don't often feed this, but when I do, I cut it from the cob, and chuck it in the food processor - haven't had any problems, but they don't get much.

Desexing him now wont lead to any health problems - will certainly negate the risk of testicular cancer. There is also less chance of him wanting to wander (and maybe end up in traffic) coz he smells lady dogs, and his hormones are driving him, and less chance of him getting into fights with other male dogs. Will also stop someone evil person stealing him to breed with!! I'd have him desexed, if he was mine. It wont make any difference to him, and indeed he will not be any different. If that's him in your avatar, he's veerrry cute, hope he will post more of his photos so we can all admire him.

It's good stuff - you can mix it with water and spray on coated dogs to keep the coat and good condition, and to help remove knots. Can only not work! I've found it good - I think it helps with the secondary bacterial infectons, and it seems to reduce the scratching. I slopped some on one day (in desperation) and was happy with the results. It's certainly never made anyone worse. Quite a few of my rescues have skin problems. Perhaps that is why they were abandoned. Most improve with a natural diet (basically BARF), (though some have been allergic to red meat) lots of veges, specially greens, vit c and e, the polyvite, fish oils and other oils, and not using "regular" shampoo. I've also used Colloidal Silver, which I have found excellent for cuts and wounds, and it seemed to provide relief too. I believe that colourings/preservatives and things like human shampoo, sunlight soap or woolmix, derange the skin, and the skin survives for a couple - or a few - years, and then cannot take it any more, and skin problems arise. I wonder if Spikey's pup had a reaction to one of the treatments he had - maybe heartworm, maybe flea treatments. Deranged the immune system. Building up the immune system with Vit C is a good idea, and I'd maybe try some homeopathic treatments, but the problem seems to be to find a good homeopath.

Pity you haven't got to the bottom of it - so frustrating. Keep up the Vit C - I use the tablets, simpler with a few dogs, for me. I have a rescue cav here who was nearly bald. He was obviously on cortisone, as he became much worse after he had been here for a short time. I feel that he too is allergic to Aloveen - he came with the shampoo, and I found he was worse after a bath. I think his allergies are probably food preservative/colourig based. He is now on a natural diet. A few non invasive things I have found which seem to help "skin" dogs are - Quititch, which is an iodine based - it is an antiseptic, anti fungal and anti bacterial. You can spot it on, use as a rinse, or shampoo. I have been shampooing the Cav in it, and he seems to be able to cope with that better than Aloveen or Malaseb. Worth a go. Howevr, the thing I find most useful is Alpha Keri Oil - from the chemist - it is a water based oil, and I pat it onto the itchy or bald, or red places and it soothes and improves. I do it once or twice a week, and only bath every couple of weeks. Sometimes the dogs are better for not beng bathed too frequently. A lot of show people use Johnsons Baby Shampoo with Alpha Keri oil as a shampoo on show dogs. If you put it on the itchy places, they look bad, but it seems to provide relief. And it's not expensive. Rudducks make a product called Poly Vite - it is a vitamin tonic, and contains linoelic acid, which is great for skin problems. I give itchy dogs this, and it does seem to help - over a few weeks. These are just non-vet treatments, but I have found them all to provide relief, and often to provide a cure. Might be worth a go. Good luck with him - itches are just sooooo frustrating.

I had two older bitches speyed earlier this year. One had a few growths cut off at the same time, so was anaesthetised longer. I have pain medication here, but imo, neither needed it - they wer both very sprightly, and much as usual. I don't know that a male dog would need pain medication - certainly not before the op - and probably not after. Only ever done a few boys, and only 1 had a problem. I think the stitches were too tight. I'd go for the bronze option too!

If you are in Brisbane, try West Chermside Vet. Clinic, in Appleby Road. They are excellent, but not cheap. Other posters may be able to suggest other vets who are good. The one you have found sounds good. Fits can be caused by various tumours - brain, insuloma, liver etc, by epilepsy, or by hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), or by an injury to the brain, or certain types of poison. Your dog's history rules out some of the possible causes. Blood tests will rule out some of the other things - and the spinal fluid can be checked (general anaesthetic) to rule out a brain injury. It would be handy if the dog was at the vets when it had the fit, but it never seems to happen that way. These tests are not cheap, but will certainly put your mind at rest, and ensure that you get the best outcome. It's important to note the behaviour of the dog between fits - is she normal, excitable, head pressing etc? How often they occur, and whether there seems to be some cause, so you can tell the vet -- the more information, the more likely the diagnosis is to be correct.

Happy Easter to you too, Margief. Forgot to mention before - there is an excellent book - "Dogs and How to Breed Them" by Hilary Harmer. Covers everything from genetics to advertising and selling the pups. And the bitch coming into season. First published in 1968. It's been reprinted a few times, and a few tips in it have been superseded, but not many. It may still be available in bookshops, so it's worth checking Amazon etc, but you may be able to get it on e-bay. Many's the night I've sat through a difficult whelping, Hilary at hand. I think it's the best book on breeding I've seen. A year or so ago, on this forum, we discussed which books were good, and although others were suggested, quite a few use Hilary. If I could find the thread, I'd tell you of some others. If your bitch is nice, the lines are good, and you are willing, give breeding a go. Lots of heartbreak, but very rewarding. It's good to see nice bitches being bred, the more good purebred dogs around, the better. If you haven't done so already, join your local CC soon, as you need a prefix for a period of time before you can register a litter. People often think you can register your prefix when the pups arrive, but that is not always the case. Best to check with the CC than find you have an unregistered litter. Rules vary from state to state, so I can't help you with that one. Don't let anyone talk you into doing anything you don't want to. Animal Activists are alive, well and extremely vocal on this forum. Unfortunately, the people they are castigating are often the very ones who ought to be breeding!! Don't know why they don't spend time on forums with those of like ilk, instead of coming to a purebred dog community where breeding is not discouraged and spreading censure, condemnation and castigation around like lumps in a sewage farm. Lillysmum

Lilysmum, the poster said "We do wish to breed from her further down the track as she has excellant bl0od lines and papers with both parent being excellent show dogs" 'We do wish to breed from her further down the track as she has excellant bl0od lines and papers with both parent being excellent show dogs" I quoted it twice, as you seem to have missed it when the poster originally said it. margief, when you decide whether to breed or not, ask you breeder which tests GSDs should have, and have them done, you will need some of them to register the pups, and some to ensure your pups are as healthy and soiund as can be. Meanwhile, watch her like a hawk the whole time she is in season!!

The reason you are all quoting different dose rates is because ivermec is sold for different uses - as an injectible for cattle, and a wormer for sheep and goats. The product thus will contain different rates mg/ml, and dosage will depend on on which product you have. Prescib8ing this via the internet seems to me to be fraught with danger. The vet can advise you about the use, and the dose rates.

Hmm, I've seen it in quite a few young dogs - it was cured, either with or without cydectin/ivermectin, the dogs were not neutered, and the demodex didn't recur.

Although demodex is often self limiting, often it is not, and it is important not to let the condition progress too far prior to treatment. Dogs are sometimes euthanased because the condition becomes generalised. Don't think neutering a dog with the condition is a good idea ....... it can be caused/exacerbated by stress - nutritional or psychological, and the stress of an operation and the anaesthetic may make it worse.

Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs. They can cause liver damage, which is rarely able to be reversed, and as the damage is cumulative, it may take a while for any symptoms to occur. Different dogs show signs at different levels, but I cannot see any benefit in feeding anything - including onions - which is likely to cause health problems.

Any dry food which lists meat or poultry first in the ingredient list is better than those which list meat by products, or cereals. Dry food is one of the few products where the price truly reflects the quality. You pay more, you get a better product, and the dog eats less of it, so it is more economical than the price you pay would suggest. Pal make advance and they did a trial. Pal Meatybites are about $24 a big bag, whilst advance is around $90. Advance was more economical to feed - by about $2!! I used Innova for a while, and I was very happy with it It is on my list of dry foods I recommend to my puppy buyers - like Kit Kat, I dislike patronising the chain which sells it, and if I didn't have to support them to buy it, I would probably use it more. I don't use much dry food anyhow, as I feed BARF, but all dogs do better on a premium dry food. Keep using it if the dog likes it and is doing well on it ........ no artificial flavours or colourings, and it is not sprayed with used cooking oil to make it palatable

Grapes are DEFINITELY toxic - they cause liver damage - and I have a feeling tomatoes aren't too good. I'd research tomatoes before I fed them - just in case.

Has he/she always had bones to gnaw as part of the diet? I am very interested in cavaliers teeth!! Cal - I don't think mine would eat the vegs unless they were mixed with the meat. Everything - mince, vege, fruit, eggs, sardines, oil, supplements - and any leftovers - jatz and dip are quite popular - all get chucked in together and mixed up.... yuuuummmyy!! Some of the rescues/visitors wont eat them at all, so I begin with a tiny amount in the mince, and gradually increase until they are getting the same as the others. Everyone's favourites are carrots, bananas, apples and pears. I think!!

Id he has recently been vaccinated with a live virus against parvo, the test will be positive. Hope he makes it. What breed is he? Stress can bring it on Also be aware, if he survives, and it is parvo, he will SHED THE VIRUS FOR FOURTEEN DAYS.