horus

I have a 4 year old boy here that had a plate put in his leg about 3 weeks ago. The result is amazing, he went from having a leg shaped like a 'z' to virtually normal (apart from the swelling, most of which went down within a few days). He was putting weight on the leg within a few days, although he still carried the leg most of the time. Today he was running on the leg but I still need to keep him under control for a couple of weeks yet. The wound healed within 10 days after the op. He had a cast on prior to the operation which he was OK with, but it still obviously annoyed him, whereas he had a bandage on his leg up until he had the stitches removed at 10 days after the op. Vet said that he should recover and have no obvious after effects. The only risk is that the screws holding the plate in place may come loose and the plate would then need to be removed, otherwise it stays in place for life. The operation was expensive but worthwhile for his health's sake. Without the plate he would have had to live with a crooked leg for life. Here's a pic of Oscar 10 days after his operation, the stitches were removed earlier that day.

I heard this story reported on the radio this morning and found this article: Last Update: Tue, 09/03/2010 - 09:45 Dog owners may be forced to take out third-party liability insurance on their pets under plans to crack down on dog attacks. The measure is just one proposal unveiled by the government as part of its drive to protect the public from dangerous dogs. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, owner of certain breeds are already required to have insurance against their dog injuring third parties. However, this may be extended so that all dog owners have third-party insurance. Such a move would ensure victims of dog attacks are financially recompensed. There were an estimated eight million pet dogs, in over six million households, in the UK in 2009. Other measures on the table include introducing compulsory microchipping for dogs so their owners can be more easily traced. The Dangerous Dogs Act currently bans four breeds - the pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the dogo Argentinos and the fila brasileiros - and it is illegal to breed or keep one of these unless a court places it on the Exempted Dog Index. It is also an offence for a dog to be out of control in a public place. However, the government is considering extending this law to include private property - a move that would protect people whose work takes them onto private property, such as postal workers and telephone engineers. A reported 6,000 postal workers are attacked each year by dangerous dogs, and this number is increasing, according to The Communication Workers Union. Amendments to the law come amid growing concern over public safety issues relating to dangerous and the rise of so-called ‘status’ dogs – that is, animals used by individuals to intimidate and harass members of the public. There are also been a rise in reported incidents of illegal dog fighting. Media focus on cases where children have been attacked and even killed by dogs has also prompted calls for tougher laws. The Dangerous Dogs Act was first introduced in 1991 in light of a spate dog attacks. The home secretary Alan Johnson says: “Britain is a nation of animal lovers, but people have a fundamental right to feel safe on the streets and in their homes. “The vast majority of dog owners are responsible, but there is no doubt that some people breed and keep dogs for the soul purpose of intimidating others, in a sense using dogs as a weapon. It is this sort of behaviour that we will not tolerate.” I can't see that having insurance is necessarily going to stop attacks, it is merely going to compensate those that have been attacked.

Generally speaking, the top of the head is a vulnerable place for dogs (and probably most animals) as they can't see it. Same for the neck as that's where most predators aim for to kill. Dogs do not greet another dog by patting or stroking the other's head or neck but humans do, probably because it is convenient for us to reach and because we humans like to have our head stroked so expect the dog to want the same. One of the well known dog authors (who I can't actually recall - maybe it was Karen Pryor?) says in one of her books that dogs do not like to be cuddled ie have an arm put across their shoulder and back as this is a sign of dominance. We need to remember that dogs communicate far more by body language than verbally and that we can send them mixed messages in our attempts to show affection.

Patience, my dear It does take a few moments to load, sorry, but luckily Mrs Tornsocks has come to my rescue

A very clever, even double jointed, Lab http://www.kirotv.com/video/22379659/index.html

The Grottster looks really impressed, so I am guessing it is more a case of a mean Mum

One of the grafted flowering gums would be OK. They do not grow very big and are quite spindly so would allow light to penetrate while still giving some shade. Banksia, Melaleuca or Leptospermum would also be fine. Something like the Lemon Scented Tea Tree would be perfect if they grow in your area and there are some Melaleucas that have golden or lime green foliage. Looking out of your lounge room at a Banksia in flower would be pretty special, especially when the birds are feeding on the nectar. There is a tree out there somewhere that is perfect for you. We just need to find it!

Yep, Robinias are suckers for suckers. R. pseudoacacia also tend to grow lopsided ie they will put on growth on one side of the tree and then the other side will catch up, so they can look bigger on one side rather than having a uniform shape. What do you want your tree to provide? Gleditsia is similar to Robinia but a bit larger, there are probably grafted varieties these days, though. Have you looked at Lagerstroemia (Crepe Myrtle) heaps of varieties these days that provide summer flowers and autumn foliage- one of my favourite trees, Pyrus (Ornamental Pear) spring flowers and stunning autumn foliage, there are lots of grafted varieties and another personal favourite, Maples (for a sheltered position), Magnolia, Prunus (Ornamantal Plum) winter/spring flowers and autumn foliage, Betula (Birch), Ulmus (Elm)? All of these are deciduous but if you are after an evergreen the possibilities are increased.

If it is not a Wattle, then it may be what I am thinking of. Do the leaves have a golden tinge to them at any stage? I've seen some that are green, such as yours, and others that are a golden green. Not sure if each is just a variety of itself, or if this is a growth stage phenomena. And if it is the one I am thinking of, I have a seed pod from one that I picked some time ago (and never got around to planting). I have been thinking about planting one of those (not from the seed - I need it faster than that) in my back yard as well, for the lovely shade it provides. It is a Robinia. It is probably Robinia psuedoacacia (pseudoacacia means 'false acacia') and if so, there is another cultivar, R. psuedoacacia 'Frisia' which is the same tree but with golden leaves. 'Frisia' is smaller and less vigorous, so a better choice for smaller gardens. Some Robinias are grafted as they can have thorns along the trunk and branches. It originally comes from the US. Well done Erny

'Snot good Snot is one of my favourite DOL dogs. I really hope that all is OK for both you, Dis, and Snot.

Fencing off the tree would be the simplest and cheapest option. Putting up a net under the tree is a good solution but it restricts your access to the tree for mowing etc. The netting would need to be able to contain all of the nuts that fall and you would then need to collect and dispose of the nuts. Some olive growers use nets under their trees to harvest the olives so there are commercial products available to do this. I would be a little concerned about using chemical products simply because they are a systemic product that needs to penetrate all parts of the tree and if your dog(s) was to ingest any part of the tree that had been treated there may be potential health problems for your dog.

Fertiliser, whether organic or chemical, is just nutrients in a given quantity and ratio to each other. Some may have fillers to add bulk to the product but those fillers are in small quantities. I wouldn't suggest that a dog ingesting huge amounts of nutrients in a single event is going to do it any good, but given that any nutrient is only going to make up less than 20% of a product, I wouldn't be concerned. The most likely nutrient to make up that amount is Nitrogen. The others would be Potassium and Phosphorus. Organic fertilisers would have far less concentrations of nutrients than chemical fertilisers. Once you spread the fertiliser on your lawn it is less concentrated and, therefore, less hazardous (if it ever was considered hazardous initially). Dilute that spread fertiliser with water and it becomes less hazardous again. My only concern would be when the fertiliser is in it's packaging and in greater concentration, but your dog would have to ingest large quantities for the fertiliser to be a problem. Organic fertiliser may be chicken poo or other animal byproducts and very attractive to your dog for the eating of and for the rolling in of. Bad breath and a smelly coat should be your only potential problem

I called the police last night due to ongoing fireworks. The constable I spoke to said that he would send a car when available, but at the moment all cars where tied up with most attending house fires. One of those house fires was in a nearby street to me, thick black smoke had engulfed the neighbourhood a couple of hours earlier. Maybe there is a God.

I'm pretty sure that Lawn Builder is just fertiliser with a bit of wetting agent in it. Have look on the packaging for ingredients and it should just list the nutrients that the product contains. Also, from memory, it is a fine granule so not really something that the dogs could readily pick up and ingest once the product has been spread on your lawn

I'm so sorry, Pers. Life is so precious and so easily taken away. This just doesn't seem fair or right

One person's leftovers is another canine's fine dining Great pics, GR

Hope that all is well, CM. I see that Texas still has that boy-ish twinkle in his eye so I hope that he is back to his old self very soon

*repeats to self.......I do not need a puppy......I do not need a puppy.........I do not need a puppy* Damn, Taite is cute :rofl:

Oh! I'm so sorry, Juice Goodbye Jed, you will be missed It is the hardest thing to do and words simply cannot express the pain that it brings

There is lots of good info here, Clydes: http://www.britishdalmatianclub.org.uk/hea...=urinary_stones Add water to Leo's food so you know that he is getting fluids, I do this with my three :D

I have a bitch that is on Propalin and I don't find it to be 100% effective. I also tried Incurin and it wasn't always effective either. Every time I take her to the vets about this they want to do tests which have always been negative and cost a small fortune. I've just resigned myself to the fact that it will never be controlled as this has been ongoing now for a few years, so I'll be watching this thread with interest, too.

Wow!! I love your photography :love: Thank you for posting, they are simply stunning

Chlorine will dissipate from the water if the water is left to stand uncovered for an hour or so (which is why people with pools have to keep adding chlorine to the pool water )

Good stuff Now you just need to do some work on your own walking.................

I'm so sorry for your loss, Anna & Ken, so soon since your last loss Our furry little companions never seem to spend enough time with us, no matter how long they are here, it is never enough. They come into our lives, touch our hearts and souls then move on, leaving us with memories, gratitude and a want for more.