Pjrt

In all the political bs tied up with animal welfare over the years in a veiled attempt to control things better, the actual animals seem to have been forgotten. As long as it looks good on paper and ticks some of the boxes of the propaganda that folks have had shoved down their necks, then it must be good, yes. For me the biggest problem is we always seem to be mopping up at the wrong end of the system. If as much energy, passion, money was put into helping people make good choices about pet ownership, as was put into rescue, shelters, re homing, we might get somewhere. We always hear about shelters trying to get their kill rate down. How about they try to get their admission rate down. If that means not taking surrenders and making people realise that once they have a pet, they can't just drop it off at the shelter when it jumps their Three foot fence, wrecks their back door or pees on the carpet. I think shelters should be for unclaimed strays and genuine welfare and cruelty cases. Not for every man and his dog to use as a rubbish bin. I was born in 1971 and grew up in Adelaide. As a kid sometimes we would visit the pet shelter at AWL. When I got my first dog as a kid, we went to the RSPCA. That all sounds nice and fluffy, but in reality, it taught me to know somewhere deep inside, that if I ever had issues with a pet, there was somewhere I could take them to free myself of the issue. Wow, that sounds dreadful, but it is the truth I grew up with, and I'm sure much of the general population do. We need a massive societal change. We need people to get pets for the right reasons. We need people to get the right pet. We need people to seriously question if they should have a pet. Should we take away pet owners rights? Yes, I think we should. But not take away the right to have them entire, or to pick them up from the breeder at 6 or 7 weeks old. I have been around working with dogs long enough to know those things have little consequence on the outcome of the adult dog. It's the right to own a pet at all that needs to be looked at. Take an axe to the pointy end of the sale. We need to know if people have the time, resources, attitude to own the pet properly and responsibly, before it becomes a welfare issue. We don't need less pets for sale, we need less pets ending up in shelters. We need to take a serious look at why that happens.

I bought Gruf a new car. He saved by getting his toys from the charity shop and hard refuse day, and using hand me down leads, bowls, beds etc. seeing as he never complained about his second hand things, I bought him a brand new car

I've tried all sorts of fancy leads over the years but always go back to the basic flat cotton webbing lead with a D ring on the handle.

Gruf travels in his crate and sleeps in it the couple of nights a week we are away from home. He didn't really need training as such, he took to it no problem at all. I don't have a crate at home because I don't feel I need it. If it was there I might be tempted to use it, when I actually don't really need to. I really want to add a second dog. I will be doing that with exacting commitment to finding him a companion that he gets along with negating the need for shuffling. I have had the experience of living with dogs that needed to be managed apart. It is nonsense to me and is not what owning dogs should be about. The stress on the dogs was enough for me. The stress on me was more than enough for me and one was rehoused. I honestly would not have a dog if it had to spend the majority of its days locked in the house in a crate. Crates do have their place especially in transitional environments, but I really think they have become a quite abused tool of convenience in this day and age. Unfortunately I can only see this continuing. When I started working with pet dogs 30 yrs ago the only crate trained dogs I knew were show dogs, and definitely not the average pet. Now I talk to more and more pet owners who think it is a quite normal way of managing a dog in a living environment that perhaps should have thought better about having a dog.

That's just silly Yeah, it's kinda silly......but you know, if that's what they think, the dog is probably better off in a new home. If it stayed it's whole worl would be tipped arse up anyway.....

I have advised many a client to invest in a sturdy security screen door for the baby room. Much safer than a baby gate, especially in a house with larger dogs. It sounds a bit odd to put a screen door internally but it works a treat. Keeps pets and other kids, visitors, even insects, out of the room but allows for air and noise transfer while the parent can confidently get on with other things, even give the dog some safe indoor time.

I read an online news article yesterday where a baby was killed in its home by the family dog in the UK in the last few days. I was going to put that link this morning then I heard this local news. ( I don't know how to add a link on this device) So sad .

I would want to know how the cats(and the other little critters) feel about it. Do you think they feel threatened or unsafe around her. That is no way for the other animals to live. Just because a dog is not physically harming or tearing the shit out of another animal does not mean the other animal is happy with the situation.

Yes I would invest in some jackets in the style that Velcro around the neck and belly so you can just lay it on his back and push the Velcro into position around his neck and belly. Take it off in reverse so you don't have to put his head through it or pick up his feet or legs.

Out at the old place I find toys out across the acres where the dog has never taken them....the Hawks pick them up and drop them randomly!

Someone's taking the mickey.......

Was the account itemised? Can you check? If not I'd call the clinic and ask. I'd hope for that price they got gold plated treatments yeah!

Don sorry if I am misreading this, but are your kids covered for heart Worm? I didn't think they could have heart worm prevention dosed nasally either, so that would not have been for heart worm prevention. Did they get something else for heart worm, or do you do a daily or monthly prevention routine? I would just want to be 100% certain because you are unfortunately in a high risk region.

Sorry I forgot to mention. This is for raw foods :) I would change your poll question to reflect that then. Many people would assume you mean kibble.

I always wonder why some (perhaps a lot) people find the consultation fee of a highly trained profession so objectionable. What goes into their training and the set up and running cost of a veterinary clinic must be astronomical. Personally I think it's a very fair charge. We expect our vets to be highly well trained professionals with the latest equipment in hygienic well staffed clinics etc etc.....this comes at a high cost. I'm just talking generally, not about any specific posters here. Big pat on the back for the vets from me.

For me the first question is are we talking raw/unprocessed/non heat treated food, or processed/cooked/heat treated food. I'd be all for adding ingredients proven to give health benefits to raw foods, but Personally see little point if it's heat treated.

I'd hazard a guess it's what we'd call a "puppy pimple" If there is no infection which it doesn't look like to me, then I wouldn't touch it. If it became worse, looked infected, smelled bad, was causing irritation, or more develop, then I would see your vet for possible treatment which could include antibiotic, anti inflammatory , or sebaceous blocker. Some breeds seem more prone to puppy pimples than others.

When it hit the market I was getting a lot of enquiries from clients about it, so I asked my vet, who's opinion I trust, and they said straight out 'I wouldn't put it in my dog' and that was enough for me not to use it. I do not treat my dogs for heartworm. I never have. For me the risk of contracting it in a low incidence area outweighs the chemicals into the dog. I tell my clients to ask their own veterinarians for advice.

I would call your local authority (council/RSPCA) to find out what constitutes and abandoned animal. Animal abandonment is a breach of animal welfare act as far as I know, but there may be blurred lines as to at what point it can be classed as abandoned. Perhaps the RSPCA would be interested in doing a welfare check to the address. Good on you for caring but be prepared for some frustration.

I have been 'bitten' by a few dogs with no teeth at all, and they can still pack a punch believe me! And yes, they are better off with no teeth at all than a mouth full of rotten, loose, painful ones.

Small dogs are prone to loose teeth. Often the tiny ones at the front, the incisor teeth, go first. I also just noted that you had retained puppy teeth removed. Another common issue for tiny dogs. At what age did you have them removed, and which ones?? I wonder if there is a chance that the retention of the puppy teeth has caused the gums to have a bit more give (for want of a more technical explanation!) around the subsequent adult teeth. I don't know this for a fact, just thinking out loud something you might ask the vet.

I have seen Cavaliers who start things, oh yes indeedy.......they start licking your face and oh boy they wont stop until they're finished. They will start on the treat jar and Ive not met one who wont finish it off. And I also think there is a strong possibility that Wags did start a fight.........simply by being the vulnerable one in the loosely thrown together pack of unknowns. ETA.....and that is no ones fault but the humans in charge of the dogs.

Personally I would have the teeth out. Loose teeth will never suddenly become 'unloose', and while they are moving in the gum there is a high chance they will become more loose and open the gum line to infection. There is no magic way of saving lose teeth and I wouldn't wont to be trying to munch down on hard biscuits and have my teeth moving about! Dogs can function perfectly well with some teeth missing, perhaps even better without wonky ones.

I might find a vet that seems a bit more interested, as well as a recommended animal chiropractor to check him over.