Erny

that's funny. I don't use harnesses generally speaking, so I'm not an expert in the different styles (although I know of them). Something I've seen a few times around and about is the dog who has been 'trained' to walk via harness and who has (as a result, I assume) learned to track untrue. I know they work for some, maybe many, but I think we need to be aware of this phenomena when it comes to the front connecting harnesses.

Lucky you! Unfortunately, in Victoria he's all over the place like a nasty rash! That not even CALENDULA TEA can help !!!!!

"Hugh Who?" (BM : Not having a sling at you .... more at the person himself.) He's the President of the RSPCA. Or was. Now I'm not sure what or where he is in the RSPCA. He speaks a lot. And with the "RSPCA tag" that goes with him, he has a large and adoring following in the unsuspecting/unknowing public. Which is the REALLY scarey bit .

..... if it wasn't so sad . Actually, I'd like to have me one of them books, mainly so I can include it in with one of my submissions to Government, using it as an example of "what's out there and why we don't like it". But I don't want to put my good money to his already silk lined pockets.

I'm not a Vet, but I wouldn't have thought that the size of the vomit is the major concern, but that the vomiting is ongoing. Certainly (in my books) an indicator that something is amiss. Frequent vomit can't be good for the oesophagus either (acid?).

Although not so likely to find any with anything "dog" on them, you may find what you're after at stores such as the Reject Shop; Uncle Bucks; $2 Shops etc.

I thought that sympathetic over-rode parasympathetic.

Dimmitrol daily is just for heartworm. But as the name suggests, it is a daily medication so you need to methodically give it. But from I can gather it is the better out of the lot in terms of being 'kinder' - as much as some of these drugs can be 'kind'. I don't know of any others that are just for heartworm, but that's not to say there aren't any so hopefully others will come along and help you out with more information. ETA: I'd love a natural alternative but if I lived in a heartworm area I don't know that I would trust it unless it has been tried. And I'd imagine that if a natural alternative had been tried and found successful, we'd all know about it and be using it above all else by now.

I don't know, and I may be completely on the wrong track. But when my girl had to have surgery to remove a (BIIIIG piece of) bone that she had swallowed and which had become lodged, I remember the Vet saying (whilst peering down her throat) "you could drive a tractor down this dog's throat" (ie it was so big).

Is it rough, Erny? The Op has said his/her dogs got out and attacked a dog sitting on the beach. He/she has received an order from Council. Good on them for fixing the fence to make sure they dont get out again but to ask how to deal with an order based on the fact the pug was on a prohibited area for dogs - c'mon now. No. The OP is saying this is what s/he has been "told" her dog did. Unless I've missed something (:confused), it is hearsay, especially since there seems to be no evidence and also especially since the initial enquiry resulted in the OP being informed there was no damage/injury sustained. I'll be happy to stand corrected if it is myself who is mis-reading the information.

A bit rough, Raz? The OP was "told" her dog attacked a pug. The OP was also "told" there was no damage/injury.

My previous avatar girl "Kal" (bhcs) swallowed a large piece of bone which stuck in the oesophagus. It was a long drawn out and dramatic sequence of events to remove it, but remove it we did. But it did cause nerve damage to the area of the oesophagus it was stuck in (close to the stomach). I later found that if she ate too much or too large a mouth fulls, she would vomit/regurg up because the food would get close to the nerve damaged oesophagus and then wouldn't go any further because the muscular spasm in that spot wouldn't move the food any further down. It could prove quite painful for her if the food did get caught in or around that area. Anyway, I found that I needed to make her food quite mushy so that it would slide down more of its own accord if necessary and that solved that dilemma. Because this is a rescue I guess we don't know the dog's history nor whether something similar could have remotely happened to her. But if you make her food a bit liquid/mushy and see if that makes a difference it might prove to be an indicator? ETA: My theory doesn't really work when it comes to the water vomit, so in all likelihood I'm wrong. But I've already written up the post so figured I might as well let it go through .

Handy to know for those times when you don't have anything else. I presume it would be the oil component in it that would do the trick?

I have found that they can also occur when the 'system' is down a bit (eg. coming in for Canine Cough or something). There are a number of reasons why eye blobs can happen. I would have thought that if the eye itself were irritated there would also at least be the presence of excessive tearing. Rinsing with sterilised saline solution (I just purchase mine from the chemist) can help and also soothe.

This is an area that interests me and if I had the time I'd look more into it rather than casually muse on it - but I wonder if this too is something that domestication/selective breeding is responsible for? I mean, we breed for dogs that have considerably different shaped and strong jowls/jaws, perhaps more strong than their teeth (which perhaps would have served them well in other circumstances) can cope with. And regards the oesophagus size -vs- throat size musing (previous post), it is not so much that I think it is what we've been feeding the dogs, I muse on the possibility of our selective breeding for dogs of x head/neck width by comparison to (eg) body .... and whether that is why we seem to have the number of "bone eating incidents" that we seem to have.

That's interesting - I never knew that. Something to look into. Thanks for the tip, AmandaJ.

What makes you suspect that, Souff? I actually wonder if domestication to the breed variety that we have has made a difference to neck/gullet -vs- oesophagus size. I don't really know as I've not studied this but it is something I have thought of from time to time.

Found it :

To not know that kennels book out as early as they do for the Christmas period does not make you a fool.

I'd like to quote it too. That is absolutely classic.

I think Councils could be listed as another issue. Communication. Working in conjunction with (or more particularly, allowing us to work in conjunction with - or at least sifting through and remedying reasons why they feel they can't).

Got any details Luvsablue? I went to her first one, couldn't make the second, but interested in this third one. Depends on dates etc. Also - is it the same content as the previous or is each seminar different?

Me . Mind you, I think this ties in with responsible dog ownership - wasn't there a working party for that one too?

I don't quite agree with the above. You'd be turning your back on something that you believe should not be occurring and that is tantamount to apathy. But I disagree that it equates to supporting or agreeing with the [offensive] action.