Erny

Yes, PM - Health Food Stores. I pay about $8 for a 50g packet. It lasts for quite some time. I use about one or two tablespoons to about 1.5 cups of water. I'm not strict about it - I just grab and pour, without measuring. For your girl, I would say one tablespoon will do it. I use a cut off stocking, put the calendula tea in the toe and let it steep like you might a tea bag. Wait until the water is cooled to tepid (or cooler). Squeeze out the excess water from the Calendula in the stocking, throw the Calendula away and use the tea. Someone was going to organise a 'sticky' with what to do with it etc. etc. Don't know if that got done.

Thanks, everyone. I'm seriously proud of my boy and his good looks. Wish I could wake up and look half as decent as he does without having made any more effort than a therapeutic stretch . Rat - sorry to hear your girl has decided to get fussy over chicken wings too. I decided to buy a whole (raw) chook and see what Mandela would do with that. Don't know why I bothered, but did wonder if the novelty might help. But no. He wouldn't touch it beyond a precursory although interested sniff. I even brought out the carving knife and cut it into some pieces () but he wouldn't touch any of it. Although he got mad and protective over it when the Euro Wasps decided it was something worthwhile making a meal of. I gave it late, hoping the EW's would have disappeared, but not quite late enough. Rotten blighters. End of chook. I am finding cooked chicken seems to be the thing at the moment and at least he's been eating this enthusiastically. He's got more rib cover since even a week ago (which was when the above photo's were taken). This is great, although in the past it has also been when he turns 'off' his food. So time will tell. But for the moment, he is looking almost the best he has at any given point of his health-checkered history. Interdigital cysts continue to look a bit better each day. Lillium - thanks for the good wishes. He's a lot of work, as I've mentioned, but I know there are many more dog owners out there whose work is harder and even more time consuming and worrisome than mine. And Kelpie-i .... thank you. Your comment meant a lot to me. And Miss Monster - your Ridgies are really good looking too. I really like Monster's head as well, as shown in your signature.

Washing strips the skin of its natural oils and can send their system into a bit of a spin, working over-time trying to replace it all and bring back the natural PH. What chemicals are in the shampoo, conditioner and in the "Blueo"? Is this something you can give just a little bit of time without washing/shampooing and see if it can sort itself through (with you just keeping an eye on it), without having to jump into anti-biotics or other drugs? With what I've read from your posts, I'd be inclined to do this and, if it didn't seem to be settling in the short term (day or two), applying a tea made from Calendula. HERE's a link to just one of many "Wandering Jew + dogs" sites.

Try not to shampoo him too much. Is he scratching at them?

I didn't notice "nervousness" - I saw a dog who was very into working for the frizbee reward. I had the impression the guy might have called the dog to him from the drop/stay outside the shop, but it's pretty difficult to say without any sound. I would confidently suggest it was advertising - and for that, good on him. Not something I'd be inclined to do, but it did clearly show how 'tight' the dog was on the guy and also that all other distractions were completely ignored.

... Sorry. Took this out. The thread is "Berwick Obedience Club". In retrospect I felt my post to be inappropriate (wasn't saying anything bad about Berwick Obed Club).

I agree, Jake-K9. Knowing my lousy frisbee throwing skills, it could have very easily but accidentally gone in the wrong/opposite direction from where I intended, or wind could have kicked up and taken it to the road. That part of it bothered me somewhat too.

I thought the guy's point (pushed as it was) was how a well trained dog is a safer dog (for the sake of other people and for its own sake). Mistakes? What? Because it's heel was a few inches out? It broke focus a few times? (I'm not big on a "look at me all the time constantly" type trained dog - I like a dog who is aware of its environment but is "with me".) Maybe that's not what the guy trained for? What other "mistakes" do you think the dog did that makes it "not well trained"? And yes, you saw a training collar. Doesn't mean he used it. Might have just been there as an additional assurance, in case it was required. Can't see anything wrong with that and it certainly didn't seem to make the dog unhappy. ACDs Rock - did you have something in your mind that suggested the work in such a distracting environment was somehow not so good because the dog wore an e-collar? I acknowledge that your comment was just an observation, but was there a point behind it? Having an e-collar on a dog who has been trained to an e-collar is only a step forward of having a lead on a dog as an assurity (sp?) measure. And no, it's not "just a dog playing with a toy".

I'm going to muse a bit here. "Muse" because I don't really know what I'm talking about (expertise wise, I mean). When Mandela was a pup (3 days into my ownership) he developed Carpel Laxity Syndrome (front legs). It became quite severe before it got better. What's this got to do with Gilbert, you might ask? Carpel Laxity is the result of a growth spurt, where the bones grow faster than the ligaments can keep up with. The ligaments pulling against the bone and preventing them from growing out straight. I wonder if, for Gilbert, there's a little bit of the same or similar happening - ie that he's had a growth spurt but his ligament hasn't yet had the time to stretch/grow at the same rate. And as a consequence of the ligament being tighter than it presently ought to be, it might be slipping OR it might just be a bit uncomfortable. In Mandela's case (which is different to yours, Cosmolo .... I acknowledge - but HOW different, I'm not sure) I was encouraged to exercise him to help the ligament to strengthen and stretch. I also had to watch his weight gain and keep down his food a bit, as for him that only served to send him into a growth spurt. So, it was a fine balance. We wanted him to grow but at the same time we didn't want him to grow. We just had to try to steady that down a bit. I know this condition is not common in small dogs, but I wonder if Gilbert's symptom bears a link to what I'm thinking ??? I may be way off base - as I said, this is about nothing I've read and is purely my own thoughts on possibilities. By the way, Cosmolo, Mandela's front legs straightened out nicely and we didn't need to administer drugs of any kind. I took Mandela to see Charles Kuntz.

"Yikes!! "

Thanks all. His body needs building up (but of course the 'going off eating' thing doesn't help) but I'm hoping that maturation might see that come good. He's been a late bloomer pretty much all the way through. Cosmolo - I'm really sorry for your troubles with Dexter, and sorry for Dexter that he has them in the first place. Yes - I believe we can empathise with each other. I read of your concerns for Gilbert as well and although I haven't yet posted there, I hope the concerns are short-lived and that you find all is well with his patella and that it is merely a developmental thing that will see him good. Laeral - we're in the "week off" for ear drops, so it has been much easier. I layed with him on his mat last night, with cotton balls that had a bit of the "Ear Clear" on them, just so that I could wipe his ears clean of any remnants. Not a problem at all and he layed there whilst I foraged his ear canals and cleaned them out. I noticed that he tends to nick off for a bit if I'm fiddling around with anything that remotely looks or sounds like bottles of potions - even when I just shake a bottle with liquid in it. But he does return. He comes trotting in when he hears his tablet bottle being opened. Cosmolo - I wish I could transfer his willingness for his tablets (he spits them sometimes, but it is as though a bit of a game/fun for him) to Dexter. Miss Monster - I think he's got a handsome head too and even though I am biased, I do drool over some of the photo shots I've taken. But perhaps not this shot (refer next post) ..... :

I'd be consulting a canine nutritionalist/naturopath if I were you. She needs to eat and there must be some reason why she is not. Picky or not, she needs nutrition and that would be one of the first things I'd be concerned about that she's not receiving. "Picky" might not be simply her being "fussy". Possibly it's a nausea that is causing the problem. A nutritionalist/naturopath (or a Vet who has a background knowledge in canine nutritional/digestive disorders) might be able to suggest holistic medications (eg digestive enzymes etc) to help with these sort of things. That she has lost half her body weight is a real concern, assuming she wasn't obese in the first place. ETA : This is only an outside chance, but if she's broken her leg I wonder if the position of eating is uncomfortable for her. Have you experimented with that? I'm doubting this is the answer, but worth a thought, perhaps. I'd also check her temperature to make sure she has no fever/infection.

Hey, congratulations !!! And don't sell yourself short - well done .

I wouldn't forcibly puncture it. It may well be a Sebaceous Cyst - but my understanding of them is that they can become problematic to the dog when the are opened, allowing infection to get in. Apart from that, I don't think I would be piercing anything unless I had the lump formally diagnosed by a Vet. On the subject of Sebaceous Cysts though, if that's what it is, I understand that diet and/or frequent washing of the dog can contribute to these forming. They start when excess oil builds up in a hair follicle. Shampooing our dogs strip the skin of natural oils and this in turn elicits a reactionary result of the skin working to produce more oil to replace what has been taken away. I'm not a Vet though, so my caution against puncturing it might not be one that someone more knowing than I would agree with. If it is a Sebaceous Cyst, I believe it can be helped with warm compresses. Edited for spelling.

I've never seen it in the supermarkets - have always purchased from a Health Food Store. Which I expect are closed today. But always worth having it on stand-by so I don't think you'll be wasting your money ($8 approx - 50g bag). Great stuff to keep in your doggy medicine cabinet . Even if the lump is one that will disappear all on its own, I think it makes us feel better to have done something about it, and I've not know of Calendula Tea doing any harm .

Let them know you realise it might be a one-off thing and nothing terribly 'scandalous' but that perhaps they'll see it as to not hurt to mention it, just as you have thought it won't hurt to mention it to them. Better to have informed them than later on them suggesting they might have done something about it "if only they'd known". And besides - you won't know if you are the only one whose trailer was 'tampered' with . There might be others. There could be some innocent excuse for the occurrence, not that I can imagine it, but you never know. But no biggy to mention it to KCC Park.

If you use something like Calendula Tea on it and notice the lump pale and potentially reduce, then I think that is likely to give you your answer there is nothing sinister to worry about. I didn't like to suggest as really, they would just be uneducated guesses, but I initially thought this could just be like an infected pimple or hair follicle, or something from the grass (example : nettle) or such like. I know what you mean about worry though, but if it were me, I'd be doing the above and just keeping an eye on it for the moment. Hopefully it will be something that just disappears

Wouldn't hurt to inform KCC Park Management as well? And maybe even for some of the events managers to make an announcement here and there, letting people know that it is happening. If the 'culprits' know that this has become a public knowledge and awareness matter they may be disinclined to do it again, and maybe even parents will be on the look out for what their own children are getting up to.

Pepi - I check your thread periodically and have just come across your sad news. My condolences to you. It won't help you just now as the wound to your heart is too raw, but know that there are many who support you - either for the sadness they cannot imagine because they haven't yet loved and lost their best canine companion, or for the sadness they can imagine because they have, and they know your pain and feel your loss. You did everything possible to help Pepi - he will have known that. He's not gone ..... he's in your heart, and he'll be looking down upon you, worrying for your upset. Allow yourself the time to grieve and don't feel you need to rush to change those things that are your bitter sweet reminders. Give yourself the luxury of time. Time does make a difference. But know that regardless of time, Pepi will always be with you.

This one's really grainy. It was on a long zoom and he was moving really quickly. Apologies for the insult such a poor quality photo must be to the eyes of those who are really good at photography.

I have lots of variations of these of Mandela doing zoomies. I'm not a great photographer and he is fast and I often find my camera zoom isn't fast enough to move in or out according to how far away from me is. These were taken on or around 30th March. He just decided it was zoomie time - there isn't anything that he's chasing. He's just running for sheer sake and joy of running. And of course, being a Ridgy, there was a lot of coursing involved . Masons Mom - There's nothing that I feed that would contain yeast, to my knowledge.

I don't know what the lump is or caused by, but I have a habit of dabbing any area of redness that I see on my boy's skin with a bit of Calendula Tea. It's antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. I guess I'm just a bit cautious about secondary skin infections, a caution that I've developed only because of Mandela's own skin issues. It potentially isn't necessary for your boy but I can't see it hurting. I wouldn't be rushing to the Vet if it were me. I'd keep my eye on it for a few days and see whether the lump goes down and whether the redness goes away. That's just me and my unqualified and uneducated opinion.

Cosmolo - that was beautifully put and I agree with you whole-heartedly. Unfortunately things we do around our dogs is becoming a "ban this and ban that". Those whom push for those decisions and the decision makers themselves don't seem to get that. Having an open mind means that we can approach every dog as an individual more freely and potentially more fairly.

I will. I was going to put one up with my previous post, but I'm getting ready for a wedding - I think there are photos in my camera but I need to download. Will do when I have a tad more time. I'm wearing a dress! Can't believe it! First time I've done that in a long time .