_PL_

Yes! Just this week, the regular proposal from an MOP that if we stopped rescuing quote 'doing the council's job for them', then things would change and rescue wouldn't be needed. A catch 22 as old as Methuselah.

@Little Gifts Overcommitment is a real thing isn't it. It's so awful to have to say no. No matter how many times, it never gets any easier. But saying yes every time is a trap.

Flamesuit on. I'm prepared for all the excuses as to why rescue makes it all too hard or too expensive. I've heard them all. The rescue sector is buckling under the pressure of endless unwanted animals and the high cost of vetwork and upkeep while in care. Targeted blame on people who have chosen an unpaid and bloody difficult occupation is all too common.

https://thewest.com.au/news/animals/australias-compassion-fatigue-results-in-lowest-pet-adoption-rates-and-forced-euthanasia

If he was a fair bit older I'd suggest dementia setting in. But 7 is not the usual age range. It does actually sound like pain, which they may be treating with Meloxicam, an anti inflammatory that's usually step 1 in pain treatment - there's more specific ones available that target nerve pain. They don't always begin with NSAID if there's stomach issues. Anti inflammatory or an analgesic should begin to work within hours so please report back to your vet asap. And keep a diary of his behaviour. I'm definitely no vet, this infographic might help if you have access to FB animal wellness

Vets can do more now, and offer more treatments and tests. That costs. And they have to be paid for their services. The specialist places look like human hospitals with every bit of equipment. All this comes at a cost and of course prices rise anyway - everything is more expensive now. But vets are hard working, good people for the most part. Their lives revolve around work and burnout is a real thing. Corporate pressure to generate more and more revenue is the last thing they need. There's also incredibly heavy societal pressure to do and spend everything you can for your 'baby' or you're 'not a good pet owner'. I see it every day on FB. The comments are awful. What happens if you simply can't get hold of thousands of dollars in the blink of an eye? The guilt people feel because they don't have the money to pay for all these extra new options and interventions is sad. There's NO excuse for neglect though so I'm not making excuses for those who don't even maintain their pet's health with basic vetwork, or a euthanasia when necessary. /rant over

Definitely vet for treatment and advice. Professional help. Just to give you hope... * Itchies are medically treatable. There's simple Cytopoint injections after a flea/tick/mite treatment and skin exam - such as for yeast, which they will give you a medicated shampoo for. Some dogs respond to dog specific dose rates of antihistamines but again, you will have to rule out other issues and get his exact weight There's walk-on scales in most clinics. * Weight gain can be a vet advised diet or adjustment of current diet once they assess whether your dog is just naturally lean, or underweight. They use a bodyscale grading system upon examination. You can look up what you're already feeding him here https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/ it may just not be the right food for him. * Many anxiety meds are available although, don't let possible lethargy put you off. It's just an initial side effect that doesn't last. You've got to give it a chance to work, and if affordable, seek a qualified trainer to help get the best from the medication.

It's a fairly modern thing I think. You can now by toothpaste and specific brushes and additives to put in their water (which I absolutely do not trust). I've found that mostly you need to train them from a puppy to let them put things in their mouths and poke around. It's not a fail or flame worthy to not manually brush their teeth! Bones and natural chew treats were always good enough until this trend of retail add-on sales and people being told to be scared of cracked teeth or salmonella poisoning from natural products.

Tell who? So if I can follow this. You posit that Heelers are out of favour, replaced by BC. But the BC isn't built with the strength or nerve? Making the herd sketchy and stressed? And the meat a poorer quality. Is that the basics?

There's an old thread with a link. Is this the breed?

Maybe they aren't as in favour anymore because as they get older and grumpier you have to be careful of your ankles. As a kid, you learned who to be careful of and dogs didn't get killed if they looked at you wrong. These days, everywhere, no matter what the breed and their inherent drive is, a dog's instinct is judged against the community expectations. My Pop always had his favourites to get the cattle jobs done. Horse, Heeler, Kelpie.

Found this. Someone was clearly trying to alert buyers but it's a cess pool. How do you choose a responsible (not just talking ankc) one vs heavily advertising gorgeous puppy photos with hidden parents. Sorry to say but many people just want now. Not later. Buyer beware. https://www.facebook.com/p/STOP-BAD-DOG-Breeders-PUPPY-FARMS-61570336943377/

I can't argue really (and don't want to as you offer a reasonable idea, but we're on different pages) I'm just so tired of seeing cowboys. Yes, learning new things is ideal. And yes, if you think you know everything there is to know, you become stagnant and of no benefit to the animals in your care. Of course, if it becomes regulation, I'll simply have to sort TAFE to get my Certs somehow. No problem with complying except that distance and practical placements and fees (nearly $5000 even online, no idea where that will come from) aren't currently realistic for me. More training, funding and infrastructure will be needed before a blanket formal education requirement is enacted.

I rely fully on Vets and those in their specialist fields. Help with training must be NDTF at least. I may have learned some first aide, basic dietary, basic allergy, basic training and a very good radar for trouble signs, but I fully believe in the term 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' i.e. a shallow understanding of a subject can lead to mistakes. While the Animal Care qualifications are a good idea, I've seen enough to warrant scepticism about those who believe their Cert qualifications allow them to act as, or assume the roll of, or make the judgement calls of a Vet.