spoiltlabs

The following information was posted on another forum. Why not make your own safe, non toxic flea repellents? CITRUS REPELLENT: Cut a lemon into quarters and place in a pint jug. Cover the lemon with boiling water and let it steep overnight. Next day you have a flea repellent that you can use in a spray bottle. Spray all over your dog remembering especially behind the ears and around the head generally (careful of eyes), around the base of the tail (once again keep away from delicate bits) and under your dog’s ‘armpits’. Aromatherapy repellent: Using 10 ml. of sweet almond oil as your base, add 10 drops of lavender and 5 drops of cedarwood. Shake well and use 1 or 2 drops spread over the skin at least twice a week to keep the fleas away. A flea collar can be made by rubbing a few drops of one of the following into an ordinary webbing or rope collar or even a doggy bandanna: eucalyptus oil, Tea Tree Oil, citronella, lavender or geranium. Don’t forget to do this weekly. :YOUR HOME Fleas spend most of their time in your furnishings and only hop onto your dog or you for their next meal. Make sure you wash your dog’s bedding regularly because no flea ever survived a hot wash cycle. If you add eucalyptus oil to the final rinse it will also kill 99% of house dust mites according to research from the University of Sydney, Australia Vacuum your home very thoroughly and sprinkle a fine layer of ordinary table salt over your upholstery and carpets and leave overnight before vacuuming again to evict your unwelcome guests safely but don’t forget to empty your vacuum bag. BATHING: A badly infested dog really needs to be bathed so use your favourite dog shampoo. Rinse the dog off very thoroughly and in the final rinse add a couple of drops of Tea Tree Oil or Lavender oil. An alternative is to make your own herbal flea dip which will also work on ticks. Steep two cups of fresh rosemary in two pints of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and make it up to one gallon ( 8 pints) with warm water. Pour this mixture over the dog until it’s saturated. Do not rinse off and allow the dog to dry naturally so this is a remedy to use on hot summer days. INTERNAL FLEA REPELLENTS: Garlic may not be your favourite cologne and it’s not the flea’s favourite smell either. When your dog eats garlic, the smell is excreted through the dog’s skin making your dog less likely to be the flea’s next meal. Brewer’s yeast tablets will also help to make your dog less attractive to fleas because once again the smell is excreted through the skin. Adding a dessertspoon of apple cider vinegar to the water bowl will make the skin more acidic and unpleasant to fleas and ticks. If your dogs don’t fancy apple cider vinegar in the water bowl, dilute it 50/50 with water and use in a spray bottle instead of the citrus repellent

My 4 labradors have all just come down with kennel/canine cough which they have caught from the dog next door. I wish they had told me because I would have been alert and started them on Robert McDowell's Kennel Cough Mixture as soon as I knew it was around and my situation now may be different. The young feller (15 months old) and his mother have had a mild dose and seem to be fine. The 11 year old is coughing, but seems fine in every other way so not really worrying about him too much. Although, he has now been put onto antibiotics as a precaution. My 8 year old seemed to get it the worse and was put onto antibiotics last week, but the last 36 hours he has crashed and another trip to the vet tonight and he has been diagnosed as having pneumonia as a result of the secondary infection. He has been given a shot of antibacterial and another of antibiotics tonight and sent home for monitoring (as I refused to leave him unattended at the vet clinic overnight) but he will be taken back up there tomorrow morning for further monitoring and treatment during the day. He is off his food (which was the indicator that something was wrong) and his temp is around 40!! Thankfully, he is drinking water readily so is hydrated. All dogs have been vaccinated annually with C5 from their 12 week shots.

The National Australian Flyball Championships are being held this weekend in Redcliffe, Queensland. Just wanted to wish everyone that is making the trip the best of luck for a fantastic competition.

Malaseb also has a residual effect so can be done at less frequent intervals than Leos etc.

Have to agree with Nekhbet. Why would you get this dog living in a unit?

I buy chicken mince that has added silverbeet, celery, carrot and apple. Could also add some garlic.

How did the competition go? Results?

I'm feeling a bit out of sorts not going as well. Having majopr flyball withdrawals, but I had baby puppies that will hopefully take my mind off of it!!!!

Jules, you will absolutely freeze in a tent at Albury this time of the year!!! It was cold enough in the cabin last year.

The Signature EJS will be in Albury.

There is apparently a brilliant entry for the Albury competition. Just sorry that I am going to have to miss it as Sarnia's pups will only be days old and can't leave them for the weekend. The venue sounds brilliant.

Stainless Steel for meals and water and they are washed every couple of days in the dishwasher.

I use Lustre Aid. It can be expensive, but I dilute 50/50 with water and it still does a great job.

Looks very much like an allergic reaction, my bet is on a sting.

The points have been updated on the AFA website up to 10 June.

The new points system i certainly a way of some of the "slower" and "reliable" dogs getting some points. I remember Clover at her first competition all those years ago. Well done, Rhi.