Lab_Rat

I send blankies for them to sleep on, a dog coat for Zola in the winter and food for Zola as she has allergies.... Dont bother with toys as the kennels we use have toys and other dogs to play with!

My thoughts exactly Staranais....on the cost compared to a vacc!!! I work in a mining lab and thought that!!!! :D A proheart injection was $120 for my ridgy!!!! And yet the titre tests for two diseases is only $66......I wouldve thought there would be a few hours work in that! I have no idea what it involves - but Im sure its quite time consuming etc....Even the work I do with dirt is time consuming & needs lots of care taken.

I just had a look through my vet accounts and found my girls titres - $66 each which were done in November last year.....and it was for parvo & distemper. The previous ones (about 2 years ago) also had the extra titre done which had to be sent to Scotland!!! From memory that was around the same cost again.... My vet is about 2 hours south of Perth - interesting to see it was cheaper for me, and RV is in the metro area :D Im surprised theres not a big lab over east that has taken this on!

Oh I dont think I could go through the trauma 3 times Oso.....you poor thing and your poor girl!! When my girl got it, it was very late at night through to the morning - poor bugger didnt see a vet til about 7am, but I had no idea.......I felt so guilty for so long after she was pts. It used to haunt me :p But now I am fully aware i feel alot calmer about things. CC - I am nice and close to Margerets.....Shame Ive had enough of driving for a while!!! A Foxy doing bouncy weaving sounds soooooooo cute - definitely a video opportunity!! When we watched some of the advanced (sorry dunno what the correct term is ) agility at the Western Classic, there were a few dogs that had that technique!!! And there were a few other classic ones. Great to watch!

Thats just me being extra, specially careful ST!!! I guess I hope that by being "super sensible" when it somes to eating, drinking and exercise I am lowering the risk of bloat in my ridgie....... I am still very traumatised about losing our first girl that way..Its not something I even worry about with our Kelpie though, even though there is a chance she could get bloat too!! there is nothing silly about being extra cautious with our fur kids...When Mum first got into Danes I did tonnes of reading about bloat. Unfortunately mum lost her foundation bitch at about age 6 to bloat. Her brother is still going strong at 8 years I think... When i started showing the in-laws goldies, I didnt even think about them being prone to bloat, until one of the dogs had an epidode in Albany - at a show no less... a quick trip to the vets thankfully from recognising the signs early and he is now 11 ;) I heard recently of a Westie having bloat... never actually even entered my mind being a smaller breed. Wow, a Westie!!! That would have to be pretty rare though I hope R&H!!! I know I used to be careful to the point of being extremely stressed about it! Now I am aware, careful and watchful but alot more relaxed about it. Every little thing that was out of the ordinary with Zola used to send me nutty with worry, almost taking over the joy of having this beautiful young dog! I think this has helped with her being so nuerotic, and anxious herself! I wont be doing that with a dog again, thats for sure .....Poor girl!

That last photo of the pair of them is just beautiful!!!

:) Thats just me being extra, specially careful ST!!! I guess I hope that by being "super sensible" when it somes to eating, drinking and exercise I am lowering the risk of bloat in my ridgie....... I am still very traumatised about losing our first girl that way..Its not something I even worry about with our Kelpie though, even though there is a chance she could get bloat too!!

I always worried about my ridgies getting bloat, they ate kibble and big portions too and always wolfed it down We lost our first ridgie to bloat Was very sad as I didnt know anything about bloat.....Thought she just had a tummy ache ;) I spent the first few years of Zolas life panicking like hell everytime she ate, drank, ran around or acted strange Im a bit more relaxed these days, but am still very aware - we live an hour from a decent vet!! Our girls are fed twice a day, arent allowed to run around an hour before or after meals or drink massive amounts of water at any one time.....BRD is also fed on the ground. Im sure the Kelpie feels shes getting short changed with her meals as being fed twice a day she gets the tiniest of meals But I cant give one brekkie and not the other!! As neither of the breeders that have my dogs rellies have had a bloating dog, I believe my girls amputated front leg had alot to do with her getting it! I will never know for sure, but thats what I feel in my heart! Boxagirl, I hope Trojan is ok! It sure is scary!

Nice pic RV, will put some up when I get around to it Wow in all the time weve been going to Meelup, weve niver once struck stinger there!! So how was the Obedience Trial at Bunno?????? Hot enough! Hope everyone and their dogs had a great & successful day :D Well, my big red dog is broken again :D After last weeks bone eating session I was so overjoyed, so I gave them both another for yesterdays breakfast..................Wandy enjoyed hers immensely - but Zola looked at it like it was a big rock I give up I had also bought some Dentastix (for BRD's teeth!) but they make her crook :D Looks like Ill be investing in a doggy toothbrush

On the food side of things apart from their kibble they get human grade lamb mince and anything else I feed them is what we would eat - free range eggs, free range chicken/turkey wings..... Other bones, lamb or beef are just offcuts, so Im assuming they are derived from human grade meats. The fish they get are tinned sardines, not sure about the sustainability of them however!! Havent got to the recycle material toys, but their footies are recycled I feed them what I do because I think if I eat free range, hormone & antibiotic free foods then my dogs do too! After losing a dog to bone cancer I try my best to give them the best I can in regards to what I put into their bodies - food, vaccines, any other chemicals (drugs etc..) But I certainly wouldnt be judging those who feed "pet grade anything" or non organic or freerange...I am able to do what I do, others may not be so fortunate or just choose not to. We all do the best we can by our dogs

No stingers.............Ive never experienced stingers at Meelup!!! Gotta love brothers, specially when they are young and drunk

Good luck to all who head to Bunno for the Obedience trials tomorrow.....I probably wont go We spent all day chucking out lime on our paddock, so I now have sore arms to go with my sore legs from rock scrambling the other day....Bloody holidays!!! We spent the day at Meelup beach (past Dunsborough) on Thursday and spent an hour walking round the corner to find our Big Rock from our childhood......Then we had to walk back ...The swimming was divine though, definitely heading back before I have to head back to work... Zola has developed a disgusting habit!!!! Counter surfing in the kitchen after her dinner!!!!! Piglet of a thing! Will have to reinstate the kitchen gate Shes so darn quiet about it too!!! Must be the only time she moves around without a sound - any other time shes a clompy, noisy beast!!

Our "working breed" is quite happy to sleep with the hound - at nights on their beds and during the day while Im sleeping off nighstshift Wandy loves to curl up next to my head on OH's pillow :cry: CC, youve had a wonderful and varied career-life!!!!! Ive spent the last 24 years doing the same job, I do enjoy it though! I would love to study biology enviro related stuff so I could perhaps change my career path, but havent got round to it yet!!!

Think we are 14 & 15 Oso!!! At least we make the top 20

Both our girls do the frog, Kelpie & Ridgy.....neither have had hips done - but Im kinda leaning towards the wives tail thing!!!! Our Ridgy also slides off the lounge leaving her back legs on till she stretches them off She also sits with her back legs right out and underneath her - looks soooo unlady like!!!!! Love "The Kelpie on The Stair" sit.......so cute!!

Idiot!!!!!

Sorry about your poor kitty Boris Oso, big hugs for you all Great Websites everyone!!! Ptolomy - Think I need to find out a little more about your red kids!!! They are intriguing! Might have to make the big effort to head to Bunno on Sunday Sparky - loved the background story about Sparky & Tansy, sad but beautiful! Great site! Emery - Your sites looking good!!! Ososwift - Enjoyed the photos of your kids and stuff!!! Excellent!!

Ooh, thanks for the reminder!!!! Might have to come for a drive and catch up and watch all you smarties!! Whos heading down???

Have no idea really, but he certainly is a chunky boy!!! Gorgeous

Geez, all this talk of science makes me feel guilty about not pulling my finger out to study something ;) So I can change careers....so over mine atm, am so enjoying my holidays!! And I didnt realise we had so many sciencey smarty pants in our WA thread Clever bunch arent you all......LOL! Got given a push bike today, so I better start using it. Weve now got a bike each, so we might have to bring em up to Perth one day to ride around the river, with the doggies of course Well Zola has given me a few surprises lately.......firstly she ate a bone a lamb shank.......and didnt throw it up!!!! Then she had a bath, and stood there the whole time and was such a good girl Im very proud of my big red dufous!!! Oh and today when we were out walking, a nieghbour stopped in their car to chat and Zola just ignored them - didnt make one sound!!!!!!!!!! She was so good! Sounds like everyone has been very busy over the last week or so!

Looks like he takes his sports VERY seriously!!! Very very cute!!!!

I would have to say that any puppy is a cutie!!!! My two favourite are of course Ridgies & Kelpies

After reading about the use of Vit C for allergies I tried it myself this week.....I had another allergic reaction to something (still havent figured out what :rolleyes: )..........I took about 6g on Saturday and it helped immensely with the itching and swelling!!! Anyway its just occurred to me that it may be useful for our poor allergic ridgy Does anyone use it regularly and with what kind of results??? After researching on a few websites it seems I should be giving about 100mg/10lbs of bodyweight per day. ;)

Damn internet!!!!!......

Id say it would be his bodies full reaction to your young visitor last week.... Poor Mas.