Sonic

My bitch has 4 day old pups and is being a great mum but has just started digging up the vet bed to make herself comfortable. The pups are getting caught up in it and I'm worried they will not be able to get to her to feed or will get smothered in the fabric. I am checking them regularly to make sure everything is OK but am worried as I will have to leave them tomorrow to go to work. Any suggestions anyone?

My 14 y.o. male has had a few Suprelorin implants. While they do tend to last longer than 12 months he has always started producing testosterone again. Even at age 14 I'm looking at having to have him implanted again. My vet said the same as yours, that it would be unlikely he would produce testosterone again (I've heard this a couple of times actually) but my boy clearly isn't listening!

I'm with Medibank and they've just gone up too. I've never claimed. Looks like it might be an across the board increase no matter who you're with.

We go to the beach once a week and mine all go swimming. They don't get bathed or rinsed afterwards but I do rinse their collars thoroughly so they don't rust.

Amanda, from your post it sounds like there is a research project afoot - am I understanding this correctly? Also, what age is considered "early"?

I'm hearing that incontinence is a big problem in spayed bitches. I knew it could be a problem, I just didn't realise that it was a very common problem. Can you let me know if you've had a problem with it, when your bitch was spayed and how long after the incontinence started and was there any medication that you used that got the incontinence under control.

I had the same problem when I did a ring around of the vets in Frankston. The receptionists didn't even seem to understand what I was talking about when I mentioned titre testing. Can't say I've found any vet in Frankston that I'm too happy with so I travel to Monash but that can be quite inconvenient at times. Animalia, is the Seaford vet you're talking about in Seaford Road? Can you give me the name of the practice please.

Ity's a short flight but the amount of time they have to be at the airport would bother me in case you strike a hot day. You'd probably be OK though if you got an early morning flight, the earliest flights leave as early as 6 am on that route. I fly a lot and I have seen too many animals sitting around in their crates in all weathers waiting to be loaded not to be super careful. Yes, that's what worries me. I've heard too many stories of dogs being left outside of the aircraft in the weather and also of being bumped from flights.

Sorry to hijack this one - my 23kg girl is due to be mated next February and would require a return flight Melbourne to Sydney. Would you fly a bitch at that time of the year? I am very worried about the heat.

If I was to house mine 40 metres from my boundary fence they'd be on someone else's property!

My step-mother's mini poodle is groomed in Carrum Downs. The ladies work from home - Joy & Jacinta - and they do a lovely job on the poodle. If you would like the phone number send me a message. I tried PM you with it but your mailbox is full.

My old boy will still try to mount my bitch but he isn't fertile (hopefully) so would be unable to produce pups. I did notice that his interest after the implant is much less than before the implant but he is still interested. I keep them apart for the couple of days he is wanting to mate but more because he is old and I don't want him to overdo it. I have not had him put on weight because of the implant.

The Labrador Club of Victoria often has dogs on it's books for rehoming. You could try them - you can get their number through the VCA website.

Thanks everyone. Bridie, I'll be interested to hear how you go with it, please let me know once you've put it up. There are a couple on the market, which one did you get? Oakway, do you remember what sort it was? I'm happy to spend more on a better unit so long as it works.

My neighbours dogs are driving me crazy. They were still barking non stop at midnight on Saturday night. Has anyone tried the ultrasonic bark silencer for someone else's dogs?

Google the book Living With Blind Dogs. It's a great resource for owners of blind dogs.

My old male dog is incontinent and the drugs the vet has put him on don't appear to be working. He currently wears a bellyband but I am investigating pants as maybe being a better option. Has anyone used incontinence pants for a male dog before? I can find lots of things for bitches but nothing much for a large breed male dog.

My old dog has just had his 3rd implant. He is an old boy and I would prefer not to neuter at this stage of his life. Whether they dissolve or not I don't know but I can't feel any of the implants. The implant is available for both males and females for fertility reasons as well as there being some anecdotal evidence that they can help with incontinence in both sexes. My old boy is incontinent which was another reason I opted for the implant over neutering.

I called the local Council not too long ago about a Husky that was wandering and was told that I have to catch and confine the dog before they will send someone out. So much for the Council having a dog catcher, it appears they only have a dog pickeruperer.

I have a 13-1/2 y.o. Lab with it. He doesn't get anything for it unless he looks like it's troubling him and then I put him on Metacam for a few days. This has served him well so far and he is still able to come walking with us for over an hour each day and can still jump into and out of the car. He is a bit wary when the other dogs are running near him but apart from that he doesn't complain.

Has anyone tried drugs or herbal remedies to try to stop your bitch having phantom pregnancies?

I have a Lab that from a pup liked to run out, pick up the dummy and then carry it by the rope, swinging it all around and doing the big parade. I cured it by putting a long line on him. He wasn't getting into trouble but he learned that it was a requirement for him to go out and come straight back. He's retired now so can play that game till his heart's content. And at 7 y.o. it is still his favourite game!

Thanks, I've had a look at the site and the prices are very reasonable. I'd googled them and couldn't believe how expensive they were (mainly from the US). Will measure my boy and put my order in.

Has anyone used a belly wrap for an incontinent male? Medication doesn't seem to be working and I'm getting sick of cleaning up pee.

That's interesting mrms and something to keep in mind. I don't think that is the cause here though as he only recently finished a course of acupuncture which made a huge difference and I haven't seen a recurrence of his back problem. I will keep it in mind though.