persephone

Sounds like some of ours as well - they will use up whatever is in there- even if it's not ready to be evacuated! Tops of bushes are a favourite spot to leave a deposit . Excitement/stress does add to the frequency when on walks ... . if it were mine- I'd not fiddle with diet yet . Does this dog do the same thing whatever the environment? park /beach /controlled walk around a few blocks/walking in a built up area?

Not a 'bad idea' ;) Our dogs love bananas- apples are one of their first toys! They also enjoy strawberries/pears/tomatoes & figs. :)

..and don't wash the pee post down with vinegar ;) the smell needs to be there ! I just use ordinary cheap white vinegar

it is mentioned in the post ;)

LOL @ the big hand wacking you ! itching at the tail base is almost always fleas . Did you know it takes ONE flea bite to set it off ? Most internal flea treatments float around in a dog's bloodstream . a flea needs to BITE a dog to get a dose of poison ;) Don't panic - don't believe spellcheck, and best of luck :)

perhaps if you had talked about this with the breeder and your vet prior to getting a pup - you may have felt better about it. here is the definition of icthyosis (NOT itchyosis) : ;) - no it's not an itchy gene . It is a hereditary condition ... CLICK here fromTHIS SITE - A skin disease prevented thanks to a DNA test Ichthyosis results in a profusion of dandruffs. A majority of the Golden Retriever are carriers of the gene responsible for the disease. A reliable DNA test can screen stud dogs and brood bitches, in order to adapt matings and avoid birth of affected puppies and spread of the disease in the breed. An incapacitating hereditary disease Ichthyosis leads to a skin disease. The first symptoms appear between 1 and 18 months by multiplying large dandruff visible on the back and belly. The skin looks dirty and scaly, and becomes dry, rough and with a hyper-pigmentation. Increased hygiene measures (special shampoos) should be considered to prevent infectious complications. The breeder or veterinarian can confuse Ichthyosis with the presence of parasites on the skin that may also be responsible for dandruff. A very frequent disease More than 50% of Golden Retrievers in Europe are carriers of the genetic mutation responsible of Ichthyosis. A breeder can mate without noticing a male « carrier » and a female « carrier » and produce a litter containing affected puppies. A dog « carrier » of the mutation will not develop the disease but transmits it to 50% of the puppies. A stallion « carrier » of the mutation which is used a lot for reproduction, spreads the disease through the breed and helps to increase the frequency of the mutation and multiply the number of affected dogs.

Sounds much like some sort of senile or neurological thing ....

Donatella ... when you get a chance - lie your largest dog down ..fully stretched out .... and measure the length from nose tip to hind toes ... a crate needs to NOT be at all restricting in letting a dog be comfortable - they must be allowed to stretch fully , sit , and comfortably turn around..without the wire touching them .

he's a lovely boy :)

stressmagnet - to (legally) bait rabbits , 1080 poison is used, permits acquired, notices need to be displayed on property boundary fences ..and I really doubt a smallholder would bother- or could get permission. 1080 is quick acting and deadly....and is NOT available just to buy from a hardware store ;)

http://youtu.be/2MzrMpM8OKcTHIS ONE is nicer ;)

last night I set two live catch traps - ended up with 9 mice YUK.

Agreed - if he is not aggro - and is bouncy & friendly , it sounds as if he may need more to occupy his brain , and some training to channel that attitude :)

teela - yes, Talon has the same active ingredient . I do beg to differ with the pest controller ;) I've been picking up dead mice (and smelling them) all week from their ratsak feed last weekend !

TSD - - I would panic in case a dog got one mouse ....now, I can save the panic for something more likely ;) . For the birds, too - some visitors throw dead mice out onto the lawn - I would tear strips off them - seems as if things are much less lethal now :)

wow! :) Some gorgeous collars . LOVE the one Gruf's modelling :)

for those with a mouse/rat problem , there MAY be a bait which is HEAPS safer to use around domestic animals/wildlife!! I do not like using poison ... however, mouse numbers have suddenly skyrocketed , and they are everywhere Folks around town are seeing mice when they haven't for years ..and we have them in places never before used by them , Horrible . have been reading /asking Dr.Google - and come up with DIFENACOUM . yes, an anti coagulant rodenticide , but one which requires massive oral intake by a(non rodent) pet to be fatal. I hope to have some very soon- and be able to reclaim the house ( now- to get rid of 'that' mousey smell... If all is as stated on the toxicity sheet, I will be able to put bait stations in the aviary as well, and not worry so much about the bantams getting dying/dead mice . What i will also continue doing , is to only place baits out for 48 hr periods once a week . Enough time for mice to have a feed or two - but not be continually eating it. This table explains it well - obviously it is for one particular brand name product :)

Oh My .......... an absolute delight of a squishy, delicious Christmas Pudding!!!

pia is, of course, gorgeous . kitten .....................awwwwww.. PUDDING............

All I can suggest is that they NOT clean/treat ears for some days /a week then get a swab of the canals , and have that cultured so that any bacteria/yeast/fungus can be seen and identified. THIS way - at least they know what it may NOT be - or what it MAY be . perhaps another vet?

Happy day - BOTH of you .It's been a rough slog at times ... :)

0hhhh the old retriever trying to catch food ....

good news :)

Would a vet be able to identify the cause of a wound by lifting a scab to actually see a wound? Somehow I have my doubts. There was no festering under the scab of my Rottie's supposed WTS bite, just a clean wound that healed rapidly but bugger about the lack of hair growth to the area. I know my GP can't identify the cause of a wound because she asks me what happened to cause it. Not to ascertain the cause as such but sometimes the type of wound - is the scab covering intact skin, necrotic skin, an abscess, a puncture wound etc. yep .

That's why he's rare speshal Perse! Auto edit there!!! ahhh . got it ! :) Indeed.