Danois

Get deer antlers from SwaY at Whelping Supplies. I'd second the comments re being careful about treats. I especially chose some biscuit type ones rather than dried meat ones and Customs took them when I came back into the country last weekend. It was to do with the chicken fat and the egg - because there are apparently no standards re their manufacture so cannot be guaranteed they've been cooked at high enough temperatures. Lucky pet stuff is so cheap in the States it was less than $10 I lost. I stocked up on some toys in the States (given the prices)but have given them out already - I got one of those arachnoid balls which cost $7 - they're about $18 here.

I was talking to my osteo about this recently as she is very interested in pursuing osteo/ physio work for animals ( her brother is a vet) however the 2 places offering the relevant course are not currently offering it - one was in QLD and I think the other was NSW.

A pexy will not necessarily prevent a dog from bloating and torsioning and if you have one done, you cannot be complacent re the signs of bloat. A dog with a pexy can still bloat and if bad enough, will still torsion. In those circumstances, the torsion can rip the tacks away. The spleen can also torsion. I am of the view it is next to impossible to measure if a pexy has prevented a dog from bloating and torsioning given that the dog in question may never have bloated/ torsioned anyway. I chose to have one done because there was some bloat in my dog's lines. I see it as buying me extra time to get to a vet and am still on the watch for signs of bloat and observe some basic things like not exercising around an hour either side of meals, not allowing large drinks of water after exercise and avoiding too much stress.

I disagree. Whether they are appropriate depends on the dog and its eating 'style'. I feed my 60kg+ great dane chicken wings most nights as he does not gulp and crunches them up.

Actually.. Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus ("GDV"), commonly called Bloat which can Gastric Dilatation - Bloating we see is the stomach filling full of gas/foam/liquid. Volvulus - It is the twisting that kills. Bloat can occur with or without "volvulus" (twisting) Bet me to it SwaY Also pays to remember that the spleen can also torsion.

Yet if a vet was to charge their clients a higher consult fee in order to cover higher wage costs everyone would complain that vets were to expensive... Working for that wage is not undervaluing yourself. There are always going to be lower paying jobs in society - that's just the way it is (noting I started as a professional with 2 degrees on a grad salary of $26k) and is necessary to maintain any semblance of an economy. Notwithstanding this, I think that some vet nurses are underpaid for the work that they do. It certainly is a job which people do for the love of it.

Not necessary. I have a black dog with a tinge in the coat which is not dead coat or sunburn. Kelp powder (iodine) helps bring the blackness back.

Natural cat behaviour. When we lived rural (in NZ) all of our cats hunted. Podge was the main one - if he found a rabbit burrow with young rabbits you could be up 4-5 times in one night chasing baby rabbits around the house. He also caught rats and mice (once within about 5 mins of being chucked out with a mouse he returned with a rat)and birds. He also took on a stoat once - and won. Our cats were not there to look pretty in an enclosure but were there to help with pest control.

Pheebs - best thing for keeping weight on a dane I have found is the performance foods or a grain free one - not the cheapest option but I find I feed a heap less and weight (and coat!) is great. I use Canidae Grain Free Salmon but have used the Eagle Pack Power one too.

Why do you think the problem is going to be solved in 3 days? She is a dog and I doubt she'll get the concept that wearing a nappy = not peeing on the bed. She'll still pee - it will just be absorbed so she'll still achieve her aim. I think you need to go back to toilet training and keeping her on a lead at your side at all times until it is reinforced. Once vet rules out medical you have a behavioral issue to address - not something to simply stick a band aid on. Address her issues - don't simply do something which makes you feel better.

You'd be looking for public liability insurance I suspect. Probably worth getting a broker to look into it for you.

From the beach this morning at 7am.

Might want to read the rules ...

I purchased from Bowhouse today - cheap postage as it is $5 for a courier within Sydney Metro. It had been dispatched within half an hour of my order and would have arrived in our mail room this afternoon.

A decent lawyer is going to cost her in excess of $250 an hour...

If you want advice on your legal position then you will need to ring a lawyer or your community law centre and seek advice there. Very few people on this forum are qualified to give such advice.

There's lots to learn in the 2nd half ;)

Hi, If you go during the week in the middle of the day, you are likely to meet a Pointer exhibitor who takes about 9 dogs to swim........it's ok the join in with this gang....the dogs and the owner are great. Yeah - the Mirtos. They're normally there on a weekend too. Watch out for a guy with a large group of dogs - a couple of black ones, 2-3 heelers and a very large malamute type called Elvis. Generally does not have leads and a couple of the dogs are not overly nice. He's told me Elvis used to be very dog aggressive but now he's fine - however he's stalked us down the beach a few times. I was down there this morning and shared the beach with 4 racehorses from the Waterhouse stables. Water was dirty and full of rubbish.

Alkhe - I know ;)

Not too many lawyers out there are across companion animal ownership laws - it could turn out to be an expensive exercise.

Don't go in the bushes!! It's a bit of a beat - so can find some unpleasant surprises for dogs to find!

I use diluted chicken stock and usually add cooked chicken sausage and cooked prawns (just the cheapy imported ones).

Hell no - licking in this house is not tolerated at all. It is reprimanded as a pup so there is no habit formed.

Interesting...you're a new member and by your own words was lurking for a year before you joined. Sounds like you actually an old hand at this forum..

Cafe Bones tends to be a bit feral - not to mention the canal right beside it which is not fenced and trust me, it ain't easy fishing a dog out of there who has decided to go swimming.