Danois

And what kind of comments would you pass on the owner of an excessively obese pug?

Which beach is that flyingduster?

Wheres the fun in that? It is much more fun to start a hysterical thread on DOL. Jeff OP: Why does it matter what the person looked like or the breeds of dog - isn't this just about people walking dogs off lead?? Regardless - so what if he was? Does not sound like the dogs were doing anything naughty and why is he irresponsible simply because of no leads? Sounds like the dogs have a decent amount of training to be able to walk offlead. Good to see you're back to the same dramatic posts per your previous user names.

Kirty - come back to the thread and tell us how things are going!

Hi Appplejack - come join us in the dane thread and tell us all about your puppy! We like new dane puppies a lot! I have a Masterpet Serenity bed -http://www.masterpet.com/australia/products/dog/dog-bedding/serenity-bedding/moscow-cushion-choc-large in the lounge for Boo which is great. I have had it about a year now and it is still soft and not flat. I just unzip the cover and throw it in the machine. When Boo was younger, I slipped a waterproof mattress protector inside just in case but never needed it! In his crate (where he sleeps during the day - door is open) I have half a single foam mattress from Clarke Rubber with a cover on it. I am looking at the D1000 as he needs a bed in the bedroom now as he is choosing to sleep on the floor some of the night. My ultimate bed for him would be the LoveSac beds but they are very expensive. Am not a fan of the trampoline beds for danes.

My insurer (not Petplan but through PetSure) only takes about 10 days to process and pay claims even in busy times and its paid back via direct debit. They are also very easy to claim with - no need for complete history or vax certs. Just the diagnosis etc written on the form and signed by the vet. I have even claimed for blood tests without sending the results and never had a problem or a claim denied - and I have had many a claim.

It can be hard to switch insurers if you have a history of claims but never hurts to speak with an incoming insurer re previous claims and whether certain things would be covered.

As you know I have just started a short course of cortisone for allergies - 20mg twice a day for 5 days. I saw an improvement within several hours and by the following morning, considerable improvement. I have not seen more than a minimal increase in thirst and urination. Only thing I noticed was the first morning, he woke me at 6am to go outside and normally he would hold on til around 9am. I have seen a little increase in appetite but that is a good thing for Boo! No difference in energy. I was apprehensive about using cortisone as my last dog was on it for 9 months and at high levels - average dose was between 60-80mg a day for immune mediated issues though and not allergies. At that dose and period I saw typical cortisone effects - muscle wastage, thin skin, weight increase and lethargy. These were unavoidable regardless of careful management. However I have confidence in my vet with regards to appropriate use of cortisone in giant breeds and will use it if it means my dog is not suffering/ uncomfortable etc

I highly doubt that you will get any refund. The way pet insurance in Australia works is that it is an annual policy whereby the annual premium is made monthly (to make it more 'saleable'). If you cancel the policy during the policy year then you have to continue to pay until the end of the policy year (unless you have not claimed at all then there may be a pro rata refund but do not quote me on that). This is the case even if your dog dies - you still need to pay out the policy year.

There is a dog around here like that. I have previously taken the lead off it, handed it to the owner and said, not the best idea to leave it on cos you can be sure if my dog gets injured I will be giving you the bill and it will be rather large. You do have public liability insurance don't you?

It is a little hard to tell sometimes Zayda as many in the dane world keep their cards very close to their chest which is a shame. Luckily sas and stormie are more than happy to talk about their experiences. Hopefully breeders (in all breeds) will start giving allergies in lines proper consideration and not perpetuating the issues - it is not fair for them to be passing that problem on to puppy buyers.

Maybe try Shmoo - her mobile is on her website - http://www.ukinia.com.au/ I assume they are still together? Otherwise Cordy may have a number - her mobile is in her signature block I think.

Just an update: Diagnosis is hives and resulting staph infection so we have a long course of ABs and a very short course of cortisone. Also doing revolution for fleas and mites (on the off chance). Thyroid came back perfectly normal. We'll see what happens after the course of cortisone - if it returns then we will do further investigations. Am going to work on getting some more weight on him and see if that improves the coat condition.

OT but I got to meet your lovely dogs recently!

My approach works - warn said owners to keep their dogs the F#$% away from me in the future otherwise they will be reported. Owner 1 leaves the park when he sees me enter (his staffy ripped open Boo's ear). Owner 2 puts his dog on lead (GSD rushes Boo and has bitten his face). If it happens again, no doubt he will exit the park upon my arrival too. BTW he tells me his dog is only playing...

You have named the one vet I would avoid except for routine vaccination, nail clip or in an emergency due to their opening hours. I am in Inner West and travel to Pennant Hills for my vet because it is a vet I trust. There is not a lot of choice in the area - there are 2 Syd Animal Hosps, another just past the pub around Dulwich Hill and the Syd Uni. I'd go Syd Uni out of the available options.

mlc - what is your connection to this? You seem to know a lot about the proposed research and I am just curious.

Loving seeing everyone's photos! But...can people not include the photos in quotes? It makes the thread slow to load sometimes.

Thanks SwissGirl. I am fortunate in that I know 2 people with danes with allergies so have a wealth of knowledge re elimination diets and treatment options if we have to head down that path. Unfortunately he seems worse this morning - all lumpy around the neck area

I've already forwarded this thread and I will also get them to have a look at the Dane thread . I have mentioned they need to find a good breeder, but having said that you need a starting point to find the right breeder. As a GSD owner (and a Goldie ) I totally agree with you that a dane is completely different, and to me it's a little scary as far as the responsibility goes to look after these beautifull giants. Before taking that step of owning a Dane a lot of research has to be done to 1. Find the right breeder (who will be there AFTER you have taken you pup home) 2. How to feed them correctly 3. How to exercise them safely - and the list goes on Who the right breeder is will always be subjective dependent on who you ask and the recommendations will depend on what colour dane your friend is after. The steps to owning a dane - don't forget which model of king sized bed to buy

Sketcher shoes are great. I had the shoe repair man stitch the velcro bit on the pair I have together for me so it would not pop open while running. Many of the styles look dressy but have good soles on them.

Cornflour or get a stypic pencil from the chemist (its what guys use when cut themselves shaving).

If your friend is serious then get them to join and come and talk to us in the dane thread as the regular posters there can give all different perspectives on dane ownership and also there is some invaluable advice in there re what to look for in a dane puppy/ breeder. Like many other breeds, unfortunately there are a number of breeders in danes who are not doing great things for the breed and given their size, when things go wrong it can be a very expensive exercise. I think it is fair to say that owning a dane is quite different to owning most other breeds -both in what is required from an owner to ensure their dane puppy is grown and trained properly to what they are like to live with.

Thanks for your comments. Having done a little reading re thyroid just now I will speak with my vet about that as a first stop and then head down the allergy testing path if further testing is required. - have just been having a chat to sas about that path.

That aside - it is high in sugar given it is made from sugar cane.