dancinbcs

Dr Ann Neville at South Rd Animal Health, Bentleigh is a regular vet who also does Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her track record with cancer dogs in particular is pretty amazing as well as other chronic infections, etc.

I also suggest you start another thread in the health forum with photos of your puppy showing the demodex (asking for other's experiences with generalised demodex) and include his full name and who his parents are to alert others that may have related dogs that there may be a problem in the lines. If you own the dog outright there is nothing to stop you naming him and even publishing his pedigree so long as you don't refer it back to this thread or make any comments re his breeder.

I always ultrasound around week 5 to determine pregancy and find out approx number. It is always good to know if there is, none, one or many because one usually means a caesar, so you can be prepared. I have also seen some very convincing phantoms wiht bitches gaining lots of weight, getting milk and even going into pre-labour, all for nothing. With small to medium breeds, a good ultrasound machine and experienced operator, the count is usually no more than one puppy out at most. With large breeds having 10+ it is harder to count. The other benefit is if the ultrasound shows say 6 and you only get 2 then you know she has re-absorbed and can take precautions with the next mating.

Bigger breeds are more prone to developmental structure problems if you get the diet and exercise wrong becasue they are heavier at a younger age and grow slower than other breeds but once grown correctly they would be less prone to injury than many smaller and lighter dogs. Border Collies, Whippets and other fast moving breeds are very prone to injury simply because they do move so fast. Our very experienced chiro sees more BCs than any other breed, besides racing Greyhounds, due to their active nature and lack of self preservation. Tiny Toy breeds with fine bone like Iggies are also easily prone to breaking those fine bones if dropped, etc.

Or a Bullmastiff.

What about a Whippet or a Sheltie?

Breeders of crossbred dogs are all under this illusion that crossing breeds makes all the health problems go away, so they don't health test for anything. They do not have to conform to any Code Of Ethics like an ANKC purebred breeder does and if a puppy isn't purebred with papers to match the microchip, you have absolutely no guarantee of what you are buying. A puppy could be a cross of several breeds or nothing like it is supposed to be and you ahve no comback if it grows up to look nothing like you expect. Crossbred dogs are bred purely for profit and having to do all the testing for two breeds would cost them more than they could make. Purebred dogs are bred for the love of the breed, to preserve and breed better examples of those breeds and most breeders are lucky to break even on costs. Many purebred breeders that do everything right, actually lose $1000s on their investment in the breed. What you are referring too is hybrid vigour and it applies in wild populations of animals where survival of the fittest is the rule and you start with two of those survivors. Without health testing and no background on the animals involved there is no way to predict if the offspring would be healthy or not. As to personality/temperament, it varies a lot in both breeds and they are often in conflict with one another so you could get anything from one end of the spectrum to the other or just a very confused dog. When you breed you do not get 50/50 input from each parent on most things. So you could end up with the worst of both and a dog that is destructive and out sheds every other breed, like a Lab and scales fences and chases anything that moves as can happen with Borders. I have owned a Lab and many Border Collies and would defintiely not want a cross of those two breeds. There are a lot working bred Border Collie/ Kelpie crosses on farms and farmers have their reasons for each breeding but that is not a drastic cross because those two breeds have common origins. Just crossing two very different breeds for the hell of it thoug is asking for trouble. This a purebred forum to discuss ANKC registered breeds so you will not find any crossbred breeders on here, what you will find is dedicated, reputable, registered breeders who breed to a code of ethics.

Ok, that explains the huge height difference. :) With a tall breed like that she may cope with weight better than the longer bodied breeds do but it would still be a good idea to sit on something sturdy and be ready to steady her under the chest. Once they are tied if they move around and the height difference is too great, a solid block of wood under the bitches rear feet will help matters. The more tension there is, the longer they tie. That is why I used to train my BC stud dogs to lie down on command. I would lower the bitch and tell the dog to down at the same time. No chasing tied dogs around, everyone more relaxed and most ties no longer than 20 min.

You can't base your opinion on a breed on just one dog and most dogs not raised with young kids are not fussed on living with them. In any given litter of many breeds the temperaments will vary a lot from ones that are going to be great kids dogs, to ones that just wouldn't cope. This is why I am always astonished when breeders definitely allocate a puppy to a young family before they are at least 6 weeks old.

Don't panic until you have more information but if it is a liver shunt, the breeder has probably never run into the problem before. Frenchies have a long list of known hereditary problems but liver shunt is not one of them. It is actually pretty rare and usually not inherited in most breeds so even the very best breeders can have a puppy born with it. Only the handful of breeds where it is common are routinely checked for liver shunt. Congenital just means the puppy was born with the problem because it didn't develop properly and does not mean the puppy inherited the problem from it's parents. Hopefully all of this is irrelevant in this case and it isn't liver shunt, just a simple lever enzyme level hiccup.

What breed has a 5" height difference? From a mating perspective try to stand the bitch on a higher platform or at least uphill. The bitch being much smaller will also need someone to support the combined weight under her chest as the dog will be very heavy for her. Once tied you need the bitch to stay on a higher level or get them both to lie down. From a whelping perspective the puppies may be too large but more likely you will get some very big and some very small puppies. Don't expect the sizes to even out because they rarely do if you breed big to small.

You can rego under six months, you just don't HAVE to. From memory the age of registration in VIC is 3 months. My council (in nsw) wouldn't take my money They took this to mean a minimum age. Your Council are idiots! You can get fined if the dog is 6 mths 1 day old and not registered... your Council must think the only day you have to rego is the exact 6 months day! :laugh: Which Council? I lifetime register mine the day they are microchipped as babies but do it at Transpet, not at the council.

Probably a silly question but is potato flour ok to use on dark coloured dogs? Yes and not a silly question, that is why we use it on BCs. It is courser than cornflour or chalk and brushes out completely from any coloured coat. I find it cleans but doesn't whiten. If I want to whiten legs at a show I always use chalk.

I have heard both good and bad reports on them but worry about what happens if a dog swallows them. The shoo tag is magnetic and the skudo must have a battery to work. Also I don't leave collars on my dogs for safety so that is another issue. Having a breed that is well known for getting hung up by or eating collars, even flea collars, I think it is a real concern.

Collie Rough. Why does no one ever think of these lovely family dogs anymore? They used to be so popular and are now almost a rare breed. They tick all the boxes and are easy to train.

If your dogs are used to being at Spring Fair, large shows or similar dog fairs, then they may be fine but the average pet dog that only sees a few dogs on a walk or at the park might not cope so well. There is nothing worse that having your dog ready to compete in an event, concentrating on the task at hand and then have someone with a couple of pet dogs wander along and let their dogs say hello to yours just outside the ring. If you want to go up and pat dogs on display at the breed stalls you may need someone to hold your dog while you do so as not all breeds appreciate strange dogs getting too close, even if they are fine with people. So the basic rule is do not let your dog approach others unless you ask first and if your dog is inclined to be reactive at all leave it at home. Keep in mind that the forcast is for rain. A link to more info is here. Dogs On Show

Only if your dog is 100% reliable in a VERY crowded place with lots of dogs and people. So dogs that normally compete in obedience or other events may be fine but I wouldn't try taking a pet dog that hasn't been in that sort of situation before. There could easily be 1500 dogs on the ground showing and involved in the events not to mention all the people. If you want to see and get close to all the dogs on show it is probably easier to leave your dog at home.

Most dogs are terrified of stockwhips unless trained to get used to them. That is why I carry one on walks, to deter rushing dogs. My dogs are trained to stand next to me while I crack the whip but the approaching dogs all stop dead even if they are in a flat out charge, long before they reach us.

After hours emergency centres are a complete lucky dip because they usually have different vets from different practices rostered and you may strike one that knows bugger all about breeding and caesars. They also charge whatever they like and it seems to be even more than the specialist centres that at least have very competent vets on. Regular pet vets tend to put off a caesar as long as possible usually with dire consequences. I have been told by friends in the ACT that this sort of after hours emergency centre is the only after hours service they can get now so they use vets further away in NSW in places like Yass. You friend needs to find a recommended "breeder's vet" who offers after hours service, even if they are an hour or more away and become a regular client. At least you know they will deal with the situation immediately you get there. This is why most breeders in Sydney only use a small handful of vets no matter where they live.

That is exactly the point I was trying to make Squinter. Yes my girl had a bout of this when she was little BUT I brought her on Limited Register & she was desexed & all is swell. She is a wonderful pet. You on the other hand brought this pup on Main Register with the thought of breeding etc down the track, now your hopes may not happen.Your husband is annoyed & rightly so IMHO. Disappointed too ! Money too is another factor in this naturally. Look I really feel for you because you have become attached to the little pup & this is a terrible situation to be in & it sounds like quite a severe case of Demodex, going by what you have said. I am no vet but when Stella had it she just had slight hair loss around one eye, nowhere else & she never had another issue with it. I would be getting another vets opinion & talking to the breeder, as others have already said. Good luck with what you choose to do. Sorry you have to endure this as this is not how it is suppose to be when getting a new pup :) Localised demodex around the eyes used to be very common in BC between 3-5 months and in bitches having a first litter but is a lot less so these days and I have no idea why. No one ever thought there was a hereditary problem so they were bred from with no obvious connection to affected offspring except when a mother was affected, when actually raising puppies, then some of the litter would also be affected at about 12 weeks. In those days we used to treat it with Ectodec wash that was applied weekly all over the dog for three weeks. If you used it as a spot treatment the problem came back if the dog was stressed again but if you did it all over it cured them for life. Nearly all dogs have demodex mites on their skin but they only cause localised demodex if the dog is under physical stress, like pregnancy, vaccinations or illness and this can allow the mites to multiply too much and invade the skin. But I have never even heard of a case of generalised demodex in a BC. Now we know the immune system plays a bigger part in demodex and it would seem that hereditary factors might be a big contributor to generalised demodex. It does seem to be much more common in some breeds and they tend to be short coated breeds. I would never breed from a dog with generalised demodex and would consider pts if the first round of treatment didn't work. If the op's puppy can be successfully treated without needing ongoing lifelong expense then keeping the puppy to show might be an option. Not every show puppy turns out good enough to be bred from anyway. That is the luck of the draw and no breeder can guarantee that a dog will win or be suitable to breed when it is mature. Nature has it's own agenda sometimes depite the best efforts of the breeder. If however the second opinion also deems that this will be a chronic case needing ongoing treatment then return to the breeder to be pts would be the best option all round.

Do you just lather it in then mop it up with a towel & the dirt comes out with it ??? Why do these BC's always think they look better with green greasy necks Yes, PP Wonder wash will even take out axle grease, smell and all. You just spray it on and lather, then towel out. If it is a small spot just spray it on a cloth and work in well before using a dry towel to get it out. Potato flour is magic for wet muddy legs or bellys or pooey pants if they have the runs. Just pack it in, let it dry and brush out with a flat pure bristle brush. It absorbs the muck and brushes out leaving them clean and dry. You can buy it at shows and from pet warehouse type places. With green roo poo, I would proably try potato flour first and then use PP wonder wash if there was any mark or smell left.

I would get a second opinion from the breeder's vet. If the prognosis is the same, then definitely return the puppy. Some breeds are prone to localised demodex just around the eyes, as puppies and once treated it goes away for good but others are prone to generalised demodex and that is completely different. I would definitely not breed from a dog with generalised demodex.

How does he travel in the car? The only puppy I have ever sold that got carsick was one that was put into a harness. She was fine in the back of my wagon when I borrowed her to show but always got sick in the owners car. They tried leaving her loose on the back seat for a couple of months and were then able to put her back in the harness. Also, is you car auto or manual? I have no idea if this applies to dogs or not but I get carsick as a passenger in manual cars but not autos.

That is a dreadful experience Romymyst but you have missed some important facts in your blog. 95% of registered ANKC breeders do not make enough profit to be classed as a registered business. The Tax dept classes dog breeding as a hobby unless you derive an overall profit from it. The only ones that are registered businesses are primary producers or those that just breed in large numbers for profit. Most ANKC breeders only have one litter per year so can hardly derive an profit from that after taking out all their dog expenses for the year. Also the shoulder problem mentioned in the blog does not have to be genetic, congenital yes, but not genetic and there is a big difference. Any puppy from any bloodlines, champions or not, can have a congenital or genetic defect and some vets don't pick them up. I know someone that bred a puppy with weird shoulders. The vet that vaccinated the litter thought it was fine so the breeder sought a second opinion and x-rays. The shoulders joints were missing with the bones crossed instead of joined. This is not a genetic problem, just bad luck and the puppy was pts. Dogs are not all born perfectly formed any more than children are. No idea what happened with the hookworm except to say a lot of regular wormers don't get rid of it but it is pretty rare and most breeders will never have to deal with it. Once it is on a property it is very hard to get rid of and multiple dogs would have been affected. It can lay dormant in soil for a long time and once a dog brings it on the the property you have a major problem. There are definitely shonky breeders out there but bad luck can happen to the best of breeders and they don't have a crystal ball. The best advice I can give anyone is to immediately return an ill puppy, if possible, if it gets sick within the first week and let the breeder work it out from there. So Romymyst, if you are going to make accusations get your facts straight first before going public with it or you could find yourself in legal troubles.

The funniest fear I have ever heard of was bacon. A work colleague had a tough little entire male Maltese who ruled the roost over their male Lab and another dog but became a quivering wreck if anyone got bacon out of the fridge or even if he could smell it. He was scared of the sound of it cooking and eventually became scared of the associated smell as well.