Golden Rules

Sydney NSW , ArtyFarty, WA is a tad too far but have always wanted to go there lol Poo!!! :rolleyes:

I like the sound of you, fair but firm. What state are you in?

Hmmm, I'm keen to know as well........What on earth are you talking about?!

Very sad news. Many of us here know how devastated you must feel. Take care and be kind to yourself Griff.

See, logic to me says that everything in the gut is filtered and all the poisons (and nutrients) are absorbed before the remains are expelled. I'd be interested to hear firm evidence either way on this as well. Wouldn't it be great to make a good fertiliser from dog poo?!

Yes, but that has a solvent in it which wouldn't be too good for a dog's skin. The dishwash liquid is what I would recommend as well, it breaks up the oil.

I hadn't considered Neem.. thanks for that idea.. but I am a little bit concerned and confused about it's toxicity if licked (or if grass sprayed with Neem wash is consumed).. particularly in relation to cats (I have 2). The info re: Neem Oil and Neem Spray on the internet all seems to contradict.. The whole point of Neem Oil spray is it's non toxic - spray it on the cat or dog, it licks it off - doesn't matter, it purifies their blood. Speak to the people on the Neem website if you have any concerns. It may not be what you are looking for but it's a natural option as opposed to all the poisons.

Dogs in the wild don't have a freezer to freeze their bones before eating them Dogs stomachs produce hydrochloric acid to break down bones etc. There's not much bacteria that survives that

Have you tried Neem Oil Spray? Good for the dog. And Neem Kennel Wash? You can spray that on everything outside - and it's quite safe for all animals. If I had your problem, I'd treat the dogs and inside as you are currently doing, and spray the whole outside area 2 or 3 times a week with Neem Oil Kennel Wash. It's not expensive to buy a bottle, and you dilute it into a wash to spray so is very economical. It would be worth a go seeing as you have tried so much else. www.neemaus.com.au

As Poodlefan said, moisture could also be your enemy so be aware of that as well. Do you have any Curash powder in the house? That might do for the time being. If you do get manuka honey, make sure you get the highest 'active UMF' - the higher it is, the better it is and you'll end up using less. You can give it orally as well as apply it to the spot. I'm giving my boy a teaspoon twice a day at present just as an immune booster and that can help avoid hotspots as well.

thank you Arty. i have called the vet and am taking her in in a couple of days. after having soo many of them (this is probably the 10th) i feel so sorry for her, they must really hurt. i just glad that it has finally been diagnosed. four years of this is enough. time to find a preventative, if there is one. thanks so much every one for all your help. No chance you can get her in any earlier? A few more days and it will only get worse and she will need antibiotics. What do you feed? Dry food can often be an issue. Wheat isn't good for a dog prone to hotspots. Catching the spot quickly and treating it quickly makes all the difference. I haven't tried the Pyohex although I know FTPO has had good success with this and her goldie. I use Living Nature Manuka Honey antiseptic gel. I put some on my current boys tail when I noticed a small and obviously itchy spot which I knew what it was, and the thing disappeared overnight. There's lots of info here as well on hot spots treatments and preventatives, just do a search.

That's a hot spot if ever I saw one. My boy Duncan had a bad one like that almost in the same place. There's lots of things you can do - or at least try to do to prevent them but you need to act quickly with a vet visit before it gets any worse - and they do come up quickly, and get worse quickly.

I just did a search on 'prey model' and 5 threads came up. I also searched 'barf' and 5 PAGES of threads came up. There's loads of info there. You do need to do the research yourself so that way you know exactly what you are doing and can feel confident with it.

If you do a search on DOL for Barf, raw and prey, you will come up with a LOT of threads with some fantastic info. You'll be reading a long time :D You need to work out if you want to feed barf (includes veges and fruit) or prey model diet (meat and bones) and then go from there. Personally, I feed a prey model diet supplemented with dry. But then I add the odd egg, sardines, yoghurt etc as well as table scraps. Sometimes it's trial and error. If your dogs looks a bit thin, feed more or looks a bit chubby, feed less. That's how I gauge how much to feed. I don't measure or weigh anything.

Dremel and Ozito are just brand names for the rotary tool. All Bunnings across Australia will sell them. :D

Bunnings sell Dremels. :D

I'll PM you tomorrow I think (if that's alright), rather than take over my own thread!

I have never been to a dog show so really have no idea what is involved. My greatest concern is it would be time consuming and expensive. I never seem to have the time to do everything I need as it is!

Thank you and you too i has flava :D

OK, I'll say no more!

Missed this before. The bolded bit I suspect is everything I was asking in a nutshell, thank you The breeder said to me she would be keen to to have a Champion Norwich here in Australia - I said I don't know anything about showing, but would have a think about it. Outcome a few days later: She will be a beautiful show quality pet.

That's good. This is the sort of info I need to know. The vet I was talking to last night has 25 years experience in America, South Africa and Australia, and currently lectures at Murdoch Uni. She said she has operated on so many dreadful cases of mammary cancer and assured me I would want to do everything I could to avoid it. So it's great to hear that it seems relatively uncommon here.

Yes, I'm inclined to agree, however every dog is different - and you can still give them pain relief while keeping them contained and quiet (eg crated). To the OP - Rimadyl is far more likely to be a problem if it is given long term. Short term, it has been a wonderful drug for my boy after each of his cruciate ops. I was very hesitant to be using it at first but it made all the difference to my boys comfort level. Make sure you give it with food as well to lessen the likeliness of tummy upsets.

Thanks i has flava. Why did you get then done so early and not wait until after their first season? Was it for convenience sake? Were you advised to do it that way by anyone?

No, she will be desexed absolutely. My dogs get free play at our local park, river and beach. She would be far too popular if I didn't have her desexed I'm a firm believer that the dogs fit into my lifestyle, not me with theirs (even though they have certainly adapted my lifesyle! )