InspectorRex

Hi Nicky, have you tried waiting till Brandy is lying down on the ground and then gently brushing very slowly over her rump? Older dogs find it harder to stand on a grooming table etc. I used to lay my old Brodie on the ground and just take my time brushing him all over. he used to get so relaxed he would nod off to sleep.he even used to let me clip his toenails but if I put him on a grooming table it was "no way Jose". A Collie's coat insulates them from the weather as Belinda has stated here. to clip a Collie would be only done in extreme cirs's IMHO( eg terribly matted and neglected coat)

Did the Vet do a skin scrapping for mites? What allergy tests were done( eg RAST bloods or intra-dermal skin testing- this one is done by a Veterinary Dermatologist)?

Our Rescue Rough Collie "Bundy" was only 19.6kgs when we got him, he is now 23.6kgs( after 5.5wks). he still needs a few more kgs on him as you can still feel his hips etc. It all takes time and they need to be feed quality food. I have added pasta/rice to Bundy's raw mince and vegies.I have also added Sasha's Blend to his diet and we will see how we go. It also depends on the height of the collie- Bundy is probably close to maximum height so he can carry more weight than a dog who is at the lower end of the height scale.

Thanks WSM- we too hope the tides have turned and that a new era has begun. I suppose you cope with the love and support of your closest friends in the dog world.I have a couple of friends who have been like sisters to me and daughters too Dad and they have been a God Send. Our young Rough Collie "Phoebe" was awarded her first points and a Best of Breed a few weeks ago at the age of 10mths and the Rescue boy"Bundy" is going ahead in leaps and bounds and we believe he was sent to us by "Maggie" for us to care for and for a canine friend for Phoebe.

It has been a hard couple of years for us: April 2003- our beloved Brodie departed to the Rainbow Bridge( our first Obedience titled Collie); November 2003- our Mum/wife died suddenly with Cancer; July 2004- we lost our 9mth old Rough Collie puppy to severeal herediary diseases; and then this July we lost our "Maggie".(our first Australian CHampion). The term "life sucks" is quite appropriate. The DOLers have been wonderful at these very sad times

Well you are a good friend too. I have one friend that is like you and has taken us to the Vets when we had to let our dog go to the Rainbow Bridge. RIP Mia; your family and friends loved you

Our dearest Rough Collie "Maggie" aka Australian Champion Colbeau Go Get Em Legal- It has been two months today since you had to leave us for the Rainbow Bridge. our hearts still ache as it it had just happened :D .You were just under 8 years of age, too young but yet too beautiful for this world. "Maggie" you were a very special girl and meant the world to all of us. We know that you are at the Bridge with your beloved Brodie aka Nauglamir Seabrooke CDX and your Nanny( our wife/Mum). You will keep them happy there. Colleen(Mum), Bill ( Poppy) and "Phoebe puppy"( your little 'sister') XXXXXXXXXXXX

I groom but I would not do it. feel it is a job for a Vet or vet nurse, like DRU. Vets can remove the anal glands and solve the problem for you.

Having lost a young 9mth old pup July 2004 my heart goes out to you. You have very precious memories forever RIP Billy- now free of pain and sfuffering

You are nver alone here Katey.I still cry for my GSD x Collie that we had to PTS (Cancer) the day that Princess Diana was buried.I only have to hear Elton John's song"Candle in the Wind" and I cry as that was the song played the day Bonnie died and Diana was Buried. Our dogs are special to us because they love us unconditionally and we love them in return.

It is definitely a "wee" smell in his breath. I check his mouth regularly for trapped foods etc.He is very good at letting me do this. How much apple cider vinegar would you add to his food? will also try the lamb flaps( poor bugger probably wont know what to do with them after all that time being feed tinned Pal. the first time I gave him a shank the look was" well I have licked it now what do I do with it. LOL?) Thanks again

Thanks Kate, I needed a Collie person's opinion here so much appreciated. Any ideas on how to overcome his breath issue? Colleen

Yes, but he cannot afford to lose any weight. he should be around 28kgs for his height etc but when we got him 4 wks ago he was only 19kgs. I have managed to build him up to 23kgs and do not want to lose the ground we have gained. A Rough Collie with the runs( and I mean the runs) is not a pretty sight to deal with at all.

well sorry to say but the Parsley upset Bundy's get and he got the runs. remember this is a 9yo Rescue who had been feed tinned Pal for 18mths before we rescued him. Any other ideas folks? someone has suggested liquid chlorophyll from the health food shop- anyone tried this?

I too have different collars and leads for different occasions, martingale for general wlaking and obedience and then a show chain(light weight ) and show lead for shows. You can buy check chains that are made of nylon webbing( much gentler on the dog's neck and far less risk of injury) and I have used these for many years. the metal ones I loathe to be used on dogs; they are a last resort IMHO

Our boy(Bundy) and our 10mth old Rough Collie puppy(show dog) drink from the same water bowl we have inside( holds probably 1 litre).Bundy hasn't learnt yet to drink from the bucket outside( remember he was a Rescue that had been very badly neglected) How much apple cider vinegar would I put in the "communal" bowl and will it have any bad affects on my Show girl?

Terrorbull, I know how you feel. My furkids are my "kids"(don't have the human variety, never really wanted to after helping rear my nephew and niece for many years). I lost my 9mth old puppy to severe HD and other illnesses in July 04 and then my only Collie I had left( my very first Australian Champion) was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease in April this year and we were unable to overcome it so we lost her in July at just under 8yrs." Maggie " is in my avatar. (2003 I lost my 14yo Collie and my Mum) It is okay to cry, we are all dog lovers and empathise with you. I agree , though, the only way to know is she has HD is to have her x-rayed. If money is an issue, most Vets will let you pay it off. Due to all the major health issues we have had in the past year or so and only bein on a Carer's Pension my Vet lets me pay off the account, as long as I pay something each fortnight he is happy.

Thanks, will buy some tomorrow when I do the weekly shopping

Having had to make that hard decision little under 2mths ago with our first Australian Champion, who was just under 8yrs of age, my heart goes out to you. Just remember, at least with dogs we can assist them in their journey to the Rainbow Bridge( we canot do that with humans) RIP Barney Colleen

Ok, how much Fresh chopped parsley do I give him? he weighs 23kgs Thanks Colleen

Our Rescue Rough Collie, Bundy( aged 9yrs), has bad breath as he likes to "house clean" after having a pee. We know his teeth are not the cause as they were thoroughly cleaned by our Vet when he went in for his desexing(4 weeks ago). He has chicken necks every day and two or three times a week he has lamb shanks or brisket bones. I do not want to use Greenies as I have aleady had a dog have an allergic reaction to them Any ideas welcome please

Nat All dogs need "refreshers" now and then. even my Brodie CDX needed "reminding" every now and then that "oh, this is how you want me to do it,OK" Chezzyr- that is my 83yo Dad's favourite saying Good luck guys, let us know how you go Colleen

OK "Reilly" and "Rosie" - this is how I teach dogs to do quick recalls( believe me it works, I got one Collie who used to dred doing a recall for his owner, to go really fast) First of all you need two people( hang on, and I will explain why)- Have your friend/OH o whoever else you can can hold onto your dog's collar whilst the dog is in the SIT position. make sure they hold on tight to the collar. Give the WAIT command to your dog and RUN away from your dog CALLING his/her name quite a few times and look at your dog. Get the other person to stir your dog up by saying something like" look Reilly, where's Mum gone) and make sure they use a hyped up voice. When the dog is just about busting to run to you, CALL your dog( make sure you friend let's go quickly) and you will see how fast the dog runs to you. Now DON'T make your dog SIT at this stage. the idea is to get a quick RECALL and then when you have mastered that then, and only then, you can add the Sit in front bit. Try and and see how you go. We learnt this technique many moons ago at a Club where they used to have a Fastest Recall competiton. Colleen

Thanks Collie Angel- you are so right about Collies. they are just so special. welcome to the Forum. Yes Maggie is watching over us I am sure; she even "sent" a Rescue Collie to us that would have been PTS if we hadn't taken him as he is 9yo "Maggie" - you sure would have loved the new"old"boy Bundy, he is very much like your beloved Brodie. Phoebe is looking after him for you. It still hurts not to have you here-nights are the worst as you used to sleep on my bed , keeping my feet warm. You were a very special girl "Maggie" Love Colleen , Bill ( your Poppy), Phoebe puppy and your heaven sent Bundy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We use the same Vet/Chiro as Jencol- she has a Masters in Veterinary Chiropractics ( only 2 people in Oz have gained that qualification) and lectures at RMIT. A normal chiro visit is around the $45 mark I agree with the others- use a Qualified person