Tilly

Hoping things continue to improve ... we nearly lost our older GSD to a tick after the vet diagnosed an inner ear infection. It had started to affect his breathing by the time it was found. It took him a good 3 weeks before he was up and walking again and another couple of months before he was back to a certain level of normal. Thankfully that vet bill was only $1000 as I insisted on taking him home to nurse him as staying at the vets would have been too stressful for him - they need lots of sleep and a stress free environment.

In the large one ... you can't push a marble through the hole. I think the plastic is suitable to drill ... but I never have. I didn't even think of putting food in ours ... but we did put a marble in it (for the rattle noise) and just put the hole facing up rather then down.

My youngest just loves his Home Alone. I used to buy the Heavy Duty Turbo Chook but he kept breaking those - they were hardly lasting a week. I found the Home Alone better as this is only his third one ... we have it attached to the clothes line so it bounces up and down as well as moves around. The poor clothes line was old and needing replacing to begin with but is now on an almost 45 degree angle and has bent arms ... I suppose that is what you get when a 45kg dog hangs off it most of the day.

I use a double undercoat rake and a slicker on my two GSD's

My youngest GSD has the same issue and drops weight overnight in cool weather ... we fed him raw until I found he was also sick due to hunger. We ended up feeding the boys twice a day and added dry food. They get their main meal in the morning (which is about 3 cups of Canidae PureSea and a 1kg of raw for the youngest) and then some raw at night before bed (usually another 1kg of meat and bones). We also feed their raw frozen ... it slows them down slightly so they don't inhale the food.

Ooops ... double up

My boys are outside dogs ... and it is their choice - the youngest was brought up inside. Inside they need to behave but outside they can basically do as they please so naturally they prefer to run around silly outside.

I use a double rake on my GSD as the older boy has a fluffy butt ... it is the same as the picture but it has two rows of teeth.

hugs from my two boofy boys

Just like a desexed male human ... it still works but they just fire blanks :)

Comfortis works best for my two GSD's but it is important to hit the whole area as well. Treat the dogs, beds, yard all at the same time. I use Phermoxin ... but something like Malawash / Malaban isn't too bad in price. Check with the local produce store to see what they have on the shelf - and then drench the yard ... particularly where the dogs like to lay. Is the bleach rinsed out well? Maybe it is the bleach they are reacting too?

If he is laying in pee ... it can burn his skin so you need to make sure you not only get it off the hair but also the skin. My youngest was bathed at 11pm the night he arrived and later received two baths late at night. One what when he fell in the cold, smelly fish pond and the other was when he had the runs and not only walked in it but then sat and layed in it. We made sure he was towelled dry and then we put him near the fire (not too close) and in a draft free room until he was completely dry. A hair dryer set on low is also good.

We use pool chlorine sprayed over the concrete and then high pressure washed down.

I had this one built to fit back into the garden bed so it didn't take up any yard space. I had it left open at the front because my boys like to see everything. The roof is insulated. It looks like it is sloped but it is level (it is the yard that is sloped) but slight tilted forward so I can hose it out. It has enough roof overhang that the kennel doesn't get wet inside even with a real heavy storm.

I give chicken/pumpkin for tummy troubles ... then once he ok I then add a little regular food but keep him on some chicken/pumpkin. I keep increasing regular food and reducing chicken/pumpkin. I found my boy was sensitive to grains and beef so it may be a case of checking what ingredients are in the original food but not in the new food that may be causing an issue ... or it may be a cause of a tummy bug.

Our boy stopped eating his second meal (his choice) at about 5 to 6 months ... but we now feed him two meals a day as he drops weight very quickly during the colder months. During the warmer months we feed just the breakfast as his main meal and maybe a light snack at night every couple of days.

I found they didn't ask me for my name, ID or even the breed - which I was concerned about at the time. They did ask me "is this your pup" to which I responded "you tell me" ... they probably figured if I was willing to take the noisy pup then good luck.

When I picked my little boy (who is not so little any more) up from the airport (also Brisbane) and arrived almost an hour ahead of time because I had no idea where I had to be. I finally found the place and headed inside to check ... once we were sure we were in the right place we sat in the waiting room with a good book. We seemed to be there for ages before we could hear the unmistakable cries of a puppy ... protesting for all the world to hear. The cries continued and just go louder over the next 20 minutes as the vehicle got closer and then arrived into the back section. I am sure he didn't want to be forgotten amongst the other freight. They soon brought out a crate with the still crying puppy ... and I expected to open the door to a very cute little puppy (I had seen the photos) ... instead I was hit with the stench of something crossed between vomit and poo. The still cute puppy smelt just as bad as the crate and he was caked in it. I used the little blanket I had brought in with me (it was about 10pm and a little nippy) and wrapped him up. I took him out to the car and fitted his new harness and lead before taking him over to a grass area to allow him to toilet and drink some water. He was then secured in his crate and we drive the 40 min home … with the windows down (crate was covered with a blanket) and our heads out the window as the smell was just awful. I had rung a friend from the airport and asked him to go over to my house and fill up the hydro-bath and start the water heating … and at 11pm that night he was bathed. We had to scrap some of the caked on stuff off him as even the hydro-bath wasn’t removing it. He was then bundled up in towels and taken inside in front of the fire place where he was completely towelled dry. He was then placed into his crate (which was already set up in the lounge room with lots of blankets to snuggle up into) where he was given food, water (in the crate) and later toileted … and I slept on the floor beside him that night. He went to his first vet appointment the next morning … he was a little dehydrated but otherwise in good health. It wasn’t until later that day when I advised his breeder that I found out he was without water for around 6 hrs from the time they dropped him off until the time he arrived at the airport for me to collect.

Which a lot of apps out there for smart phones and tablets ... does anyone use one to record their pets medical records such as worming, vaccinations, illnesses etc. I have just downloaded "Pet Master" ... but was wondering what others used. What do you like and dislike about it?

If you can ... something like a security screen door (mesh not just fly screen) with a cat flap in it ... put on a bedroom door (or another room) should also give the cat a "safe" place to go to if it needs too get away.

I find plastic get little scratches and becomes hard to clean ... and it is easierly chewed. We use a heavy duty metal dish. I had a ceramic water bowl but now have a concrete molded one that i brought from a garden shop ... it looks likea half barrel.

Microchip your pet for $25! Last year, RSPCA Qld received more than 32,000 calls about lost and found pets. Fewer than 7,000 were reunited with their families. Don't let your pet become a statistic... SUNDAY 17 JUNE Brighton 8.30am - 4.30pm Decker Park, Twentyfifth Ave SUNDAY 24 JUNE Wynnum 8.30am - 4.30pm Elanora Park, Granada St Both days are open for cats and dogs. Dogs must be on lead and cats in a carry cage (cat cages available at events). All animals must be at least 12 weeks of age. http://www.rspcaqld.org.au/Events/Calendar/MicrochippingEvents

Warm soapy water and a toothbrush ... I have sometimes used toothpaste / toothbrush to give them a scrub. Works well.

My boy has the Home Alone and Heavy Duty Turbo Chook ... and he loves them. We also use soft drink bottles ... hole in the bottom then thread rope through the bottom and out the neck and string a few together.

I use Comfortis and find it very effective without any side effects ... but if I was you I would be concerned to use a tablet without first finding out what ingredient in Advantix caused the reaction and then establishing if the same ingredient is in Comfortis (or any other treatment).