stormie

See I would think the most harm a prong could do would be superficial skin wounds? Where as constant pressure from a flat/check/martingale could damage the internal structures?

He did I can't see how a prong collar is going to stop a dog from getting to you if the dog is coming at you any better than any other tool, particularly if the use of the tool is the catalyst for the aggression, especially a "tough dog". As I said before I don't think I am able to make that judgement, so I'm not saying they should or shouldn't be banned but to say they can't cause harm is not true, as most agree like with many other things. Are you able to explain what harm they can cause the dog?

I'm not sure you can compare the two though? I would say the skin on the dogs neck is tougher than that on its leg - after all it's where dogs often bite and scruff each other. I think most dogs would be more sensitive on the skin on their legs than their neck?

And if we can ban a tool like a prong collar that has no evidence of causing harm or proof that it has a higher risk of injury or misuse than other corrective tools available, we are on a very slippery slope. What will be next? Check chains? E-collars? Martingales? Everything except flat collars? Exactly. And then suddenly we will have no means to control dogs at all and then what do you know, dog ownership will be banned...

The thing is though, it's not the tool that's the problem. It's the users who abuse them. It's like banning all forms of junk food to prevent obesity. It's just not the answer, because there will be people who will just eat more and more of the other things and still put on weight. I genuinely don't see how removing the tools is going to fix the problem. It won't. You'll still end up with difficult dogs because there will always be people who don't put the time and effort in, abused pups, etc etc. Except now we won't have the means to help them and the only option will be pts. Taking away weapons doesn't make for a more peaceful society. There will still be evil people. It comes down to educating people on how to start out correctly, to minimise the behavioural problems in the first place. And of course there will still be dogs who are just born that little bit difficult to others and in those instances tools should be available to ensure we can train them.

Sorry, but I just think that was really nasty. I appreciate you don't like the collar and you're entitled to your own opinion, but it's not fair to put people down like that for trying to fight for something they believe in. It's not different to people speaking out against Puppy Farms and the likes - if people don't say anything, they'll never be heard.

Woohoo this was me!

It really doesn't matter when the first vaccine was done. Nor is there any specific time you need to wait before giving the next shot. Pups get maternal antibodies from mum. These antibodies act as a vaccine, protecting them. They don't last forever in the pup though and can start to fade anytime from 6-16wks - it varies in all dogs. If you vaccinate a dog that still has maternal antibodies, they will cancel out the vaccine and it won't work. So one pup might start to lose the maternal antibodies at 7wks, which means an 8wk vaccine will work. But another pup may not lose them until 11wks, in which case the 8wk wouldn't, but the 12wk would. And in some cases, it's not until later, in which case the 16wk is the one that will work. The idea though, is to use do it at those ages so there's only going to be a small time frame in which the pup has no protection. Eg if you vacc at 8wks but they don't fade till 9-10wks, then it's only 2 weeks until the next 12 weeks shot. In some really high parvo areas, they do it every 2 weeks, to try to ensure the pups have very little time without immunity.

Eukanuba love to push the differences between supermarket and super premium - maybe have a browse of this section http://www.eukanuba.com.au/en-AU/superior-nutrition.jspx - the topics under the Superior Nutrition Tab might be helpful?

It simply depends on the brand of vaccine. There are one or two that differ from the usual ones in that they claim to over ride the maternal antibodies and can therefore finish at 10wks. If you used a regular 12 or 16wk finishing vaccine at 10wks, any maternal antibodies present in the pup would cancel out the vaccine. So if your vet has the particular vaccine that allows for a 10wk finish, there is no reason you couldn't have that done at 10wks. I would speak to your breeder and vet and work out which regime is going to be the best for your pup.

This is the stuff I used to use http://www.vetproductsdirect.com.au/itemdesc.asp?ic=VAL815&eq=&Tp=

Is he controlling when he urinates or is it just that his bladder is so full that it's leaking out? Personally I'd be a bit concerned about an animal that's had trauma and can't pass bowel motions

Stormie I am not positive it was the nasal one that they administered but on the vaccination record given to me it just stated Nobivac Dhp & Kc. I will ring them and see if I can find out. Do you mean that just one nasal KC vaccination conveys lifetime immunity? Thanks everyone for your replies - it has confirmed my belief that he has had enough vaccination for at least 12 months. Nope, sorry, I just meant that you don't need a booster KC in 4 weeks if its the intranasal one. The injectable KC requires a booster 4wks later if it's the first one they've ever had, then it's just once a year like the intranasal. He'll still need a Kennel Cough shot every 12months if you intend to go on with that, but the Nobivac DHP is a 3yearly vaccine, so he won't need another one of those for 3 years (at least).

We never give two to adult dogs. If the dog is over 16wks, one C3 is all that's required. The only one that requires an actual booster is the Kennel Cough Injection, but if this boy had the Nobivac KC, which is an up the nose one, he only needs one. The only reason puppies have a series of boosters is to catch them when the maternal antibodies are disappearing - it's nothing to do with the actual C3 vaccine requiring a booster. eta: this is on the dosage guide of the Nobivac DHP:

I would be getting his urine tested and maybe some bloods too. A normal healthy dog shouldn't really be drinking that much water to make his urine so dilute and fill his bladder so much. I have had this happen with Orbit occasionally, but this has been a result of his cortisone for skin, which makes him really thirsty and therefore want to drink a lot of water. As a result his urine is very dilute and occasionally his bladder and filled up to over flowing point and he's had a bit of a leak in his sleep and made a trail to the door.

If your vet has given you a Malaseb and Pyohex, then I'd say it's to treat a skin infection. A regular shampoo won't fix this and while the infection remains, he'll continue to have bad skin and be itchy and uncomfortable. Get the infection under control and then look at finding a shampoo/wash that will help to keep the skin calm.

me too A police dog is a serving member of the police force and such deserves every protection that a human officer would get. It doesn't bother me that a vicious dog has been killed. A dog that the owner knew was vicious hence his comments. Agree. And size makes no difference here - Orbit had his leg ripped open by a Border Collie less than half the size of him. If it's got teeth, it can do damage. So the Police dog was attacked as soon as it got out of the car. What if this was an innocent person walking by with their dog? The dogs went out the gate and straight for the dog. Sad for the dog that was killed, but the Police aren't to blame here, the idiot owners are. I say well done to the Police officers for defending their dog.

Honestly, rather than spending money on supplements, ask your Vet for a referral to see a Dermatologist and spend your money there first. If you get a diagnosis of Atopy, then by all means go nuts looking for a miracle cure (there are tonnes out there, I've tried! ) but yeah, you'd be better of getting started on a process of elimination to find out the cause and working with the specialist to find the treatment regime that works best for you.

I used to get yellow sulphur from the stock feed supplier for my horses. Never heard of it for use in dogs for allergies though.

Rottie x Dallie?

This makes no sense to me at all. Hills S/D has a higher salt content than regular adult food, so I'm not sure why she would be feeding this is the dog can't have salt? Hills S/D also only comes in tinned. eta - I'm not sure if the 'Hills SD' you are referring to is Hills S/D or Science Diet, but perhaps best you find out exactly which diet the dog is on and the exact reason, then we can perhaps come up with some possible other diets

I've never heard of a CC3 either??

Thank you! I also just received a response from one of the Pet Friendly Resorts down there who pretty much said the same thing, but suggested I drive through Thredbo towards Victoria and they will let us through with Orbit. My sister is heading down the week before so she's going to give me a first hand snow report when she gets back, but otherwise I think I'll just have to cross my fingers.

I'm planning a short trip to the Snowy Mountains in a couple of weeks with the hope of letting Orbit see snow. We're staying in Canberra and only driving down to the snow for a day, so won't be staying overnight. The ski fields are all in the Nat. Park so I realise Orbit won't be allowed past that point. So can anyone recommend any places I can take him too where he might be able to have a little snow frolic? Or even somewhere we could do a bit of a scenic walk? Thanks!!

I dunno, sounds a bit like scare mongering to me. Frontline has been around forever and the only issue I've seen with it is that it just doesn't work. I'm not a fan of websites that advise against using flea products. I've watched at least 5 cats die from flea infestation and nearly all owners claimed to be using some sort of 'natural prevention'. I don't think preventatives/treatments necessarily need to be used all year round if you don't have a problem, but they definitely have their place.