Andisa

I was feeding my dogs lamb bones every day until Hamish got pancreatitis days before Christmas last year. He is eating chicken, rabbit and turkey barf and chicken frames now and I have decreased the amount of lamb bones for the others. I think having lamb bones every day may have caused the pancreatitis buy he is back to a normal diet without any issues. Just keeping a closer eye on the fat that he gets and feeding less of the fatty bones to all of them now. I have given him the odd lamb and beef barf, without issues and hubby had a brain fart last week giving him a marrow bone. Luckily I got home in time before he had a chance to really get in to it. I don't know if he will have issues again but I am happy to be able to continue feeding him bones - just need to be careful keeping the fat down.

Kirty, I use Conni Critters pads for Charli, hopefully one day she will actually work out that the open door is to go out side to toilet not just inside it on the pad. If I remove it she goes there anyway. Just pop it in the washing machine and line dry. Cheap and reuseable .

No - he gets a reminder to leave it alone or the bucket gets put back on, so far so good.

Some of the skin was licked/chewed off and I suppose dying off, yes he is on AB's. I was told to either leave it alone or just wash it with salt water, the bandage came off a few mins before the last 2 pics were taken. Vet said it was like a little cave of ingrown hairs . Oh - you just reminded me that I have seen ingrown hairs that turned in to nasty abscesses too along the spine of a GSD many years ago, forgot all about that one.

Ok I got curious enough to ask now. Hamish had swelling to his hock for a couple of weeks, at first I thought he must have knocked it or something bit him, then when it got worse - a grass seed. He was not lame and it never bothered him until the other day and he started licking it constantly and made a mess of it within a few days. Took him to the vet and it was ingrown hairs, he was sedated to have a good look and clean it out. Hope the vet got it all, if not he will need to get knocked out to have the whole area cut open to get at it. 3 days later. Has anyone had a dog with ingrown hairs before, just seems weird ?

Just a thought - do the dogs have access to oily rags that they play with or drink water from containers that have had oil in them that have filled up with water when raining? Last year Maddy's owners were pulling their hair out with the allergies that she developed suddenly. They own a boat yard and we were trying to figure out what caused it. They spent heaps an natural therapy, elimination diets and tests only to discover it was the rags the men kept in their pockets to wipe the oil from their hands that they were playing tug games with. She cleared up fast when they stopped playing with their oily rags and used her allocated rags. She was a bugger for demanding play so they used what ever they had on them. It's a long shot but thought it was worth mentioning.

Seeing as you've tried everything, why not back off on the chemicals and give the benign Calendula Tea a go before you add the extra chemicals to the mix? Of course it is your choice and I respect that, but I must admit that I'm cringing at all the chemicals. I will jump on Erny's bandwagon and also highly suggest trying Calendula Tea. Having seen first hand the difference it made to one of mine last year I am a convert too . (Thanks again Erny :D )

Hamish (Rottweiler) has just had ingrown hairs removed from his hock, vet put a 30cm elizabethan collar on him. Luckily he doesn't need it as someone is usually home to remind him to leave it alone. Bandage comes off tomorrow but the collar will go back on if he won't leave it alone. He had the biggest sulk when the collar was fitted :laugh: . Hope everything goes well.

Don't the organizers have enough to do without packing gazebos away? Unless they were clearly marked with the owners ID that would cause even more issues if the gazebos were handed back to the wrong owner. That was why I thought a bike lock to prevent them being packed away and removed without the owners having to contact the office, pay the fine and someone go unlock it. Brightly colored tape is easy to do and well wrapped around the gazebo legs (all 4 would be better) would be some what embarrassing to the owners, not only is it an obvious sign that they have broken the rules, it would be a pain in the backside to remove it. Perhaps the tape could be the first warning to all offenders - names are kept and the repeat offenders would have their gazebos removed (if they can get someone on the day to do it), owners will then pay a fine when they collect their gazebo. BUT notes would have to be made where the gazebo was removed from to try to avoid a mix up. It's very easy to remove ropes and tarps - just remove them, the spot will be taken up by those first at the show as it should be. IF the owner wants them back they would have to pay a fine, but my guess is they would rather buy new ones. Why make the exhibitor who gets up early and arrives before everyone else to make sure they get a good spot have to pay more to do so. Bugger that - if anyone has to pay extra it should be those who are ignorant of the rules - not those doing the right thing. JMO..

Sandra, I know her breeder well and there is no history of this with Piper's mother or Aunts, they were good natural whelpers of sizable litters, none of her sisters were used for breeding. The vet may be right, maybe it was just bad luck.

This is the same bitch both litters - she was super fit first time, she was swimming 3 times a week around 80 laps of the dog pool each time plus going to the beach and regular walking, second time she wasn't as fit but not unfit - not fat or over weight. First litter was 9 delivered - 8 live. Second was 8 delivered (2 dead and decomposing)6 delivered live, 1 died soon after - another 2 died within days. Was a struggle with them being premmies. She was home within hours of surgery.

Steve - I mentioned above the litter details, Piper had primary inertia. I have been feeding a raw natural diet for years and went by the Billinghurst book back then, I believe I ticked all the boxes and still had trouble. Had she been a kennel dog she would have died with the first litter, she gave no real indication that she was in labor except for a really intense stare - then I noticed a small amount of dark fluid on the floor where she had just dripped, had she been outside I would have missed it. I just knew she was in trouble - gut feeling, called the vet and told them I was on my way. They told me to give her time but I said "no" I am coming in. They scanned her and found the pups were stressed and mum was too - she walked around the surgery as if nothing was wrong but I just knew it was time. Ray Ferguson asked me what made me think she was in trouble, all I could say was gut instinct - he told me I made the right call, if I waited much longer all the pups would most likely have died - 1st pup delivered was already dead. They were small to average size pups for the breed. Second time she was laying in the whelping box beside me and gave me the same look - I knew we were in trouble again and then she passed a lot of brown blood. Called the em clinic (A/H)and had her there within 15 mins - however they took their sweet time, 1 hour later before doing the c section. They did an ultra sound and thought all pups were dead which is my guess why they didn't go straight in. They said that 2 pups had been dead for a while and most likely the reason she went early, they were small but still a reasonable size for their gestation. Both times Piper hardly made any mess with digging outside or in the box, her biggest indication was the intense stars at me. One thing I have noticed is she has a small vagina, even in full season she was small, her first litter was a fresh AI and second was a natural mating. Where as my other girls have huge vaginas when in season and they are maidens. When the vets did the first c section they said that there was no physical reason why she could not have delivered naturally, everything looked normal. eta; - thinking back over 4 yrs ago and she was given time to labor but not progressing, I made a few calls with the first litter before going in. Second litter I figured with all the brown blood it was all over and went straight away.

Piper was super fit with her first litter at 2 1/2yo, second was 12 months later, fitness wasn't as good as the previous year - but was still good. First litter was 9, 8 live and second was 6 days early - 8 pups 5 live - 3 survived - vet believes she went early due to the dead pups. Repo vet believes I was just unlucky, said a young, healthy and strong bitch like her should have delivered naturally. The vets I have spoken to have all said pretty much the same thing, they see no reason why Pink can't deliver naturally and just do what needs to be done. Either way what ever I decide no doubt I will share the journey with you all :laugh:

Well IF that's the case things are looking better already :D

Anyone game enough to wrap orange tape around the cars illegally parked at the dog show

x2 I bought a bitch who was born by caesarian, one litter she had a caesar. Kept a daughter from this litter, 2 caesars (one was elective because she had conceived one pup to frozen semen and we wanted to take no chances with that pup, it died at 3 days anyway ) Kept a daughter from her, 1st litter, caesar. Don't have that family any more. This is what worries me And so it should, honestly. I have had another bitch I bought as a pup but didn't get until she was five (it's complicated :laugh: ), she had two litters before I got her, single pup, caesar. Second litter of 5 or 6, delivered fine. Two bitches out of this litter had multiple litters (at least 2 for one and 3 for the other) no caesars AFAIK I bred her when she was almost 6, five pups fine. After a lot of debate bred her again when she was nearly 7, she conceived 11 pups (breed average 4-5), 3 weren't viable, one got stuck, caesar. A bitch out of the first litter I had from her had 3 litters, no problems. A bitch from the 2nd of those three litters had a caesar on her first litter, refused to push (not inertia) 2nd litter when she was nearly 5, 4 pups born fine. Daughter from that 2nd litter one litter at 3, caesar. 1st pup was coming with one front leg back flat against his body, took a lot for the vet to get him unwedged and pull him out backwards through the caesar incision. Daughter from that one litter, one litter at 2, caesar. This litter was said to be inertia, I wasn't there (didn't breed the litter) so don't know Daughter from that one litter, one litter so far not quite 2, no problems. This particular family I have no issues with and would continue with. Thanks Sandra - that was very interesting. A 5 year wait for your pup - I bet that was interesting too :laugh: . If I never breed Pink I will never know the outcome - but not in a hurry to find out just yet :D

I was thinking more along the lines of a child or dog running out from between all these illegally parked cars !!!! As far as illegally parked cars go ... if you car gets scratChed or damaged TOO BAD !!! Would it be any different to a child or dog being hit in a carpark anywhere else? People park badly every where not just at dog shows. Plenty of kids have been hit by cars outside of schools, many people still park illegally around schools. * not trying to justify their bad behavior - I always park legally :)

x2 I bought a bitch who was born by caesarian, one litter she had a caesar. Kept a daughter from this litter, 2 caesars (one was elective because she had conceived one pup to frozen semen and we wanted to take no chances with that pup, it died at 3 days anyway ) Kept a daughter from her, 1st litter, caesar. Don't have that family any more. This is what worries me

Steve - from what I was able to find out the lines that my Rottweiler bitch came from were natural whelping. Pink is almost 3 1/2yo so I am allowing myself another 12 months to have the litter or spay her. She is a very hormonal bitch, phantoms like you would never believe, swelling, sooky and clingy for attention, digs her way to China around her "due" date and has "labored" harder than her mother ever did and cares for her imaginary puppies providing milk for several weeks too. As she is so hormonal I keep an eye out for any signs of pyo, I have been told my many including vets that she needs to be bred soon or spay her. She is due to come in season again next month but she won't be bred then - if we breed her I am aiming for the end of the year or this time next year at the latest. She is a well put together bitch with a fantastic nature.

Yeah, I suppose it's a large grey area. Piper had uterine inertia the first time and I was told that while she had a good chance of it happening again - she might go on to deliver naturally next time. I bred her the 2nd time and the same thing happened again but she was 6 days early. She was never bred again and is now spayed. I would like to breed the bitch I kept from the prem litter - I suppose it's a risk that she too may require a c section, if so that will be then end of the dream for me. Just wanting feed back on what others have done and if the inability to deliver naturally was passed on to the next generation. I know several who have had natural deliveries after a c section but haven't heard enough about daughters born from bitches who had uterine inertia.

What do you do with a bitch who has had ONE C section - Would you spay her? Would you breed her again? If you bred the bitch again after one c section did she require another or not? Would you breed with a daughter from a bitch who had a c section.

so true ... and who will get sued ?? DogsVic ?? I would have thought it would be a matter of "parking at own risk" just like anywhere else. Many years ago my car was parked at a shopping center in Dubbo NSW, it was damaged by one of the Wollies delivery trucks (going back over 20yrs ago and the bill was more than $1500). Days later I over heard 2 women talking about the incident in the shop I was working at and I asked them what they saw. They witnessed my car being smashed - the driver in a Woolies truck had trouble getting in and they said the look on his face was "F**k it" and just smashed in to the car moving it from the bay it was legally parked in. I went in to Woolies with the new information and they refused to do anything about even with the witnesses, I ended up having a huge fight with the manager in the middle of the shop telling him what I thought about it all. Went to the police station with the new information but because they never had the truck rego they didn't follow it up. Weeks later I left there and went back home to live/work, was sick of the crap. I suppose I could have pushed it further but as it happened in a public parking area there was nothing I could do, the insurance company were great.

Pretty sure most of us have gone though this at some stage on DOL .

Dog geek - I admire you for your decision to abort/spay your bitch, I would do the same if I felt I made the wrong decision to breed a bitch who was not sound - I have removed dogs from my breeding plans for much less than what you have just done and would do it again if necessary. From a different point of view - I have been grooming dogs for around 12 years and the amount of small dogs who are structurally stuffed is very sad indeed, pure and cross breeds. Just yesterday I did a lovely little Poodle pup who is only 8 months old. I first did her at only 12 weeks old and noticed then that both her rear knees were very loose and clicky. She will require expensive surgery on both knees very soon if she is to be given a reasonable chance of a fairly normal life. No one deserves this, selective breeding is very important, not just structure but temperament as well. Pet owners are entitled to the best we can breed - not just anything we can breed.

What about putting a padlock or bike chain (or something similar) on their gazebos in a corner so they can not be folded up and packed away with a laminated note saying they need to go to the office to get the chain off - and pay a fine at the same time for their ignorance of rules :laugh: Imagine the shame - it would be like a neon light alerting everyone that they broke the rules :D . I suppose bright orange tape wrapped around the front poles would serve the same purpose but they would still be able to pack up and go home - but at least they would have to spend a bit of time removing the bright orange (or what ever color) tape - cheaper option and very noticeable.