Nadia

Be VERY careful using tactic. Did your vet reccomend this??? Also be aware that your dogs immune system is being knocked around badly by the chemicals. I would seriously consider throwing all the chemicals out and trying a natural approach via diet and supplements. There have been some great threads on here with some good advice from Steve that you could search for. Has Neem Oil shampoo been suggested? It is worth a try too.

Inj Vit C is available over the counter at Vets, stock feeds etc, anywhere that horse suplies are sold. It is very cheap. Don't bother with the Chemist it is expensive. Troy Vit C is one of the most economical I think. Don't forget to pick up some syringes and needles.

My vet deals with my toys very well, she just doesn't agree with early desexing. Has nothing to do with their size. She wouldn't desex my hound puppies either. This could go on forever, those who do vs those who don't. If those that do desex early are happy thats fine with me, I don't but it doesn't make me irresponsible, it was an informed descision. Thanks for the fan mail too guys!! Nice stuff in my inbox today!! Took a lot of thought some of it.

I do not breed so many puppies that I cannot keep track of them, I am very very careful who I place puppies with. It is my choice not to desex early and I have that right. Certainly, for rescue organisations they are dealing with a whole different ball game. If I sell older puppies to pet homes, they are desexed before leaving. Same goes for any adults that may be placed out as pets. I agree Cordelia that it is a personal choice, and for me, and my vet, we choose not to do it. If other breeders feel happy to desex their babies then that is up to them and it is their choice. I have no problems with Rescues doing it, it is what they have to do. What sticks in my craw is that you get the feeling that we are seen as not being RESPONSIBLE by selling baby puppies that are entire. My babies are planned, lots of planning goes into a litter. They are raised and sent off to their new homes having been given every opportunity to be the happiest healthiest little folk I can make them be. By the time one of my babies passes into someone elses hands we all have had time to get to know each other and I am happy that they are going to responsible, caring, forever homes. For me part of raising a puppy to maturity is allowing its body to grow as naturally healthy as possible. I feed a varied and very healthy diet, I allow the puppies to play and experience lots of different things. I keep them healthy but do not subject them to too many chemicals or drugs. Allowing the puupy to grow with its hormones interacting as they should, to me, is part of its growing process. If I didn't think I was doing the best I could for my puppies then I would be irresponsible.

My Vet has the same stand Steve, and she is not an inexperienced soul either. She simply does not believe it is in the best interest of the puppies. We actually do not have a Vet in this area who will desex baby puppies.

He is simply being a WHIPPET, they love to do laps, the sheer joy of running is what they love. Do you allow him to stretch his legs off lead before training? A few fast laps somewhere safe before he has to work. It may help. I would never put him on a longline, sorry, too dangerous.

All puppies need raw meaty bones to chew on. Their baby teeth will fall out when they are ready, bones are essential for healthy clean smiles, puppies need to chew and exercise their little jaws. Chewing bones also occupies their busy little minds. Byott, Did you recieve a Diet Sheet with your Puppy? I would be guided my your Breeder. Also be aware that if your breeder has a health guarantee in place it may be subject to you feeding what he/she reccomends etc.

Misinformation and ignorance is what the problem is. Prong Collars, Training collars, tail docking you name it, the folks who know and understand, and who have the experience, seem to be continually overshadowed by those who think they know and yet really have no knowledge. This thread will go the way of the others.......

Fipronil is actually the pesticide ingredient in both products, the spray contains Isopropyl alcohol which I imagine would be the drying agent.

They don't have a good track record in getting back to you if you ring them. I gave up on them eventually.

What were his symptoms Schnauzer? What an awful thing to have happen.

I have one dog who is highly sensitive to Frontline Top Spot, his skin breaks out in nasty raised sore pustules, like nasty acne. Have used the spray on him though and no problem.

I was told last week by a fellow breeder that the reason for the ingredient change is because the Roo quota has been cut to appease the greenies. Hence lack of sufficient quantities of roo. Don't know how accurate this is, but our local pet meat places do not have much in the way of roo for sale?

An Overview of Neospora Caninum and Raw Food Diets Larry A. Bernstein, VMD Natural Holistic Pet Care Miami, Florida January 21, 1998 There has been a great deal of activity on lists and the internet concerning an organism call Neospora Caninum and its possible relation to canine encephalitis, myocarditis and paralysis. Since many holistic practitioners advocate a raw food diet, this has prompted me to create this initial monograph based on my research into the subject. This is preliminary as there is minimal literature on the subject and is based on my perceptions and conversations I have had with the experts in this area. It is informational only and should be used in conjunction with any other material that becomes available. There is very little information in the literature concerning this organism as it relates to the dog. Much of the research has been in cattle and the abortions attributed to Neospora Caninum. Most of the reports have been case studies of dogs that have shown symptoms and discussion of treatment. Exploration on both NOAH (AVMA) and VIN (Veterinary Information Network) have shown less than 12 cases being posted since 1991. I also want to stress that this is not a new organism. I have seen case reports going back to the 1980’s The organism is a protozoon and seems related to coccidia, Toxoplasmosis and may fall into the same class as Sarcocystis neurona, the organism that is suspected of being the primary cause of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). The main thrust of this document is to explore the question of raw food contamination and if that changes our perspective in recommending raw food diets to our holistic clients for their pets. There is a web page that will allow you to explore Sarcocystis and EPM in detail (http://prevmed.vet.ohio-state.edu/epm/comptext.htm). We need to address this on several levels. Is it a real problem? How prevalent is the organism? How serious is the disease? What are the probabilities of contracting the parasite? What steps can be taken to eliminate or limit our pets’ exposure. Is it a real fear? Based on my preliminary research, the organism has been reported in cattle for at least 8 years. There are some studies that have shown almost an 80% serological (blood titer) presence of the organism in some herds. Since this is being written as the information is being developed, please take my figures with a grain of salt. This is based on my discussion with some of the authorities in the field. I do not yet have the specific literature citations on all aspects but it appears that the definitive article on Neospora Caninum in cattle is a 59 page article by Dr. J.P. Dubey in the Journal of Parasitology 1996, volume 67. I am working on getting a reprint of that article. I will tell you that the vast majority of the study has been on the abortion effects in cattle and only now is more information coming out about dogs. How prevalent is the organism? The estimates, based on blood studies, indicate a range from 20%- 80% in some of the cattle herds studied. It has been seen primarily as a problem in dairy cattle but N. Caninum can also affect beef herds. How serious is the disease in dogs? The symptoms usually manifest in puppies and dogs under a year of age and can include a paralysis, myocarditis and encephalitis. Toxoplasmosis can create a similar picture and that makes sense since the organisms responsible are very much alike. There seems to be little in the way of effective treatment but the use of Sulfa compounds has been proposed. What are the probabilities of contracting the parasite? If the parasite is present in the muscle of affected cattle and the beef is ingested, the digestive juices do not inactivate the organism so it can, theoretically, create a problem. However, when you think about the large number of people that have been feeding raw food diets for decades and the insignificant number of cases being reported in dogs, you have to consider two obvious explanations. The first is that there are a larger number of cases that are going undiagnosed or being blamed on other things. This is possible but the more likely possibility is that this is an opportunistic organism that only preys on animals with an immune system that is compromised in some other way. This might account for the fact that the vast majority of cases are in young dogs and puppies and follow the same model as Toxoplasmosis and coccidiosis. What steps can be taken to eliminate or limit our pets’ exposure? I am still not convinced that a healthy, holistically cared for pet is the optimal candidate for contracting this parasite. In my discussions with the experts on Neospora, I was led to believe that the treatment of meat to inactivate Toxoplasmosis should also inactivate Neospora. We know that cooking will do this, but it was also interesting to find out that freezing the meat for 24 hours should also kill the organism. The parasitologists were less specific on the use of grapefruit seed extract or food grade hydrogen peroxide to treat the meat. I do, however, feel that this has been effective in dealing with Toxoplasmosis. I base this on the fact that I have never seen or even recall hearing of a case in an animal under good holistic care and being fed a treated, raw food diet. This is not to say it has not and cannot happen but I have yet to see a case. In conclusion I feel that this parasite is real, but it has existed for many years and is not some new dreadful disease sweeping through our pets. It is something to be aware of but the precautions we are now taking (or should be) seem to be working and we should not allow this to dissuade us from our present dietary choices. To those of you who are wondering if it would be advisable to cook the meat, I feel you are better off freezing it for a 24-hour period. It should retain more of its nutritive quality during freezing than from cooking. To those of you who use other methods to detoxify meat to help prevent Salmonella, E. Coli, other bacteria and Toxoplasmosis, I say to continue that course. If you take in a new pet, possibly an ill one or a rescue dog that has a weakened immune system or you are dealing with a new puppy, I think the freezing option is the best compromise. These would be the dogs that are most likely to contract this parasite. Please remember that this was assembled quickly from the information available and is my best analysis of the situation based on all aspects of my medical training and experience. You must each do what you heart and experience tell you. I will continue to prescribe as I have been with some modifications. I will suggest freezing the meat for the younger animals and emphasize the use of grapefruit seed extract or food grade hydrogen peroxide for those clients that are not already doing this.

How long has she been disinterested in her dinner? Is she still drinking? What is her overal body condition like? I f it has only been a couple of days and her condition is good maybe see how she goes? If she can ill afford to lose any condition and and she is not staying hydrated etc, you may need to think abouther options. How old is she Rozzie? Could the heat be just making her feel a bit off?

So it doesn't require a dog to have been vaccinated in the past 12 months, just that it has been vaccinated. No drama then.

Gusgem, I think you will find the people on here that do not OVER vaccinate are VERY serious about their dogs health!! Ever seen a whole litter of babies suffer from vaccine reaction? I work in the Veterinary Industry and have for over 20 years. I have bred dogs and other animals for longer. I believe I take my animals health VERY seriously. I do not believe in ANNUAL vaccinations and I do not believe in bombarding baby puppies immune systems with multiple combined vaccines. Yes I have seen animals die from Parvo. I have also nursed animals with Auto Immune Disease post vaccination. I have never lost an animal myself to one of these diseases. Read a bit more about vaccination or at least give those of us that have researched this subject some credit,

I prefer Wahl or Oster, For really nasty clip offs a #10blade, for others possibly #5. Remembering that with really matted coats you need to go under the mess, the #10 gives you a smoother ride. Longer blades will jam in the coat and try and feed the matts through the teeth, and they wont manage it.

Of course it is possible for dogs to contract Salmonella, however it doesn't happen as often as some scaremongers make out. Just take normal hygeine precautions. Use seperate chopping boards etc for cooked food and raw, wash everything in very hot soapy water( I bleach my boards and leave them in the sun every week), especially cloths etc that you use for wiping surfaces etc. If you feed your dogs out of bowls, wash them up daily with hot soapy water. I have fed raw chicken to my animals for many years, we have had no problems. If it is handled properly as you would your own food, you shouldn't have any problems.

Try to use products in the environment that contain IGRs (Insect Growth Regulators). Normal flea rinses etc only kill adult fleas not eggs or larvae. If you use products that sterilise the eggs and kill larvae as well, you will get rid of the flea problem much quicker. Although Fidos rinse is safe to use every 3 days for ticks, remember you are using it on a baby puppy, babies immune systems are easily knocked around by chemicals even those generally considered safe. I would concentrate on treating the environment and using advantage on the pup. Frontline is not being found as effective this year in my area, than in previous years. Possibly because it is the most recomended product and the fleas are building immunity, whatever the reason it is not working well here.

A Vit B Complex supplement should help to boost his appetite. I like Mico Labs B Complex paste, find it at any Vets or Stock feeds that sells horse products.

Main website is www.eaglepack.com Australian sales can be contacted at [email protected]

Eagle Pack is an excellent food. All mine love it and I have been really pleased with the results. Vet Surgery/Boarding Kennel where I work uses it for all the boarders and are very happy with the products. The cat food is good too. I do not use a lot of dry food, but have tried many and not been impressed, the Eagle Pack range is one I will continue to use.

Raw meaty bones = clean, sweet smelling, healthy mouths Never needed to clean the teeth on dogs fed this way and yes they have had Vets look in their mouths

Optimum is Principal with a packaging revamp.