Jumabaar

In Kelpies isabella is fawn and liver is called red or brown. These do look isabella- clearly a dilute but they have brown noses- thus bbdd. I assume there are some other intensity genes that have been used as modifiers if they appear different to a fawn Kelpie. ETA- crossing a blue and a fawn would produce blue puppies in the first generation, and then a mix of fawn and blue in litters there after.

My puppies are out from 8 weeks of age in a backpack that I wear on my chest- less risk than having them on the ground getting into everything but able to see and hear everything going on in the outside world. I also use a brand of vaccine that only needs two shots so I can take them out safely from 12weeks of age. I would suggest asking the vet what they recommend for your area and based on what vaccine they use.

You might find it cheaper to miss out on the second GA even with the specialist rates. I had a bitch desexed in a specialist centre by a soft tissue surgeon (as she carries Haeomophilia so no one else wanted to touch her) and I think it was about $400 and took 10 minutes from the time she was knocked out to the time she was back in my arms for recovery and had the neatest suture line ever! So not only are you eliminating a GA by going to the specialist but you might also be reducing the time she is under by getting it done there.

I made a point at the end to say that I would probably evacuate earlier BECAUSE I would want to get my animals out well before it was an emergency situation. I think there are plenty of others who make the same decision- so they would probably have better compliance if they did have evac points for people with animals I think I said I would probably stay with my animals. I also pointed out that I would have a much BETTER disaster strategy plan if I knew well in advance (aka when there was no disaster looming) which places would accept me and my dogs (which would be crated).

My advice is to feed him according to how chubby or skinny he is. This link has a pretty good description of how to run your hands over the dog and decide if your feeding too much http://www.fieldwooddogtrainingcenter.com/Do%20I%20Look%20Fat%20in%20This.pdf This is particularly important because you wont have a guide of what your pup should weigh being a mix- but condition score is the same across all breeds :) Having puppies (and adults!) at correct to slightly lean body condition means that they will grow nice and slowly and build muscles and generally be much healthier. It sounds like he is currently getting plenty of food so I wouldn't worry about him not eating enough. A healthy puppy will start eating 'boring' food before they starve to death just like a little kid with their greens I take my young pups out in a backpack for walks around the block which is a great way for them to learn to cope with all the noises and motion of the outside world. I would also think that he needs at least an hour or two outside so he can run around and build muscle and get used to being in his own body.

Austral Veterinary clinic

No news regarding any time frame for any changes- just keep checking the website.

I also wait till my dogs have been settled for an hr before I feed a meal, and wait at least an hour until I exercise. I do feed very small meals at flyball for energy but make sure its something that small that will be digested quickly (ie watermelon). Apart from that I dont have a routine so they get fed twice a day at whatever time I remember am strongly reminded

Here is a web page that Espinay provided in the poodle thread. http://www.one-dachs...althissues.html It talks about health issues of different coat patterns. Because the breed contains merle, and the white can hide the merle, there are extra concerns in that breed, as well as the normal concerns about the deformities that can accompany lack of pigment. Are there really more issues related to the dilute gene in staffords ? There are no health issues in blue staffords which dont also show in other staffords - is it true or a myth? Where is the science and how do we eliminate how selection may impact rather than colour - eg . If one breeder tests and selects only healthy dogs with knowledge of health issues in the pedigree and another only breeds for colour with little knowledge and without ensuring they don't compromise on health does that impact more than the colour? I have a theory about dilute, but no evidence at all, but would be interested if anyone thinks this might be true. The theory comes from observing greyhound colours. Racing greyhounds are never bred for colour, so you see breeding combinations of all the different colours. The only dilute greyhounds I have known to have immune system problems (like CBS do) , are ones that resulted from a double dilute mating. The blue dogs with at least one solid parent were a slightly deeper shade of blue and tended not to have skin problems. The dilutes bred from two dilute parents also tended to have a different nose texture. Coarser and drier and lighter in colour. So my theory is that there is a lot more going on with that dilute gene than we realise. It's not just simple mendolian inheritance squares. As we all know, CBS (Common Blue Staffy) are bred dilute to dilute to dilute till the cows come home. How else could they keep pumping out litters full of 'rarities'? After reading more about poodles, (thanks poodle people), it seems that poodle breeders try to avoid breeding dilute to dilute over successive generations, to avoid 'fading'. They breed back to the darker colours. Is that correct poodle people? It's all a bit confusing with no uniformity of colour name across breeds. Is 'fading' just a cosmetic thing, or are there skin problems with these dogs? So, to answer your question Steve , yes. I think there is a problem with the dilution gene that doesn't affect dogs who have a non-dilute parents. How this works, I have no idea. Just based on my own casual observation. But, the BCS syndrome also results in poorly conformed dogs, because those breeders always prioritise colour over conformation. So I think there are two reasons why the CBS syndrome happens. Remember that you can also see effects that are caused by genes that are located around the dilute gene. For example- there may be genes involved with the immune system that have no correlation to the dilute gene themselves, but sit next to them. Thus you can get breeds where dilutes have no problems because they have managed to eliminate of of the surrounding genes that cause the problems you see. While breeds where almost all dilutes seem to have problems.

I trained mine using a lead and a massive golf umbrella a good book and a plastic chair...... aka I sat outside with them on lead under the umbrella (reading my book ignoring the antics) until they went then released them so they could run straight inside. With Safire I think I waited 45minutes the first time I did this- and it got quicker within 48hrs! Now when she is told to go she heads straight out the door and goes as quickly as possible so she can some back in!! Mind you the record has been 16hrs of holding on to a wee to avoid the rain! Another way is to go for a short walk- I find most puppies cant hold in while they are going for a walk.

Epi-otic can change the environment in the ear so it could make things worse. Best to get the vet to have a look and do a swab to see whats going on so it can be treated specifically. I also agree about looking at diet. Has anything changed recently? Its amazing how many ear irritations are linked to food intolerances.

My dogs are quite happily locked in the house while I am out and they can quite easily manage to hold on for 8-9hrs. When they are younger I leave my recycling in a box in the middle of the kitchen so they have something to destroy if they really want to. My back yard is not secure and there are lots of barking dogs in my neighbourhood so leaving them outside isnt an option for me. Considering I can leave out treat toys etc and find them unplayed with when I arrive home, and then have them be a hot item I am assuming they pretty much go to sleep when I walk out the door so location isnt that big a deal to them. Re how long they can hold on- when its raining my eldest girl will hold on for 16hrs+ before making a quick dash out to the loo! So I dont think its cruel. I do however think you would have to do a transition period if there is separation anxiety happening in the background. My dogs went from living with me and my grandparents who were retired to living with me and having me out of the house during the day- and coped ok, but I did put in effort to make it shorter times spent alone for the first week or so. Another consideration is ensuring the room you plan on using is dog proof and not going to get hot during summer. If you think swapping houses isnt good for your dog then stand up and do whats best for him. Sometimes the less ideal solution (ie being locked up during the day) is still going to be less stressful for the dog in the long term. So consider rationally what you think is best then make it happen.

Even working line dogs can be sookie la la's!!

They may not need re-consent as Sydney and NSW universities have a research partnership agreement which covers most of these arrangements. It also depends if the research is being continued by someone who was already involved with Alan's work, and on how the consent was worded. Sydney Uni has also continued Alan's research on Border Collies and I cannot speak too highly of those involved. The researcher is the one who has said that consent forms needed to be resigned as they didnt originally cover collaborators.

Finnish Hounds also have CA, and I believe Helsinki University has been researching the disease. Would be good to see some collaboration there too :) Thankfully I havent experienced this particular disease but all my dogs have given blood and other samples to the Uni. Its great to see this getting a little more momentum at last!!

Just on the joint supplement prior to signs- by the dog starts to show signs of arthritis the damage is already well and truly done. So giving joint supplements to dogs at risk of arthritis once they reach middle age is acting when the damage is starting rather than done. Completely OT Its interesting but I think this thread reflects the current way veterinarians treat animals here in Aus- by treating the disease once you see symptoms, rather than trying to pre-empt disease with preventatives. I think its starting to shift slowly because they cant rely on vaccines any more and need to offer a better service to their customers- which is already happening overseas. There was an american specialist who said her general clinic had over 50% of clients bringing in dogs over 8yrs of age for yearly blood tests. But I wonder if better communication from veterinarians on the benefits might see more Aussies doing it, or if its a social/demographics type thing.

I have taken 4mth old pups powerwalking. Admittedly I also did weights because I popped them in a backpack so they didnt actually have to do any walking!!! I would walk to the park- let him or her have a romp around on a long light lead then popped them back in the backpack to walk home, usually with a very sleepy puppy. Exercise per se isnt very important or necessary to pups but building muscle by doing their silly zoomies and learning their own body comes first. The play time is also a great time to teach an excellent recall- have some treats and every time the puppy checks in give it some treats and make a fuss, other times call it while its running to you anyway and reward. Once you have a good history of giving treats and being exciting you should be able to call when the pup is slightly distracted and real them in on the lead if they forget that they are meant to come. That is GREAT puppy exercise because it works their brain just as much as their body. :D

My 8yr old Kelpie is on an oral joint supplement- she has done dog sports so I know has done damage and wont limp on a torn ligament let alone a little arthritis so I have started it protectively. As is her daughter who is 5 because she has had some injuries to her paws. I would do this with any dog that has had an active or accident prone life (as my silly Kelpies have). I keep my dogs as light as possible weight wise- nothing worse than an old arthritic dog with 8kg of extra baggage to lug around. It does creep up as their body composition changes and they are less active but it is possible to keep them mobile. I do yearly blood tests from 7yrs of age- its much easier to catch diseases as they start and treat then them compared to treating them once there are clinical signs. This is just starting to be recommended by veterinarians so we can treat older animals proactively rather than reactively and can make a huge difference to life span and cost of treatment. A balanced diet and after all that time and effort- what will be will be.

If you can look up a k9 physiotherapist near you. They will be able to guide the recovery post op for the best chance of success IMO. They may also be able to help strengthen the other leg which will be placed under additional strain during the recovery.

Its the same reason we had yearly vaccination for so long. The more pressure there is from consumers and pet owners the more chance there is of people/companies/scientists doing the studies we need to look after our pets better.

Here is an article- a little dated and probably a little biased but it does bring up a little about why we titre test and that titres mean different things to different diseases. http://www.synbiotics.com/Products/CompanionAnimals/Canine/TiterCHEK-CDV-CPV-TiterTesting/96-0460-RoundTableDiscussion.pdf Also immunity is a bit of a continuum IMO. The body only has a set amount of resources, so there may be times when a disease that the animal has responded to in the past does manage to overwhelm the immune system. This is why I only use a C3 because I dont want to risk one of those being ignored/missed by the body because it has 5 or 7 different antigens presented at the same time. As mentioned in the article there is also sterile and non sterile immunity- so two different levels of immunity. Also from Jean Dodds website: Once again it comes down to what has been challenge tested- ie where animals have been exposed to the disease after being tested at different levels and not succumbed. It doesnt mean lower titre levels or a titre level of 0 means your dog wont be protected, more that it hasnt been tested so no one is willing to put their neck on the line to say it does incase they get sued for false information. What is logical and proven in the lab needs to be proven through clinical trials before professionals are willing to recommend it. That doesn't stop consumers making informed decisions though and going against recommendations. With the diseases we vaccinate against I am happy to just give puppy vaccines, titre at 12mths and not bother from there on. Staff'n'Toller- thats very interesting. I wonder if the virus mutated to be slightly less virulent in the vets area?

If your young healthy dog did have an underlying kidney or liver problem, that at this stage was causing no symptoms or any aberration from optimal physical condition, according to the observation and physical examination of an experienced veterinarian, then it is dubious whether kidney and liver disorders at such an early stage would actually be dangerous with GA. Thats a big call to make...... A GA is always dangerous, and there are lots of factors - experience of the anaesthetist, the drugs they use, if they put up fluids. There are also plenty of conditions that dont have clinical symptoms but will show up on blood work.

Me too. I am determined to meet one soon. My OH keeps complaining I never shut up about the lappie puppy photos. It certainly shouldn't be too hard with your location to meet up with some :) That's what I thought but I don't want to appear like a stalker :) Stalk away - why not join the NSW Lappie FB page? http://www.facebook.com/groups/275845299125571/ We are having a picnic some time in Feb I think- but feel free to ask when we are at shows etc. Demi looooooooooooooooooooooooves pats so would greatly welcome additional fans Oh and I flat out refuse to comment on the pictures- I have been avoiding looking at them as I would probably be on my way to sydney airport to try and steal one if I allowed myself to have a favourite!!!!!! I am not lappie puppy clucky at all

Me too. I am determined to meet one soon. My OH keeps complaining I never shut up about the lappie puppy photos. It certainly shouldn't be too hard with your location to meet up with some :)

It is 'gold standard' so any vet not offering it before an anaesthetic could be held accountable if there was a problem that could have been found on a blood test. I would be more worried about the vets that dont at least give clients the option than those that do- I tend to think about what else they have decided not to offer but thats just my opinion. You have to decide the risk for your own dog- for young healthy dogs then there is less likely for there to be anything wrong. So it may not be a 'must have' for your dog. I personally am very risk adverse so I have had bloods taken on 4 out of the 6 surgeries my dogs have had. But I also do yearly blood work after 7/8yrs of age with my dogs because I figure its cheaper to do that and treat conditions early than waiting for clinical signs and having to do more aggressive treatment.