Stitch

Any recommendations on who would be the best dog behaviouralist in Brisbane? Someone with lots of experience and a proven track record of understanding difficult cases?? A miracle worker would be nice!

Yep KitKat, in my search for the 'perfect' treadmill I was almost going to buy one of the $$$$ doggy ones. I already have one electric treadmill for us humans but its starting speed was too fast for the dogs to learn on, it scared them cause they had to start off so quickly plus get used to walking on it. I found out the starting speed for the doggy ones was .8kph and when I saw the Target one started off at the same speed I thought for $199 it is worth the risk to see if they will walk on it - and now all my lot (medium sized breed) are experts, even the oldies who took some persuasion initially to get them to walk. This was about 6 months ago - don't know if they still have them - can't see why they wouldn't!!

If you suspect that there is a loss of architecture ie. the nose looks smooth on the pink parts rather than the cobble stone effect of a normal dog nose then I would suggest you take the dog to a doggy dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis. Sometimes the pink areas become 'thin' and can get infected and/or bleed, etc. like the dog has skinned their nose. Lack of architecture can indicate an immune system problem rather than just a depigmentation problem (which is fairly common in dogs). So, if it is just a depigmentation problem then that's OK, if there is a change to the actually skin composition or architecture then it needs to be checked out by a vet that knows what they are looking at - ie. a skin specialist.

I bought an electric treadmill from Target for $199 especially for the dogs. It starts off at 0.8kpm which is the same speed as the FitFurLife ones do and has all the electronic readouts. It has a variable angle tread which can fold up. I exercise all my lot on it most days - they get about 15mins each at 5-6kpm and they all enjoy it, even the older dogs. With all the rain (& flooding) we have had recently it has been wonderful and when it wears out, I will throw it out and get a new one - at the price I paid I can buy a lot of treadmills for the price I would have had to pay to buy the special doggy treadmill. I have put a couple of old puppy enclosure/fences around it which gives the impression of sides for the dog.

It is really difficult to put sun screen on a dogs nose, especially where indicated on your photo, as they lick it off. It would be better if you can keep the dog out of the sun between the hours of 9am to 3 or 4pm when the UV light is greatest. Does the skin on the nose still have its architecture ie. does it still look 'cobbled' on the pink areas like it does on the black areas?? Lack of pigmentation is one thing but loss of architecture is a whole different problem.

An animal trainer has trained a dog in the US to recognise over 1000 items/words. http://bigpondnews.com/articles/OddSpot/20...rds_561653.html Geez I wish I was so consistant and persistant as this dog trainer - and even better it was all without food rewards!!!! Fantastic!!

In order to control a flea problem you have to: 1. Treat the animal 2. Treat the bedding 3. Treat the environment the animal lives in ie. your house and backyard I am sure if you access the Bayer website they will cover it in full there. Good luck!

My dogs love the chicken treats but haven't tried the kibble.

I have no experience with this problem but I found this http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dog-Food-Canine...dder-stones.htm on the net. It may help.

You can use most of the human products eg. mousse etc. Also Plush Puppy sell one or pack the lower area with chalk product to make the top line straight, you have to experiment.

My lot do better on Interceptor - it doesn't seem to upset the gut as much as others and is also better at treating round worm.

Thanks for those links espinay2, I will definitely follow them up. As for feeding a bitch in the last few weeks, over the years I have developed a huge menu to choose from but preferences change from bitch to bitch. BBQ chicken is generally the one they prefer, I had one that liked chicken necks for a while, most really like the Luv Em Liver cookies, none that liked raw offal but as I said it does vary. I wondered if it was the constant, complete and unvarying way dried food delivers nutrients that gave better results in a pregnant bitch? Interesting about the carbs when lactating.

That's what happens!!! My last food trick is usually BBQ chicken - just to get something into them!!! If she is eating sausages then she is still eating, just choosey. Little meals several times a day may work - I feed them whatever they will eat eg. healthy dog treats, sardines, BBQ chicken, raw chicken necks, whatever.... then gradually introduce the normal food back into their diet!

Hmmmm, I'm from the Government I'm here to help you! Boy the RSPCA and the Animal Libers really stacked the deck there didn't they! I would love to believe that only the 'bad guys' will be affected by this decision but I fear that it is yet another nail in the coffin of the pure breed dog breeder - we were already over regulated! The Bligh Government has surely lost my vote and I am not alone in that sentiment! I wonder what is happening about CATS????

That's as I thought - we don't know, we get close but it does differ from breed to breed and from dog to dog. An interesting subject though - thanks for your thoughts!

I have fed raw for many years now, to many different dogs at various life stages. What I have found is that I get better results with pregnant bitches (and some puppies/dogs) if I feed a good quality dry food however most dogs (not all) will choose raw over dry food most of the time. Which leads me to my question - if pregnant bitches do better with a complete dry food, something must be lacking in the raw food. Generally I have fed Dr.B's BARF however there was a period that I was using VAN until I worked out that my dogs were getting a lot of gut bugs, probably from the minced chicken frames (even though I was getting it from a few different butchers, but that is another story). So, is there a formula to ensure all vitamins, minerals, trace elements etc. are present in the right proportion in a raw only diet seeing as we are all doing our own recipes including commercially prepared ones like Dr.B's?? I guess that dog food manufacturers must have guidelines - I know I have tried to cover all bases when I fed raw - but I also know from my experiences that dry dog food seems to offer the best nutrition. BTW I also know that raw produces less poos and is of course a more 'natural' diet but how do we know that 'complete' nutrition is being achieved???

Lectade is excellent in these circumstances to replace lost electrolytes! I have noticed that my lot will only drink it if they are dehydrated etc. and feeling sick so it obviously has something in it that they need at that time. I always have it in the cupboard, just in case.

The most common cause of pyoderma is staphylococcus bacteria. The antibiotics, cortisone are used in conjunction with malaseb, and the dog is usually shampooed every couple of days for a couple of weeks. Diet can play a part in all this - my Dobe gets it as a seasonal thing but obviously also has a predisposition for it. I would think that it is not necessarily something that it would grow out of but perhaps the immune system settles down after puppyhood in some cases.

I have one that is not good with storms. I try to keep her away from the others during storms as I do think it is possible for one dog to teach a behaviour to another dog. Sometimes distraction works very well ie. playing with the favourite toy during the storm, even if it is just for a little while. Or distraction by getting the dog to do a good behaviour like a trick for a reward - anything to get their mind off what they are scared of. If all else fails the vet can sometimes help with meds.

I am not a fan of the nasal delivery only because whenever my lot have had it, it is very messy & they always sneeze and wriggle. Maybe it doesn't take much to be effective but I am always left wondering just how much was actually delivered.

Unfortunately she is in a country area that doesn't have a specialist repro. vet like we have access to in Brisbane. That's why she is a bit needy in handling this issue but I have also been doing some research on the net for her. It looks like it is one of those things that have to be 'managed' that is if it reoccurs. I am happy to hear that it doesn't seem to be hereditary which means that as long as the dog isn't sterile she will still be able to use it in the immediate future.

Thanks for your replies - I will pass your advice on and maybe it will help her have a better understanding. I think some vets do not always explain things as well as they could, especially in the case of a stud dog.

This is always a BIG question for new puppy owners and one that I did quite a bit of research on so I could advise my puppy buyers correctly. It is a balancing act - don't take the puppy to high useage areas frequented by many dogs. Restrict it from walking on ground outside your property so that it has less opportunity to smell or walk in areas that dogs that might not be immunised have walked, urinated or pooed in. Take it with you so that it can see & hear the outside world but try not to let people touch the dog too much until it has had its full immunisation. Keep taking the dog out with you once it has had all its immunisations, take it to puppy preschool but don't let it get bullied by other puppies if it is too frightened. I have seen some puppies though that were very timid at the start of the puppy preschool course absolutely blossom, and by the end of the course they are bossing the big dogs around. You just have to watch out for the bully of the class, and there usually is one. I like to see the class broken up into two sections - big breed or older puppies and small breed or timid puppies. Never be frightened to withdraw your pup from any activity that you consider may be damaging its temperament but don't be too precious. Good Luck!!

I guess what is worrying her is that she doesn't know if it is a problem that keeps coming back as, from what she has said, it is usually found in older dogs. Also she needs a fertile stud dog, not a desexed dog.

It is only a fairly young dog, about 3 or 4 years old I think. She read that it can make them infertile??