qashmir

And i could list the opposite! Lol!

I have no opinion on your choice of what to feed your dog but you should know that vets do not get "commission" from the premium dry food sales.

What's the ph of the water got to do with it? Why bother advertising the ph of any product, human or animal, if the water affects the ph level of it? What if you apply the product directly to the dog? (Just interested to know.)

I show afghans. Personally I disagree with using human products on dogs. Most human products are silicone based which is terrible long term for dogs. I believe that you may get a good result using human stuff but if you try premium dog products, you will get even better results. And most certainly will have better results long term. Sorry guys, but i see no logical reason to use humans products on dogs. I don't wash my hair in dog shampoo so why would i do the reverse?

No, it's fairly common, especially on the neck due to hard to find veins and pet compliance. If it looks worse than a regular bruise, eg. broken skin. Then a trip to the vet is recommended. I wouldn't panic as complications are rare.

Buy FLY REPELLA at most produce stores and pet stores. It is made for your problem. Do NOT apply the neotopic randomly. It is for use as a COURSE of treatment. Eg. 7 or 10 days at a time. If you apply it just whenever, the dog will build a resistance to it and it will become ineffective when you really need it. Try Fly Repella, it works!

This is all great advice. I can only add that some dogs don't 'get it' for several months. I've had two afghans that i was still toilet training up to 12 months old! Currently i have two that were trained by 3 months. So sometimes i think it's the brain not the bladder that has to mature! So be consistent and be patient.

That was my thought.

Yes! Yes! Yes! There's nothing better! Use them in my grooming shop and at home.

I agree. Do not mess with the wound site. Let it heal naturally. Many people take the elizabethan collars off coz they feel sorry for the dog or the dog doesn't like it. Then the dog irritates or chews the stitches and it's back to vet for another bill! This time, they leave the collar on. Persevere and you will have your girl back to normal in no time.

Thanks! I will pick up some trial size ones this week. Although i can't imagine i'll meet any resistance from the clan... they'll vacuum up anything!

What are some prices, roughly?

Your vet should have supplied you with after care instructions. If they didn't, very neglectful. Rover should definitely not be walking or running for at least 2 days. Backyard only. No walking or running out of the house for about 10days. At 10 days can start gentle walking on a lead. At 14days, stitches out and should be back to normal.

I have even seen groovy coloured sunscreen for dogs! The human equivalent of colored zinc cream i guess!

I use WAHL. I have tried more expensive ones but much prefer the wahl. They sharpen well too, time after time.

Personally, I wouldn't use human stuff. Try FILTABAC sunscreen available at most produce stores or pet stores.

I have 5 dogs and used to pay top dollar for vet care but wasn't happy most of the time anyway. Asked around and changed to a friend's vet who is absolutely marvellous and i save OVER 50% on the original vet! It's actually cheap to visit the vet now! Been going there about 3yrs and couldn't be happier. Just ask around and change vets.

Many vets have told me that if they could invent a solution for this, they'd be multi millionaires!! But try all the tips that hopefully people will post here and maybe they'll work. Good luck!

It has a dryer? That's excellent! I've seen a few DIY places but no dryers.

That's highly commendable but unfortunately you are in the minority as a pet owner. More people should be as vigilant an owner as you!

Dog geek and melbournecritters... Good ideas for summer but doesn't solve the winter drying problem. OP said dog doesn't like to be cold and dryer not available.

Yes, you can take your dog to just about any groomer for only a bath and dry. It's common. You only need to bath a short haired dog when it suits you, not every month or every week. However i don't recommend any pet dog goes without a trip to the groomer at least every 3 months, just to get rid of dead hair with a high force dryer, nails and ears done and have a general health check.

I believe that the "bathing too often removes natural oils" is an old wives take. Long haired show dogs like afghans and Shih tzu (both i've owned and had glorious coats) are bathed weekly, often twice weekly. The key to bathing often is to use a premium shampoo, which these days is manufactured to not strip natural oils from the coat.

Try a flea comb. I use it in my grooming shop to get rid of dead hair in pugs, kelpies etc. Short to medium hair. I find nothing else as effective.

Oh well, everybody's different. I hated them.