OSoSwift

Okay knowledgable DOL people I need some thoughts and advice. Rommi has a muscle injury, it is not a tear more a reasonable strain. I have been advised to rest her for four weeks, but to keep lead walking her so she doesn't end up seized up and losing muscle bulk, but enabling it to heal. She is to have no off lead zoomies, bumper Whippets or ball chasing. Is there any supplements which I could give her to promote muscle healing/strengthening. I am tracking down a doggy Bowen therapist. Has anyone used lasers to help promote healing if so where did you source them from? I am sure others will have had this problema nd will have lots of great ideas to help me out. Oh the other thing I was thinking of was using Arnica - but I am not quite sure how! Ie topical (but it is quite deep) or oral and if so what dose? Hoping I come back and there are lots of greats suggestions

Oh no my killer Stafford never to be off lead??? He has never injured another animal (oh wait he did dispatch a couple of guinea fowl) in his near 13 years off life. How can you say he should be in an appropriate enclosure and never allowed off lead? My Dobe had the potential to do a lot more damage than my Stafford ever would. She was attacked by dogs a couple of times both on and off lead and as she was told to leave it she did and didn't retaliate even slightly, other than to try and remove herself. So she would be allowed off lead even though she would have been more than capable of inflicting life endagering wounds, but the Stafford who went 3kms home to avoid a fight with a dog intent on starting one should be condemed to a very restricted existence? I am sorry it just does not make sense and you do support BSL. It is deed not breed. If a dog attacks or kills another THEY should have restrictions - not every dog in the country that is the same breed. I do not often say this outright - but you are WRONG, so very wrong and people with your attitude are the ones who are pushing BSL towards other breeds than those already affected. I don't know anything about your Staffords, but maybe they were not bred very well, had shonky temperments or were not trained and socialised properly - it does not mean mine is the same, do not tar him with the same brush as your dogs.

YOu have some very sound advice. The only other point I would make is if you tell him to get "Off" the lounge (or any other thing) only tell him once then take hold of his collar and remove him. If you tell him 3 or 4 times he will always wait that three or four times before doing it.

HAving been at the recieving end of Dobe and Whippet zoomies I sympathise! A black eye, concussion and various other bruises are all part of their charm!

Note to self must tell very woosy Stafford he is a killer and should live in a concrete floored yard so as not to be a risk to society! Must do it to the Whips as well, after all they would kill rabbits, other small fluffies and foxes given the opportunity. I do not think this guy should get his dogs back. I know he has to comply with certain things, but I am sure in a few years the same sort of problems will crop up. Good fences need regular maintence to stay that way.

I voted no. Two of my dogs are entire, one is desexed due to the fact he had one testicle that was shrinking for an unknown reason. He has been desexed for 5 years. I am not a breeder but I do not think I should have to desex my dogs until I want to. I have never had an unwanted pregnancy in over 12 years of owning entire dogs and bitches - not as yet anyway! I may become a registered breeder, I may not - but I am a responsible owner of entire dogs that does not believe in desexing dogs early.

I wait until the first day of bleeding. Some bitches can be a bit tricky or very clean an you may not know they have started for a little bit, but as a general rule first day of bleeding = girlie doggy jail around here I haven't had a problem with any mismatings or unplanned babies as yet!!!!

No worries. It's lots of dog shuffling for a few weeks.

Usually they swell, depends on the dogs as to the time frame, then they will start bleeding. The vulva will soften and swell a little more when they are standing, the discharge can then change from blood t more like a clearer serum colour,then back to more blood like and the vulva will starting going down. It is usually around 3 weeks from start to finish, but I had a bitch who was 4 weeks and did mate on day 21 (only one pup resulting though). You must keep them seperate from the very first day you see blood until it is all finished and there is no discharge. Sometimes people only seperate them when they are standing, but to me that is playing with fire. Mine are seperate from the first day until there is no sign of discharge and she is definately not interested in boys near her back end at all. If you have an entire male that has a bit of an idea they will quite often tell you by their behaviour around a month before that you bitch is coming in. Sometimes if you are observent and have a nice short coated dog ike mine you can notice swelling above the vulva a few weeks before they actually come into season. Again all this depends on your particular bitch as they are all a little different. Hope that helps

I am a dog lover and I take a small amount of offence to the "friends" comment about dogs lovers and what would you expect. Because I love my dogs as much as I do each and every decision regarding their health and treatment is made with THEIR BEST INTERESTS AT HEART. Not keep them alive at all costs for myself. If I had a dog that was blind and not coping the dog would be euthanased. I do not see any reason to euth a blind dog who had caring owners who are more than happy to do what needs to be done to keep their pet safe and happy. The dog is coping just fine, why on earth should it be euthed? I would never keep my dog alive for me -EVER. I have euthanased my dog even though to everyone else she looked great. I knew she was dying, I knew without lots of medication she would have already ded and I knew if I left her she could possibly die in a very drawn out scary and painful way. She was euthed. When I said to my vet - she looks so damn good, I wished she looked sicker then it might make me not fel so bad. Her reply was "she only looks as good as she does because you have worked so hard to keep her as healthy as you could". Yes I am a dog lover, but I am certainly not selfish. Neither are this dogs owners.

I have just been reading this thread from the beginning and I think - Come on already Pearl! We wants fat squooshy Labbie babies!!!!!!!!!! Good luck for your impending arrivls

No way should they Euth I remember meeting a little Silky. He was 10 or more years old and had had both eyes removed due to Glaucoma. One at around 3 I think and one at 5. As he had a fringe you couldn't ven tell he didn't have any eyes. he owners said he was fine as long as they didn't move furniture around. He did zoomies through the house every night. He eventually got euthed at 16 due to old age related problems. If she has owners who are happy managing a blind dog who is anyone else to say it is cruel. They can be happy as a full sighted dog.

I went from check chain training to clicker, so I have never tried a verbal cue only. I do use verbal clues, but find the clicker much more precise and it is totally unemotional. I use good and yes as well, but more as 'go on' signals than a completion of behaviour and treat. I can C/T much faster than I can verbal Cue/T.

I think a dog of his breed would cope quite well with a hindleg apmutation. I would consider - of course with a very good vet opinion on it - wether it was best to wait (which I would prefer) or do it now. Obviously if he is very uncomfortable then sooner rather than later would be best. Have you tried a life jacket ans swimming to help with his muscle in his back leg? Hope it all turns out well for you both

Sometimes the opening of the sheath can be a little small, so if they get an erection the tightness of the sheath opening stops the blood leaving the erect penis and it remains stuck out. Sometimes you do need a small surgery to make the penile sheath opening larger so it cannot happen. It can take a couple of months for the testosterone to reduce so he will not magically stop humping straight after a castration. Prevention is much better than cure in his case. If it keeps happening surgery maybe the better option for all concerned.

It is great isn't it. I am still amazed by what my dogs can do - and I am sure could do a whole lot more with a better trainer- and they love it, I love and we all have a great time. Can't get better than that!

Yes the owner was saying how good they were with is young children and how could a dog that good with his small kids kill four dogs? Easily you idiot as dog aggression and human aggression are two completely different things! He now has another Staffy x! what would happen if he was to get back the two male and one female Staffy x's????? Three males together could be interesting, not to mention his pack - which I believe he has no control over - has now increased in size and will be more of a menace than it already was. I believe the dogs should be euthanased. Yes under different circumstances and in a different home they may not cause a problem. They have however gone over the line and killed four other dogs. That cannot be taken back and I do not believe that the risk of allowing them out is worth the potential consequences. The owner is a moron. The Owner of the Chi's was a registered breeder I believe and all his Chi's were show dogs.

No, they charge what they charge, if you have pet insurance great - if not as long as the bill is paid they don't care! and my vet has an $11 dispensing fee!!

grrrrr - that is MY pet hat, too Also: There is an historic reason for the Continental, or show clip They were actually bred for water retrieving Poodle puppies also like the "cockroach position" Where did the French Poodle bit come from anyway???

no it's not a baby greyhound no they are not skinny and need a feed no they are not rescued racing dogs yes they can be let off lead yes they come back yes they can be trained not to chase and kill cats and other small furries (although don't push it with a bunny or other small furries!) No I don't hunt them (because i am not into it, I am sure they are more than willing to give it a red hot go!) No they don't need endless amounts of exersice, they are couch potato's Yes they need their coats when it is cold They do not smell, even when not washed for months (unless they have rolled in maggot infested mouse guts - YUK) Yes they are addictive and you will most likely end up with more than one!

I have some colours I find more striking than others in some breeds, but a good dog can never be a bad colour unless - for me- it is pure white. I just can't handle it as the racing around in my house it would always be grubby. Not only that I have a real thing about full pigment. When I was looking at Whippets I was after a fairly solid bitch. Didn't care what colour. I got Rommi. I have always liked Blue brindle parti colours. I was then very lucky to have Lewis come to live. If he had of been a different colour I still would have brought him home, but I was lucky I got a stunning dog in a colour I like. I find some colours really catch my eye. Sometimes I like a colour in one breed, but find it a bit plain in another. I would never turn away the conformation I want with the temperment I want because it was the wrong colour, unless it had no pigment around nose eyes.

There is no right or wrong when it come to staying or not, sedating or not. The right decision is the one the owner decides upon.

I think my vet is around $11 dollars now. It is always included in the price of the drug. I don't mind paying it as when I ring they have to get the vets to double check dose, last check up etc and sort out the medication. As my dog has a long term problem and is on 4 different prescription drugs, I just get the most I can for each drug each time I ask them for it, and I take him in for check ups as requested. I have been paying for 2 and now 4 different dispencing fees for nearly 3 years. It's just one of those things.

There is no way a dog with a full dose of lethabarb would be able to thrash about for a minute, or wander around dazed. I have seen some very unwell and very old dogs euthed and they are completely unconcious and may gasp or paddle with their legs a few times, but have never been able to do any of the above. Infact most are completely unconcious and incapacitated within seconds and it is sometimes takes longer for the heart to stop completely, but they are not awake at all at that point. My younger Dobe took about 10 to 15 second from completion of injection to unconciousness and it only took that long because her blood was just about not pumping any more. I understand your feelings on the matter but would not like people who have never experienced euthanasing a dog to be totally mis-informed

Unforgivable