OSoSwift

I have Petplan also. I wasn't after cover for routine things though. I want to be covered for big unexpected things! I also agree with take it out straight away, as anything that happens before cover is taken out is pre-existing and is not covered. The earlier it is done the less likely you are to have a potentially chronic condition that is not covered.

Good to hear she is sounding much better, hope all is okay and she gets a clean bill of health from the vets

She could have been t-boned and thus injuring her back somehow, especially if it was yel, then straight away she was limping etc. If she has she could have potentially ruptured a disk, if so it is an emergency. Keep her VERY quiet, toilet on lead only and NO playing. If you have slippery floor be very careful as well. Hoefully she has, and I say just!, but 'just' torn a muscle or pinched something. STill very painful but not quite so much of a drama. Good luck and I hope she is feeling better soon. Oh and with the metacam she may feel better and want to do more but don't let her

I feed my dogs chicken carcasses so no I don't have a problem, however as Loraine suggested bones swallowed whole might be a problem.

My old Dobe bitch was on Stilboesterol for quite a few years, she was maintained on one tablet a week for many years, then as she got quite aged she was on one tablet twice a week. SHe never had any problems and I had an entire dog at the time and he was worried by her at all. She stayed perfectly the same as normal. I know of a few bitches that have used Stilboesterol and cannot remember one of them having any medical issues as a result of the drug. No, different drugs have different dose rates, My younger Dobe bitch was on Incurin for about 8 months and she was on every second day. She then didn't need it for a while until having other medical problems resulting in her needing fluid tablets and her incontinence came back.

Buy some Advantage or frontline, no bath required, kills fleas and stops the breeding cycle

I think insurance is good, I have mine for big accidents, broken bones, snake bites, and I hope I never use it! Stainless steel bowls, I have some I got 15 years ago and they still look fantastic. I use polar fleece blankets that I picke up over time from Woolworths, thingz, reddot. They wash and dry really well Buy your flea/heartworm products online as it is WAY cheaper. ABout $35 dollars a packet for me! One of Rommi's favourite toys is plaited polar fleece. If you can, sew your own dog coats, but for an Iggy a sleeve cut off a jumper and then trimmed for size will probably work quite well. Buy one or two really good strong toys, say a Kong, but then try to create SAFE alternatives from readily available things from arount the home! Oh and yes please for puppy pictures.

All puppies should be registered and be either Limited or main. Quite a few years ago some breeders would only rego what they wanted shown/bred from. That is why the limited register was used so that all puppies would be registered and only those considered of suitable quality be able to be shown/bred from. As stated it only costs a small amount for the breeder to transfer the papers. I think in WA it is the breeder that has to do it, I know other states are different. I would also be vary wary about someone charging an extra $200 for papers, a piece of paper doesn't atomatically make a dog good enough quality to show or breed from. I would be wary of someone selling a puppy without papers if they are a registered breeder. Good luck ETA - one of my pet hates is the weetbix and milk for puppies! Kids yes, pupppies NO And definately at least 3 meals a day. If possible access between the laundry and a small area outside would be the best. Bunnings have wire compost bin panels that many people on here have made puppy pens from

Um thats lots of things to cover in one post, but I will give it a go Research the breeds/breed you like, you can never have too much information. Know what your dog was originaly bred for and therefore any specific requirements the dog may need in regards to training/exercise. Learn any breed specific problems that your chosen breed needs to be tested for and make sure any futures puppy come from tested parents. I recommend the diet I feed - of course- but also tell them to ask their breeder, make sure they continue the puppy on that diet for at least a few months before any changes are made. Desexing- generally recommend that their puppies are desexed prior to their first heat - males by 12 months- so no mistakes can happen with novice owners, a more experienced person who can easily and happily contain and entire in season bitch- desex after the first season. Breeders - develop a relationship with your breeder well before you would like your puppy, that way you are more likely to figure out if they may not be the breeder for you, and if you have a good relationship you are more likely to get the best puppy for your situation. Papers - recommend to buy pedgree rego'd dogs and explain that unless they want to show/breed (closest show is 450kms from here!) then Limited papers are all that is required, you know your dogs lines and parents and that they are purebred. More than one puppy - Generally advise not to, specifically litter siblings. Usually advise to get one puppy, then when it is around 12 to 18 months old get another puppy, if they still feel they want another. I feel that most people (Not dog savvy people) would find that having two young puppies at once a little full one. I think mostly though I recommend research research research, about anything from diet to breed to breeders. I myself usually start at least 12 months before wanting a dog. I am sure lots of people will have much better suggestions than me, but that is what my fatigued brain can come up with at the moment And I must go and feed the calf!

I guess the wool type coats would be less likely to be shiney like a shorter coat, but Collies, Flat coats, setters etc have shiney coats. I suppose it come down to the composition of the hair itself. For me I like nice firm muscles with good definition (Easy to see but you can also feel it under coat) I refer to them as hard muscle, not soft muscle. I can't really put it properly into words though!

Yes I agree the whole picture. To me a dog is not in good condition if it has a shiney coat but is underweight, or has good weigh/body cover but lacking muscle and/or fitness. It is definately the total package for me.

Dogs like us need to be exposed to something before becoming allergic. They need to be sensitised to the product containing the allergen. So it is possible that it is something he has eaten or touched previously without reaction, he has now become sensitied to and therefore now become allergic to. Good luck and I hope he is better soon. :cool:

WE have just had one of those installed down here at the back of the car wash, been meaning to check it out.

One of my dogs did really well on Bonnie working dog.

What happens if you live in an area that doesn't have any accredited or recognised dog trainers?

My dogs get fed when it happens. I have seen some dogs get very distessed and cause themselves injury as a result of having a very fixed feeding time and then it not happening one night. I have fallen asleep on the lounge and the dogs have been fed at 3 am! Sometimes it's 7pm. They get fed once a day, except sometimes if they have a bone they might get put in the dog runs with that anywhere in the day(Rommi cannot relax to eat a bone if not in the dog run, I think she thinks aliens are going to come and steal it!)

Some of the supermarket ones don't do tapeworm, but I think the rest of the ingredients are just as good, I have always found our vets cheaper, the tablets are more concentrated, you can get th exact amount you require you don't have to by a four pack or 6 pack etc.

I have found lamb flaps/ribs are a really good way of getting some weight onto dogs and they also give them something to do as they take a little bit to eat. Have you tried a nice warm coat to help reduce the calories he needs to maintain his bodyweight? I have found - especially with horses- if they have a nice warm rug the expend less energy keeping warm. Weatherbeeta and thermo master make some great affordable waterproof coats. I would also consider a super premium food and maybe the odd egg and fish as these are also high in calories. ETA Andisa we posted at the same time, I agree with everything you said

I would definately get it looked at as there is not much "meat" in the foot and the risk of injury to bone, nerves and tendons is high. The clear discharge could be a serous discharge or - depending on how much- there is always the risk of it being joint fluid if a joint capsule has been opened. If that is the case it is a big problem. I would salt water it, a light spray of betadine and wrap it until you can get to a vet so there is not a danger of more foreign material being pushed into it.

Thank you I will read that very closely.

Wow Erny, I am not suprised you are in shock. I think you need to take that piece of information pull it out and throw it away for now and take each step at a time. I like to know things straight but WOW that is far too staright! I would consider a Bowan therapist if you can find one and you other appoint as you describe and go from there. Good luck and to you and Mandela! Oh by the way my son's name is Nelson, not after Mandela, but your boy always makes me think of my boy

Good luck for tomorrow and hopefully his problem is a simple one to remedy

Has anything a little different happend while he was on holidays, Spooked by a Roo or something? Did he take himself for a bit of a walk and get in trouble at all? Other than that get someone to take you out in the car and walk him home so he has an incentive to walk.

Dmso is really good for swelling, strains etc, does give them breathe that smells like they have been munching on a hundred garlic cloves though! Hope he is okay and he hasn't torn a cruciate or damaged his back! those roo bounces are a little bit of a problem sometimes Mandela! Lots of fun when they go right, not when they don't. Is he abducting his knee outwards when walking at all? or walking normally, but limping? Quite often with a cruciate tear they abduct the knee out to aleviate then weight put on the knee. If he is worse after rest it may be a strained mucsle or sprained joint they normally improve a little when they are warmed up(by walking only!) and much worse after periods of rest. Good luck

I have Petplan, the budget one I think, covers accident and injury had a 21 day waiting period and a standard $100 excess. There were no sub limits withing hopsitalisation, surgery and medication which a couple had. My cover is up to $9000, but without the extras like paying out the purchase price of you pet if it dies etc. They pay towards advertising and rewards for a lost/stolen pet among other things. Mine was around $390 for the year