tdierikx

My bad about the 3 litters... I'd been led to believe that was the number mandated at some point... T.

Most of the registered breeders I have met in real life have been lovely people, genuinely seeking the best homes possible for their pups - be they main or limited registered. If a breeder does all of the health tests, vet certifies their pups, microchips, and registers before sale, then what is the problem with them supplying a good number of pups to the pet homes that want them? If the same breeder lives rural, and has say 20 dogs - 4 stud males and up to 16 bitches of breeding age and good health status - if they bred most of those bitches annually for 3 years, then that would be a fair number of pups produced, yes? Especially if the breed is one that produces litters of 6 or more. The breeder is also complying with all other husbandry requirements for the care and welfare of the dogs in question. However, some see the above example as "puppy farming" or "not ethical", or having any number of other "nasty" connotations... why? I believe the "snobbery" aspect to pedigree pet ownership is more related to the pet owners - I've come across many who fit that bill to a tee - that their pet is somehow more "relevant", "better", and "prized" than a mixed breed pet purely because of it's parentage. Personally, I've owned bot pedigrees and muts, and all have been loved and cherished for their individualality, not their parentage - each has enriched my life in different ways, but ALL for the better. T.

Thanks for the update... they do like to scare us, don't they? Glad the little man is back to his normal self @April_Mum... please give him a cuddle from me and tell him he's not supposed to scare you like that... T.

Such a stunning boy... T.

A standard blood test will tell the vet whether they have an infection going on or not. It will also tell the vet if there are any issues happening with organs like the liver and kidneys. I would definitely recommend getting bloods done. Lymph nodes usually swell when there is an infection happening somewhere - it's a normal response to same. Treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic may be all he needs to help him sort the infection out. If he is no better after 4-5 days on a broad spectrum antibiotic, then I'd go for the pathology and/or the ultrasound. I agree with Rebanne... get the bloods done at your regular vet clinic... start the wee man on antibiotics... and go from there... T.

She is gorgeous!!! How is Bella handling having a little sister? T.

Pretty girl doing the strut and turn... lol! T.

Look at that happy happy tail going a million miles an hour... luckiest girl on the planet to have found you Cyn... T.

Baby Salukiiiiiii!!!! Woohoo! Bring on the spam! T.

Our first dog was a Labrador cross girl named Nuppy (my brother named her). We lived in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, in Goroka, and the local landowner's (coffee grower and supermarket tycoon) stud Labrador had gone roaming and found a neighbour's female crossbreed to get friendly with... lol! Nuppy was all black, and looked like a slim Labrador. She certainly taught us a LOT about raising pups/dogs... we had to clean up all of her overnight messes from the laundry before we went to school, and when she was 6 months old, she got Distemper, then Meningitis... that was scary, she was not a well girl at all! After that though, she was allowed to sleep inside on whoever's bed she chose - not out in the laundry... *grin* When she was 15 months old, she got pregnant to a neighbour's dog and had 8 beautiful puppies of her own - I hepled whelp them, and refused to go to my judo lesson that afternoon because I was busy helping Nuppy with her babies. All pups were adopted by lovely people. When we left PNG, we had to leave Nuppy behind, as the Distemper episode meant that she would have been in quarantine for an extended time at an exhorbitant cost. We found a great family for her, who would send us letters and photos about Nuppy's adventures at least twice a year... up until she passed away some years later. It was such an excitement to get those updates... we pored over them and the photos and knew she was being well looked after. T.

The reaction he had to his sutures that you sought treatment for soon after the surgery... were they the internal or the external sutures he was reacting to? If he was reacting to the internal sutures, then it is possible that the deeper layers of same could have been having a reaction too... but the treatment did clear up the visible reaction, yes? So it follows that it would have had a positive effect on the deeper layer suture reaction also... Sometimes complications like this just happen, and can be so hard to diagnose and treat.. even for the world's most experienced vets. Dogs are so good at hiding the full extent of some issues... and so we can only treat what we can see is obviously wrong. From Kane's symptoms, the vet would not have thought that a deeper issue was brewing, or that blood tests might need to be taken to ascertain same. The treatment did clear up the visible problem, but that million to one chance that the problem was much more serious just happened to be the case here. Please don't get angry with the vet for not picking it up at the time... that will only make you more sad, and still won't bring Kane back to you. I say the following from my own experience with the same deep sense of loss... please focus on all of Kane's wonderful memories - the times he made you laugh at his silliness and crazy antics - the times he cuddled with Scout (whether she wanted him to or not) - the times he snuggled up to you and gave you those precious staffy kisses - and just what a wonderful young lad he was in general. Time will make the hurt fade... Hugs... T.

Most people don't see the high costs involved in running a vet clinic... and there is no Medicare for animals, so the costs can be seen to be high. In reality, the costs are less than what human doctors charge for similar procedures and medications... but without Medicare or PBS, the client has to pay the full price. Not many vets are well off... the profits they get from any markups usually go straight back into business/equipment costs and wages for all staff employed at the clinic... T.

I remember about Jan Spate... they treated her so badly... T.

Answered a call at my work placement clinic the other day... a gentleman wanting to switch vets because he wasn't happy with how he felt he and his terminally ill dog were being treated at his current clinic. I was super polite, and passed him on to our clinic manager... Turns out that his dog really needs to go to the Bridge, but he can't bear the thought. The dog is on fluids and all sorts of medications to try to keep it comfortable, and the owner wants to come and sit with it for hours on end in the clinic... which is traumatic for all involved, not to mention having to move the poor dog back and forth from it's hospital cage to a consult room whenever the owner decides to drop in and sit with it. The dog is too ill to be sent home... it will pass away without all of the supportive care... The owner wants to switch vets because the current treating vets keep hinting that his little mate needs to go to heaven. Sometimes keeping human clients happy might not be the best thing for their little mates... *sigh* T.

I have this issue... my 2 girls need to be kept away from each other ALL the time. The next pup I get will definitely be a laid back boy... and I already have the perfect breeder of my desired breed in mind. As for getting another pup from Kane's breeder, I would probably take them up on that lovely offer... you will have some time to grieve for Kane and also to prepare for a new best mate to come into your life and help you heal even more. Hugs at you... T.

Kane was meant to be in your life for only a short time... He taught you many things, including unconditional love and joy for life... Remember him with huge smiles for the wonderful memories he gave you... not the pain of his having to leave much too soon. He wouldn't like you being so sad... T.

And I'll third it for good measure! T.

The traffic can be pretty dismal on Pennant Hills Rd and up New Line Rd at times, but if you are ever stuck in need of an exceptional vet, Galston are well worth the traffic hassle IMHO. I'm totally fussy about my vets as you may already have gathered... I don't recommend if I wouldn't use them for my own pets... if my local awesome treating vet ever closes, I'd drive all the way out to Galston to have them as my preferred vets. I'm so lucky to have them for the work farm animals... they are the best! T.

@NikkiandKane - very special humans sometimes get to have a very special dog come into their lives to be their soulmates. All too often the time we have with our very special friends is way too short, but the bond is all the stronger because of the short time you had together. When they leave us, they take a piece of our soul with them... we feel broken forever because of that. The pain never goes away, but we do manage to come to terms with it, and know that our friend will always be connected to us even though that bond is no longer a physical one. The Rainbow Bridge poem sometimes helps to make us feel a bit better... "There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of all its beautiful colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who were sick, hurt or in pain are made whole again. There is only one thing missing, they are not with their special person who loved them so much on earth. So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! The nose twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are staring and this one runs from the group! You have been seen and when you and your special friend meet, you take him in your arms and hug him. He licks and kisses your face again and again - and you look once more into the eyes of your best friend and trusting pet. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together never again to be apart. Author: Unknown" Much love and deepest sympathies to you from one who know EXACTLY how you are feeling right now... T.

@Loving my Oldies... Galston Vet Clinic is well worth the drive from your place... Andrew and Sandy (partner vet owners of the clinic) are the loveliest people who go that extra mile for both the animals AND humans. They are at 7 Arcadia Rd, Galston - Ph: 9653 1622 - 8:30am - 6pm Mon to Fri, and 9-12am on Saturdays I rocked up yesterday unannounced with a very poorly little calf, and Sandy dropped everything to accommodate and get him better... she didn't even get to eat her lunch, but didn't mind at all. If you are after vets with sound animal healing skills and good old fashioned caring and great client skills, you won't find a better vet closer to you IMHO. T.

Oh jeebus @NikkiandKane... my heart sobs for you... Fly free with the angels little man Kane... I'll be looking for your special star in the heavens shining love down on all of us... *sob* My beloved Woosie is at the Bridge... she will show Kane where all the best sunny snoozing spots are... and where to chase the best bunnies... he is in great company, OK? Massive hugs to you and yours from me and mine. T.

Good on the vet for pursuing the matter... too many hunker down and try to ride out the storm from disgruntled customers with a chip on their shoulder... T.

I've owned and bred Rotties in the past... and 7.3kg at 11 weeks is a bit smallish, but if he's otherwise happy and healthy and not starving, then he may well just be a smaller type... it happens - especially with an unknown parentage/breeding. Also, I've had smaller type pups have startling growth spurts and end up well within the breed standard with regards to height/weight. Personally, I'd be feeding him as much as he will eat at each feed at this age/stage... he's going to be having very interesting growth spurts for the next few months, and will need all the fuel he can get for those. Also, don't overdo the calcium... larger breeds should be grown relatively slowly in order to avoid bone/joint/tendon issues futher down the track. If Ares turns out smaller than average, does it really matter? As a Rotti, he will still be a faithful, loyal, and loving family member who will love you to the moon and back forever. T.

If your dogs are doing well on whatever you are feeding then, then I'd be happy enough with that... and as perse says, if you throw in some other food types (meat, bones, vegies, etc), then you can't really go too wrong. My philosophy is to feed my dogs whatever they are doing well on and don't go too much into the "science" about it all. Seems to be working, as they are now 10 and 8 and are virtual strangers at the vet clinic... Over the years I've had dogs do well on the cheapest supermarket foods, as well as on the more expensive premium brands, and raw diets... it's hard to really work out why, so I don't hurt my brain about it... *grin* T.

He is such a stunning boy... T.