trifecta

Yes, I got the look, because I called him :laugh: ...... note the ears in this pic where he is pretending to be asleep

Today Marles had her lipoma surgically removed. It was a straight forward operation, the vet just peeled the skin back & removed it in one piece. It was about the size of an orange. Fortunately there are no drains - just sutures internally and externally. Obviously she is a little uncomfortable tonight & unable to lie on the side of the wound, but she is bright & ate up voraciously although she also had a fractured molar removed at the same time The hard bit will be no running & jumping for 10 days until the sutures are removed :laugh:

Love the Melbourne cityscape, Weibritty And gapvic, sending the best of wishes to dear Zephyr for a speedy & full recovery. I hope this means you will be able to really enjoy your overseas trip :) 31/52 When I do the vacuuming, I pile the dog bedding outside on an empty terracotta pot. Ringer doesn't like the vacuum cleaner....... and certainly doesn't like me putting his bed outside! Dog On A Flower Pot by Groenendevil on Flickr

I would try rinsing her with calendula tea instead of washing, there are long threads about it in the Health forum if you search. She doesn't need to be shampooed twice per week, just freshened up surely? If she has a doggy smell, then I'd be looking at diet too. In my experience, dogs & horses get shiny coats & vitality from what goes in rather than what goes on, & don't forget exercise, get the heart pumping & circulation going to promote a healthy skin & coat.

I have successfully used Ungvita ointment on horses that have had bare patches from scarring, no reason why it shouldn't work on dogs. Worth a try at any rate!

Not if you sneak through when it is busy & the door marshalls are all occupied :laugh:

There are certainly rentals available on acreage & hobby farms in the outlying areas to Canberra. Agistment & pets are usually by negotiation. You would be well advised to contact real estate agents as early as possible, the end of the year sees an influx of families on ADF postings. I have no idea of the cost of agistment, we take racehorses for spelling, but that is entirely different to the pleasure horse market :)

I haven't visited the thread for a couple of weeks, the short days of winter are making photography challenging as there are just too many tasks to get through ! Lots of lovely photos from everyone , special mention of gapvic's Zephyr, the oldies are so precious & I understand your dilemma re going away..... & teekay I can see the improvement in your shots since the beginning of the year Anyway to bring me up to date: 29/52 Reflection by Groenendevil on Flickr 30/52 Clouds by Groenendevil on Flickr

The Lake George area is notorious for snakes. There is a property between Hoskinstown & Foxlow known as "Thuralilly", this was an important collection point for snakes which were milked for their venom. I have lived in Bungendore for 26 years, but have only ever had one dog bitten by a snake. I have owned 7 dogs in this time, 20+ horses & countless cattle, touch wood never had a fatality to a snake. I have however lost a couple of stable cats that have never come home..... The advantage of being to the east of Canberra is in my opinion the coastal influence we experience during the hotter months in Bungendore. When the Braidwood doctor comes through at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon in summer the temperature can literally plummet. Very rarely do we have stifling, sweaty nights in Bungendore. The coast is also easily accessible, 1 hour 15 minutes away. For Defence personnel it is an easy drive to Russell & Campbell Park, & if you would like to stay for back to back postings, HQJOC is only eight minutes door to door. We have a lot of ADF & AFP families here with a dedicated liaison officer at the local primary school. We also have a medical centre with 5 doctors, a podiatrist, dietician, chiropractor, physiotherapist, gym..... & of course an awesome taxi service :D You don't get that in Murrumbateman, except for the latter! More info here www.bungendore.com.au

Sutton Rd end of Wamboin only 15-20 mins to airport. Bywong & Bungendore it takes about 25-30 minutes to the airport. It's an easy drive with no issues even at peak hour. Bungendore has shops, fuel, restaurants, cafes, galleries, two pubs & two vets; we are, however, the biggest users of anti-venene in the country - this is brown & tiger snake country!

Proden Plaque Off is much cheaper in UK (where I used to buy it). I am now buying Ascophyllum nodosum off DOLer Steve where it is cheaper still

Off Topic for one moment. Just wanted to say thank you showdog for the 'heads up' regarding Pantene shampoo & conditoner. Does a fabulous job on both my BC's. Very happy with the results :) much kinder on my tight budget too. Thanks again. Back to the thread guys thanks. I always avoided Pantene because Procter & Gamble tested on animals. I believe they still do in order to have access to the huge Chinese market?

There is also Heike Hahner who is located towards Braidwood. She travels into Canberra for one on one consultations and also holds classes in a couple of locations in the ACT. http://www.braidwoodnsw.com/heike/

You mentioned the Collie Smooth in your opening post - awesome family dogs in my opinion & all too often overlooked!

Frost? :laugh:

A bit off topic, but we recouped our business joining fee ($55) with our first visit. We bought tyres for two vehicles which were $40 cheaper per tyre than anywhere in Canberra

The tracking class at CDC has a long waiting list & is difficult for new members to access. The instuctor is the partner of one of my clients.... he runs an annual trial at Wamboin.

Poor girl, she deserves so much better than this at her age.

28/52 Another crappy week, so a lazy one! Marles - 3238 by Groenendevil on Flickr

If you can put together an A4 sized poster & contact Burkes on here, she will organise for it to go out on the rescue email network which encompasses most Federal Government departments, local government, hospitals, unis & interested individuals in the ACT & surrounding NSW. The power of the poster really works, I have found great homes for pets over the years through the poster network. :)

I think I've said this before, Don has bedroom eyes

Scott Lithgow 'Training & Working Dogs' should be right up your alley

EI, yes you are right, every dog is different, & unfortunately so are tumours, benign or malignant! Good on you for approaching this holistically, turmeric (curcumin) has been shown in clinical studies to have the potential to suppress tumours as well as being a powerful anti-inflammatory useful in the treatment of arthritis. About 3 weeks ago Marles had a lump come up very quickly above her left elbow which extends into her armpit. I had noticed she was stepping a bit short prior to finding the lump but apparently lipomas can be painful when they grow so large as to burst through the muscle fascia. The vet advised me to wait & see if the unevenness in gait persisted before deciding to remove it surgically. The lipoma is not as large as Ivy's, it is probably as big as a small pear being elongated in shape. It looks like Marles will have to have a tooth removed in the coming weeks due to a slab fracture so I will opt to have the lipoma removed & both procedures can be done at the same time. I must admit I haven't heard of lipomas growing back once removed, but I guess if it is in a tricky place as far as veins & mechanics go, then it is difficult to remove cleanly. Have you had Ivy's lump sent for pathology? ETA Just looked up our pedigrees, Georgie's granddam & Buddy's dam were litter sisters. I really love those Murrybel dogs!

My Groenendael who is also Midniara bred has a lipoma in an identical spot to Ivy's. My vet tells me this is a common location for this type of benign tumour. My girl is older than yours, different sires & dams, although they do share a line through Mashiara Spellbinder. Marles has been fed raw since I acquired her at 11 months in 2005, so has had a completely different diet to Ivy. While the frequency of lipomas increases with obesity, my dog has always been fit & lean. I have done quite a bit of research but cannot find anything conclusive which links diet to lipomas..... I have found a lot of anecdotal bullshit however :D I also cannot conclude lipomas are fat build ups due to lack of exercise, our dogs get a lot of free running, walk about 8-10km most days with a good hike over 17 - 20km once per week usually at weekends. They are fit & lean, even the vet mentioned Marles' fitness for her age.

I can get them for the dogs for $6.50 each..... still too expensive according to OH who wants to relive his boyhood & get himself a couple of ferrets :laugh: