trifecta

What is interesting is the difference in the way Browns & Tigers bite & release venom. Browns have longer fangs & venom is injected via the fangs under the skin. I am told that dogs are usually very vocal following a Brown bite, & this was so in my boy's case, although the snake was not seen. I would describe the noise he made as a roar or bellow. Tigers on the other hand have short fangs & a sac of venom on the roof of their mouth. When they bite they make small pucture wounds & venom is squeezed out of the sac & oozes into the wounds. A local grazier (& we have a lot of snakes here in the Lake George area) told me dogs rarely make a sound when bitten by a Tiger. I know a couple of people who have been bitten by Tigers - one kicked at his ankles because he thought a puppy was biting him when he was in actual fact standing on a small snake, the other drove for an hour & felt dizzy & didn't realise he had been bitten at all! Both were monitored in hospital & survived with no complications. However, many years ago another lady in our town was bitten by a Tiger on the foot, she was not so fortunate, the foot turning black & then having to be amputated. I was also told a story by a former resident of Leeton...... About 50 years ago when this lady was a child she grew up on an orchard. The fruit pickers back then were mainly Italian migrants. So.... Giuseppe is out in the orchard picking fruit & is bitten by a snake - against all advice he refuses to go to hospital. After a lay down, Giuseppe is feeling fine, gets back to work & thinks all the fear of snakes is misplaced! Several weeks later, Giuseppe is bitten again. Once more he refuses treatment...... however this time he has been envenomated whereas on the previous occasion it was a dry bite (unbeknown to him). Unfortunately Giuseppe's luck ran out & he did not survive the second bite!

Sorry to hear the sad news.

Out of interest for my friend who has just treated her dog why is that? Do you have experience of it? I saw my friend this afternoon when we were picking up Grover and she was commenting that her dog is just not the same since the bite - is this likely to be a lifelong change? Were antibiotics adminstered after the snake bite? My boy was treated locally & not by my regular vet a year last October for what was suspected to be a brown snake bite. The dog was at the vets twenty minutes after being envenomated, had treatment & was hospitalised overnight. However, we were not given any antibiotics when we bought him home, just told to rest him, monitor the colour of his urine, no walks & no bones. In the days following the snakebite the dog became very lame. I mentioned this to my regular vet who was surprised he was not put on a course of antibiotics - this vet does this as a matter of course with all snake & lizard bites regardless of envenomation but due to the risk of infection. The dog was back to normal within days of being put on the ABs, & although I have been told by acquaintances & well meaning people that dogs do not fully recover after snakebite, this was certainly not my experience & was discounted by both vets so long as treatment is sought quickly before the kidneys are affected. We managed to keep the dog calm following the bite, he was a good patient & also has body weight in his favour being Shep x Kelpie & a good 40 kilos! Good luck to your friend & I hope her dog fully recovers.

Hi Trisven, so happy to read that Grover is progressing well & showing signs of improvement. Several years ago my elderly MIL was bitten by what is presumed a redback spider. It was Christmas Eve & we had taken her around to visit her niece where there was a bit of a family gathering. Everyone was sitting outside on outdoor furniture. In the middle of the night she rang to say she was in excruciating pain, was unable to feel her legs, had the sweats & was covered in a rash. Needless to say we rang the ambulance & that particular Christmas day was spent at the hospital. The Dr on duty, after running tests, thought MIL had ben bitten by a redback spider..... possibly it was lurking in the cushions or underneath the chair which was stored outside. Just wondering if Grover has come across a spider somewhere?

I am not sure if this topic is legit? Looks like self promotion to me?

I am a "Nikon" person, have a D80 which has been superseded now. When I purchased my camera I bought the body only & splashed out on a 18-200mm lens. This is a great lens which allows a range of shots without changing lenses. Ideal if you are travelling, can't afford multiple lenses to start with or don't like carrying a lot of paraphernalia around I read copious amounts of info on the net before making my final decision & also tried out several cameras in local retail stockists. It is important that you like the feel of the camera in your hands as well as what it produces. I bought my camera, lens & other gear from Cameras Direct; they offer helpful advice over the phone, are competitive as regards price & their website is informative. So start saving & start reading :nahnah:

Thanks Erny! "The Other End of the Leash" is one of my favourites too! There are always new books coming out so I just wanted to make sure I haven't been missing anything!

My niece has just got her very own dog..... the first she has owned outright. She is a sensible girl & has an affinity with animals. She took over the training, care & feeding of her boyfriend's dog whose appearance & behaviour have improved out of sight However as this was not "her" dog she wanted her own. She has adoted an eighteen month old lurcher from a shelter, & as she is in UK, it is a bit difficult for me to give her guidance. There are a lot of dog training books out there, some of which I have read, but I am interested in getting other opinions as to a good book to give as a gift to someone who is really just setting out in the dog world.

Still no people, just fur family:

Well I suppose the first steps are bound to be small All of my subjects left home today, which left me with Rocky who turns 4 weeks old tomorrow! Rocky was a willing subject though he preferred to get up close & personal so I spent most of our shooting time shooing him away! I have resized my pics but seem only to be able to post the thumbnails Hopefully I will have more material tomorrow

Yes I have also been lurking in this thread & threatening to do something very soon ;), however time is not my friend at the moment. Thanks for the reminder about shooting in RAW, Ripley. I also have a disc for my camera which remains in the packaging! My camera supports saving images in RAW & JPEG at the same time.... does anyone do this? Also, as regards to image size, do you mostly use large? Hope to have something to put up here on the weekend, but really enjoying this thread Ash!!

Have a look at e-collar training. This is the most effective way to proof against livestock chasing. Interesting reading here : k9force's website and also here, on Lou Castle's website where he specifically adresses the use of e-collars on pups of 6 months of age & upwards.

Was the skewer intact or has a piece broken off? Can you get hold of any antibiotics? Do you have any access to any medical facilities at all... a doctor, nurse or anything? What do you have in your "human" first aid kit?

Yes, like the kangaroo found with an arrow through its head not far from the ACT border near the Federal Hwy. Apparently the roo was sighted in a paddock, but could not be located by Wildcare for two to three weeks. During this time she was unable to eat properly & had lost the sight in one eye, she also had a joey on board, who has miraculously survived the ordeal. "Bungendore Mirror" - don't click on the link if you do not want to see the picture!

It is not only in dogs that castration of males at a young age produces leggier & less heavy, individuals...... one only has to think of geldings, wethers, steers.

You may be thinking of taurine which cats need in a greater amount than dogs. It is not hamful to dogs, in fact they do need traces of it, but in excess quantities it can cause hyperactivity in dogs, like caffeine in some people

Cider vinegar is great as a finishing rinse instead of conditioner & leaves no residue in the coat, so is ideal for dandruff. 50/50 dilution is far too concentrated. I use cider vinegar myself as a final hair rinse & 2-3 tablespoons per litre is ample. There is no need to rinse it out but make sure the rinse doesn't get in the dog's eyes as it stings like hell!

Yes, I use cat biscuits too! They are handy to keep in your pocket & not messy, quickly consumed & very tasty. Ideal for walks & training.

I use all of the above :D but also cat biscuits! My girl really loves them, they are small, can be eaten quickly & do not make a mess in your pocket!

also comes in 7.5mg (see previous post re dosing) tab and caps. That dose is correct so if OP can get a script for her (sore back/wrists/joints...) its all good. The treating vet should be able to supply Mobic or write a prescription to be filled at the local pharmacy.

Another rabbit feeder here, the dogs also help themselves to a kitten (baby rabbit) if they come across them on our walks.

My guys have just polished off a salmon head each. This consists of the head, spine & tail..... basically what is left after the salmon is filleted. I buy them for $2 each & the dogs just love them, although my kelpie took a while to acquire the taste for them.

I recommend Heike Hahner of Canine Communications. Great trainer, great communicator & has an in-depth knowledge of dog psychology. Will PM you contact details.

I am not guilty of this but I know I always take off with too big a stride first up, so I am in danger of losing the dog at the outset! Have tried to moderate this & also make my walking more interesting...... smaller steps & more bouncy! I am getting heaps out of this topic, & perhaps most importantly, the motivation to train. I know I was losing my motivation as quickly as the dog, so it is really a double-edged sword!

Sorry to hijack your thread Tali! I am actually having the same problem with my Groenendael. She has come through her classes with A grade performances, but now we are up to Novice competition, she is seriously sick of "drill" heel work & doesn't want to work at all unless she knows I have food in my hand. Sometimes she looks like she is just shutting down & it is frustrating because I know how good her heel work can be! I have always been careful not to overtrain her & never ask for more than 3 minutes heel work at a time either! I am a fool really as she has always been ahead of her class & I have stuffed around & taken far too long to get her up to competition level. I have got hold of a copy of Dawn Jecs "Choose to Heel", have only briefly dipped into it as of yet, but she too uses the reverse theory with the dog off leash or on a long line as the foundation of precise & enthusiastic heel work, & starts with walking anti-clockwise circles & treating the dog when it chooses to assume the heel position by targeting the handler's hand. She builds up to extended rhythm patterns of circle, oval, figure eight & spiral rather than drill heeling, much more appealing to dogs who do not like repetition. I will definitely be training like this with my next dog, but that is years away! Meanwhile going back to the beginning is a bit daunting, but looks like I don't have much choice