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Thomas is an ace little dog... And I'm not saying that only because he's my Penny's brother! Very tempted myself but reason has to prevail... Anna's dog are stunning both in type and temperament. I also second the idea of ringing breeders even if they have no dogs advertised. My first port of call would be Ann O'Keefe of Glenayden kennels (she is listed on DOL in the breeders section). She owns Thomas' father and really knows who to recommend or might have an ex show dog to rehome.

Is he happy to be in the car when it's stationary with the engine off? My foster failure was reliably sick whenever we had to drive anywhere, and this from his first trip home from the shelter. He wouldn't touch ginger biscuits, getting a tablet into him was mission impossible and the DAP spray seemed to make no difference. I started using a thunder shirt on him (without having much hope) and it made a huge difference. He lied down instead of standing there, wide eyed and drooling and after a number of un eventful car trips, I was able to wean him off the shirt. I'm not saying he is a huge car fan, but he is much more comfortable these days and hasn't thrown up in a couple of years. Interestingly he's always much happier driving back home, rather than leaving home to an unknown destination...

Oh Erny, you're an agent for Transfer Factor? Brilliant news! I've been buying it from USA for the last 6 years because I couldn't find anyone here who sells it here. Would you be kind enough to provide some details? I give it to my two dogs and now take it myself. +1

So sorry to hear about your loss. Is she a different dog from the one you mentioned in the rainbow bridge thread?

Am I imagining something? That sounds like something coming from someone who was banned after a thread on a GSD turned disastrous...

Last professional clean up was in 2008... Long before Penny came here. Carpet will go when we renovate, at least downstairs... Thanks for sharing your experience StubiePie; your little girl seems to have had a horrible time with her skin. I too jumped on the bandwagon every time someone came up with a new miracle cure on DOL. Fish oil, cod liver, coconut, flaxseed, ACV, calendula... Ticked all the boxes but haven't found the magic cure. I realise they're not a panacea but I was hoping some of them might help alleviate the symptoms. My two still get flaxseed with their home made dinner and sardines once a week. I know what you mean re regular vets; mine too just wanted to go down the steroids route and wasn't impressed I wasn't feeding a commercial diet. If only I could be sure the carpet was the issue, I'd rip it up straightaway! I know their beds aren't the problem, because they gad them whilst boarding and she came back ok.

Signed... Do you think you'd have more exposure in the general thread Ruth?

I know! Dog treats are a great money spinner I reckon :D Well, my sweet potato jerky turned into sweet potato crisps :laugh: As expected Will turned up his nose at them, and Penny loves them, but they're definitely not long lasting chews!

I'd be interested in your recipe Steve! Let me know if there are any ingredients I can get from you. On the ACV topic, I've started adding a little bit to their drinking water and Penny has no issue drinking it, but Will won't touch it even when he's really thirsty. Ben a couple of drops in a 1 litre bowl is enough to put him off

Jed, it's definitely not yeast (wish it was that simple!) RiverStarAura, she started itching after her 3rd puppy booster. Nothing came up on skin scrapings, we went onto an elimination diet for 2 months with no changes at all, and we've been seeing a dermatologist vet for 18 months. She's been on a desensitization vaccine for 13 months now but I'm yet to say if it's working or not. She's not itching all the time, and I can't identify a pattern at all (weather, flowering plants etc). She seems better coming back from boarding, and she is totally rich free when she's in season (dermatologist said they used hormone injections in the past to relieve allergies, but the sidle effects are too high and they do not precisely understand the correlation). A collar might help with the spot she can chew at, but not all the parts she scratches with her hind legs. The vet we were seeing at the beginning was really reluctant to refer me to a dermatologist, and didn't have an issue with her being on cortisone on a permanent basis, which I wasn't happy about.

A bit everywhere really... Tail base, anus, thighs, inner thighs, armpits, chest area, around nipples, joint of front legs where they meet the body, middle of he back, flanks... Not all at once but these are the most commonly affected areas. They're hard to find on the areas where the coat is heavier (long haired breed with feathering)

Mmmm... Hard to describe or photograph, but they tend tho look sort of yellow and crusty, but the ones she can reach are sort of scabby from her scratching and biting. Looking superficial sometimes you could even think it's flea dirt - except it is kind of attached to the skin. Her eyes and ears also bother her when she's going through a particularly itchy phase.

It looks like a failure in the making I do occasionally shop at Natural pet store Boronia, but at 100$ a kilo, these jerkies are more expensive than any food I could afford

Thank you! It sounds like I'll be housebound for a while this arvo then...

Missed this bit - the shampoo and conditioner both have Calendula oil in them so it depends on what the problem is and how dirty the dog gets. I think with a couple of mine if I just put the tea through it might turn to mud some days Just depends on how you live with them and what your preference is. A dog that looks clean and smells good is easier to love when it sits on your couch but from an itchy skin point you don't need to shampoo them first. Dog's coats are naturally oily which prevents water from getting to the skin so just pouring it over wont work as well as applying it down lower into the coat and onto the skin in long coat dogs. Thanks Steve, I guess my dogs don't get really dirty, but they are city dogs who are inside probably 20 hours a day, in a small house with carpeted areas, rugs and access to couch etc so i find it more pleasant if they're bathed regularly. Penny started getting itchy shortly after her 3rd puppy shots (coincidence?) and responded immediately to cortisone. The vet wanted her to be on that, which I wasn't happy with. She was put on R/C hypoallergenic for 8 weeks, and if anything was even itchier. I almost had to beg to get a referral to a dermatologist vet; the skin prick test showed a mild reaction to a number of pollens, grasses and mites but nothing too drastic. She's been on desensitization injections for 13 months now, and I sometimes think they're working, and other times despair at the lack of progress. Interestingly, she has been boarded twice for around 3 weeks at a time and even though she doesn't have a very good time there, she came back in a better nick skin wise, but was itchy again within 3 days of being home. I started adding Innerhealth to her dinner a couple of weeks back, and am still applying calendula tea to her sore spots even though it doesn't seem to help her much. She enjoys drinking it though. I think I'll follow Erny's suggestion of getting a DNA test done as the next step

Well I'm giving it a go... I'm sure garbage guts Penny will eat it. As for precious Will, erm.... We shall see. It's been in the oven for an hour now at 140. Does that sound about right to you?

Talking of sweet potatoe, how long do you bake it for (and at what temperature) please DD :) ?

http://doggiebar.com.au/shop/dog-treats/rootendons/ They also have goat jerky which is a big hit with my two!

I think I'm thinking of the same doco LisaCC... Was that the hidden life of dogs, or the secret life of dogs?

Just my two cents worth, but it might be worth using the marker and treat before he starts reacting; I suppose just rewarding calm behaviour in general. Maybe some shade cloth along the fence (whilst the shrubs and hedges are still growing) would provide some sort of visual barrier and minimize what triggers his reaction?

Pretty sure Petplan doesn't cover regular vaccinations or desexing for that matter... And I don't think you're being overly cynical; I know Petplan refused to cover a grass seed removal (it went in between toes and was migrating up Penny's leg ) because she had pre existing skin conditions

Minimax, I'd hope that would only apply if your pugs contracted the specific illness they could have been vaccinated against I.e. Parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis etc? Eg Will contracted canine cough whilst he was vaccinated, and PetPlan covered it but I wouldn't expect them to cover for it now that he isn't vaccinated. I'd seriously hope they wouldn't start extrapolating

I think you would do the 12 months one and titre from then on... I know what you mean regarding confused sounds on the end of the line, it's so frustrating when you seem to know more than the experts and have to explain what it is you want done. Lucky the boarding kennels knew of them and accept them. What really frustrates me is that my boy got really sick after his first booster. As it deteriorated progressively, I didn't establish the connection. He was finally diagnosed with muscular myositis at the specialist hospital (after muscle biopsies and tests at a lab in the US). The specialist said it was likely to have been triggered by the vacc, and his auto immune system is now pretty much damaged for life. One of his definite recommendations was to never vaccinate him again (and he said they be happy to board him at the clinic if needed), and he liaised with my regular vet on the matter. 5 months later, regular vet informs me that Will is due for his yearly shots, and seems confused about why I want him titre tested (and needs to research how to go about it). Also, he only gave Penny the one year vaccine for her 12 months booster, and said it was safer to do so. He did give her the 3 years vacc at 24 months and I think I'll get her tested from then on. I think it really pays to do your research and be firm and assertive with your vet (which I failed to be). I wish they'd implement something similar for cats too; those of us boarding have no choice but to vaccinate every year.

Thank you Steve, I was hesitating between that and the herbal one I've been using organic whole flowers (from a supplier Erny recommended in the past) and feed her the brewed flowers too. I try my best to squirt it on but it's really hard to tell if I'm actually getting to the skin on a long coated dog. I shall persevere! ETA would you use your shampoo, then conditioner and finish off with a tea rinse or would that be an overkill? I sometimes only do a tea rinse but think her coat looks better and feels nicer being washed and conditioned.

You bunch of enablers! Steve, which one of your colognes would you consider to be the most neutral? I'd like something I could use on bedding etc but doesn't have an overpowering smell... But then maybe the cologne should match the shampoo etc decisions, decisions... I must confess I was hoping I'd become a member of the calendula tea, but it doesn't seem to make any difference to my girl (we are now starting the 2nd year of desensitisation injections). I wonder if it's because I only use it as a rinse (showers only in this house) and she would benefit more from it if I could soak her in it At least she likes drinking it (cold) and I think it's not too bad either... Has anyone used Ivory Coat products? They seem to be herbal based too, just wondering if they're any good.