Roishana

Ive got one question? Are you able to phone on a daily basis and speak to kennel staff to check on your dogs wellbeing? Surely that would be more time consuming than a visit?

I have been emailing my local federal politician about the no visiting policy. Why not email your local federal representative and also Kevin Hogan [email protected] (member for Page, northern NSW) Kevin is a National, same party as Barnaby Joyce who is the minister in charge of DAFF (AQIS. Kevin has been very approachable about this (nice bloke), but I believe is getting the run around by the department. I think if there is a co-ordinated campaign, we could get this changed. I have concentrated on my dog's welfare. (I will copy parts of my emails and the replies I have received at the end of this post). Dont mention things like, you want to trim the dog so you can take him straight to a show. I have given examples like I found a protruding nail in my dogs run. He started to develop a hot spot and I pointed this out to the kennel staff. For me, this is a genuine welfare and care issue (eg unless it is recommended by a vet, there is no guarantee that your dog will be exercised). I know it is only 10 days, but anyone with dogs knows, that a lot can happen in 10 days. We always use to be able to visit our dogs, and so far, the reasons given have been unsubstantial (being polite). What I have proposed is that they trial for 6 months visiting on a Wednesday for 2 hours. This is general visiting, not specifically for grooming (and I did read the other comments which simply confirm, that this is a front office directive to squeeze as much money as possible, with as limited output by staff as possible). This would mean, that during a 10 day stay, you could visit your dog once. Surely that is not too much to ask a tax payer funded organisation. Here are the reasons I have been given as to why I am not allowed to visit my dog in quarantine (and my comments). It is all very tricky, as they are hiding behind biosecurity - and while none of us, want an outbreak of rabies or any other disease, the rationale behind the reasons given to me so far, is not scientifically sound. I also wonder what biosecurity measures quarantine staff are undertaking when they enter the facility daily. I'll be honest, having imported a few dogs, I have always been surprised by the lack of basic biosecurity eg foot baths, hand washing etc. I do more when I visit other breeders kennels and vice versa !! MY SUGGESTION that Quarantine provide one day in the week, eg Wednesday, for owners to visit for 2 hours, either morning or afternoon, or both. They must arrive with 30 minutes of a certain start time, or they are not given entry, this would allow a staff member to warn visitors about the dangers of ticks etc, and show them basic biosecurity eg foot baths, washing hands etc. This would also not interfere with the staff duties too much. Why not at least trial this for 6 months, and allow feedback from customers and staff. REASONS GIVEN First email reply Quarantine procedures are evaluated on an ongoing basis, and revised according to latest knowledge of prevailing biosecurity threats. The department has decided that if owners had access to their pets during the quarantine period there would be a risk that organisms could be transferred from the animals to the owner and then out into the wider community. I then asked for a list of organisms they were concerned about. Second email reply Ticks are one of the organisms they are particularly concerned with! (I am advised that even with the large increase in fees being charged, substantial tax payer subsidy is still required to administer the service). My reply having spoken with local tick officers with NSW DPI - their actual reply was unprintable !! The life cycle of ticks to vary, and your email did not specify which species of tick DAFF were referring to. The general consensus amongst the tick officers was this wasnt a concern, and certainly that good kennel husbandry (ie daily cleaning of the runs) would be enough to prevent any problems anyway. (I have a science background, so understand many of the issues behind biosecurity) My thoughts are, why not provide visitors with overalls/coveralls that are washed after the visits, we would pay of course for the hire !! Im not sure what the dogs would think, but I welcome any suggestions to try and get the visiting hours restored. What I dont understand it why wasnt this an issue in the first 10 days of the previous regimes of quarantine, what is the difference. I was able to visit my last dog, 3 times in the first 10 days, under the old 30 day system. Perhaps that is an issue that needs to be raised. I am sure that if enough people approached their local federal member and CC to Kevin Hogan, and maybe Barnaby Joyce, that this could be changed. Spread the word !! Roishana

And I nearly forgot . . . worms !! We once got a Golden puppy from a very well respected breeder. She had a pot belly and looked small for her age too. She was completley full of worms, despite the breeder saying she had been wormed. I had another Golden person tell me they had had the same thing, and in both cases, it can lead to dread diarhoea (scours) when they are older puppies - I think the huge worm burden damages the linings. Sometimes even if the puppies have been wormed, they are still there. Sometime you need repeated worming to get rid of them. So regardless of what the breeder says, or if you have wormed Oscar before, get the Vet to check. we also put our puppy onto calcium supplements as she had mishapen front legs, almost like rickets. She was the opposite, the only puppy in the litter, and sometimes there is not enough stimulation for the bitch to produce enough milk, or they dont let the puppy suckle enough. (The legs straightened!!) So, even if you buy a well bred puppy from a top breeder, you can run into trouble !!

I think Oscar is a lucky puppy to have you as his owner. It is quite obvious you care a lot for him and love him very much. Regardless of his parentage or upbringing, you need to deal with the situation as it is now. Looking at the photos, I think he looks too thin, and his coat looks illthrifty - no bloom. He was possibly not getting the nutrition that he needed as a baby. He comes from a large litter, and may have just missed out, and perhaps was small as a baby. I know we are not suppose to have too much weight on our puppies, but it is important not to have them too thin either. Puppies which are small, are often premature. Sperm is viable for up to 4 days, and sometimes you get embryos that are fertilised several days after the other embryos, - mutiple matings also can cause this. But once the bitch whelps, they all come out!! Whether they are ready or not. Oscar looks like very much like a puppy of another breed, I have seen recently who we suspect this is what happened to him. They are "undercooked". If you look at premmie human babies once they are out of hospital, they still have that thin, fragile look about them As Oscar is active and lively, apart from listening to what your vet suggests, I would look to increase the feeds, to try and get as much TOP QUALITY food and supplements into him. Nutrical ? (it has been a long time since I had to do this so Im not sure what the latest is). Perhaps some calcium supplements. I would weigh him every week and record this, as well as weigh the amount of food you are giving him, so you know what you are doing. Just one word about his breeder - if Oscar was like this when he left her place, he should never have been sold to you, until she was able to get him to the point that he looked like a healthy, well nourished Golden puppy. Things do happen, puppies are born small and/or sick, but you keep them until they are ready to go their new home, and dont offload them on to new puppy owners as soon as you can. Good luck, my gut feeling is that provided the vet tests come back negative, I think he is just a bit small and premature. As to his final size, I have known several Goldens who were perfectly healthy, but small - up to 2 inches below the minimum standard for the breed. Cheers Roishana

My 14 year old Golden has just had emergency surgery for bladder stones and the vet has insisted that she now be fed on Hills Science CD which is a prescription diet. Can anyone suggest where I could buy this where it might be cheaper in SE Qld than my local vet? Thanks in advance

My 14 year old Golden has just had emergency surgery for bladder stones and the vet has insisted that she now be fed on Hills Science CD which is a prescription diet. Can anyone suggest where I could buy this where it might be cheaper than my local vet? Thanks

We had semen taken in the early 90s , which was excellent quality, but they used the wrong extender when freezing. It is basically useless, and it is only sentamentaility as to why I am still storing it. We got one miracel pup 8 years ago, so I sitll have hopes. So not all semen will be viable. The semen from Camrose Cabus Christopher was amongst the very first taken, and produced the second AI litter ever (frist was Calahorra Afghans from memory), but the first using vaginal (non-suricical) insemination. Hope Phillipson of Ferngold bred the litter. This was the mid 70s. The semen has also been used several times here in Australia by Goldtreve Kennels (beryl and Fred Hession) of th eintervening yesrs. It is an amazing story. Harry spira was involved, but the work with dog semen at the Vet Faculty, Uni of Sydney followed years of work on cattle semen.

Ive calculated that my x rays would have arrived with Dr Wyburn just before his illness. They havent been returned to either me or my vet. My vet didnt even know that there had been any problem with Dr Wyburn. Ive let it go not wanting to disturb any one, but has anyone else had this problem? Is there a contact number or email I could use to ask where they are? (PM) thanks

Hi Everyone After 15 years and with a new puppy,I have decided to purchase new grooming scissors. I need double sided and single sided thinning scissors, as well as straight edged scissors for my Golden Retriever. Im looking for good quality brands - as you can see, I do get my money's worth! Has any got any suggestions as to where I can buy them (preferably online), and which brands are the best. Thanks in advance. Roishana

http://www.petclassics.com/Pet-Loader-Step...-stairs.36.html these dog stairs/step they are adjustable, although again, I just cant see an elderly dog who is already unstable going up steps, getting up these. I think I will abandon the step idea and stick to ramps Ive also been given a tip on a K mart plastic bike ramp, I'll try and investigate these on the weekend

yes, I agree, the steps would need to have a very low rise, and quite wide so that it wouldnt be "steep". Ive also had further thoughts and I doubt one set could be made that would suit both heights of the cars, but thank you all for your ideas, Iwill send them on.

I have an elderly Mother who has an elderly Golden Retriever. The dog is no longer able to get into the car, and my Mother currently lifts her bottom in. (The dog has been trained to put her feet up, and then "climb" onto the back seat of a Falcon, and into the "boot" area of a small Mazda. There is quite a height difference in the two cars) However my Mother is about to have a knee replacement, and will not be able to "lift". We have started looking at dog ramps, but to me they look heavy and bulky - given that the ramp needs to be stowed in the car for when this elderly couple get to their destination. Ideally, I would like a version of this dog stairs, but would want something flexible for both vehicles, and with a much shorter distance between each step. http://www.petedge.com/product/Home-Kennel...c/406/44452.uts Has anyone got an suggestions? I am interested in either a manufactured dog ramp or something that can be adapted (eg bike ramp for a trailer), or ideas/plans of what you may have made yourself. Thanks Roishana

In summary - silver mesh sides to gazebo There are 2 types, but the "all metal" ones are better than the others with are sliver thread. The "better silver mesh" comes from the USA eg Clean run and petedge and this may be cheaper than purchasing them here in australia (but who stocks them here in Oz, and will the USA ones fit my Compact Gazebo???) now that everyone has used their silver mesh over last summer, does anyone have any suggestions as to what to purchase, or not? (im just getting back into showing after a long absense) I am also thinking of getting a tarp as a fly to suspend above my car to keep it in the "shade". as there will be air between the tarp and the car, and it will be solid, I cant think that shade cloth or silver mesh will give me any advantage, or have I missed something (I will be using tent poles and guy ropes - Im only showing one dog, so I arrive "late" compared to everyone else ! so there is never any shade left) I would aslo get a "side" to this arrangement, if by chance I would need to stay on till the end of the show !!! I have a Golden Retriever, how good are the silver mesh cooling coats for large dogs, and which is the best type Thanks in advance. (Ive made quite a few purchases based on teh advice from the forums!!)

Ive had two rescue dogs and they sometimes got the "dithers". They may have missed the command - for whatever reason - and then they start second guessing, what does she want me to do, was I suppose to do something, am I doing the right thing, will I get into trouble, Oh God, I think I will just stand here . . . so with those two, if they looked confused or didnt do what I wanted, I just gave them the command again, making sure that they were paying attention this time. I find that correction has to be given very carefully. Just a tip with a young retriever if you want to serious undertake obedience etc. I dont always use the official commands ie drop stay - I am saving these for when I will teach them for perfection compared to just sitting anywhich way , or wait which I use a lot around the house. When my pups brain grows up enough, I will then introduce the correct command and the correct response. All dogs and breeds are different, what works for the collies etc wont work for the retirevers - you need to adjust your methods I have a 6 month old Alpha Golden male who I am having to battle with to regain dominance, as I treated him as a dear little puppy who needed encouragement etc when he came to me at 4 months. I misread the situation completely and am now playing catch up. all my old methods are out the window with this one!!

Just thought of another question, would the dog vans be more likely to be at Bulla or the VCA ground? or do you have shows at either one of the other but not both on the same weekend (where is Bulla?) (Ive downloaded the show guide, but havent checked where the shows are yet)

My apologies !! I can now see what caused you heart palpitations. I work for an organisation which provides guidelines for pets in shops, and although it is not my section, I provide input for them - not sure if they listen though. If the guidelines were followed to the letter, it wouldnt be so bad, but it is still the concept of dogs and cats as commodities like crate, bag of dog food that I simply cannot get my head around. To everyone else, thanks for the suggestions - my credit card is ready for action!!

I will be visiitng Melbourne in a couple of weeks time. As I live out in the countryside I dont get to browse in a large pet store. Can anyone recommend some stores with plenty of stock especially for large breeds. (My own local store has limited stock and usually only for small/medium breeds). Buying online is OK, but I like to see what I am buying. Im interested in toys, beds, crates, grooming equipment (dryers?), food etc - the usual I will be staying at Pascoe Vale, with a car, but without dogs, so I will have some spare time at the weekend! Thanks Roishana

I was stewarding toys about 6 months ago and a friend who is also a steward wandered up and said "who did you piss off to wind up with this ring?" Terriers can also suffer from the "a bazillion little dogs in crates" syndrome tho'. JRTs especially. I love seeing the slow Toy people being stewarded by an efficient steward. There is inevitably one who want to make judging his/her three dogs take as long as the 25 Cavs took, and it is priceless to see a steward, unmoved by their flapping, chatting, lead changing, dog swapping, and more chatting antics, and just go through the first call, second call routine. Amazing how quick they can be if they actually have to! I've only shown in the Toy group, so dont know if this happens in other groups, but there are also sometimes exhibitors who think the show has to wait for them. They call 'just a minute' or 'I'm here' when their number is called, then keep grooming for a bit, change their jacket, say hello to a friend, pick out some bait and stroll slowly to the ring. I soooooo want to see one of these people called absent in the 3 mins it takes them to get to the ring ;) OK maybe I am mean ...... As as steward, I can only agree with this description!! I tell the toy exhibitors that we must go as fast as possible to beat the other ring. I start yelling for the breed at least 5 minutes before necessary, so that they have time to get the trolleys over, and tell them the judge only wants a small triangle. Overall I find they are quite good, but I am training them up !! Pug people are the worst in the toys, but I have more trouble with the super professionals and their Siberians etc. And for some reason, the Golden Retreiver people are a problem too. At a show at the end of least year when it was very hot, I got to the very last dog, when the Tibetan Terrier exhibitor decided that unlike everyone else at the show, she wasnt going to step up to ringside, be ready to go in and stand in the shade of the writers gazebo (no shade for judge or steward incidentally), but stay where she was and gave me a mouthful. As I had spent all day moving the table in and out the ring trying to keep it cool, and it was hot, I had had no break all day and was trying to keep paperwork flowing for a new set of people running the show, I decided there and then, it was enough. I finished the group, declined to run General Specials and am taking 18 months off from stewarding!!

HI It has been suggested my new club ask a lady Vanja Neus (?) who lives on the NSW Central Coast (?) to be our auditor as she knows about dog clubs. can any one supply me with her contact details (PM) or pass this message on. Thanks Roishana

I would be happy to have both details, can you send PM thanks Roishana

Hi Is there anyone who prepares agility/obedience trial catalogues, numbers etc and collects the entries on behalf of a club? (Just like people do this for breed/confirmation shows). We prepared our own, and it nearly killed me this year!! and so I wish to outsource this next year. Thanks in advance Roishana