Tim'sMum

I haven't looked here for a while....it breaks my heart a bit. I was so sorry to hear about your loss Dru. Victoria was a lovely dog. I hope Grace is coping with her loss. Lots of for you both. RIP Victoria.

RIP little one! My thoughts are with Paige's family. For Amervale & Sivaro........ for making a little girl's last few months very special.

Special thoughts for little Paige as she travels this journey. for her family and all who are having a difficult time with this.

So very sorry to hear this sad news Warley & Excel. RIP Pyro. for you both and Luci.

Cicada numbers go in cycles.........I can't quite remember how many years they stay underground in the larval phase.....possibly 7 years? Anyway.....however many years ago, it was obviously a good year for cicadas. Lots of food sources etc, so they bred well. My son is now 12 and I can remember his last year at Kindy, when he turned 5, was an incredible year for cicadas.......there were millions of the bloody things.......and he collected shoe boxes full of shells. I hate them! ;) Fortunately one dog is scared of them....she is a woose! The other one chases them, then he doesn't know what to do with them and lets them go.

Arolf........I have deep suspicions about a lot of Woollies meat and Deli food.. I recently bought mince there for my Mum and it was red on the top....and grey underneath. They had been using the stuff that makes meat look fresh I suspect. :p Also, standing at the Deli counter, waiting to buy chicken necks, another customer told the young boy behind the counter that there were blow flies in the fresh fish/seafood display. This boy walked around the front of the display, opened it up, let the flies out, closed it and walked back to serve other customers. We all walked away, vowing to never buy anything from the Deli section again. My local butcher does minced chicken carcasses for $1.50 a kilo bag. He freezes them straight away too.

Dave! RIP Chloe.

No it doesnt matter at all to pet owners. But the OP was asking our opinion on the changes. Yes, the OP was asking for opinions on the changes.............and a lot of posters have suggested that whether it does or it doesn't is not really important......it is more important to consider the implications of not desexing. If it is desexed.....it's not going to be bred.......or shown, so why does a dogs coat matter if it is longer, shorter, thicker, thinner? Does it matter if it grows a little taller than the standard if it's a pet? Morgan........you state that you are not against desexing, especially small male dogs?????....... yet you don't desex your own dogs and come up with all these perceived dire consequences of desexing ;) or early desexing??????? Just a suggestion......spend some more time looking at the Rescue threads and see the results of NOT desexing. Perhaps Working Setters should too.....which may make you think twice about making disparaging comments about the hard work that people like Puggles do.

You "can't imagine"? :p Have you looked at ANY of the scientific studies posted here over the last year on desexing? Or posts from members who have had bitches with lifelong health problems and constant medication because of desexing? Or even those bitches that died as a result of being desexed? Morgan..........they are just that......'scientific studies' and not proven facts. Any number of people can do scientific studies and spout any number of half baked theories without it being proven. I well understand 'scientific research' having had a background in science. My own daughter's Paediatric Neurologist tells me her Epilepsy is NOT hormone related because there is no 'PROVEN" correllation between Epilepsy and hormones.....yet agrees that the onset and progression of her Epilepsy is indeed indicative of being related to hormone activity. My point.....unless it is proven every scientific study is theory. Bitches and puppies die during whelping, particularly young bitches who have a litter after their first season. Male dogs can get out when there is an undesexed female in season in the vicinity and get killed on roads. Sorry morgan.......your theories don't stand up.....NOT desexing is irresponsible.

But you also have the risk of an unwanted litter? I can't imagine it making any difference whatsoever to a female's health......although I have heard that desexing after a female comes into season does tend to make them more prone to put on weight. Not sure of the truth in that either? Desexing any dog (excepting those who will breed as a Pedigree) should be what any responsible owner would do.....before they have the chance to add to so many unwanted dogs. One of my dogs (both rescues) was desexed at 8 weeks.........and I see absolutely NO problem with that. He is a normal healthy male dog who was very, very interested in our female foster,who came into season before we could desex her. Obviously early desexing didn't affect his 'male' mind too much! Sorry.......I don't consider it PC to keep any dog entire, unless you plan to breed and it is a Pedigree dog. Dogs, especially with certain things on their minds can and will escape, dogs can be let out accidently, no matter how vigilant an owner is.

He's a dog.........dogs hump! Even female dogs hump.......adult dogs hump, puppies hump. When he does it or growls or bites, push him away, say "No" loudly and stop playing........ignore him for a few minutes. He will work it out eventually!

Tony.........most of Aldi products are made by the same manufacturers as 'Brand Name' products. eg: the yoghurt is made by 'Pauls'. I can guarantee some of the cereal is made by Kellogs...........my kids and I eat it and can't taste the difference. I combine Aldi canned food with home made stuff too..........but only the green label can. This is Veal, Lamb & Veges and is solid.....not chunks with gravy. No farts or runny poos either. Mine also get minced chicken carcasses from the butcher and chicken necks. My two turn their noses up at Natures Gift and won't eat it. I haven't tried the Aldi dried food......it looks like crap, too highly coloured for a start.

IMO anyone who fed their dog a vegetarian diet should be prosecuted. I can't think of anything more ridiculous.....and cruel.

BMP..........I used Nature's Gift cans sometimes but haven't since the last can smelt of ammonia....eergghh! I let one of the dogs smell it and he turned away so it ended in the bin. My two get a very mixed diet...................sometimes canned, sometimes Barf, sometimes dry but I won't buy home brand or cheap nasty food. I was amazed at Woolworths a few days ago. At the Deli counter I asked for the usual couple kilos of chicken necks (or carcasses) and the woman beside me did the same. The woman serving gave us a lecture on how we were doing the pet food companies out of business................WTF!

To me this says it all and while my girl is doing so much better on this combination i will be continuing with it. Thanks all on your opinions, it is really appreciated. Stick to what you are doing Zara.............and ignore all the dry food/barf diet/canned food hoohaa...........!!!! You will find a few zealots on DOL who seem to think they know everything there is to know about feeding dogs. Kitkat is correct.......the best food is what your dog does best on...........and a varied diet is good!

I've had a nightmare with fleas this last summer.............Permoxin, which has always worked in the past, flea shampoo, Frontline drops, Frontline spray, Pea Beau flea spray for the house and bedding..........I've spent a fortune! I forgot.......I bombed the house too. I tried Advantix and EUREKA.........no fleas! jbbb..........such a shame your pup was allergic to it. I'm glad mine were not as it works.

I have found Purina One is good for our Kelpie........I sometimes mix it with egg and it disappears with no problems. Our Staffy is a bit fussier and is on a reduced fat dry food (she is a lazy little sloth )........I tried a few brands but she was a bit picky so I took it away and let her go hungry. She now eats Purina too. Purina is one of the better quality supermarket brands. There is no reason you can't give your dog raw food/mince/chicken necks for one small meal (reduce the vege component...I stick to carrots, pumpkin and a few greens) then give dry for another small meal. I have found vets do push the brands they stock and say they are much better than supermarket brands........they may be good quality but remember, it does help to line their pockets too. Just what is wrong with processed food......lilly'smum? Do you eat cereal for breakfast?

Our old ACD had it from 10 yrs to 14 yrs. Initially the result was quite dramatic........he would have the 4 x weekly dose at the start of winter. The first year he became like a puppy again after a few days and I have seen the same result in an old dog we see almost daily at the park. This old fellow literally galloped across the park and gambolled with my two, just a day after his first injection, whereas before I had to be so careful my two were not too rough with him. For the last two years our ACD had extra injections and Rimadyl at times....I guess his arthritis was too bad for Cartophren to have all that much effect anymore. It's marvellous stuff........wish I could have it!

It would depend on her age and maybe how hot it is. With a pup it's usually easy to tell when they have had enough as they become distracted....a few minutes a couple of times a day should be OK. Older pups/dogs can cope longer......but do it while they are fresh, before exercising.

I use the little liver treats from the supermarket......I'm sure the dogs don't care if there are preservatives in them!

Do they really need a Dermatologist? Most vets can deal with skin allergies, which are not uncommon with dogs. Bad odour? That could be fungal or possibly food related? Our old ACD had skin allergies for most of his life. He would have a course of mild cortisone to clear it until the next time but lived a good quality of life to 14 yrs old. Bathing him in a medicated shampoo from the vet helped too and would rid his coat of allergens. I would rinse him, after shampooing, with a mild & diluted human emulsifying bath oil........Ego brand I think????? In fact it got to the stage when I didn't need to take him to the vet every time he started itching. The vet kept me supplied with the tablets and I would bath him and start dosing him as soon as he started to scratch.........he was probably allergic to grass as we eliminated any weeds that could cause it......like Wandering Jew - the most common allergy inducing plant found in suburban gardens. He was inside most of the time but did spend time in the yard. I washed his bedding weekly too. It was certainly manageable. I hope this dog is OK.

for you and Ollie!

Oh Jintanut......... :cool: So sorry to hear the news. RIP little one.

Sorry I don't have a dog with Epilepsy but do have a child with it! I does sound like Epilepsy though. The Vet should have done some neurological testing on your dog. Have they not advised you it is Epilepsy? With humans, they do tests like an EEG, Cat Scan and MRI to establish there is no other cause like a brain tumour. I am not sure if this is viable with dogs but a neurological check will give some indication if there is another cause. Just a point about Phenobarbitol...........it does have a sedative effect. Barbituates are the same family of drugs. With humans it is very difficult sometimes to get the medication levels correct and can take a lot of juggling to get to a point where there are no seizures and few side effects. It is probably similiar with dogs. Puggles has a dog with Epilepsy and could advise your more.........perhaps you could PM her. There are others with pets with Epilepsy. I hope they can give you more advice.........I imagine how worrying it is for you.

Whoever let them out is at fault, even the scum that hit him and didn't bother to stop was possibly at fault by driving too fast...........so never ever blame yourself for doing a good deed and trying to help two straying dogs. Both could easily have been killed on the road if you hadn't saved one of them. You came close to being hit........doing a good deed. Take it easy on yourself.......any one of us would have done exactly the same thing. Imagine how you would feel if you hadn't stopped and just kept driving? You did the only thing any caring person would do. RIP Mika :D