Patters

This is your pup's first major coat drop. It will usually take 2-3 baths and "effective" grooming to clear this old undercoat out. As dancinbcs said, A wide-tooth comb (I find the horse mane'n'tail combs the best for this) of the conditioner through the wet coat from ends back to skin first, before rinsing. And then the same over every inch as you dry. I also find it better if you train your dog to lay down on her side for this, not standing. I personally did not find "brushing" removes the dropped coat that sits almost on the skin. Lacey aged 13 years RIP

My Irish Setter pup was stung last month. Bee or Ant - faces swell dramatically. It looks even more impressive when it is one of the Papillons that has been shoving her nose where she shouldn't. I usually just monitor that the breathing isn't compromised and use cold compresses for the swelling, if necessary. Mine have never been itchy though, rubbing or pawing at the face, if they had it would have been off to the vet for them. Mine are usually back to normal in about 24 hours.

Nicole, I am hoping for the best possible test results, too. I will be thinking of you and Ruby.

Good point! I agree!

I feel that "just a dog" is the lament of thousands of canine souls that are moldering away in backyards with little attention and less love. And everyone who has ever said "just a dog" has probably owned, at least, one of those poor souls in their lifetime. They are certainly not talking about my dogs!

Congratulations!! A nicely marked litter with a good spread of colours and males to females.

Reply received from Frank Pieterse.......... Probably shouldn't have published his reply.

I sent my e-mail off to Dogs NSW this morning. This is the reply I received 20 minutes ago Dear Susan Attached is your e-mail which has been sent to me for comment by the office . Can you please respond so I am sure I got your e-mail adress correct and then I will get back to you, Regards Frank Pieterse President Dogs NSW

Sent my e-mail off to Dogs NSW this morning. This is the reply I received 10 minutes ago. Dear Susan Attached is your e-mail which has been sent to me for comment by the office . Can you please respond so I am sure I got your e-mail adress correct and then I will get back to you, Regards Frank Pieterse President Dogs NSW

Several of my dogs respond this way for the first half hour ( and Tonka was one of these ) and I think it is the strong smell they are responding to. The same dogs respond to Frontline Plus, as well. So I do 1 dog at a time and play with them one-on-one and then the Frontline isn't immediately rubbed off on the lounges, and they forget about the tickle. The only time I've had a real problem with the collars was when Nina was very small and managed to get it caught in her mouth for I don't know how many hours. A quick trip to the vet and an injection (sorry, can't remember what right now - it will come to me in the middle of the night) and she was fine almost immediately. Just check that the collar is fitting snug but not tooo tight. All my dogs wear Preventatic collars for 10 months a year for the last 6 years and Nina's problem was the only one-time event.

Before this thread goes "poof", I would like to applaud Brooke, her OH and family for their open, generous hearts! Not many care enough to open their hearts and homes to troubled children in need. And to animals in need, as well, as evidenced by her offers to foster. Ben appears to be the odd one out in this family. He is the one who hasn't been able to adapt to the changes. And Brooke has tried, and is still trying, to help him. She has hired a trainer. She is prepared to further investigate possible health issues. She has come on here to ask for help. She has now contacted Ben's breeder (for their advice) as well. She IS acting responsibly, and with love, to try and find the best solution for Ben.

I SOOOO want one of them!!! Where was it that you got him from? I didn't think they made them anymore!

I, also, used to do the yearly Heartworm until 6 years ago. Then the numbers of deaths started to mount and it was withdrawn from the US markets. I never had an issue but it is too big a risk to take IMO.

I have never had this problem with my Papillons, but I do have an awful problem with these tiny black ants. I have to use special containers and take special precautions (like using a surface spray on the underside of their boxes) to feed the dogs from or ants are all through their food in seconds, But I have never had any reactions like that.They are breeding in the walls of my house and I can't get rid of them (I can't afford a professional Exterminator at the moment, but it will come to this). I have some level of success with Mortein Ant Sand outside, and in the kennel runs, on the pavers. I sprinkle it on and hose it into the spaces between the pavers (just cracks really) every 3 months. In the cat cage, which has a solid concrete floor, nothing I do seems to work. I have used surface spray under the raised floor, which doesn't touch any of the cage sides, and Ant Nest Kill sachets. In the house, in the kitchen everything is in glass jars but I still have ants marching all over the pantry and just a crumb dropped and there is an explosion of ants all over it with in minutes. A dead spider or moth....ditto. Last week I noticed an ant trail in the bathroom and opened the (unused) vanity cabinet to find millions and their eggs covering all the surfaces in the drawers and cupboards. WTF there is absolutely no food in there and the cupboard has hardly ever been used, so still "as new". I bought Mortein Proffessional and went up into the roof to spray, but I have fully insulated up there and could see no signs of where to spray (and the nozzle keeps clogging up every 5 sprays - grrr). I have used it all round the outside of the house and in the window tracks and they still come in. I have now bought a 3 Pack of the flea bombs and will buy another 3 pack this week. I am going to put 3 in the roof and 3 in the house and see if that works.

I tried a bottle of SynergyLabs Dental Fresh. It is supposed to "Brightens teeth, Freshens Breath, Removes Plaque & Tartar". After 2 months of treatment, the only effect I noticed at all was that the dogs drank more water. So if your dog isn't drinking enough water, it is worth a try.

Were the actual puppies in the pet store or was it just the advertisement?

The bristles are far too dense on that type of brush, that's why it is only skimming across the top of the coat. The type of brush I use looks more like a pin brush but with 6, or so, bristles in place of each pin. They are gentler on the finer skin of the Papillon than the pin brush, but work the same way.

Hi Jeanne, I use a fine tooth comb for tangles, always starting at the ends and gently working up towards the skin. I have a Mason Pearson (20 yrs old) Natural Bristle for general brushing and their enjoyment! It is much cheaper to get the human-type natural bristle brush. I use a slicker only if they have got full of "farmer's friends" sticky burrs - only the slicker works in that situation.

I have had 3 day old puppies thrashing legs and even growling in their sleep. At this age, their eyes and ears are not open. They have had no life experience, apart from being born, sucking on mum and being warm, so are not reacting to memories. I waste(???) a lot of time just watching puppies, especially for their first week, and see this time and time again. When I sleep-walk, I have no memory of it, unless I hurt myself and wake up. I don't remember any dream or nightmare that has caused me to sleep-walk. Personally, I wouldn't worry about your dog's night terrors(?) or read too much into it.

White curl grubs(Chafer Grub). The Kookaburras line up on my guttering when I start digging in the frontyard. 2 of them actually come down and eat them out of my hands(with gardening gloves on). When I'm working in the back garden, the dogs try to grab them as I dig them up and if I squash them on the ground, the dogs lick them off the dirt. No one has had the slightest signs of ill effects, but I don't encourage them like I do the kookaburras. Once, when my daughter was visiting (before she moved back in) she complained that she was getting "swooped by crazy kookas". The kookas weren't "crazy", they were "stupid" if they thought she was going to do any gardening work!!

The best cost-saving advice I can give is to buy your wormers, heartwormers, flea products, shampoos, etc. on-line. Get together with friends or workmates, with dogs, and buy in bulk. The savings can be quite considerable. 50% savings can be made on quality worming products, alone, as opposed to buying individual doses from a vet.

Maybe Salmonella (sp?) sensitivity. I had an 18 month old suddenly show similar symptoms after eating raw chicken necks. None of the other 6 dogs were affected at all. He threw up, then got shakey legs and a depressed attitude within an hour of having the chicken. Down to the vet, onto a drip and a shot of (can't remember, sorry, used for poisoning), his temp went to 42 and heartrate down to 50. By the next morning, he was recovering and back to his normal bouncy self by day 6. I don't risk feeding him chicken any more (just lamb bones for him).

My male papillon puppies start humping toys at 4 weeks!!! They have only been up on their feet for a week and they are already at it Not all of them do it and MOST of them grow out of it!!!

I vaccinate my pups with C5 and the lump always lasts just under a month. My vet has changed the brand he uses in the last 2 years, and the injection itself is no longer as painful as the previous brand. Sometimes, the lump is very tender for the first few days (up to 7 days), but often it is not painful at all. Just check regularly that the actual injection site has no infection (redness, pus) and if it is painful a warm washer, several times a day, will help. My tiny Papillon pups get the same amount of vaccination as my Collie & Setter pups and some get the lump, some don't, some on the first vaccination, some only on the 2nd. As there is no way I can predict who will get a lump or not, I don't book their first show 'til a month after their final vaccination.

I have to list Macadamia Nuts in my care-sheets also. I knew about them, advised my son about their toxicity to dogs when he bought a house with a big tree in the backyard (he cut down the tree, his Staffies will chew on anything and it wasn't worth the risk) and I planted my trees in the fenced-off area of my gardens. But for some unknown reason, I haven't listed them on my care-sheets.