Boronia

that's excellent news!

@Phil Dower if you let us know if you require a motel or have camping gear or a caravan, also how many dogs? If you go to the FB pages for show dogs and ask there that may also be of help B

go to another vet or at least phone another vet to get prices, many time the leg can be improved with rest and Meloxycam so ask your vet when you have a consult

according to this site RSPCA Queensland was a part-owner of HomeSafeID until 2020. https://www.vetpracticemag.com.au/homesafeid-no-longer-home/ and some more microchip info here https://www.scu.edu.au/news/2025/tc-pet-microchip-problems/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-11/microchip-data-doubt-for-tens-of-thousands-of-pets/104921828 Microchip data for tens of thousands of Australian pets at risk as company goes dark By Georgie Burgess 11h ago11 hours ago A microchip and registry company used by vets and animal shelters has not been contactable since December. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke) In short: A microchip registry company used by vets and shelters around Australia has stopped operations, with a warning its website might go offline. The identification data of tens of thousands of pets will no longer work if not transferred to another provider. What's next? A vet and cat shelter are urging owners of pets registered with HomeSafeID to transfer to another provider. The microchip data of tens of thousands of pets across Australia is in doubt, with a major registration provider stopping operations and a warning animals could become untraceable. HomeSafeID, a microchip and registry company used by vets and animal shelters since 2009, has not been contactable since December. A warning on the home page of its website states that the company is "no longer communicating or paying for the hosting of this site, and so this site is likely to go offline in the future". "You may want to investigate alternatives to your pet's registration, as once this site goes offline the registration data will no longer be available online or searchable via [microchip search engine] PetAddress," it reads. The HomeSafeID website showing the warning. (ABC News) Tens of thousands of pets are expected to be affected by microchip and registry company HomeSafeID stopping operations. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke) Canberra-based vet Dr Michael Hayward, who is a spokesperson for the Australian Veterinary Association, said tens of thousands of animals would be affected if the website went offline. "In that event, veterinarians, animal shelters, local pounds, local governments and all other interested parties will not be able to identify an animal based on its microchip number," Dr Hayward said. In Victoria, legislation prevents pet data being moved from one database to another, and microchip registries must be licensed with that state's Agriculture Department. The Victorian government has de-listed HomeSafeID as an approved animal registry, which means it is legal for a pet owner to transfer data to another approved registry. The Victorian Agriculture Department website said pet owners would be contacted if they were registered with HomeSafeID. Tough cat laws Photo shows Feral cat walking in dirt in the dark Cat owners on Bruny Island who let their cats stray could be slapped with hefty fines under Tasmania's toughest new management laws. Dr Hayward said the Victorian and Queensland governments kept data and may make it available to another provider. "We don't know when that will occur. This issue has been brewing for months and the Victorian government hasn't announced what it will do with the data," he said. "In the meantime, the logical course of action is that owners who wish to ensure their pet is recoverable in the event it goes missing should consider registering their pet and its microchip number with one of the other national private databases." Shelter's letters returned to sender Hobart cat shelter Ten Lives has used HomeSafeID since 2017, and has micro-chipped 9,000 cats during that time. Ten Lives has been forced to change providers after losing contact with the company. It is leading the way with informing cat owners about the issue. Ten Lives president Paula Wriedt said the shelter had made inquiries to ASIC but had been unable to confirm the company's status. "Letters sent to the director's address have been returned to sender," Ms Wreidt said. "We are still investigating the matter, but we are not optimistic. "This means our adoption clients may not have a current, searchable microchip registration sometime in the near future." Paula Wreidt says Ten Lives cat shelter in Hobart is still investigating the matter, but isn't optimistic. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke) Ms Wriedt said Ten Lives had been speaking to other providers that were offering registry services for free, and was publishing details on its website. Registries generally charge $12-$15 to transfer data. Ms Wriedt said it was a reminder for all pet owners to make sure their pet's microchip details were up to date. "This is a great opportunity for those clients who have had cats from Ten Lives for a number of years, and who may have moved house in that time, to change to a new provider, but also to update their address details," she said. "Because when your cat gets lost, you want to be reunited with it as quickly as possible." Ten Lives in Hobart says its adoption clients "may not have a current, searchable microchip registration sometime in the near future". (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke) Dr Hayward said the issue highlighted the need for a central system. "There is a national database that applies to livestock, but as is so often the case, issues relating to dogs and cats fall between the cracks and are legislated at a state government and local government level. "There is no single responsible minister at a national level for these issues. "It's left to the individual state and territories and sometimes individual local governments to manage these problems and that's a very unsatisfactory situation." There are calls for a single, national database for microchip data. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke) RSPCA advice for pet owners RSPCA Australia said in most states and territories it was mandatory for cats and dogs to be microchipped. A spokesperson said in Australia there were five private and two state government pet microchip registries. "In some jurisdictions, like Victoria, your government authority may be in contact with you directly if your pet is registered with HomeSafe ID to assist you," the spokesperson said. Pet owners who can't find their pet's details when searching PetAddress are advised to contact their vet or microchip implanter. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke) The RSPCA advises people to search PetAddress using your pet's microchip number. "PetAddress searches the Australasian Animal Registry, Central Animal Records, and PetSafe and, if your pet's microchip is registered on one of these, it will redirect you to the database that lists your pet's microchip number so that you may contact them directly." "If you cannot find your pet's registry by searching on PetAddress, you may like to contact your vet or microchip implanter to find out which database your pet is listed in. "While currently these pet registrations are managed differently in some jurisdictions, the RSPCA advocates for the regulation and adoption of a nationally consistent protocol for the electronic identification of companion animals under state and territory legislation."

This came up on my FB feed, worth giving it a go as it shouldn't be harmful https://www.facebook.com/reel/1118474856408579

Just out of interest this photo is on the FB Westminster's Canine Celebration 2025. See all 127 photos here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GfkDvX3Zr/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2025/feb/07/something-good-happened-the-rescue-of-reece-the-kelpie?fbclid=IwY2xjawISkWVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfv4JXuJ2GHFGeTKGxW8jV2ON6wa1KHz8CiL5fszP6h_v1vEYUAYxne_xg_aem_-LpQAeIYK0j5aoOz0GFy4w

As I normally get (much) older Westies that have had a bit of a tough time the dog turnover here is more than a regular household, sooooo there are little graves around the garden, some have a tree on them and some have a big tree-stump or a giant terracotta pond. I dread to think what the new owners will do if we ever sell I'll need to draw a location map and include it with the contract! one tree stump and one terracotta pond...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-27/lifeblood-donates-saline-iv-fluid-to-vets-amid-shortage/104840888?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=abc_regloc_sunshine-coast_sfmc_20250129&utm_term=&utm_id=2492641&sfmc_id=399532883 Newcastle vet inspires Lifeblood to donate IV fluid to animal clinics By Keely Johnson ABC Newcastle Topic:Veterinary Medicine Monday 27 January Lifeblood now donates leftover IV fluid to animal clinics across Australia. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson) In short: There is a global shortage of saline intravenous (IV) fluids used to treat common medical conditions in humans and animals. A Newcastle vet noticed Lifeblood discarding small amounts of saline after each blood and plasma donation. What's next? Lifeblood now supplies saline to more than 100 animal clinics and is encouraging more to join the program. Newcastle veterinarian Felicity Cole has been donating blood for more than a decade. A regular at Newcastle Lifeblood, she has come to know the process well. "When you give plasma, they spin it in front of you in this amazing machine, and then the pump changes direction, and with saline, they give you your red cells back," Dr Cole said. "I knew the product [saline] was being used and a large amount of it was possibly spare or being discarded." Dr Felicity Cole has been donating blood since she was at university. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson) After each blood or plasma donation, there is often intravenous (IV) fluid, or saline, left over in the bag. Until recently it would have been discarded. But Dr Cole saw new potential for the product, as the vet clinic she was working at was struggling with a global IV fluid shortage. What is saline used for? IV fluids are used to treat common medical conditions or mixed with other medications. They are particularly vital when treating sepsis and dehydration, and are used during resuscitation, post-anaesthesia care, and intensive care. Animals are also administered IV fluids, which help them maintain blood volume while under general anaesthesia and after traumas such as car accidents. Minerva "Minnie" the labrador being treated at Merewether Vet. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson) Saving the saline In July last year, Dr Cole wrote to the team at Australia Red Cross Lifeblood, asking if they would consider saving the leftover IV fluids and donate them to her clinic in Merewether. "I knew they were heat sealing these sterile products straight away, and that there was an opportunity for them to still be usable in a time of crisis," she said. Dr Felicity Cole says saline IV is used almost every day at her clinic. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson) The organisation was quick to respond and keen to help. "It was such a great idea," Australian Red Cross Lifeblood spokesperson Jemma Falkenmire said. "But there was certainly some work to do, from our end, to get approval to donate that saline." Jemma Falkenmire says Dr Cole's proposal was "such a great idea". (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson) If an IV bag is partially used, or expired, it is no longer deemed safe for human use, but with the right method of heat-sealing the bag, it can still be safely used for animals. Lifeblood developed a best-practice system to safely save the fluids and, by August, the first box of saline bags arrived at Merewether Veterinary Hospital's doorstep. "The nurses said, 'But it's half used, is it going to be enough?,'" Dr Cole said. "What they're forgetting is that a cat weighs 4kg, and so, 200 millilitres of fluid for a cat might be 10 or 20 hours of fluids, depending on what's wrong with that cat." National program Lifeblood has expanded the program nationally, donating about 5,000 bags of saline to more than 100 vets and animal clinics across the country each month. In addition to vets, Lifeblood has donated to rural animal clinics, the RSPCA's veterinary hospitals, and zoos. The program includes 42 clinics in New South Wales, 23 in Victoria, 12 in Queensland and South Australia, nine in Western Australia, and six in the Northern Territory. Donated saline IV fluid has become a staple at Merewether Vet. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson) Australia Zoo veterinarian Ludovica Valenza said the donated saline from Lifeblood had allowed her team to continue lifesaving treatment. "We utilise those IV fluids for all sorts of species that come into the wildlife hospital, but koalas, an endangered species, rely on these lifesaving fluids," Dr Valenza said. "Where we would normally purchase large volumes of intravenous fluids, we have now had to rely solely on donations." While the IV fluid shortage continues in Australia, Lifeblood is encouraging more vets and animal clinics to join the program.

Also ask them if they can do an ultrasound to check for any baddies in the stomach

My friend has a wheaten Scottish terrier, he has the best of personalities and much less of a varminty feral than the black Scotties

@Ted H it may be a plan to report it on here: Puppy SCAM Awareness Australia (PSAA) https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1K1vJ4EqS8/ A good group with helpful suggestions

@reece86 this video below may help, also I use Wahl KM2 clippers on my Westies so have a search on-line for a good 2nd hand set (if they are 2nd hand you may need to get the blades sharpened) and if you type 'how to get poo dags off dog's bum' into your search engine you'll get some helpful results

Also a no-no if your dog is prone to struvite crystals