kelpiekaye

What arrangements or agreements do you have with the owner of the bitch if you lease her for breeding and owner of the bitch keeps her and rears pups till weaning?

Thank you Rebanne. Yes, the vet gave injectable calcium, It was just under the skin and a one-off to boost her calcium. We do the same to cows but usually in the neck vein as it works quicker. (I'm a dairy farmer) Alba seems to be all good now, despite me letting her feed the pups before the 24 hours was up. I will keep up with the oral calcium till they are weaned.

I had to take Alba to vets last night with suspected milk fever. He said she was in early stages of eclampsia. She is three years old and this is her first and last litter. I have done everything by the book eg; feeding dam high-quality puppy food, no extra supplements etc. Her pups are 11 days old and doing well. Alba suddenly developed dysentery, went off food and water, and was weak/wobbly in hindquarters.  The vet gave her a calcium injection under the skin and gave me oral calcium to give her twice a day. I was told to keep her away from pups for 24 hours. The pups were quiet all night, their last feed of her was at 8.00pm. I tried bottle feeding them this morning but they didn't want a bar of it. I have given in and let pups drink off her. She is a lot better today and is eating/drinking and had her oral calcium. The vet is going to ring me this morning. Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Alba had 6 healthy pups yesterday

She has hung on to her puppies. Last scan showed 3-4 pups. She is due on 5-6th April so not long to go. I will take her to vet after easter for a last check up. Exciting times.

Just now, Stitch said:

Too much can go wrong very quickly to risk not giving the bitch every opportunity to either retain the pups or to overcome and infection.  In this case I would definitely give antibiotics.

 

Thank you

27 minutes ago, Dogsfevr said:

Problem is you wont know there is an infection until its too late .

We would use antibiotics .

But your choice your risk factor

Ok, thanks for that, not something that people seem to know a lot about. I've got some antibiotics from the vet today.

Bit of blood coming from the vulva. Possibly she has lost a pup or in process of losing all pups won't know until next scan. Blood is clean, no pus etc.

My three-year-old maiden kelpie has been Artificially inseminated and is four weeks confirmed pregnant. She has started bleeding and I have been to vets and had a second ultra scan. She is healthy and happy and vets have not prescribed any treatment except to keep an eye on her and scan again next week. The vets that actually did the AI have suggested putting her on antibiotics and want to do a telephone consultation with my vets. (they are 6 hours away from where I live). I don't believe in giving antibiotics unless there is actually an infection. Has anyone had experience with this situation? What are your thoughts?

Ah so you are already on the right track :)

It is great that you are aware and I agree that you should not worry unless you see signs - easy for me to say:P

If you are still concerned there are some healthy choices that you can make eg restricting the chemicals you have in your home, look out for mould, do not feed pork or treats with chemicals in them and switch to a low grain diet.

What a clever and pretty girl!

Thankyou :)

Muzzle and penned up when not supervised.

As for "the farm" most problem dogs on farms get shot in the end.

I once had a ETT that bit me not long after I got her as a pup. My reaction was a quick back hand. She never did it again to me or anyone else. I dont endorse hitting a dog but if the timimg is right and they have no doupt in their mind what caused the reaction it can work. I didnt think to hit the dog(was more of a tap) it was just a reflex action. This JRT has got away with this behaviour for too long by the sounds of it so a dog trainer may be of more help to retrain humans and dog.

For anyone who has a dog who suffers from seizures I suggest that you join this list.

http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/epil-k9.html

They are a wonderful group of inspirational people who bend over backwards to love and support their dogs and each other.

I have learned so much from them in a very short time.

Thats the site I found and have let my breeder know. Hopefuly my girl wont get it. She has just amazed me again with her intuition and brains while moving some cows without any commands from me.

Thanks for replies, I will not worry too much. Ruby is with me most of the time as her and I have a 1,000+ bovines to worry about. I also found a good site online with a lot of good imformation.

Epilespy is definitely known to occur and be hereditary in Kelpies but unfortunately the mode of inheritence is not known. It would be highly unlikely for all puppies from an epileptic parent to also have epilepsy so if your dog does not develop it within a year or so the odds are pretty good that he won't be affected. Worrying won't help so just take each day as it comes and hope you never have to face the problem. Good on the breeder for keeping you informed and being honest.

About the only way to reduce the incidence is to not breed affected dogs and avoid breeding closely related dogs to others that are also related to an affected animal. This takes a lot of co-operation and honesty among breeders to achieve. Any sort of witch hunt just makes everyone bury the problem.(/quote]

My girl is a littermate to my breeders boy. Both of my breeders dogs have been desexed a while ago now so no further breeding from them. My girl is spayed. I also wondered if it could be more enviromental eg lead, chemicals etc as I would of thought my breeder would have to be very unlucky to have mother and now son. According to the breeder of her bitch there is no history of epilepsy in the line.

Don't know but I hope the bitch and the pup she kept will not be bred from.

They had both been desexed before the boy had his first fit.

Hi, The mother of my kelpie has had epilepsy since she was 3 years old. The breeder who I have a very good relationship with let me know that the dog she kept from the litter has also started to have fits. He is just about three years old now. How worried shoud I be?

Any of you seen Red Dog yet? It comes to NZ 1st December. I cant wait.

I saw a fair few injuries when I was working at a specialist practice. Have you had imaging done? I would want to know exactly what I was dealing with! We had some really great outcomes

No imaging done so far, vets say the treatment will be the same wether fractured or not.

My Cavalier ruptured a disk in his spine and had surgery. He was paralysed from the shoulders down. I'm not sure how similar this is to your Kelpie but my boy made a complete recovery.

Has your dog had a myelogram to assess the damage? Is she able to walk at all?

Kora can walk a short distance and then sits down. One of her back legs folds up on her. She can wag her tail and toilet ok. We have been told by the vet to keep her in her crate for six weeks and only to take her out for toilet breaks or outside if warm but to watch her. They didnt xray her but may do when we take her back next week. One of the vets came to farm yesterday so I asked him to go and have a look at her. He thought she was doing ok. She is also on Carprieve tablets till well after xmas. The injury is below her shoulder blades so apparently her chest will help suppport it. She is being really good about it all for such a young dog, poor little bugger.

Anyone???

Our 7 month kelpie bitch was stood on by a cow and has a possible fracture in her spine or at the very least a compressed vertebrae. She is on cage rest for at least six weeks. Has anyone else had experience with this sort of injury and what was the outcome? I am going to dream up some bordom busting ideas, not a problem yet but will be when shes feeling a bit better.

Greetings!

First time poster here. I am purchasing a male short-coat GSD pup from a good breeder in Canberra. I have researched the kennel and had good recommendations from friends and am happy with the breeder. My last GSD died in 2005, he was 13 years old, and it took me a while to get over him. I have moved into a new house, and think it's time I get a new puppy. I have the option of choosing out of three short-coated males, and my question is, I want a puppy that is similar in looks to my old boy Maverick, he was a dark pigmented boy with a dark mask and was a big boned dog. My question is, are there any signs I can look for in the pups to determine the pigment they will have? I absolutely love the dark mask! I have heard to check for black spots on the tounge as well as dark areas on the toes and feet. The pups are now 4 weeks old, and I will visit them in two weeks, and then pick them up two weeks later when they are 8 weeks old. Regardless of what the pup looks like, I will still love him. The parents of the puppies are registered and breed surveyed dogs with the father being a dark German Import called Vegas Von Dongmiran (not sure if anybody has heard of him). I have let the breeder know that I am after a dark male, and she said that it is hard to determine, and it's a gamble, but hopefully I'll have a better indication as I go and visit the pups. If anybody could give me some signs to look for and tips in terms of dark pigment and dark masking around the face, I would really appreciate it. I know it is asking a lot, but if I could have a puppy look similar to my old male, it would just make me feel good.

Regards;

Thomas. :D

What do the parents look like? The breeder would have more idea than anyone. Have they done this mating before and what were the results? Dosnt matter what his colouring ends up you will love him anyway. I had a chocolate kelpie bitch that I lost suddenly, my next kelpie is a red girl and the colour didnt come into it. They are all individuals. Good luck and enjoy your new pup.

Dont know any dogs with this problem but had a friend, she had op and all ok now.

Pacers deals with this a lot. Its all not as easy as it sounds. We get people all the time who thought their family would look after them etc only to find that when it came to the crunch they wanted them to be PTS while the patient was recovering.

This was the press release which explains Gary's story better than I can.

Helping people and their pets in crisis

When disaster strikes – whether it be an earthquake, flood, fire or a tragic and unforseen accident – looking after human survivors are priority and often times the needs associated with their pets are overlooked.

But a dedicated group of volunteers are helping to make a difference for fellow pet owners and their animals through PACERS, a national charity initiated by the Master Dog Breeders and Associates (MDBA). The organisation’s aim is to ensure the pets are receiving the best of care and their owners don’t feel overwhelmed and needing to surrender, neglect or have them suffer in any way when things get tough.

“We offer pet owners a safety net if things go wrong unexpectedly, including personal hardship and natural disasters (such as the Queensland and Victoria floods),” said Julie Nelson, CEO of MDBA PACERS. “A very large part of what we do is about the pet owners in the belief that if we help and support the owners, their pets will benefit the most.”

The PACERS philosophy proved true with Gary Prichard of Albury, NSW who became nearly quadriplegic following a car accident in April last year and could no longer care for his beloved five-year-old dog, Banjo.

Gary suffered severe spinal damage with multiple fractures to the back and neck vertebrae and artery dissection. He initially lay flat on his back for two months in a Melbourne hospital, where he learned he might not be able to get from bed to a wheelchair without assistance.

Fear for Banjo’s future

But Gary was most concerned about Banjo's future, fearing he would never be able to care for him again. “Banjo had experienced a bad start in life,” said Gary. “He was handed in to the Albury pound as a puppy in such a bad condition that the vet almost put him down.”

At four months old, Banjo went to Albury Dog Rescue where he was adopted by Gary and became the best of buddies. After the accident, Banjo was moved from pillar to post. Gary became particularly anxious after a well-meaning friend who was looking after his affairs suggested the best thing for Banjo would be to have him euthanised.

“I wasn’t going to let this happen,” said Gary.

That's when a plea for help brought Chris Lythollous, a PACERS foster carer from Albury, into his and Banjo's lives. Chris’ compassion for her fellow humans and enthusiastic attitude towards the care of dogs created a situation where Banjo became the focal point of Gary's recovery, explained Julie.

“When I was in hospital in Melbourne, Chris sent me photos and e-mails about Banjo,” said Gary. “When I moved back to Albury hospital, she went out of her way to regularly visit me with Banjo during the three or more months I was there.”

During this time, Gary progressed from bed to wheelchair to walking frame to crutches. Towards the end of his stay in hospital, Chris and her partner Shane took Gary and Banjo to the local off-leash park so Gary could watch Banjo play.

“When I was finally able to return home, Chris first brought Banjo for day visits, then sleepovers, and it was not long before he was home for good,” said Gary.

When Banjo returned home, Chris then provided various bedding items and new food and water bowls for him, while Shane helped out with several jobs around the house.

Gary still gets emotional when he talks about the impact Chris has had on his life in allowing his love and care for Banjo to be able to positively impact on his recovery. “She is an inspiration,” said Gary. “She is a pure ball of positive energy and a beacon of light.”

MDBA PACERS Awards

And if ever Chris was to be in such desperate need, there will be PACERS and a foster carer waiting in the wings to help bring her and her animals through, said Julie. “All of our foster carers are special people who put themselves out in this way to help a fellow pet owner and our gratitude for them in doing that can’t be overstated.”

Last night, Chris was presented the MDBA PACERS Award for Outstanding Service of the Year at the annual MDBA Awards, held at the Jika International in Melbourne.

Humbled by the award, Chris said she did “nothing out of the ordinary” and that she owed a lot of her dedication to helping Banjo and Gary to the great support she received from the PACERS team.

“I would hope that someone would support anyone in the same position and help them to keep their animals,” said Chris.

PACERS services

PACERS provides foster carers for animals whose owners are temporarily homeless, ill or who have suffered accidents, but it also helps out with walking or cleaning to ensure the animals stay at home if that’s the best solution.

After the Queensland and Victoria floods, PACERS organised crates and cages, first aid equipment and animal feeds. The organisation also provided fencing and penning – whatever that was needed quickly to contain and keep animals safe, well and with their owners, so they had one thing less to worry about while trying to cope with the tragedy.

“When people all around are grieving for their friends and family, those who are grieving for pets often have no way to verbalise how they are feeling and their loss can be trivialised by many in the community,” said Julie. “PACERS provides bereavement counselling via phone and in person for those who are suffering due to the loss of their pet. We are still getting calls via counsellors for help post Victorian bushfires."

Because many people were afraid to go to work and leave their animals at home on high fire danger days, PACERS set up carers who would babysit their pets on these days between work hours.

“Simple things sometimes makes a huge difference and just being able to supply a penned area and food, as well as a shoulder to cry on, makes a lot of difference,” said Julie.

PACERS in need of funds

Julie thanked all the businesses that support PACERS through donations of services and supplies.

“With the generous help of Eukanuba we have been able to help feed thousands of cats and dogs whose owners have hit hard times and provide donations of food to over 20 private canine rescue organisations,” she said.

But PACERS is in need of additional ongoing funds in order to continue providing assistance to pet owners and their companion animals around Australia. “Much of the services and supplies are donated, but we also need cash flow to be able to cover vet bills and various other expenses which are inherent in what we do,” said Julie.

For further information about MDBA PACERS or to donate, please contact [email protected] or 02 6927 6707.

For more information

For more information or media interviews, please contact:

Julie Nelson

CEO of MDBA

Tel 02 6927 6707

Mob 0427 015 152

Email [email protected]

Discover more at www.mdbapacers.org.au

_______________________________

Press Release by

Caroline Zambrano

Freelance Pet Editor/Writer

Sydney, Australia

Mob: 0403 550 730

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.petjournalist.com.au

Awesome

If you where killed or seriously injured and couldn't care for your dogs - do you have plans in place for the care of your animals?

I was seriously injured in a car accident on my way to work one morning. I had my dogs with me. Someone from another car removed dogs from car and they were taken to the SPCA and checked out. My boss went and picked them up and took them to his place and looked after them till I was able. None of this was pre planned. I was very lucky I had good friends and family to help out in my time of need.