redarachnid

My very successful stud dog got prostrate problem and through many tears, I had him castrated immediately. Not worth his life.

I have attended a few lectures on wormers and it's my understanding that a wormer does not have to be 100% effective to be called or sold as a wormer. For example wormer A may only be 75% effective at killing all worms, but wormer B is 95% effective. So, you usually pay more for wormer B and it might be one a vet might recommend. They also may have a budget priced one, to cater for everyone. Also different wormers contain different ingredients as some upset the animals stomach. Some companies also believe that their ingredients are the most effective. My personal belief is that you get what you pay for with a wormer. Drontal is top of the range and the most effective, but it's also by far the most expensive. I alternate my wormers to save money. They get drontal one time, then when next due they get endoguard, then next drontal again.

I didn't say they have to. I said I think they need to. It's not illegal to rehome or resell a dog. But if you come on to a purebred dog forum looking for advice about it, then you need to contact the breeder about it. I think we are saying the same thing, just misunderstanding each other!

This is my question too, which hasn't really been answered. I have absolutely no issue with the dog being unsuitable for you and being rehomed, I totally understand and do not judge you, BUT the breeder needs to be given the first option of taking the dog back. That isn't correct. The Breeder should be advised of the behaviour but the owner does not HAVE to give the breeder first option to take the dog back, the Owner may wish to sell the dog. Sorry, I'm not sure what you're saying? My point was just that the breeder should be notified of the problem and asked if they would like the dog returned to them. I think most breeders would like that coourtesy call. The OP says the breeder has been notified, so then there will be no surprises for the breeder if the dog turns up elsewhere.

Not sure if I would use vinegar as it contains acetic acid and therfore possible corrosive affects on metallic components. Maybe? I Don't know any vinegar facts. LOL! But I've been using it in hydrobaths (personal and work) since the mid 90's without any problems. It was recommended to me by a hydrobath manufacturer so i believe it to be safe. But as I said, I'm not a vinegar expert, only know it's been a brilliant disinfectant and cleanser for centuries, so i'm just going on those two things.

I would ask if they are members of the Canine Controlling Body of their state. I would also ask for an eye certificate for the puppy OR eye certificates for both parents. If they are not prepared to give you any of these things.... run fast.

This is my question too, which hasn't really been answered. I have absolutely no issue with the dog being unsuitable for you and being rehomed, I totally understand and do not judge you, BUT the breeder needs to be given the first option of taking the dog back.

Vinegar!! Cheap, natural, powerful, kills germs. No need to bother with expensive hydrobath cleaners. Bleach may do damage in the long run.

That's fine, but have you given the breeder the option to take the dog back?

My dogs used to do it in Victoria. The dog needs to be over 25kg and on current heartworm medication and must be able to be very still for quite a while during the process. The criteria may have changed though as this was some years ago. If you don't know where to start for info, try emergency centres, specialists, or the vet uni as they would most likely use blood more and know it's origin. Good luck!!

Sorry, can't really help with training. But i can assure you it is not in a Shih Tzu's nature to act as you describe toward other dogs. My mum bred and showed them for over 30yrs and they are very friendly, happy little dogs. It may be possible the behavior of your dog may exist in his line somewhere... but it is not a common Shih Tzu trait to act as you describe. If he is a Shih Tzu cross, then that may be where it comes from. I hope someone can help you with your problem. Good luck, sounds like your little one enjoys a very full and active life!!

You mentioned he tore up a trampoline bed. Was is a hessian sack one? You can get tougher material which lasts longer. Mine tend to dig up the hessian sack ones, they must like the smell or something. But the shade cloth or canvas ones, they leave alone.

My Salukis will chew and crunch very thoroughly on the one neck...yet they still make them vomit. So I don't think that's the reason in my situation.

YES!! It happens to my dogs every time, so i now no longer feed them raw chicken. My friends do not have this problem, just me, and it happens with both my Afghans and Salukis. I've experimented, like you, but no change. So it's off the menu for us!!

Sounds like allergies to me. The eye/foot/belly combo is usually a giveaway. Nothing new or different necessarily needs to have happened, it just starts up one day. Especially in white dogs with pink skin. You need a vet with skin/allergy expertise and interest (many aren't really interested in delving deeper into the cause) or failing that, a referral to a specialist. Food elinination trials are usually the first suggestion. Unfortunatey it's often things that can't be helped like pollens, dust and grasses. Good luck.

I agree ellz, i would love to use my liberty table at shows... but as i said, liberty is too heavy and awkward for me to carry and lift as i have a bad back and i am alone to set up at shows... so not knowing the OP's situation, if weight and carrying is a concern then beware of a liberty. As it turns out, weight is not an issue for OP and she has a husband who will carry for her. So then liberty is ideal for her. I was just putting forward my suggestion from a single, weakling female's perspective

I have 2 liberty tables. They are excellent, sturdy and durable BUT they are heavy and awkward to carry. As a female with little strength and a bad back, i find the liberty too heavy to cart around (I need large size) esp on those long distances from the carpark to the ringside. So mine stay put for home use. Going to a show I have a lighter weight one (can't remember brand but bought it while in Qld - it's height adjustable). So my recommendation is if it's mainly for home use get liberty, if you have someone to carry and lift for you at shows, get a liberty. If not have a look at alternatives.

There is no reason why older dogs should not have anaesthetics. If you have a COMPETENT and confident veterinary surgeon then you should have no problems. Anaesthetic deaths do occur, I woudn't say rare, but certainly uncommon. But this is for ANY age group and as others have said, there's always some risk with any anaesthetic. Often specialist vets have a large proportion of older dogs as surgical patients... coz with age, comes health problems. My specialist vet friend says he hates it when local vets say "oh, he's too old, i wouldn't bother with surgery". He says... would you say the same thing about your grandpa???

They seem to be labelled as "stupid" because they are not as biddable as your regular dog. Anyone who has owned an Afghan will tell you they are far from stupid...they're cunning, sly and able to form a plan to get what they want. Their charactaristic aloofness (a quintissential afghan trait) is also catagorised as stupidity by anyone who does not understand an afghan hound. They are often likened to cats in their trainability and demeanor... if you call a cat and it does not immediately come to you, it's not regarded as stupid, that's just the nature of the cat. Same with afghans. They are very independant thinkers and need an owner who can understand them. Once you understand them, they are fairly easy to train. Every now and again these "lists" appear in the media of the smartest and dumbest dogs. The dogs that appear on the top of these lists are usually biddable breeds like working dogs, high achievers at obedience. So of course the afghan is placed at the bottom due to it's independant nature and aloofness. And that's how afghans get a bad rap!! (owner/exhibitor of afghan hounds since 1994... obsessed with and studying them since 1977)

It works very well if the dog is compliant. If the dog struggles and licks his nose constantly, then the result is poor. It doesn't seem to harm the dog at all and I haven't known a dog with a reaction to it, but it is smelly so some dogs find it yucky, therefore there is a struggle to get it on. Basically... you don't know the result or efficacy till you try it on each dog!! But it does work if used properly.

According to the rules, it is. But it often seems to slip thru.

The cost differences between suburbs and cites can be vast. And then mobiles are different again. Then it also depends what you want done and the condition of the dogs' coats. So very hard to give you a price. In my area, a standard poodle sized dog for.... bath, dry, clip would be $80-$100 (for one dog) ....bath and dry, short coat, $50-$60 .....bath & dry, groom out long coat that is knotty(but not matted) $80 - $100 With grooming, the cheaper price usually reflects the job you will get. You need to make sure the dogs are 100% dry and 100% groomed through, or other problems may arise later. Like still being smelly and becoming very matted. It will probably be an expensive exercise...so it depends what your budget is! Also, if you only have them for 5 days, you may not even get an appointment...,most GOOD groomers are booked out at least 1-2wks in advance.

I have no Lab rearing experience, but for a 16wk Afghan, 20mins walk is way, way too much in one go. I would do maximum 10 mins light walk, twice a day at this age. Only 10mins at a time. And the playing your pup had over the weekend is also way, way too much for an Afghan baby. You can do serious damage with so much exercise and playing. My pups would only play with their own age too...no adult play. I've seen too many injuries. You need to consult your breeder or some lab rearing info but i would expect they would also think this is too much for a 16wk old.

I don't know any vets that drive BMWs There is a large vet hospital in melbourne were you can see the sectioned off staff car park where there's 6+ BMWs and similar, lined up in a row. I know they belong to the vets as one of the vets is my friend...and one of the BMWs is his.

I disagree. Inflated vet prices are often due to greed and over-servicing. Lower vet fees do not always mean lower care. Usually smaller owner-run business are cheaper... as opposed to chain-run or larger hospitals whose owners are not the vets working there, but business people looking for profit. A vet is not somewhere that the saying "you get what you pay for" usually applies. High cost does not always equal high care. So smaller owner run businesses aren't working towards a profit? What a weird train of thought you have. They just don't seem to aim for a large profit margin on their products and services. I've worked in both tiny clinics and huge hospitals. Here's my examples that I worked for... 1) The small clinic tried to keep prices at a minimum and only put minimal mark-ups on goods and services, often below recommended retail or AVA recommended prices. They still make a profit, but do not and have no desire to become a multimillion dollar clinic. This vet was happy living in his modest home with his beat-up old car. He just loved being a vet and being available to clients. He didn't even have a computer and remembered most of his clients history without looking in the file. 2)The bigger hospital wanted to make maximum profit and pay the several owners (usually non-vets), large profits coz it was important to them to have expensive houses, holidays and cars and have a state of the art multimillion dollar clinic and the fees reflected this. (Two of the owners I became friendly with so found out all this info) They were fantastic vets with excellent medical knowledge and skills but the fees are high...even for a routine desex or vacc. Coz you were paying for the flashy clinic, machinery and maximum profit margin. They also required their vets to perform "$X" amount of surgery and services per month and held them accountable for not reaching targets. So the vets were required to push clients into goods and services. So... That's why I made the statements I did originally. Sometimes expensive vets are not always better and sometimes cheap vets can be wonderful. So it pays to shop around if you are new to using vet care, like the OP seems to be with their question about fees.