Chocolatelover

I rehomed my beagle just over a year and a half ago after a long and agonising decision and lots of tears. I totally understand where your coming from, although for us it was more of a case that we loved him, he just didn't seem overly enthusiastic with us. He seemed "down" all the time and wasn't particularly interested in us or our other dog. I took him to the vet and had blood work done - all was fine, the vet said he just had a "dull personality". He was walked every day, had a swim, a bone, lived inside and was a much loved member of the family. But I always felt guilty because I didn't have the same bond with him that I had with my other dog. I contacted Beagle Rescue and the breeder and it was so hard to explaining that I was looking to rehome but only to the perfect home because otherwise he had a near perfect home with us, just a little something was missing. I spoke to a few people who wanted "a friend for their other dog" but this wasn't what he needed and I decided he would stay. Then the perfect home came along and although it nearly broke my heart to let him go - he is a different dog. We have made new friends out of the whole process and we visit him every year at Christmas as he lives not far from my family. He is so happy, has another female beagle that he adores and really does have a new lease on life. His new family share the same bond with him that we do with our other dog and I am so glad that he found his people. His owner recognises what a hard decision it was and we get constant stories and photos regularly so we almost feel like he is still part of the family. So to the OP - from my experience I would say that rehoming is a painful decision but can sometimes be the right decision for the dog. It takes time and effort to find the right home and there may not be a better one out there but there is nothing wrong with putting the feelers out :) Just my opinion anyway.

Poor pup Can't really offer anything other than when our dog died unexpectedly at the age of three (we woke one morning to find him dead on his bed) we had him autopsied at the University of Queensland at no charge as we needed to know what had happened to him. We were prepared to pay but our vet actually asked if we would let the uni do it as it is so beneficial to the students and it was overseen by a qualified pathologist. I realise you are not in Queensland but thought there maybe a similar set up at a University nearby?? Just an idea anyway. Hope you get some answers xx

Can't say I have ever worried mine are cold It has been a long cold winter here and my lab still swims in the Thames every day - even if it's below zero. If we leave the heaters on over night he is panting and hops off the bed and goes and sleeps on the tiles.

It is the word "should" that bothers me :) And the fact that the data sheet goes on to state that "A good immune response is reliant on the reaction of an immunogenic agent and a fully competent immune system. The immunogenicity of the vaccine antigen will be reduced by poor storage or inappropriate administration. Immunocompetence of the animal may be compromised by a variety of factors including poor health, nutritional status, genetic factors, concurrent drug therapy and stress." That implies to me that they are confident of the vaccine as long as the pup has a fully competent immune system - which is not necessarily the case for a 10 week old pup. Personally, I feel more confident knowing that my dogs are older and around the 16 week mark when they receive their final puppy vaccination. The data sheet also states "Booster vaccination It is recommended that dogs be revaccinated with canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus and canine parvovirus every 3 years and against canine parainfluenzavirus every year." However people don't seem to agree with this part so not sure what the answer is other than do what you think is best for your dogs.

Well actually no, we don't, not beyond the initial puppy vaccs. Apologies - I have interpreted this statement incorrectly.

The statement was we definitely need time vaccinate dogs, I said no we don't definitely. If you want research on things such on titre testing to test for immunity instead of blindly vaccinating, there is a lot of info out there. I did my own research, I'm not doing yours too. You clearly stated that "well, actually no, we don't, not beyond the initial puppy vacs". Sorry I missed the word definitely - it didn't appear on my screen. I have done my own research thank you - and wouldn't trust yours anyway so have no desire for you to do mine. I read a thread a while back where someone lost two young dogs to parvo - both of whom had received their puppy vaccinations - so puppy vaccinations alone are not always sufficient for seroconversion. But don't let facts get in the way of a good argument. To the OP - it is important to read both sides, consider all the scientific evidence, and make a decision you are comfortable with. Chocolatelover As a long time breeder I MAY be able to give you a reason why vaccinated puppies die. Some bitches, and note I said some, can still be producing massive amounts of antibodies and if the pups are still nursing on their dams when vaccinated it is believed that the anti bodies from the bitch may in many cases be rendering the vaccine useless. Many breeders are removing their pups from their dams at 6 weeks and not allowing them to nurse from that time on and vaccinating at 8 weeks. Many of us are finding that 2 weeks clear of their dams and vaccinating at 8 weeks has been successful. I do fully understand the implications of neutralisation of the vaccine by maternal antibodies - this is why I disagree that puppy vaccines are a guarantee. I titrate human maternal antibodies in my work and it is not always an exact science. Maternal antibodies in a pup can persist longer than a two week timeframe, plus there is also the issue of the puppy's developing immune system. I can't recall the exact figures but not all puppies will seroconvert at twelve weeks whether there are maternal antibodies or not. However, by 16 weeks a higher percentage of puppies will seroconvert. I can't find the thread I was referring to but it was very sad and from memory the pups had the 8 and 12 week vaccine and died from parvo around six months. For me personally, I chose to do 8 week (done by breeder after being weaned at 6 weeks), 12 week and also a 16 week, which the vet said they didn't need but was happy to do it. I felt that this was the best way of ensuring that my dogs seroconvert and are protected - most likely for life. I am not saying this is right or wrong but I am saying that vaccinations have saved more lives than any other medical discoveries and should not be seen as something that is going to cause your dog years of pain and suffering. The benefits outweigh the risks in the majority of cases. In a perfect world I would probably chose not to revaccinate other than one booster (similar to the schedule for human children), however circumstances dictate that I need to have my dog vaccinated for boarding purposes. I fully understand there are implications in over-vaccinating. I just think it is important for people to hear both sides of the story that are true and accurate and to base their decisions from there :)

Artemis has a good grain free range http://www.artemispetfood.com.au/home/ When we haved lived in places we cannot source it locally they have subsidised the postage for us :)

The statement was we definitely need time vaccinate dogs, I said no we don't definitely. If you want research on things such on titre testing to test for immunity instead of blindly vaccinating, there is a lot of info out there. I did my own research, I'm not doing yours too. You clearly stated that "well, actually no, we don't, not beyond the initial puppy vacs". Sorry I missed the word definitely - it didn't appear on my screen. I have done my own research thank you - and wouldn't trust yours anyway so have no desire for you to do mine. I read a thread a while back where someone lost two young dogs to parvo - both of whom had received their puppy vaccinations - so puppy vaccinations alone are not always sufficient for seroconversion. But don't let facts get in the way of a good argument. To the OP - it is important to read both sides, consider all the scientific evidence, and make a decision you are comfortable with.

Do you have a link for evidence of this? That is a huge statement and I was unaware there was proof that every dog retains lifelong immunity after their puppy shots.

Well actually no, we don't, not beyond the initial puppy vaccs.

We board dogs all the time due to moving with Defence and I have never encountered a boarding kennel that doesn't accept the 3 year vaccine (which is what we choose to do). I have used kennels in Brisbane, Townsville, Canberra and in the UK and they have all accepted it without any questions. The C3 is the three year vaccination (parvo, distemper and hepatitis) - all the kennels we have used have required the kennel cough to have been done within the last 12 months. Maybe the government codes have not been updated since the three year vaccination became available? I guess it is easy to blame vaccinations for a myriad of problems but they no doubt save countless lives too. People tend to get complacent as more and more people take up vaccination schedules and we see less and less of the tragic consequences of the results of the disease. For example, the medical profession has said that the silver lining to the current measles outbreak in Wales is reminding people of just how awful the consequences of the disease can be. Immunisation rates dropped off due to a scare linking the MMR vaccination to autism and (from memory) bowel disease (later proven to be untrue). No doubt if people stopped vaccinating for parvo we would see a similar scenario. Titres are a good baseline but as someone who works in pathology, they are not fool proof. Everyone has the right to make their own decisions regarding vaccination of their pets - I would just say do your homework first and research both sides of the argument and look at the scientific facts.

There are some that get good reviews though that are available in Australia. I used Artemis which I was happy with and gets good reviews. They don't use irradiation either when importing which was another plus for me. It definitely pays to do your research and see what you are actually feeding your dog. I guess in an ideal world a balanced raw diet would be the best but for me this works. ETA I know what you mean though korbin13 - I grew up in PNG and our dog got table scraps, fish and rice (no vaccinations or heart worm) and lived a long and healthy life (survived rat bait poisoning as well).

The dog is picked up the day before the flight and boarded for a night as they need to be vet checked and approved for released so the pet agent will do most of this. Actually your info is spot on as they pretty much did everything you recommended. They even mentioned that food takes around 16 hours to go through a dog's digestive system and so if they are not feed for this time and then walked prior to crating they will not normally need to poo on the trip. Mine didn't poo and they put down this fleece material so you can't even tell if there is a wee. They give them breaky at Heathrow which I thought was really nice. We never practised with the crating but there is no way it would go in the car or even fit in the house!! And the agent provided the travel water bowls as well ???? Cook - got AUD$5000 for return (plus quarantine) so not double but a little more expensive. You had me a little scared there ???? Wayrod looks much better priced though. And fingers crossed that the quarantine period is reduced while we are over here!

And if you keep the crate for your return it will make it a little cheaper :) We had wooden and now wrapped in a tarp around the side of the house. I would be wary of anything that could collapse or fold but only cause of a few horror stories I have heard. Cook I am going to ring JetPets to ask about the going back part. They told me that we could use them to go home as well but to be aware that there would also be costs for quarantine so I am a bit worried about the double bit! I'll let you know what they say :)

Well someone with Great Dane experience gave the opinion that she believes it is a low quality diet. So I guess it was a good thing the OP did some research before feeding it to her pup and didn't just go with the status quo. The Junior Lab Royal Canin has rice as the first ingredient.

Hence the research. If you honestly believe the breeder researched all the quality dry foods out there and came up with Advance then so be it. The OP said she chose it because it was Australian made which someone has stated is incorrect. My pup was fed Royal Canin but I did similar research to OP and decided that a food with the first ingredient as rice wasn't what I wanted to feed my dog. He is happy and healthy has no ill effects. Not all puppy buyers want to blame breeders for everything that goes wrong. We just tend to hear about the ones that do on this forum.

I don’t really understand the “ask your breeder and feed what they are” mentality. You are making the assumption that the breeder has done extensive research about the absolute best food to feed their puppies, and you are also making the assumption that there are no financial constraints on the breeder - maybe they are feeding what is affordable for them. What is wrong with the OP doing her own research? Breeders are not the only ones able to make informed judgements and do not have a monopoly on canine nutrition. The OP came on asking for other people’s opinions, which she was obviously going to consider as one aspect of her decision- making process and gets told to do as the breeder does rather than think for herself. Good on you OP for wanting the absolute best for your pup and asking questions.

Ok - I thought the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow only let dogs coming from outside the EU out of their kennels once they had reached their final destination, since the releasing process took 4 to 5 hours. I got five quotes and was told by all they could not be let out but good to learn something new for the way back. Range for me was $3700 to $4700 but apparently much more expensive to come back (quarantine costs probably pay a part in this).

Wow - that is really interesting. I was told that dogs were never allowed out under any circumstances as if they were they would be subject to the quarantine restrictions of that country. JetPets use most direct route possible to minimise time in the crate - we had a 2.5 hour stopover.

Hey Cook We moved to London in January this year and ours went with JetPets. I got a lot of quotes but they were the nicest to deal with, rang back when they said they would and were happy to put up with a few changes as it was an Army move and the dates kept being altered. They were about $300 cheaper than any of the other quotes and they threw in a domestic flight from Canberra to Brisbane. I also thought that you had to go through an "agent" but I may have misinterpreted this. It was all surprisingly easy and everything went well. The only thing the price didn't include was pick up from Heathrow and it is very expensive to include a door to door drop off on this end. It was cheaper for us to hire a car and go to the airport but we were able to keep the crate which I think makes it cheaper to go back. I would highly recommend JetPets - everything went very smoothly and I will definitely be using them for our return trip in two years. Your lab will love the weather over here (you may not be so impressed). Ours just loves the cold and had a blast in the snow. It is so dog friendly here and way more time is spent off leash than on! Do you know where you will be living? - we're in SW London. Please message me if you need any other details :)

I give the beef soup bones from Coles (I think they are beef backbone). They seem to be the only ones that my lab can't actually "crunch up" and will chew on for almost an hour. There is not much fat on them either - might keep her occupied for a while?

I can donate $50 as well for desexing of the pup if it helps. Staffyluv could you pm me if you have any details - thanks :)

I went to one called Allsorts - in Rasmussen. Debbie was very good and it wasn't just a free for all puppy play. She gave lots of information on training and behaviour and taught the basics with the opportunity for primary school after puppy preschool. There was some interaction of puppies but in a fairly controlled environment. http://www.allsortsdogtraining.com.au/index.php?page=staff Not sure if link works but if you google Allsorts Dog Training Townsville you can have a look at the website.

I moved to London four days ago and am doing the doggy pickup in about eight hours!!! Very excited and can't sleep so here I am :) We used Jetpets - they were $700 cheaper than Dogtainers quote. They have been amazing so far. All we had to do was get the rabies shot at least 21 days before travel (must be AQIS approved vet but found one by googling) and Jetpets has pretty much done the rest. They pick up the day before travel and do all the vet checks and the paperwork side of things. The UK no longer requires the titre test (blood test) to be done. It is required if you are planning on returning to Australia though and needs to be done at least five months before you leave. Hope this info helps. You can pm if you like :) ETA It is tapeworm that is the concern, not heartworm. Even if you take your dog out of UK to Europe they have to be treated for tapeworm by a vet before re-entering the UK.

I read up a lot about this when I was working out when to vaccinate my pup. After losing two dogs very close together (not from parvo) I wasn't taking any chances. My vet swore that my pup only needed two vaccinations - the one at six weeks with the breeder and then another at twelve weeks. The company that supplied that vaccination was so confident of their protection that if a dog contracted parvo after following this schedule they would cover care costs. I did a lot of reading and discovered that the timing of the vaccination is critical - the reasons being both maternal antibodies and maturity of the immune system. If a dog is only going to ever have one vaccination for parvo, it should be after 16 weeks of age as a very high percentage (can't remember exact figure) will seroconvert at this age compared to when given at twelve weeks or younger. For that reason I choose to do the three vaccinations with the third being after sixteen weeks of age. I later read a very sad story on here where a lady lost her young labrador and golden retriever pups to parvo - from memory they had received only the two vaccinations. I think misinformation regarding vacccinations is a very dangerous thing. Vaccinations have saved more lives than any other medical procedure.