dotdashdot

I was considering going, I believe I can write it off on tax because of my work but even so, after this last week from hell with dog + bird being at the vet, I can't afford the extra money in these next few months. Hope you enjoy it :) and I hope they get such a great response that they come back next year!

Wow you've been through a lot! I've heard of the AA+ diet, and saw that thread when it first came up. There is a dally breeder I know of who uses the Superboost as well. Cleo can't have certain things, as a dally (thing's I've avoided anyway and still ended up with stones), but if it turns out she has stones that need a certain special diet, I will certainly look into AA+, as well as what some other dally owners feed when their dogs have developed stones. It's great to hear that you found a food that finally worked, I hope it continues to work for you! And I shall update when I know what's happening with Cleo :)

Thanks, I appreciate you telling me your experience. Working in a pet store, she's had many different brands of dry food, the only food she's never had is purely RAW. We do give her chicken frames and as I said, barf patties. The reason I love Earthborn is coz one rep, knowing that I liked the food and fed it, offered to feed her and my future pup for life and of course, from a coat perspective, she is really shiny and got great muscle tone. But, if it's not agreeing with her stomach, I will try something different! What did you end up settling on? (+ we have a new Earthborn rep and she's not as nice as the last one, who was a vet as well). I've tried Holistic Select, Royal Canin, a little bit of Advance (only a little bag), Eukanuba, Pro Plan, and Black Hawk. Of course, if she has Urate stones, this all becomes moot and she'll have to go on a diet for that, I will try to avoid Hills u/d if I can though!

In my unqualified (nutrionist speaking) opinion, if farting is frequent and especially (but not only) if it is smelly, there's something not right with the food -vs- digestion and indicates that diet could do well to be looked at to determine what and/or why. Just my late night 2 cents worth. I wouldn't call it frequent, mainly just a gas bomb every few nights or if I take her to work, conveniently when she's greeting my workmates or bosses...and they're always loud when it's in front of someone else! Her diet is Earthborn grainfree (either lamb or chicken) and barf patties (again mainly lamb or chicken).

My parents have a mini schnauzer, and he is the most wonderful, smooch and undemanding (except for cuddles) dog that I've known. He has a tendency to be dominant to other dogs, but that is more a "Benji" thing than a breed trait I think. He isn't a barker, but does vocalize when excited. He can't go for big walks in summer, as even when clipped he can get quite hot (much quicker than my breed, Dalmatian) I don't have a lot of experience with the breed, he is the first mini schnauzer I've ever known, but he is a great little ambassador :)

Vet didn't seem to think so, not to mention when she wet the bed, it was so clear and scentless, that we didn't actually think it was urine. I put my hand in it and smelt my hand, and stuck my head over the bed, no smell! Yet the excessive drinking started after that. We gave her some cone-free time this afternoon. She was not interested in licking herself at all while outside, and was loving it. I've put it back on though because in the crate she was licking her flank...and that could easily lead to further down. I'm going to take her to work tomorrow, no cone but I will put some bitch pants on her if needed so she can't access down there. I'm so glad that her personality is back to normal though :) YAY!

I would make all Dalmatians LUA NOW...instead of having to wait until we can import and then slowly increasing the numbers from that initial importation. I'm glad it's going to happen, but seeing your dog sick in front of you makes you wish you had the power of a magic wand to make change happen immediately.

Cleo is home! So it's scary that her symptoms were bloat-like but i'm thinking must have been a big stone hurting her on it's way out. The vet showed me her ultrasound and said she has a lovely liver and great kidneys so i'm sure if there was a stomach issue I would have been told. Seeing the stones on screen was scary, they looked bigger on the ultrasound than real life (but had measurements on screen, so I knew how big they were). So she has to keep the cone on because her vulva is swollen (probably from all the licking she did, and she still wants to do). And she's on AB's as well. The next week will involve me chasing her to collect pee and then her going back under next week for stone removal. My poor baby, who is very independent and not a smoocher, just laid down over my legs on the bed, like she knew that would stop me leaving again. It looked bloody uncomfortable for her so I pulled my legs out and crossed them and she watched me to make sure I stayed next to her. Precious little thing. So glad I can come on here and talk to other dog people who understand how I can be so worried, it's reassuring.

Thanks guys. I just fell asleep on the bed with a migraine and woke up out of it and sort of hoped it was a bad dream. Nope. Still have a big empty crate staring at me. I wish I could hug her again, the next 12 hours until I see her again will go so slow.

haha maybe! Yea, I believe some countries allow patches (don't quote me on this, I just recall a fb conversation between two English breeders who were talking about it, they LIKE patches in their litters, as they link it to deafness %) but ANKC don't allow it. I think the spots are the same gene as the ACD's but obviously someone didn't like patches and decided to disqualify it. The Dal club of NSW has just changed their COE to allow breeders to choose whether to put down OR rehome bi-laterally deaf pups now, so maybe patches are the next discussion. That said though, you can still get deaf patched puppies, it's no guarantee of a hearing pup. The pups are both colours, but most likely getting a liver (3liver girls, 1 black patched)

Turns out she has very small stones, small as in 3mm and easily passable. But possible that she had a big one that led to her later wetting the bed. That doesn't explain her extreme thirst though, or her diluted urine. She's staying in overnight for fluids, observation and more bloods tomorrow morning then hopefully she'll come home...but the next couple of weeks will definitely involve catching urine samples to rule out permanent urine dilution or if it's transient (one sample of concentrated urine will give the all clear). They also need to check the kidneys to make sure she's not in renal failure. Just shows you can do everything humanly possible to maintain a suitable diet (i'm so careful of high purine foods) and spoil your dog rotten but s**t still happens. I hope she's ok, she's only 2. I hate seeing her so sad (she hates the cone she has on).

Well update, it's certainly not bloat but Cleo is unwell. Those symptoms from before didn't return but she seemed to wet her bed twice (we changed it at 1am) she licked her vagina constantly and she drank heaps this morning. She's currently at vets having ultrasound and xray. Kidneys look ok, but liver enzymes were unusual. I'm so scared, she's never been sick before.

Not long at all, and in between now and then I'll be getting a new niece or nephew, my sister is here from Mt Isa to have her baby so that's keeping me sane in the meantime! She's due in 3 weeks but staying here for 6 so as she leaves (major sadface) I get a puppy (happy face). It's funny, when I showed my workmates and family the videos and photos (I've given them my facebook login so they can have a look) and everyone loves the patched ones the most...and I have to say yes, but I can't show a patched one, so can't even really look at them! One of the other litters born the day before my baby had the most beautiful double patched liver pup, both of it's ears were patched but perfect little circles just on the ears, no bigger.

Maybe! Cleo gets Barf patties from the fridge, so they're cold. Poor thing had to put up with me palpating her tummy.

I think it must have been a gas bubble...and yes, running after a meal is not allowed. She doesn't always do it, but as soon as I hear her start up I call her in. Normally zoomies happen at 4.30pm, way before dinner but I guess she mixes it up on me every now and then! Bloody farty bum dog. She's a champion at that :)

ARGH! I need to write this out, 45 mins ago I was stressing, nearly crying and worrying what was wrong with my girl, and now she's happily asleep in her crate perfectly normal. I was cooking dinner, had just let her in after feeding her - she likes to do zoomies and had just started running so I cut that short (running after meal is bloat risk?) and put her in her crate...and she was fine for about 10-15 mins then started letting out little whines, not unusual. But she kept going, so I thought "she needs to pee" so I let her out. She walked very slowly, with her head down and tail low towards the door, like she was being scolded (my voice was normal and calm though) i asked if she was ok - yes I know she can't talk back! - and she whined more, and was doing small circles. I was starting to worry, her behavior was getting more and more strange - only this afternoon she was bright, bubbly and typical Dalmatian! This couldn't have been more out of character. After a few more minutes of her not wanting to walk, trying to lie down and looking like she was in pain, I rang the emergency vet and told them her symptoms - bloat apparently is very apparent and she had no signs of that, only a tight stomach. So I went to get my handbag, come back outside where OH was watching her and she's changed back to normal! Running, tail wagging and stomach relaxed and no lying down or whining. I rang the vet back and told them she was back to normal but we would watch her - which she was happy with. Now Cleo is sleeping in her crate, after trying to score some human dinner (no chance). So...is it possible that she had some wind that gave her grief? As I said, her stomach felt tight...i guess like if you were straining. OH did say that when I was inside calling the vet, she did a big stretch with a back leg, and it was after this that she improved. So glad she's acting and looking better...but still watching her like a hawk.

I got a video from the breeder today! It's a private link on youtube, so can't share it but they are SO CUTE! Running (as fast as little 2 week old legs go) around the whelping box, their spots are coming through too :) I think I've found the right name too...I've been having a bit of trouble, I decided on a "royal" theme, as I have Cleo (not named for the pharaoh, but I guess there would be no Cleo without the name Cleopatra! so in a roundabout way, it is royal) and the boy name I have in mind for a future boy is Solomon, who was a king so I was determined to have a royal name or "Dasha" in honour of my prefix/foundation bitch. But Dasha wasn't clicking with me, as much as I love it. So I researched all the female royal names I could (mostly English/European names) but couldn't find the one. Then I thought hey, I've always loved the lion king, Nala was my rotti x pound puppy as a kid (first dog I named). What's stopping me having my 2nd Nala? I always said I would have another, why not this one!? And Nala was a princess and then a Queen - royal requirement TICK! Name that I love TICK! Now to convince OH that this is the name IN PROGRESS. lol - he's decided that he will be paying for the dog, not me but I want naming rights! He loves the name Toots (like foot-s not boot-s) So, provided she looks like a Nala, I have my name! (OH won't win) Only 6 more weeks!!!!!!

They've been out for a while now, Cleo liked it. It smells like stock (I got the chicken one). Quick delivery of reward, but Cleo kept licking her lips for about a minute after! Pity the head office of my work has decided to pull the plug and not sell them anymore they were popular here and we only got them in recently!

Hope all turns out OK for you Lhok, I'll be thinking of you guys tomorrow!

I grew up with a foxy X, a Rotti x lab and then a Labrador. My first dog as an adult is a Dalmatian and yep I'm going to be true to the breed, already lined up my next pup (she's a week old!). I will probably have other breeds through my life, we really want an Aussie but I want to get my dally dreams up and running first.

I think for owners who are confident in their ability to train and socialize their dog properly - you should just hold out for a proper obedience club. However, as someone who comes into contact with so many owners who have no idea of what puppies need, puppy preschool is definitely beneficial for some. Today I had to bite my tongue throughout a whole sale with a family who had just picked up a poodle pup that wasn't even 6 weeks yet. When she said the age I was like when I started telling her about bite inhibition she told me to tell the (10yr) daughter as it was hers. People like that make my job hard. People like Lhok make my job enjoyable :D My work offers the chance to be trained to run our own puppy preschool. I see it as an opportunity to educate, and teach Joe Public about responsible dog ownership and the dog laws (i.e I have an agenda, I'm so sick of idiot dog owners) LisaCC - on the socialization thing - we just started at obedience training last week and their "socialization" is walking past a line of dogs and everyone is making their dog focus on them and ignore either the dog walking past or the line of dogs and owners. I was impressed (I don't like dogs coming up to Cleo anyway) ETA: I didn't do puppy preschool either. I went twice as a kid, and my dad's 40 year training veteran.

It must be the season! There was another litter of spotties whelped in WA yesterday! I've never been so glad to know the breeder and have her on my FB, puppy pics!!! And makes me warm and fuzzy that the mum of the litter looks SO much like my girl. The spots may be random on dallies, but these two have very similar faces. The pics almost look like my girl with babies :)

Puppies were born today! I had a hunch while I was at work, so check my FB and saw "action starting in the maternity ward!" she had 10 all up, 3 with patches. I know at least 4 are boys and 4 are girls but don't know about the last 2.

Ahhhh...I just sent off a puppy enquiry. If all goes well....I could have Cleo's niece! Too many things were lining up for me to ignore and not apply. -Found out she was pregnant at the same time I found out I wasn't getting a pup from friend -she's due to whelp around now, just before hubby's birthday (Cleo was born on my bday) -my mum said I should! (Coz Cleo and her sister are very alike, what would be better than having a mini Cleo!) fingers,toes,eyes,arms,legs all crossed!!!! :crossfingers:

Good to hear! Yea, I like it coz it makes Cleo's pink area white, so blends in well with her fur! I'm glad she's not a sun worshipper, it would be hard to smear all over her belly!