Whiskered

They are both gorgeous! Your new boy reminds me of my old Bull Arab boy - my heart dog. They are a fantastic dog to have. I'm so pleased for you and I hope Esky starts to enjoy him soon too :D

Yep. I'm sold. Thinking about ordering a mini. It has to be one of the "shinny pastal purpul" ones with gold eyes though. I might order some goats while I'm at it. Thinking that a few of the small "boar" x dairy goats would be perfect. Would give the mixed breed mini cattle dogs their pacific purpose to herd my special new variety of livestock that give milk like a dairy goat and meat like a........a........pig?

Oh dear. Apparently their toy and mini varieties have very "pacific" uses. Something to do with the ocean maybe? :laugh: But not very "comon" :laugh: Yes, unlike the "triditional abrun/red" and blues

Oh dear. Apparently their toy and mini varieties have very "pacific" uses. Something to do with the ocean maybe? :laugh: Poor Atlantic never gets a mention. Too true. Maybe they're not suitable to purchase for those on America's eastern seaboard?

Oh dear. Apparently their toy and mini varieties have very "pacific" uses. Something to do with the ocean maybe? :laugh:

Love it! Perfect pre-work giggle.

Just a thought. If not able to locate somewhere to purchase them over the counter would it be possible to purchase them online and have them delivered to a family member or friend in Adelaide (or Vic)? Then you could collect them on an occasion when you go down? Not very convenient or fast I know but maybe a way to purchase them and keep the cold chain preserved :)

+1. Well said Persephone.

Frank has never had this problem before. He's had pimples but NEVER like this, I think because I live in a town house and its cement and bark it's just causing him stress and his immune system is out of whack. Unfortunately I had 2 weeks to find a house due to personal reasons so I had to take the first available.. So now I'm trying my hardest to find a place with some land! I walk them daily and it's starting to cause me health problems too just stressing daily about everything, Then Frank gets sick and I'm just a walking stress ball. It's so hard with 2 cats and 2 bullmastiffs to find an affordable rental. But thank you for the reassurance it gets better!! Will definitely be upping my daily cleaning even more! Sorry to hear you've been having a stressful time Madcat. You've got him on meds for his infection and there has been lots of advice given on future prevention so I don't have any more advice to add. Just wanted to say I hope things improve for your situation soon and its lovely to see pics of your gang again. I quietly stalked your thread in the photos forum and missed seeing Dora grow up. Frank and Dora are gorgeous!

I've had a vet outright say to me that they prefer to see dogs on the chubby side of average, especially if they are older. Seems stupid to me, but not all vets are the same! I know a lot of people like some weight on their older dogs over winter, but the chubby side of average (assuming healthy=average) sounds vastly different to fatty-fat-fat to me. We have often let our seniors keep a bit on over the colder months, and a lot of the time weight control toward the end is the least of your worries. Yes, totally agree!. I should have specified that what I was talking about is properly fatty-fat-fat not a little bit chubby or a pattern of seasonal fluctuation :) Also, not that every vet would comment to every owner at each point of contact or that they all have the same perception of when it needs to be addressed. Just that it genuinely is a routine topic of advice. But apologies to BlackJaq, I know you were actually originally asking about addressing obesity with family/friends/acquaintances dogs - not in a professional sphere or to strangers.

Yes. And should have added that for me commenting outside a professional setting (so not knowing the dog's history) is a no-no for the potential to cause offence to people whose dog does have a medical issue or who are already trying to get weight off.

;) unless you have been privy to an awful lot of vet consults ..the truth or falsity of these observations cannot be proven . There are vets who think many overweight dogs are just 'well covered' , and seem to have no concerns .... or think roly poly puppies are wonderful ... :) Yep. Privy to vet advice over almost 20 years of working in veterinary clinics across Australia. An awful lot I'd say. And of course the advice usually begins in the waiting room before they get into the consult room. Stating that vets don't say anything about overweight dogs is absolutely a completely untrue assertion. I've been fortunate not to have come into contact with those vets who think fat dogs are of no concern. Even from a professional approach, addressing the issue of fat dogs is challenging. Lots of owners don't want to know or as others have commented on, have a negative emotional response to their dog's weight being addressed in the clinic. There are also lots of people who come in saying they expect some sort of telling off because they know their dog is fat. From a health promotion perspective its always challenging to find ways to bring it to peoples attention and motivate them to take action without causing offence. For myself, seeing the reactions of some people towards receiving advice about their dogs weight by professionals in an animal healthcare environment I would be very reluctant to comment on the weight of someone's dog outside of that setting (as much as I don't like seeing fat dogs)

I've noticed there are numerous statements in this thread that vets don't say anything about overweight dogs. This is completely untrue. Broaching the subject of overweight and obesity is as common as advice on parasite control. Honestly. People take the advice they want and ignore the rest. The patient history notes of every fat dog in every clinic I've ever worked in contain records of weight-loss discussions. I strongly suspect the "but my vet has never said anything" line is trotted out as a way of absolving themselves of responsibility. That excuse is a load of rubbish. If their dog is overweight you can bet your life their vet has said something.

While "train" may not be the best word we should feel we can question vets just like we question our own doctors about treatments etc. Long gone are the "doctors are Gods" days of yesteryear. Though in reality, how many people actually question a treatment their Doctor prescribes? (ask yourself how many times you yourself have actually done it?). Same when it comes to the average person and their vet. I think the large majority of dog owners who frequently post on this forum are not really 'average' either, rather they are more inclined to question than the 'average' owner. Can't count the number of times I have heard someone say 'my vet said 'this' so that is what I do - after all they are the vet'. That is an interesting point espinay2 and I think I can shed light on people questioning treatments prescribed by doctors and veterinarian as I've spent the last 17 years working in the veterinary industry (and still do part time). I will also be graduating as a doctor (of humans) next year. The number of people who question treatment by both professions would make your head spin. Anecdotally, it is often the people with very little education or just enough knowledge in any given area to feel knowledgeable who question recommended treatments. Ironically, it is almost always people from this group who will on occasion blatantly lie about aspects of symptoms, being apparently unaware that the writing is on the wall for the professional - vet or human doctor. These people would probably be considered average pet owners I guess. With all due respect for individuals right to make treatment choices for themselves and/or their pets, more often than not they will refuse one or more aspects of treatment based on beliefs that are impossible to reason with. However, people who have extensive experience in appropriate animal care and often those with a reasonable level of higher education (not necessarily animal related at all) often have a different approach to interacting with veterinarians. I think they appreciate the rigorous education vets receive and the clinical experience they amass over time. I agree that many people on this forum are not average dog owners but I don't think this type of owner is more inclined to question treatment as a matter of course than the average owner. Rather, because they have a genuine working knowledge base greater than the average owner I think (hope) they would be more inclined to respectfully question veterinary treatments to achieve a greater understanding of why a particular treatment has been recommended for them at that time. In stark contrast to "average owner" questioning or refusing it because 30 years ago Uncle Bob's mate paid for something that could possibly have been similar...maybe... and it didn't end well or they read some fear mongering on a blog somewhere or someone at arvo school pick up has an opinion on aspects of veterinary medicine that simply must be fact. Having a clear understanding of the justification for investigations and treatments in their situation is something every pet owner should absolutely strive to achieve - and they should find a vet who is willing explain it to them thoroughly, patiently and in terms they understand. Of course not all vets will have an inclination to justify recommendations they have trained for years to develop the skills to be able to make. But those people are in all professions and in every walk of life and it has absolutely no reflection on the quality of their technical skills or ability to provide safe, effective treatment for the animal when their ....errr.... people skills aren't on show in the consult room.

They're so beautiful with and without their long coats Marion 01 :D Their build is more substantial than I thought under all that hair - I kind of imagined TTs to be finely built for some reason but they have the appearance of a larger type dog. *adds TTs to the would like to own one day list*

I work at a vet and got told that last year! I was in shock for ages as was the new vet. Just crazy Yep. That's exactly where I hear it - from clients at work. The first time I heard it was not long after moving to QLD. A client came in with his pigging dog for an unrelated problem with a relatively fresh cut, clean though the ear leather about 3cm long. I innocently asked what happened to his ear. Where do you go with the conversation after that?

A strongly held belief amongst the pig hunting fraternity here in north Queensland that I've been told too often: "If your dog overheats when hunting the best thing to do is cut the ear leather to let out the heat" WTF? You can't possibly believe that?

I don't know about you, but I actually chew my food which will mix the foods, using my back teeth that are designed for this. Dogs can't do this. Not exactly. Mastication in humans essentially serves to beak the food down into smaller particles so digestive enzymes have access to greater surface area and enzyme digestion of specific foods starts in the mouth: the longer its chewed the more nutrition can be extracted. It's true dog molars are more efficient at crushing than chewing, but still need the mechanical action of chewing things like RMB to preserve dental health. Its the stomach that has the role of mixing foods and does an extremely effective job. In a healthy dog, the peristaltic action of the stomach mixes digestive juices secreted from the stomach mucosa with food to form chyme and small amounts of chyme are secreted into the duodenum as it develops. Food compositions that take longer to break down, stay longer (or are expelled) and those that are faster to break down are excreted through the pyloris faster. Its a very efficient system so the combination of foods that pass through a canine mouth and how well its chewed don't really have any negative impact on the way the body prepares it to be metabolized. Besides obvious issues like a dog with a disease process present or feeding excessive fats of course!!

The packaging for the chews recommends dosing to the nearest half chew. Quoted from the packaging " 1 chew for every 10kg of body weight. round off doses to the nearest half chew above." Also off packaging (for 10kg chews) Dosage rate: 3.1 to 5 kg- half chew 5.1 to 10 kg- 1 chew 10.1 to 15 kg- 1 1/2 chews 15.1 to 20 kg- 2 chews I have followed these instructions and have never had a problem. In regards to heartworm, all the heartworm products I have ever seen are either daily, weekly or monthly. We dont have heartworm in my area so i havent really researched it thoroughly. You can get also get the yearly injection from a vet. Yes, you're right. Apologies. Had a complete brain fart there - forgetting Drontal chews are manufactured differently to most anthelmintic chews.

What an excellent post :)

Hi fluff1234, The Drontal 35kg tablets are perfectly safe to half and are scored to facilitate halving them. As has already been mentioned they have a high safety margin but given you've estimated his bodyweight at 11.5kg I would be inclined to wait until he tops 15kg before giving half a 35kg and just do as you've planned with the 1.5 10kg tab for now. The chews should not be halved or portioned anytime. :)

Get well soon MUP!

Comfortis is for fleas only. It is not a combined product. There have been several published studies on the efficacy of Spinosad (active ingredient in Comfortis) against a specific genus of cattle tick but it is nowhere close to claiming spinosad as a tick prevention product for dogs.

+1

A Bull Arab is a "type" developed in north QLD in the 1970's for pig hunting. The original breeds used to develop these dogs were bull terriers, greyhounds and pointer (unsure if English or GSP). Someone else added something bigger (mastiff I think) later on and there are now a few well known lines with some lines being around the 30kg mark and some up more around the 50kg mark. There is large number of these dogs in north Queensland (usually seen in cages on the back of pigging utes).