BarbedWire

So if a kid runs out into the road and gets knocked down by a car is that the car driver's fault? Yes kids do things they shouldn't but that doesn't mean they aren't to blame for the consequences. What if the car had faulty brakes?

I agree with this

I like this post. Also what River Star Aura says. They fall off bum first and are then suspended by their necks. I agree. It's time to rethink. I have followed utes and seen dogs swaying from side to side as the ute turns or swerves. I feel very uncomfortable about it all. Re farm dogs: I assume they are not restrained at all so that they can jump on or off as needed.

It is not only from the back of utes that dogs get hanged. I had a friend who left her dog tied up in the carport while she was at work. When she got home the dog had tried to jump the gate and had hung itself.

Thank you for your posts, and I am so pleased that small dogs have done UD. I would love to have seen them competing. My girl is not at that level yet. I was just looking ahead and wondering in which direction I would take her.

I have a small dog and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with trialling at UD level with a small toy sized dog. I am especially concerned about the UD articles and whether she could handle the metal ones. What is the best way to teach the metal ones? None of my dogs want to pick them up, even my ball obsessed one. Advice welcome

Great to hear that she recovered well from the seizure the other night :) I was thinking about her this afternoon actually and the fact that she only has about 4 a year. Are they spaced out fairly evenly and how do they correlate to worming treatments? Someone on an epilepsy group I'm on mentioned the other day that their dog has a seizure every 3 months and it worked out to be within a week of her worming each time. Its not something I had ever considered before but I guess it makes sense. I know of many dogs that only have a seizure on a full moon. There is so much about the disease that we will probably never understand, which is very scary! It makes it very hard to avoid triggers when they are so varied Thank you for your concern. I am quite convinced that different dogs have different triggers This page is very interesting as is the whole website: http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/SeizureTriggers.htm

Thank you everybody. I have just come home from the vet and my girl has had the triennial C3 and the annual kennel cough vaccination. The vet said I need not do the kennel cough vaccination every year but it needed to be done two weeks before she went to a kennel. Thanks for the info about titre testing (and Trifecta I know where Kate Millhouse is) but the kennel she goes to does not accept it. I am very happy with the kennel which is at a vet's and only takes elderly or sick animals. They only have about twelve dogs at a time and it suits me. She seems to be happy there and since I expect to be attending an interstate wedding in the near future she needs her vaccinations to be up to date. She seems to have recovered well from her seizure, and I guess I just have to wait for the next one which will probably not be for a few months. The vet did say that anxiety can trigger a seizure and since she is an anxious dog I will keep that in mind. I do have a new puppy here and I am wondering if it is upsetting her. Thank you everybody for your suggestions

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In 12 months time I want my new pup to be ready for trialling. She should be okay; she's pretty smart. I have only had her for a few weeks though :D

Thanks Kirty, I will ask the vet about it. Kennels do require the kennel cough vaccination so she does need to have it done. She looks much better today. She just wants to sleep on my couch which is okay with me. I love her so. :) But don't we all love our dogs? :)

Thank you for the suggestion. I have rebooked her for the vet on Friday. I have asked the vet before about the triennial vaccination and I was told she would still need the annual kennel cough so I did not go with it. I will ask again. I do follow my vet's advice because I believe the vet knows best. That is what they have been trained for. I will ask about it though. Thanks anyway.

Thanks Pers, she looks well this morning (she always does after she has had a seizure) but I find them distressing. At the back of my mind is the dread that one day the seizure will not stop and that will be it. I feel so helpless while she is threshing around. All I can do is to keep the other dogs back and make sure she is away from any furniture. Then once the seizure subsides a little I can comfort her. It is distressing.

Thank you but I need to keep her vaccinations up to date in case she needs to stay in a kennel.

Sorry I should not have started this thread. I am going to cancel her appointment. She is still shaking a bit. I think a quiet day for her tomorrow is in order.

Hi I know it's late but I have an urgent question. My dog has had a seizure tonight (She has about 4 each year and is not on medication). The main part lasted about 2 minutes - jerking and threshing and panting. She also urinated. She was still shaking about 5 minutes later. My concern is that I have booked her in for her annual vaccination (C5 and heartworm) tomorrow. Should I cancel or will it be safe? I will ring the vet in the morning for their opinion but I would appreciate some knowledgeable DOL feedback as well. Thanks

I would immediately take the dog to the vet to check for a microchip and then, if it did, try to contact the owner. Where I live the pound has a lost and found web page (as also does the RSPCA) and I would also notify them. I would hesitate to take a dog to the pound but if I did I would ask them to let me know if the owner does not come forward and I would then take the dog back home with me. I could not live with having taken a lost dog to the pound and it did not make it. None of the options in the poll seem to fit my situation so I have not voted.

What about if the dog had patches of hair missing after a skin disease but had otherwise excellent 'type, temperament, correct structure and soundness'?

Okay I'm a dumb dumb. last few ribs at head end or bottom end? What am I supposed to be feeling for? You're not dumb! Just run your hand along their ribcage and if you can feel at least the last few ribs at their back end it usually means they're a good weight :) . Okay my old boy (13) I can feel every rib. I know he needs to be checked. I like to keep him thin though because he has arthritis. Middle dog I can feel the two end ribs. New dog (5kgs and 8 months old) I can't feel any ribs. Therefore I am overfeeding her. Thank you :)

Okay I'm a dumb dumb. last few ribs at head end or bottom end? What am I supposed to be feeling for?

A standard might be ideal but that doesn't account for the build or fitness of the individual dog. Weighing per se is objective but we know it doesn't translate well to "ideal body condition." Just like the amount of food required to maintain an ideal body condition score will depend on the quality of the food, the activity of the dog, the health of the dog and the metabolism of the individual dog. Yes but the standard weight should be a guide. A dog more than 5 (2?) kgs over (or under) the standard may be overweight (underweight). I am not confident that I could assess a dog's "ideal body condition" and I think most pet owners could not either. Plus I personally have long haired dogs and I would find it very difficult to assess their "body condition". I do weigh them regularly though and I am confident they are not overweight.

So why have breed standards then? Weighing a dog is an objective measurement. Labradors are supposed to weigh 30kg. I have seen a lot heavier than that. https://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/information/labrador-retriever.asp pugs between 6 and 8, and bassets 26-33 which means they can be bigger than a lab.

I think it is important not to rely only on appearance. I wonder how many dog owners actually know how much their dogs weigh and what they should weigh to be within the standard. The same with height. Some breeds seem to be getting taller (or smaller).

Actually my dogs are not overweight. I weigh them regularly. But sometimes I wish I was a dog and then someone would take charge of my intake because I need to lose a few kilos :D

Maybe you are right this dog appears to be a normal weight although the owner is obviously quite ill