chilli

thank you to all who have viewed my post and sent your kind words and silent thoughts through to Bodie's mum and myself, it really has helped me a little. The tears continue to flow at random moments, and think that they will for some time yet (especially come tomorrow afternoon), I have however found in this forum topic some beautiful poems and tributes. I have decided that I am going to buy 2 jade plants tomorrow and call them the "Bodhi Tree", one will stay here at the front door of my office to remind me of one of my "critters@home crew" members who has gone running over rainbow bridge, and the other I am going to give to Bodie's mum as her "Bodhi Tree". I can only console myself with the thought that this world was just too hard a place for Bodie to be in, and that he has to be happier and free from fear where his soul is now. thanks again.

This afternoon I had a phone call that devastated me. One of my everyday regular clients Bodie (I do pet sitting & dog walking), passed in a tragic way. I am beside myself with grief, and cannot imagine how his owners are feeling right now, nor do I have the words to express my sorrow for them or to them. Bodie and I met last year, after his owner had exhausted all options in trying to keep her little man happy. Bodie is a little staffie boy with some serious seperation anxiety issues. After many visits to the vet to attend to escape injuries , many rescues from the pound, visits from Dr. Cam Day and god knows how much money spent on building a purpose built Bodie enclosure attached to the house so he could be inside and outside to keep him safe, happy and entertained, he came into my life, as a once a day 1pm Monday to Friday regular, we were supposed to walk for 30 minutes every day, but sometimes 30 would turn to 40, would turn to 50....sometimes in the heat of the middle of the day there was no walking to be done...we just found a nice grassy shady patch and smooched and shot the breeze about nothing. Bodie was a Dude, a wonderful little black ball of muscle and love, with the biggest smile. Unfortunately he also had some pretty big fears, garage doors opening and closing could make him shiver shake and wee himself with fear......lets not even go into if there was a thunderstorm around, and new years eve and riverfire were the worst nights of Bodie;s life...every year.. Today after our walk and cuddle, my little friend Bodie went back into his garage with radio rocking, fans to cool him down, door to his outside enclosure with his own sand pit, swimming pool and educational toys and he also had the internal door the house open today!! This is usually Bodie heaven....free reign of the house, lounges to sleep on, tv to watch. bones to bury in the pot plants. Bodie even got extra brisket bones today from me to keep him occupied just a little bit longer than usual, however today these things did'nt seem to matter, because today Bodie would make his last ditch effort at escape...ever, today Bodie forced his head through the steel mesh fencing and hung himself. I cannot even begin to put into words how sad I am. How sickened I feel to think how you must have felt at that time Bodie, how scared you must have been. I am happy to say that I have great memories of Bodie from our walk today, and only two days ago we visited the Wynnum waterfront and walked there for a "sea change", he had a great time, he sidled up to any person he could find for just a little extra "luvin", unfortunately these short trips to heaven were not enough for my little friend Bodie, today you are free my friend, free from the personal torture, anguish and fear that you lived with every second of every day, I am going to miss you Bodie, you made me smile, you made me laugh, you made me worry, you gave me a reason to check the weather forecast on any day the sky looked grey in case I needed to make a mercy mission in a hurry to give you your sedative........you made me look forward to the "after lunch slump" every day because you with your big boof head and goofy smile made me laugh. I will miss you mate....be happy where you are now Bodie, be free from the worry that drove you crazy. Love you buddy. xx

Hiya Storm, I too am on the south side (well actually east side...at Manly West), and have had difficulty in finding where I can get the Barf patties from. HOWEVER...I can tell you that you can buy them from Pet City at Mount Gravatt for $13.50 per pack/roll of patties. If you end up finding out anywhere else that stocks them please let me know!! chow for now Renee

my lovely Sekrit Santa Applepei sent me a sample bag of Eagle Pack with my xmas present and my dogs LOVED it, can anyone tell me if I can buy this in Brisbane anywhere, or where I go to order it online?? Thanks Renee

Hi, I started a similar thread in general discussion (i think), as I too am interested in enrolling in this course, or something similar. I sent emails to both NDTF and to Delta about the trainer courses they have, although I am not holding my breath, as both courses look like they only run in Vic, and as I am in Brisvegas, this is'nt suitable. Does anyone happen to know if there are equivalent courses here in Brisbane/Queensland or if they can be done by correspondance (although I am not sure how this would work.) I have recently started my own petsitting business and have completed the TAFE college Cert III in Kennel & Cattery Practices in 1999 and also am studying part time through the same tafe the Cert. in Companion Animal Sciences, and believe that the trainer courses that either NDTF or Delta do would provide me with invaluable skills and knowledge to assist both myself in my business and my clients and their pets as well. If anyone can give me any info on QLD based courses or correspondance options in my wait to hear back from the relevant establishments I would be really grateful. Thanks muchly Renee

aahh erm... hey everyone...sorry to cause a disagreement between any of you. I just thought that I should let you know that Chilli's sores cleared up after about four days of continual antiseptic washes and drying powder. After consulting with my vet it was believed that the collar probes and the fact that the collar was fitted very firmly not allowing for any real movement (which is how the trainer fitted the collar when the hidden fence thingy was installed) and a combination the extremely hot wet muggy weather we were experiencing here in Brissie at the time created the hotspot type sores. All is well now, collar has been loosened a to allow movement of the collar and the prongs, circulation of air etc and Chilli has to be penned in at night time or inside with us, as after only one day of being without this collar Chilli the Houdini made a reappearance with avengance...and got out four times in as many hours. I now know however to check his neck/collar area every day or two for any signs of irritation, and have it on his neck fairly loosely so that he can still hear the warning beeps given by the collar to warn him off the fencelines. Thanks to all who shared concern and gave advice. Although the collar and fence may seem to some to be a form of cruelty, they are for us and for Chilli a necessary evil as no amount of training or quality time spent with him curbed his desire to roam and visit the neighbourhood friends he had made, and earlier this year was hit by a car on one of his early morning jaunts out and about, costing us near a $1000 and causing him obvious pain and suffering. And as rehoming Chilli or putting him in the pound was never an option the hidden fence seemed to be a good option and until he started with the sores was a very successful one as well. Thanks again Renee

Thanks all, have been using betadine liquid dilution three times a day, then putting the powder antiseptic on after it has dried, and all seems to be going well, is looking a lot less oozy and is scabbing up nicely. Generally we try not to leave the collar on him all the time, but in the last week we have been out a lot at night time too and haven't been bringing him in until quite late so the collar has spent more time on his neck in the recent two weeks, and I think with the hot humid weather and intermitten spurts of rain we have been having (cause Chillidog is a fool and loves playing in the rain and puddles) it just got wet and hot and sweaty and created hotspot type of thing. In any case he has been without the collar for three days now and has'nt gone anywhere near the fences/gates to try to escape!! Fingers crossed this keeps up!!

We had this similar problem a couple of years ago. Every time you walked into the yard the little rotten things would be all over your feet. In the end (after all sorts of stuff and having a pest control person spray), we got rid of them by using Malawash (i think this is what it is called), probably not supposed to....but it worked. We got a bindi poison yard sprayer thingy (techno term! ), and using the correct dilution just sprayed the yard, the kennel, bedding, the dogs, everything, steps, concrete every three or four days for about three weeks. Yes, the yard and everything stank to high heaven, we probably absorbed more chemicals in this time than we ever will for the rest of our lives, but it was the only thing that worked as frontline just wasnt doing a thing. We also put down builders lime in the gardens as well. I have recently been using Revolution on my cats and dogs (although this controls ear mites and heartworm as well...so might not be applicable for you if your dogs have proheart injections already), and I swear this stuff is ace, works a treat on fleas.

Hi, am just hoping someone can help me with some info on what I should do/apply. My dog (a blue heeler) who is a notorious escape artists, wears a "zappy" collar for the hidden fence we had to have installed earlier this year to keep him in. I check it regularly and take it off him twice daily for walks. HOWEVER when i was bathing him yesterday I have found that that the two pronged parts that touch his skin, have caused him a rash and sores. I have removed the collar, washed with salt water solution and then put betadine on it as well. This morning it is looking worse and looks to be oozing pus. Can anyone help me with suggestions.......I would like to try as many things as possible before resorting to the vet . (funds a little low before onslaught of family birthdays next week, Christmas & foster dogs to feed). I would be appreciative of any suggestions. Thanks Renee