Christina

Depending on use & your skin it may sting. I made an infusion & then put it in a spray bottle for the rash in my head & on my chest. The doctor gave me cortisone lotion for my head but used it once & ran screaming to put my head under the tap. It burned like fire. It was alcohol based & that was the problem. I'm with Erny too. Drink the vodka. If you drink enough you may forget what is wrong with you :laugh: I should take my own advice now.

One of my toy poodles has had her last litter recently. Fantastic & the easiest to give birth she never nests at all. When she is ready she jumps in her bed, makes it comfortable & out they come like peas out of a pod. Having the usual 3 or 4 pups for a dog her size she has always had them all in just under an hour except the last lot. They took her a little over 2 hours. She has always been a great mother. The one I had that was hopeless used to dig like she was heading for China for days before. Giving calcium while whelping or nursing is a controversial subject. Current trend is thinking that it interferes with nature producing it in the bitch if you supplement. Do some research & make your own decision after weighing it all up. There are several threads about it on this forum if you know how to use the search. Don't panic if nothing happens for another few days yet. Fewer pups/small litters often seem to come late but there is no exact rule. Good luck.

No but I have heard that all soft toys should be taken away from dogs under these circumstances. It makes them worse. Maybe try & remove them & any others when she is sleeping. No idea what to do about the hole. How very sad seeing her this way.

Depends on the dogs. I have girls aged 9, 8, 6 & 5. No fights at all. The 9 year old was desexed last year. The 5 year old has always been desexed & the other 2 are entire. My girls have always got on well.

Lots of bitches get rough and kill pups. Odds are much higher if young bitch has to have a c-section. I was actually meaning when they are at the running around playing stage re being with mum as opposed to running with dad. Of course one has to be super vigilant after a ceasarian, sometimes the bitch, especially 1st timer may not realise they are her pups however generally & overall most bitches don't kill their own pups. Its not the usual or common response to a litter even with young & maiden bitches. Try & check hourly without disturbing but if mum looks relaxed, pups are close to mum, feeding & are quiet then all is well.

There aren't any tests that are performed when bitches are pregnant. Any testing or checks that need to be done are done before the bitch is bred. The only thing done by some is ultra sound or xray to confirm pregnancy & or how many pups. This isn't generally needed or essential unless a problem is anticipated as in breeds that routinely need ceasarians or if the owner cannot tell if there is a pregnancy.

I wouldn't walk the dog the last week of the pregnancy. If she starts in labour early you are going to be in a real panic. There is also the issue of any roaming dog causing trouble. You don't want her in a fight at this stage. Its not going to do her any harm not walking outside in the last week. Play with her friend your boy is fine. You can seperate if she is leaping around like an idiot. Having bred for many years now I have never needed to send the boys away for anything. Your girl needs to be in her own room/space until the pups are about 4 weeks old. Most are very protective until then. You may get some who don't care & let other animals near but most don't like it. After that it is better they are somewhere in the house where they can see daily/usual activities going on around them even if its only for part of the day. Introduce to your boy one at a time with pup on your lap & see how he reacts. If he is fine let him near with a barrier/pen between but I wouldn't let him run with a few pups as they do push the limits while learning. If he is not fine keep them apart, seperate rooms & alternate outdoors,its only for a few weeks. Mum may get rough & you may get a few alarming squeals & screams but she won't damage them.

Very helpful :laugh: Read the desex thing wrong of course. I was thinking why does she need to desex the dog that soon.

I have heard that it is generally a case of breed the bitch or the risk of pyometra is higher. Seems that keep coming into season for years & not being bred is a contributor although not the sole cause. It is very common in cats too but they are screaming on heat almost constantly if not bred in most breeds. There are stats somewhere on the net I have looked at them before but can't recall the details.

Fantastic, simple, practical advice :) Yes Desex before homing the puppies without question. No reason to desex before finding the pups homes & most vets wouldn't do it then anyway. The bitches milk needs to have dried up for about 2 weeks before they desex, unless its an emergency situation. Your dog won't be coming into season again this quickly after the birth. So 2 weeks after last puppy has left home is about the right time.

Its done now so to be practical Your dog will probably be fine if she is fit & healthy & well fed. Make a safe place & nesting box for her somewhere she likes being & start getting her used to the place & box now. Have lots of bedding, preferably without loopy fabric. I never use towels mum & babes get their claws stuck in it & some newspaper. Line the box with this under bedding as she will want to rip & tear at the bedding to make a nest when labour begins or close to it. Feed her as much as she wants now. Wise up & research as much about birth as you can but it doesn't always happen exactly as described by the book or internet. Keep the male away. Pups can come out right way up or feet first, either is normal. Check all placentas either come out or are eaten. If mum is actively pushing & no pup comes out after an hour phone the vet. If you are worried about anything phone the vet. Make sure you have the vets phone number on hand & emergency 24 hour vets too. Have a pen & paper & clock handy & note things down, like times of birth, how long pushing etc as it can be confusing & it will help if anything goes amiss. Get some teats, bottles & dog milk substitute in case she needs a hand with feeding. You may need steralised scissors to help cut cords if mum doesn't do it. Make a checklist of anything you think you may need & put it all together now. Try & have someone with you, its scary 1st time. If they have seen pups born before all the better. Of course things can go wrong & sometimes dogs & pups die but most of the time there are complete idiots & lots of sensible but inexperienced people out there whose dogs do survive having a litter. Some dogs also give birth alone without a person on hand & they are fine too, some stray, some pet & some breeders dogs although as a breeder I don't know how they can leave them to it. Try & keep calm. learn what you can, be organised & hopefully all will be well & you can desex your dog after the pups have gone to new homes. Good luck with it all. No one is infallible.

One could argue the pro's & con's of this one forever. The owner has made the probable best & most sensible decision to neuter. If her partner wants neuticals you can bet that if the dog was not desexed her partner would think it a good idea for the dog to be a man & spread its wild oats too. As the neuticals are not wanted to fake it in the show ring & get the dog titled the reason would be its man thing. So its best to respect the decision & stick to the point really on this one.

Some men ? I went in someones house & there were seperate magazine racks in there with reading material for men, women & children If they were all spending that much time in there I would be inclined to replace with some metamucil sitting on a pedestal :laugh: How can anyone sit in there that long. My door gets closed so the dogs & sometimes cats too can wait outside alone. They always follow though, wonder why ?

I also watched Bondi Vet & couldn't stop laughing at the stupidity of it. Tell him they will cost a fortune, wouldn't he rather spend it on a holiday or something tempting. Also ask how he would like to have an operation for vanity alone, face all the associated risks & then walk around with plastic/silicone or whatever they are made from inside his body forever. Which reminds me do ask how long do they last. May have a short life.

With all the trouble & rules & regulations & restrictions we have here I can't understand why anyone would want to import, breed, show or sell dogs as described above. Actually I can't even understand why anyone would want to own a dog like this either but each to their own.

Doesn't anyone remember him showing the small cross breed on TV that he had bought from a petshop. He said he was going back to get another one. Maybe he breeds them to supply the pet shops. Who knows what goes on. There is also a cross breed site that says it is recommended by Chris Brown of Bondi Vet, Kerrie whathername ? TV presenter, has sold a pup to Pat Rafter & mentions other celebrities. Hows it supposed to stop when the rich & famous say its ok.

I can see where you are coming from. If people want cross bred dogs why not do it properly but one thing you are missing is that If one of the breeds has carries a genetic problem or fault that is known & the other breed carries a different one then by breeding them you are creating a puppy with the potential for 2 genetic problems now instead of one. Some things can be tested for but others are known & can't be tested for. Do you think that puppy farmers will test or be able to check back through pedigree lines & have contact with other breeders ? Its a challenge sometimes with the established breeds we have so with so many wanting to make it big business or make a quick dollar I can't see the potential for better or healthier dogs coming out of any kind of scheme. A lady phoned me yesterday re a puppy. May let her have a litter or 2, it would be nice she said Refused pup but had a good chat with her about breeding. She had never heard of PRA, luxating patella & had no idea that dogs could of any breed could be epileptic.

Thank you for sharing. Big savings

Yes, so handy. I used to sit in the playpen to do my fair isle knitting with 8 balls of wool while toddlers happily ran around the room laughing at mummy in the pen. Seriously though the biggest problem with crates is idiots who can't be bothered or think its really ok to leave them there for hours on end. Animals young & old need to move whether to develop strong muscles & bones or to keep their old ones going. They can't if they are confined in crates for hours on end. Mentally crushing too.

Generally I think they are over used & can be cruel. I inherited 4 large dog crates (4 x 3 feet) with the house & although never had them before they have come in useful for some things. My toy poodles go in them once a week for about 30 to 45 minutes to chew their bones. Saves fights & getting a bloody mess on everything around the house. So good use there. If any hurt themselves or are unwell, like after desexing or a dental, I may pop them in a crate to keep them warm & quiet & away from the others pestering for a short time. One boy pees on the curtains overnight when a girl or local dog is on heat. He gets popped in a crate to sleep but only for about 6 hours. I don't really like leaving for long. Best use is for kittens. I can join them up & make a 16 foot long run & dangle toys, have a tray area one end & food & beds at the other so they can play in the lounge when they are too small to be let loose in safety. Also use to bring my breeding cats in from their runs in extreme heat. Can't let them tear around the house loose. Entire males & females followed by mad poodles would be bedlam so they sit in comfort in their own space in the air con until it cools down outside. So although I don't like them they have their place with multi animal households but regular confinement is not a good thing & I would never crate & go out & did always manage my dogs without crates before but find them handy now I have got them. I hate crate toilet training for puppies in a small crate they can't move about in & think that is cruel but many do it & feel its ok. I wouldn't.

Ebay has some great bitches britches & belly bands, so cheap, but they are all in asia but they will ship & often its free shipping. http://www.dhgate.com/product/lowest-price-coloful-pet-sanitary-shorts/134529992.html#s2-12-1|752797271 http://www.dhgate.com/product/new-pet-sanitary-shorts-male-dog-diaper-underwear/142751411.html#gw-1-4|ff80808143af8741014443a994783d97:402853e836e82f9e0136e82faa540a90 They are very cute. They make disposable nappies for all size babies now so the tiniest may be ok.

Mitre 10 sell the electrocution traps, they are a bit expensive. Rats in the roof when I came here 10 years ago. Threw double strength Ratsack up there through the manhole & threw those blocks into the corners. Solved the problem but every few years I stick another box up there just in case. Mouse plague here at present. One has been on my porch driving one of the dogs crazy as she can see it through the window. Also moved 2 dead ones the cats killed in the run about an hour ago. 35 in my car in 10 days, I trapped 11 in one day & was in tears. Car is parked on the street now & that seems to have solved it for the last few days. In desperation I rang a pest control company for advice. They said all the things to deter them are all old wives tales & basically you have to trap, drown or poison them as fast as possible until they move on.

What on earth is happening with the poodles now ? I had a mini when I was 12 & he was terrific. Have always had toy poodles around my 4 when they were children & never had any problems with snappiness or biting either. The rules were very strict about how dogs were treated & they were obeyed. Poodles love being with their families & are so loving & can always be bothered to play. I wouldn't recommend a tiny or fragile toy for children age 4 & 7 but a miniature or a toy that's a little over size & robust build should be fine as long as they are good children.

Never thought I would ever agree to debarking but debarking is kinder & sounds more efficient than a stronger shock collar. If you can't find what the trigger is maybe its just about anything & everything & he is just one of those dogs. At least with the debarking he won't annoy everyone & will stop the complaints.

Cat cafes are beginning to spring up....there's one in London called Lady Dinah's cat cafe, close to the main business district. People love to chill out with a cup of tea or coffee and cats to pat. Last time I looked, it was booked out for a couple of months ahead. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/feline-fans-flock-to-lady-dinahs-cat-emporium-londons-first-cat-cafe/story-fngwib2y-1226875251840 Makes sense to combine it with rescue, like you're doing. Remember now I saw this a couple of years ago in Japan on TV. As space is tight & many people can't keep pets they started these pat the cat coffee shops there.