cowanbree

Roundup has been used but that was mths ago. I have just this week stopped using all floor cleaners other than white vinegar and changed my washing power to one for sensitive skin so will be interested to see if that makes any difference

Would love to but we don't have any. I have been to see a general vet with an interest in skin conditions and that was a 6hour round trip for no results.

I am now even more sure it isn't mites. There is no hair loss or lesions in any of the cats or dogs so that would rule out ringworm but I am wonder about the malasezzia yeast. I have googled it and it seems to indicate it only affects individual dogs with immune issues, I can't see any reference to say it is contagious. Do you have any links?

It may be. My cleaner brings her dog, she is an old girl that just sits on the couch and she isn't showing any signs of being affected. I am on a couple of acres and am thinking of locking it down into sections and seeing if it helps. It is very difficult as while they are itchy it really is only at night and not all the time. Some go days without scratching and then scratch 20 times in an hour

I know it is but we have been treating for this for 4mths with little to no improvement so I have to conclude it is something else

Skin scrapings and cultures have all come back negative for anything parasitic or fungal. Vet has considered fleas and Cheyletiella and ruled it out. I have also treated them with Advantage just in case with zero results. Dectamax is similar to Ivermectin but apparently better. I can't use it on the shelties but I did test it on the cats. I would be interested to read these studies, do you have any links? Interesting about the blood test as it may be worth doing to totally rule it out. Given the only thing that has made any difference at all is fungal meds I think it must be fungal but my vet said fungal isn't contagious. It is very frustrating as nobody has any idea what it is but the dogs are so uncomfortable so I can't just ignore it.

We have never found any mites in any of the tests I have run but given they are only scratching their heads, tummy and legs it was decided it was the most likely diagnosis by another vet after my own vet said I don't know what it is. My own vet has said all along he doesn't believe it is severe enough to be sarcoptic mites. They have had at least 5 treatments of revolution and all it has done is cause intense scratching for 24hrs afterwards and then it goes back to normal. I was wondering if this was normal in an affected dog as if may indicate it is the mites? The cats have also had injections of dextamax with no decrease in scratching. My vet is now saying it definitely isn't parasitic but has no idea what else it could be. It has affected every cat and dog in my house which is quite a number ranging from 5mths to 15yrs. The only thing that has worked on 2 of the 4 dogs I tested it on is fungal meds but all the vets are saying that fungal wouldn't affect all the animals so I really am at a loss to know what avenue to pursue. I do know it isn't food as the cats are fed totally different food.

I was hoping there might be someone out there that has treated a dog with a definite diagnosis of Sarcoptic mange that could tell me their reaction after treatment with the revolution. Did it make them incredibly itchy for 12-24hrs over and above what they normally were? I have been having issues with itchy dogs now for a couple of mths. Original diagnosis was sarcroptic mites but nobody has responded to treatment and my vet doesn't think the scratching is intense enough for it to be that. It really is just a bit of scratching of the head, tummy and legs at night and rubbing of the head on the carpet with the odd nibble - no sores of any kind. Done a lot of tests and they have all come back negative for anything parasitic but what else would affect all my dogs and my cats but not me? Not food as cats and dogs are fed different food

As I have said above I spent 3yrs trying everything with my Dash and the only thing that has worked is goats milk soap and comletey dry him. He used to tear chunks out of himself and to took him about 6 weeks to recover

My biggest moan when I was looking for a trailer was they all seemed to be built for bigger dogs. I want dividers of smaller mesh that don't have any gaps where they can get feet or heads stuck and the externals mesh doors I would like to be tiny mesh that snugly fits the entire door so no ability to stick fingers or food through the door.

Something like a sheltie would do well at agility and also not be too in your face for your older dogs

Agree, I wouldn't leave my Aussie unattended with a smaller dog. She has a very soft and submissive personality but she still plays very rough. She has been well socialised with small dogs and gets along fine with them, but when excited she is too boisterous. Body slamming a chi has a very different effect to bodyslamming another Aussie, and I don't think she realises that :D Exactly and they are so clumsy. They love life and are so full of life, leaping round and wrestling but there just doesn't seem to be the awareness of avoiding jumping on or banging into other dogs - or people for that matter.

I have aussies and shelties. The aussies are quite a rough and tumble breed and have to be watched around the shelties. I do mix them but only under supervision and I have had the odd incident, not due to any form of aggression but rather the aussies just not aware of the size difference. I have no fears they would intentionally hurt the cats although Reeve loves one of them a little too much and I spend a lot of time saying gently

My boy is the same and after a lot of trials have found the best thing to use is goats milk soap and completely dry him. By completely dry I mean bone dry far beyond anything I would normally dry them. Haven't had any issues since doing this and I had some really nasty sores.

The problem is regardless of whether council thinks it is an issue the neighbour does and it is difficult to resolve without things escalating. It really is best to try and work with the neighbours and try and get them onside. When I lived in town I had a similar neighbour so I tried to involve him. I told him how much the dogs were allowed to bark and how much my dogs had improved as they only barked this amount of time which was well within the limits. I thanked him for letting me know there was an issue and asked him t let me know if the dogs ever barked more than what was legally allowed. In my opinion I never had an issue but I don't want unhappy neighbours

I have often pondered how the drive for "good temperament" is changing my breed, not for the better in my opinion. My standard reads reserved with strangers yet some breeders seem to be ignoring that and breeding for outgoing over friendly terrier type shelties. I actually think it is sad and not at all the type of sheltie I want to breed. My shelties are standoffish with strangers but once accepted into the family circle you are friends for life I don't breed to satisfy the people who want showing fools or the pet people that seem to want Lab temperament in a sheltie body.

To give them any chance at all they need to be tube fed. I have had litters 6 days early and they all lived and were fine

We use the plastic washing line. Cheap, light and easy to put clips etc on it

To be honest I would just pay them what they want to get the dog back as in the end that is the most important thing but now that you have the dog I wouldn't be paying a cent more. A couple of years ago a couple took my happy outgoing puppy and let their son abuse her. I gave them a full refund and paid transport home and then they had the cheek to ask for reimbursement for travel costs up there. Took me 12mths to get her back to a state where I could rehome her and I gave her to a home that had previously had 3 of mine. Don't really care about the money but I am disappointed that I made such an error in judgement in the first place. They already had one of mine but she was a quite sedate girl where as the girl I sent them was a full of life pup that was too much for them. If I had taken the time to reacquaint myself with them I would have realised they couldn't handle her. A lesson learned.

Thanks for that

I always buy the bigger packets of flea treatment and divide it up between my dogs. I can't find the breakdown for Advantage. Does anyone have or know how much a 10kg dog should get using the solution that is 100g/L. I am thinking 1ml?

I have tried a goats milk and calendula as I thought that would be very soothing. I only tried it on my normal dogs and it seemed fine on them but personally found it harder on my skin than the pure goats milk.

I would second that. I have tried just about every shampoo round for my skin lad and this is the only one that doesn't make him itch, great stuff.

Thanks everyone. It has been very difficult losing such a young full of life dog. I have lost oldies before and while always terribly sad, this loss seems in a different ballpark.

Thanks everyone for your help. Very interested in anything that will deal with the grass as it is too large an area to dig out