ellz

A lot of the drying on my Yanks is done with the force dryer with the exception of the final finishing, although I can, if really pushed do a show dry if my stand dryer isn't available for any reason. I just prefer not to as I like the control over the hair that brushing and drying gives me (and I find it therapeutic too - it's when I do some of my "mindfulness" work). You will just need to get the right technique going so that you don't cause the air to make the hair swirl around and cause "twizzles". This will come with time and experience though. I find that big dogs are actually easier to groom on a smaller table because they don't get the impression that there is enough table for them to wander on and keep trying to move away.

Be VERY VERY careful of this setup. I used the same for many years with no problems until one day a puppy got it's toes caught in the plastic mesh and literally sliced one off.

Buy another and do what I did....use the panels to make a lid! Ellz, I have considered this but wasnt sure how to secure it well enough so it doesnt fall off but that I can get in easy enough. How did you do it? I used a row of cable ties along the front and back, with large trojan clips at the sides and holding the join in the middle. It just kind of made it into a fairly solid "cube" of pen panels. Taking apart is easy, the panels just fold into each other and sit flat.

Buy another and do what I did....use the panels to make a lid!

I'm still at a loss to understand too how the OP could possibly miss dermatitis just because the foot is black? Surely there would have been licking and/or moisture or odour or some other indicator? And I'm still wondering why it is the vet's fault that the foreign object wasn't found before now, especially when they obviously WANTED to do an exploratory but the OP refused. Chances are it could have been found VERY easily and without any extra expense given that the OP found it without surgical intervention themselves.

IF I'm interpreting correctly, it seems to me that the issue is something that the vet shouldn't necessarily have had to sort out. Surely finding foreign objects in a dogs' paw is 95% the duty of the owner who has many hours to investigate such things, not a vet who only gets a brief consultation time???

Have they been tested for heartworm? Some of the symptoms of advanced infestation can be coughing and lethargy.

I buy distilled or bottled water for my dogs (I'm on tank water as well). I've noticed less staining and weaker urine since doing this. But then I also add ACV to my water as well, which they infinitely prefer to chlorine.

My puppy wasn't a big drinker when she arrived. Her breeder was mixing a lot of water with her dry food so that she was getting fluids. I don't do that here. I gradually increased the amount of dry and decreased the water but made sure that there was clean and fresh water available at all times. Oh and I don't use tap water for my dogs, they get either bottled or distilled water because many dogs don't like the chlorine taste/smell that some tap water can have. And remember that their noses and taste buds are so sensitive that they can sense it even if we can't.

Could also be a flea allergy. Doesn't necessarily mean that the dog HAS fleas, but it could have been used as a launch pad en route to another host. I had an American Cocker who was SOOOOO allergic to fleas that even walking across a showground where a dog that had had fleas had been was enough to bring him out scratching. And then he'd scratch himself raw and get scabs and sores very similar to the photos.

http://www.pawswithstyle.com.au/

Send snoopy69 a private message. He is a rep for Laucke Mills and should be able to help.

I have also had success with my Blue Power ear treatment.

Preparation H anti-haemorrhoidal cream.

Nothing really to be concerned about. The breeder may have just been waiting to be sure which puppies they wanted to keep or sell as show prospects on main registration before registering the litter or may have been waiting on a signature from the owner of the stud dog or eye certificates or any one of a multitude of other valid delays.

Send snoopy69 a PM. He works for Great Barko/Uncle Albers and may be able to help organise it for anybody who has trouble getting it.

I feed mine frozen from time to time. Mostly if it is very warm or I haven't had time to defrost them. I have also used them for piggies who gulp down thawed ones. Being frozen seems to slow them down. Whether it is ok or not, I can't tell you, but my crew certainly haven't suffered any ill effects from it.

As I said, I use the PP pin brushes on myself and I'm a real wuss when it comes to having my hair pulled! I've heard good reports about the Laser Lites pin brushes but haven't used them myself. I'm a big believer in sticking with what works and PP works for me. Over the years I've also used PSI pin brushes which would be my next preference behind PP. #1 All Systems pin brushes are nice but don't live for long. Same with Chris Christenson pin brushes. Prestige are, I believe, PSI brushes with a "cheap" label so are probably quite ok too.

A slicker brush works well too.

You're welcome. I forgot to add that they also do a formula for Small Breeds as well. So pretty much the whole range is covered. And I confess that once my puppies started to get up and hoover, I was feeding half Optimum and half Coles and they have done just fine!!

Slickers - really depends upon the dog. I like my OLD Doggyman (15 years old and still going strong) but haven't yet found a newer Doggyman to come close to replacing it. Pin Brush - swear by the Plush Puppy pin brushes. At $12 or so, you can have a few laying around. I like them so much I use them on my own long, thick, straight hair. Bristle Brush - Plush Puppy Metro Anti Static and my best "find". 100% pure boar bristle Cameo brand brush from the supermarket. As good as my old Mason Pearson but a mere fraction of the cost (ie $19 instead of $100 plus). I like the boar bristle brushes as against the nylon brushes because they don't generate static which can cause knotting and hair breakage in a show coat.

The Coles food comes in Puppy, Adult and Senior varieties.

I've fed the Select brand from Woolworths as well as the Woofbix biscuits from Big W. I'm told that they are both manufactured by Coprice. My "budget" food from preference is Great Barko or Uncle Albers. I feed these in preference to so-called "premium" dry foods and have absolutely NO complaints whatsoever with either the weight on my pocket, the weight of my dogs OR their output.

GARDEN COMPOST BIN INCEINERATOR (note their bad spelling - cut and pasted from website) and the stock number is F/L 3160000.