sandgrubber

That's wonderful of your sister. I'll bet she finds Oz a great change from (Brrrr!) Canada. She should have no trouble getting recognized as a reputable -- and excellent -- breeder from what I saw in the 15 yrs I lived in Oz. Show people care a lot about showing. She should get the right boxes ticked there. Pet people care a lot about the home situation in which the pups are raised. Also should be no problem. If Westies have health problems for which there are tests . . . she probably already does them and just needs to provide documentation. I wish more puppy buyers asked for health test results. Both my parents did terminal cancer (pancreatic and esophageal/stomach) with hospice. Both they, and we (the children) found the care helpful. I wish you well and hope you can find joy in the time you have remaining. Having dogs around helps a lot.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/pictured-doberman-shocks-new-owner-5037275 Zara Hayes paid £450 for two-year-old mother Keela after seeing an advert saying she was 'possibly pregnant'. A newly bought pet Doberman left her owner speechless when she gave birth to 14 puppies – despite vets saying she was expecting just six. The cute pooches are thought to have broken the British record for a Doberman litter. Zara Hayes paid £450 for two-year-old mother Keela after seeing an advert saying she was "possibly pregnant". She was worried Keela would be exploited because doberman pups are often sold for more than £1,000 each. Zara, who runs dog rescue centre Yappy Ever After, rehomed the pregnant pet with "foster parent" Cat Davis, 33, in Cardiff Vets thought Keela was expecting just five or six pups so they were stunned when she gave birth to 14 – appropriately on December 14. The lively pups have now taken over Cat's terraced house and eat an 11lb bag of food between them every day. Cat, who will keep new mum Keela, said: "They've taken over my house and my life. "There isn't much space not taken up by dogs. "But it is worth it to make sure they are safe." GREAT PICTURES in the original article

This 'mass' was not on the incision line. It seemed well below the incision and smooth, not lumpy like the incision line lumps I've felt in previous spays. It seemed to be oriented not along, but about 15-20 degrees askew of the midline. It has completely disappeared and Bonza is acting normal. No unusual urination. Full energy. I'll be taking her in on Monday for a re-examination. This is more to satisfy the vet's curiosity than because I think anything is wrong. Kind of sorry they didn't do an ultrasound because it would be interesting to know more about what was going on. Strange things sometimes happen. Just glad it was an apparent problem that turned out to be nothing than an apparent nothing that turned out to be a big problem. Thanks for input.

It is hard to design, and extremely expensive to conduct meaningful tests of what to feed a dog. For each diet you test, you'd need to have a dozen or more (preferably ~30) dogs from several breeds, selected so as to represent a variety of bloodlines within the breed. You'd need to keep dogs on the same food from youth through old age and monitor many aspects of health throughout the lifetime. They would all have to be kept in similar conditions to avoid differences in environment, which pretty much means they need to be kenneled. The only study I know of that begins to satisfy these requirements was done with Labradors only . . . it looked at the effects of feeding more vs. feeding 25% less of a standard commercial diet. This conclusively showed that the dogs who were fed less lived longer and had fewer health problems. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs https://www.avma.org/News/Journals/Collections/Documents/javma_220_9_1315.pdf "Dogs were paired, and 1 dog in each pair was fed 25% less food than its pair-mate from 8 weeks of age until death. Serum biochemical analyses were performed, body condition was scored, and body composition was measured annually until 12 years of age. Age at onset of chronic disease and median (age when 50% of the dogs were deceased) and maximum (age when 90% of the dogs were deceased) life spans were evaluated." LOTS of people and companies are putting forward strong opinions (or sales pitches) about what is healthy. These are often contradictory, and the scientific basis behind most is weak. As I read it, canned food is to be avoided on economic grounds: it's an expensive way to buy water. It may also cause tooth decay or gum rot. I don't see any evidence based results in the raw vs. dry or grain included vs. grain free. Some dogs do have allergies, and this may call for avoidance of some foods. In my experience ProPlan is a good food. If your dog is not getting very skinny when he goes "off' his food, he may just be telling you you're feeding him too much.

I didn't do the poll either because, though I have a 5 yr old who has HD based on radiographs, shows absolutely no clinical signs. I have known other such dogs. The whole problematique is dicey. Bad hips from clear parents, pretty common. Radiographically bad but clinically no problem, pretty common. Breed statistics are biased. Testing isn't uniform. Environment, accidents, and genetics can all affect outcomes. I wish this whole mess were clearer! In my breed, I'm happy to test and that testing is required to register pups . .. but I fear that the strong pressure to use only very low scores is warping breeding practices away from dogs with some radiographic imperfections though no health problems, and great temperament/working ability/conformation. It's so much easier to use a number than subjective statements . . . and so easy for numbers to take over the selection process. As it is, people will shy away from, say, a dog with 6:8 scores . . . though the same dog, scored by a different evaluator or using a different set of Xrays, might have been a 3:2 . . . even if a dog with 6:8 scores is unlikely to show any but very mild clinical signs of HD. p.s. a dog with a 2:1 hip score, technically speaking, has radiographic HD, but is very unlikely to suffer from clinical HD

As stated, it's complicated. Kittens are not puppies, but neither is you SIL's brother. It is likely to vary by breed (and species and parameters studied, and environment, and . . . ). Excess sex hormones can also be problematic . . . . This link describes a study that claims that human eunichs have longer life expectancies than entire human males. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/24/castration-life-expectancy-eunuchs-men_n_1910455.html You can find lots of support for many positions on this one ;)

I once pushed to have a dog re-tested after the 10 pups he threw were genetically improbable (odds worse than 1:1000). The second laboratory that did the tests came out with results different from the first, and consistent with the colors expressed in the litter. This was just a trivial coat color test . . . but it did teach me that genetic tests are sometimes wrong. Personally, I'd suggest to the breeder that the supposedly clear dog be re-tested. If the laboratory is ethical, they should be happy to do this at no cost. FALSE GENETIC TESTS ARE A BIG THREAT TO ANYONE WHO USES TESTING TO TRY TO IMPROVE ON THEIR BREED. A good laboratory can reduce human error to vanishingly low frequency (<1:10,000) and should be happy to retest when their results are called into quesion. If genetic testing is to be of any use to breeders, we MUST insist on quality control. Sloppy genetic testing is inexcusable. On the other hand, EIC is complicated. I've known many Labs who were EIC positive and totally asymptomatic. What you describe sounds like it may be something else.

Tapeworm is hard, but not that common. There are two species. The one that is spread by fleas is most common here. Praziquantel is the compound most used to treat it. It is effective but fairly expensive. You'll find it in the more expensive multi- type worming tabs. If you have persistent problems, you can buy the active ingredient in stuff that fish farmers use to treat tapeworm, but you'll have to do some homework on dosage. If you're not good at working out concentrations and weights, get some help from someone who is comfortable with such calculations.

In my breed (Labrador) there is very strong pressure for hip and elbow testing . . . and Labs are often regarded as a breed particularly affected by HD (not supported by statistics). I ask this out of curiosity about how seriously HD scoring is taken in other breeds . . . also out of curiosity about the ability of radiography to predict whether a dog ends out suffering from HD.

Not all hormones come from the testes or ovaries! No one is talking about taking out the pituitary gland. It's not rocket science . . . but biology. And biology is often extremely complex. If it were as simple as you imply, research results would be unambiguous, and there would be clear guidelines that everyone could agree on. Note, females develop with very little testosterone and males develop with very little estrogen. The two sexes have somewhat different health problems . . . but neither sex can be seen as healthier than the other. Kittens are commonly neutered at a very young age, yet live long healthy lives without obvious consequences of desexing.

Yes. Pyrantel pamoate aka Pyrantel Embonate. Very mild. Works well for round worms. Easy to administer. Sold for human infants. Google it and for dogs to get dosage. I paid $35 for a quart of the stuff -- enough to last a lifetime.

Thanks for the opinion. Glad to have my vets opinions confirmed. Strangely, Bonza's energy level has picked up. She's back to doing zoomies and playing dog tag with her daughter. The angle at which she holds her head and tail is once again perky. AND the lump seems to have vanished. She's still pee'ing more than usual, though. She goes back to the vet for palpitation early next week, and ultrasound + exploratory if necessary on Wednesday. She has been a healthy dog . . . maybe her system has begun to push whatever it is back. (Guess that rules out the sponge hypothesis). Fingers crossed.

PITA vs PETA

Facebook is full of gossipy nuance. If you take things personally, it will provide you with lots of things to find disturbing. Personally, I got so pissed off by being wished Happy Birthday that I stopped looking for FB friends. (I don't like the heat and stay out of the kitchen). As Brightstar says, the veterinary evidence is mixed for spay/neuter. For a review that treats the different diseases supposedly affected by desexing, see: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/04/benefits-and-risks-of-neutering-an-evidence-based-approach/ For most claimed risks or benefits, the results of multiple studies have been inconsistent. Findings vary with breed, with study design, and probably other factors.

Bonza was spayed at a spay/neuter clinic on 10 December. Around New Year's Day, I noticed a lump near the incision area and well below her skin, also below mammary tissue around. Seemed large (wide and long), but it didn't stick up much and thus wasn't noticable. No pain, redness, soreness or other symptoms. I took her to the local vet; got the junior vet in the practice, who told me it was nothing and sent us on our merry way. On 9 January, Bonza presented symptoms looking like a urinary tract infection. Squat, squat, squat, squat . . . just a trickle of pee coming out. No leaking in the house. I took her in to the vet again and insisted on seeing the senior vet -- who I trust. She acted a little shocked by the size of the lump (she called it a mass) and took X-rays. She said ultrasound would have been better but their radiographer wasn't available. She wanted me to rebook. I opted first to go back to the clinic that did the spay. They gave Bonza an appointment with the vet who did the surgery on the same day. Unfortunately, they don't have ultrasound either, though the vet that did the surgery is friends with my vet and they did share the X-ray and notes. The vet who did the surgery was stumped by the symptoms. She named three possibilities: granuloma with adhesion of uterine stump or omentum, panniculitis, or a sponge left in the surgical area. She has done several thousand spays and says she has never seen anything like this before. She says they did count sponges; it was a messy spay and there was a lot to clean up; but she has never before sewed a dog up with a sponge inside . . . but it was possible. I've googled granuloma and panniculitis and they don't seem to match. Does anyone have any thoughts on other things that might be going on? Btw, the vet who did the surgery agreed to take responsibility for getting the problem treated at no cost to me. This is going to mean a two hour drive for each trip . . .which I am quite willing to make. Bonza is sleeping a lot and less playful than usual; still pee'ing a lot; but showing no fever, loss of appetite, or other alarming symptoms.

When I had a kennel I was pretty sure we could defend the space against fire. Irrigated lawns, lots of open space with low fuel loading, good pump and sprinkler systems, etc. However, there was no way to ensure that dogs wouldn't be asphyxiated by smoke from adjoining properties. CFS/SES and local authorities need to do more than tell people what they should have a plan. It requires a deep and full understanding to devise a workable plan, and plans would be much more workable if they were coordinated through the SES.

Look over this site, Wildthing. https://www.greenharvest.com.au/PestControlOrganic/Information/NematodeControl.html Eelworms is their other name. :) Nematodes are a large group . . . probably as many species as, say, carnivores. Some of them are plant parasites and something you don't want to have in your veggie patch . . . as noted in the link above. But there's another group that infect insect larvae. I found a couple Australian sources, but there may be others. http://goodbugshop.com.au/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=46 or http://www.ecogrow.com.au/How_it_works.html This one seems to be linked to CSIRO and gives clearer descriptions Yes . . . timing of application matters. They are living animals and require a moist dark soil environment, not roasting but not too cold, to get established. They need to be watered in.

My sweeties are so good about this. If I grunt at them and tell them 'too early' they'll doze off for another half hour or so. Sometimes I get to sleep past dawn (in winter),

I would say food grade or livestock grade. Just avoid the pool stuff. My local feed store sells it in 50 lb bags for chicken farmers. That's in the US, but I imagine Ozzie feedstores carry it too. If you're going to do your whole yard, you'll need a fair amount, so buying local will be more economical than paying the shipping for an online purchase. Another non-toxic approach, which I don't know if you can find in your area, is beneficial nematodes. They will kill fleas, ticks, and ants! eg,, http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes They work well in the American South, so would probably work in northern NSW.

p.s. here is the sort of finding you can expect from scientific study of such a subject. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22647210 J Small Anim Pract. 2012 Jun;53(6):314-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2011.01220.x. The effect of neutering on the risk of mammary tumours in dogs--a systematic review. Beauvais W1, Cardwell JM, Brodbelt DC. Author information Abstract A commonly-stated advantage of neutering bitches is a significant reduction in the risk of mammary tumours, however the evidence for this has not previously been assessed by systematic review. The objectives of this study were to estimate the magnitude and strength of evidence for any effect of neutering, or age of neutering, on the risk of mammary tumours in bitches. A systematic review was conducted based on Cochrane guidelines. Peer-reviewed analytic journal articles in English were eligible and were assessed for risk of bias by two reviewers independently. Of 11,149 search results, 13 reports in English-language peer-reviewed journals addressed the association between neutering/age at neutering and mammary tumours. Nine were judged to have a high risk of bias. The remaining four were classified as having a moderate risk of bias. One study found an association between neutering and a reduced risk of mammary tumours. Two studies found no evidence of an association. One reported "some protective effect" of neutering on the risk of mammary tumours, but no numbers were presented. Due to the limited evidence available and the risk of bias in the published results, the evidence that neutering reduces the risk of mammary neoplasia, and the evidence that age at neutering has an effect, are judged to be weak and are not a sound basis for firm recommendations.

SCIENCE DOES NOT PROVE THINGS!!!!!! Scientists try to falsify hypotheses. The scientific evidence is all over the map for health consequences of desexing. You can pick and choose your articles to 'prove' your point of view, but the scientific picture is ambiguous. For a good synopsis see http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/04/benefits-and-risks-of-neutering-an-evidence-based-approach/

Those milk teeth hurt, no? My experience has been that they grow out of it faster than you can train them out of it. Solution: wear shoes. Or is this an older pup?

Agree. That dog doesn't look the least stressed. If the kid was really putting weight on, it would move or object, not sit there relaxed with tongue lolling out. Not that I want to be caught siding with Sara Palin ;)

I would use an e-collar before I used a vibrating collar. But not until the dog is at least 6 mo., and only with help from an experienced trainer. I used to have a collar that both did electric stim and vibration. The dogs were fine with the electric side of the thing (always used on very low setting) but they HATED the vibration function. You're likely to find the pup learns most commands well using hand signals. Recall is the hard one to teach a deaf dog. . . and the place where a remote signaling device is useful.

Many years back I tried to work out evacuation plans for a boarding kennel in WA. The sorts of problems AlphaBet described in her excellent post had me tearing out my hair. Others didn't seem to think it was much of a problem . . . dogs could go to the showgrounds or to other kennels . . . problem solved. Seems to me that prevention of catastrophic kennel fires requires more than individual kennels making evacuation plans (which they may or may not be able to execute). Laws should be changed to permit evacuation in sheep or cattle transport vehicles in case of fire emergency. Even a stakebed truck would be better than leaving animals to be killed. Livestock transporters might be willing to volunteer services for emergency evacuations. .. or is that unrealistic? I don't know any livestock transporters. Some location (fairgrounds? showgrounds? racetrack? fenced sports fields?) should be designated as an evacuation sites. Phone trees or the internet equivalent should be set up to call in volunteers in case of such emergencies . . . to take in animals or tend to animals kept at evacuation centers. Some sort of network of kennel owners might allow for accommodation of animals that must be evacuated. Maybe councils should require an evacuation plan before granting a kennel license and state or national organizations should work up a basic plan format that was logistically workable..