sandgrubber

Chanced on this site . . . IMO it's great, includes not only great illustrations, but also useful academic references . . . needed to share http://animalfarmfou...ls-infographic/

By popular request, added a Nothing option.

Months back someone did a poll about dogs sleeping in the bed. If I remember right about half of the respondents allowed their dogs in/on the bed. I'm one of those. Sometimes I wonder why.

The heartworm picture is confusing, but my guess is you're ok. Wouldn't hurt to do a test before resuming treatment, but chances are very high that it will come back negative. When I lived in WA, my vet (who had spent years doing vet work in aboriginal communities in the Top End) told me that treatment every three months was sufficient to upset the lifecycle of the heartworm, and in theory, to prevent infection. However, given Murphy's law and human error, she recommended every two months. She also said that testing after a lapse, before resuming treatment in the warmer months, did eliminate a very tiny risk, but the risk was so small that she was ok with it. She said some of the older, daily dose tablets were dangerous for an infected dog, but the newer 'monthly' treatments were, by-in-large, safe. For a sceptics point of view on heartworm, you might want to read: http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2008/05/billion-dollar-heartworm-scam.html Here's an extract, but it's worth reading the whole thing: The drugs used to kill heartworm microfilaria are Ivermectin (Heartgard, Heartgard Plus, Iverhart, Merialand Verbac) or Milbemycin (Interceptor, Safeheart,Sentinal and Norvartis). Both drugs are nematode poisons, and in both cases a single dose will kill all microfilarial infection that occurred up to 90 days earlier (i.e. all Stage 3, 4 and young Stage 5heartworm infections). I now live in an area of the US that is horrible for heartworm. Like many people who have several dogs, I use Ivermectin sold for cattle, following a dosage regime that has been ok'd by my vet. I simply inject 0.1 cc of serum / 10 lb of dog into their food. . Usually, I put it into an egg or yoghurt. This is the chemical equivalent of HeartGuard (not HeartGuard Plus, which also contains Pyrantel for intestinal worms). Of course, research would be required to follow this protocol in Oz, cause the concentrations sold in ivermectin sold for livestock may be different than those used in the US, and if your dog doesn't tolerate Ivermectin, this solution is no solution.

I'm not convinced that BREED is irrelevant. I disagree with Haredown Whippets that scientific studies discredit use of the breed concept. There are many, well constructed studies that show strong differences in dog behavior for different breeds. A couple of these are cited in Studies About Dogs in the pinned part of General. Differences in temperament will lead to differences in propensity to bite. I don't think anyone who has been around dogs a lot doesn't have an a priori sense of what to expect of a dog just by looking at it. No one is real surprised to hear an ACD bailed someone up, but you wouldn't expect it of, say, a greyhound or poodle. Many will regard a calm, laid back young Jack Russell as having exceptional temperament. The problem is that breed only tells you the statistical tendency for the category. It doesn't say anything about the individual. Worse still, it ignores the owner; and the owner, both by selection of what pup or dog to buy, and by the way they raise the dog, will have a huge effect on where the dog ends out on the bell curve of aggression. A drongo who likes images of blood and terror will seek a pup whose sire and dam have a reputation for being mean and muscular, and raise the pup to bring out that potential. If you ban a breed and effectively make it unavailable, the drongo will find another breed to work with. You can find fearsome individuals in a lot of breeds. BSL is analagous to trying to get rid of crime by taking the area code of a high crime district and throwing everyone in jail...because there is a higher-than-normal probability they will commit crime. Or assuming that because someone is over 65, they are in failing health. By ignoring the owner, BSL especially hurts people who favor bull breeds because they are generally waggy, funny, hardy creatures ... including the people who will take a dog with potential for meanness and bring out its gentle side. Over time, such people, by selectively breeding from the dogs with better temperament, will move the breed tendency away from the 'mean' type.

Sprocket, my first Labbie, loved playing fetch with a tennis ball. I used to hit balls with a tennis racket for her. We were in a park and a boy, about 12 yrs, took over the job of hitting balls. He missed and got Sprocket full swing hard in the face. I thought that would put her off. Not at all. Her tail kept going as to say: "Stop goofing around, you. Hit the ball."

Can anyone interpret the sentence:" Based on the information provided by the RSPCA recently, you appear to have failed to meet your statutory obligations under section 41 (2) and may also have exceeded your powers in other areas," he said in the letter dated April 16. What statutory obligations does the RSPCA have?

Bonza's reaction to the electric fence was to ignore the chooks completely and go back to chasing squirrels, or lying at my side. When the chooks are bigger the yard and coop will be expanded . . . Why do people on this forum so often assume that the OP is an idiot who doesn't care for animals. Of course, if I can't work out a solution that's comfortable for both the dogs and the chooks, the chooks will be rehomed . . . or eaten . .. they are a dual purpose breed. Personally, I don't apply the concept of forever home to chooks. I'm sure mine will live happier lives than factory chooks.

given the elevated level of discussion in politics, it is probably more effective to point out that BSL is not cost effective, and the augmented legislation will make it even less so

Just the threat of electric fence seems to be doing the trick even without energizing the wire. Without the fence, I had to drag Bonza away. With the fence, she has lost interest . . . at the moment she's lying on the sofa next to me while I type when she could easily go outside Before After

I really didn't want to put up the electric fence, but I guess that's the route it's going. The dogs are VERY respectful of the electric fence. Setting it up so she can't see the chooks is a hard ask.

I decided to try some backyard chooks. Bought a nifty little chicken coop that will keep them protected, confined, and out of the garden. Bought four six week female chicks. Bonza, one of my Labs is absolutely obsessed with them (the other two are merely interested). Bonza has to be dragged away from the coop, and keeps her head right against the ladder the chicks use to get from their little house to the ground. I don't think she's guarding: more like she would like to eat them. Her posture is the same as when she's hunting a rabbit or gopher and waiting for it to come out of a hole. At one point I turned my back for an hour or so and the dogs roughed up the chicken coop a bit, forcing use of clamps and glue to get it reassembled. Anybody have any suggestions? Yelling does nothing. When I found them battering the coop I lost it: threw her to the ground and held her down for 20 seconds or so. Since then they haven't gone for the coop, but the eternal chicken watch continues. (I've tried to attach a picture, but my Mac cable seems to be kaput).

alternative, get a bucket. All my Labbie pups have dug in their water. I use 20 litre paint buckets; they can't get their feet in these, so I only have to deal with dribble and slobber, as opposed to the whole lot ending up on the floor.

When I lived in the Perth suburbs, the neighbor (one down) had a 22 yr old Scottie. He still walked the mile to the markets with his owner once a week. No apparent blindness, lameness, or other problems . . . just moved a bit slow. The young adults in the neighborhood all remember him as a holy terror in his younger years, always escaping, siring litters all over the neighborhood. He was just an ordinary pet . . . fed supermarket food and scraps . . . not given much special care. I've often wondered how many more years he kept going.

There aren't many of them in Oz, but ... surprise . .. rat terriers are pretty good ratters. My brother's two aren't that barky and they do a pretty good job keeping the barn rodent free. At night they prefer to be under the covers (in winter anyway).

I have a Labrador bitch (rather large head) who could be classed as a pit bull under these criteria. And I suspect quite a few Molasser types could be classed as Filas ... A real work of genius, this legislation

An ironic feature of this legislation is that extreme pit bulls (at least in the US) would pass the visual test, while many X-breeds with no pit in them would get caught in the net. See, eg,. http://www.hqbullies.com/males/

I couldn't get the above link to work. Here's the long version, which works for me. http://www.gazette.vic.gov.au/gazette/Gazettes2014/GG2014S022.pdf

I agree totally on the genetic component here, but the problem is if only more breeders would work with their buyers feedback to collectively breed better dogs. Too many crack the shits at the suggestion of perhaps they got it wrong in the breeding pairs and blame the buyers for incorrectly raising their puppy resulting in a no win situation for all concerned. I think most Labrador breeders are sensitive to temperament issues. I know one who pts'd an imported (UK) and titled dog because he attacked a puppy! But if puppy buyers don't give breeders feedback about temperament problems, how are they to know? As you emphasize, there is a strong genetic component to temperament, and breeders need to be held accountable for temperament. But they also need to get feedback . . . the inheritance isn't simple, and often they don't know when they produce a problem dog.

See http://prescription-drug-abuse.com/drug-abuse-articles/prescriptiondrugabuse/phenobarbital-poses-extreme-danger-to-teens-who-abuse-drugs/ Barbituates, including phenobarbital, can be addictive and dangerous as an overdose. I'm in the US now, but ran a kennel in WA, where I occasionally encountered dogs on epilepsy treatment. At one point someone warned me to keep the meds under careful watch. Here in the US, the pharmicist handles the Rx with triplicate forms. I'm not hip on the drug scene, but expect the abuse patterns in Oz aren't so different from those in the US. I did a little surfing on drug addict discussion forums: phenobarbital is regarded as a downer that gives a very long response (days), and a very dangerous drug to mix, particularly with other downers. It may have some use for countering withdrawl symptoms for alcohol or some painkillers or for coping with anxiety. Phenobarbital is listed in both Category 4 and Category 8 in Australia . . . so legal status is confusing.

You might also want to talk to the breeder. As someone who has actively bred Labs, and may yet have another litter or two, it makes me cringe a bit every time I hear of a Lab being DA or HA. I know it happens. I suspect it has a strong genetic component. When you breed for a robust temperament (Labs should not be shy) you sometimes end out with robustness spilling over to combativeness or prey drive. If any pup I bred ended out acting HA or DA, I would hope the puppy buyers would get back to me with information about what happened . . . if for no other reason than to make me the wiser about what dogs to breed from (or avoid). There is a chance, too, that I might be able to provide some pointers, or some help with socialization, or recommendations about who to go to for help. Sometimes, especially with a dog who doesn't meet a lot of other dogs, the problem is simply that the dog doesn't know how to act and needs some guidance, as opposed to a problem of hard wired aggressiveness.

The physics of it is simple. Heat flows down a temperature gradient. If the floor is, say 22 C (or even 27 C) and their temp is 39 C, heat will be conducted from their body to the floor . . . rather like putting an ice pack on a sore joint. The tummy to floor posture maximizes the contact area, and because the tummy is often less hairy than the back, it also makes for higher heat transfer for the area in contact. Tile is a reasonably good conductor, wood a bit less so. I can't see why the posture would be bad for hips. Evolution wouldn't favor a bone configuration that didn't tolerate a posture that is important for staying cool.

Individual dogs react differently to phenobarbital. Or maybe it's different types of seizure disorders. My old girl (~31 kg) had massive cluster seizures after a reaction to a flea medicine. Thereafter she has had occasional focal seizures. She gets 1/2 tablet (1 tab = 1 gr = 68.4 mg) once a day (the original prescription was two tabs a day, one every 12 hrs). No side effects that I can see. At two tabs a day she was groggy, but developed tolerance rapidly. Half a tab a day is sufficient to prevent seizures; she's been on that dose for more than two years. I've taken her off and the seizures return. The vets check her blood levels every year or so and say the level is very low and they are surprised it works, but it does. At low levels they assure me it's no danger to the liver. I don't think they understand seizure disorders very well, and I would encourage supervised experimentation. Who knows, you may be lucky and find that Zig is effectively treated with a very low dose. p.s. the other thing to beware of with phenobarbital is that it is a controlled substance. Around here it has a street value of around $20/tablet. If you have druggies around your area, make sure to store it in a non-obvious place.

I'm feeding ProPlan at the moment. Several people I know use and like it, including the breeder of a dog I owned long ago, and it's been relatively cheap lately. The dogs are doing well on it, but they have done well on many brands. Hoovers with no allergies. I change brands pretty often. Too many options to make sense of in the US. I feed fruits and vegetables, and occasional bones and eggs, but NOT generally at meal time, so I checked Other.

Yes, I outcross, though I may accept some overlap in four or more generations back. If you chase down the COI statistics for Labradors, you'll find that line breeding is not common in the breed. See eg., http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2390636/#!po=50.0000