Rottshowgirl

CavnRott, I'm so sorry to hear your news. My deepest condolences to you and your family. Run free at the bridge dear Chance.

Veanna, Why don't you call SACA and ask if they would allow you to put a notice up on the board outside the bar or on the door of the dog shop? They see a bit of traffic and it could rustle up some interest? The other thing would be to call the larger obedience clubs- Southern Districts is a big one, but I'm sure that SACA could provide you with a list. They may publish newletters and be willing to put in a little piece calling for expressions of interest in K9force, or maybe you could post them a little A4 poster to put on their notice board.

Good suggestion Wolfgirl! GSL you use the towel as a 'sling'. Make sure it is a decent length, put it under his belly just in front of his back legs. Grab both ends with your hands and pull up until you can feel the towel tighten. This will just take a little weight off his back legs, just make sure that you keep the towel that's under his belly 'wide' so it doesn't cut in. You will probably need to get someone to be in front of him coaxing him forward until he gets used to the idea and make sure that it doesn't slip backwards as this could hurt his hips

GSL sorry to hear your news, your poor baby! I have been down this path, my BYB Rotty girl was diagnosed with severe HD at 12 months, although the signs were there much earlier, I just didn't know what I was looking at. The vet who diagnosed her told us to PTS, which was a devastating thing to hear. She still seemed active enough to us and apart from being a little lame (the reason why she was at the vet in the first place) she had no other signs of discomfort. We decided to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion and did lots of our own research before making a life-and-death decision. We decided to keep her going and attempt to manage the situation (the lameness fixed itself with time) and I am proud to say that she lived relatively pain-free to the ripe old age of 8 and a half- within normal lifespan for a Rott. In the end bone cancer got her, not the HD. The vet who treated her for the remainder of her life (we didn't go back to the vet that recommended PTS, we started referring to him as Dr Death instead ) used her x-rays to show other people who's dogs got diagnosed with HD that they could manage the situation. We did do a few things differently and I'm not saying that this will work for everyone, but it worked for Mali; -Keep his weight down with a low-calorie diet. We gave Mali lots of veges so she felt like she was still eating a lot. -Low impact exercise- swimming is perfect as it takes some of the weight-bearing for him. If you are taking him to the beach you may need to carry him over the soft sand to avoid twisting of the hips. Don't overdo it either, just moderate amounts slowly building up time. -No chasing balls or anything that will mean quick changes of direction. -Moderate amounts of walking, always on lead. -Investigate natural therapies. Glucomsamine is great, or shark cartilage. Any of the human arthritis herbal supplements, or an animal version called Sasha's Blend. We used Sasha's Blend, thought it was brilliant. -Raising his food and water bowls is also a good idea. -Don't let him jump up and down from car or bed, train him to wait until you can lift him. -Raise his bed off the ground- means less distance that he has to get up or down. We were also recommended major surgery for Mali but chose not to and our management strategy gave her a good quality of life. Take your time, do as much research as you feel you need to and don't be pushed into really drastic action until you are confortable with the option. My thoughts and hugs are with you and your baby.

No problem Haven, glad it worked for Loki (and you ) Cheers

I'd be interested in finding out more. ;) Will it be a matter of majority deciding which topics Steve can cover, or does he have a set format for two day workshops? The competition stuff is not really my thing (I'm purely a showy) but all of the behavioural stuff is right up my alley. Not that fussed about venue, happy to travel. Keep us posted, and thanks for getting this off the ground Veanna! :rolleyes:

Where do you get that? Wouldn't mind test driving it myself... From the health food shop, it's really easy to find. Some chemists should have it too. Let me know what you think. I had it recommended to me by a showie friend who swore by it, and I have found it really effective.

I also really like Brauer Healthcare's Nervatona. There are two version- Nervatona Calm and Nervatona Focus, I have only used the calm version. All natural, works a treat in taking the 'edge' off the dog's anxiety and comes in a spray version which is much easier to give your dog because you just aim it inside their mouth. It is only about $15 a bottle too, so is well priced. I have also been known to dose myself with Nervatona when I am anxious- works for me too!

Agreed CavNRott- unless someone can prove that a particular brand of dog food will not cause XYZ, leave it out! My Rotts get occasional hotspots, I wash w Melaseb, pat dry and put the absolute TINIEST dab of Pawpaw ointment on the spot. Warm the ointment tube in your hand so it spreads easier. I tend to use Pawpaw ointment on almost everything with my dogs- callouses, cuts & scratches. And on everything for me too! They can be agreesive little buggers, hotspots, and once had top shave a BIG patch of hair of a show dog. Very bad hair day for that poor puppy. Edited to add: EaglePack, thanks for the reply. No-one said that you were trying to annoy, but pushing a particular largescale commercial enterprise is not appropriate. I'm sure that those who receive your PMs regarding a particular product will take it as the specific advice that you intend.

I had a beautiful pair of vintage Bruno Magli stilettos from the 50's- fit perfectly, great colour,really comfortable- irreplaceable. My two year old boy one night that I was out was left inside in sympathy because it was freezing outside. What a nice mummy I am. I came home to find that he had pulled my stiletto out of the cupboard, chewed the front half of it and then because it obviously hadn't tasted that great, he'd vomited it back up in a nice neat pile. Nearly had a shortened life span that one!!! He has since turned over a new leaf and has a teddy that he has mothered for nearly five years. The girls don't touch it, he just carries it around the house and even keeps it on his bed when he sleeps. If he really likes someone who comes to visit, he proudly presents them with the teddy!! ;)

Lovely words for a lovely boy. I'm really sorry for your loss Allerzeit, I know how painful this can be and I feel for you. RIP Stewie, run free boofy boy :rolleyes:

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your loss of Cassie I too lost my beloved old Rotty girl last November and in a lot of ways she was to me what Cassie was to you. I had numerous life changes- relationship breakups, housing issues and through it all, there was my little best friend at my side, smiling and trying to launch sneak attacks to give me a huge face lick! Don't be too hard on yourself, there will be numerous things that set you off and have you in floods of tears at the drop of a hat. This is normal when you lose someone so close to you and will also be balanced out by the little things that you remember that make you smile. After 6 months, I can honestly say that it does get a little easier. Take care of yourself