Relocating To Sydney

[Danois]

Agree on the Inner West. Start looking early as competition is fierce and prices are high especially for a good place.

Mind you - lower North Shore is not a lot easier.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Danois

[cavNrott]

if I routinely gave them the all round wormer such as Sentinel - every 3 months, I suppose, they are clear of heart worm?

Edit: I mean I do routinely deworm them 3 months once

If you mean Sentinel Spectrum it needs to be given every month to prevent heart worm and all intestinal worms. If you've been giving it only every three months your dogs are not protected against heartworm. If this is the case you need to have your dogs tested at the vets for heartworm before giving any heartworm preventative.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

My choice for best vet clinic in the Inner West would be Annandale Vet...

T.

Yes, I was going to recommend Annandale Vet, or Animal Tracks at Homebush (I have been there many times). Willoughby Vet (nr Chatswood) has also been recommended to me.

I would use Advocate (fleas, heartworm - once tested of course, intestinal worms and lice) on the 1st of every month.

I would get a tick collar, check the length of time it covers and make a note on your calendar. Check your dogs thoroughly in the morning and at night as a few hours can make a big difference to your dog if they get a tick.

Give your dog a tape worm tablet or an all wormer, on the first of every quarter.

Then you'll be all organised!

[ChewieTAG]

They don't need pills unless they get car sick .

Just use common sense when traveling ,if traveling in summer leave early ,make sure there are window shades but good travelers travel well .

Just ensure you have water,bowl & poo bags in the car .

thanks for the tips

yes they are good in car.. doesn't make much fuss and able to sleep too if tired.

[ChewieTAG]

I use sentinel every month for my dog and if I go to a tick area will put Advantix on her a few days before. If you are living in the inner city you should be fine and probably don't need to treat for ticks. Alot of the ticks are in the bush and beach areas so if you are going out to these areas I would be putting on the advantix several days beforehand.

thanks @corinnew ! that's what I really need to know..

I don't want to overdose them with so many different types of meds. And also I am unsure if inner city has higher rate of ticks like the beach and bush areas. I did a search through the forum and seems a lot of ticks info in NSW that is frightening. But it's good to know that as long as they are indoor and not travelling to those areas..... won't be too infested with ticks.

[ChewieTAG]

Inner West is more dog friendly than lower North Shore (Chatswood etc) in my experience, especially when it comes to dog parks, dog friendly parks, dog friendly people, etc but they are vastly different area so it depends what you're looking for.

I've lived in both (currently an Inner Westie, but was a lower North Shorite for ages, in St Leonards).

As for travelling, I've done Sydney to Melbourne with the pugs (the coast rd, so the long way) and I stopped mostly when I got restless, they slept and I had to wake them for pee breaks! I had window shades up for them but found they annoyed my side vision too much and I couldn't see properly, but there are probably better ones - mine were an afterthought we bought on the way.

Flea, tick, heartworm in Sydney, yes. Frontline is pretty much useless here, most vets say the fleas have become immune to it - not sure if that's true but it's rare to find Frontline works on a dog very effectively in metro Sydney.

I use Advantix and Interceptor Spectrum.

Depends on what area you end up in as to vets, and if you want a local vet or happy to travel. Not far from Chatswood is one of the main 24hr/emergency vets in Sydney, SASH. And another in Homebush (ARH) which isn't a huge distance from the Inner West (depending where you are, as the "Inner West" is actually a pretty spread out area).

thanks @minimax this is great information!

I might use Advantix on them - few days before departure just to make sure they are covered and also will see how to go with the heart worm, visiting the vet mid Jan later.

I am willing to travel around for vet if I am in inner west for a good vet. If I am Chatswood, would prefer good vet surrounding that area. I saw some replies saying Willoughby has a good vet..

[ChewieTAG]

Ditto on the microchip thing - go to your local council and pick up a form (make sure you have the right microchip numbers on hand). It takes like 2 seconds and will be in the system in a few weeks.

Fleas and ticks - Advantix every 2 weeks. There have been some cases of Advantix not working for fleas, especially if it's a bad infestation. If that's the case, I recommend Comfortis too. Frontline is useless for ticks and fleas. Even the frontline spray takes a few days to kill ticks which is a long time if we're dealing with an animal with tick paralysis.

As an aside, we're getting looots of complaints about flies these last few weeks. I've found that spraying some Permoxin on the dogs before a walk does wonders to see them off. I like having Permoxin on hand too in case I go bushwalking with the dogs - I give them a heavy spray and it kills all ticks from every life stage. But if you have a cat, don't use that stuff.

I used to live in Nth Sydney and recommend 4 Paws vets if you're living in Chatswood... although that depends on where in the suburb you're located. If you're closer to Willoughby then it's only a short drive, as is the 24hr North Shore vets (in St. Leonards).

There are a few really great dog parks a short drive away from Chatswood - Primrose Park and Tunks. They're unfenced and massive, but a few snakes have been spotted in the vicinity.

flies? wow... so many insects to look out! I am getting paranoid ...

I will google up Permoxin.. pardon my knowledge but this is new to me...

[ChewieTAG]

St Ives show ground also has good off-leash parks. I use Advantix fortnightly and Interceptor.

I know you didn't ask but rentals will be incredibly tight in the Inner West. I'd be looking immediately for a place. Good luck!

Yes the rental did surprised me when I first started searching through Domain and RealEstate website! And so many rental places in inner west has since been taken up as we couldn't get someone to inspect the property during the Xmas season, so hopefully next week we could!

I was hoping to get inner west area however looking at the furnitures and stuff that we will be transporting over, we might need a bigger house, hence Chatswood area or it's surrounding..

thanks

[Brandiandwe]

Depending on your budget and needs you might need to look further afield. Parramatta isn't a bad spot either.

[emgem]

Darling Harbour has fireworks about 5 times a month on average, so some suburbs in the inner west are not great for noise phobic dogs.

[dancinbcs]

If you are travelling the Hume Hwy you won't encounter any tick risk until the Southern Highlands, then there is a break until you get further in than the outer south west. The Southern Highlands have only had ticks for a few years and before that the whole journey was tick free. In Sydney metro, south of the M4 and west of the Cumberland Hwy is tick free until you get to the Nepean River. So make a stop at the Goulburn or the Marulan roadhouses and then not until you get past Pheasants Nest, heading into Sydney. I have never picked up fleas, travelling that route with dogs but do watch carefully for snakes anywhere you stop. I usually stop at a roadside stop somewhere around Benalla/Wangaratta, then at the Dog on the Tuckerbox the northside of Goulburn and finally at Maccas on the south side of Goulburn, when travelling that route with dogs. If your dogs don't normally get carsick it won't be any different to any other car ride and it is a smooth fairly straight road so not likely to make them sick. The coast road is high risk for ticks anywhere east of Wilsons Promontory and the road a lot longer and winding at times.

Advantix is the best for fleas and ticks up here at the moment but it works better from the second dose. I use Frontline if just visiting a tick area for the day but if I was going to live there I would start the dogs on Advantix a bit more than 2 weeks before departure then dose again after two weeks so their second dose is just before the trip. Then they will need to done every two weeks all year round unless you live in the south west and don't take them out of that area.

I wouldn't worry about flies with long haired dogs that live mostly indoors. Flies love short haired dogs. For heartworm and other worms I use Interceptor or Milbemax monthly. Heartguard is also fine monthly. I don't like Sentinel as it doses for more than I need to do. I prefer to stick to minimum chemicals and am thankful to not need tick prevention unless travelling out of my area.

Registration can be done at any council or pound and is lifetime, not annual but you will need an address to register them to. Vets will depend on where you end up settling.

[ChewieTAG]

Darling Harbour has fireworks about 5 times a month on average, so some suburbs in the inner west are not great for noise phobic dogs.

They are not noise phobic but don't want them to be in the future. Thanks for letting me know. Definitely will keep this in mind

[ChewieTAG]

If you are travelling the Hume Hwy you won't encounter any tick risk until the Southern Highlands, then there is a break until you get further in than the outer south west. The Southern Highlands have only had ticks for a few years and before that the whole journey was tick free. In Sydney metro, south of the M4 and west of the Cumberland Hwy is tick free until you get to the Nepean River. So make a stop at the Goulburn or the Marulan roadhouses and then not until you get past Pheasants Nest, heading into Sydney. I have never picked up fleas, travelling that route with dogs but do watch carefully for snakes anywhere you stop. I usually stop at a roadside stop somewhere around Benalla/Wangaratta, then at the Dog on the Tuckerbox the northside of Goulburn and finally at Maccas on the south side of Goulburn, when travelling that route with dogs. If your dogs don't normally get carsick it won't be any different to any other car ride and it is a smooth fairly straight road so not likely to make them sick. The coast road is high risk for ticks anywhere east of Wilsons Promontory and the road a lot longer and winding at times.

Advantix is the best for fleas and ticks up here at the moment but it works better from the second dose. I use Frontline if just visiting a tick area for the day but if I was going to live there I would start the dogs on Advantix a bit more than 2 weeks before departure then dose again after two weeks so their second dose is just before the trip. Then they will need to done every two weeks all year round unless you live in the south west and don't take them out of that area.

I wouldn't worry about flies with long haired dogs that live mostly indoors. Flies love short haired dogs. For heartworm and other worms I use Interceptor or Milbemax monthly. Heartguard is also fine monthly. I don't like Sentinel as it doses for more than I need to do. I prefer to stick to minimum chemicals and am thankful to not need tick prevention unless travelling out of my area.

Registration can be done at any council or pound and is lifetime, not annual but you will need an address to register them to. Vets will depend on where you end up settling.

Thank you so much for the effort in responding! This is very good information. Now we are able to plan our trip better.

Advantix will only work on second dose? In that case will need to purchase it now

Thanks!!

[ChewieTAG]

out of curiosity ... I can find a few threads of Rose Geranium repelling ticks and insects but couldn't find any with test results... anyone tried?

Also found some info in Google and seems like the people who uses it works on human and dogs to repel.

[minimax]

Thank you so much for the effort in responding! This is very good information. Now we are able to plan our trip better.

Advantix will only work on second dose? In that case will need to purchase it now

Thanks!!

Yep, it's recommended that two doses of Advantix on usual schedule is needed for optimum coverage.

[ChewieTAG]

alright we've selected a place in chatswood.

So the best vet around the area? And tick paralysis?

[minimax]

alright we've selected a place in chatswood.

So the best vet around the area? And tick paralysis?

Call local vets for the lowdown on what ticks are like, but I'd definitely be tick-protecting year round just due to the general bushiness of the area.

Can't really help with personal vet recommendations in the area.

[Scottsmum]

Inner West is more dog friendly than lower North Shore (Chatswood etc) in my experience, especially when it comes to dog parks, dog friendly parks, dog friendly people, etc but they are vastly different area so it depends what you're looking for.

I've lived in both (currently an Inner Westie, but was a lower North Shorite for ages, in St Leonards).

As for travelling, I've done Sydney to Melbourne with the pugs (the coast rd, so the long way) and I stopped mostly when I got restless, they slept and I had to wake them for pee breaks! I had window shades up for them but found they annoyed my side vision too much and I couldn't see properly, but there are probably better ones - mine were an afterthought we bought on the way.

Flea, tick, heartworm in Sydney, yes. Frontline is pretty much useless here, most vets say the fleas have become immune to it - not sure if that's true but it's rare to find Frontline works on a dog very effectively in metro Sydney.

I use Advantix and Interceptor Spectrum.

Depends on what area you end up in as to vets, and if you want a local vet or happy to travel. Not far from Chatswood is one of the main 24hr/emergency vets in Sydney, SASH. And another in Homebush (ARH) which isn't a huge distance from the Inner West (depending where you are, as the "Inner West" is actually a pretty spread out area).

In the 15 years I have lived in Sydney I have seen two ticks - and that includes 5 years vet nursing. North Syd does certainly have them so get a good vet sorted ASAP. Learn what to look for and how to deal with them.

SASH are great and not too far from where you'll be.

in terms of my own personal opinion - just get a heart worm injection it's so much easier and you don't have to think about it every month or quarter.

The other good thing in that North Sydney Council is progressive with it's pet laws (set by local councils in NSW) so where Marrickville has about 10 official off leash zones North Sydney has 198. Basically any park or reserve other than sports fields IN USE and areas within 10 meters of children's play equipment are off leash. NB: Chatswood is actually in Willoughby and I can't speak to their exact requirements but ... http://www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/your-neighbourhood/pets/Dog-Ownership/

[dancinbcs]

Inner West is more dog friendly than lower North Shore (Chatswood etc) in my experience, especially when it comes to dog parks, dog friendly parks, dog friendly people, etc but they are vastly different area so it depends what you're looking for.

I've lived in both (currently an Inner Westie, but was a lower North Shorite for ages, in St Leonards).

As for travelling, I've done Sydney to Melbourne with the pugs (the coast rd, so the long way) and I stopped mostly when I got restless, they slept and I had to wake them for pee breaks! I had window shades up for them but found they annoyed my side vision too much and I couldn't see properly, but there are probably better ones - mine were an afterthought we bought on the way.

Flea, tick, heartworm in Sydney, yes. Frontline is pretty much useless here, most vets say the fleas have become immune to it - not sure if that's true but it's rare to find Frontline works on a dog very effectively in metro Sydney.

I use Advantix and Interceptor Spectrum.

Depends on what area you end up in as to vets, and if you want a local vet or happy to travel. Not far from Chatswood is one of the main 24hr/emergency vets in Sydney, SASH. And another in Homebush (ARH) which isn't a huge distance from the Inner West (depending where you are, as the "Inner West" is actually a pretty spread out area).

In the 15 years I have lived in Sydney I have seen two ticks - and that includes 5 years vet nursing. North Syd does certainly have them so get a good vet sorted ASAP. Learn what to look for and how to deal with them.

SASH are great and not too far from where you'll be.

in terms of my own personal opinion - just get a heart worm injection it's so much easier and you don't have to think about it every month or quarter.

The other good thing in that North Sydney Council is progressive with it's pet laws (set by local councils in NSW) so where Marrickville has about 10 official off leash zones North Sydney has 198. Basically any park or reserve other than sports fields IN USE and areas within 10 meters of children's play equipment are off leash. NB: Chatswood is actually in Willoughby and I can't speak to their exact requirements but ... http://www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/your-neighbourhood/pets/Dog-Ownership/

The risk of adverse reactions to heartworm injections is very high. I will never use it after having a dog react badly to it and develop allergies that it has taken me years and thousands of dollars in alternative medicine to get him back to normal. Chatswood is definitely high tick risk so year round treatment every two weeks will be needed. No idea on vets in the area and you won't need SASH or ARH unless you need a specialist for something the normal vet cannot fix. They are MUCH more expensive than normal vets for everything. Hopefully some locals will be able to advise on vets in the area.

[ChewieTAG]

In the 15 years I have lived in Sydney I have seen two ticks - and that includes 5 years vet nursing. North Syd does certainly have them so get a good vet sorted ASAP. Learn what to look for and how to deal with them.

SASH are great and not too far from where you'll be.

in terms of my own personal opinion - just get a heart worm injection it's so much easier and you don't have to think about it every month or quarter.

The other good thing in that North Sydney Council is progressive with it's pet laws (set by local councils in NSW) so where Marrickville has about 10 official off leash zones North Sydney has 198. Basically any park or reserve other than sports fields IN USE and areas within 10 meters of children's play equipment are off leash. NB: Chatswood is actually in Willoughby and I can't speak to their exact requirements but ... http://www.willoughb.../Dog-Ownership/

Thanks @Scottsmum for the link.

I think I won't be getting them out to the park just yet. Perhaps at the cooler seasons. And yes will be having Advantix / Frontline all year round.