Carolk9s

[quote name='Jacsmom']Okay so you prevent them from reaching maturity..... Why does the site say that it is in the system or rather..... These drugs are given monthly (30 days) for the convenience of giving on the same day each month and also to give you a safety margin. If you forget to give your dog his/her heartworm medication, you have about 15 days to remember to give it and the dog will still be protected. That is where I am lost!! :-?[/quote] I'm just guessing here, I imagine Hobbit will have a more reliable answer. I believe the 15 day 'grace' period indicates that any worms present in the dogs system will not have matured to the point of dying and shedding thereby clogging the heart with the time period. Perhaps they are assuming the dog was infected the within a day or two of the previous dose and the worms reach the stage of harmful proportions after 45 days?

My understanding of heartworm meds from my vet is this. The medication does not prevent heartworms, it prevents heartworm disease. The dog can be exposed to heartworms over and over by being bit by an infected mosquito. When we dose the dog with the heartworm meds each month, it KILLS any resident heartworms. This cycle can continue month after month. By killing resident heartworms on a monthly basis, it prevents DISEASE which would result as the heartworms grew and multiplied. I am speaking of heartgard and interceptor here, there may be other meds that act differently. And, if anyone has conflicting info to the above that they can provide with backup, please post it.

Lets see, favorites: fleece toys with squeakers, rope toys with stuffed toys attached w/squeakers, regular stuffed toys with squeakers, grunty hedgehog, balls for me to throw, then dog runs like mad, picks up ball, then drops ball so I can get some exericse too! :) Limited appeal, wiggly giggly bone, jingle balls, plain rope toys. Lost interest quickly in kong toy, which naturally is the one closest to indestructible. Mine also seem to know the Petsmart bag and try hard to get into it before I even get it in the house. Rope toys last a good while but I do watch for dogs chewing off strings and eating them. Now when practicing agility with Candy, she is a ball maniac, she is so wired up for agility I have to let her burn off some of that buzz plus it adds more fun to the practice.

I's confused, I dont see any pictures?

I too can relate, when its one of your own, so many thoughts and concerns race around your mind, you want to do the absolute best you can, minimize any risks, and just hug your baby! Best wishes to you and Loki.

Lyn, so sorry to hear about Loki's tail troubles! How old is Loki? Just my thoughts, if he's a youngster, perhaps redocking the tail would be kinder in the long run? If he has many many years ahead of re-injuring his poor tail along with the possibilities of infection could cause far more pain over all. Redocking will certainly cause some pain but with proper pain meds and time it should heal properly for him. Just my thoughts, don't know all the ins and outs of tail docking, hope a solution is found for you and Loki.

I have a leetle tiny question. Least I hope its leetle and tiny. Just out of curiosity, fed a dog raw chicken necks that had been hard frozen, thawed in fridge, dipped in boiling water briefly. Oh yes, dog had had raw chicken before with no problems seen. Dog crunched and munched his way through 2-3 chicken necks. Smacked his lips and wanted more. Did not get more. Other two dogs also had some chicken necks. 9-10 HOURS later 1st dog vomited partially digested chicken necks behind couch. YUM. Still (barely) recognizable as chicken necks. Other two dogs fine and very interested in what dog#1 was 'throwing away'. Tried giving dog raw chicken necks the following week, same result. I always thought dog digestion was quicker than that. Any ideas why this happened so long afterwards? BTW, dogs no longer get raw chicken at all.

Hey K, is the door leading outside a screen type door? Perhaps to solve the problem of the door getting left open you can put a tensioning bar at the top to pull the door closed automatically. Plus, to allow the dogs to come back in, nail or screw a hunk of rope or something similar to the outside of the door and teach the dogs to pull on the rope to open the door! :D

[quote name='gigishiba']We've got the doggy door so they can come and go as they please (fenced in yard) except at night time. Once we go to bed, they are locked in...oh, and on rainy days. Then they are locked in too.[/quote] DITTO! :D I have to keep Candy in when it rains because she will go in/out in/out over and over. Plus she will roll around in the wet grass just because she likes to then want to run inside and roll on the bed! Hm, self bathing? :lol:

Great story Sasha, Smokie was lucky--or did she VERY carefully select your mom to follow home 8) Sometimes it really does seem as though an animal 'picks' the right person.

Rowie, how is your baby? Um, regarding the Vicks, did your vet say it ok to put on her skin? I'm afraid if her skin is super tender it might be irritated by the Vicks. Plus you certainly don't want to put it too near the incision, I'd worry about irritation there also. How is she doing now? How are you doing?

Thanks all, a little background on the animals. My sisters (at the time) fiancee bought her the Saint as a puppy from a pet store. :x Kinda pissed my mother off but she didn't want to blast the guy after the fact. My mom and my aunt had already been kicked out of Dokters (sp?) Pet stores for warning people where the pups came from. We were not sure Freckles was purebred Saint, she was somewhat small for a Saint although she could send any of us flying by doing a run-by body slam. She was a great good natured dog for the most part, neighborhood kids would come over to play with her, she was always gentle with them. She'd make up for that by running her family down in the yard later. :D She did snap at my mom ONCE. Silly mom was trying to get Freckles to come inside the house, it was late and our dogs never spent the night outside. Freckles ran into the dog house, didn't want to come in. Mom reached in to take her collar, Freckles snapped at her. Mom was MAD now, reached back in, Freckles opened her mouth, mom grabbed dogs tongue and pulled her out of the doghouse. Freckles never tried to bite again and spent the next day kissing up to mom. Stinky the cat loved to hang out with the dogs. He spent time up on the doghouse basking in the sun alongside either Freckles or Pepper. He and Pepper-a mixed breed with who knows what in him, used to literally roll around the living room floor in mock battle. Pepper would poke Stinky in the hiney with his nose, Stinky would wrap his paws around Peppers head and play bite. They never hurt each other and after playing would snooze side by side. Perhaps Stinky was confused as to his species? :lol: Anyone else has photos and stories of the pets that helped shape your childhood? Would love to see them!

Sometimes it can be really difficult to know which dog will be most protective. I have 3 dogs, I would have expected my belgian to be the most 'in tune' with me in regards to looking out for me. Perhaps in a truly threatening situation he would be. What I have seen is that my sweet, gentle, kind, calm girl Brittany is the one who will leap to my defense in a flash! OK, a little clarification, I am referring to when other dogs want to play roughly with or near me. She will quickly put herself between me and other dog or dogs and drive them away. She's not even nasty about it, seems to jolly them on their way. She then looks over her shoulder at me with a grin on her face. Sorry, this is probably way off topic, its late, I'm tired and could not resist. :D

Last time I was home, my mom found this OLD photo of our St. Bernard and the cat who loved dogs. The dog is Freckles aka Freckle Fathead and the cats name was Stinky. He was an intact male, so the name fit! This photo is over 25 years old so the quality aint great but I hope you get a smile from it. [img]http://members.toast.net/agilk9s/Freckles_and_Stinky.JPG[/img]

[quote name='Anonymous']I am a friend of the person who wrote the original megdog post, and I was so upset with the replies I read, that I joined just to write to you people, and say that firstly the dog is 3 years old and this is not her first season, but her first time of breeding. [b]Was not clear in original post, questions were asked what was meant by 'first time'.[/b] Secondly this person has taken the dog to the vet four times in the last month to discuss breeding with them. [b]Then why is megdog asking these questions on a dog board that may or may not have the answers the vet should be providing?[/b] Thirdly megdog already has two people lined up with stud border collies who have breed before. Fourthly megdog, is more than financial able to care proper care of mum and pups and lives on a rural property, and has already lined up some resonsible dog owners of near by farms that would be interested in buying a pup. And thirdly many years ago megdog had a rough collie that had pups, and cared for them responsibly and had no trouble selling them, it is just the first time with this dog. I understand that the post was worded badly as it sounded like her first season, but it is not!! [b]Yes, their post WAS worded badly, that is what we had to work with and that is what we based our responses on. [/b] It is just the first time breeding. These people have owned dogs all there life and are animal lovers. They have all taken good care of there pets, and are not the sort of people who would enter this decision lightly.This is also the first message board megdog has ever joined since owning a computer and was nervous doing it as the technology is new to them. The question was a way of breaking ice and getting to know people. I am sure they have now been put off message boards for life!! SO GET A LIFE AND STOP BEING SO RUDE UNLESS YOU KNOW THE FULL STORY! :mad: [b]The 'full' story was actually requested. [/b] These accusations are extremely hurtful and untrue. [b]WHAT ACCUSATIONS WERE MADE? Please point them out from the above posts.[/b] I think you owe my friends an apology - If I were them I would nt come back!!!![/quote][b][/b][b] No apology here, the question asked by megdog sounds like it came from a young person with VERY LITTLE knowledge of breeding. No one slammed him/her in my opinion. Gee, I think YOU need to get a life and reread the posts in reply to Megdog, NO ONE ACCUSED him/her of anything, all offereded advice and answers, thats all. I even requested that megdog provide more info so a more detailed response could be made. [/b]

OK, here we go. Her first time? Do you mean her first season? Why (oh why) do you want to breed her? Who do you plan on breeding her to? Another border collie? How old is the intended stud dog? Are you going to keep all the puppies and care for them always? To answer your question, some females will be willing to breed when their internal time is right, some won't. NOT intending to be mean but it really sounds like you have a LOT to learn before venturing into the breeding of any dogs. It should not be entered into lightly or with little information. The short list includes: The health and age of your female. What health checks has she had and PASSED. Is she a pet? A showdog? A working dog? Same for the intended stud. How many puppy homes do you have lined up? How many will still actually want a puppy once they are born? How will the puppies live? In loving homes? Working homes? Will you be able and willing to take a pup back if the home does not work out? Why don't you provide more info like how she is, what makes her so very special that you want to breed her, perhaps risk her life, bring more puppies into an already overcrowded pet world?

Mei-mei, you do have a good point there, when Jesse was a youngster, he was rail thin, if not for his long coat his ribs would have shown also. His backbone was truly in evidence. At the time, I thought I was doing the best I could for him feeding him 8 cups of dry a day plus canned food. Its still horrid that these dogs are on heavy logging chains of course but the thinness of Sadie 'COULD' have be less than cruelty.

[quote name='Jacsmom'] People get e coli but not everyone so do you stop eating meat....[b]did you know that in your lifetime you will swallow 10 spiders in your sleep[/b]?? so do you stop sleeping??? In a can of vegetables there are numerous bug parts (they allow so many bug parts) so do you stop eating??? :wink:[/quote] EXCUSE ME???? OH JACSMOM, DIDYA HAVE TO DO THAT? :changes: Don'tcha know in some ways ignorance REALLY is bliss? EEWW, spiders while I'm sleeping :cry:

By the way, Elle has a beautiful soulful expression, very pretty girl!

Well I'm drawing on stuff I've read so I hope some of it helps. While you female is in season, she might be moody, happy, cranky, playful, shy, outgoing etc etc! Each one differs in how they react to these hormonal fluctuations. If she 'just wants to be alone', allow her some space. If she wants to cuddle and seek assurance from you, by all means cuddle and love on her. If previously perfectly trained, she may have some lapses, both in obedience and housetraining. You can get some doggie underwear or 'bitches britches' probably at a pet store to keep things a bit cleaner around the house. You may need to confine her to a specific portion of the house, perhaps a tiled floor area such as the kitchen? That will keep the spots off the furniture or rugs. Of huge importance, and please don't think I'm assuming you don't already know this, she is to NEVER go outside by herself OR off leash while in season, I would count on being by her side and on the lookout for males for the next 4 weeks. In fact, unless you will be showing her and perhaps breeding her, why not get her spayed as soon as she is done with her season so the both of you do not have to go through this again? Will make both your lives SO MUCH EASIER! :D

Chows are STUBBORN by nature. I think it will be much easier on you if you convince her that it's fun and in HER best interest to go along with you. Not that she always will anyway, she's a chow! :D Here is a quote from the site [url]http://www.chow-chow-dogs.com/[/url] "The Chow Chow is usually well mannered, but can be willful and protective. Common traits include being bossy, serious and very independent. They can be self-willed to the point of obstinacy. Often a one-person dog, they are very loyal to their family, even though he may act reserved, even with their family. They may become aggressive if strangers push themselves on this dog. A dominant owner is required for this domineering breed. If a handler is a calm person who is naturally fair and firm, the Chow Chow can develop well. However, do not expect great obedience from Chow Chows. They are born stubborn and with minds of their own. These dogs are certainly not stupid and they can learn, but they must see the point of your command. It is important to be consistent at all times. Some experts claim the shorthaired Chow is more active and learns faster than the longhaired. "

Darn it, second time I've had to login today, above post from Guest referring to Candy is me!

Good answer Gordonmom, I think you pretty much covered it. When I brought Candy home from the SPCA to foster her, she had kennel cough. Didn't start hacking until the following night, took her to my vet and he confirmed it. Poor girl was so run down I was pretty worried about her. She did recover, she was on a cough suppressant, an antibiotic and was finally getting fed properly. I was somewhat concerned about my two adult dogs, but neither was affected by it. They were NOT up to date on their bordatella vacs and like Gordonmom said, even with the vac there are multi strains so the vac may not help. Here in Richmond, bordatella vac is recommended twice a year but even then the 'protection' it offers varies during the 6 month period. Mine do get that vac once a year, Jesse has not had ANY shots for almost two years now as he is older. He will get his rabies shot when it's due and of course stays on heartworm disease prevention but his days of getting the whole cocktail of vacs are over.

OK, just a bit more, I wanted to add, the recent gastrits Jesse had was the FIRST time he had ever been sick in his 11 years. I'm not even sure if the formula change caused it as he's been doing just fine since recovering. I take my dogs to a huge open field to run and play with other dogs, it's quite possible he found some not so edible 'treat' discarded by someone and that caused his stomach upset. Other than his low thyroid, which is not uncommon in belgians, his visits to the vet over the years were for shot updates, teeth cleanings and once he broke a toenail all the way back to his foot pad. Brittany has never been sick, as a younger dog, she did have some seasonal allergies which caused a rash on her belly, she's apparently outgrown that as it has not happened for over 3 years now. She only had the rash in the fall so I don't believe it was related to her food.

I respect Newiemoms research and data but I have to throw in some comments here. Well this is longer than originally planned, be forewarned! :P Many many dogs will do just fine and quite well on the 'average' commercial food. If you are feeding for certain goals, like IMPROVING the health due to a problem seen, increasing performance and/or stamina, feeding a pregnant or nursing bitch, etc, you might need to consider an 'ultra premium' food. Certainly if your dog seems to be doing poorly or has skin problems, hair coat problems or others that point towards their diet, again look at a possible upgrade in the food. On the other hand, if your dog seems to be thriving on the food you are feeding, don't be too quick to make a change. Do make sure to check the dates on each bag, when you open the bag, make sure you view it for anything that doesnt' look right, such as molds or stuff in there that just does not belong, smell the food, if it smells weird or bad, it probably is. Sift some of the food through your hand, it should not feel excessively greasy, certainly should not be dirty. Store the food properly, if dry, keep it dry and away from sources of heat. Store it in a container to prevent any critters such as bugs or rodents from getting into the food and contaminating it. While there can be significant savings by buying a huge bag, buy the appropriate size bag so the food is not sitting around after being opened for more than a month. The premium and ultra premium foods can be very pricey, I freely admit I am TIGHT with my dollars, as a single person with a mortgage and all the other bills, I have to be. I have made the decision to go with a food change as I feel it is in the best interest of the dogs. I'll add, after seeing what this change will cost, my first feeling, as a tightwad, was shock. :fadein: I've moved past that and will go forward only because of the gastritis Jesse experienced recently. Until Pro Plan altered their formula, both of my older dogs were doing quite well on it. Brittany still is, she's 8.5, has a lovely coat, bright eyes, boundless energy and is at an excellent weight. When Jesse was younger and we were going from agility trial to agility trial, he was on Science Diet and it worked very well for him. He was both physically AND mentally sound, had a blast running the courses and the vet was generally impressed with his overall health. Candy is still doing fine on Pro Plan adult, I will switch her too so at least the foods being eaten by all 3 dogs will be by the same maker. Candy is also a performance dog, heck knows she already runs circles around me so she does not need more energy but I'll see if this change aids in any improvement for her. To boil it down, if it aint broke, and make sure it aint first, don't go fixing it.