Fleas! The flea Collar was Useless. 07/29/2010
 Fleas! OMG! They grow everything bigger and better in Queensland. Reg, Indigo and I were relaxing beside the caravan in the bush, enjoying out first glimpse of blue sky in weeks, as we dried out all the damp things in our caravan and aired all the bedding in full sunshine and I called Indigo over for a cuddle and a groom as she had been enjoying a dust bath under the caravan. I started to rub my hands through her coat as I often do when we are travelling; mostly checking to make sure she has not picked up another tick. I remember 2 years ago getting one heck of a shock when she picked up a bush tick, I was ready to yell for the roadside assistance, because, beaing a northern Victorian, (where we do not have any ticks) I had never seen a tick on a dog and I went into a panic. Anyhow I found fleas on Indigo OMG!, she has NEVER had a flea before. I have always used those drops you place at the back of the neck every month, bought the best and most expensive from the vet and they work. This trip however because I was so worried about ticks, I bought flea and tick collars. The, BayO Pet Kiltix Tick Collar, I used, is supposed to control fleas for 5 months and paralysis tick for 5 weeks so Indigo has been having these replaced every month and here she was suddenly full of fleas. L. I had some flea powder with me, as I had been dusting her down before putting her down on the ground in areas where I was extra concerned about ticks. So I have been dusting her with flea powder, twice a day, combing her with a fine flea comb and killing half a dozen fleas at every go and I have now put one of those once a month flea treatments on her. Tonight put on a new tick and flea collar and fingers crossed we will come to the end of these fleas soon. They grow things bigger and better there in Queensland, this dog flea colony seems to be the most resistant I have known. Yes I know every piece of soft furnishing in the place will require washing, plus the front seat of our car and our mattress will need some sun exposure and time away from the dog to break the cycle and I read the female flea can lay 30 eggs a day, 2,000 eggs in her short 115 day (max.) lifetime. TThe flea can not live more than a couple of days without the host animal. I will be doing close inspections on Indigo twice daily and will try to give her a flea rinse bath tomorrow as well, I sure want her to be free from fleas before we get home. The main reason why any dog gets fleas is because it has associated with other dogs that also have fleas. Indigo spent a lot of time with Reg's fishing mate's dog, just before we left Flying Fish Point and I did not check her until the following day.     Indigo will be excited in the morning when we hitch the caravan to the car, she loves the travel phases of our tours. Lots of new places to investigate, J. Indigo has been travelling with us since she was 7 weeks old and we picked her up from her mum in Queensland. Indigo’s mum was a popular ‘boardie’, on EBay’s Chin Wag, and I fell in love with Indigo on the day she was born, from the pictures of her breeder, placed on chin wag to show friends. I could tell Indigo would have been well nurtured, all the right prenexa pre natal nutrients given to her poodle mum, you can tell when someone is breeding dogs because they love them and that they are not just back yard puppy mills to make money; far too many of those. I had intended to detour and visit Indigo’s breeder in Warwick QLD on our way home and show her the mature 5 year old beautiful Indigo, but a slight change of plans and we will not make it that way this trip, sorry Lyn, if you are reading this, another time hopefully. Hope you are keeping wellJ, I am sure your pets and beautiful granddaughter are keeping you forever young. Indigo, Reg and I send our love. To all Indigo's fans. Indigo will be too busy sniffing all the scents from north Queensland to north Victoria to blog, for just over a week but she will be back blogging about her exciting trip south in very early August and she has an appointment with the best dog clipper in the business :-), Carla's Clipping and Grooming in Narre Warren so expect to see a good looking Indigo, very soon. :-)   My daughter runs a dog grooming business and has worked with all breeds of dogs and has made the educated decision that from the entire dog breeds she knew that the Golden Retriever was the best she could choose as the family pet. It was more than just textbooks decision J, and I know she made the right choice for their family. Kelly has been a dream family member/pet. Mind you, Kelly has brought about far more home changes than any other family member, requiring super efficient vacuum cleaners to be purchased, the laying of tiles through all the family areas of the home, lol, cream the same colour as her undercoat and basic black is not to be seen in the wardrobe of the family members, lol J. Yes expect a few dog hairs, if you own a Golden Retriever and best to not be an EBay clothing seller if you do not want negative feedback saying, ‘garment had dog hairs on it’. lol J. I will stick with our non hair shedding poodle, Indigo J, but I do love a Golden Retriever and agree you could not find a dog with a more gentle friendly personality for a family pet.   Short-Faced Dogs More Likely to Die During Flights New data released has revealed that short-faced dogs are far more likely to die during air travel than breeds with long faces. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has been collecting data from U.S. airlines regarding deaths, injuries and loss of pets during transport since May 2005. The data has revealed that 122 dogs have died while being transported as cargo in the last five years, a number that far exceeds the death of other pets. The number of pets reported lost or injured totaled 88 during the five years in which data was collected. If the number of deaths does not include "unknown" or "mixed breed" dogs, approximately half of the pet dogs that died were short-faced breeds, such as the English Bulldog, Pug, French Bulldog and Staffordshire Terrier. In fact, almost a quarter of all deaths were English Bulldogs, with 25 dogs dying in transit. However, a total of 14 Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers also died during the study period. Short-faced dog breeds - known as "brachycephalic" (literally meaning "short head") in the dog world - have a skull formation that affects their airways. Brachycephalic dogs have been bred to have an upper jaw that is smaller than it should be, relative to their body size. In general, this results in more effort being exerted in order to transfer the same amount of air through the respiratory system. The Department advises owners of short-faced breeds to review this data before shipping them as cargo aboard aircraft and consult their veterinarians about any genetic features in dogs of this type and the medical condition of their pets before deciding to transport them by aircraft. View the latest World Pet News every week at PetPeoplesPlace.com. Original Source: http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/news/dogs/short-faced-dogs-more-likely-to-die-during-flights.htm  San Francisco Considers Banning Sale of Pets An influential commission in San Francisco is likely to recommend that the city bans the sale of pets from pet stores. The San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will vote at it's next meeting on whether to recommend that the city enacts an ordinance that would prohibit the sale of pets by pet stores. While the proposal originally targeted only dogs and cats, other species are likely to be included too, such as hamsters, rats, mice, guinea pigs, chinchillas, other small animals, reptiles, and birds, among others. The Commission stated that the proposed ordinance "is intended to stop the sale of dogs and cats from puppy mills, as well as decrease euthanasia rates of other small animals in city shelters". After significant discussion of the proposal at its last meeting, the Commission declined to act on the proposal but indicated it would be placed on the agenda again for its July 8th, 2010 meeting. While the Commission is only an advisory body, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors value their proposals. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has strongly opposed the proposal, saying that "the potential impact of this proposal goes far beyond the borders of San Francisco as extremists will seek to use such a precedent as a basis to adopt similar restrictions in other jurisdictions". They added that they support the right to keep pets, and the right of pet owners "to have options as to where they obtain their companion animals based on the pet owner's individual circumstances, needs and preferences". The details of the proposal is likely to be defined at their July 8th meting, and PIJAC recommends that pet owners wishing to oppose the proposal attend the meeting to voice their objections. View the latest World Pet News every week at PetPeoplesPlace.com. Original Source: http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/news/general/san-francisco-considers-banning-sale-of-pets.htm by Daphne Reid View Biography  Dog on High. 07/15/2010
 Indigo had a fantastic day. Red did not catch any fish, so Indigo was invited out for a drive and a chicken picnic. Reg took Indigo to the beach to chase little crabs into the water, her favourite game, while I wrote a blog post and got ready for our day out. We stopped at Innisfail and I did bought the cooked chicken for a picnic lunch up in the mountains. I think Indigo and I need to choose a good pair of coach gifts to give Reg, he does an excellent job of nurturing our Indigo J. Here we are at the McHughs lookout in the Atherton Tablelands. Indigo, looking very smug and happy, after a dream day for a dog.  Planning more adventures. 07/10/2010
 Reg and I have made plans to continue visiting scenic areas in the mountain ranges inland of Innisfail in between his fishing and my writing here in the peaceful fishing town of Flying Fish Point. When we venture out on our walks, we are using the dog carry bag a lot when we are unsure if a dog, is allowed, in the area. If we know she is not one of us stays with her in the car. There are a lot of bush turkeys, Indigo would love to chase these so she is best up in the bag. At some of the waterfalls there was no sign saying, you cannot take a dog, so we use the dog shoulder bag and turn indigo into a fluffy handbag. I wonder if we could smuggle her on board a wonderful Royal Caribbean cruise as our handbag, lolJ.  A Guide to Buying a Puppy. 07/07/2010
A Guide to Buying a Puppy. Take your time to plan. Nothing is as adorable as watching puppies playing together, unless it is picking them up and smelling that adorable, puppy breath. J, but do not let emotions lead you into a fast, not well thought out, purchase. You can check out www.puppies-forsale.co.uk for some great advice on choosing your pet from the puppies for sale and here are some of my own suggestions.  Be sure to know where the puppy has come from? What do you know about the breeder? Reg and I purchased Indigo our poodle with confidence, as we already knew Indigo’s breeder was a caring dog lover, not just breeding, for profit, as with puppy farms.There are many unscrupulous puppy breeders, don’t just fall in love with a puppy in a pet shop window and buy on impulse. Many puppies from puppy farms can be, infested, with worms may not have strong bones due to deficient diet and some, fall sick and may die.  Always see a puppy with its mother We looked at photos and sort information about the health and age of Indigo’s dam (mum), her sire, (father), and even other siblings from previous litters. We asked about health traits like blindness, temperament, joint problems and life span of Indigo’s relatives and her care. We went and viewd Indigo with her mother when she was 7 weeks old. Ideally you should see the father too, or at least a photo of him. If the breeder cannot show you the mother or father, you should be suspicious, we were shown many photos and invited to meet the sire, if we wanted to.  Do you have proof of vaccination for the puppy? Make sure you see the vaccination card, do not just accept the breeder’s word that the puppy, has been vaccinated. Be aware that vaccination cards can be a fake. A veterinary surgeon's contact details should be on the card. You can always check with that vet, if the puppy has had the correct vaccinations and if the vet thought the puppy was healthy. Make sure you are aware of when the next vaccination is due and if the puppy has to be kept away from other dogs and for how long before they have full immunity.  Pedigree certificates are no guarantee of good health. They are also not a guarantee that the puppy is the one shown on the pedigree certificate. Buy your puppy from the breeder at the breeder’s place of residence, Do not trust that the puppy will be as presented to you, if the breeder is not prepared to allow you to know where they live. One very common situation is that once a puppy farm has a dog that is too old to breed from it will be offered cheaper than a puppy, and passed off, as an 18 month old to 3 year old dog, when in fact, the dog is old and worn out from over breeding and has only a short lifespan, left. Older dogs tend to need more veterinary, care and involve more expense. I have actually ‘fallen’, for that trick, brought a supposed 3 year old dog into the home as a family pet to have her die of old age, in less than 18 months. Again, we ‘sort of knew we had been duped’, the teeth and grey hair and sedate manner of the dog, told us she was an old dog, but as dog lovers, we took pity on the dog and gave her a good home and love, anyhow.  Do not buy a puppy out of pity for its condition. Caring for a sick puppy can be an expensive and heartbreaking thing to do. I know, I have done it. My daughter, paid, $400. with our OK, for a sick dog to save it’s life, we did, at great expense, the dog went blind, then insane and finally died at only 18 months of age, leaving me in tears. I should have reported the owner for cruelty to animals and left it to the authorities to deal with. Well some of us are, 'soft touches', but t is not a wise thing to do to bring a sick dog into the family as a pet. There are some wonderful, healthy puppies, like our Indigo was J from good breeders who would bring the family more joy and less expense and turn into a wonderful four legged family member like Indigo is to us, now. Choose the right puppy, after a lot of prior planning and research and you will have a wonderful family memberJ. The pictures are of Indigo as a puppy. Dog owner takes dachshund scuba-diving 07/06/2010
I was most concerned about this story. The dog owner should, have been prevented, from doing this, not encouraged with press photos :-(. I understand a little about scuba diving, having done it, and know there are risks as well as pleasure involved. For a dog, I see only risk and a selfish owner treating a dog, cruelly to publicise his business and ego. I can remember when I first when scuba diving being terribly embarrassed by the amount of weights I had to tie around my middle to weigh me down in the water, because I had a higher fat percentage of weight in my body than the average scuba diver. I could hardly walk on dry land because of the weights and I wished I had of had time to organize losing abdominal fat . My daughter had problems with her ears after scuba diving. I went scuba diving a few times but I far preferred snorkelling and feel there are less risks involved. What do you think of this news story?  ANY dachshund owner knows the feisty breed rarely backs off from a challenge, but one in Russia is taking that reputation to new heights - or depths. The dog, named Boniface, is learning how to scuba dive. Owner Sergei Gorbunov, a professional diver in the Pacific Coast city of Vladivostok, has had a diving suit complete with helmet made for the dog and is teaching him the tricks of his trade. In a recent demonstration, Boniface barked eagerly as Mr Gorbunov readied the equipment and uncomplainingly endured being hung upside-down as Mr Gorbunov fitted the suit on him. Once underwater, he seemed to have a different outlook, emitting some high-pitched whines. Mr Gobunov says, "Underwater, I don't think he experiences any stress." Read more: Dog owner takes Dachshund, scuba-diving. 1 Million Stray Dogs In Iraq To Be Culled. 07/04/2010
 As a dog lover, an animal lover, this story sounds almost unimaginable. 1 Million Stray Dogs In Iraq To Be Culled Iraq's chief veterinarian has told news agencies that authorities intend to kill up to 1 million stray dogs in Baghdad alone. During the rule of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's authorities sent veterinary teams out to kill stray dogs on a nightly basis. Since the fall of his regime, for several years the lack of security and threat of violence has prevented these teams from patrolling Iraq's capital Baghdad. During this time, the stray dog population has exploded to the point where almost 1 million stray dogs are thought to be living in the capital alone - a population density that is the equivalent to Washington, D.C., having almost 100,000 stray dogs roaming the streets. Locals are blaming the dogs for an increase in litter and animal waste around the capital's streets, as well as increase in disease among humans and domestic animals. Now, as violence on the streets subsides, authorities have begun trying to tackle the over-population problem again. Twenty 4-person teams are now in action every night, consisting of 2 vets and 2 armed marksmen. As dogs are shot or poisoned, they are loaded into tractor trailers in their masses and transported to Baghdad's refuse tip. This "public service" is costing the mayor's office 35 million Iraqi dinars ($30,000). The process of reducing the stray dog population to a "manageable" level is expected to take approximately a year. "We could consider this the biggest campaign of dog execution ever," Baghdad chief veterinarian Mohammed al-Hilly told Reuters. He said the campaign had so far killed 42,000 dogs since it started two months ago - of which more than half were poisoned. "This can be considered a victory," he continued. The local authorities are not the only organization attempting to tackle the stray dog population. "Operation Baghdad Pups" is a program run by the SPCA International, in which U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan befriend local animals as a way to help cope with the emotional hardships they endure every day while deployed in a war zone. The Operation Baghdad Pups program provides veterinary care and coordinates complicated logistics and transportation requirements in order to reunite these beloved pets with their service men and women back in the U.S. View the latest World Pet News every week at PetPeoplesPlace.com. Original Source: http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/news/dogs/1-million-stray-dogs-in-iraq-to-be-culled.htm | Kathy Shell on Facebook If you enjoy Indigo's blog, would you please vote for her blog in the link below. :-), Thank you
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