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skycat

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Everything posted by skycat

  1. skycat
    The only problem with Isathal, formerly known as Fucithalmic ointment is that it contains an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. It should only be used when there is a bacterial infection, and be used as directed: similar to an oral course of antibiotics. Using it just occasionally for a day or so can lead to bacterial resistance. As a daily or frequent eye cleaner salt water would be better, or something like Goldeneye which is available from a chemist and is used for minor irritations, inflammation etc.
  2. skycat
    There is something called Collie Nose, which is a type of immune system failure: may well not be, but it is more common than people think, and isn't just confined to Collies. It doesn't necessarily cause massive problems, but can make a dog's nose more likely to sunburn, which is why it is more noticeable in summer. Have a read: http://dawgbusiness.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/collie-nose-discoid-lupus-erythematosus.html
  3. skycat
    I've had things like that happen to me a few times. Once, I was supposed to be going coursing with a friend a bit of a drive away in Suffolk. I got on to the motorway and had a really bad feeling. Couldn't go on. Turned round came home and my then partner went in my place: the friend was only allowed to invite one other person on his permission. That day my partner's dog got killed on a country lane coursing a hare. Did I know something was going to happen? How could I have? I felt really bad that his dog got killed when it should have been mine: or is that just silly feeling like that? Whate
  4. skycat
    This might sound a bit fanciful, but as someone who suffers from chronic sinus problems, I've learned that a low grade intolerance to certain cereals (gluten) can cause sinus, and hence nasal congestion. Now it probably sounds mad to transpose this to dogs, but I've also noticed that my dogs used to do what they call 'reverse sneezing' before they were fed on raw food. Since being on raw, and on food that doesn't contain any wheat, they don't do this any more. Reverse sneezing is seen in dogs suffering from allergies, and is also seen as an attempt to clear the nasal passages and sinuses. Not
  5. skycat
    A responsible breeder would get any pups jabbed if they weren't in their new homes by 8 weeks. Maternal immunity varies a lot from pup to pup and litter to litter, but many will have lost that immunity by the age of 12 weeks. When you factor in the stress of moving to a new home, that weakens the immune system, and lays the pup open to any of the many bugs that there might be floating around in the new environment. Having said that, she was almost definitely exposed to the virus where she was bred as the incubation period is from between 3 - 7 days. Parvo is a particularly nasty gastroenterit
  6. skycat
    Owning and caring for dogs is a huge learning curve. We all go to the vets to begin with, for things that in later years we treat ourselves, having gained knowledge and experience. I'd far rather advise someone to take their dog to the vet rather than mess about with something they don't understand or know about. In this case, the abscess may have been due to a blocked salivary gland, or it may have come up as a result of a foreign object getting embedded in the side of the mouth: who knows? Certainly not the owner, and obviously not the vet either. The only problem with filling a dog with ant
  7. skycat
    What a shame. Looks more like an Aesculapian Snake to me. They are the only European constrictor. I met a couple when I lived in the south of France. One was well over 5 feet in length. Beautiful animal.
  8. skycat
    Just looking at the photo again, and they are all very much of a size. Obviously the wet ones haven't had time to plump out yet, but if all 13 are pretty close in size it says a lot for the health of the bitch and how she has been looked after
  9. skycat
    Well done that bitch, but 13??? Many years ago one of my bitches had 14, 2 died shortly after birth, but she reared 12 just fine, and looked as fat as a pudding all the way through. Plenty of red meat, chicken carcases, breast of lamb, natural whole milk yoghurt. And yes, she did need calcium supplements too: watch for signs of excessive panting, shaking, wobbling: indicates low calcium levels in body. Whilst I reared that whole litter, I've never since reared that many pups: partly for the bitch's sake, partly because so many pups need massive amounts of milk and not all do as well as the
  10. skycat
    Strange too that apparently he has voted many times in the H of L, despite suffering from dementia: small wonder the country is f***ed.
  11. skycat
    Robert Meek is much much better. And he only charges £10. Here's a link to a list of muscle and bone men: http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/304012-useful-numbersvets-muscle-men/
  12. skycat
    Shame that wasn't it Gripper. Lovely thing to look at, and such strong legs and feet. Sadly some dogs are just born with crossed wires.
  13. skycat
    http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=150739 Apparently I was wrong; they don't feed again after winter.
  14. skycat
    Darcy: have you ever managed to successfully breed Fox Moths? Many years ago, (many, many many years ago actually) me and my dad tried: he was a keen naturalist. The caterpillars hibernate as caterpillars before feeding up again and pupating in summer, but they are very difficult to keep alive over winter in vivariums or whatever. Or they were then!
  15. skycat
    It's a society on the slippery slope to rock bottom when people care more about their appearance than their health.
  16. skycat
    Small steps in your eyes, giant steps for the pup. He doesn't completely trust you yet, but his hunger is overcoming his fear, and soon your smell will be linked forever in his mind with eating, trusting and feeling good. Don't rush him, let him make the first move. And don't forget to talk to him all the time you are with him, ALL the time. Just chat away about anything/tell him he's a good dog, how beautiful he is ... and MEAN it: sincerity warms the voice. Just talk in a low, pleasant tone of voice. Don't be twitchy or worried about anything yourself: he'll know it straight away. Is he
  17. skycat
    If you allow the dogs to run loose then they'll stand a much better chance of catching, even so, day time rabbits are seldom far from home, and I'd imagine that you've managed to educate these particular bunnies quite well by now only slipping your dogs. Given time and practice your dogs may manage to catch them by the sneak and creep technique, but it may take them longer to learn how to hunt if they've never had the opportunity to learn whilst very young.
  18. skycat
    Another very sad story of a pup that has never been socialised, and probably worse, has never been handled either: just had food, what there was of it, chucked into a pen. The pup has no idea that humans can be good, fun and necessary to its life. The person who bred this pup shouldn't be allowed to even own a goldfish. Keep hand feeding the pup. ONLY hand feed it. If the pup is in a kennel and run go and sit with it in the run. Sit on the ground. Offer a small bit of food on your open palm and lay your hand on the ground. Don't look at the pup. Treat it as though you are trying to tam
  19. skycat
    Couldn't agree more. I haven't been for years, but even then, around 15 years ago, the prices were stupid, not to mention all the stands that had nothing to do with country sports. Once again the organisers are creating a 'them and us' divide between those with silly amounts of money and ordinary working folk. How can country sports people ever stand shoulder to shoulder when those divides push us further and further apart?
  20. skycat

    Snipe

    skycat replied to tb25's topic in Lurchers & Running Dogs

    What a wonderful life that dog had. And thanks to his owner for sharing some of his doings with us on here.
  21. skycat
    If you are going to get her spayed wait until she has had her first season. That way she will be physically and emotionally mature. Although I don't get my own bitches spayed I can understand why it might be easier for someone with just one dog not to have to deal with the hassle, especially if the bitch lives in the house. IMO spaying is a better option than continually suppressing a heat twice a year with hormones injections or tablets.
  22. skycat
    I've often wondered the same. I wonder if they get disturbed or realise that it's not a safe place to build a nest then they abandon it: or could be they get eaten by something themselves? Either way, I don't take chances these days having nearly died from anaphylactic shock a couple of years ago from one sting. You never become immune to wasp venom, and the more you are stung the more severe the reaction. When I did pest control a long time ago I'd get stung a few times a year, then gradually over the years the reaction got worse and worse. If I get stung now on the foot, my whole foot and lo
  23. skycat
    The queen wasp builds a tiny little nest like this, often using wood which she chews from fences, old logs etc, lays the fertilized eggs she's hibernated with inside her all winter, and out come (eventually after the grub stage) little baby cute wasps, who carry on the job of building the nest which gets bigger and bigger and bigger until it can get to 2-3 feet in diameter and by then you have hundreds of wasps rushing around your shed, house and garden all desperately looking for food to feed the next generation of grubs. Get rid of it now before you are inundated with wapsies.
  24. skycat
    Brilliant!
  25. skycat
    I read that it was illegal to hunt with sight hounds in Holland as well.
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