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RE: Our 12 crazy days of the holidays (9 days till pups)
Do extra large litters arrive sooner than normie sized litters? And are some of the pups smaller? Years ago, a golden retriever down the street whelped 16 purebred pups and the first was born outside in the cold as they hadn't been expected for a few more days. I believe they all survived, too.
I'm not sure about timing, but the variability in size has mostly to do with blood supply from the placenta. Two puppies adjacent with the placentas close together may not get the blood supply and nutrients that one all by itself.
The largest litter I've personally seen was a C-section I did just after graduating, Irish Setter - 13 puppies. It seemed like they would never stop coming.
Doug, DVM
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dturm
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12/23/09 02:58pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Road to Elkhart this time of year
John,
I would recommend you plan to stay away from Lake Michigan (I-80/90 and I-94) by driving into Elkhart from the south. Traffic is more of a pain on US-31 but much less chance of lake effect snow.
Be sure to check the weather before the last leg of your trip.
Really good advice. You might not even get info on lake effect snows (the weather stations tend to gloss over the severity), but it's not ususual to get white out conditions for several miles depending on wind direction and speed.
Doug
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dturm
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12/23/09 10:12am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Polluting pets
I never thought I'd see it ... political slant to a thread on the pet stop :(
You can use statistics to "prove" just about anything you want. I found the statement disturbing:
"Likewise, dogs decrease biodiversity in areas they are walked, while their faeces cause high bacterial levels in rivers and streams, making the water unsafe to drink, starving waterways of oxygen and killing aquatic life."
There was a study I heard about last year where the listed the least e.coli polluted and closed public beaches in the US and many were dog beaches, at least beaches where dogs were allowed. The old story has always been that the dogs poop and pee on the beach leading to e.coli levels going up. "Now" they theorize that having dogs on the beach chase away birds, the major source of e.coli contamination on beaches.
A major source of CO2 in the environment has and will be animal/meat production. Until there is a way to find a reasonable source of protein for human diets, there shouldn't even be a discussion.
Heard a guy on the radio the other day discussing the whole global warming issue, very interesting. He wasn't convinced that man's contribution to CO2 emissions were really causing the warming effect, but he conceded the premise and had the opinion that we're attacking the problem wrong.
To reduce carbon emissions will have a drastic effect on the way of life, and put unreasonable burdon on people and economies. Until we figure energy substitutes, we should focus our attention on ways to cool the earth and he had some far out ideas. One was:
Putting cloud cover over 3% of the oceans would counteract the warming we have now. Put a fleet of solar powered boats in the ocean which would spray a mist in the air causing clouds -> reflecting sunlight -> reducing ocean temps. Completely reversible, cheap and immediate.
Gives you pause to consider
Doug
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dturm
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12/23/09 06:36am |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Hero Dog
I think almost every dog would have the ability to smell the burning and hear the popping. What I find amazing is that she was able to REASON that this was a problem and serious enough that she was persistent about getting you to respond. That is truly awesome. I agree a real hero.
Doug
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dturm
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12/22/09 02:22pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Our 12 crazy days of the holidays (9 days till pups)
OMG, xrays suggest Bette has 9-11 pups!!!!!!!!
OMG is right. Very glad I didn't have to count them in the XRay - seems like that would be easy, but one of the more difficult tasks, there is always something hiding under or mixed up with something else.
Show us pix of the kitchen progress (assuming you have any time :)).
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dturm
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12/22/09 02:16pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: I think us southern Californians are weather wimps
Loved your story!! While we camp in rain and snow (though this wimp has a limit of about 10 degrees above during the winter), I don't think anyone who can live in an area with fires, mudslides and earthquakes and not have a load in their britches should be considered a wimp, weather or otherwise.
Doug
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dturm
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12/22/09 04:47am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Central IL to Myrtle Beach
Have driven both and the mountains west of Chattanooga on I24 are a little steeper and longer than I40 through the mountains there. Our friends from out west will laugh at us calling them mountains :), but for those of us from the plains, they are impressive. I don't find them challenging for our gas motorhome towing a car. Getting around and through Atlanta is more of a challenge.
Doug
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dturm
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12/21/09 05:26pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Lumpy update
That's really sad, but glad he got to take the final trip with you. I bet the golf cart will seem empty without him.
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dturm
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12/21/09 09:27am |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Lost my Timmie today
So very sorry about Timmie. Chronic diseases can be tough as it seems sometimes every body system gives out at the same time, everything stops working as it should. I know you had his best interests in mind when deciding.
We all have rainbow bridge family members greeting Timmie and playing with him now.
Doug
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dturm
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12/20/09 05:22am |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Labrador (Salmon) Retriever!
Hey Lab, just load Hershey up with glucosamine and the pain pill and she'll be right in there getting those salmon.
Mine are too refined :) they wait for dad to flip his bluegill into the boat then go after it.
Doug
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dturm
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12/18/09 03:51pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Happy holidays to the Pet Stop and Gang
Thanks for sharing Little Anns story with us. The holidays always seem to be bitter sweet, a little sad missing those who have passed and the normal joy of the season and family gatherings.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
Megan, Sandy and Doug
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dturm
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12/18/09 03:47pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Vet recommendation in Laughlin?
I have people do that when they feel comfortable with it and they have some experience evaluating a suture line and they will be out of town.
I usually like to see the wound to make sure it has healed enough to safely remove the sutures.
I have a couple of classmates from vet school who were in Las Vegas, a little trip from Laughlin though.
Doug, DVM
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dturm
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12/17/09 12:25pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Surgery again....
Megan sends her best and is a bit jealous of the stylish gold vetrap bandage. All dad ever uses on her is black :(.
Doug
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dturm
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12/17/09 07:42am |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Supplement question…
I probably wouldn't combine multiple products - at least at their higher doses. Even if Harlee had been on the Synovi-G3, there probably would be times that she'll need an anti-inflammatory/pain med periodically.
Doug, DVM
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dturm
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12/16/09 08:18pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: advice from florida to elkhart-January
Made the trip many times...relatives. Interstaes 75 to ATL>Chatt>Nash>Louisville>Indy then 31N to the 20 bypass to Elkhart. Usually pretty clear, just watch the weather channel. :)
Ditto, without the relatives, I just live in NW Indiana. Watch the weather and don't fight the storms, the road crews are great and usually get and keep the roads clear quickly after storms the further north you get.
Even if the total cost was a break even, I'd still make the trip myself. I'd like the adventure.
Doug
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dturm
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12/16/09 03:48pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Help my dog keeps barking
While the bark collars would probably work, most behaviorists recommend behavior modification. The problem is when the dog is overly stimulated, unlearning or learning new things is next to impossible. That's where medication (anti-anxiety, OCD meds, mild sedatives) works. It changes brain chemistry where the new learnig has a greater chance of success and happens faster. You might want to contact a vet that has an interest or specialty in behavior.
BTW, tranquilizing just to stop the barking (while solving the problem short term) isn't a long term solution.
There are OTC products that promote calm, DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) spray is available as well as nutritional supplements I'm sure others will give you their experiences.
Doug, DVM
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dturm
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12/16/09 01:27pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: More Hershey News
Labs do drive us to drink!! Sometimes with lumps and bumps and sometimes with what they will eat!!!
Barb
I think it's a retriever thing, not just a lab thing. All of our goldens and our lab/chow cross were just like this.
Doug
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dturm
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12/15/09 11:04am |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: plastic in cats poop this morning
It's tinsel time again! Always had problems with my doxie eating the stuff. No worse than grass, actually.
NOT TRUE!!!
One of the real holiday emergencies is ingestion of tinsel. It's almost always plastic now days, does not digest and acts like a string foreign body in the intestines. As the intestines contract and move segmentally, the ends are anchored while the movement acts in a sawing motion and eventually saws through the intestine.
I've had dozens of emergency surgeries to retrieve string foreign bodies, some had severe peritonitis and died even with the surgical intervention.
If you have not had problems, you have been lucky.
NEVER allow any animal to eat, play with or otherwise have any possibility of ingesting.
Doug, DVM
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dturm
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12/14/09 03:10pm |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: plastic in cats poop this morning
Look for: loss of appetite, abdominal pain, abnormal or difficult BMs, change in behavior. Call your vet and get recommendations.
Most of the time in these situations I have clients watch for any of the above signs and error on the side of getting them examined if any question exists about symptoms.
Doug, DVM
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dturm
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12/14/09 08:44am |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: Pet Ownership or Owning a Pet...(?)...
I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of the thread.
We all have the choice to "pay", or "put away". No one will decide that for you (or me). Whether it be age, ailment, cost or what ever, you (and I) are going to do what we see fit. Why would you be seeking others opinions,.... so you can find fault ? Troll ?
I don't think trolling. Lance has brought up a thoughtful subject I'm not sure we'll get a consensus.
I'm guilty of having thought "If they can't afford to care for a pet they shouldn't have it." My thoughts stem mostly from frustration and anger at having the experience, knowledge and ability to fix something and eliminate sufferring I am not allowed to because of cost.
One problem is that we'll all have different levels that we consider minimum care. Assuming vets are greedy folks in some cases may be a false assumption, some may just have a different set point on what is minimum care.
With a few exceptions (I've seen some pretty horrific hoarder situations, animal abuse, dog fighting) I think an animal would have a better life with anybody rather than being euthanized.
Doug, DVM
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dturm
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12/13/09 08:47am |
RV Pet Stop
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