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PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat! By the way, we have no set topic tonight, so floor's wide open (not that it ever isn't anyway... LOL)

Deerhounds: hi everyone!

PHMOrgan: DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!

Deerhounds: :D

PHMOrgan: Howarya?

wiches: Hi, Deer.

PHMOrgan: Hey - Solo is on puppy watch tonight and we're using Whelpwise

Deerhounds: I'm hanging in there.... losing Bran has been incredibly rough for me

PHMOrgan: They are SOO nice

Deerhounds: Morgan, that's great!!! Yes, aren't they?

PHMOrgan: Well, I GUESS SO! How terrible

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat

Deerhounds: Hija DJK

Deerhounds: I mean Hiya

PHMOrgan: It's been very interesting working with them so far

DJK: Hey!

travlinpom: Hey Deer

PHMOrgan: They feel Solo will go tonight - she's busy chewing a bone and eating dinner and being herself

Deerhounds: I had the owner, I just drew a blank on her name... the one who did the chat with us here

wiches: Do you start five days out from whelping?

PHMOrgan: Methinks they be dreaming - but we'll see

Deerhounds: Morgan, is this another singleton litter?

PHMOrgan: I started 14 days out as Solo had some reabsorption issues and we're using them as a diagnostic tool as well as for whelping

PHMOrgan: No, Deer - there are TWO... Wahoo

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat!

wiches: Did you do xray or sono?

katie: never been on here before

PHMOrgan: I had an ultrasound specialist look at her

PHMOrgan: Well, Katie - WELCOME

Deerhounds: welcome, katie!

DJK: Sorry, what is the topic tonight?

PHMOrgan: Pull up a comfy chair and don't be shy about joining in

wiches: Hi, Katie.

Deerhounds: DJK, open chat about dog breeding tonight

DJK: kay

Deerhounds: oooops, Katie, someone must have been already using that name :(

PHMOrgan: We have no topic tonight- but I was telling everyone that I have pups due IMMINENTLY and am using the Whelpwise monitoring sysmter

PHMOrgan: System

DJK: I'm waiting on a litter ... yesterday was 63 days from first breeding.

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat

Deerhounds: LOL, Guest same message to you

G:

PHMOrgan: Congrats, DJ - what breed?

DJK: Yorkshire Terriers

travlinpom: waiting for a litter here too!!!

wiches: DJK..do you have yorkies?

PHMOrgan: Wow - we're just up to our paws in pups

Deerhounds: yeah, I thought spring was puppy season, LOL

DJK: This bitch had and infection, E-Coli, and was on Baytril for 6 weeks. Then normal season, and bred 3 times.

wiches: Ah, a "purebred" listee!

DJK: Yes, I have Yorkshires

PHMOrgan: We had six natural breedings (hussy) and no real due date

Deerhounds: LOL Morgan

PHMOrgan: But the whelpwise folks think she will go tonight.

DJK: oooh, that's a worry with the little ones

PHMOrgan: She says NO, busy sleeping, eating and begging for steaks

Deerhounds: I will never do a litter without ovulation timing again, I can't stand not having a definite due date

Deerhounds: I just become insane

Deerhounds: of course, I somewhat start out that way, LOL

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat - Open Chat tonight

Guest71004: this chat is a little different

Deerhounds: Hi Val!

PHMOrgan: Deer - the stud owner just couldn't get to the vet with her work schedule this time so we winged it

wiches: How do you get your stud dog owners to comply with doing the prog. tests?

Deerhounds: Guest, how so? :)

VAL911K9: Hi Christy

PHMOrgan: Wiches - PAY FOR IT

Guest71004: I used to go to the acme chat, they aren't here any more

wiches: I have offered and they still don't do it!!!

Deerhounds: Guest, yes, acme closed down several months ago

PHMOrgan: Then get them to send semen and do AI's

Deerhounds: you ship your bitches to the studs? I always take them, I won't ship my bitch

Guest71004: signing in - sorry , quess I am tired

Deerhounds: Hi Goldenwags!

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat

wiches: I don't ship either.

Goldenwags: Hi Everyone!!

travlinpom: ( -- doesnt ship either

Deerhounds: wiches, then why do you need the stud owner?

PHMOrgan: I won't ship

VAL911K9: scared to ship too

DJK: I have a stud dog in Brazil, I'd like to get chilled semen from him, but don't know how well this would work.

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat - Open Chat tonight

wiches: I guess I have been taking the girls there too early...

PHMOrgan: DJK =- it does work fairly well, ESPECIALLY if you use surgical implantation

wiches: They usually are 2.5 or so.

wiches: I would like them tested till they reach 5.0.

PHMOrgan: The problem with frozen semen is it's life expectancy is less - so you want to "put it where it goes"

Deerhounds: wiches, you mean you leave them? I'm trying to understand what it has to do with the stud, doing ovulation timing

DJK: I'm not worried about "this" end, but how well do they do it in Brazil!? lol

wiches: From now on I will take them later after they are 5.o here.

Deerhounds: hi, ash!

ash_50497: hi

PHMOrgan: Wiches - Dr. Hutch syas they ovulate right around 5.0 on the progesterone tests...

wiches: Yes, I leave them.

PHMOrgan: AND since it takes 2 days for the eggs to mature, taking them THAT day should work

PHMOrgan: Hiya, yarnell

Deerhounds: I don't even like it necessarily to tell me when to do the breeding, as much as knowing when she ovulates tells me when she's due

DJK: I wanted "chilled", not frozen ... and heard Dr. Hutchinson recommends not warming before implanting, but letting the semen warm naturally in the uterus

yarnell: good evening everyone

PHMOrgan: DJK - Now that's a new one for me... Hmmm

DJK: Hi Yarnell

Deerhounds: hi Yarnell!

VAL911K9: I found that whne I shipped in semen from Europe that the amount they put in a straw is less than what we are used to here

PHMOrgan: Yarn - how're the pups?

Deerhounds: VAL, it worked though, right?

PHMOrgan: Val - might have been less COLLECTED

wiches: DJK, I have heard that before as well.

DJK: He says they are ready to go when they're warmed, why waste the time warming?

VAL911K9: well it worked but we had to use more straws than Dr normally uses to get the sperm count

PHMOrgan: DJK _ Good point - saves them travel time.... LOL

DJK: Right!:)

yarnell: pups are doing great weighed at 3 3/4 lbs 4 lbs I am a little concerned because one them already has one eye open they are 9 days today

VAL911K9: found out that they put less volume in the straws in Italy than we do

DJK: watch out for eye infection ...

PHMOrgan: Yarnell - I've seen eyes open at 10 days many times

wiches: WOw. My pups are 3 weeks and weighing 14.5 ounzes!

DJK: Wiches, whichbreed?

yarnell: i will keep a watch on the eye thanks for the info on 10 days

PHMOrgan: So long as there is no oogy discharge, they'r ejust precocious

wiches: Yarnell, you did say pounds? WOW, again!

PHMOrgan: Hey - I have a question for a friend

VAL911K9: LOL- mine weighed 29.5 oz when born

PHMOrgan: She has a 1 year old male wirehaired pointer whom she recently neutered

DJK: Yikes, mine weigh 4 or 6 oz.

travlinpom: yarnell, i have had them open at 10 days also, didnt have any problems from it

yarnell: yes I said pounds

PHMOrgan: She says now his hair is thinning, all over, but a lot on his head - could he be blowing coat due to hormonal changes?

PHMOrgan: Anybody neutered a dog and seen this?

travlinpom: geez, that's the size of my adults!!

PHMOrgan: (I've never owned a neutered male)

VAL911K9: I have never had one of my males loose hair when neutered

wiches: I neutered a male at two and his coat is great, just like before.

yarnell: have them check the thyroid

Deerhounds: Morgan, no, the opposite, usually!

Deerhounds: that doesn't sound right

VAL911K9: Pom - my guys would have a hard time even seeing yours *G*

PHMOrgan: It's been only a couple of months

travlinpom: never had a neutered boy lose coat . . . other than a normal "blow"

PHMOrgan: I wondered if he woudl BLOW coat then get it come in better

Deerhounds: I have never heard of that

PHMOrgan: Aactually, ONE month - he was neutered July 31

PHMOrgan: I did ask some other questions regarding thyroid - he's not lethargic OR having ablack belly

Deerhounds: Morgan, he could have Addison's

PHMOrgan: USually the hair loss is a "more severe" symptom after the lethargy, from my experience

Deerhounds: and thyroid doesn't always come with lethargy or black belly

PHMOrgan: Deer - he's otherwise EXTREMELY healthy and active

Deerhounds: well, something is wrong, though....

PHMOrgan: Deer - Really? That's contrary to what my vet said, but it could have been out of context

Deerhounds: I always prefer to be safe than sorry, as long as the test isn't invasive

yarnell: i have one that had addisons yet he stillhad a great coat and was neutered

Deerhounds: Morgan - which thing?

yarnell: i memt tosay had he passed away two years ago

PHMOrgan: We were discussing my beagle's severity of thyroid disease, and he said he felt hairloss was a "more extreme symptom usually seen after lethary and black beely

Deerhounds: Morgan, but every case is different

PHMOrgan: But in HEr case it might have applied some how

Deerhounds: I've known dogs with NO symptoms, until you got the bloodwork done

PHMOrgan: Anyhow, Thanks for the info, I'll pass it along so she can decide if she needs to test him

PHMOrgan: ANd you're right, it's an inexpensive noninvasive test

Deerhounds: Addison's a bit more trouble to test for, but I do think it's worthwhile

PHMOrgan: Beagle gets hers tested every year

Deerhounds: I always do an ACTH stim test on my dogs

PHMOrgan: Oddly, she's not changed her dosage in 12 years

Deerhounds: the mother of my foundation bitch was Addisonian

PHMOrgan: Does'nt that usually show up later in life? (not a clue)

Deerhounds: yes

Deerhounds: symptoms do

PHMOrgan: This dog is just about a year old

PHMOrgan: But I guess we can see what she finds out

Deerhounds: again, "usually"

Deerhounds: some dogs haven't read the textbooks

wiches: Anyone ever used the antibiotic "'Zeniquin" also called "Marbocyl?"

PHMOrgan: Well, it's possible we are just looking for Zebras.... IT's been a hot summer and the weather has cooled recently

Deerhounds: I have known probably 20-30 dogs (none mine) with hypothyroidism, and not a single one EVER had a black belly

PHMOrgan: He could just be SHEDDING a lot right now... LOLOL

yarnell: never heard of it what is it for

Deerhounds: I have heard of it but never seen it

Deerhounds: but I've seen lots and lots of hair loss and itching

PHMOrgan: Deer - it's really creepy

wiches: In the same family as Baytril but a lot stronger.

PHMOrgan: Rather reptilian looking

PHMOrgan: BRB

yarnell: i hve used baytril on older dogs never on young

PHMOrgan: (no fighting)

Deerhounds: Zeniquin is a synthetic fluoroquinolone

wiches: Brits are using it to fight pyo. Are using it for about 30-45 days. Have not seen studies, though.

yarnell: i know this is an open discussion is it okay to ask where everyone is from

wiches: Yes, Deer!

Dachshunds: We have just started breeding what is the most important piece of advice you can offer me. And I'm from Iowa.

Guest38089: Harrisburg, PA

yarnell: cumming ga

VAL911K9: southern Calif

travlinpom: southern illinois

VAL911K9: Dash- get plenty of sleep before a whelping cause you won't get any after LOL

wiches: Dachs..find a mentor and be willing to learn endlessly.

Deerhounds: it is one of the drugs they have asked livestock producers to stop using

travlinpom: Dachshunds, get a great mentor!! a good show person who can help you

PHMOrgan: I"m in PA

Deerhounds: due to the emergence of drug-resitant pathogens

Dachshunds: I found that out this weekend with my first litter.

PHMOrgan: Solo is wearing her monitor again so I can find out if I can go to BED tonight

Deerhounds: it's a broad spectrum antibiotic - gets aerobic AND aneorbic bacteria

VAL911K9: good luck Morgan

g:

PHMOrgan: YEAH

wiches: Right, gram pos and gram neg.

PHMOrgan: No sleep for the righteous

VAL911K9: Morgan have you found the monitor really helps?

PHMOrgan: VAL - TBD

yarnell: i was thinking of getting one

Dachshunds: I would not have missed her whelping or anything.

PHMOrgan: It is useful to know that I dn't have to stay up say, last night, since she had NO contractions last evening

PHMOrgan: And the dopler machine (checks puppy heartbeats) is MUCHO cool

VAL911K9: ok - a friend tried one this time and she felt was more work than it was worth

PHMOrgan: I am also using it to help determine why my bitch is reabsorbing puppies

Deerhounds: the litter I used it on, I was the mentor, not the breeder, but it saved the litter when one of the pups went into distress

PHMOrgan: So far, it's told me that it's NOT from constant but useless uterine contractions

PHMOrgan: Which is quite useful

yarnell: what day do you start to use it after day 47 they should not reabsorbe

PHMOrgan: I started using it around day 45

wiches: Do you all do T4s on your breeding bitches?

VAL911K9: thats true - as we still have no idea why Purl had 1 when we are sure on US we had 2 poss 3

PHMOrgan: She already had one puppy reabsorbed about week 5 or 6

DJK: (Delaware here)

Deerhounds: wiches, I do a full thyroid panel

Dogaroo: hi room

PHMOrgan: Hiay, Dog!

Deerhounds: on all my dogs, not just by breeding bitches

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat - Open Chat tonight

wiches: when?

Deerhounds: hello Dogaroo!

wiches: mid season?

Deerhounds: I do it when they turn two years old, all my dogs

VAL911K9: we do T4 every year on breeding bitches

Dogaroo: I'll probably be lurking... all of mine are fixed. Only p/b is the BYB GSD.

Dachshunds: May I ask what is T4?

wiches: I mean test 3 months after her season?

PHMOrgan: T4 is a sophisticated Thyroid test

PHMOrgan: As opposed to some others which are less reliable

Dachshunds: Thank you.

wiches: Any of your stock hypoThroid?

Dogaroo: ..the GSD who wrote the book on conformation faults.... that's my Kaija :-) but I have some very nice Labrador nieces & nephews who do well at shows.

DJK: have not had any thyroid problems, knock on wood

VAL911K9: so far no thyroid problems in Purl's line for 4 generations that we have found

Deerhounds: actually, T4 is a BASIC thyroid test, I thought?

yarnell: yes i have one that is hypo throid and has been on medication since she was 2 and she is now almost 11

PHMOrgan: Deer - most likely you are right

Deerhounds: I think that all breeding bitches should be thyroid tested before breeding

wiches: when?

DJK: Why is that, Deer?

PHMOrgan: I know one is a T3 and one is a T4 and one is more useful than the other......

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat - Open Chat tonight

Deerhounds: Morgan, that's not exactly right - a regular blood test will get T3 and T4, but the panel checks six different thyroid values and is much more diagnostic

VAL911K9: Morgan we do both plus the stimulated test

wiches: I even heard that you should sent the test to the SAME lab every time so results are not skewed.

Deerhounds: a normal T3 and T4 doesn't mean anything, although an abnormal result does

Deerhounds: DJK, because hypothyroidism is extremely common

Deerhounds: and the stress of pregnancy can really send a hypoT bitch over the edge

wiches: whre do you have your tests sent , Deer?

DJK: what are the symptoms:

Deerhounds: plus there is a hereditary component

VAL911K9: Deer - so true plus it can very quite a bit in a dog

Deerhounds: wiches, Jean Dodds at Hemopet

PHMOrgan: Extremely common in general or extremely common in Deerhounds?

wiches: She is in CAlif.?

Deerhounds: it is very common in dogs in general, sadly - esp purebred dogs

yarnell: very common in Saints

Deerhounds: wiches, yes, but Hemopet is a national lab

wiches: I have a 2.5 yr old bitch who missed this time and I am planning on having the full panel done.

Deerhounds: it's actually a canine bloodbank, and Dr. Dodds is a hemotologist. She has alienated some members of the vet profession with some of her ideas, but her work with thyroid testing is IMO the best

Deerhounds: of course, Dr. Hutch believes that thyroid disease is almost never a cause for repro problems

DJK: you're not kidding she has alienated some people!

yarnell: how much do you pay for the thyroid medication

Deerhounds: LOL DJK

VAL911K9: we are switching to her as was sending to MSU

DJK: I've sadly thought of her as a kind of kook ... LOL

Deerhounds: yarnell, I've never had a hypoT dog so I don't know

Deerhounds: DJK, she's not really a kook

Deerhounds: she's just way out on the edge

Deerhounds: and I don't agree with all her views

DJK: OK, if you say so

wiches: I agree especially about vaccines.

DJK: just has some strange ideas.

Deerhounds: but her work with thyroid testing has never been criticized even by her enemies

Deerhounds: yes, she does

Deerhounds: of course, my ideas are even stranger, I generally find Dr. Dodds doesn't go far enough for me

G:

DJK: May I say I look at my dogs from the "WELLDOG" viewpoint?

wiches: Right on, Deer!

Deerhounds: DJK, what do you mean by that?

DJK: I'm not one of those people who examine every breath, heartbeat, etc. to find something wrong

VAL911K9: LOL Deer - same here and it's a fight with the local vets to be a minimalist

PHMOrgan: Me either, altho when something is off, I leave NO STONE unturned

DJK: My dogs are well, they eat well, they breed naturally, they whelp naturally, etc

Deerhounds: I think as breeders, we owe it to our breeds, and to the puppies we bring into the world, to do as much pre-breeding screening as we can

Deerhounds: DJK, that's just not enough, though, when the future of a breed is at stake

PHMOrgan: I feel as a breeder I need to get to the bottom of EVERY issue that comes up, even a lump or bump

yarnell: I use to do the same thing hovering over them all the time but i don't any more I let them be dogs

DJK: If you're having problems, there is no doubt testing should be done

Deerhounds: for pets, yes

Deerhounds: I don't hover and my dogs are dogs

PHMOrgan: But I will NOT go looking for trouble, either

DJK: however, if Ihave a problem dog, it LEAVES my place! Period!

Deerhounds: it LEAVES?

Deerhounds: now see, my problem dogs stay with me

PHMOrgan: I only screen for hip displasia becuase NEARLY EVERY sporting breed has a problem with it

DJK: goes to a pet home!

wiches: What is the earliest you have weaned pups?

VAL911K9: I feel strongly about screening for breeding but minimal in the vaccine department

PHMOrgan: Except OURs. Not that it's never occurred, but it's NOT a "REAL ISSUE" in my breed

DJK: no culling here!Sun

yarnell: if i have a problem pup then that pup stays here with me forever

Deerhounds: Yarnell, me too

travlinpom: My dogs are all checked regularly, cant imagine not having them checked

Deerhounds: there are lots of conditions that can be detected with pre-breeding screening that don't show up in symptoms until the dog is well past breeding age

DJK: We give 3 vaccinations starting at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 14 weeks ... recommend a booster at 8 months. That's it. No more. EVER

yarnell: i have changed my mind over the last year about many things and vaccinations are one of them

Deerhounds: waiting for troubles to show up, that you could detect before breeding the animal, is not IMO a good way of approaching it

DJK: I guess I should have said we don't breed from dogs with any problem, or siblings

Deerhounds: no need to give 3 vaccines, all you need is one vaccine that works

travlinpom: Deer, exactly!!!

VAL911K9: yup Deer

DJK: we use Proguard V

yarnell: way to go deer

DJK: When do you give your "one" shot Deer?

wiches: 16 weeks?

Deerhounds: I don't vaccinate my dogs except for rabies

VAL911K9: I also do not believe in automatic worming of pups 2-3 times just in case - I pay for fecals

Deerhounds: generally at 6 months

DJK: and that's only Rabies?

PHMOrgan: So, Deer, for the sake of argument, what do you do when a case of distemper or parvo shows UP?

PHMOrgan: How are your dogs protected?

Dogaroo: I've been re-thinking the vaccine issue since one of my dogs showed mild signs of vaccinosis (temperament change, hair loss, a few other things)... but still a bit fearful b/c this area is a parvo pit.

Deerhounds: Well, Morgan, I don't believe that vaccines are the only way to protect against disease. Health is the best preventative. I have never had distemper, but I've had parvo. I treat it. But it's something you have to be extremely prepared for. So many breeders who don't vaccinate are just not prepared.

Deerhounds: HOwever, I think that doing vaccines for parvo and distemper is extremely reasonable.

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat - Open Chat tonight

PHMOrgan: I'm confused, Deer - HOW do you get prepared for parvo?

wiches: Do you do IVs for the parvo?

Deerhounds: I would do a single distemper at 12 weeks, then a parvo three weeks later

Deerhounds: and then a titer test

Deerhounds: or vice versa

PHMOrgan: Welcome to Breeder Chat - Open Chat tonight

Deerhounds: probably parvo first, as parvo is so much more common than distemper

Dachshunds: My vet has be deworming, giving a parvo at 4 weeks and a 5 in one at 6 weeks does that work?

DJK: I had Parvo about 7 years ago, brought it home from the Vet ... and lost 6 puppies, none of the older dogs got sick although they hadn't had shots for years

Deerhounds: vaccines at 4 weeks are TOO EARLY

yarnell: i do vaccinate for parvo and distemper at 8 weeks

rottieluv: Hi all, just got here. Have my first litter due Sunday and I'm nervous. Glad to see discussion on vaccines

DJK: titer test are worthless!!!!

Deerhounds: no immunologist or vet school recommends vaccinating at 4 weeks

Deerhounds: too young

travlinpom: Dachs, i would never give shots that young, but i have a toy breed

PHMOrgan: I vaccinate now at seven weeks so my pups have time to recover before they go to new homes

DJK: you cannot TREAT Parvo in 6 week old puppies! Especially those that weigh 1 1/2 lbs.

PHMOrgan: Then that gives folks 2 weeks to get to their OWN vet and do the rest of the vaccines (which I personally don't do)

Dogaroo: My Gunnar came from the pound with parvo, was given 10% chance of survival, he made it.

Deerhounds: DJK, no, they are not. According to Ronald Shultz, the vaccine researcher who developed the vaccine YOU use, the correlation between post-vaccine titers and protection against disease is nearly 100 percent

PHMOrgan: Rottie- how's momdog doing?

PHMOrgan: Do you feel prepared? Got some human help?

Deerhounds: You also cannot successfully vaccinate a 6 week old puppy for parvo, eitehr

Dogaroo: I'm considering titers & looking into nosodes. (Don't ask, I just heard of nosodes & know nothing yet!)

Deerhounds: very young puppies get parvo even when they are vaccinated, all the time

wiches: I give mine at 9 weeks.

Dachshunds: Sorry I just lookied it up it was 6 weeks not 4.

DJK: I tried titer testing; may I say we got 6 different results on 6 different tests?

rottieluv: doing well, we xrayed today, has 9 pups coming and everything looks good. normally just get to read your transcripts each week. thanks for your info folks,it helps a lot!!

DJK: That was it for me!

yarnell: do you use modified live or killed vaccine

Deerhounds: it takes up to two weeks for immunity to form, even when vaccination is successful - which at a young age cannot always be guarnateed

PHMOrgan: Sounds good, Rottie

travlinpom: Dachs, i do first shots at 10 weeks

PHMOrgan: Who is helping you with the whelping?

Deerhounds: DJK - that doesn't matter. Antibodies are constantly in flux. Why should that matter?

Deerhounds: Antibodies are not a direct measure of immunity.

DJK: We use Proguard V, mod live

DJK: well, how can you tell how high the titer is then?

Deerhounds: However, we are talking about two different things. I am talking about a titer test to determine if the dog responded to their vaccine that they just got two weeks before.

Dachshunds: If you do your first shots at 10 weeks what do you do if they leave for a family at 8 weeks

VAL911K9: I thought we are just looking for antibodies to be there as the numbers will fluxuate

rottieluv: Dr. Cindy Smith, my repro vet, I have her home number and she will be available even at night she says, I just owe her a box of chocolates if I call at say 1am ;0)

Deerhounds: DJK, when you are checking seroconversion, it doesn't matter- you just want to know it happened

travlinpom: Dachs, i would never ever place a puppy that young!!

Deerhounds: Dachshunds, I don't place my pups that young

PHMOrgan: Rottie - have you gone over your supplies and stuff? Got everything you need?

wiches: Mine go at 14-16 weeks.

DJK: large breeds are sold earlier than Toy breeds, Poms

DJK: mine are at least 12 weeks before leaving

PHMOrgan: I'd give her 20 boxes of chocolates... My vet requests carrot cake when he gets up at all hours

yarnell: mine go at 9 or 10 weeks large breed

Deerhounds: I didn't mean to ignore the question about preparing for parvo - by that I mean this: When a breeder chooses, for whatever reason, not to vaccinate for parvovirus, they need to be mentally and financially ready to deal with it if the pup gets sick. Many holistic breeders stop vaccinating and for some unknown reason believe their puppies will not get sick. This is not true.

Dachshunds: I'm glad someone can help me with this, the lady who helped me get started has given me a lot of bad advice.

rottieluv: I saw mention of the Proguard shots, my bitch had those and she had a high titer (400-1) when we had her checked.

Deerhounds: You need to be ready, to have money set aside.

VAL911K9: dang - my vet wants hot fudge brownie sundeas

travlinpom: DJK, IMHO 8 wks is too young in any breed

wiches: My vet won't get up...:( Looking for another!

Deerhounds: to have a close relationship with a vet

Deerhounds: DJK, I have a large breed, I don't place before 12 weeks at the earliest

Dogaroo: I just took a lovely cheesecake to my vet....

PHMOrgan: Deer - what do you feel you are gaining by NOT vaccinating - cause we KNOW it isn't the expense... LOL

DJK: we all have different ideas! LOLFlag (free country)

yarnell: what is the cost for a section in your area

Dachshunds: What is the reason of keeping them until they are 12 weeks, pros and cons

DJK: $800 here in Delaware

wiches: Love the symbols, DJK!

rottieluv: I think I have everything, I have the thermawhelp system for my whelping box heating system. I have heard good things a