Clare becomes a real Rottweiler! 8 brand new incisors are already in place.





Weight 07.02.2011: 19,6 kg

Yesterday morning when I entered the living room I discovered four places where Clare had vomited. Only fluid but this was the first time ever she did so. During the day she was okay, eating with appetite and the faeces were normal too. In the evening she was vomiting again and again only fluid. At 11 p.m. I was on my way to bed when the intestines of the little patient startet to mumble and squeak and this horrible sound was accompanied by intensive discomfort: no appetite any longer and even "gute Pute" as I call it (pieces of dried chicken breast) was not attractive any more. To help relief the pain I admitted a spasmolytic tablet and this morning everything was as normal.
I assume it was my fault because the last couple of weeks I fed one bone every day (second dentition) - I should know better after 30 years experience as a small animal veterinarian!! The remaining bones in the fridge will go to the magpies!

Last evening I discovered the gap in the lower jaw - two incisivi are already missing.



Amendment: Since 14 days I'm working from 7 to 12. I get up early in the morning at 5 a.m. and since that time Clare is "house trained", means there are no puddles in the living room any longer! Victory!

Since I arrived in Australia (June 2010) I had to deal with bad and wild weather. The last couple of weeks were okay but today it's raining cats and dogs again. Clare doesn't care and is soaking. The living room looks like a slum pit. Luckily South Australia is not Queensland - I couldn't imagine to live there. Horrible what's happening over there.

Even "No dogs allowed" I decided to go for a walk on this beautiful Sunday morning. When we arrived at the hidden car park a young couple used this place as a camp site. They were accompanied by an 14 year old Mini-poodle. Clare behaved well and greeted the aged lady friendly. So we were not the only one with a pet in a Conservation Park! Sigh!

disappointed. Today I wanted to start with an obedience class so I gave the lady who is responsible for that a call. "Due to school holidays there is no course now. It starts again in February." I got to hear. I rang the vet hospital where Clare was vaccinated - they provide puppy classes: "How old is your puppy? 14 weeks? Oh no, we do only up to 12 weeks. Sorry about that." But when Clare was younger, no puppy class was offered - due to Christmas and holidays! Now we have to wait until February. But no class when temperature is above 30°C. I assume Clare won't ever learn how to behave well!

was as quiet as I never knew before. No detonation from fireworks, no rockets, no people bawling. Peaceful and quiet - like every night. During the day South Australia was struck by the first heatwave this summer: 40,9°C and strong hot winds from the desert. Catastrophic alert regarding bushfire! The eyes are burning and no sweat is developing - a weird feeling. The next day the weather changed and today is really okay. I decided to drive into the forest - about 50 km from my residence. There are dogs allowed! We made a nice walk - and I thought I am in Austria, in the "Waldviertel" with it's "Wackelsteine".

Clare has had her first "surgery". During our 30 min walk at Sandy Creek Conservation Park ("No dogs allowed!") I discovered a swelling - which had the dimensions of a cherry - between anus and vulva. An abscess has occured, and some bloody discharge came from a fistula opening. I sedated the poor patient with 10 mg acepromazine and cut the swelling with a scalpel in the hope to find a foreign body - for example a grass seed. But nothing was in there so I filled the hole with some antibiotic oinment. Clare was sleeping for some time but recovered fine in the late afternoon.

Yesterday late Christmas shopping: a present for Clare - and she loves it !

At first - 9 a.m. - an appointment at the veterinary clinic. The second shot against the infectious diseases was due. Clare behaved really brave. Then we made a walk for 1 hour - pretty exhausting for the little girl (it started to get hot) and in the afternoon a little puppy arrived. A four months old mix breed (Kelpie x Bullterrier) was found heavily injured (left hind leg broken) and spent 3 weeks at the RSPCA. Now we try to rehabilitate him - a very, very difficult task (because of his uncontrollable temperament).