▲ 140 r/AustralianPets
Hilda turned four yesterday!
My girl still hasn't outgrown her puppy brain, though!
Enjoy a photo of her from her first day with us too. Covered in sticky seeds and up to no good from day one!
u/poom3 — 5 days ago
▲ 187 r/AustralianBirds
Spangled Drongos - didn't realise they had little 'horns'!
It seems the drongos are back, and they're having some disagreements. One thing I've only recently noticed is that they seem to puff up these little 'horns' atop their heads when they're excited!
This group has been coming to our yard very frequently. Sometimes, there's up to five or six of them. Other days, we have just the one that likes to hang around (until the Friarbirds get fiesty and chase him off!)
u/poom3 — 23 days ago
▲ 371 r/australianplants
Some Grevilleas from the garden (North/Central QLD)
In order: Dorothy Gordon, Elegance, Billy Bonkers, Orange Marmalade, Silvereye Cream, Ivory Whip, Honey Gem. Although not pictured, we also have Big Foot, G. hilliana and Golden Lyre settling in happily!
I guess you could say I'm a bit of a Grevillea gal...
u/poom3 — 23 days ago
▲ 115 r/kelpie
Don't worry - we're only passing through (15% Kelpie, 12% Koolie, dash of ACD)
Orivet isn't known to be totally accurate but we wanted the health component, so why not get the DNA too? Turns out, our girl Hilda has been keeping some little secrets from us after all!
She is inbred and backyard-bred, straight outta' regional Queensland. I'd consider her fairly moderate in all regards - energy, drive, "eye" etc. She's barked about 5 times in the 4 years that we've had her, which has been a pleasant surprise.
So, we'll be heading back over to the BC sub but thought we'd say hello to her distant cousins on our way!
u/poom3 — 3 months ago
▲ 33 r/DoggyDNA
Would you have guessed correctly?
I had Hilda tested mostly for the health component of the test as she is a backyard-bred, inbred gremlin. I didn't think we'd have half of our Border Collie Club membership revoked! Though, Orivet is not nearly as accurate as tests like Embark so there's a good chance the percentages are off (and anything in the "Mutt" section can essentially be ignored!)
Located in rural Queensland, Australia.
Something interesting is that she apparently tested as S/sp which should make her only a carrier of piebald. Yet... well, her pattern speaks for itself.
There were a few other things in her "traits" that have me a bit sceptical, such as apparently testing homogynous for tan-points and melanistic marking.
u/poom3 — 3 months ago
▲ 1 r/AskVet
Species: Dog
Age: 3yr 8mth
Sex/Neuter status: Spayed Female
Breed: Border Collie
Body weight: ~18.8kg / 41.4lbs (BCS: 4 - 5)
History: Spayed at ~1 year old due to prolonged vaginitis that ended up being due to some kind of uterine hyperplasia. She was mostly asymptomatic beyond initial fever and prolonged 'heat.' No complications, no health issues since.
However... My concerns relate to her future health. She is inbred (parents are half-siblings) and I have recently found out that her father died at 10 years old due to a 'kidney mass,' but owner did not elect to diagnose etc. I also saw a rehoming post for a sibling of hers that stated he would need 'calcium supplements, potentially for the rest of his life.' Her mother is, as far as I know, still alive and would be 11 years old now. Her grandfather (twice over) died at 14 years old, unrelated to any disease (he passed from complications of being stuck in sea water for 24+ hours). Admittedly, the related dogs I've tracked down (including her parents) aren't exactly well-kept: usually fat, sedentary, and given very basic care/food etc.
Long story short: I feel like she's a ticking time bomb but would love to mitigate as much risk as possible. I should be receiving a DNA test in the next few weeks but my understanding is that a lot of diseases/hereditary cancers are polygenic and won't be tested for.
She has never been overweight and although she isn't a working dog, she's in good shape and is exercised regularly. She is up to date on all vaccinations, including ProHeart and Bravecto Quantum. Spoiled creature with two childless millennial owners. No problems with food or water intake.
She sees her vet twice a year for vaccinations and a general check-up. They'll test range of movement, feel her bladder etc. Vet says we could consider beginning dental cleaning within the next year or two since I've expressed concern (they've always been happy with her teeth).
Questions:
i. Would it be overkill to ask her vet to check her kidneys during a dental cleaning? Like... an ultrasound just in case there's a mass beginning? Since she would be under GA already...
ii. Are there any subtle signs that I should be on the look out for concerning renal problems? I don't want to rely on obvious pain signals, polydipsia etc, in which case it'd probably already be quite advanced.
iii. Are there things we could be doing to optimise her renal health?
^((I guess I'm mostly just panicking and wanting my dorky girl to live for a long time without compromising her quality of life, and finding out that there's a good chance of that not being the case has been eating at me.))
u/poom3 — 4 months ago