We love traveling and exploring new places including at home in Australia, after our long stay in Japan and before we head to Europe in April we decided to split our time across the states of Australia and spent all of December in Queensland where we had three sits.
Our first stop was spent in Lota, about 16kms from Brisbane. Here we had the pleasure of caring for two Rottweilers Jak and Ruby, both very affectionate, they loved swimming and spending time with us. Because it is so hot in Queensland we had to make sure all of our walks were done nice and early and we’d regularly hose them down before we left (having black coats they really felt the heat), we also made sure to detour via a swim spot most days and then had another hose off when they got home before spending the day chilling outside under their own ceiling fan. A few extra hot days we put ice in their water bowls or simply brought them inside with the air-con on, they were very well behaved and enjoyed sitting near us in the cool weather. We really enjoyed this spot as well as it was close to a kite beach and we went sailing during our stay. We also hand fed a family of magpies at the owners request and it was nice to see their trust grow in us each day as they brought their young down.
Next we headed to Worongary, near the Gold Coast down south on the way to NSW. We spend Christmas with the lovely Winston, an 18 month old Groodle (Golden Retriever X Poodle) who drew lots of attention at the park, everyone wanting to pat the big teddy bear. Again we also made sure to go for early morning and late afternoon walks in the cooler hours of the day and faced a new challenge not unique to Australia, but something we hadn’t dealt with before – cane toads. Luckily we didn’t have any in the garden but we had to keep a constant watch as they are poisonous to dogs, especially dangerous to inquisitive dogs who might try and see how they taste! See bottom for first aid advice in case you ever need to know. This was the longest Winston’s owners had been away from him so we made sure to send multiple photos each day via WhatsApp so they could be kept up to date on his adventures.
Our last stop in Queensland, was with Dee, an elderly and robust Labrador in Robina. Dee enjoyed early morning walks and required daily medication however it was easy to administer, she is an inside dog so we worked our days around her schedule to make sure she could go out, have her early afternoon walks and have lots of company as this is what she is used to as her owners are retired. Even closer to the Gold Coast we spent a quiet New Years here, staying in to make sure Dee wasn’t disturbed by any fireworks before heading off to spend a few days with friends and friends in Clontarf, next we’re off to Perth, Western Australia where we’ll spent time with Ben’s sister and plan to kitesurf lots before our next sit in Safety Bay.
First Aid for Cane Toads for Dogs
Originally published on ABC Story – Dog gone and ingested cane toad poison? Here’s how you can save their life
- Grab a damp cloth: “Use it to wipe the tongue and gums thoroughly and remove any residual venom. The venom is so sticky, you’ve got to rub firmly around all their mouth,” Dr Jacobs-Fohrman said.
- Rinse the cloth in-between wipes: “Because the venom will stick, we always tell people to rinse in the sink and then go back in and keep wiping. Continue that for at least 10 minutes or so.”
- Don’t hose inside a pet’s mouth: “They can choke on the water, but also they can accidentally drink way too much water and cause problems that way.”
- If in doubt, call your local vet: “Problems with the heart and neurological systems can progress rapidly.”
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