Janet McNally

Leah Sattler wrote:
is there any kind of lgd that is known for being quiet?

I think there is as much variation on this within breeds as there is between breeds. My present eight dogs are pretty quiet as LGDs go. They only bark when there is something (an intruder) to bark at, or when the coyotes or wolves sound off. I've learned to sleep through barking as rest assured, it means the dogs are on top of what ever it is. I can tell by the pitch if it is a serious problem or not. But as to frequency, that just depends upon what the predators are doing. Sometimes we go through a streak where there is no barking all night, and then other times, when a coyote is being persistent, there can be a volley of barking every hour or two through out the night.

that said, these dogs are only barking because there is a need. There are dogs that 'chase the spooks away' every evening, and that can bark excessively. Some of this settles down with maturity, but suffice to say, that type of dog can be annoying, especially if one has close neighbors.

I guess if barking is a really huge issue, then one really needs to use another species like a donkey or llama. However, imo, nothing compares to the effectiveness of the LGD especially when it comes to packs and large predators.

Janet

When a sheep or goat eats too much grain, what happens, is there is an overgrowth of lactic acid producing bacteria that feeds on the starch from the corn. The rumen is suppose to be a neutral place, where microbes that digest forages hang out. But the big overdose of lactic acid producing bacteria acidifies the rumen, killing the 'good' bugs, and causing inflammation of the rumen wall. Oil does not really solve this problem. My first response is to give an adult sheep 10 cc penicillin orally to stop the proliferation of 'bad' bugs, followed by a pint of warm water with 1/4 cup of baking soda delivered by esophageal probe (an oral calf feeding bag will work for most adult sheep or goats). The baking soda and water helps to restore a neutral environment. An anti inflammatory may be called for as well. This is all done when first discovered. Then over the next few days, I provide a pan with baking soda and lots of fresh water, and let the animal choose to self medicate should they need to. After two or three days, I then try to restore healthy rumen bacteria either by stealing a cud from a healthy animal, or by use of any high quality commercial microbe product such as probios paste. To steal a cud from a healthy animal, you need to be able to approach a fairly tame animal while it is chewing its cud. quickly grab the animal by pinching just below the 'adams apple' to prevent it from swallowing, while a helper spoons the cud from the mouth. Mix the cud with warm water and strain the particles out. Put the green liquid into the oral calf feeding bag, and deliver by esophageal probe to the rumen. This will need repeating for several days as initially the rumen environment may be pretty hostile. provide access to all the long stem mature grass hay they want, as chewing and digesting grass hay will help buffer the rumen.

If the grain overload is not promptly and properly treated, and if it is severe enough, the animal will slowly starve to death over the course of the next two weeks, because it can no longer digest any food. So grain overload is a serious condition that requires prompt treatment. The sooner the animal is treated, the more likely it will recover.

Janet