@zande Yes, good luck on the surgery. Here the results are excellent and it's now done as an outpatient procedure. Show up in the morning and you're home by noon. The surgery sounds scary -- and it is -- but the surgeons really have it down.

Note that the replacement part weighs more than the original, so don't fret if you gain a couple of pounds!

Sounds like it might be normal. Would be useful to see a video.

@tanza -- I know. They also don't typically have one in June, which is why I was asking about whether she had whelped last cycle. I don't think we have a lot to go on. Not being critical, but "my dog seems to be in heat for over a month" doesn't provide a lot of information and could mean a lot of different things.

As Deborah is suggesting, you haven't laid out what you mean by being in season. Heavy bleeding for over a month? A discharge which is decreasing? Swollen vulva? Dogs are variable, so what is normal for one may not be normal for another, and even what is normal for one may not be normal every year. Does she usually go in season in the summer? Is this her second season of the year? Did she have pups last cycle? More importantly, how old is she? A prolonged heat in a young female is likely no big deal, but in a mature female may be caused by a cyst or a tumor. So I'd probably take her to the vet.

You do seem to be doing everything right. Not much more to offer other than to extend condolences. Hotspots can be infuriatingly difficult to address and you can't control everything in the environment. You just can't.

Agree that changing the food is a good idea. There isn't a huge downside and it might help. Also agree with Debra that allergy testing is a good idea. One of our dogs turned out to be allergic to cotton. My wife stopped snuggling her when wearing her cotton nightgown and that helped.

We have also had good luck with Caldesene baby powder but I don't know if that is 100% safe. It has zinc. It's used on babies so it's obviously not toxic, but babies aren't expected to lick and inject it. Maybe someone else has had experience with it.

Agree you should keep doing what you're doing. The kibbles and yogurt in a kong are a great idea. This combo will keep a dog occupied for a while and they are usually ready for a nap after the hard work of getting a snack.

In the context of observing that your dog is behaving better, It may be that your guy is just maturing. We've always been able to stop crating when the dog is about two years old. Seems like a magical age when they can be left alone and not be bored or disturbed or whatever. You can of course keep crating but you will likely have the option of not doing that shortly.

I believe someone in another thread suggested this book. I haven't read it though I have bought it. Seems like it might help. The name is perfect: When Pigs Fly! You might want to check it out. https://www.amazon.com/When-Pigs-Fly-Training-Impossible-ebook/dp/B003852KFM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528154349&sr=1-1&keywords=when+pigs+fly

Dogs also have different inclinations. Out of the last litter of five, one was definitely "vertically oriented". When the other four hit an obstacle their first thought was to go around it. Her first thought was to go over it! Didn't hurt that our vet said she was the most muscular dog she had ever seen. Probably helped with the jumping. For good or not. Her new owner told us she left her alone for a few minutes and found her on the dining room table.

Where I am it costs about $2K+ for a dog from a breeder for just about any breed. Goldens may be less because the litters are so large. That may seem like a lot, but, as Debra mentions, dogs cost money to care for. After vet bills and boarding fees and food, it matters little what the dog cost to acquire.

Leaving true puppy mills out of the discussion, given the costs of being a responsible breeder -- testing, vet bills, feeding -- and how much work breeding is, I can't imagine anyone doing it for the money.

That leads to two problems for people looking for dogs. One is that since breeding isn't really lucrative, there aren't a ton of breeders, which means the supply of pups is low. Second is that most Basenji breeders want to place their pups in the best possible homes -- remember they aren't doing it for the money -- which means they're looking for people who have had Basenjis before. Something of a Catch-22.

@debradownsouth said in Lets try this again.. Finley! Our adopted Basenji mix. :

Actually, if someone was breeding mixed back to each other, you could have fanconi. It is definitely worth testing. Also, knowing early allows owners to do some preventative things to help their dog delay onset. IF the dog has Fanconi, check with Camp Basenji on some protocols.

It really comes down whether it makes sense to test. If you're not breeding and you have the dog, I don't understand the value of the test. I did look at Camp Basenji and didn't find anything about preventing genetic Fanconi Syndrome, only what to do to keep in under control. As a Basenji owner I'd assume you'd be looking for renal issues.

The other issue is why stop at Fanconi? If you're testing, why not also test for PRA and autoimmune thyroiditis?

The point is that these tests tend to be breed specific, and the breed is unknown. Seems like a better approach would be to DNA test to determine the breed -- which I think is a good idea -- before DNA testing for diseases specific to the breed you think your pup might be. Just my opinion.

I couldn't find your picture so I'm literally speculating, but it could be dermatitis mange. This mange is caused by mites, which all dogs get from their mothers. Not infectious to other dogs or humans. You can see the mites under a microscope. If it is dermatitis mange, I'd ignore it unless it starts getting out of control since it's not harmful.

I don't think you'd need a groomer unless your baby is seriously resistant to nail trimming. As others have mentioned, they shed a couple of times a year. Usually not a big deal.