Peaches

That is very good to know. Thankyou.

Don't know what I did wrong - my reply didn't appear - just the post was replying to! So I will try again. Thanks for that Bullmastiffmum. At least they are available until 10pm. The ones I have been using have only been available until 5.30 pm weekdays (and 12pm sat) before referring to the Newcastle Emergency Centre. That also means that if a dog has to stay overnight there is no one to supervise between about 6pm and 8am. Sat and sunday are worse.

Thanks very much. I think he is who I will try next time.

Thanks very much for your replies, I appreciate you taking the time to help. Fordogs & Nevafollo, Martin is very good and I have used and recommended him for a long time but unfortunately for a while now he has not been available sat, sun, monday and sometimes other days as well. I always seem to need a good vet during those times (seem to be the times when something more worrying crops up)and need an alternative that I can have confidence in. I have used the NAEC too (4 times) since they opened and they are excellent but animals can't stay during normal hours (mon to fri, after 7am from memory). So if there is an ongoing problem the dog has to be taken back to their normal vet during the day but then the normal vet has no one there overnight. They are also very expensive and you have to pay the estimated bill before treatment is started. That is not the major consideration though and would certainly not stop me using them. Not being able to stay there is quite a problem though. Being an hour from there if I wanted supervision of a night I would have to collect the dog early in the morning, take it back to my usual vet and then collect it of an evening and take it back to them and so on every day while being hospitalised. So there would be hours of travelling a sick dog which is not ideal. I realise that may be the only solution though if there are not any hospitals that at least are able to check on them during the night. Perigrine, Adamstown was one of the ones I was wondering about. Years ago I heard that it was very good but then I also heard that it had changed hands and so I wondered whether it still had the same standard of vets there. So your recommendation helps. I will phone them to find out what there hours are. Asley B. Hadn't heard anything about Wallsend before so will wait to see if any one else tells me more about them.

Thanks very much for the responses so far. I used to go to the East Maitland practice many years ago (about 18 yrs) and had a very bad experience and speaking to others afterwards found quite a few who had also. It may very well have changed hands since then and be completely different but I would not be game enough to go there again unless I knew that it had no association with the vet that owned it then. Bullmastiffmum is there any particular vet that you like in the Kurri/Cessnock practice? Do you know how available they are in an after hours emergency? Do you know how up to date their hospital equipment is?

I would be very grateful for recommendations of excellent vets in the Newcastle or general Hunter area. I am an hour from Newcastle but because there are more there than in the smaller towns, I think that is where I am more likely to find one that I am happy with. I would prefer them to be in practice that is available after hours for emergencies and has good hospital facilities and overnight care available. I am a breeder of a large breed and have quite a few dogs and have been very frustrated by the fact that the vet that I have been using is now only available 4 days a week and is not available at all even to answer questions by phone at any time other than his normal hours. I desperately want a vet that I can have full confidence in as well as confidence in his facilities.

I would be very grateful for recommendations of excellent vets in the Newcastle or general Hunter area. I am an hour from Newcastle but because there are more there than in the smaller towns, I think that is where I am more likely to find one that I am happy with. I would prefer them to be in practice that is available after hours for emergencies and has good hospital facilities and overnight care available. I am a breeder of a large breed and have quite a few dogs and have been very frustrated by the fact that the vet that I have been using is now only available 4 days a week and is not available at all even to answer questions by phone at any time other than his normal hours. I desperately want a vet that I can have full confidence in as well as confidence in his facilities.

I'd like to find out about the weekend's entries too but don't know where on facebook to find it. Can someone help? Tom Couchman posted the breakdowns. Thanks Poocow. Took me a while to find it. I evidently had the wrong Tom Couchman at first (one that didn't have a photo or an information on wall and you had to be a friend to get any) but then realised it was not him and have happily found the info I was after!

I'd like to find out about the weekend's entries too but don't know where on facebook to find it. Can someone help?

I second exactly what Sky said - couldn't say it better myself.

Cost me $4100 to have part of a rope toy removed from my Lab at Newcastle Emergency Vets which had to be paid for straight away. I suspected a blockage and told them that. He spent one night there. On top of that was the cost of initial consultation plus a day of aftercare at local vets!

Thanks for the thyroid tip! I will get them checked for that.

Hi Steve, no they haven't been housed together and they don't come in at the same time. Their cycles have been as follows :- First bitch (the one I just got scanned not pregnant) Sept 4 2009 (13mths old) Feb 14 2010 June 19 2010 - Oct 22 2010 - served, last 2 times 1 day and 3 days after pg test-32 March 8 2011 - last served April 3 (pg tests etc in previous posts) The second one is coming in again now (not bleeding but being mounted by her female kennel mate). May 19 2009 (9 mths old) Nov 16 2009 Jan 18 2010 - a week of flagging etc to kennelmate but didn't check for blood. May 16 2010 - served Aug 16 to Sept 8 2010 with 8 days in between that time not showing - served Dec 28 2010 - served, last service 11pm after pg test taken 9am and result 45nm. Coming in again now. Not bleeding but interest from both male and female. Thanks for your help.

Thanks, I'll look up th one at Hunter's Hill. I tried to contact John Newell at Frozen Puppies over a year ago but found out he was no longer there. Hunterhound, he was at Belmont before Frozen Puppies and his name has not been listed in the phone book at Belmont since he went to Frozen Puppies. Thanks anyway.

Hi Steve, Thanks for your reply. I actually meant to say "reproduction specialist" not "reproduction vet". I realised what I had written once I posted it but didn't know how to change it. Yes I also want to consult a specialist because of the stud dog as well. I have also suspected him and have had his sperm checked regularly over the last couple of years (no litters since then) but the result has always been excellent sperm both in motilty and numbers. He has served both naturally and by AI and always had excellent results except for the last couple of years. There has always been a reason possible for no puppies other than the stud but I want to be assured by a specialist in the field that there is no problem on his side. I have considered putting the bitches to an outside dog but I particularly wanted a litter from him because he was the sire of all of her mothers litters (which were all exceptional) except the last one which we kept 2 females from and particularly wanted to breed them to him. He is getting older all of the time and I have been afraid to waste a cycle on another dog knowing that he will be less fertile when she is next ready to breed. I don't have any other bitches at present that are old enough to breed to him except ones that are too close in pedigree. Apart from that, we are a long way from any other stud dog that I would use for her and it is very difficult for me to get away for most of the day at least twice in 3 days. Also I suspect that she won't take and then I have spent $1000 or so on a service that I would probably not use. I have found though during her last cycle that there is is definitely a problem. She was progesterone tested and on day 14 was 16nm. She was served over the following week and tested again on day 21 - result- 43, tested again 2 days later - result - 47!. Tested again 2 days later (day 25) - result- 72 and given chorolon and told to start progesterone in a few days by a vet who has a good reputation in breedng matters but is not a specialist. Served once more 2 days later. Scanned at 4 and 6 weeks - not pregnant. I want to be able to check out the 2 bitches (her littermate sister has had split cycles and also served with same dog and not pregnant - both are 3 yrs) and the stud dog who is now 11 years (sperm last checked good about 3 months ago) by someone who is a specialist and that I can have complete confidence in before giving up on any of them.

Does anyone know of a reproduction specialist in Sydney, or preferably north of Sydney (I am in the Hunter Valley). I need reliable advice/testing etc for 2 littermate sisters that I have not been able to get pregnant. Have done progesterone testing etc and followed advice from local vets but they can't help me further. Their mother was a fantastic producer and these are the only daughters I have of hers to go on with so want to explore all options before giving up.

Thanks Angelsun. That would be the person I was told about but couldn't get the name of. I had to send them off so have now sent them of to Dr Lavelle in Victoria. I do have another coming up in a months time though. Do you use Dr Rawlinson? If you do, how do you find him?

Thanks for that Freundhund. Do you know how he compares with Graeme Allan?

I have just had a dogs hips and elbows x rayed but am not sure who would be the best person to send them to. I have always sent them to Dr Wyburn in the past. Could I have anyones thoughts on who would be preferable. Any comparisons? I have also been told that there is someone in SA who is good but it came from a third party who did not know the details.

Lappiemum, where in Sydney do you get yours done?

Yes, I'm pretty sure it is. I'ts been years since I have seen one but it looks just like I remember them looking. One symptom a lot of people don't know about is a change in their dogs voice. I found a tick every time my dogs voice changed. I luckliy don't have them where I live now. You should be okay though because you have removed it before any symptoms as long (as there aren't any others that you have missed of course).

Hi, just wanted to find out if your bitch is pregnant. I have a bitch who's last few cycles have been 3 monthly and we mated her between days 11 and 15 of the last cycle. Now, 10 days later, another bitch is mounting her again and she is swinging her tail, more so than when we mated her (didn't swing at all to the dog, just a bit to bitches but she was a maiden). In between mating and now there hasn't been any interest from the bitches.

Unfortunaltely the deafnesst was permanent for my dog but evidently it can be temporary for some dogs and some are just left hearing impaired. I haven't used the products that you mention so don't know what is in them. Chloe sounds like she's going really well for her age so hopefully she will have quite a few good years yet even if she is quite deaf. Good Luck!