Peaches

I had a similar experience years ago. The deafness came a few days after the eardrops started and was quite a dramatic change, far too dramatic to be coincidental. I later found out through research that it was the gentamycin in the eardrops that caused the deafness. I think vets should inform people that this can happen when they prescribe that type of (very common) eardrop. I now always insist on gentamycin free eardrops. I felt terrible knowing that the eardrops I inserted had caused this especially since he reacted very badly to them going in at the time so I'm sorry if this makes you feel the same way but at least you don't have to feel that it is another ageing sign. My dog was 12yrs at the time and lived until he was 15yrs.

I think you got her at an excellent time and you have every reason to expect puppies. Good luck!

I think your vet is right and I think that you have mated at the right time. I have found that vets often differ on the right time but the ones that have more experience in breeding usually say closer to what your vet said. I had a visiting bitch who was 81 on her first progesterone test. She got the result the next day so it would have been probably quite a bit higher than that when she informed me. She was quite desperate to have pups that cycle and so, with the dog and bitch quite keen, we decided to give it a go with a mating. She had a small litter of 3 pups. I think had it been the day before, when she was 81 she probably would have had a bigger litter. Her cervix can't have been tightly close at a progesterone level of 60.

Don't feel bad about second guessing a vet. With more than 30 years experience with animals and vets, I can assure you that they can be wrong. Mostly untintentionaly but some deliberately to get more money. Whenever I have thought that their advice doesn't seem logical I have always found out in the end that they have been wrong. It is even more likely to be the case when the vet is not taking notice of what you are saying and does not explain why what you are saying isn't relevant. I was also prescibed a prescription diet for a dog I had many years ago for heart congestion. He hadn't appeared to be sick and was quite happy but I was worried about the sound I heard when he was breathing. The vet examined him and then prescribed the diet. I tried to give it to him for quite a while but he just refused to eat it and looked miserable. He was around 10 years at the time so I decided that I would rather him be happy and enjoy what life he had left rather than having him for longer but with him not being very happy so I went back to his normal diet. When he was 13yrs with his breathing suddenly got a lot a lot worse, I took him to Tony Black in Sydney who operated on his larynx and he had no problem at all with his breathing after that. At 15yrs he had to have Xrays for another unrelated problem and his lungs and heart were found to be very healthy (no signs of conjestion). He had to be euthanised not long after because of bone cancer but if I had persisted with that other vets advice he would have not enjoyed food for his last 5 years! I also would have wasted heaps of money on an unnecessarily bland diet. Ask this vet everything you can think of about her findings, then do some research and see if what she says make sence. Then also get a second opinion.

I am a Labrador breeder and although I have no first hand experience of hip dysplacia, according to other breeders I have spoken to, those symptoms are typical of hip dysplacia. I really think you should get her xrayed by a vet who is familiar with the condition. Did you buy her from a registered breeder who screens their breeding stock for hip and elbow dysplacia? If you did ask, her/him to recommend a vet. If you didn't buy from a breeder then ask any breeders in your area to recommend a vet.