Danois

Yes - IMPA is what we had and Ian was my treating vet so he is across it all and was fantastic in his care of it. We managed Agus with very low levels of cortisone and also the other drug azo something. I know of a number of dogs on long term cortisone use. It is not ideal but it is not as horrid a drug as many like to say - and really it is about quality of life for the dog.

Insure as soon as you get them - then there are no pre-existing conditions!

Eastwood. My experiences so far has been with those who push me to buy brands they promote or can't get me and my dog out fast enough after 5 min consult. Then Ian is 15 mins from you. I drive 45mins in light traffic to get to him - as do a few others I know. I've never had anything pushed on me and Ian spends as much time as is needed. He does not stuff around with unnecessary tests and procedures and is a genuine animal lover. My dog gets excited when he realizes he is going to the vet and let's Ian do anything he wants. His vet nurse is a member here on DOL too.

If you want a really good one then go and see Ian Murdoch at Pennant Hills Vet Hospital.

Yeah mine responded to the AB injection and was fine the following day. We managed his condition for about 9 months but there was a combination of things which complicated things and I let him go.

Have you had blood tests done? I had a Dane with a shifting limp, swollen hock, episodes of fever, flatness etc and immune mediated condition was the cause.

LOL - you do realize you can buy these for every breed under the sun - including cross breeds - don't you?

I have used Blair too. I've recently been recommend Clara Palm on the Northern Beaches by a dog owner/ chiro.

There is no comparison between the 2 facilities. The airport one is very much for short visits. Before the incident I used it when I did a day trip for work - drop off at 6am when they open and comfort that if my flight was cancelled etc then I did not have a dog shut in a house to worry.

The facility is about 20 kennels - 10ish on each side facing each other. It's all indoors so can be very loud. Runs have inbuilt beds (and they are too small for a giant breed) and last time I needed to use them you cannot take your own bedding and no toys etc either. There is an outdoor area they let them all run around in. I would not use it for 4 nights. I was put off them as I specified my dog was to be kept quiet as he had a medical issue. Arrive to find he'd spent the day in the yard with other dogs. As soon as I saw him I noticed dirty drool and a smell that had not been there that morning when I dropped him off. Somehow he ended up with necrotic tissue on his tongue and we ended up at emergency vet have a section of his tongue removed.

Yeah I'd put a disposable tarp under the crate and pack some cleaning supplies just in case!! We did Hawkes Bay to Tuatapere (most south western town in NZ) in a day once - Dad wanted to get home!!

Could you use the kennels of the Ferry? Asuming they still have them. If she does not like the car then she might get destructive, poo/ pee/ vomit etc. Especially if coming out of the Heads and across the Strait is not calm Maybe also look at putting rescue remedy in her drinking water? Leave her with a couple of treat or puzzle balls? The trip is not too bad - you're looking 5 hours to Nelson, 3 hours on ferry and about 2 hours to Levin? I'd use the ferry waiting time to take her for a big walk/ run to tire her for the crossing. The Auckand to Chch will be the harder section - are you breaking that up? I used to do Hawkes Bay to Chch by leaving 6pm, catching the midnight ferry, stopping in Kaikoura for a nap and getting into Chch about 9am and that was not a lot of fun and that was without a dog in the car.

Dogs are carnivores - not vegetarians. It is your responsibility to properly feed your dogs (as they can't do it themselves) and that means putting aside your views on what you would prefer to eat yourself.

Stormie is around from time to time. Her Dane is an allergic Dane and given her background and experience, she is very knowledgeable in the topic of itchy dogs and what works/ doesn't work. I will alert her to this thread. I use cortisone/ pred from time to time on my current Dane if he is itchy/ red. I used it longer term on my last Dane as he had an immune mediated issue - at low doses the side effects can be minimal. It is really important to follow the vets advice to the letter re tapering doses though. I don't think it's an 'evil' drug - it has it's place and allows a dog not to suffer and that's the important thing.

He's looking good!! And following Boo's footsteps with the food too! Have you tried something like Eagle Pack performance or Canidae Grain Free or Royal Canin 4800 - the blacks seem to struggle with weight the most! I use a food with higher protein and fat and it makes life a lot easier! If he is going to get bee stings then it might be worth getting some cortisone from the vet to have on hand? It is such a scare when their face puffs up - Boo was bitten by a spider (we think) once and I watched his face puff! I was able to give him cortisone and then take him to the vet.

Or it could be a problem with the tape in the dictaphone which is distorting noise. When I used to use them for work you could get some weird noises going as the tapes got more stretched.

I would not discount IMPA either. My boy had a shifting lameness and like someone else commented - my owner senses knew something was wrong but my original vets were determined it was HD. My new vets tapped his hock (which is where he had some swelling) and confirmed the IMPA diagnosis. I don't recall him being under a GA for that.

I highly recommend Dr Ian Murdoch at Pennant Hills Vet - bit out of your area but worth it. Puppy pre-school can be great for socialisation and basic training but avoid any which are free for alls. DogLogic run a great one - check out their website to see if they do any out your way. Obedience - Sydney All Breeds Training at Concord.

Pennant Hills vet definitely - as Sas said. I travel there from the Inner West. Ian is hands down best vet I've dealt with. Practical and thorough. Petersham Vet - I was booked in there one day and had such appalling service from them re boarding arrangements I cancelled. Sydney Animal Hospital at Erskineville - would not touch them - bad experience there myself and heard many horror stories in the dog park Sydney Animal Hospital at Stanmore - seem to have a better reputation but was not impressed when they could not even manage a simple grooming request when my cat was boarding. Sydney Uni Vet - good but expensive and tend to over service. Gladesville Vet has a good reputation.

Swayd used to have a small dog and a number of Danes - little dog used to wear a bell! Not a huge difference between having a dane and a cat. It comes down to how to teach the Dane to mind its manners and respect space. Insurance is getting more popular with Dane owners as all vet bills cost big bucks. A simple course of ABs plus the vet visit is minimum $100. Plus it is a good security in case of bloat - surgery there can be upwards of $5k. Insurance prices vary with insurers but I think I pay around $95 a month for a cat and a dane. As for feeding - when they're growing they do eat a lot - usually around 8-10 cups of a good quality dry food a day. Of the foods I'd feed a growing Dane none come in a 20kg bag. I'd say a 15kg bag (royal canin) should last around 3 weeks. My 4 year old male gets through 12.6kg a month. Diet for a growing Dane is one area you cannot afford to be cheap - you need a high quality dry food especially if you're inexperienced in the breed as they have to be grown slow and steady to protect the joints. With buying supplies for a new puppy, training, purchase price, food, vets etc a reasonable estimate for the first year of a Dane's life is around $10k. Of course you can get by a lot cheaper than this but everything costs a lot more with a giant breed!

But does this apply in Australia or is it just US? Would be unfortunate to cause a scare if it's not applicable here.

Danes are renowned for it.

Even if they sold puppies, celebrating the fact someone has had to close down a business (which would assume financial issues) seems a little distasteful *shrug* - it's like laughing at someone's misfortune.

Amen Haredown!!

Not for pet insurance.