frank

i had a german shephard with the same symptoms as your dog . diagnosed at 2 years . he started hurting his back legs at around 12 months during the extreme puppy stage . he was xrayed at 2 years , and the vet simply diagnosed quite severe hip dysplacia . he said 8 out of 10 , 10 being complete pelvic erosion. he did not recommend a hip replacement as he said the success rate isn't very good . he described it as a waste of time on animals because they cannot rest afterwards for months like us humans can. he als said the dog wouldnt make 5 years old . i was devastated . anyhow as he got older he could've toed a boat he was that strong and rarely showed distress . only the trained eye could tell . he lived till 11yrs . i had to put him down due to cancer. for 10 years he was running and jumping . and didnt really hurt his legs much after the age of 3 . i hope this give you some optomistic outlooks . at aint all doom and gloom !!!!!!!!!! good luck.

thankyou . i have recorded that vets details . it appears that since i actually trimmed the tear stains off ( with scissors ) they are gone . i am much happier with his appearance , and tears are not so evident now . stains almost non existant , and sleep build up hardly occuring at all . the eyelid sagging has also reduced a lot . i'm very happy , i dont have to worry about him now . a little side note he is a guts . i'm sure if i gave him a roar egg in the shell . he could swallow it whole . i reckon he can litterally fill up his stomach in under 30 seconds . hahaha i'll post some more pics , soon. i've never had experiance with cockerspanials before , and i can tell you they are so much fun . they literally wrap you / and the whole family around thier paw. so funny in thier youth too. and the closest thing to a teddy bear when they are asleep . because i'm a night owl . i brought him inside one night and put him on my stomach as i laid watching TV . he started snoring and got uncomfortable and wrestless turning around etc . in the end he was on the lounge on his back with his paws up to his chest and his eyes rolled back ( open) asleep; and i was on the floor mat.

well he got sick yesterday , i was so worried we rushed to the vets . he was lethargic . the night before he was yelping in his sleep he got up shaking and vomited . so after calming him down , he seemed ok and went back to sleep. the next morning he was fine and we walked the kids to school with him on the lead . 2 hrs later he was lethargic and bowed his head into my lap . he wasnt very with it , he wouldnt chse ball , eat, and snapped at me when i picked him up. so off to the vets we went , and the vet checked himout and said he was physically hurting as if a sprained muscle . so gave him some pain killers for a couple of days . today he is back to himself jumping and playing , and his tear stains are gone ( becuase i clipped them off) . the vet seemed to think thast he is a hypersensitive dog . ( sooky and sensitive) anyhow all is good . man that feeling was bad , it is so good when they are well.

yeah , the vet has seen him several times, and each time has not been concerned , well i never veiwed the father , and the mother is an ex show dog , even had her picture on a brand of dog food . the breeder had a room full of certificates for showdogs . ( cockerspanials) she did let us take the dog at 7 weeks . and told us that normally breeders wont even let them be handled at that age. but he was born on the 9th dec the breeder had a heart attack on xmas day . so i guess circumstances werent really the norm . looking at him now though he already is looking better with short muzzle hair . i think i will get a 2nd vetinary opinion though . i'll do some research , any one know of any cockerspanial specialists in the breed in western sydney. ????? also at puppy school which is run by a vet nothing was mentioned about baileys eyes . the vet that ran the vet school did have some concern about other pups though , regarding temperament. i would think that if there was an obvious problem , she would've said something . anyhow atleast i can keep telling people here who seem interested . the dog isnnt distressed or uncomfortable in any way . and i guess i could e just inexperianced with the breed . my wife doesn't want to face that there may be a problem and is in denial . i hope i'm not over reacting . but i have a gut feeling . one which i hope i am wrong .

as some of you are aware i have had a cockerspanial since it was 7 weeks old , and had a concern with tear staining . the vet has cleared the dog with eye problems etc etc , due to him having clear eyes that are white where they are supposed to be , and said that it is just a charactoritstic of the breed . it hasnt gotten any better . he looks like he has been crying all the time . has wet tear stains about 30mm long constantly . and also has lower eyelids hanging off his eyes. i am a little concerned as he now gets sleep stuck in the hair around the eyes twice a day . i have just clipped his muzzle around the eyes as the hair is growing longer collecting the tears . so he looks a little better now . dont blow me up about me beibng concerned because i didn't expect this when i bought the dog ( off a registered breeder) i just hope that he has a long life and we dont go through eye problems with him . incidently , my father in law has sagging lower eyelids , he has to go in for surgury toi correct it with a face lift . He explained to me that because his eyelids sag , the tear lubrication pools at the bottom of the eyelid , instead of running along it and going down the tear duct, which in turn ; causes more tears ; and blocked ducts; leading to dry eyes and blindness . i just hope this is not a problem here in this case with my dog when i veiwed his mother she didnot have sagging eyelids but lots of sleep in her eyes . the breeder said that she is booked ib to have her tear ducts unblocked at the vets . and that blocked tear ducts are random , not genitic . so there would be no concern with the pup. anyhow ; as the vet says ; it's a characteristic of the breed , so i'll run with this . and hope all is well .

we were going to buy a golden retreiver . but after advice, were told by several people to expect 2 years of , destruction, we decided against it . my parents brought back memories of "FONZY" the one we had when we were kids . i remember canyons in the yard . the boat railer lights being chewed up , and clothes all over the back yard from the washing line, and trees being ripped out of the garden . so we bought our cocker intead . only tiny holes in the yard , he has chewed the box trailer cable twice, chewed up the transformer , and the switch and power lead . twice , on the kids $500 outdoor air hockey table . the 2 floor waste plumbing pipes that come out of each side of our house, and all the kids clothes get torn when they go outside . luckily he cannot reach the clothes on the clothesline yet . he liokes puling out the garden solar lights as well . even with pet repellant on them , and chews our palms in the pot plants , but he cant pull them out , he's too small . in this respect i'm glad we got a cocker , because if it was a big do doing this , i would be devastated .

well after reading your posts it seems the mend is happening already . he is a lot more obedient today . we played ball . chase, etc . and treats afterward . afterthe dog sat down 1st that is . not once did he growl or attack . he played soccer with the kids too . when things started looking rough , we just folded our arms and looked up . and he lost interest immediately. i give him a little motorbike ride daily . he sits on the tank and loves it . . was easy to get him not to chase the bikes anymore either . he really didnt seem interested in doing so ( luck today) . the one thing though that i dont know how to control is when i , or anyone else gets down to his level . then he wants a restle . what do i do for that one ? a little humour for you( because nothing happened) i agree under no circumstances a child be left with a dog . BUT !!!!! ; WHEN my son was crawling he was out the back with our german shepard ( irresponsible i know) we heard the german shepard yelping loudly , we ran straight outside to see our son, with he's 2 hands opening the dogs mouth and biting the dogs tongue . what i loyal trustworthy dog was that .

ok good points . i'll work on this and keep you's informed here , thanks for the advice .

ok thanks . i think it is just a puppy stage, he doesnt know he is doing wrong , and other than that is a good playfull obedient dog . i havent had any trouble stopping it . but i will supervise her with him in the yard from now on , andf get her to do some more walking with lead and training him. other than this it's an absolute joy to hear the kids laughing so much and playing with him, he beats them at dodge ball. but for some reason he is a bit rough with her .the growls come

thanks for the replies . i have only started this technique today . he has only been able to do this lately as in the last week he has grown alot . as far as my technique goes , it is a play for me , nothing i would do on the street as he would be on a lead . it is mainly when she goes out the back to play . she may ride her bike which causes him to chase . or run which also causes him to chase . he goes for her hair , it is long thats how he gets her down. she does feed , walk and commands him to sit , and he does . with me , i havent been that involved in playing with the dog . but i meet a dog 1/2 way when they play . if they get rough so do i . but that is play . if a dog were to get carried away and bite , then it's time for ignorance and a lead . what i think he is doing is picking up her fear , when he gets rough .

well my pup baley is 5 months old now , and he seems to think he is ranked higher than my daughter who is 9 . he plays that rough with her he attacks her and gets her on the ground and bites her hair whilst growling , he also rips her clothes . he doesnt listen to her objecting and yelling . he has been to puppy school . i'm sure he is only playing , not savagely attacking her . i am running out when this happens and yellyng . bailey no . and grabbing the back of his neck . putting him on his back and pinning him down with my teeth at hios throat . then he freezes . is this the way , in dog terms to let him know this is just not on . as spraying cold water on him is useless. when i had my germnan shepard i did this with him anfd he never attacked anyone, unless threatened . which he was never given the portunity to attack thoughts and comments welcome !!!!!!!!!!!!!

excellent . thanks Tony . just what i wanted to hear . cheers

does anyone know of any harmless dog repellent i can spray on things to stop my 4mnth old cocker chewing things . so far 3 pair of thongs, the box trailer light cable , twice . and the big one . the $600 outdoor air hockey table power leads . ( ruined ) hope i can fix it !!! plus 4 palm trees and many japanese brush boxes .

i feel your pain . i'm sorry dude . i've been there, and many here have too . hope you see your pet again someday.

thats so sad biker girl . i'm glad you were there to say good bye to her . :D

That's normal, and they are probably more so as he is teething. The "sag" will probably take up as he grows. Again - normal. Sleeping a lot, teething and diet can all contribute to this. What is he eating? Be patient. He is only a baby. If he is white under his eyes, the stains will show up more. Buy some tear stain remover from the pet shop, and wipe t he tear stains every day. I think "very common" is a bit of an exaggeration!! He could have entropian - BUT the vet has checked him, and he doesn't have that, so cross that out. PRA - which is hereditary. Hope the parents were checked and you saw the certificates? But, even if you didn't, HE WILL BE SHOWING NO SIGNS OF THAT AS A PUPPY. It's not "very common" anyhow, although cockers (and some other breeds do get it). Hereditary cararacts - Wont be showing any signs of these either at this age, and highly unlikely that he has it either. So, Frank, stop gazing into his eyes, and enjoy the little guy :p So, what's the worst that can happen? He'll have t o have glasses!! Here's a photo of a cocker with glasses - it's not so bad!! hahahahaha . laughing JED . thats very kind , and i am learning here . thankyou very much . he is great and everyone wants to pat and hold him . especially women :D

i bathed him today and shampood his whole head . it seemed to improve the look . i also gave him animal ocular eyedrops for a week . the vet said it probably wont make a differance though and it didnt . he has hair on his snout , that seems too point back about 5mm from his inner eyes where the tear stops, i was thinking of clipping this . but i wont worry about it . i think it can be improved just by a bit more care, maintenace . plus . everybody , including the vet said it will settle as he gets older and grows. i suppose i am over reacting a bit .

THANKS TOOHEY . i took a deep breath in relief after , your reply . i guess i'm just worried , and dont want him to be unhealthy . if it is normal it is all good .

WELL BAILEY MY 12 WEEK OLD COCKERSPANIAL , is giving me a few worries . it's the tear stains ; everyone keeps telling me it is normal . but when i was looking at pets in the petshop( pups,) i did not buy ones with evident tear staining. so i bought from a breeder . and now have a dog with the worst tear staining i have ever seen. he is orange roan . i took him to the vet for it 2 weeks ago , and the vet gave him the all clear , saying ( IT'S NORMAL ) and his eyes aren't red . i kinda disagree on that one . his eyes are not red up top, but on the bottom they are . his tear stains always appear moist as well. also starting to notice that his lower eyelids sometimes SAG. WTF !!!!! he is only 12 weeks old not 13 yrs . i do love him dearly though and guess i'll just have to accept this ( normal or not ) nothing we can do about it . it 's not necessarily stains that worries me . it's the wetness, and perhaps saggy eyelids ( lower ) a friend mentioned to me ( AFTER I BOUGHT ONE ) upon telling him of my purchase . OHH !! DID YOU KNOW COCKERSPANIALS HAVE EYE PROBLEMS ITS VERY COMMON . ( JEEZ, TELL ME NOW . ) !!!!!! H starts puppy school on wednesday . we will ask the vet nurse for her opinion , then he gets his 12 week vaccination on saturday . abreeder here has pm'd me and recommended a very good vet . at richmond . i think i will get the dog vaccinated there and an eye check as well the vet where i took my dog to ( colyton vetinary hospital is very good as well ) (TOM) and he said the eyes were good and the pup is healthy . which i do believe apart from eyes . I HOPE HIS EYES ARE OK , because i have had enough lately with animals . OHHHH AND " RIPLEY IS VERY HOT LOOKING " I JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW THAT IN

our 9/12 week old cockerspanial is setting in well , very happy , very spoilt, and doing well. we wormed him art 8 weeks with a vet tablet for pups. and he has acquired flees. we used frontline flee vial, that our breeder gave us with the pup . hasnt worked althoiugh havent found flees , still scratching though. you cannot see his skin around the neck at all from the thick fur . anyhow , a couple of things . tear staining. his eyes are clear , and whites are white . he doesnt seem bothered with irritation or sight issues . we litterally dont know what is causing it / or if it is normal. one theory of mine is because he is a pup / he howls /cries several times a day. eg. when he wakes up and no ones around . so could be often tearing up causing this . the other ( perhaps fleas are causing tears. ) hope it is not blockked tear ducts ( his mother has this) and is booked for an op. ) the breeder reassured me that the pup does not have blocked tear ducts . and it is not a genetic pass on thing , but a random event. any comments please ... post here . the 2nd thing, is today i noticed a lump halfway down his penis to one side , like a cyst . the size of a pea. little bit of blood on the surface ( like a flea bite) but no hole or head visible . i will monitor this , he is due for vaccination in 2 and 1/2 weeks , so i'll bring up with vet. if lump doesnt go away over next couple of days i will get a vet check . he is very smart. and is now almost fully outside . ( he has two pergolas and a shed and flat yard for safe keeping ) he knows all the window spots and doorways to look injn . and the times to look there , he greets us when we come home , he knows the sound of the car coming home etc etc . very inteligent . for example i was washing the garage roller door out the front , he was at my feet , he went around the back of the garage and in the back door . he heard my voice and started howling . i called his name and he went out the back door and ran around the garage and ran out to meet me at the front again. how clever is that ??????????? havent taken extra photos yet since 7 weeks but will in the next few days . and put a 10 week photo in the cocker pics " section . cheers .

R.I.P BLONDIE . sounds like he was a wonderful pet and you are the luckiest person who had him in your life. peace.

thanks for your kind thoughts everyone . and benny123 . your dog looked so inteligent.

never have i cried , inyears and years. thankyou for your kind replies . i cried a lot today , perhaps because we got another pup . i don't know . i dont want to say to much but the last 2 years have been mind shattering with change for me . lots of what ifs and non contentment etc etc . i got depressed , nearly lost my marriage etc etc . i lost myself . and i changed. anyhow i found myself again . and it's not the myself that was before it is modified me for the better now . the one thing i lost many years ago was tears . and jessy gave me those back . the tears are now coming easy, as they dont lock themselves away. which i like because the hard angry man has gone . the new me is the person i always wanted to be . its amazing the things that your best friend can show you in death. i think you all know what i mean from what i have read here with your experiances too . hope this post isn't to over the top or anything .

after getting the worst news from our vet 3 months ago , and taking our 10 year old GS . home and having fun and treasuring his time . his decline was slow but fast. he was well spirited until the day or 2 before we put him down . in a way its sad but at least they don't suffer for too long . your dog looks good for 14 . i dare say it's because it's a x breed it has lived this long . a GS LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 8 TO 12 YEARS. over 12 is exceptionally well. so enjoy your time left . thats my advice . the dog may be alright for a while but the day will come . yes it is how fast it creeps up . youwill know on the day . it happens quickly . sorry for the disheartening news . just wanted to give you the facts . having just gone through it . i'm glad your dog came home agian from the vet . now you can prepare and enjoy some more good days. my advice too is just cry when you need to. cheers.

TO JESSY !!! today we replaced you, and smiled with a tear, grabbed the camera and took some pics of our new little cheer. i'm sitting here thinking of you and crying as i type because i miss you mate, i miss you by my side . promise you i'll never forget you mate, you broke the hardness in my heart. 11 years by my side ,always there for me . the language we spoke was never heard, but the memories will never leave . i'll treat this little one as precious as you were, but you'll always be there , i'm sad we had to part. I'LL SEE YOU AT THE BRIDGE MY FRIEND , I'LL SEE YOU THERE . R.I.P "JESSY" died 02-01-07 age 10yrs.