Golden Rules

That's sad, and I know from working in a hospital theatre what goes on with surgeons and med students ;) There doesn't seem to be the use of ethics very often these days

Thanks Showdog, I will give the Cottesloe vet a call and sound them out. Like you, I am not happy to use Murdoch. I did call them and speak with them about who would be doing the operation should I use them and they assured me it would be an ortho surgeon with a final year student assisting. Because I was forced to have my last goldie pts there late last year, and not being overly impressed with anything (whether that was them or me in a state) I am very wary of them and chose the vet over them - at least the vet is far more experienced than a student - however - there was a student vet at the clinic this afternoon :rolleyes: .....still, I have a pretty good feeling about the vet I saw. He owns the clinic with Dave Lundy I think - Dave does the stint on ABC radio each Wednesay morning and he has attended to my pets previously.

Thanks Ptolomy Dougal had Xrays today and he has definitely ruptured his cruciate ligament in his left leg, the right one is going and he has marked hip displasia in both hips. I called Rivergum - but because they leave the patients overnight without anyone in attendance at the clinic, I decided against them. Murdoch was the other option but had a good long chat with the vet and he says he does 2 or 3 extracapsular repairs a month and has been doing it for 15 years so I have booked him in at the vets. Mind you I don't have the same faith in their nurses - I just picked both my dogs up from the vet after they had been there all day - in the reception area both dog's leads broke away from their collars and because both dogs were so excited to see me they instantly ran amock for a few seconds which of course really upset the other people there with small dogs :rolleyes: The tags off each dog wnet flying all over the place and the nurses just picked them up and shuffles us out of there as quickly as possible of course. But I get home and see what they have done - the stupid nurses attached the leas to the tag rings instead of the ring on the collar!! God, I was furious and rang them and told them so! Anyway, have vented now and feel better. Phew! Anyway, thanks again Ptolomy, I have yet to call Chris Ross (is it? the chap in South Perth) but will do so next week.

Hi Is there anyone in Perth who can recommend a good ortho vet surgeon / specialist......someone who has lots of experience with cruciate ligament problems? I have a goldie that needs an op sooner rather than later (vet said within a couple of weeks) and from doing a search and reading up on it, there appears to be varying degrees of success, depending on the type of op and the experience of the surgeon. Hoping someone can point me in the right direction. ;)

Do you have a Better Pets and Gardens down that way? I am ordering in some Ziwipeak from them and they called me yesterday to say it arrived and they also said they sell the BARF patties! ;) Otherwise try Natural Paws - Davina is the owner, she sells them and you can have it delivered for a price - she is in Southern River. The website is www.naturalpaws.com.au

Woolies Home Brand Sardines are like 60 cents a tin - and I give my boys one tin between them maybe twice a week.... I wouldn't feed frozen chicken carcasses - I buy them in bulk - already frozen in a carton - I have to defrost them over at least a day and then I bag them up and freeze them again but individually - but I take them out the night before so they are thawed for breakfast.

I have had success with feeding roast pumpkin. It is a good filler and has no calorific value for dogs. So if you are feeding kibble, go with 1/2 to 1 cup kibble per day, lots of pumkin and whatever other veges your dogs will eat - and spread all that over 2 smaller meals per day. A bone as a meal is also good (not marrow bones) If feeding raw, still go with the pumpkin but stick to leaner meats like Roo - and of course lamb bones - no marrow. There is also another Doler here who has had great success with Vetaslim included with the pumkin and light kibble diet. Her goldie lost 10 kilos

Huh? My 2 goldies have had 2 or 3 baths in the last 12 months, they don't have a distinct odour at all - it's a nothing smell unless they are wet from the river (phewwwwy!) A natural diet also makes a huge difference I have noticed, along with regular brushing. Yes GL, I think it is an individual thing too. I do things as necessary not to a calendar.

You goose!!

Large :rolleyes: Takes less time to complete then!

That's interesting.......my older boy sits with his rear left leg out - and he limps badly after he has exercised. I did ask the vet about it as I thought it was maybe arthritis but he thought possibly HD but didn't recommend anything at the time. So is there a treatment for HD? From what I have read here, there is an operation which is really only successful if your dog is under 12 months, otherwise it's basically care and maintenance? I have my boy on all the usual things like Glucosamine, Fish Oil, ACV, ........

I don't think so - they aren't double coated for a start.......and the Furminator strips the undercoat. Having owned a long haired cat, the best way to pick up hair off the sofa is with a rubber glove rubbed over the upholstery.

Every cent IMO!!

I use a furminator on one of my goldies and it really does make a difference as to how much hair I collect off the floor in a week

Hi Not Gold Coast, but online (Australian - based in Melbourne and Perth) and you can have an online consultation...... I have used Diana Hayes many a time and she is excellent with very prompt responses. www.holisticanimalmedicines.com

Hey Ptolomy I am keen to know more about your homeopath. Also, that is very cheap for hair analysis!! I use a lot of the remedies already but my homeopath has moved and I'm looking for another..... Care to share?

Yes, rice or pasta - add some sardines? Or an egg? Got any human left overs? Weetbix and milk would even do - as long as there's no wheat allergy and lactose intolerancce.......

Yes, just ordinary zinc tablets - you can get them at the supermarket - and I give one a day to each dog. The allergy dog was also getting "Metagenics" Allergy capsules - these were recommended to me by a naturopath, a bit pricy and you would have to go to a naturopath to get them (I just did a telephone order and they sent them to me) but they were very effective - my allergy dog shows no symptoms other than the odd scratch. I just gave him the one bottle which lasted about a month (and was about $45)

Hi Lynlovesdogs Can't help you much with your specific queries......but another forum I am on highly recommends zinc tablets daily to assist with allergy symptons. Steroids compromise the immune system, so this needs boosting to cope with allergies and to lessen the effects of allergies. There are other tonics available as well which are useful for boosting the immune system. Just FYI Good luck.

I have Neem Oil spray for fleas - but haven't had to use it yet. It's quite good if the dog licks it off apparently as it's a good tonic for the blood - purifying or something from memory...... Neem Australia is based in Qld. www.neemaus.com.au I also have Neem Kennel Wash which I use as a disinfectant to wash the pavers occasionally where the dogs miss the grass when peeing.....

Hhmmmm, may not be quite the same......mine has Green Walnut, Wormwood, Clove,Thyme, Lemon Oil, Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil, and UV light treated rainwater........... Neem is more for fleas isn't it? Also good as a general health tonic.

Wot Poodle Wrangler said. Plus......One of mine has just got over it - started really badly but within a couple of days, he was hardly coughing at all - just the occasional cough now - maybe once a day after exercise...... I put honey in their drinking water (sooths the throat, probably better than a cough mixture), plus Colloidal Silver which is a natural anti-everything and is available from health food stores and some chemists. If you can get Manuka Honey, I would be giving a teaspoon of it straight (ie not in their drinking water) to each dog each day for a week. That stuff is like gold and works wonders :D Good luck, it's just a doggy cold, they will get over it.

Here you go Midol www.malcolmharker.co.nz 840p (Wormpet) is what you are after I think. :rolleyes:

How about Coprice - all natural and uses Australian grown rice so quite safe........ A 20kg bag costs about $33 and will last for months and months...... I also find a natural diet (ie BARF) cheaper to feed than almost anything else.

What you describe may just be blood stained serous fluid from the eye socket and unless it's thick blood, I wouldn't be too concerned. However, if she is only eating a little, I would wonder how much pain she is in.......did the vet give you pain relief meds to take home? Poor wee kiwi kitty.