stormie

Keep in mind that allergies are actually due to an overactive immune system, so is it really a 'weakened' immune system? Agree with sas too, I think a major cause is genetics because so many people don't understand that breeding a dog with any type of allergy, even if it's only minor, can create a severely allergic pup. Until we can learn how to test for it though, it becomes hard.

Same as above - I never do. The longest I could ever be walking would be an hour and I am happy that he could easily go that long without a drink. He can drink when we get home. And if it's really hot, then I'll swim him rather than walk.

Revolution can be used to treat scabies mites - might help there? I'd want to get them properly ID'd so you know exactly what you're dealing with...

Done

That holistic vet sounds lovely, labsrule. We are in Pennant Hills. I know I would be seen as biased, but how you describe your holistic vet is what my boss hopes to be for his clients. We previously worked as employees in another clinic (he was there since graduating 20years ago) but decided he wanted to run his own clinic, to be able to do things how he thinks they should be done for his patients and clients. I totally understand the overheads involved in running a clinic - the amount of money we've spent upgrading things here in the last few months is insane - but putting such massive mark ups on drugs like that which are so frequently used, to us, seems unfair. We're not holistic, but we do sell Eagle Pack Holistic, if that counts

Agree with everything Zayder said. I spent a fortune on all types of supplements, which ended up being a complete waste of money because some of them it turns out, he was actually allergic to. The sooner you can get a referral the better and whilst the consults are cheap, it'll be cheaper in the long run.

Wow so many getting rorted A 50g tube of Neocort here would cost you $14.65. Knowing what the cost price is for it (in Sydney), $30 is utterly ridiculous.

VJB maybe you should have a big stink party at your house, so we can all foul it up so you can test which one works best

I'd be off to the vets with a urine sample and to have some bloods run, I think.

We are constantly told the same thing by our clients - the majority of our dog owners are on either Sentinel or Interceptor and have found the change to the chews a real negative one. Perhaps a few feedback emails to Novartis might make them reconsider? I know they changed the packaging to a larger size to compete with all the other products on shelves, but surely they could have kept the tablets...

I'd be getting an endoscope done asap. It is possible for objects to remain in the stomach causing intermittent obstructions, or irritating the stomach. The coughing you describe sounds like the sort of coughing you get from pneumonia - I would be having repeat chest xrays done or even a BAL - bronchoalveolar lavage. I'd also probably suggest you get full bloods done too. Fingers crossed you get some answers, and soon!

I desexed Orbit (great dane) at 18 months, but in hind sight, there is a part of me that wishes I had maybe done it a little earlier. When he started to mature sexually, he developed a bit of an 'entire dog' attitude; it wasn't anything major and I'm sure there are plenty of entire males who never show their hormones, but he did and developed a confidence that has stuck around a little even after having the chop. He never marked or anything like that, was more just his reaction to other dogs on his territory that seemed to change with maturity. I probably wouldn't want to desex a large breed bitch that young however and would rather see her grow and mature a little more, mostly to try to reduce the risk of spey incontinence. A 4month old large/giant is much less mature than a 4month old small breed. eta: for our large breeds we often suggest around the 8-9month and onwards.

uhuh.. you only need to look at my skin sometimes and it bruises... stupid stupid body

nothing broken, but quite a few unsightly bruises... and... all because he felt the need to suddenly play whilst swimming with me in the pool...

Agree with Pers - the roo tails I get have hardly any fat on them at all.

Oooh thanks!! You can have a minty or some pods if there are any left when you come

you crack me up, VJB. I'm going to order some, me thinks, even if its just to spray my stinky housemates! I just don't know what scent to get! Maybe I should just go with the talc... Though I do like the idea of apple too and from your posts, VJB, it seems pretty effective. My spray and wipe is apple scented and the disinfectant from work is an apple scent too, so thinking maybe apple is the go!!

When I talk of RAW, I mean raw meat - no grains here, just raw meat/bones with fruit and vege scraps here and there.

Now that I'm feeding RAW, I think my food costs me about $100 a month all up? And that's to feed a 60kg Dane.

VJB - it says on the website that it's a surface spray, so when you say you mop the floors etc with it, how do you do it? Just spray the floor then mop or can you open the bottle to pour the liquid into a bucket?

We have all the AVA documents printed out with our reading magazines in our waiting room, just so that people can also have a read themselves to help make up their own mind, as well as hearing it from the vet. Interestingly, we had a bit of a discussion/debate with one of the major vaccine company's reps the other day, because she couldn't believe we were going with the 3 year protocol with 'annual' vaccines, because it was 'off label' dosing. Ironic really, seeing the reason she stopped by was to supply us with another drug to be used 'off label'. I questioned her about titre testing, memory cells etc and she could not tell me that I was wrong, in fact she did agree that once the dog has immunity, it should have immunity for a very long time. This company is running a disease watch program at the moment, where by vet clinics document disease outbreaks nationwide. The company is still pushing for annual vaccination, so I'm guessing they want to use this information to prove parvo is still very much out there and people should be vaccinating annually. Interesting that there's no talk of the company just doing studies on their vaccines to find out immunity duration - probably because they already know the answer

I have often wondered this about Orbit. He barks at strangers and also at scary noises, but its generally because he's scared too! Generally he will bark at people, but if they try to approach him, he will run and hide. Obviously his size is a pretty good deterrant, but yeah, I have often wondered whether he would detect my genuine fear and challenge someone, or whether or not he would bolt under my bed. I get scared in the night when I'm home alone too

I have moved a couple of times with Orbit. Each time I've left him at work for the weekend, then brought him home once everything is unpacked and settled. He's generally a pretty laid back dog, but I think this was easiest for him because it meant we could just chill out and let him get his bearings without having stuff in boxes all over the place.

Is it possible they put atropine in the other eye, dilating that pupil, which is in turn telling the brain there is too much light coming in, and thus constricting the other pupil? Otherwise the main things that can constrict a pupil like would be pain, uveitis or nerve dysfunction. Can't think of any reason that cortisone wouldn't have been given initially. Can't think why meloxicam would have been given - it just doesn't act on those inflammatory pathways that cortisone does. The standard treatment here and in almost every text for an acute, localised anaphylaxis is dexamethasone and an antihistamine.