stormie

Good advice from persephone... Commonly dogs with obstructions are vomiting and very very unwell, so I'm sure there must be some miscommunication with the first vet, as I really can't see a vet sending a dog home with antibiotics when there is an obstruction!

Hope she's ok... Though I'm a bit confused why she would be sent home on antibiotics if she has a blockage?? Do you mean she's blocked up as in constipated? Or blocked up as in an obstruction?

Midol, you should try to get a copy of the notes from Jean Dodds. Both her, and the labs, kept reiterating how important it was to vaccinate, but just to do it right. Australia has one of the lowest incidents of canine disease and it is because we vaccinate.

For those interested, I have a price list for thyroid tests with hemopet. The ones Jean suggested I do (which I think are the standard ones?) is about $US85, plus shipping to get the blood to the USA. There's some specifications for shipping the blood, so I suggest those who are keen on doing the test, try and group up and have all the blood sent off together, to save shipping costs.

Yeah I get where you are coming from. But until you're in the consult with the owners and the vet, you never really know if the vet is entirely to blame or not. We have had clients refuse to have surgery on things that straight out need them, or refuse take home medicine because they say there's no way they can administer it. It's then up to the vets to try and do what they can. Vets see their fair share of bad clients too!! edited for spelling

Not all ringworm glow. Dry flaky skin can glow, so unless you do a fungassay, you don't know for sure. Draining an aural haematoma while the dog is awake isn't that big a deal, IMO. Some owners can't afford full blown surgery, and in minor cases, simply draining it can fix it. Why put a dog under anaesthetic if it can be dealt with by a needle? Not trying to argue, I have no doubt there are some dodgy vets out there, but I just get really tired of the 'slag the vets' threads.

Cassie, I had issues with Orbit not that long ago, with him hating me doing his nails (and I get what you mean, when I giant dog doesn't want you to do it, you've got a battle on your hands trying to hold them still!!!). I started doing clicker training with him (which he picked up so super fast!!!) and then incorporated the clicker into nail clipping. I taught him the 'touch' command, and made him touch the clippers with his nose and paws. It literally took one session with the clicker to have him giving me his paw to clip his nails!! I just made it so that the clip sound of the clippers meant a treat! When I clip his nails, I just take of tiny bits at a time so I can see when I'm getting closer to the quick. Funny, I have nicked him a couple of times still, and yet he still just sits there waiting for his treats, still offering me his paws!! Silly boy!

It is a very simple procedure and any regular vet can do it. It usually just involves cutting small oval of skin out from underneath the eye and stitching the two edges back together, which tightens the skin under the eye and pulls the eye lid outwards away from the eye.

Allergies are a reaction by the body's immune system. So if it is used to treat allergies, it is effecting the immune system by suppressing the reaction. This isnt' 100% correct. Cortisone is an anti inflammatory. It is also used to treat arthritis. Allergies in dogs can cause a reaction in the skin which results in inflammation, and thus becoming itchy. Removing the inflammation takes away the itchiness and discomfort. It's only when you start getting up into the high doses (1-2mg/kg or higher) that it starts to have an affect on the immune system. Some animals can have a reaction of sorts in an area which causes the skin to become inflammed and the dog licks and chews and it gets worse and worse. A short course of tapered cortisone can take away the inflammation and allow the skin to heal, and the problem may never come back. If the problem comes back, then it's time to start looking at other causes.

:D I have a burper and a farter. Doesn't matter what I feed him, even on raw/barf he farts - they just smell like broccoli! Orbit's a real boy - he comes up to you and you think he's leaning in for a kiss, but instead he burps in your face then walks away.....

rmc where abouts was the lump? Was it on the skin or was it internal?

Yeah scabies are usually easy to treat compared to demodex. Advocate works, as does Interceptor and Sentinal and Revolution (and all these are a bit safer than ivermectin).

It's a very serious condition so I would be very closely following the directions given by the vet.

Some bacteria can leave a dark circle/ring at the site, though it's not exactly pigmentation and usually goes away. Chronic scratching and irritation can also cause a change in pigmentation, but it's not usually small specific areas like you're describing, its usually more general over the whole area. I doubt with the dose of cortisone your on and the length of time you've been on it that it would be cushings. Pics sas!!!

The seeds do contain cyanide, however I believe the shell of the seed is tough enough to withstand the digestive system of humans and animals, and unless is thoroughly chewed, will pass through in tact without releasing the chemical. One would have to munch on a huge amount of apple seeds to be poisoned.

Aspergillus?

Go figure - Proheart 12 has 3 times the active ingredient of Proheart 6. Obviously different labels for different countries :rolleyes: Surely the suspension the moxidectin is in must be different, otherwise the SR-12 would all be absorbed in 6 months. There must be something different about it to make it be absorbed slower. It wouldn't just be because there is more of it being injected, because otherwise the size of the dog would determine how long it lasted, if that makes sense. Which could potentially be why the proheart6 has had more problems, because the chemical is being absorbed much faster. Definitely something I'm going to question the FD reps on when they next come by...

As far as I'm concerned, vets should be showing this label to their clients and giving them the ability to make an informed choice. I still can't work out why this is on the label of proheart6, but not on the label of proheart SR-12

Hey sas, strange question, but have you tried gently scratching at the patches? When Orbit gets a bit 'staphy' from his itching, he gets the pustules which also flatten out and the skin at the site goes brown, but it flakes off like a scab if i scratch at it, kind of like a really thin scab?

that's a great idea! Orbit's 1 in August ( ) - i might steal that one!!

What about making a big chunky frittata?

Even if SR-12 eventually is proved to be harmful, its not going to be the vets who get done, it will be the company. Vets rely on information they receive, which usually includes scientific studies and evidence to show products to be effective and safe. Just because there are websites out their stating these products to be harmful, until a properly done study shows that moxidectin is causing all these problems, it's still going to be used. Rather than having a go at vets, why not target the companies that make them.

The problem is, there is no scientific evidence to say the drug causes problems. No one can say that the dogs who developed seizures and other issues, wouldn't have had these problems anyway.

I wash Orbit in warm to luke warm water. The less often I wash him, the worse his skin gets, as he is prone to secondary bacterial infections from his allergies. I do believe that slightly cooler water is more soothing to itchy and inflammed skin, but I don't believe that over washing CAUSES skin problems. In fact, a lot of dermatologists will suggest you give them a medicated bath twice weekly to help skin issues.

Interesting that there's nothing on the SR-12 labels, nor have the reps etc mentioned anything about not giving it within 1 month of vaccination. It's possible that Fort Dodge have added this to proheart 6, so that people cannot claim a vaccine reaction is a proheart 6 reaction.