lucknow

Reduce the food volume. All brands have different energy density, use the recommended feeding guide as that only and adjust to keep a healthy weight. Weight is a simple matter of matching the calories to energy expenditure.

Sounds like Noodle needs some pain relief, I would suggest ringing the vet and organising for something to be picked up if possible. Mutilation or irritation of a wound is frequently a pain response, the reluctance to walk simply reinforces the presumption. My new philosophy is if unsure, give analgesia, if we are wrong it won't hurt (pun not really intended).

Yeah it's nice when vets listen and address your queries into how you want your animals treated. Really it should be the norm but we all know it doesn't always happen. Best thing you ever did letting your feet do the talking to the previous vet, it sounds as though you may have found someone better - yay!

Our standard recommendations are; preferably no exercise so keep rover as quiet as possible, keep sutures clean and dry, no licking or chewing at the suture line, check daily for redness/swelling/discharge call immediately if any is noticed. Sutures are generally removed 10-14 days after surgery.

Um no, I'm not rich enough, or maybe that should be poor enough, to stake that place, nor do I have any ambition so am still a lowly nurse; but I worked there many years ago and am interested in the place, not least because, as I said, I know a few of the people still there. Hence I take my animals back there when in between jobs as they still give me a small discount after all this time and they know my animals. And sorry cosmolo, not idea who their trainer is, but hi from Boki and me

but can an 'immune' dog really get parvo, if they are immune it will not replicate or divide or whatever so no active illness. I am in complete agreement though that vaccinated animals are not necessarily immune, vaccine failures can and do happen, just fortunately very rare and I personally have never seen a failure for parvo. Hope I never do either, but I hear it is happening with rumours of a new strain... I think sometimes my shoes are more dangerous than any dogs bottom anyway

Have to agree. I think you have to have the mixutre of bleach to water pretty exact too or it's useless, may be wrong, but i think i read that somewhere. What was that bleach you used Nat that was specific for killing parvo? I think that one is good. But yeah, id throw the kennel out.... I also hope she informed the new occupants of her old house! The usually quoted dilution rate is 1/30 bleach to (cold)water, needs to go on liberally as most, if not all, products need to have contact for minimum 10 mintues after the removal of organic matter. I'd chuck the kennel for sure, not to mention anything else I could bear to part with.

This one was actually a vet and they did leave that clinic to go to woofpurnay, so it's possible they weren't happy there. I'm hoping that's the case. It does look like a promising new facility. I think I have worked out who you mean by my fantastic powers of deduction . If so I worked with that particular vet a few times when she locumed at an emergency practice I was at. We had a great atmosphere there and she fit in to that very well, I enjoyed her company and looked forward to working with her in what was at times a stressfull challenging environment. I took my elderly one eyed dog to NWN clinic about 2 months ago, terribly upset as I thought she was going to lose her remaining eye (as I said, she doesn't have a spare anymore) and you can imagine my relief when she was the one to treat my girl. Once again she was efficient and considerate of the both of us, and Tillys eye made a full recovery as did my nerves (the antiinflammatories were great for her arthritis too ). Maybe judgement can be reserved until the jury comes back in

Abit sad that you can judge a place on reading a staff profile, I have spoken to quite a few people and they all say the staff are fantastic. It would suprise me if a place like that would put up with someone you discribe. It will be interesting to hear other peoples views I took my dog there today and they were all fantastic, helpful and polite. I'd be interested to know the reasoning behind the judgement also. Obviously you managed be avoid being affected by the 'insidious' bitchiness and uncaring attitude , maybe others are also able to stand up for themselves and do their job in an ethical and professional manner. I know, like and respect several members of the staff, and am wondering which one you are concerned about. I believe most are long termers from their old premises and have proved themselves time and again already. Maybe people change?

Yes they have a Large Breed Growth. That price sounds about right, price where I work is $103 for a 20kg, same price as 15kg!

I'd be off to the vet and I wouldn't wait until later in the week. Hope he feels better soon.

I'd get it checked out, green snot sounds like an URTI in need of antibiotics.

So sorry to hear your news, inevitable does not make it easy. RIP Wiggs.

If it comes down to his needing surgery I would euthanase for his sake. Major surgery and recovery is hard for a youngster, elder statesmans just don't do well enough to justify the trauma they go through. Good luck with him, I hope it is not as serious as the vet suspects and you don't have to make a decision just yet.

Check the heart rate with your hand inside the thigh. A rise in heart rate goes hand in hand with a rise in temp. There is no way you would get an accurate temp in a dog's armpit even if you did have a thermometer. If you google to find a rough idea of normlal dog heart rate you can find out if it's up or not. Another way to tell, the inner ears may look red and the dog may be panting and seem unwell. Increased thirst also. Unfortunately not, an increased heart rate may be due to excitement or stress, pain, dyspnoea (respiratory distress) etc. The only sure way to tell of an increase in body temperature is to take the temperature.

The ear thermometers designed for humans are not accurate on animals, from memory due to different ear drum shape. There is a relatively new product that a vet friend has used and recommended, I believe there was a thread on it recently. I bought a home model but have yet to dig it out from under a pile of rubbish and try it out properly... Details are here : http://www.vet-direct.com/ThermometerVetTemp.htm

When my youngest (human) child was getting constant serious URTI's a naturopath recommended a immune system booster which from memory was basically a vitamin supplement as well as Inner Health to replenish his good bacteria which was presumed depleted from constant antibiotics and illness. A lot of complementary medicine practioners are experienced with animals on 4 legs as well as 2 going on some information on the forum, it may be a good idea to seek one out.

Slightly off topic but when I was working in a boarding kennel/cattery we would give vegemite to cats refusing to eat to get them to start, the owner swore it worked every time. In the relatively short time I was there it was 100% successful and I have always wondered if it was the effect of the Vit B or some other reason.

Spot on for the reason for increased time and risk in surgery. Having said that about 10% of the surgeries we performed at one time were in season speys with a small increase in minor complications and no increase in major. If management of an in season bitch is at all problematic and you have confidence in the vet willing to do the spey I would just get it done. If not then wait minimum 3 weeks after the finish of the season before going ahead.

Wound-Gard has 200mg/L Denatonium Benzoate, as well as , per litre, 10g Chlorhexidine Gluconate, 5g Menthol, 20ml Phenoxyethanol & 10g Eucalyptus Oil. I use it as a simple antiseptic spray as well to prevent mutilation. It is manufactured by Virbac.

Excessive licking is definately not desirable, as chezzyr said it can cause infection and also fungal problems. Licking a wound while it is still open helps cleanse dirt and debris but once a scab has formed for most wound types it is best left in place to protect against recontamination. Elizabethan collars (the cone) are great for a lot of dogs, as is the stopchew type products. I use woundgard which is similiar and designed for this specific purpose. Not every product or idea will work for every dog.

Arrgh, it's not nice to try to do the right thing and come away feeling a little like you've been kicked while you're down. I think you did the right thing informing the breeder of what happened, if s/he didn't see it that way it is their loss. You did so much not only to try to save Pru but also to find the ultimate cause of death and shared the knowledge. Don't let this person make a sad mourning process harder, take the good memories and cherish them selfishly, away from negative influences.

Parvovirus is basically everywhere in the environment, as Tess32 said the answer is to reduce the contamination or risk to an unvaccinated animal. Presumably the previous owners of the house may have had dogs but unless they had an infected animal the viral load on the property will be no higher than most other areas you care to choose. If basic hygiene is practised, you avoid animals of unknown viral status, change shoes worn in high risk areas and don't take your new pup to parks or similiar until fully protected (or don't put him/her on the ground as already said) then the chances of a problem are very very low. Relax and enjoy your new pup when he?/she? arrives.

Pups should be wormed monthly until 6 months of age. Roundworm are the main concern as the majority of pups are infected inutero, to give complete treatment a product that treats 11 types of intestinal worms is ideal. Advocate is an excellent product and a 'double up' of wormers will not do any harm whatsoever. If you choose Advocate as your flea preventative remember it does not treat tapeworm (separate tablets available) but it does treat more lifestages of the roundworm and has ongoing activity which is one of the reasons for it's popularity. I use the product on my fosters as they tend to arrive with lots of crawlies and the ear mite treatment is an added bonus. WRT heartworm treatment and age to begin, the old monthly treatments needed to be started before 6 months of age or the dog needed a heartworm test before product could be supplied. Some vets still stick to the 6 month rule and so recommend you start just before that age. I prefer to start asap, and get into a routine before it becomes critical (while microfilariae are still circulating, it takes btw 75-120 days to migrate to the heart). Heartworm is relatively easily prevented but terrible expensive and traumatic to treat. Is is not common in Melbourne, only 8% of foxes have it! Not a reasonable risk for me anyway.

If you have a small size syringe a few mls edible oil up the anus (sorry, tried to think of a nicer way to say it) is almost as good as a microlax. I would be really careful though, obviously trying to pass a sharp or large object is painful and sometimes plain impossible. Depending on the true cause of constipation mechanical lubrication will not always work. If he hasn't passed anything by morning I would be getting a vet opinion. Hope he has relief soon.