Jumabaar

There are some Animal Physio's in WA. I suggest talking to them. We actually don't have much scientific evidence of surgery vs formal rehabilitation (plenty of surgery vs nothing and one type of surgery vs another but again no rehabilitation for any of these surgeries). I used to be 100% behind surgery but since managing cases some do respond to therapy alone- but it is a lot of work and can be just as expensive as surgery. I do think this is only an option with sound advice from someone who understands the mechanics of the problem and how to rehab and encourage the right muscles to work. Not something to DIY. Best of luck with Jonah.

Love love love love combs for my crew. I have brushes etc but I always end up reaching for the comb at the beginning and end of a grooming sessions :) I have used a Ferminator on my Kelpie and gave her a small bald patch!! They are amazing in certain very specific situations (really bad spey/geriatric coats come to mind) but I can count the number of times I have felt the need for it on one hand! So not worth spending money on for the general population when you could buy more combs instead :laugh:

Elbows are tricky and irritable and difficult to treat at the best of times. Best of luck Herbiegirl with your boy. I have worked with many very uncomfortable dogs who have had a new lease on life after surgery and I hope you have an amazing outcome.

If you really don't wish to lose hormones then an Ovary Sparing spey might be an option. I typically don't recommend them as Pyo can still occur, but if it does its much less likely to be life ending. It might be a good compromise in this particular case.

Your girl get as much as my 17kg Finnish Lapphund does (6yrs entire). And almost as much as my Kelpie (9yrs, desexed at 6) who still does obedience, visits schools and demonstrations for my canine fitness seminars. Having worked in a clinic in Finland where desexing is less common Pyometra was a daily surgery. I don't have the stats off the top of my head but I do know the risk increases with increasing age and it is a significant proportion of bitches that will suffer from it. Pyometra is life threatening and can not be 'prevented'. Weight gain on the other hand can be managed and there are exercises you can do in the house- even investing in treat toys so they have to work for food increases calories burnt. You can also get lower calorie food that is still nutrient dense so they don't feel like they are missing out which is what I will be doing with my Finnish Lapphund as she ages since weight is already a big issue with her.

For those who have dogs with recurrent ear infections please talk to your vets about atopic dermatitis which is a significant cause of this problem. Sure water in the ear may be a contributing factor but there are dogs that have the same lifestyle without the problem so it is worth while looking at investigating for an allergy.

Exactly. 77% of tested dogs being hypothyroid (probably from the medication) does not suggest that hypothyroidism causes seizures or that thyroxine is going to be of any benefit. You have a correlation that is explained by a medication involved and nothing I can find suggests any causation. As an aside.. here is a list of symptoms/disorders jean Dodds attributes to hypothyroidism: Weakness, stiffness, laryngeal paralysis, facial paralysis, tragic expression, knuckling or dragging feet, muscle wasting, megaesophagus, head tilt, drooping eyelids, seizures, mental dullness, exercise intolerance, neurologic signs, polyneuropathy, lethargy, weight gain, cold intolerance, mood swings, hyperexcitability, stunted growth, chronic infections, dry/scaly skin and dandruff, coarse/dull coat, bilateral symmetrical hair loss, rat tail, puppy coat, hyperpigmentation, seborrhea or greasy skin, pyoderma or skin infections, myxedema, chronic offensive skin odor, infertility of either sex, lack of libido, testicular atrophy, hypospermia aspermia, prolonged interestrus interval, absence of heat cycles, silent heats, pseudopregnancy, weak, dying or stillborn pups, slow heart rate (bradycardia), cardiac arrhythmias, cardiomyopathys, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding, bone marrow failure, low red blood cells, low white blood cells, low platelets, corneal lipid deposits, corneal ulceration, uveitis Keratococonjunctivitis, sicca or dry eye, infections of eyelid glands, lgA deficiency, loss of smell (dysosmia), loss of taste, glycosuria, chronic active hepatitis, other endocrinopathies adrenal, pancreatic, parathyroid. Just about every vague or common symptom you can think of. The majority of these things would have likely causes elsewhere but by listing every common complaint she can think of as being something possibly linked to hypothyroidism, she's just created herself a huge market of dogs that "should" be tested. I doubt I'm going to change the minds of any Jean Dodds believers here but hopefully, other people who are considering wasting their money (or risking their dog's health based on her recommendations) will think very carefully before they do so. Another point with the 77%- it would be the dogs where vets had other signs of hypothyroidism that would strongly recommend testing. I doubt that it is 77% of all the entire population of dogs with seizures. The 33% could be the individuals sending off blood tests with no other symptoms because they have seen the 77% stat! No judgement either way- just pointing out that statistics can be difficult to interpret without information about how the information was obtained i.e. numbers and sample population because it could be an exceptionally biased piece of data if taken out of context.

After seeing a few dogs that have had ovarian remnants left in- and suffering from stump pyometra for a number of years I strongly discourage ovary sparing as a long term solution. Sure your unlikely to have an infection that will kill the bitch but they still feel very unwell and it is much easier to miss. The two dogs that come to mind have been owned by exceptionally experienced and good owners who's dogs would become flat and less active and ever so slowly lost their spark- gradually enough that no one noticed. Once the rememnant was tracked down they suddenly went back to bright bubbly spunky girls who were up for anything! I do agree leaving ovaries in until maturity is beneficial but after that point I would always suggest removing them!! The uterus is neither here nor there- if there are no ovaries then there is no risk of pyo and studies have shown no significant risk of uterine cancer. I am lucky and now have a great relationship with a clinic that does keyhole spays!! No more huge abdominal incisions and intense rehab to rebuild core strength for my clients

Yay KDF!! Some gentle warmth along his back and shoulders will also ease any muscle weariness. It doesn't need to be 'hot' like humans use- just warm when you place it on your forearm. Pop it on for 10 minutes of an evening and see what he thinks. Best wishes in the coming weeks. I am sure he will go from strength to strength- it is only owners who care so much who really think through the situation regardless of the decision made. And it is the owners who care who have the hardest road, but also see the value in the tiny things. Please share the tiny things (you will know what they are when they come along) with us as they come along because there are lots of people who will be able to see how important they are.

If you are finding he is painful then the first suggestion would be to back of the length of your walks. Certainly not stop them entirely but it might be a bit much for him. It might be worth encouraging wading to replace some of the distance but still maintain fitness levels. Here is an article that I wrote about the different muscle groups. http://www.primalpaws.com/primal-paws/2014/06/supporters-vs-movers I do lots of low impact exercises for dogs with arthritis as well as lifestyle modification which is another aspect. The problem is that it depends on each dog and how they move etc so general recommendations are difficult. If he is unhappy with sitting will he still perform a squat (so half sit) instead? I like to use that as a basic exercise to maintain rear end strength without causing as much pain as a full sit. I also suggest proprioception challenges- (proprioception is knowing exactly where your body is in space) because it can diminish when there is pain. So going over low sticks and obstacles at a very slow speed so the dog has to think about what they are doing rather than just getting from point A to point B. I actually have a few clients up your way so could try and T something up to see what exercises are appropriate.

Just a not re swimming- it is great for building up muscles that move the body and for maintaining flexibility and moving the joints around. It does not build up muscles that support the joints- they need to be done with some weight bearing. So swimming is great!! Just that its only part of the picture when it comes to exercise. I would suggest land based exercises to assist with strengthening these joint supporting muscles on top of everything else suggested!

I think it also depends on your area- I live in a very low risk area but decided it was worth using it because I go into some exceptionally high rick areas with some dogs. Also while I have always been able to limit contact with scrub etc this is becoming almost impossible and I am letting my muppets swim. So for me it is worth using in specific situations!! Thankfully not all of my dogs need to be on it all the time- bloody work making me travel to tick areas :laugh: ETA: Change that last comment- bloody clients living in tick areas but still having darn cute dogs!!!

I have used it on 2 of my dogs- no adverse reaction. My (vet) friend who is in the Central coast has swapped to it with her Aussie as a gunia pig for their clients. No adverse reaction. She is a water baby so the oral formulation won't wash off the coat like topicals do. Overall quite happy with it- there are always negative reviews. Sometimes these are valid however looking at the types of websites that are posting these reviews I am not too concerned by them.

I am currently Rehabbing a Great Dane X with complete CCL rupture bilaterally. The biggest factor in surgery being the only option is Meniscal damage- if that is found then I won't even try rehab only. Then how far along the process it is and how comfortable be the dog is in the mean time. So far we are having a significant amount of success using acupuncture, herbs and exercise. It is a big job for the owner because it does rely on them being committed 100%.

All of the dogs I have seen have amputations have adjusted well. Back legs take much less weight generally so they tend to recover much faster. *All the dogs that I have seen are through my work in rehab so this will have biased my view because we do so much to make their transition smoother and more comfortable and maintain as much normal function as possible* ETA- I have seen elderly dogs who were otherwise in good health bounce back very quickly and so that has to be taken into account as well as the 'number'. Age itself is not a disease- it is just part of the picture. Also look at your own time and ability to help your dog i.e. physically able to lift them, moving around while they are recovering which is a bigger consideration when I have this discussion with owners.

Have a look at superlorin off label use in bitches. Not without risks, and she may come into season within a few days of the initial dose (but at least he then just keeps her locked away for a similar break as he would if she were speyed) but still an option.

There are lots of land based exercises for maintenance- nothing can fix the problem but keeping them comfortable and mobile for longer is certainly possible. Its a shame that he hates water because wading means less weight that you need to support but I also don't blame him (my own dogs would agree with his sentiment)!! Boots are a hard one- they stop the abrasions but the decrease the ability to get information from the environment which can make walking even more difficult. They also change where his foot ends, so be prepared for some amusing moments! You can try popping some hyperfix tape on the top of his paws when he is going for his walks and going for the boots with the least amount of 'stuff' possible to minimise their impact on him. I know one of my clients has found plastic booties that look like tiny balloons has worked well- but not sure where she managed to find them! Not sure what area you live in but there may be someone in your area who does rehab/palliative care that might be able to give you a specific exercise plan.

I much prefer using a Help em up harness http://helpemup.com I have managed dogs over 40kg with it- not fun but comfortable for us both. The one you linked to does not seem to disperse the weight as much as the help em up. Its great that he is still mobile!! It is the key to keeping them going.

Quite likely the ants- my boy had a similar reaction on his privates!! It sounds like you have the situation in hand. Ice (ice pack in the fridge until it is chilled will do) will assist with swelling and discomfort. I have also used oat water (boil oats in water then smear the goop on for really uncomfortable areas and the water on other areas) to good effect.

I am doing a run up to QLD in January if anyone wants me to bring any back down to Sydney to save on shipping (I live in campbeltown but make runs to Box hill, Five Dock and Newtown regularly to visit clients so happy to meet people in those locations). I am hoping to stock them next from mid next year when I get my rehab/conditioning store up and running so am willing to barter reviews for courier services :laugh: I liked these ones because I have actually seen and felt them (on my last trip up to QLD) and because I really couldn't feel the ground through the bed regardless of how much I squished it like I have with other 'similar' beds. And it was squishy but not so squishy that golden oldies would have difficulty getting on and off. Yup- I have a lot of boxes to fill!

I absolutely love these beds too!! I recommend them for all dogs with arthritis as a 'must' and most other dogs who like beds. They will also have a cool pad insert in the near future for dogs who like to curl up in cool spots! And yes also comfortable for humans who end up sharing the comfy bed with the dogs.

Comforts actually works quite well for dogs with Flea allergies even though it is not topical. I agree its not logical but have seen it enough times to still strongly recommend it for dogs with this reaction. I do suggest some environmental management- vacuuming, washing bedding, It might be a stray cat brining in fleas.

With all due respect I think rescue would see many more dogs come through our homes than a breeder, I have had over 1,000 come through my place in just 14 years and have had many with breast cancer and some suffering from Pymetra and have had at least 5 males with testicular cancer as well. Not a lot but enough to warrant people desexing their dogs, unless a registered breeder in your case. Maree CPR I have seen the rates of problems in Scandinavian countries where desexing is not done routinely. The disease rate caused by hormones/in reproductive organs was much higher than what I have experienced here. I can't even remember the number of Pyos they had in just a few weeks! There is certainly value in desexing although I do agree that the motivation should be examined. I tried to write a balanced article on this topic Desexing . I can't see desexing helping with behaviour in this case! I will say that I have had some very 'full on friendly' dogs and have managed to get the behaviour under control with less than 10 minutes of actual training a day. It did mean that I had to put in some management techniques so the behaviour couldn't be practiced and that I needed to set my expectations/criteria pretty low to begin with :laugh: but it was certainly worth the effort to have the complements when it all goes right. You might have more luck looking for a good trainer online who is used to friendly exuberance rather than getting advice from Barkbusters who probably don't deal with this specific problem too often.

It could also be the difference between in-house diagnosis and sending them off to a lab for a pathologist to look at it as well as different procedures i.e. scrape vs biopsy.

Buy an ugly black muzzle and put red tape on it. Take it with you when you go out and you should find the problem completely solved :laugh: It completely sucks and I wish people would learn that no means no!