Odette

He's so cute, really. Gorgeous little thing. Seeing the animal behavioural expert is a really good idea, i wouldn't be able to bear the thought of giving up my puppy either. Maybe moving to a house isn't a bad idea! You have thought about it anyway?

Oh many natural remedies out there are great! Just because its natural doesn't mean it won't work some are really effective - St John's Wort for depression is a great example. On the flip side though, just because it's labelled "natural" also doesn't mean it WILL work - there needs to be tighter regulation of the industry (especially when they can interfere or cause an adverse reaction when used with traditional medicine). Herbal remedies can be great. Homeopathy on the other hand - no proof at all. I'm unconvinced (and definitely wouldn't waste my money!)

What sort of cancer exactly? Overburdened - do you mean immune compromised? Or the opposite? Tumour immune surveillance is an interesting topic in cancer research, there is actually a lab at the Perter Mac in Melbourne, Mark Smyth's lab, who have been working in this field for years. Basically, what they are looking at is if tumours express molecules on the surface that can be recognised by NK cells in the immune system and targeted for destruction. Often, chemotherapeutics will cause problems by decreasing the number of white blood cells in a system. This can open the way for secondary infections. I'm not sure about it causing cancer though... Plenty of things cause cancer, it's not quite that simple.

Ahona _ Im a little confused about the statement you made about the immune system and cancer.. Can you clarify? Are you saying that the immune system is involved in cancer progression? Or initiating cancer?

You need a certain amount of people to have an effect for it to be statistically significant. Modern medicine is regulated and has to go through stringent trials, show proof of principle and pass a number of safety measures to be accepted and administered. That's a good thing! Natural medicine isn't subject to the same controls, and as such, you can market pretty much anything as a natural medicine and sell it. My aunt had throat cancer, for years. She passed away a couple of years ago. A naturopath advised her to discontinue her chemotherapy and instead go on a course of herbal medicines that he prescribed (at a premium price Ill add). I was mortified. If there was proof that it worked, Id support it 100%, but frankly there isn't any proof. We're not trying to rip you off, we;'re trying to protect you from quacks and frauds who WOULD rip you off. Your anger is targeted the wrong way! But anyway. It's your health, your money! That's the beauty of our society - you have the freedom to make the choice in what you want to use (and the income to dispose of to do so )

Now Im not a vet (far from it), but let's have a look at what might be in the vaccine that might cause the reaction. What vaccine was it? Do you have the manufacturer's details? It might be an idea to contact them directly and let them know, because it may have happened with other dogs (as you would with a human vaccine reaction). What sort of dog do you have? Is he scratching and biting in the same area where the vaccine was administered? He may have had a reaction to the adjuvant, it's not out of the question, but i dont know what the vaccine is in.... Or he may just have allergies. As puggy_puggy said, try antihistamines?

Ditto Ahona. I have used homeopathy on myself and my dog on mulitple occasions with great results. Odette simply because you don't believe in them does not classify all homeopathics as lolly water. I'm not the only one who doesn't believe in it - pretty much the whole respected scientific and medical industry doesn't believe in it! There isn't any proof!

And just because a few people out there have had spontaneous remission of their cancer after praying doesn't mean that their prayers were answered by an angel. Sometimes things just resolve themselves. I'm not telling you anything that isn't fact. There isn't any evidence to support that they work. If a large-scale study was released, showing clinical efficacy of homeopathic medicines, then my view would be different, but as it stands - there simply is no proof! I wonder if I had've supplemented your "treatments" with a placebo (which in effect is what homeopathy is) whether you had've had the same response. i don't work on the basis of "faith healing". I also don't work on the principle of ripping people off, or having them invest their money or hopes into something that, and i love this quote, "is pseudoscience at its very best and quackery at its worst". I'm not the enemy. I actually care about people and their well-being, that's why Im in this industry I don't want to see you comprimise your health, your dog's health, or your hard earned money on something that has no proof of principle attached to it, and that's exactly what homeopathy is.

Ive heard Supercoat is ok, from the supermarket. I just swapped my pets over to Artemis, and they look beautiful, really shiny coats, lovely clear eyes!

I'm not sure - how would you know?!?! I mean if this helps it came up a few days later and stuck around for a week and a half to two. The exact same thing happened with my puppy. It's a reaction to the adjuvant, clears up on its own after a week or so. The third vaccine didn't cause the lump. My vet said that they had contacted the manufacturer of the vaccine. i wouldn't be worried about it at all, if that's the problem?

Odette have you ever used them personally? Nope, and don't intend to. I think "homeopathic" is a scam. Im speaking from a human medicine background, medicine or treatment labelled "homeopathic" doesn't undergo the same level of testing, scrutiny or regulation that traditional medicine does - it doesn't even need to show efficacy like traditional medicine does. I can't imagine that animal medicine would be any different. Quite simply - I don't think it is any different to a placebo. In fact, I find the whole premise ridiculous, and think it is a waste of money (not to mention dangerous when used in place of traditional, proven medicine). Odette evidently you are in the medical industry - thus you must be familiar with the extreme side effects of keeping any living being on cortisone for extended periods of time and it cumulative effects on bones? So do you propose that I continue you to administer cortisone to a dog that is 1 yr and 3 weeks old periodically for the rest of it's life? How long do you think I would foreseeably have with my dog before his body caved in and he had to be put to sleep? I respect your opinion as everyone is entitled to theirs ok. Yet this is not a question of whether or not you believe in conventional or unconventional medicines (ps I am as skeptical as the next person) but more over seeking suggestions and advice in respect to alternatives. Thank you Anissa - I think you are probably the most learnered here regarding homeopathic remedies. We are currently seeing a homeopathic vet - I didn't have much of a chance to talk to him about the vaccination process you see, so was not quite sure of what it involved, administration etc (was going to speak to him more on the next visit about it). We are seeing him about allergies and his low immune sytem and he is trying to correct this in Benson. He did offer the idea of homeopathic remedies over vaccination - yet I am leaning towards getting him vaccinated one more time and then titre testing there afterward. You can take my advice or leave it, its not my money or my animal Im a research scientist, I have a PhD in medicine from Melbourne University. In fact, I did my PhD in a bone biology/breast cancer lab. There is not a shred of evidence to support homeopathy. It is a pseudoscience. Not a single piece of peer-reviewed research out there to suggest any action above or beyond a placebo. Or clinical trial data. You may as well inject distilled water, and hope that it clears up on its own. I know you are looking at alternatives, but it is situations such as your own that drive these companies - desperate people looking for alternatives. Now there ARE alternatives available, im sure, but homeopathy is a load of crock (serially diluting a drug until the drug is no longer detected in the solution.. Excuse me for asking, but where is the proof of principle? How exactly is it supposed to work?) Why are "natural" or "alternative" medicines not liable to the same scrutiny as traditional medicines? Because they are "natural"? Injecting a sick dog (or person) with a solution so dilute that the drug is no longer detectable is more dangerous, if you ask me. And irresponsible. What exactly is wrong with your dog? Maybe I can help you research some alternatives that have some evidence-based support, Im happy to help you with that, if you want the help.

I use the puppy training pads, but I find that my cat is particularly attracted to it - she eats it! If i put a new one down, she and the puppy will have it ripped to shred within an hour.. Ill come home from work to find shredded toilet training pad all over the living room Liek coco22, Im going to give the indoor doggy toilet a try too...

Odette have you ever used them personally? Nope, and don't intend to. I think "homeopathic" is a scam. Im speaking from a human medicine background, medicine or treatment labelled "homeopathic" doesn't undergo the same level of testing, scrutiny or regulation that traditional medicine does - it doesn't even need to show efficacy like traditional medicine does. I can't imagine that animal medicine would be any different. Quite simply - I don't think it is any different to a placebo. In fact, I find the whole premise ridiculous, and think it is a waste of money (not to mention dangerous when used in place of traditional, proven medicine).

I wouldn't use anything labelled "homeopathic", for anything, ever. You may as well use lolly water. Pseudo-science at its best.

I spoke to the vet today, we're going to wait another 3-4 weeks to get her done, and she said that her teeth will be fine till then (as PW said, better not to subject her to 2 anaesthetics!) It is a city vet, well inner east, but they come highly recommended, so I feel good about going with them, although the Lort Smith are meant to be pretty good too (we had all of our old pets done at the Lort Smith).. The other good thing is that i work almost across the road from the Lort Smith! I've got a few weeks to make the choice.

hehehehehe When we first had our cat we had kitty litter as we didn't let her outside for a little while. Boodzey would sneak in and raid it then come out looking all innocent. But the evidence was clear, he would always have a little kitty litter on his nose Hahahaha that happens with Odette too. Caught red handed!!

Odette loves cat poo, so much so we have to keep the litter tray elevated now on a stand so she cant raid it... She got into it the other day though, and then i found a little pile of vomit in the backyard where she vomited the kitty litter itself.. Other than that, doesnt seem to have done her any lasting damage!

My puppy is a cav cross, and the breeder told me to watch her ears for ear mites as she got older. After a couple of weeks i did notice some brownish buildup, so i tried Epi-Otic on her, and she was fine! Cleaned it up immediately, its probably just debris. They say you can use it on puppies and kittens of any age?

Yeah, its my bad, in hindsight i should have had her done 2 weeks ago :/

Yeah I dont want to wait that long either, Im going to take her past the vet tonight to see what they think, ive been soaking her kibble for her to make it softer, i think it's quite painful for her when she is eating. You can see the little baby teeth next to her adult teeth, it hasnt been like this for long, but i want to sort it out as soon as possible. Id rather get it done under the same anaesthetic though, save her having to go under twice, but ill see what the vet says. Whatever is best for her

Yeah im definately going to wait till she's out of season, she's an indoor dog, i dont mind waiting. The price i was quoted was for a puppy not in season... I trust they'd be good... The Lort Smith is a bigger, busier hospital, but i figure they'd do so many of these sorts of operations, it would be a standard procedure? Would you trust the Lort Smith veterinarians for a desexing/tooth removal op?

She's tiny, pug x cavy, 4.5 kg She's on heat right now though, damn, i was hoping to get her before she went into her first season, my bad. I should have organise it earlier :/ Im going ot give the Lort Smith a call, see what they charge. It does seem a little pricey to me too....

Is $260 expensive? Inc. pain relief and antibiotics... Plus $40 per tooth for removal....

I have absolutely no intention of breeding her at all, now way - ill leave that to the registered breeders and experts! i can see how that might happen (osteo in rotties for example), if you disrupt estrogen production.. Estrogen is a regulator of bone homeostasis, particularly of bone resporption. That's why osteoporosis often occurs in post-menopausal women. It's all linked to T cell production of estrogen and the RANKL system (from memory).

Yeah I probably should have had her done a couple of weeks ago, but i wasn't sure, and had received conflicting advice. She needs to have retained baby teeth removed at the same time, her canine baby teeth haven't fallen out, so i was kinda waiting for that to happen too (to see if she would need them removed so it could be done under the same anaesthetic). Hopefully she isnt on heat, i've booked in for friday, but Ive just been doing some reading and Im not so sure.. I'll find out tonight anyway!