Crisovar

Dr Jean Dodds has information available on vaccine protocol for Rotties, I'm sure she recomends using a modified live virus for them after 8 weeks? I'll see if I can find where I put it.

Grooming can be a funny business. There is quite often a huge difference between what the breed is supposed to look like and how the owner wants it, you have to learn the art of mind reading and reading between the lines If you have a background in show dogs, I think it is harder because you have these pictures in your mind of what the breeds look like, then the owner comes along with their version that is so far off it is amazing. If you really enjoy the art of grooming a dog to its breed standard then you have pray you get owners that maintain the coat between visits. It can be difficult to send home a Bichon looking like it should when it has spent winter wearing a jumper and hasn't seen a brush and comb.

I don't know if this is true but someone told me that the poop used to be white because dogs ate more bones then, hence more calcium in their diet. Could be a load of old Cr*p though :rolleyes: pardon the pun (Sorry, my bad) Feeding bones will do it, they just dry up and go chalky white.

It is a wonder isn't it, I don't recall any of my dogs of my childhood or youth not making their teens, and the diets they got would obviously make some here beat me with the big stick. But then they didn't suffer monthly applications of chemicals for worms, fleas, bed bugs or moths, and they didn't get vaccinated every year, but that is another thread all together .

There really is no necessity to clip a L/H Chihuahua, just regular brushing and bathing will take care of loose hair. There is no benefit to them in summer, just a bit easier for the owner.

I use Sensitive Skin and Stomach, and the breeders one, I haven't noticed any difference apart form the normal winter increase in ration, not 50% though. Maybe the dogs are doing more?

Have you fed it through winter before? Some animals, I have a couple, do drop weight over the cold months if you don't up their rations.

You may find passion fruit vines growing in places you didn't plant them in a few months time. :wink: My dogs do it all the time, they love them.

What drug do you believe the dog was given?, it is not going to suffer withdrawals from one shot of a standard pain relief/ anti inflamatory med.

Normally the drug given is Metacam, I have never heard of it causing those sorts of issues. Maybe a phone call to your vet is in order.

Add some vegies to the mince.

Did the Vet test the puppy for Coccidia? To resolve the issue if it is a dietary thing will take some time, but I would be stopping with the commercial food right now and resting the pups tummy for 24 hrs, just electrolytes and a probiotic as Garloch has suggested. Then small meals of cooked chicken. You say you have tried different foods, sometimes any change of diet is enough to cause tummy upset in a young pup. I would stop all grains and slowly introduce one item at a time into the diet, so you can see exactly what he was eating if he gets upset again. Some dogs are very sensitive to grains and a dog food containing grains combined with pasta could well be just too much.

I have had fully vaccinated dogs come down with Canine (Kennel) Cough. In fact the only dogs that did come down with it were vaccinated yearly because they were co owned and the other owner wanted it done. Having spent a lot of time over the years researching the whole Vaccine issue and listening to people who spend their lives working with Immunology and vaccines I decided that yearly vaccination was not the way to go. Like many other people here I have seen the results of immune systems battered by vaccines and chemicals, if you want cuss at someone cuss at the drug companies who are putting the $$ before the health of the animals they claim to be helping.

1ml is the dose for all. Even Dr Jean Dodds couldn't get a straight answer from the Vaccine companies on that one.

Talk to you local Vet to find out if Paralysis ticks are a problem where you are, also local dog owners are a good source of knowledge. Brown dog ticks are more widespread. If you are in an area where there are paralysis ticks the you need to very aware, and daily inspections are a must as well as preventative treatments. Different areas often require different treatments as the nasty buggers seem to develop resistance to products, again local knowledge is good. It is good to find a good visual resource on identifying paralysis ticks so you know what you are looking at if you do find ticks.

Please explain :D

Ditch the rice and pasta, combined with cereal content of the dry food it is probably too much. Dogs do not really need the cereal. Any change of diet can cause tummy upset, so don't go introducing too many foods too soon. Some natural yoghurt may help his tummy at this time.

It does not need to be done yearly.

The Vets act on the information given by the drug companies as well, if a vaccine manufacturer labels the product as needing to be repeated yearly, then the Vets take that on board. AFAIK there is only one vaccine available here that claims to be 3yo, all the rest are yearly. Until the manufacturers agree with the likes of Dodds, they will still be pushing that yearly is required. And on and on it goes. It takes a long time to change well established thinking and protocol.

Beacon all the way, for outstanding longevity they simply keep going on and on.

Why not simply use liquid Protexin, it easily mixed in food and the animals do not seem to notice it.

The point is they are simply OVERSIZED, you don't change a standard simply because Breeders refuse to comply. Staffords are supposed to be an agile terrier, many certainly could not be described as that.

Bull Terriers are brachycephalic ???

So you don't think they should sell foods that treat specific conditions or sell foods to ensure that the animals they see are getting decent nutrition? Ever tried to to explain how to feed your dog to a complete numpty?? You don't think that by having foods available for owners who haven't grasped the whole feed your dog thing correctly is beneficial to the animal?

Owner compliance is a big issue for Vets, you can stand and talk to an owner for an a hour about allergys etc, and they don't comprehend the concept of only one protein etc, same as for animals with gut issues, kidneys etc. Being able to provide a complete package and simply be able to say feed this NOTHING else can simplify the treatment for everyone. Obese dogs, again so many owners cannot tailor the normal diet to suit, send them home with a bag and instructions works well for most. Carrying a range of foods to suit everyone is impossible, supply of boutique foods can be difficult, it means dealing with different suppliers, often the need to stock far more than you can sell. Stocking the brands carried by the major suppliers simplifies things, it is generally available overnight and included in the normal drug order reduces freight etc. Many more vets are coming around to the raw concept, but it is a slow learning curve, Nutrition is a huge subject and for most general practice Vets one they don't have the time to devote to. We expect a hell of a lot out of our Vets in general practice.