OSoSwift

I use Dominant washing powder and have done so for years. You can get it off the internet - is based in South Oz OH is highly allergic to normal soap powders and as I use the phosphate free washing powder I wonder if it is the phosphate that causes a problem? I also use Glycerine soap (you kow that see through orange soap stuff)

What a sweetie, agree lots of photos required!

HAd the same thing happen to me. I was doing some exercises in re-inforcing the heel position, so heel one step forwards, one around, one back etc. The comment - oh well any dog would do that for food! Um no it wouldn't, and my dog was position perfect, almost levitating backwards to get into the correct position! Yep a piece of food will get ANY dog to do that...sure! It is all about their insecurities, keep doing what you are, sounds like you are going great guns - well done. Oh and it is always good when they nail something when someone is watching - especially a loud obnoxious someone!

Yep have something on hand, shove pill down throat and then off to the vets! Better safe than sorry! The other worry is if they have bitten or swallowed it then they may have more stings/bites down the throat - major drama! A friend of mine had a dog that would go into anaphylactic shock with bee's. He could only tolerate Polaramine, so it was shove pills down throat and bolt! It worked well and he never did crash completely on her after the first time. Also if it happens at a vet at least you can get them tubed to maintain an airway whilst drugs have a chance to work.

That can be a bit late , sometimes ..esp if swelling is rapid onset. Glad Boofa is ok now Once they have signs of breathing difficulties they can be going into anaphylactic shock. Death can be a short time away! Don't mean to scare you, if she just had a swollen muzzle then yes wait it out, maybe, but a swollen tounge - definate vet. They usually give them antihistamine and cortisone as mentioned earlier. Makes the swelling go down much more quickly and makes the dog comfortable quicker.

I wouldn't wash it all the time, it needs to dry out. I would push the nail inot a bar of soap, or get Potassium permangenate (Condy's Crystals) from a Pharmacy , put a damp cotton bud in to cellect the crystals, then firmly apply to the nail. It stings a little but will stop any bleeding, it an antiseptic and was used for a long time for treating wounds. As a side note it is used to make Chesnut horses go a nice Liver chestnut colour! It isn't the end of the owrld, don't make a big deal about it or Saha will play on it bi time the next time. Best bet - if you do cut a nail too short- is keep acting as per normal, if not bleeding badly keep trimming the nails on that foot, then place Condy's on it and continue trimming nails on the other feet. Do not pat, console or baby, business as usual. We have all done it at one time or other, dogs that move, taking a bit much off etc.

I used to groom a Golden Retriever X Shihtzu She had almost Basset cross type body shape, had a coat that grew to about 3 inches long then stopped, was grey and looked like Barkley of sesame street with shorter legs. I wondered what the hell they were thinking! She was a nice enough dog, but not very good at listening!

That sounds very promising. It wouldn't suprise me if he did fall, young large breed puppy is very unco-ordinated at a young age, couple that with the fact they just have to do mad zoomies and you have crashing puppies! Hope it heals quickly.

Not paying for fancy packaging sounds good to me! Is it available in regional WA? or just Perth?

I have lost count of the times I have had ringworm! Last bout myself and my youngest got it, as did the old dog, but everyone else avoided it. I only have to be in the same room as someone or an animal carrying ringworm and I get it. So much for becoming immune to it - I still live in hope

Dog should be fine without the toe as long as you don't compete on hard surfaces. Sunni still runs around like a maniac and jumps like an idiot. It's only when she belts the pavement that she has issues with lameness. I would have no qualms doing obedience or agility with her (if I wanted to), I just wouldn't be going for any endurance titles. That is really good to know. I would like to do Endurance but I believe that the one held only 400kms away isn't being held any longer, so I would have to go 750kms. Just a bit to hard at this time in my life.

We only had a hole when it festered but we still drained it daily with peroxide because it still attacks the bacteria & brings it to a head & above ensured it stayed clean as it was on the foot If it opens up at all again I will definately give this a go

Thanks for the replies and all the other tips as well. I am more worried about the toe being removed in regard to jumping etc for agility and obedience. If I was closer to shows then I may have a go at the Champion title. I will do whatever I can to keep that toe on though! She seemed marginally better today which is promising. ETA Don't worry about off topics as they give me lots of ideas for other things

Thanks for that showdog I seem to have the opposite problem, no hole or noticable infection but have the lamness. Her toe looks completely healed and the hair is all normal. She seemed good yesterday morning, but when we went outside a bit later she was ouchy. I am wondering if I am just being impatient and need to give the pad more time to get back to normal thickness and toughness?

I have been looking into boots, that is a good way of addressing it. The end of the house where we enter and leave mainly is gravel in a large "apron" it is on here thet I notice it the most. This morning She looked good, but when she went outside later she was still ouch on the foot. She had had two courses of Clavulox (One was 14 days) and one of Cephalexin (10 days).

I see many many puppy owners come through puppy preschool with various long and wool coated breeds, at least 50% of them have no idea that their dogs coat will grow forever! They think it will get to an inch or two and then stop. Or they think that they can keep a Maltese in a full coat with a bit of a brush each day. They are quite shocked when they are told that show dogs in full coat require lots of work involving wrapping, unrapping washing drying and then wrapping again. As a general rule, owners of dogs from Pedigree breeders are well aware, owners of dogs from BYB are partly aware and owners of dogs from petshops are generally unaware of the grooming involved

I would get her checked for a UTI to make sure that is not an issue, but sounds like hormonally related urinary incontinence to me. SO a trip to the vets would be in order

I managed to hold the tears in until I read your post and saw your wonderful photos, now I am a blubbering mess! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful wonderful job you are doing with that little boy, I am so happy to know he now knows how love feels and his past will be erased by the wonderful future your are creating for him. Thank you

I have seen it used on my horse the otherday that had an abscess. The vet poured the crystals into the hole and then made it moist with Betadine liquid. Worked a treat, sound horse in 3 days. I have also seen it used very successfully mixed with plain white zinc on a dogs toe that had a very deep deated infection around the bone on his toe. Saved most of his toe and he only lost the very end with the nail bed. It was cleaned off daily with a mild saline solution and reapplied for around 3 or 4 days from memory.

That is a wonderful job! I think it is looking great - but I'm not sqeemish! :p I am sure he will be so much better. I would be very happy with your vet, looks great and when all hair hair has grown back, you would be hard pressed to know it had been done.

Thanks Rommi n Lewis, I obviously want the absolute best for him but I don't want to go overboard. Since we had to pts my childhood dog with a tumour earlier in the year I get worried about any change in my two. OH thinks the same as you and I want to feel at ease with that. I just don't want to miss anything healthwise and have regrets later. If there was medicare for dogs I would have been at the vets at first light but.... So I want to be aware but rational about how I handle these sorts of things. I gave him a bath to wash anything left over. When I was drying his face he started to bleed from a hair follicle (i think) and has been licking his front paws more than usual but other than that he is himself. OH wants to not use any topical flea/tick treatments on him again and then if he has another one get him to the vet and start tests. I think in terms of flea treatment we will bomb the house and keep using the sentinel spectrum. I don't know what else to use because I don't want him to put him at risk of another reaction again. It's always easier to be rational when it's not your own dog! I find it very hard to be rational when it involves my own. I think that avoiding Spot on flea treatments would be a good way to go. It may even be that Oscar is sensitive and it takes something like the spot on to make him fit. Time will tell if it is product related or not. Washing him is also a very good idea. Hope all is well now, but at any sign of him not being right I would definately get him looked at.

Thank you The first time it opened up she had a poultice on, the second time I wrapped Magnaplasm on it for 24 hours. It cleaned ou the serousy pussy stuff, but no more foreign bodies came out. Now as it is fully healed I don't think the magnaplasm would help - I love the stuff and use it on myself as well.

Is the foot sensitive or still injured? IT is sensitive, all fully healed. I did wonder if it was because her pad maybe thiner after the sand came out through the middle of her pad, but the mark has gone and the pad appears to be normal thickness, maybe slightly thinner. What happens if you put a protective covering (eg. a boot) over the pads? Haven't tried a boot, but if bandaged with a light bandage she acts as if her foot is broken and limps even worse. Has she seen a chiropractor? We don't have a chiro down here, closest one is 750kms away I was considering acupuncture which is locally available

She has been on three different courses of antibiotics and there appears to be no infection at this time. No redness or pinpoint area of soreness.

Poor Oscar, and you as well. Never a nice thing to see. I haven't seen a problem with Advantage apart from a localised problem, but anything is possible. I would say if it was my dog it is too much of a coincidence and not use that product again. Keep a very close eye on him and I guess if he has a seizure again then yes it might be a coincidence. Can you use a diffferent adulticide product? One who's ingredients are different? Is he relatively normal at the moment? If he is there is probably not much to be gained by taking to the vets, especially if you are not going to have testing done. If he hasn't returned to normal then a vet visit and basic blood work would probably be a good place to start.