Muttaburra

Sorry to hear about little Levii, such a beautiful little chap. RIP Levii

The smell goes away after a while. Definitely watch after a swim. Killtix does fleas as well and are water resistant. Preventatic does not do fleas and are not water resistant. I am glad so many people find them as effective as I do. Some vet places do not stock them over our way, and will only sell the spot-on treatments. At Mona Vale the discount pharmacy sells them for around $12 per collar, very reasonable. When Maxi has been wearing them for a while, a red area develops on his neck, maybe from moisture underneath, I don't know.

Always check the active ingredients and the dosages to make the best comparisons. Some previously "branded only" treatments have passed the set time and are released on to market in a Generic form, hopefully this will make things cheaper for both generic and branded products (because of the competition). I use Valuepet brand monthly heartwormer that I get from our Discount Chemist pharmacy. The All-wormer I shop around to whatever is handy at the time, and try to include one for Hydatids. I use Killtix collars for Ticks and Fleas. And Capstar for fast flea knockdown when required. (rarely)

Gosh, please can we have an update as soon as you can confirm it. I know they leave the outer sack these days whereas some time ago they used to remove the pouch. Swelling can be the size of a plum in some dogs. It would be astonishing for a vet to only remove one, unless he is a freak and had 3, or one was undecended and somehow moved down after the operation, but you would expect a Vet to report any abnormalities.

To my way of thinking there is a certain deductive logic that can be applied in these cases. Contact allergies are the least most common allergies, even though very severe sometimes, they are the easiest to eliminate as a factor. Wandering Dew Plumbago (blue star flower hedges) Kikuyu Paspallium etc. If it was me I would be removing the Kikuyu, apart from allergenic problems it is a rough grass that can irritate skin for those reasons. Avoid Plumbago hedges, I can tell you this can be extremely allergenic, it is in my dog, and the reaction is severe and very fast. If the dog still shows symptoms after the obvious things have been removed, then look to further investigations. It would be pointless to change the diet if the dog is coming into contact with high-allergenic plants.

The legs in the 2nd picture look a bit Corgi, short and stocky.

Sorry for your loss, PLP Run free you beautiful boy, Cheyanne

Run Free Kruger, hope there is some Possum Pie waiting for you over the bridge.

What a beautiful dog Spike was, in nature and looks. Spike was so lucky he had you to care for him, to enjoy your company and for you to see he did not have to endure too much suffering when it appeared there was no resolution to his health issue. You were both brave for each other. RIP Spike

Goodbye beautiful Rosie. Your sunset years were spent in a loving home and you received the care and love that you so deserved from good kind people.

So sorry to hear of your heartbreaking loss. Rest in Peace little buddies.

Maxi took a while to master them, they can be a bit difficult to bite right through the flesh and skin. He managed to swallow but vomits it up again whole then has another go. Definitely supervise with all bones until you are sure they have mastered them.

Great news and a good warning for others!

I use these too with good results, they last for about 6 weeks but I sometimes replace them sooner, they also help with fleas as well. If you take your dog swimming be extra careful for the next 24 hours, the Killtix powder can be weakened with a wash and a towell rub. Advantix fortnightly can be used as well. Even with protection a daily check is advised, especially if there are Paralysis Ticks around. Talk to everyone you can in your area, each different Vet practice and all the people at the dog park to get an idea of what might be good to do in your area.

I just had a thought, there is a new cream for human skin conditions called "Invisible Glove" has anybody tried it? The formula is "secret" but it is known to have wheatgerm oil and mostly home remedies.

That's interesting, I did want to cautiously suggest a good homeopathic doctor, sometimes vets associated with the horse racing industry are also into homeopathy etc.

Christina77, glad it's better now. Maxi always blames me when he hurts his dew claw, he looks up at me as if I somehow managed to be in two places at once and miraculously broke his dew claw from a few metres away. We've sure had the miseries with them, but they heal very quickly. And last time Maxi gnawed the broken bit off himself, which is good.

Silverblue, Good lord! That sounds dreadful! so sorry to hear this. I wonder if there is any good research going on in that field?

Are these tests the same as they do on humans? I have heard that a positive allergy reaction test, does not always mean the person is will manifest an allergic reaction from contact with that substance showing as a positive.

The fact that they have a dry crunchy diet could indicate the need for a close inspection of their teeth, it might mean that they are no longer able to chew the food up into smaller pieces. Chi's often have bad teeth along with some other small dog breeds. You can check yourself to see if they have decay, tartar build-up or teeth are loose in the mouth. Also get the vet to double check the teeth of both dogs.

Whilst it is reasonably well recognised in BRACHYCEPHALIC breeds referring to dogs with shortened noses and mouths. Bulldogs, Pekingese, and Pugs, a similar condition may have occurred due to the crossing of two breeds as mentioned, the Maltese and Chi, and there could be another breed in there not known about. The site I linked to is American, so it would be important to find some Australian references to treatment over here which may be different. Also see if you can find a vet that concentrates on the brachycephalic breeds who can give you specific information as to exactly what is causing your dogs apnoea. There are a few experienced Pug owners on Dol, you could try to PM them. Here is a link to PugrRescueSydney http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showuser=3413 If your dog is in any way overweight then getting the dog down to normal weight might help a bit too. It is likely to be a combination of breeding, age? tissue gets more flaccid with age, and possibly overweight.

Owners of Pugs may be able to help you with information about elongated soft palate etc. Here's a quick web-grab http://petsurgery.com/surgicaldiseasesofairway.html Now I don't know if this is the seat of the issue with your dog, can you recall the vet mentioning the soft palate etc.??

While young to middle-aged, if the dog is not complaining and there is good firm padding (insulation) underneath the dog and a cold surface then the dog is probably ok. As the dog gets elderly, be vigilant for signs of pain and arthritis, then consider having the dog sleep indoors in a warmer place.

What foods do their meals consist of? Are they bolting their food? The one because it is overly hungry and the other in order to finish before the the other one? You could try feeding them in separate rooms. Perhaps some baked/steamed pumpkin to bulk up the one on the diets meal, so it thinks it is getting more and feeling fuller. How are their teeth? if the teeth are no longer functional then the consistency of the diet might need to change. Dogs can build up stress over things like meals, especially if one is wolfing food down and there have been "incidences", then they can develop neuroses over food too.

Carpe Noctem, so very sorry to hear of your sad loss of Tessie. Please don't waste a minute of precious memories on your words to her, she like, lots of other dogs, get told to stop an unwanted behaviour, and they are quite capable of knowing this is simply a "correction" not a command to leave the fold, a small part of their overall happy "tapestry of life" with you that they know they were a special part of. You saved her from a terrible fate, and she found a place with you where she could feel cared for and have a role in life that was good for her.