Kokoro

Showdog, yes I totally understand the breeders need to do everything they can to protect their pups from BYB, or worse puppy farms It is still day 1 with the breeder, we have only just made contact and are still in the process of finding out about each other. They don't have a website so I didn't have much information prior to contacting them. I was just concerned because I had never heard of desexing being done as young as 8 weeks. My main concern is that I support a breeder who considers the welfare of the breed and the pups foremost. I'm happy to discuss these concerns with the breeder of course, I just wanted to get some insight from others more experienced on the issue first so as to approach with an informed opinion. It seems like this is a controversial issue with perhaps no black and white answer and as Mystiqview put it, strong arguments for both sides. I'm yet to make up my mind about it but at least now I know it's not so uncommon for reputable breeders to do this and therefore I needn't take it automatically as a bad sign.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am mainly concerned about potential growth/development retardation due to hormonal changes however those links posted by Mistiqveiw now also have me a little worried about unknown long term effects like shortened life span/increased cancer risk If the breeder was not desexing my choice would be to wait until the pup was 6-12 months old so as not to take any unnecessary risks with the dogs health. Of course as a pet owner its much easier to take the side of caution. A breeder sending puppies off into the great unknown presents a very scary prospect and is one reason why I myself could never breed.

The breed is English Cocker Spaniel. It is a male pup and apparently "only one stich involved and very quick recovery"

Is it usual for breeders to desex pups prior to sending them to their new homes at 8 weeks? I understand the concern of pups being bred from against breeders wishes but to me 8 weeks seems very young and perhaps not in the best interest of the pup. I am no expert, just a humble pet owner. Should I avoid this breeder or is this acceptable practice?

Wow, I am shocked at the number of people that have replied to this thread and suggested that the OP is doing something wrong and needs to change her behaviour. Since when did regulating your dogs interactions with strangers become socially unacceptable? Actually it is the socially responsible thing to do since it gives the dog the best chance of growing up into a confident, well adjusted and SOCIALLY SAFE animal. I personally think it is incredibly rude to pat someone else's dog without asking, and even ruder to then be hostile about it. It doesn't matter if you think it is fine because you let other people pat your dogs, or what you believe about socialisation, or training with/without distractions, or anything else for that matter. The point is the owner of the animal is responsible for its welfare and behaviour; therefore the one responsible should be in control. No one has the right to pat, play or touch an animal that belongs to someone else, regardless of its age or size. I would not call this the "socially acceptable" norm. and it is pretty concerning to see the amount of people (even on here!) who do. I also think it is very foolish and dangerous to approach strange dogs without permission and terribly irresponsible of parents not to teach their children this. If I saw a mother encouraging a young child to "run and pat the cute doggy tied up over there" without the owners permission I would probably have a rant at the mother even if it wasn't my dog!

Thanks for all the replies! This is exactly what I was thinking, I will ask my vet about the Interceptor. Thanks!

Thanks for your advice, yes my dog was around 3 months old at the time of the injection. It was given with his final vacc. I did phone the vet and ask if it was safe to switch to oral right away and they said it would be ok I just wanted to make sure. They suggested I use Sentinel as it does the intestinal worms as well but it is also quite expensive - around $100 for 6 months supply. This is my first dog so I have no experience with the different preventative treatments available and after my experience with the proheart I am not so trusting of my vet. I wasnt aware that the labelling was different in Australia. I suppose we are behind the 8 ball with that as well as the annual versus triannual vaccination debate?

Hi everyone My dog was injected with Proheart SR12 on 23/06/2009. This was his first injection for heartworm treatment. I have since recieved a letter from the vet to advise that my dog is now due for a 6 month booster shot of Proheart however after reading more about this drug I no longer want to use the injection for heartworm prevention and wish to switch to using a tablet instead. I will also be switching vets as I dont think i was given the correct information about the Proheart injection and am not happy that it was recommended to me and I was told it was no different to the tablets (for risk of side effects). I am also not happy that the heartworm injection was given at the same time as his C3 shots and I have since learned that the Proheart instructions specifically say not to do this So I am not sure how to switch from the injection to the tablets. I dont want to give him the 6 month booster shot and then wait another 6 months before switching but is it safe to put him on tablets now? Would he still have any of the SR12 in his system? And if I dont get the booster and dont put him on the tablets for another 6 months will he be unprotected? Any advice from anyone who has successfully made this switch? And also what it the best heartworm preventative in tablet form? Thanks!

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I am relieved to hear that his coat can still be saved and I have definatley learnt my lesson about trusting new groomers just because they say they have loads of experience and used to own a cocker! I probably could have been more specific about what I meant when I said I wanted his coat thinned out i.e. use thinning scissors and a stripper, but I just assumed they would know what to do - my mistake but i do think there is a big diffence between thinned out and totally shaved off. She could have asked me more questions to clarify what I meant as well so there is probably some blame on both sides. I will take him back to my regular groomer who always does such a fantastic job with him and make a regular ongoing appointment so that I dont get caught out again. I just hope she can forgive me for the mess I have got him into! I have a furminator - is that the same as a mars coat king? How long will i have to wait for his hair to be before I can use this on him without hurting his skin? Since the drastic haircut I have just been using a soft bristle brush on him as i was worried the furminator and slicker would be too harsh. Toohey - thanks for the link, I will definatly check it out. I have actully enrolled in a grooming course with WEA in January as I'd like to be able to groom him myself. Any advice on the best brushes and scissors to get (and where to get them from) would be much appreciated.

With the heat wave in SA over the past couple of weeks I decided to take my cocker to the groomer to have his coat thinned out for summer. Unfortunatly the place I usually go was all booked out til Christmas and not wanting to wait I decided to try somewhere new. I told the groomer my boy had been feeling the heat and that I wanted to have his coat thinned out a bit. I came back 3 hours later and he had been totally shaved!! Even his ears! :D Needless to say I am a bit upset, he is only 8 months old and his coat was just starting to come down nicely. He doesnt look like a cocker anymore, more like some kind of hound dog! (not that I have anything against hound dogs :D ) Anyway I am worried now that his coat will grow back funny as i thought you weren't supposed to shave cockers coats completely? Can any groomers out there put my mind at ease? I wont be going back there and will be sure to make a regular appointment with my usual place so as not to get caught out again.

Thanks, we just got back from the emergency vet; he's got some gastro poor fella, but best case scenario as opposed to a blockage or twisted stomach *phew* The vet gave him an injection for the nausea and he is on a diet of boiled chicken and rice for the next couple of days until his tummy settles down. As soon as we got home he went straight for the bacon and sardines (now confiscated) I had tried to tempt him with earlier so he is obviously feeling much better!

My dog vomited a couple of times this morning, firstly some brown goopy stuff that caused me to assume he had been eating the rabbits poop (again!).. then just a white foamy, flemy liquid so I figured he had emptied his stomach. I had to go to work so left him with my mother in law to keep an eye on him and when I picked him up this afternoon she said he had refused food all day and been quite lethargic. I thought maybe he is constipated because he had a bone yesterday and then did a crumbly white poo during the night. His stomach is also making loud gurgling noises. I have tried tempting him with some sardines in oil or some bacon with a tablespoon of oil mixed through but he wasnt interested in either which has made me start to worry and question my constipation theory? My other half fed him some roast lamb on Friday night of questionable freshness so I am not sure if this might have caused some food poisoning? Also he had only drunk a very tiny bit of water tonight and threw it up again shortly after which has got me really worried now as he is now refusing to drink also. So I am wondering if I should take him to the emergency vet now or wait til morning and take him straight in to the regular vet then?? Sorry if this post is a little incoherent.. this is the first time my baby has been sick and I am losing it a little!! He is a 7 month old cocker and up to date with all his shots.

Thanks to everyone for their replies Just to update I took Winston to another vet and he has been diagnosed with Distichiasis - improperly placed eyelashes. He has some tiny eyelashes growing on the inside of his eyelid which is irritating the eye and causing it to weep. The treatment is cryosurgery to freeze the hair follicles with liquid nitrogen. So he is booked in at the vet to have the surgery on 26th October. It must be pretty irritating to have an eyelash constantly sticking in your eyeball so I am glad the little guy will be getting some relief but surgery is always a bit nerve racking, probably more so for me than the dog! ;) Also for those in SA I found out there is an eye specialist here called Dr Read (Magill area) but you need a referral from your regular vet to get an appointment with him. Since the vet said the disease is hereditary I am guessing I should also contact the breeder to let her know. I am a little nervous about this as I don’t want her to think that I am criticizing her in any way (I know nothing about breeding!) but it would be the courteous thing to do right?

I havn't asked the breeder actually but that might be a good idea. He does have *really* long eyelashes, I have had a look and it doesnt look like there is anything in his eye but I have heard that sometimes eyelashes can grow inside the eyelid. Is there anything I should be looking for in particular to evidence this? Is it something you can see with the naked eye? He doesn't have a hairy face, his mutton chops have been groomed

Hi All I have a 6 month old English Cocker boy named Winston and ever since I have had him his right eye has been a bit weepy. His left eye waters very little, but his right always has a line of wet fur extending from the corner of the eye down his nose. There is no gunky build up or colour to the fluid, it is clear and watery like tears. I asked my vet about it and she said it was perfectly normal for Cockers and that I could wipe the area with some salty water each day if i wanted to. I know Cockers can have eye problems (I got my boy from a breeder and both his parents were PRA and FN clear and I have copies of the test results) but I was wondering if maybe I should take him to an eye specialist (do they have those for dogs?) or at least another vet for a second opinion because my vet was very blase when i asked her about it and she didnt even look at Winston's eye, I got the feeling she just gave me a stock standard answer. So, what do you think? Should i find a specialist or am i just being paranoid?

I got Winston, my 8 week old Cocker, a puppy Kong too and was a little disappointed that he didn’t take much interest in it; he only seemed to like the soft fluffy toys with squeakers inside. As he got older though (i think it coincided with when his adult teeth started to come through) he came to love the Kong and now it is one of his favorites, he'll chew it for hours even if there is nothing yummy inside and he brings it to you when he wants to play (because of the odd shape they bounce unpredictably and he just loves chasing it). So I would suggest don't give up on the Kong, just try again when he is a few weeks older. They are great toys. Winston is 6 months now and even though he has all his adult teeth and chews the Kong mercilessly it hasn't got so much as a puncture! None of his other toys have lasted so well and all the soft fluffy ones have been disemboweled and de-squeaked!

Winston (cocker spaniel) loves those prawn cracker things they sell at Chinese fast food places but his latest addiction that he just goes crazy for is water *in a glass*. If he sees me drinking a glass of water there is no escape! I dunno why he thinks it's any different to what's in his bowl but he's pretty darn sure that if it's in a glass then it's special