~Anne~

Thanks for the response Charles. I have nursed a few Pugs through brachy surgery. Christine Cole from the RSPCA in Sydney is my preferred surgeon for this and she is not a specialist in this field but has performed numerous surgical procedures of this type. I agree that a specialist is probably preferable, but for many it is a case of economics and a general Vet, who has experience in this arena is more then capable in my view.

Why would she want to pay more? I assume you meant less than? A second comment, the condition that this particular dog suffers from would not be considered brachephalic airway syndrome I wouldn't think. An elongated palate on its own, in a dog that is not a brachy breed, would not be considered part of this syndrome would it? A specialist is not neccessary either if there are no secondary complications. Many general vets now routinely resect palates in Sydney, and I would assume in other states around Australia.

It is actually common in any breed with a shortened or small muzzle when compared to the natural evolution of a dogs muzzle. This includes the brachy breeds, toy breeds and dogs such as the staffy who have a more blunt muzzle then the 'naturally evolving' dog. This is why it can occur naturally and not be a genetic occurrence.

It is largely genetic but can also be a random occurrence. I would certainly not be breeding from her. I highly recommend the surgery. Without surgery, the pressure of forcing air past the palate can cause significant issues with the trachea, including partial and full collapse, depending on the severity of the elongated palate and the stress your dog is placed under when exercising. I am not sure which state you are in but, if in NSW, I can recommend a Vet who can do the surgery for much less than the $1200 spoken of above.

I feed twice a day at 5.30am and 5.30pm. Our feeding schedule is predicted by my epileptic Pug. The morning meal is smaller then the evening meal. Bloat is a condition that affects large breeds and or deep chested dogs. The intestines/stomach twist and this casues a build up of air and secretions. The stomach can also twist over and around other vital organs and it supresses blood flow and therefore oxygen to the organs and the stomach.

Keep your sentences simple, short and factual and include as many evidence based statements as you can. When you write it, if you are not fabulous with words, try writing your sentence in your way and then using the thesaurus in Word to find more impact making words.

Who is the letter to? I would be including a statement or two, from someone qualified such as a Vet, about her previous and current condition at the very least.

I sometimes sprinkle grated cheese over my dog's meals and the cat's too. They all love it.

Report her to the RSPCA. She is denying the dog medical treatment which it obviously requires and this is an offence. Did the dog appear to be tender in the lower abdomen? At 15 years of age, her body would not be in the condition to battle something like this and it is a disgrace that her owner would treat a geriatric in such a manner. How come she can afford to have the dog groomed but can't afford medical treatment?

I have no experience with this at all. In general, I tend to not trust alternative medicines as much as conventional, particularly when the person advocating it is making profit..however, in having said that, that is exactly what convention medicine prescribers do! If it isn't overly expensive it might be worth a try. Demodex is not life threatening and so you have that opportunity to trial different things. Hopefully someone with actual experience in this area (experience in this particular thing with demodex Morgan ...) can give some advice

Are the products - Canine Conditioning Mix, Anti-Parasitic Spray and Maritime Pine Bark sold by the person advocating them or sold by someone else?

I would think he will be fine, afterall he is only 0.1 of a kilo off the next level of doseage where he would obviously be getting far higher quantities of the compounds that make up Sentinel.

Great news Storm!

Do a search on this forum for the word 'caprophagia' and you will uncover many threads with very interesting information and advice.

Yes, they needed to be mindful that she could fall down steps as well and other hazards as well until she recovered.

A rescue Pug of mine suffered this, though not while she was with me so my knowledge is second hand. She has recovered almost 100%. She still has a slight head tilt but apart from that she is fine. I can't see why anyone would PTS with the condition. Humans suffer from it too and it causes no long term affects that I am aware of. It is all related to the fluid and balance in the inner ear from my knowledge.

If he is eating well but still dropping weight I am afraid I would be thinking of cancer. I hope this isn't the case and it it just a change in metabolism due to age.

Since when can ivermectin cure demodex in a week?! Nehkbet has given good advie. Steer clear of red meats for a while, buy some Pyohex wash, continue to use the ivermectin and monitor the dog closely for any signs of reaction to this, administer antibitotics if a secondary skin infection is present. Demodex can sometimes take a long time to clear and persistence and patience is the only way to deal with it. They must be consistent with the treatment. I haven't any experience with Westie skin but Westielover is an expert in the area. The Pugs that I have had come through with sensitive skin have been cleared of their problem by removing all commercial foods. I find sometimes even the best kibbles will cause a reaaction.

Titre testing is used to determine a dog's immunity levels to the common diseases that they are traditionally vaccinated for, such as parvo, hep and dist. *oops, posted at the same time as Bonnie. You get the picture now I guess...

I use a pill cutter and have no problems.

I use sentinel spectrum as it is easy, cheap and effective. I love the way it covers everything. I traidtionally buy the next size up and halve the tablets when I give them. This reduces the cost quite considerably.

At this age I would be definitely looking for a cause for the seizures. She is too old to develop epilepsy. The smaller seizures are called focal seizures (also knwon as petit mal). The larger ones, where she goes into unconciousness and arches back, are called clonic tonic (also known as grand mal). The period after her siezures, when she is still not quite back to normal is called post-ictal. There are two types of seizures - primary (which have no known cause and is called epilepsy) and secondary. Secondary seizures are caused by toxins, metabolic disorders (disease), and physical damage (such as brain trauma). Your Vet needs to do a complete blood work up and then look at the possibility of and MRI and further tests. Scans are very expensive though. Common diseases that cause seizures in elderly dogs are cushings, tumours and liver disease. Edited for typos.

She might be short or long sighted.... she might be partially blind.... she must be just dumb or non-reactive to visual clues. Does she have any keratitis (brown on the whites of her eyes)? I believe Pugs all have issues with seeing distances. We can walk almost right up to another dog beofre they realise there is one there when we are on walks...but, they are dumb as well so it doesn't help. You can take her to a Vet who can do standard tests to check for any obvious physical sight issues, such as ulceration and damage to the cornea, and she can also be referred to a canine eye specialist.

He has only just come in to my care and was desexed almost 5 years ago at a Vet in Sydney. True, but I would think there would be other symptoms? He has a gorgeous coat, has no history of illness, eats like a Pug and is a very palyful happy guy. He doesn't even show any food or toy aggression. At this point I am happy to trial behavioural techniques. If all else fails I will seek further Vet advice. What was the story on the dad of 12 pups??

I have spoken with my Vet. There are no other issues apart from excessive marking so I can't see the point in running up costs when it appears possibly behavourial. The testosterone theory was my theory.