dore

Hello, sorry to hear about Milo. My bishon frise is only 3 years old and 9 months ago was diagnosed with cushings. She was initially put on 30mg of trilostane and was being tested every 2-3weeks before her medication was being reduced to 5mg of trilostane. I am told medication is for lifetime and the costs for her tests is about $300 each time. Her tablets costs about $1 per tablet/per day. We were previously testing her every 2/3 weeks to ensure the dosage is correct. According to my vet, the initial stage is difficult as they need to ensure that the dosage is correct. Finally after half a year, her dosage seems to be correct and we can stop testing her so regularly. She is now being tested on a 3 months basis. Thankfully she is not losing her hair and her pot belly now looks reduced and she has stopped having "accidents" in the middle of the night. Her appetite seems to be better controlled. She used to be so very hungry all the time. It is shocking as she is so very young. All the best in the treatment.

I am going to the south coast in NSW at the end of September and am taking my pet bichon frise with me. She is currently using sentinel. Should I worry about ticks and can I use proban as a precaution for this 1 week holiday at the coast? Can I combine proban with sentinel? Thanks

Thanks for all your replies and concern. I am glad that ear mites are not a big issue. I will monitor her closely. I do not want to use too much chemical on her since I have no idea what exactly is the cause of her itchiness. I hope it is not environmental as we have fallen for her. She is so adorable and lovable. Thanks again

Thanks for all the feedback. I am just paranoid about the bites (flea or otherwise) because she may seem to be sensitive to the bites. I only found 1 flea on her 10 days ago when I first took her from the breeder and even though she is cleared of fleas for more than a week, nevertheless, she is still scatching. When I took her out of her crate this morning, she immediately went over to the carpet and started rolling over and scratching her bum and ears. I did not find anything on her and luckily she has not got any tear in her skin. I am not worried about ticks but more of flea and also ear mites since I think she will react badly if she ever gets them. Would revolution be a better option since it also covers worming? Thanks in advance

HI all Thanks for your response. I have been feeding whatever the breeder gave. The breeder told me that it is scientific diet. I have not change her diet and trying to source the cause of her itchiness. It has been a week since her flea bite. Hopefully it will go away in another week. I just hope that she is not allergic to us instead. cheers & thanks again Dore

Thanks for the info. Which tapewormer should I use? The last thing I want is to end up overdosing the poor pup.

HI Sorry but I need some advise as to the best way to keep my puppy protected from flea and worms. I have been reading about the various flea and de-worming prevention and would like to know if anyone, in particular owner of the bichon frise breed who can advise as to the health plan for their dog. My puppy is going to be 12 weeks soon and the de-worming tablet given by the breeder will finish then. She currently weighs 4 pounds. When I first got her (which was last Sat), I have found fleas on her and so I used excelpet capstar and Advantage on her. It worked and there is no longer any fleas. However, I am concern about side effects of the flea treatment for bichon. I notice that even though she is clear of fleas, she is still itching. Took her to the vet to check and gave them her history and they said she is healthy and she is clear of flea but has no explanation for the itch except to say that she is a puppy and they tend to itch more. However, I did some further reading and read that bichon tend to be more sensitive to flea bites. I also read somewhere that bichon may also be allergic to the Advantage flea treatment. As such I am now in a bind. The vet had advise me to use interceptor tasty chew spectrum (for the Heartworm and tapeworm) and nothing else as they say that flea is not an issue in ACT. However, I have my concern as my bichon did have a flea when I brought her to Canberra and I ended up having to "bomb" the house, vaccum, etc. I also read somewhere that bichon tends to get ear mites easily too. As such, I want to prevent another flea episode and to ensure she won't get any further allergy from any bites albeit flea or ear mites. That is why I was thinking of using advocate monthly together milbemax every quarter? Is this a good combination for this breed? FYI, my puppy has now adjusted very well to the household and is sleeping the whole night without any barking and also toilet training well. She is happy except for the itch (every now and then). I have also bath her as per the vet's advise using dermcare. She is so adorable and I hope to keep her healthy and happy for as long as possible. Any advise is much appreciated. Thanks in advance. cheers

HI The breeder only gave me a brief sheet about grooming and eating and this info that you provided is new to me. I thought I was prepared but I am learning so much more. I appreciate all the advise given.

Thanks for all your answers. That's a relief. We tried to allow her to play outdoors but it has been raining over here and she is not used to the collar or won't even go for walks. She also needs to have someone close nearby. She is still very anxious whenever she is alone by herself. Hopefully she will grow more confident soon.

HI I just bought my 1st puppy last Sat on 8 Jan. She has just turned 9 weeks. She is a bichon frise. I found a couple of fleas on her the next morning (Sunday) and immediately went to the supermarket and gave her Excelpet Capstar. The next day (Monday) I took her to a vet for checkup and told the vet the situation. The vet gave her advantage (topical) on her back. But even after the treatment and today, she is still scratching around the hind leg and ears too. I have been grooming her everyday checking for fleas and could not find any other fleas on her. I have never found any flea dirt on her. Is there anything else to do? I was told by my breeder that she should not be bath for another 3 weeks or thereabout and that is why I did not bath her. I had never had a pet in my home or backyard and only took her out to the backyard for toilet training. I am surprise that she caught a flea so soon. The breeder that I bought from is a reputable breeder. I have only given her whatever food that I got from the breeder - it is Science Diet for puppy. I have also flea treated my home. Is it normal for the dog to scratch even if there is no flea? Thanks