Echo

Still laughing at your description of cat. Sounds like you like them as much as I do. Try smearing top of fence with thick layer of heavy duty grease. Will not be pleasant for nasty little dog teasing beast to walk on. Will also last in all weather. Added bonus: Cat will feel compulsion to lick and clean feet after this experience. This taste will not go down well with cat. For added effect, you could also try mixing chilli powder through grease before application. Both are non-toxic, but sure to leave cat with experience it won't be in a hurry to repeat. Good luck Julie

Hi Haven, I would have to agree with Miranda. All three Vets mentioned are high on my books. Ros at Chirnside is closest to you. If you are a breeder, she is also noted for her skills in this area. Even though I live in Cockatoo (45 min. drive), I consult Ros on all matters of breeding and fertility. Like han_p_gsd, I take the dogs to Avonsleigh for routine procedures.

Hi there, speaking from experience with my own GSD's, I would say your pup is going through his first full coat drop. This is very normal and nothing to worry about. To get the process over more quickly, groom him thoroughly every day to remove as much hair as possible. The new coat will not come through until the old coat is all gone. He will look a bit shabby while this is going on, but once his new coat starts to come through, he will look good again. Julie

I used the same Vet for many years. During that time, he treated dogs, cats and horses for me, and I was quite happy with his handling of my animals. Then I had an incident which really shook my faith in him. My GSD appeared to me to have a full and saggy looking abdomen. Upon taking him to this Vet, I was told that he could find nothing wrong, and that the dog was just overwieght. I explained to the Vet that I was sure this was not the case, as I am very particular about keeping my dogs at correct weight. Still he insisted there was nothing wrong with the dog, so nothing was done. One week later, the dog's abdomen still appeared the same, so I took him back to the Vet and insisted he take a closer look. After examination, and drawing fluid (blood) from the abdomen, I was told that my dog was bleeding internally, and his abdomen was full of blood. The most likely cause of this, I was told, was a tumour that had ruptured, probably in the spleen. Surgery to remove the spleen was recommended. After discussion with the Vet on the likely outcome, we both agreed that if the cancer had spread beyond the spleen, then it would be kinder to put my beautiful boy down, than to prolong the inevitable outcome. I waited anxiously for the phone call, and finally it came. Whoopie !! My boy had made it. Vet assured me that cancer was localised to the spleen, which he had removed. Prognosis for a long and happy life was good. The operation cost a lot more than I could really afford, but what the heck, my boy was worth every cent. Barely one month later, I had to have my boy put down, because he was riddled with cancer, and nothing else could be done for him. I found it hard to believe that the Vet could have missed this while he had the opportunity to make a thorough inspection while he performed surgery. The last weeks of my dog's life after the surgery were not what you would call good quality. It took me a long time to get over his loss (and to pay the bill), to say the least, I was devastated. Despite this incident, I continued to have my animals treated by this Vet. Until not too long after this, I was faced with an emergency situation with another one of my GSD's. The dog had cut its foot very badly on a piece of corrugated iron. Bleeding was profuse and nothing I did even slowed it down. I applied pressure bandages, but they were quickly soaked through with blood, which was literally pouring out of her. I rang the above Vet clinic and explained the situation, but was told by the receptionist that no appointment was available until early evening, ( it was mid-afternoon at this time). After stressing to her the urgency of the situation, I begged to be able to see the Vet. Her reply was " you can come up now if you want, but there's no guarantee that you will be able to see a Vet." I knew this was not good enough, so rang another local Vet, who I had not been to before. As soon as I told them my story, they said "bring her straight up". When I arrived, they were ready and waiting, and took my girl straight in, ahead of others that were already in the waiting room. I was told that without prompt attention, my girl would have bled out. The cut was severe and required immediate surgery, which they performed. The dog recovered very well. It was after this second incident that I decided not to return to my Vet of many years. I wrote a letter of complaint to this particular Vet, telling him of the way I had been dealt with by his receptionist, but never recieved a reply. So I continued to take my animals to the Vet that had helped when I really needed it, and was very happy with him for a long time, until I moved from the area. My advice is: if you are not happy with your Vet, don't hsitate to go somewhere else.