Wundahoo

..that you are not paying for treatment!The vets don't sound fantastically competent ..... :/ The standard treatment for eosinophilic granuloma is steroids such as cortisone. The lesions usually respond but it's possible that they may reoccur at a later date. If it is EG then the cause is not known.

hankodie I am of course not a vet, and judging by other peoples posts, they seriously think you should take him to a vet so that this pimple can be diagnosed or a needle aspiration done. So please, take no notice whatsoever of what I have posted. It is your dog so you need to make a decision. By the way, almost all my Bulldogs, Bullmastiffs and also my Great Dane puppy have all had exactly the same looking pimples. Makes me feel really bad cause I didn't rush them all to a vet. I detect a certain amount of sarcasm in your tone. No one has suggested that this dog needs to be "rushed to a vet". It is clearly not an emergency. However it's probably wise that the lesion is checked over by someone with a professional qualification rather than an attempt at internet diagnosis by someone who has owned lots of dogs with similar looking lesions. No one that has replied to this thread are vets and so none of us can offer diagnostic advice. All that we can do is suggest, and offer support. Some of us have had experience with similar looking lesions which have turned out not to be "pimples"..... if only they were ! Perhaps you have never had a dog with a mast cell tumour. These can look like almost anything, including a pimple, but sadly they can be deadly. I have a friend whose golden retriever was diagnosed with his first mast cell tumour at 7 months old. It too looked like a pimple and his owner left it for two weeks before taking the dog to the vet for an opinion. I will say that I have seen similar looking raised, smooth and pink areas on some dogs lips and these have been a variation of normal structure....... so it is possible that what is on this dog's lip is simply a different form of "normal" structure. It could also be a pimple as you say, but there is also the possibility that it could be something more sinister and that possibility needs to be ruled out quickly or if diagnosed as something more sinister than "a pimple" then it needs to be dealt with appropriately.

As someone who has lost a much loved dog to oral cancer I don't consider a vet visit to be a absolute waste of money when something foreign is discovered in a dog's mouth. It well may be something totally innocent but I would rather be reassured by a vet that this is so. You have no way of knowing this bump is exactly the same as your dog had. Even a vet would not diagnose over the internet. BTW I didn't say it should be healed in a couple of days, I said I agree totally. Hankodie, I think that you should let a vet take a look at it. Goldies are one of the breeds that have a predisposition to getting mast cell tumours and these nasty things can look like almost any kind of skin lesion. best to get it checked and have a fine needle aspiration done to see what kind of cells are present. If it's an infection then it's an easy fix, and probably will heal on its own. If it is something else then you will have picked it up early and can take the appropriate action sooner rather than later.

Thanks for this Boronia, I will pass it on to my friend. Poor love, she is really worried that they can still get into her computer even after she has had the malware removed and passwords changed. She's having trouble grasping the whole concept of how they managed to do it.

Sheena, there must be quite a few people who are unaware of this particular scam and others that are similar. If it was so widely known then these people wouldnt bother, because it takes quite a bit of time for them to set it all up. As I have said previously there still must be a reasonable catch quota for them otherwise they would look for other fishing grounds. Fishermen dont go to areas where there are no fish when they set their nets, just as these people wouldnt bother with this if they didnt get results. I have to say that I was surprised that my friend didnt know about this scam, but then when I thought about it, I realised that there must be quite a few like her, because the scammers keep on calling people.

Unfortunately there is not a lot that can be done because these calls are usually from overseas and it's really hard to track down the perpetrators. The best thing that can be done is to make sure that as many people as possible are aware of the scam and so significantly reduce the chances of them catching someone in their net. The smaller the catch the less likely they are to bother with it. Spreading the word is the best action right now.

It's awful that these scumbags are still able to find innocent people to rip off, and yes, it is surprising that there are still people who dont know about this one in particular...... but it's is exactly why I have posted this thread. Hopefully it will remind us to mention the subject to friends and family who may be open to becoming victims of these lowlife oxygen thieves. Obviously if these calls are still being recieved frequently by those of us who DO know about it, there must still be a reasonable "catch quota" for them otherwise they wouldnt bother with such an elaborate set up or keep up with the same old story. It must still be reasonably succesful for them. Aussie3, it wasnt the bank that asked for the passwords and account details it was the scammer, who had completely convinced my friend that this was OK and legitimate and a necessary part of the process. RV one of the things that I will be doing for my friend, once her computer has been cleaned of any malware downloads, is to set up links to Scamwatch and Scamnet as well as an abbreviated summary of some of the common phone and internet scams. I think that internet and phone fraud or scamming is something that we should all bear in mind when our older friends and relatives get onto the net. For some senior citizens internet involvement is all about confidence and unfortunately something like this can really rock an older person. Most who are victims of this sort of thing begin to regard everything and anyone with suspicion and it isnt a nice way for a person to feel. It certainly reduces their opportunity and desire to participate and communicate via the net. Trust is an important commodity in life but too much trust can be detrimental, just as no trust at all is not a good thing either.

she's fine now, she was back to normal as soon as I got her out of the sun and into the water. Wundahoo, she wasn't doing anything physical, just trotting along in the sun. Thanks though, it sounds like I might need to take her to the vet, although I am not sure if there's much they can do. Exercise induced collapse is classically associated with high degree of activity but the level required to induce collapse in an individual can decrease with age. It doesnt sound at all like heat stroke because the ambient temp was only 19 degrees and you say that she wasnt in high exertion, which is the way that heat stroke might happen at that temperature. The other problem could be exercise induced hyperthermia but the signs are usually persistant even when core temperautre has been reduced to below normal. The other thing that springs to mind although it isnt high on the list, is myasthenia. I do agree that it's probably a good idea to get her checked by a vet. perhaps it might be possible to exercise her lightly for them and see if they can find anything afterwards. Sometimes a cardiac arrhythmia will only show up when the animal has been exercised.

It doesnt sound like typical heat stroke but there is a form of exercise induced hyperthermia that does affect whippets. They are also one of the breeds that can be affected by exercise induced collapse, and it sounds a bit more like that.

She went to her bank as soon as I told her that she had been scammed. The bank has taken all the necessary action regarding passwords and access etc, and has taken a statement from her. They have told her that they will attempt to trace the transactions that were not made by her but that this could be a slow process and could take up to six weeks. If they cant trace the money trail it might be difficult for them to reverse the transactions. She is under the impression that she will get her money back but I have an uneasy feeling about it simply because she willingly gave these people access to her computer and the necessary passwords to do what they did. Fingers crossed that she gets her money. In general terms it's not a huge amount but to her it's all that she had !!

How much I play with them depends on how busy I am at the time..... sometimes I just tell them to get an honest job and hang up, other times I'm in the mood for a game and have the time so it's game on !! I think that the longer I keep them busy chasing my bait, the less time they have to hook another person wo might fall for their line. I dont personally know how they access accounts, I've never allowed it to get too far along the line, but in the case of my friend they apparently asked her for the passwords to her credit card and banking system. This apparently was happening while they had remote access to her computer. She told me that she did ask why they were doing this and she was told that it was nothing for her to be concerned about, that it was all a part of the "normal process". Unfortunately this is where she might have some trouble with the bank because she willingly gave the information to the scammers, not that she knew at the time that they were fleecing her but she did voluntarily give them access and passwords.

I've had them call me a few times and so the fun begins !! I thank them very much for their concern and say that it's so very nice that they want to help me.....using my best innocent voice. I tell them that they sound like a very nice person while they continue to tell me how they are going to help me !! Again I say that it's lovely that they are SOOOOO concerned about my computer and that they are wonderful for being so helpful...... then I say that they must have been raised very well by their parents because they are so well spoken and obviously such a kind person. I then ask them if they love their parents .... of course the answer is always "yes"..... gotcha !!! Then I tell them that I know it's a scam and that they are bringing shame on their family, especially their parents by doing something so despicable .... their parents must be horrified at what their children are up to..... or are their parents as rotten to the core as they are !!! CLICK goes the line !! It's fun playing with them !!!

This should be in "Off Topic" but I have posted it here because of the higher number of readers. My 72 year old friend got scammed on Friday. The scammers cleaned out her bank account and have downloaded malware onto her computer. Please be aware of this scam which is still operating in Australia. It's an oldie but clearly there are still people who are caught by them. They have NO SCRUPLES and certainly no regard for whom they target. The callers usually have a foreign accent but will give English-style names eg in this instance "Wendy Fitzgerald". The caller will say that they are from Microsoft Windows Service Centre. They may say that they are "government backed" and will give phone numbers that can be checked to determine their authenticity. They will tell the person that their computer is infected with a virus and is transmitting a large number of viruses and MUST be fixed. They are VERY persistant and insistant and for older people or those who are not internet savvy they are believable. My poor, (now VERY $$ poor) elderly friend was sceptical at first and actually rang one of the numbers supplied. She spoke to a person who confirmed the story and repeated the fact that her computer was transmitting viruses and that it MUST stop. She was told that Microsoft had an obligation to help keep the internet clean and safe and that they were there to help her rectify the problems on her computer !!! Oh yeah baby !!!! The original caller rang back and my friend was convinced to allow the process to continue. She was even convinced to allow the caller to remotely access her computer "to make it easier" for them to help her !!! On Saturday morning my friend checked her bank account only to find that there was $1.00 remaining ! This is a totally despicable act, especially at this time of the year. Apart from the empty bank account, this poor lady now has to go through the tasks of getting her computer cleaned up to clear the malware that has been downloaded, change her banking details, change passwords etc etc. The bank has told her that tracing the money trail could be difficult and at best will take several weeks. Today several of us will spend time to help her out of this mess. Please make sure that all your friends especially older ones, or those who are not internet savvy, are aware of this scam and others like it. Dont assume that they know, because there are still many who dont know or who trust people. My friend was one of them..... now she knows, only she learnt about it the hard way !! They are scum of the earth and I hope where ever they are Karma finds them !!

Some years ago, when my favorite stud dog produced a couple of UH in his puppies, I spoke to a well respected surgeon about the issue and the risks involved. His opinion was that they are rarely a problem.... the recommendation that they be surgically closed if still palpable after 12 weeks is one that vets have made for years as a "just in case" measure. He said that very few vets will have seen strangulated UH because entrapment/strangulation is a rare occurence. He also said that he believed there is a strong genetic component to the problem but the mode of inheritance and the pathway to development of this type of hernia had not been pinpointed. There did not seem to be a link between UH and inguinal or perineal hernias, both of which can cause significant problems.

As long as the hernia is small and has closed over by the time the puppy is 10 or 12 weeks old I wouldnt reject the pup as a show or breeding prospect. It is a minor defect in my view and I have seen quite a few in my breed over the years. I have never seen one that has caused the dog a problem. I have always recommended that they be closed at the time of sterilisation if they are still palpable but again I know of very few that have needed surgical correction. One of my stud dogs, as a puppy, had a small UH which closed over by the time he was 12 weeks old. He was a terrific dog with wonderful health stats, great temperament, lovely conformation (specialty BIS winner) and as a sire he passed on many of his desirable attributes to his progeny. He also produced a small number of puppies that had UH. I considered this to be acceptable in the light of his other desirable and hard-to-get traits. I wouldnt consider removing him from my breeding programme in favour of a dog without the positive attributes that he had, but which didnt produce UH. One of his daughters that I kept for breeding also had the same small UH which closed by 12 weeks. She has whelped 2 large litters without any difficulty. One puppy had a small UH. I think that as breeders we need to look at the bigger picture and decide what is a reasonable compromise. Perfection is never achievable so what are we going to say is an OK level of "imperfection" ?? Do we reject all dogs with minor imperfections and therefore potentially lose the benefits that their other positive attributes may bring to the gene pool, or do we carefully weigh the pro's with the cons and accept some level of compromise in order to achieve other improvements that are of greater importance ? I have a reputation for being "fussy" and particular about health in my breed and I will not play with many things that some other breeders will accept in the pursuit of an excellent specimen. In an otherwise good example of the breed I will however, accept a small umbilical hernia, as long as it does not remain palpably open after 12 weeks of age.

Yes I agree completely. Of course DNA technology is very helpful in controlling many of the "nasties" but we still dont have tests for many of the other things that can pervade a gene pool very quickly when a sire becomes popular. In the case of the OP I doubt that the breed gene pool is likely to suffer enormously if their dog is used half a dozen times...... nor do I think that the dog is likely to suffer either

If a stud dog is "normal" and healthy, there is very little that will be harmful to his health when mating bitches....... apart from getting bitten by a bitch who doesnt appreciate his advances. There is no particular cardiac disease that is caused by breeding from a male dog, no matter how frequently he is used. Testicular and prostate cancer are no more common in stud dogs than in entire males that have never been used for breeding. In fact the current research has indicated that prostate cancer is more prevalent in castrated male dogs than in entire ones. I think that it sounds as though the carer of the dog doesnt want him to be used for breeding and so is putting obstacles in the way.

Microchips can fail for a number of reasons. They can be faulty, like the batch that Virbac sold, or they can migrate to a point in the animal's body where a scanner cant detect it (eg behind the shoulder blade) or they can fall out ! I have a scanner and so regularly scan my dogs about every 6 months or so just to make sure the chips are still detectable. I also tell my puppy buyers that they should ask their vet to check the chip at least once a year when they go for their annual health check. I really believe that an annual chip check should become a matter of protocol for all vet hospitals, considering the number of microchips that will have been implanted in the next few years. Chip failure, migration or loss is a relatively rare occurence but the more chips that are implanted the more likely it is to happen. Sometimes it can have disasterous effects. I know of an incident regarding chip loss with a dog which was imported to Australia. The dog was microchipped some 3 years prior to leaving its country of origin. According to the export paperwork the dog was scanned immediately prior to departure and chip number corresponded to that on the export documents. On it's arrival in OZ, AQIS scanned the dog again, as is protocol, and the chip couldnt be located !!! It was decided that the chip must have fallen out of the dog sometime during the flight !! Of course there was no proof that the dog had actually been scanned immediately prior to leaving it's home country but the export documents/chip confirmation had been signed in the country of origin. Australia's laws are very clear that no dog can enter the country without a microchip in place. Poor dog was returned to its country of origin, and the whole export process had to be restarted.... all blood tests needed to be repeated and the relevant waiting period elapsed before it could enter the country again. LESSON..... check your chips once a year !

I believe that it has a place in a breeding programme if there is a difficult choice to make regarding which sire to use. One of my bitches has had 2 litters and I will mate her again for the third and final time...... but do I repeat the last really succesful mating or do I go with another sire that I am considering ?? It would be handy to have puppies from both potential sires. I own both and so there is not an economic factor involved re stud fees. The second sire is not a proven dog and I have no idea what he might produce but breeder's instinct tells me that it could be good. He is half brother to the first sire. It would be a huge shame to miss out on an opportunity to get something really nice from this combination but at the same time if it doesnt work it could be a waste of a potentially lovely litter if I didnt use the first sire. This way, I could possibly get puppies from both dogs and so widen the genetic diversity a little without my bitch having to produce a fourth litter. It would enable me to learn a little about what the second sire might be capable of when comparing the half siblings from the other sire at exactly the same age and stage of development. Of course it's also possible that I might only get pups from one sire or the other, but it's still something to contemplate. As to one sire dominating more than the other.... mixed sire litters are very common in the non-pure bred dog world when bitches in season are not confined but roam, meet and greet all sorts of random male dogs !!! I think that it has to do with the timing of the matings and in the case of my bitch I would do the matings with each dog quite close together.

Yes it is. ANKC Regulations. Part 6 The Register and Registration Section 6 Rules for Registration 6.6 Multiple Sire Litters - Intentional or Unintentional Multiple Sired Litters (10/07, 7.2) 6.6.1 Any breeder who has either intentionally or unintentionally used multiple sires over a bitch must, when applying to register the resultant litter, submit the following documents together with the appropriate Service Certificates and Application for Registration. 6.6.1.1 DNA Test certificate in respect of each of the multiple sires used; 6.6.1.2 DNA Test certificate in respect of the Dam of the litter; 6.6.1.3 DNA Test certificates in respect of each puppy in the litter which are all required to be tested at the same time; 6.6.1.4 A certificate given by a Veterinary Surgeon providing an interpretation of the results of the DNA Tests as to the correct parentage of the litter. 6.6.2 Registration of the litter concerned will be processed based on the results provided in the Veterinary Certificate. 6.6.3 All costs associated with obtaining the certificates required are to be borne by the breeder of the litter

Flea collars are pretty much a waste of time. It could be just as effective to tie a $10 note around his neck ! The manufacturers of Advantage and Advocate claim that the product stops fleas from feeding within 5 minutes of contact with a treated animal and that it will kill those fleas within 20 minutes of contact. These products are also said to be waterproof within one hour of application. Perhaps you would be better off using one of these products and then bathing him less. If you are using flea shampoo so frequently and it isnt working then you need to try something different. It will be best to flea-bomb your apartment to make sure that it isnt a point of reinfestation.

Many insurance policies do not cover certain breed related problems and usually they will have a list of things that they dont cover. Many have limits as to how much they will pay and if a procedure exceeds their ceiling then the owner has to pay the remainder often on top of the policy excess. This might help to reduce the costs for the owner but sometimes isnt the answer. Like all insurance companies they are in the business of making money and will always look carefully at whether they will pay out or not. The more that people begin to use pet insurance, the more the companies will have to pay out and so the higher the premiums will become and the harder they will look at claims. Eventually they will add more and more exclusions, just like with house insurance and flood/fire cover. It's a "Catch 22" situation.

Pet insurance policies vary. Some dont cover inherited or genetically driven disease or issues at all, others do, but some have a clause which states that they will pay the owner but then MAY seek their costs from the party that they determine to be "responsible" for the condition ie this can be the breeder ! It's not possible for you to "contract out" of your legal obligations by getting an owner to sign a waiver. Even if they are made aware of the breed related issues and that it IS possible that the problem may occur in the dog that they purchase, they can still make a claim through ACL. Really almost anything can be challenged. Because the regulations that drive the laws are not particularly specific when it comes to dogs it leaves us, as breeders, in a difficult position. One of the key phrases is in relation to problems that would prevent a purchaser from buying the animal if they had known about the nature and extent of the problem prior to purchase. This is a very open statement and of course is extremely dependant upon the perceptions of the individual purchaser. We are damned if we do, and damned if we dont ! I think that you will find that there are no set age and price limits as far as ACL is concerned. If a complaint is lodged each case is looked at individually and sometimes it depends on whether or not there have been other reports lodged against a breeder that could influence the opinion of the staff who administer and apply ACL. I think that if a case goes to mediation and negotiation and it seems that the problem is a one-off and the breeder has been reasonable in their attempts to prevent the problem and has acted towards the purchaser in a fair way, then the recommendations for compensation under ACL will be reasonable. If there appears to be a common thread and a good sized file on a breeder for the same or similar issues then the axe will fall harder each time !

Unfortunately this is not possible. The Australian Consumer Laws would need to be changed in order for that to happen. A breeder cannot contract out of their lawful responsibilities. If the law says that a breeder must offer certain guarantees then that is the case. Getting a purchaser to sign a contract absolving the breeder of any liability is not legal or enforceable. Under current ACL laws, the animal does not have to die or be euthanased for the breeder to be required to compensate an owner. If the dog is sold with a pre-existing condition even if that condition has not yet manifest itself; ie is one that will become apparent with time... OR if the dog has at the time of sale, or later develops a problem that has a genetic component then the breeder may be liable to compensate the owner. If the dog is ill or incubating an illness at the time of sale then the breeder can be required to compensate the owner.