Poodle wrangler

Dear Mita, Don't blame yourself! It's just very sad that this has happened and it's still unclear what caused her death. Never hurts to look things up, but loss of appetite is so non-specific, you did tell the vet, they obviously didn't consider it to be serious. It's just very sad .

Same problem can happen in humans, but is very uncommon. In humans it's usually seen only in people who are on longer term antibiotics. Did the vet think the antibiotic was to blame for her death?

I'm so sorry . It really sounds as though what you did was reasonable under the circumstances. I think I'd have done the same. It's easy to say what you should have done after the fact, but how were you to know the outcome beforehand? This occurred weeks after you ceased the antibiotic? Severe side effects like you describe aren't common. What did the vet think it was? Could it have been something else? Was an autopsy done?

I agree it smacks of propaganda- dogs are not humans and their digestive systems are hardier than ours. Bugs are everywhere. Most dogs are wormed regularly, also. You should keep things hygienic when handling any raw meats, including the stuff you cook for yourself. It's up there with the "danger" of raw bones

Photo is a bit deceptive- it normally only looks like it extends < 0.5cm in from the inner corner of the eye (about 1/8 of the way across). It looks almost half way across in the photo as he's just opened his eye. In photo, there looks like 3 "lines" from inner eye- normally I can see it up to the second "line". His eyesight seems fine, so is this just a cosmetic thing? Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Don't let her make you feel guilty- dogs don't think that way . My dogs always have "quiet time" after coming in and having a play and feed in the morning- they go outside and have a sleep and sun themselves (hard life!). Perhaps she's just tired after the walk? Ignoring her for the last 20 minutes won't make her worse. Do you do some training with her? That really increases your bond, but in a good way

The medication is best used as part of an overall training program to help the dog. It sounds like your dog can't cope with being without you. Basically, you have to work on a less attached relationship with your dog- for your dog's sake! You can still have pats/ cuddles etc. but on stricter terms. An example would be when you come home, ignore the dog for 10-20 minutes. Only let them in once they're calm. Hopefully the trainers will be in to help with specifics. Good luck

Ecollars aren't for this sort of thing. Ecollar's are best used only for very specific training situations or as a last resort for problem barking (antibarking ecollar). Used properly- with an experienced trainer teaching you- they're not cruel. Is there a local obedience club you can join? Sounds like you need to work on "sit" every time he greets someone, including you. Does he love food? If so use food treats to reward him. Does he love a special toy? If so, use that too. No sit= no pats/ greeting/ walk/ fun.

Wash pup's bedding and vacuum well. If you live on the eastern seaboard, you need something to cover all these: Heartworm- monthly tablets or yearly injection (I prefer the tablets) Ticks, fleas- monthly for fleas, fortnightly for ticks unless you use a tick collar Intestinal worms- treat fortnightly for pup. I use Interceptor Spectrum + Advantix on both poodles. I just pulled a huge tick of our mini poodle, so both are freshly Advantix'ed! What did the breeder suggest?

I live in an area with lots of ticks (and dogs are indoor-outdoor dogs) so I need to use a product like Advantix or Frontline Plus. So, I do Advantix + Interceptor spectrum. I hadn't done the dogs this month and just found a huge tick on Oscar. I've taken ticks off before (I don't use the Advantix year-round), but this was the biggest and obviously very painful. Both dogs done now!

Sounds like you're doing a lot to keep him as healthy as possible- weight, supplements, short walks regularly . Perhaps the vet can check out his legs and advise if a medication for arthritis might make him more comfortable? Or, if s/he thinks it's something else. Best wishes for the grand old man

Sorry, I'm in the wrong area to help. What a good idea, though, as it would suit a dog lover who spends some time at home.

Sounds like a misunderstanding to me. Thorough rinsing and drying the dog are important and often neglected, but annual bath ? Only if the dog never got dirty. I take both poodles to the beach and they don't need a bath afterwards, just a brush to get the sand out.

Have you tried using Malaseb (antibacterial/ antifungal shampoo) as an ear cleaner? You use it diluted 1:50 with water. Nicer for dog if it's lukewarm. That's not a very strong concentration, so maybe OK?

Glad all went well. She must be so much more comfortable now

Can you find out the ingredients and what makes this such a special diet? When I google it the info comes up that it's for "liver disorders" . I know low-fat is important, but I'm not sure beyond that? Vets sell the Hills, so may be biased toward it? I don't see why you can't feed at least part natural diet and the vet should be able to say what foods to give and which to avoid.

Be strong! Keep up the rest as you don't want to worsen the injury! I'd not be taking any chances and crate resting him. I'm a bit confused as to how the knee can be a "bit clicky"? It either dislocates or doesn't ? I guess if you had a small crate, you could still take him out with you, as long as he stayed put and wasn't bounced around in there in transit.

I'm sorry I don't have any experience. Would it help your specialist to have detailed info. about what went wrong with his previous anaesthetic including what drug was given, how much etc. I'm guessing vets have records/ "notes" like human doctors do? Some vets might not be happy to give you copies of notes, but should share amongst themselves as this is relevant medical information. Best wishes for Payton

I'm suspicious that there's something wrong with my young dog also- luxating patellas been diagnosed, but his walk/ run/ stance doesn't look 100% right to me . I had the knees XRayed but not the hips. He's 9 months old. I've been so fortunate with healthy dogs both from breeders and the pound and have been surprised how upset I feel for our dog. Our children also love him dearly. If you're having XRays done, check this out: http://www.leerburg.com/hipart.htm. Maller also posted about a Yahoo group Orthodogs : http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodogs/ (thanks, Malleer). Good luck, I hope everything's OK. Fingers and paws crossed for you .

$100 ! Our vet is about $40 for a consult. Antibiotic eye ointment was about $20, I think a few years ago when my dog had a minor eye infection.

You can wash each eye with warm salty water, but the greenish stuff and redness suggest infection, so antibiotic ointment from the vet would work much better .

Have you had a really good look in his mouth for bits of stick, splintered bone etc. that could be causing this? I never noticed my pup's gums bleeding with teething.

I have a miniature poodle who's pointed before (nose forward, tail out, front paw up) while keenly listening to the kangaroos near our place ;) . If a poodle can point, can a dobe herd? The drop you describe sounds like what some dogs do at our local dog beach- see dog, low crouch, drop, wait ...... then launch a surprise dog play "attack" after a quick circle. Mini poodle does this, too. :rolleyes: but was annoyed on your behalf when reading "Dog's life" magazine (impulse purchase): Had a photo showing a couple of dobes in a play bow, teeth out (as in playing) with a mention below about "dog aggression." ;) . Photo of editor shows she has 2 dobes, too ;) They also crossed captions to label a toy poodle a standard and vice versa- only 25kg size difference . Doesn't someone with a little dog experience proof-read this crap?

What if you feed just before you leave, when you get back, then late at night. At least that's 3 meals. Ideally pups should have 3-4 smaller meals as it's easier for them to digest. Best to avoid a fight, so if you can't separate them during the day, don't leave food. If they can be separated, you could hide food in chew toys etc. to keep pup entertained for some time.

If leaving a pup with relatives, consider the potential puppy damage and how that may impact the relationship :rolleyes:. It may actually be more expensive to leave them with relatives. How are your relatives- are they "dog people"- you know what I mean ;)? If not, I'd feel happier about a boarding kennel that was recommended. Actually go there and check out the place, too. 2 weeks isn't that long a time.