Shoelace

Firstly, Teekay, I'm so glad Mya is home and it's great to see the photos. I'm not commenting on the dose, as I'm not a vet or even a vet nurse. However, my issue with our vet was that we were not told of any possible side effects of Metronidazole. He simply prescribed it and we were following the dose prescribed. It was not a high dose, but was a 6 week course. Then when Ben suddenly could not stand up, we had no idea what was going on. The vets at the emergency centre didn't pick it up either, so 1 1/2 days later and 3 more doses of Metronidazole, the specialist picked it up. When I asked our vet if was aware of Metronidazole toxicity, he said yes, but it was very rare and he'd only seen one case in 30 years of practice. When I asked him why he hadn't told us about possible side effects he said it would add too much time to his consultations. At which time I saw RED and he got an ear full. I'm assuming Teekay's vets didn't provide any advice about side effects either. I wonder if they were even aware of it as it appears they took bloods and checked for ticks, etc. The specialist centre didn't seem to be aware of it either as they proceeded with a spinal tap and then referred Mya for an MRI. It was only when Teekay contacted them and said stop, could it be Metronidazole toxicity, that they suddenly started looking at it and commenced treatment. While it is a very good drug, vets need to spend that extra 2 minutes and outline the possible side effects, particularly if the dog is going on a long course or a high dose. That 2 minutes would save people like us and Teekay going through the nightmare experience that we've both been through, not knowing what the hell was going on with our fur kids. Teekay, that would be my first question to your vet - why didn't you tell me about the possible side effects.....

So very very relieved for you.

Unfortunately there is no test the vets can perform to confirm toxicity or not. With Ben, Metronidazole toxicity was only considered because the specialist he was being handed over to read his case file and saw he was on Metronidazole. She had seen a toxicity case before and she went and got her textbook. She told us he was a textbook case for severe toxicity and although she couldn’t guarantee that was his problem as there was no test for it, she would like to try treating him for it before trying anything else. So we also held off on the MRI and spinal tap. Initially Ben just suddenly couldn’t stand up and the emergency vets told us they thought he had ruptured a disc in his back. As they continued to give him his Metronidazole, by the time he’d had the three more doses he didn’t know where was, where up or where down was, he was on his back thrashing around and trying to run away. His eyes were continuously twitching so he couldn’t focus. He was panicking and stressing and the more he did that, the worse he was getting. At this stage we were also being told he most likely had a brain tumour or meningitis. Ben spent three days laying on the floor in intensive care unit because he would panic and thrash when they put him in a crate. I spent a lot of hours sitting on the floor with him just trying to keep him calm. It took 3 days for him to be able to stand up. When he came home, he was still wobbly on his feet, but he was home. I hope this is what it turns out Mya has and nothing more serious. If so, it will take time, but she will get over it. My prayers are with you and her.

Let's hope I'm right. Get on to the specialist center and suggest this. Not many vets even think of it. Tell them to look at their textbooks. It has to work its way out of the dogs system. Diazepam (Valium) and IV Fluids are the only treatment. It will take a few days of the dog being in intensive care. Good luck with her.

Teekay By any chance is the antibiotic Mya is on Metronidazole? If so, ask the specialist center to look at Metronidazole toxicity.

Jag, We have used Logans Livestock Insurance to insure our imports. We have found them excellent to deal with.

Longdogs is correct. There was an email sent out by DogsQld on 3 February which says: "ANKC Certified Pedigree Certificates Following a decision made by the ANKC in 2012, all States were required to move to a standard Blue Certified Pedigree once the remaining stock of the domestic Certificates had been used. As of Friday 31 January 2014, we have now completed the use of the existing stock and all Certificates for Main Register dogs will be in the new format. Please CLICK HEREto view a sample of the new ANKC Certificate."

If you go to the DogsNSW web site, go to the "Member's Area" then "Member Information" then "Forms". There is a form called "Application for Data Extraction". Complete that and email it to [email protected] Their IT person will then email you advising the number of records and the cost. You then authorise her to proceed and debit your credit card. She then emails you the data extract in Excel format. It contains dog rego number, name, DOB, registration date, colour, breeder name, breeder number, sire rego number, sire name, dam rego number and dam's name. It's quite a simple process.

T, if you would like me to add her story to the front page of the Qld All Mastiff Breeds Club web site, please email me a photo, the address of your FB site (as I'm not on FB so can't look it up) and contact information. Any and all publicity at this time can only help. K

Megz, Thank you so much for the Dogue de Bordeaux catalogue. A number of us have greatly appreciated it. Regards Shoelace.

Hi Megz Any chance of the Dogue de Bordeaux entries please? Regards Shoelace

Libertybrook Re Group 6 The Bullmastiff, Grand Ch Kangala Ozzie Osborne, took RU BIG on both the Sunday and Monday. Puppy in Group on the Sunday was the Dogue de Bordeaux, Bordogue Shared Secret (AI). Puppy in Group on the Monday was the Bernese Mountain Dog, Azzabern All About Me (who also took Puppy in Show on the Saturday). Intermediate in Group on the Monday was the Dogue de Bordeaux, Ch Bordogue Tobias, and he also took Consulation to Best in Show.

Icemist, we have now done 2 dual sire litters. The first was using fresh semen from our 2 males. It was a surgical AI as it was believed that the bitch had an ovarian cyst, which it turned out she did. The semen was collected from both boys, mixed together with some extender and put in her. We had 5 puppies, 3 from one sire and 2 from the other. The second involved the same 2 males but a different female. However, for this one we did natural matings. We progesterone tested to get the timing right. We did a natural with one male, let her rest for around 30 minutes and then did another natural with the other male. We did the same thing the next day, but reversed the order of the males. We had 6 puppies, but lost 2 so I don't know who their sire was. Of the 4 surviving puppies we ended up with 1 pup from one sire and 3 from the other. To register them with Dogs Qld we completed 2 litter registration forms, one for each sire, and included copies of the parentage reports for each pup. The puppies had to be microchipped to do the DNA swab. The Dogs Qld litter registration form now has a space for the microchip number, and the parentage reports from Genetic Technologies also include the pups name and microchip number. We will use dual sires again in the future as it gives us a greater opportunity to broaden our lines. When planning these, we did the DNA testing on the males and each female in advance of the mating so that their DNA profile was already on file.

We have two that we think are our all time Royal classics and both involve our friends with their Kangal Dogs: 1. This guy comes up and asks our friend "what did you cross to get those"? Friend gives the usual reply - "they are purebreds". Guy says "yes, yes but what did you cross to get them". Friend again replies, "they are purebreds". This goes backwards and forwards until our friend replies "rabbits, we crossed rabbits to get them". The guy stands their and looks really thoughtful and nods his head and walks off still nodding his head. 2. Our friend was at Melbourne Royal and had her Kangal Dog display set up with a sign saying "Kangal Dog" and the Turkish flag, etc. The bench next to her was vacant, but it had a breed sign up saying "Standard Poodle". These two women walk up and one says to the other "what breed is that". The woman looks around and sees the sign saying "Standard Poodle" sees Turkish flag (and obviously mistakes it as being the Chinese flag), and replies "it's a Chinese Standard Poodle". So those are our two favourite moments from the Royals.

These are 2 chiropracters that I use. Both are on the southside. I'd have your little girl checked out by one of them to ensure her back or pelvis isn't out and that she doesn't have a pinched nerve. If no improvement after a visit to them, then x-ray as per your vet's advice. Dr Tony Smith Fernvale Vet Clinic 3617 Forest Hill-Fernvale Road Fernvale Ph: 07 5426 7766 Dr Rowan Kilmartin Animal Options 8/29 Blanck Street Ormeau Ph: 07 5546 6756

Where in Qld - Brisbane, Cairns, Emerald???? Picking place names at random here.

Sabertooth You might like to join the Australian Dogue de Bordeaux forum and seek advice there. http://www.armbell.com/forum/?mforum=ddbforum As far as them being "a lazy breed and that is how some of them run" - mine don't run like that....

Stormie - we used Listerine mouth wash (the plain one, not the mint one) and Lanacane Powder. Listerine is an antiseptic and it also has mild anesthetic qualities. We would pour it on to cotton wool and wipe the skin inside his legs, under his arm pits, under his throat, behind his ears and his feet with it. When it dried, we would put Lanacane Powder on those areas. The Lanacane Powder contains menthol and therefore it cools and drys the skin. It actually relieves some of the itching. At night we'd put socks on him. We also picked a time of the year when there wasn't much flowering - May. It was a long 6 weeks, but we got him through it.

Stormie - the blood test was whatever the standard test was over 2 years ago. It came back negative which we knew couldn't be right. Hence, we got the "scratch" test done on him. If there is a new type of blood test that can pick up all the different sensitivities dogs like these guys have, then that's excellent. Much better than shaving their sides and sticking 70 odd needles in to them. My boy couldn't handle the monthly 1ml injection either. He gets fortnightly injections of 70 units. That works best for him. Broudin - I've found that the best dry kibble for my boy (with his wheat allergy) is a mixture of half EaglePack Salmon, Sardine and Anchovy and half EaglePack Power. He looses weight if he is just fed the EP fishy one. We have found he can eat this mixture quite comfortably. We've tried BARF feeding with him, but he hates it. He likes his kibble. He's also not allowed to have chicken frames any more after getting a severely impacted bowel, so that limits his range of food further. The other food we found he was OK with was the Nutro Lamb and Rice as it also had no wheat in it. However, I think the manufacturer has closed down as its not available any more. When his feet get really red and bad, I put socks on him at night to stop him licking them. He looks such a dag walking around with white sports socks on - but they work. He gets Bitter Apple spray on them of a day.

Bruodin I've had a dog on the desentisting injections for just over 2 years. He is also allergic to wattle, casurina and eucalypt pollen as well as various grasses, dust, mould, and wheat amongst a variety of other things. The injections are not a cure, but a management tool for him. He is still a 12 hour by 12 hours proposition. He can still have minor breakouts that come on very quickly and they are controlled with Pyohex Ointment and Neocourt. We have found that the need for him to be on Macrolone and antibiotics has reduced significently since starting him on the injections. He has only required 2 short bursts of Macrolone this year and they were for 2 days at a time. Stormie - we actually had the blood tests done on him initially and they showed nothing. It was not until the "scratch" tests were done that he reacted and we found out what he was allergic to. We used Listerine (the plain one, not the mint one) on his skin when he had to be off cortisone and everything for 6 weeks prior to having the tests done. You may want to try that. The main thing with the injections is to give the area a good rub afterwards to spread the serum so that you do not get localised reactions which can cause small hard lumps. Good luck to both of you with your dogs.

Hi Antonio Can't help with a chiro in Perth as I'm on the other side of the country. Could I suggest your putting a post in the Health and Nutrition section asking if anyone knows a good chiro in the Perth area. I'm sure that someone can recommend one. I agree with what Nekhbet said re Eagle Pack Large Breed Puppy. That's what I've got my babies on.

Hi Antonio Glad you were able to contact your baby's breeder and seek advice. A chiropracter was one of my first thoughts when I saw your post. What area do you live in as some DOLers may be able to suggest a good chiropracter. There is also the Australian Dogue de Bordeaux forum which you might like to join for information specifically about Dogues. Regards Shoelace PS Be careful supplementing with calcuim. Too much is as harmful as too little.

Thanks WithEverythingIAm My friend who lives on the north side has just drive to Petstock at Caboolture and we've cleaned them out of their bags of Power as one of her dogs will only eat it. I've send an email to their US address so hopefully they can tell me what is going on over here. Its so frustrating when you've got a dog with a very limited diet and you've finally found something he can eat - and you can't get it! If anyone knows what's going on - please post. Thanks everyone! Shoelace PS. Nekhbet, I've PM'd you. (Hopefully it worked.)

Does anyone know what’s happened to Eaglepack in Australia? I know it’s a US firm, but have they gone broke or shut down or have they just stopped supplying Australia? My usual supplier in Brisbane has been getting the run around from the Eaglepack agent for the last 3 or more weeks and I’ve now had to move my dogs on to another dry food. However, I’ve got a boy with allergies and the only dry food he can eat is Eaglepack Power and their Hollistic fish range. I’m getting quite worried as to what to feed him as he won’t eat BARF. Does anyone know if the firm is still operating?

Spikey I've PM'd you.