sandgrubber

Some of the problem of rising costs is testing. Sometimes vets feel a need to do everything and take every precaution, and the range of options for this has increased greatly. My stories on this match others.... very sick dog...vet suggests tests that will run into thousands of dollars but very little hope of this finding a curable condition or prolonging life by more than a few months. Me choosing euthanasia. There's also the problem screening and false positives. https://skeptvet.com/2021/07/rational-use-of-diagnostic-screening-tests/

One reason for rising cost is the increase in testing. This needs to be viewed critically as it doesn't always result in better outcomes. Rational Use of Diagnostic & Screening Tests | The SkeptVet https://share.google/0Y7LHEDFnl71UYzhO

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8j3020kl04o What's happening in the UK seems to be happening in all developed countries. Veterinary practices are becoming businesses, expected to turn a profit for shareholders.

I have never brushed my dogs' teeth and never had a vet recommend that they needed cleaning. I've mostly had Labs though now I have a couple Springers. I'm an oldie, and have lost count of the dogs I have owned. More than 20. I recently got flamed in a discussion for stating that I have never brushed and my dogs teeth have always been fine. Just curious, are there others who don't brush, and haven't seen a need to?

Sounds familiar. Does Australia Post repeat this story every year?

I'm trying to decide whether to get cruciate surgery for Yoli. She spends about half her time on the sofa or on my bed. I can't figure out how I'll manage to keep her from jumping up for six weeks or more, especially as I have a second dog, and it's hard to restrict one and not the other. If you have done TPLO or MMP (I'm considering both), how have you coped with the post-op routine. Do you make ramps so they can get up without jumping? Or ban them from the bedroom so they can't jump up while you're asleep?

A statistical look at wide ranging health problems in German French Bulldogs based on survey of 574 owners. I found it shocking. Not just BOAS. https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40575-025-00149-8?utm_source=bmc_etoc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CONR_40575_AWA1_GL_DTEC_054CI_TOC-251101

"If the desire to kill and the opportunity to kill came always together, who would escape hanging?” — Mark Twain Sad situation all around. Too many guns. Too weak a system for handling disputes between neighbors. Old geezer looses it.

X-ray showed a partial tare. So she's on Metacam and I'm trying to keep her from jumping. The vet says limited walking is ok. The cost of X-rays sure has gone up.

The OP didn't appear to be asking about intestinal parasites specifically, but about anything the general public called "worms".

Yoli, 6 yr old ESS, has been limping and not putting weight on her L hind leg. She stops limping on walks. After a week of hoping it would go away, I took her to the vet, who said her knee was quite swollen, probably cruciate ligament, possibly arthritis, and booked her for X-rays in a few days time with a recommendation to curtail exercise. Much to my surprise, she has been happy staying in the car while my other dog went for his walk. And after a day of rest she's putting more weight on her foot. QUESTION: Is it worth postponing the X-rays for a week or so to see if rest alone, without surgery, will resolve the problem? (My regular vet practice was recently bought by a syndicate, and I'm not sure I can trust them to start with the most conservative treatment option).

Not entirely. No heartworm in NZ. No heartworm in winter in snowy latitudes. Tapeworm is more common in tropical regions (I think.... unsure).

Worth discussing this with you vet or a local dog expert. It's complicated. There are several species of worms that can infect dogs. Some species are more common in some regions than others. Puppies typically get roundworms, but older dogs are much less likely to suffer from them All worms don't respond to the same medications, though some allworm tablets contain more than one medication and kill most of not all common species, except heartworm, which requires yet a different medication. Opinions differ on how often to medicate, but yes you should worm your dog, especially if you see worms in its feces. And if heartworm is found in your region you should definitely use some sort of heartworm medication.

Nonetheless, unacceptable behavior. If any dog of mine behaved like that around small children and I was unable to train it out of the behavior, I'd either keep it caged or have it put down.

The link sends me to an SBS banking site