Athena GSD

Sounds like you are doing all the right things regarding behaviour. Phenergan is a human drug and I would not recommend using it on dogs. It does not make them less anxious just tired (if it has any effect at all). There are some new drugs on the market but I do not know how well they work. One is "behave paste" a mineral supplement and the other is "anxiety homeopet" (sort of like an animal rescue remedy). I think they have a web site if you google "homeopet" you should find it. I would try and find WHY they bark (for example can they see the neighbours, other dogs or cats, or people passing your property). The other thing would be to get a behaviourist to assess your dogs at home and see if they can help. GOOD LUCK

Don't feel bad Missymoo, the anal glands can get very sore very quickly. The tablets should help everything heal well. An elizabethan collar would be a great idea if she is licking the area a lot. I would only consider anal gland removal as a last resort, there are some very important structures in the area (nerves and blood vessels) and it is difficult to keep the area sterile. Once she is healed she will probably need to have her anal glands checked at least 3-4 times a year and you can increase fibre in the diet (eg some metamucil or psyllium powder) which some people find helpful. I hope all goes well.

Any drug can be dangerous in a high enough dose,if your putting Moxydectin in drinking water it would be very hard to regulate how much your dogs are ingesting. I would play it safe and keep the dogs away from the treated water.

Hi, EPI and pancreatitis are two very different diseases of the same organ, the pancreas. The pancreas has two main roles, one to produce digestive enzymes (the exocrine function) and two to produce insulin (the endocrine function). Pancreatitis is caused by a few different things but often a fatty meal is the culprit. The digestive enzymes are normally only in an "active" form when they reach the intestine but in pancreatitis they are activated within the pancrease and thus damage the organ. The symptoms are usually vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The signs can either be mild or very severe. It is usually treated with fluids, antibiotics and change in diet. EPI stands for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. EPI is a lack of digestive enzyme production that results in insufficient digestion of food. Symptoms are usually weight loss and large, soft, volumous faeces. It can either be caused by the body attacking its own pancreatic cells (an autoimmune disorder heritable in GSDs) or rarely prolonged or repeated pancreatitis that physically damages the pancreatic cells. It can be treated by supplementing the pancreatic enzymes in the diet. Interestingly dogs with EPI can get intestinal bacterial overgrowth that is often cured by enzyme supplementation. In regards to your friend's dog though, whether it had an intestinal virus or bacterial infection is questionable. Because you cannot diagnose the cause of diarrhoea (of which there are MANY) over the phone. I am still unsure from what you have written which disease the dog has. Abdominal pain is usually pancreatitis but an inability to digest fat and starch sounds more like EPI. I would also be interested in what tests the vets performed.

Hi Kris, Advantage only kills fleas. Advantix does kill fleas and ticks (aswell as mites and repels mozzies and sandflies). Advantix is not dangerous for dogs as far as I am aware but it is VERY TOXIC to cats. Cats can get very sick and even die from contact with dogs who have advantix on. Frontline also kills fleas and ticks. There has been some talk that it is not working as well as it used to but no true studies have been done. Proban is a tablet given every second day for tick prevention but it is not as convenient as the top spots. There are also tick collars available, eg Preventic. Especially in Brisbane you should be using some sort of tick prevention. I would expect vets in the area to give you good advice on what to use. If you are going to shows don't be afraid to ask other dog owners what they find effective. Most clinics should be able to order products in for you even if they do not normally stock them. There is a good vet clinic in Sherwood opposite the Shell service station.

There is an old adage.........The top 10% of a graduating vet class goes on to being the best scientific reseachers and never go into practice. The next 20% go on to being the best practising vets. And the rest of the 70% go on to make the most money. ;)

Hi kimgnz, It is hard to say what the cause of the lethargy is. Macrolone is one of the many trade names for the steroid drug prednisalone or prednisone. Try googling either one of these and you will find a lot of information. This group of drugs basically supplies cortisone to the body. Its desirable effect is reducing inflammation but it commonly causes your dog to drink, eat, poo and urinate more. They can also put on weight. Long term use can cause hyperadrenocorticism, an excess of cortisone. This would be very unlikely in only 4 days of use. The really important thing is to NOT SUDDENLY STOP treatment because as you give the dog cortisone its own natural supply reduces. You must wean them off it gradually to allow the body to increase its production. If you have concerns about your dog I would strongly advise you to contact your vet and discuss any problems with them. I would never change a dosage of medication or treat your own dog without talking to your vet first. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Sorry to hear of your loss Kojak,my condolences.

Hi Paulag, Some people gain results from using Malaseb an anti bacterial and anti fungal shampoo. As a wash it acts at the site of infection without as many systemic effects as oral antibiotics. Most vets sell Malaseb so ask your usual vet about it. Hope that it all goes well. :D

Well it is so good to see people putting their thinking caps on (including me). :rolleyes:

What a can of worms you could open with this topic. As BrissyGal says we share most of our genome with chimps (aswell as dogs, mice, cats, etc.) Our DNA holds literally thousands of genes. Each generation receives half of their mother's and half of their father's genes. Each gene is then paired with another gene. There are dominant and recessive genes, so one gene in each pair is essentially silent (the recessive one) and the dominant one is seen. For example in humans, brown eyes are dominant over blue eyes. Often disease genes are recessive. Breeding from the same line increases the chance of a pup getting a "bad gene" from both parents and thus getting the disease. For example the royal family in Europe are effectively inbred and haemophilia was historically a major problem in the family. It gets a lot more complicated though because most diseases are "multifactorial" that is they are caused by a number of genes and also the environment (eg hip dysplasia). Now as for the question on genetic diversity. Because there are thousands of genes and only a randomly selected half is given by each parent and then only the dominant ones are expressed, in a short time many different forms are seen. According to Darwinian theory, genes can have random mutations or be expressed in a different way. If this new gene gives an animal some advantage the animal is more successful in surviving, reproducing and thus passing this new gene onto the next generation. This is the simplified basis for the origins of new species and survival of the fittest. I saw an incredibly interesting show a few months ago that was trying to explain how we got such a diverse range of dog breeds from wolves. A russian scientist used foxes in an experiment. He selected the most tame ones and bred them together (assuming the most tame wolves would have been chosen by the first "dog owners"). To his surprise in a few generations he found a huge variety of coat colours that looked like many of the breeds today (even dalmations!). Their tales began to move up in the air and their ears began to get floppy like some modern dog breeds. These changes were thought to be due to less adrenaline (the fight or flight hormone) in the tame animals compared to their wild counterparts. Adrenaline is responsible for many pathways in the body one of which is pigmentation. As you can see a minor change in an expression of a gene even without true genetic mutation can have drastic effects on an animal's behaviour and appearance. I hope that makes sense.

I'm glad they have opted to give Sammie a chance. :D Most dogs do seem to do well with the femoral head and neck excision. I would be concerned about the arthritis in the elbows though. A good product to use is "Osteoeze Active" which contains chondroitin and glucosamine. It is available in most chemists. It helps to rebuild the cartilage and reduce joint inflammation rather than just mask the pain. I would also recommend looking into a course of Cartrophen injections. I hope the surgery goes well.

Hi Trish, There are a number of operations done these days for dogs with hip dysplasia. Do you know which one it is? There are ones that aim to create a better joint (including hip replacement) and ones that aim to reduce the pain in the hips. Of course each different surgery has different risks and benefits. As for the elbows, it does sound like elbow dysplasia, which can be treated but will never be cured. I would be concerned about extra strain being placed on the front legs once the hips have been operated on. I would strongly encourage these owners to voice their concerns with the vet doing the operation. The vet should give them an idea of their success rate and likely prognosis. I hope that is helpful.

I knew you would have it all under control TB.

I strongly recommend taking him to a vet ASAP. I know it's hard to getonto them but keep trying or try someone else. I have seen some dogs that look similar to what you have described and they have eaten something and got an intestinal block. It would be much better to have an xray or ultrasound of his abdomen to see if there is anything obvious or if it looks like gastroenteritis. These things can become very serious so waiting till morning maybe quite dangerous. I hope everything works out and you contact a vet soon. If not just take him to the vet.

So sorry to hear this Dave. Rest in Peace.Chloe.

Could it have been the heat ????? It was pretty hot in Brissy today. Hope he's OK.

I agree with Shmoo.

Sounds like a happy, healthy, bright,.... German Shepherd Dog to me !!!!!!!! I have found over the years that I have owned GSDs. They tend to start ''mellowing out'' at about 18 to 24 months.