KateM

I can see what you're talking about. My dog had a compressed nerve recenlty and metacam did nothing to relieve her pain. In the end we gave her steroids and it immediately helped. She wasn't able to get up for 2 days yet 20 mins after the cortisone injection she rose, very gingerly, and walked. It was a huge relief to me and I'm sure to her! Looks like your dog could do with some more comprehensive x-rays?

I walk my dog at Little Austi nearly every day. Its a great spot for dogs. Ticks are bad down here - I work at the local vets and we had 8 tick paralysis patients in hospital just last week. However, I would say that generally down at the beach you should be safe. There are bushes up the back of the beach and of course there is the possibility of your dog picking one up from there. My dog has had one tick since we moved here 3 years ago and we live right up on the escarpment which is prime for ticks. Lucky? Maybe. Sharkeys beach is also good for dogs but I prefer Little Austi myself. I am able to walk along the grass at the back with my dog and keep her out of the way of others as she's not the most sociable animal in the world. As for Cafes, there is a good little cafe called Fireworks on Moore street just back from Austi Beach which has tables outside and is dog friendly.

Another thumbs up for Horsley Kennels. I have used them several times for my dog and she always comes back in good shape and is not too unhappy to get out of the car when we arrive. There are very few kennels in the Illawarra. I've heard good things about Mount Kembla too but have never been there. I personally wouldn't do Hanrob but only because it is such a huge operation and bit impersonal. Also I hate having to pay for every added extra. Letting the dog out for a run should be a given, not something you have to pay extra for IMO.

Sorry to hear about your dog, KateM. It is difficult when they develop problems in the joints and spine. I will keep that problem in mind and definitely ask for a X-ray if this ever occurs again. Did the pain for your dog just start suddenly overnight, or did it develop over a period of time? Glad to hear your dog is pain free again. Yes, my dog's issue did develop over time. She's had trouble with her rear end for years - normal activity seems fine but if she overdoes it she doesn't have the strength (or is in pain) to get into the back of the car and is sore for a few days afterwards. I've always managed this with Metacam on those days she is bad. Then recently she had several episodes over about a month's period where she went very wobbly in the hind legs (looked like tick paralysis but was short-lived). This would last 5 minutes or so and then she would be back to normal again. I had her checked by the vet both times and they didn't find anything abnormal apart from pain. Then a few weeks after the last episode like that was when she suffered the extreme pain. Apparently when some nerves get squished they just lose function, and other nerves cause the pain. Anyway, I don't really understand how she has made such a great recovery from this but just relieved! Like you say, they cause you such worry. I was devastated when this happened to her and really thought it was the end. A week later she was running around like nothing had ever happened! She does my head in! As for your dog, I would call your vet to see what they advise about taking her off the metacam - it does have side effects on kidneys but it would take more than a week's use to do any harm. I would probably not use the metacam tomorrow and see how she goes, if she looks a bit stiff or sore you can always give her another dose - there is no cumulative effect. Good luck!

I had a similar issue with my dog a few weeks ago and she couldn't lie on her side without crying in pain. Metacam did nothing to relieve her and I had her x-rayed the following day and the vet said she had narrowed disc spaces in her spine which was pressing on the nerves. Nothing seemed to relieve her discomfort and even methone injections didn't help a whole lot. I had to wait for the Metacam to wash out of the system before giving her steroids and after just one steroid injection she was back on her feet. Could be something similar with your dog? My dog is 8 years old, similar build to a rottie and has arthritis problems for years. We are managing her pain these days. She is off the steroids and seems to be going well so far. Fingers crossed!

Berrima Boarding Kennels has an indoor swimming pool for dogs - I used to board my dog there when she was younger so that she could get some swimming exercise!

Thanks! Love to watch Badminton and haven't been able to for years. I will try to record it.

Me too! Some might call me obsessive but I just can't miss a walk, no matter what. Even if it is just 15 mins round the block I think mentally it just does my dog good to get out of the house twice a day and she prefers to do her business away from home. I even got up at 5am yesterday morning to walk her in the pitch black and rain because I had to go to work early and husband is away.

I think you're probably right that it is loss of muscle around that area. If I think about it older dogs do seem to be more angular in the head (and elsewhere too I guess!). So just a sign that she is getting on

Hi all I've noticed recently that the top of my dog's skull (think it is called the Sagittal Crest?) has become slightly more prominent just recently. Do you think this is normal as a dog get's older? She is turning 8 soon. Just wondered if anyone else had noticed this in their dog?

I shipped my dog to and from Dubai. We spent 18 months over there. I would do it again. You have to be on top of all the requirements but its not that difficult and she only had to spend a month in quarantine when she came back in to Australia because we kept up her rabies vaccinations whilst away and did titre testing etc. Your dog will cope with quarantine fine. Even my friend's stress head Weimaraner managed with a month in quarantine. He didn't like it much but he came out none the worse for it. I hated the thought of my dog being locked up for that long and she was over the moon to see us again at the end of it but a month is really not that long. So all in all I would recommend taking her with you. Its so much nicer to have your dog with you and is an adventure for them too!

I often take my dog to a friends 100 acre property for weekends and it is not fenced. Chilli does not wander out of sight at any time we are there. It really depends on the dog rather than what they are used to. I wouldn't leave her outside if we left the property as I would be worried she'd come looking for us but whilst we are there she is happy to stick around. I guess you'll just have to take him there and perhaps stick him on a long line at first and supervise him at all times to see how he reacts. If the other dogs stick around he will probably tend to stay with them I would have thought. As you say, it seems a shame to have him locked up at home whilst you are there and he could be running around having fun. Good luck.

Excellend FranCQ, that would be great if you could let me know how you go. Good luck, I hope it is worthwhile for you.

Thanks for these replies. I have since learnt that it is severe separation anxiety. The dog is extremely destructive when left alone and will chew through doors to get out if left alone. I will forward those links thanks Bigdogg.

Hi there Can anyone recommend a good behaviouralist in the Rockhampton area of Qld? I have a friend living there with his young Weimaraner and he's having some problems - not sure of the nature of the problem - but he's looking for some help. He would probably be willing to travel some distance for the right person. Would be grateful if anyone can point us in the right direction. Thanks

My dog likes to eat the bluebottles washed up on the beach too - wonder what it is about them that is so appealing? She has never had any ill effects.

Me too! I'd love to know about growl classes. Never heard of them before.

Thats three people suggesting I get rid of the plastic bowls so far so that will definitely be my next step. I will try looking for the supplement you suggest also Jed. Thanks very much.

Thanks Ruralpug. The vet did suggest changing her food and water bowls to ceramic and I guess it is definitely worth a try. I just think that because the pigment loss didn't start until about a year after we got her that this it is unlikely to be the bowls that is causing it. But I will give it a go.

My dog has been losing the pigment in the skin around her mouth and nose for the last 2-3 years. It has been very gradual and has not seemed to cause her any problems up until recently where it started to get sore and red around her mouth. I have had the skin biopsied recently but the results were inconclusive - possibly a contact allergy or an auto-immune response of some sort. She is currently on cortisone to reduce the inflammation. Has anyone had any similar experience with loss of pigment in this way?

It seems to be one thing after another with my poor girl. She's had a recent patella tendon injury which after 3 months seems to have finally healed and this week we had a very traumatic night where Chilli was unable to get up from lying down and was in extreme pain. I gave her anti-inflammatories but they didn't even touch the sides. She could lie in one position only and if she tried to move would howl in pain. We eventually took her to emergency vets in the middle of the night where she was given temgesic and kept overnight. When I went to pick her up in the morning she was back on her four feet again which was an incredible relief. I took her to the vets where I work and they had a thorogh feel of hind legs and back and he seems to think it is her back which is causing the problem. She had a similar incident about 6 months ago although no where near as bad and I thought it was arthritic hip joints - she's had problem joints from about 2 years of age. The poor girl just seems to have so many problems at only age 5. I really thought the end had come for her this week. The vet has advised that it can really only be treated with anti-inflammatories and restrict her exercise. I certainly wouldn't want to put her through any surgery - I think she has too many problems for that. I'm going to go and see a physio next week to see what she advises. Just wondering whether anyone has any suggestions/has had similar problems. I feel so sad for her and am petrified of her having another night like Wednesday night. It was just awful. Thanks for any help. Kate

Has anyone used a Bowen Therapist in the Sydney area they can recommend. I have done a search on the Bowen Therapy site of Australia and a few small animal practitioners are listed but it is always good to get a recommendation. I want to take my dog Chilli who is recovering from a leg injury.

You're right I think. She probably should be on crate rest. The vet didn't push it - just said to keep her as inactive as possible - and I've been avoiding the crate issue thinking that we could get by without it. Think I might have to bite the bullet and get one. At the moment she has free range of the house and back yard (which is very small) so I guess it can only help to reduce that further. What a nightmare. I have been conscious about the weight issue too. We have to be careful with her weight anyway as she has bad joints and at the moment its all too easy to overfeed her as it is one of her only pleasures now that she can't go for a run. I tend to give her small amounts throughout the day to keep her occupied - lots of bones and then bits and pieces in her kong. She doesn't appear to have put on any so far but I will definitely keep an eye on that. Thanks for the wise words.

My dog injured her hind leg a month ago and the vet seems to think its a partially torn patella tendon. He has advised strict rest for her - not necessarily crate rest but very close to it so no walks at all. He thinks it could take months to heal but I am concerned that so far there doesn't seem to be much improvement. Has anyone any experience of this type of injury? I can deal with the long recuperation period as long as I know that its going to fix itself in the long run. At the moment though I'm getting quite despondent about it as the knee is still very swollen and she is still very lame. I took her back to the vet 10 days ago and he was not disappointed with the progress - no real improvement but no worsening either. Just looking to hear about other people's experiences - it doesn't seem to be a very common injury.

Ok, thanks all. Will give some of those a try today and let you know how I go. Going to have myself a champion trick dog by the end of this recuperation period!