Zorro_007

Good on you for taking this puppy on board. I am so glad that she is doing well. Looking forwards to some photos. WIll you be keeping her?

spoilt lab lives here I have one of those too People always say to me "oh he looks great" and even at dog training there is one instructor who will always tell an owner if their dog is getitng on the chunky side, he regularly does little talks about the importance of keeping your dog trim. Especially the labs, he uses Ramses as an example of what a lab should look like :D We feel special! Is your lab white or is it just the photo? he looks magnificent.

Jaybeece, your dog is so handsome and he would look even more awesome if he did have 2 or 3 extra kgs, it's hard to make out from those photos but he looks just a little thin, not too bad though. shmoo, are the owners just as overweight? just wondering...

Your boy looks good; if his ribs are showing then he could be considered skinny but I doubt that is the case with your dog; show us a photo of his profile. Shmoo, that is shocking...that poor dog; how can anyone allow a dog to become so f*****g fat? Did you say something to the owners? I would have had to say something since they're too stupid to see it on their own!!

This is terribly sad and infuriating at the same time. Why would they bring a litter of puppies into the world when they cannot afford veterinary treatment? no need to answer that! Are the breeders friends of yours? They sound like they would be as I cannot imagine strangers ringing you up and asking you to take one of the pups to the vet for them. This is very strange. What breed are these pups? If you take the pup to the vet will you be allowed to keep it? would you want to keep it if they agreed to it? What is wrong with the pup? diarrhea, vomiting, coughing? etc etc

Sardines are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids; it is a nutritious meal for a growing pup especially. I prefer to give my dogs a fish oil capsule (human variety) as it would take quite a few tins of sardines for a 1000mg ratio which is the amount that is recommended for a large dog the size of a german shepherd or golden retriever. Studies have been conducted in which puppies that have been on an Omega 3 rich diet have superior intelligence and are far more trainable as a result. Seems like Nutro is winning the race here and to think I hadn't even heard of this product before starting this thread. I will never forget the stink from the dogs when I fed them SUpercoat; as soon as I hear that brand name I can still smell the stink, pooo!

Debarking is a last resort and preferable to having a dog put down. I adore dogs but expecting people to put up with a barking dog 24/7 is unreasonable. The occasional barking here and there is one thing but when a dog barks non-stop then that is quite another. I do think that other options should be looked into before considering debarking but sometimes nothing seems to work and although it does have its risks I believe it supercedes having to abandon a dog. I don't have any dogs that are debarked but would certainly consider it if absolutely necessary.

Pandi, how do you find pro plan? does their poo stink? I have a very sensitive nose and having tried supercoat not long ago I am apprehensive about trying kibble again. I have tried just about every dry food on the market but that was ages ago and I wasn't paying attention to certain 'things' back then.

Oh tashnchief, I have to go with the chin but especially the japanese spitz; I have one and yes they are totally adorable, I love my Josh with his beautifully made up eyes, black eyeliner and all, uh too beautiful.

It is so damn sad that there are such money hungry grubs around that would rather sit on their laurels all day and make money out of these unfortunate animals and obviously these grubs have no idea on animal husbandry and nor do they care to learn. Kayden, don't take offence even though you may feel we have come down hard on you, our heart is with the welfare of dogs and I guess we have all heard so many stories of neglect and cruelty that there comes a point when we can no longer sit back and take it in our stride. Breeders like the one you have dealt with are a dime a dozen unfortunately and it's becoming increasingly frustrating and short of educating the public there is very little else that can be done, meanwhile these breeders are sprouting from every nook and cranny. I hope you won't take anything said here on a personal level and we would really love to hear how your pup is doing. Hope all is great.

I would have to agree with Jed; if a breeder feeds her dogs crappy food then you just have to wonder how much care has gone into her dogs, she sounds like a tightwad to me and doesn't seem to have her dogs' best interest at heart. Glad you found what appears to be a decent breeder but ask her all kinds of questions and especially what she recommends you should feed a pup and what she feeds her dogs...that should give you a good indication as to whether she believes in doing what is best for her dogs. A ginger poodle would be either a dark apricot or a red but I would presume you are talking about an apricot, great choice. Is she carrying out the necessary health checks as poodles are prone to eye problems? Here is a link that explains what ailments poodles are prone to; this isn't to say that all poodles are prone to these problems but it pays to be knowledgeable on these possibilities so that you can then ask the breeder if she has carried out tests to ensure that the puppies are not going to be victims of these genetic problems. http://www.napoleon.org.uk/health/poodlehealth.htm edited to add the link.

That is why I suggested that you wait a few days and then make a discreet call to the RPSCA and tell them that you believe that this dog is a case of serious neglect, the RPSCA is bound by privacy laws so they cannot divulge who is responsible for reporting them; something has got to be done, you can't just ignore this situation. There's no point speculating what kind of health problem this poor dog may be harbouring, that is not doing him any good and the owners are either oblivious that there is a problem or simply don't want to go to the vet otherwise they would have gone by now...I'm afraid to say that his life is in your hands Staffshi and you can do so without getting yourself or the grooming salon in any kind of strife.

Kayden, it is impossible for anyone of us to give you a diagnosis over a monitor, not even a vet would hazard a guess without seeing the pup first. There could be a number of reasons why a pup would react in such a way but whatever the case things sound serious especially considering that she is so young; even at 6 weeks it is too young to sell a pup and an ethical and caring breeder would never do such a thing, she really should be ashamed of herself and as you said there may be a distinct possibility that she may be even younger than 6 weeks. She could have had a fit due to low blood sugar, she may have a digestive problem, she may have had a petit mal seizure, she could be harboring a bacterial infection or a virus, a tummy bug...maybe she ate something that didn't agree with her....I could go on and on but this isn't helping your little girl...as others have said you should get her to a vet NOW. Keep in touch and let us know how things progress. Puppies should never be sold until they are AT LEAST 8 weeks old; I never let my cavalier puppies go until they are 12 weeks of age and by then they are totally independent of their mum, have been weaned slowly but surely without being rushed and have had 2 shots so I can rest assured that they don't run the risk of catching parvo amongst other things. Breeders like the one you have dealt with should not be allowed to own any pets let alone breed them, shame on them!!!!!!!!!!!! PS - I meant to ask you what country you are from? doesn't sound like you are situated in australia.

I think this is a serious case of neglect and the owners deserve a warning from the RSPCA. How could they not notice, the smell alone would give it away! I would try to drill it into them that this dog is very ill and needs veterinary attention as a matter of urgency...I would also try to obtain their address (make it seem like it's just business protocol) and phone number and wait a day or two and then report them to the RPSCA. You can't turn a blind eye to cases like these. People make me sick. They probably don't mind spending money on themselves but when it comes to ensuring that their pets obtain the proper care they sooner look the other way...I guess the reason they have taken it in to be groomed is just so as to make it look like it is well looked after as they may have visitors now that it's the festive season.

UP - just read the info on the link you provided and it's true that some people have lost pups due to vaccinating and some have blamed the Protech vaccine for being responsible but if you read other people's comments on that page you will find that others have also had negative experiences with other vaccines and I have read of people losing dogs or litters of pups when vaccinating them with all kinds of different brands of vaccines, I wouldn't say that it's any vaccine in particular that is more risky than others. Some puppies can go into anaphylactic shock and if an antihistamine shot is not given as soon as symptoms are observed then of course the puppies or dogs will die hence that is why it is wise to ask the vet for an antihistamine injection or a few in case of a litter to take home with you just in case the dogs do have an allergic reaction. All vaccines carry an element of risk and that is why I do not believe in yearly boosters but puppy shots and a booster 12-18 months later is a must and if certain particulars are adhered to then you can be sure that your dog will never run the risk of catching parvo and I have mentioned what the particulars are in my other posts in this thread.

UP - I have used Protech Duramume and have never had a problem with it...I make a point of asking the vet for some antihistamine needles to take home with me just in case there is an allergic reaction and hour or so later and this would apply to any vaccination not just the Duramune in particular. Why would you want to vaccinate a pup with a product that is too weak to fight any maternal antibodies and hence would be of no protection to the pup whatsoever? what would be the point in vaccinating it in the first place? The whole idea is that this product is designed to override maternal antibodies in order to offer the pup REAL protection and not give people a false sense of security. Parvo is very prevalent and thousands of puppies and dogs are dying from this when it could be so easily prevented if enough homework went into it and if the vaccination protocol was changed. The business of vaccinating pups at 6 weeks of age is a retarded way of thinking, it is or at least should be, common knowledge that a pup at that age is still ridden with maternal antibodies and to vaccinate it with a semi live vaccine or a killed parvo vaccine is just a waste of money, in actual fact a 6 wo pup should NOT be vaccinated then...the 1st jab that a pup should be submitted to is 8-9 weeks but of course that is not music to many a breeder's ear as they like to get them off their hands by the time they are 8 weeks except breeders of toy dogs which hold on to them for a fair while longer. I kept reading this quote of yours UP........."""Someone recommended Protech Duramune. I would be a little concerned about administering a viral preparation so powerful that even maternal antibodies were not able to protect the animal from it, especially seeing as the presence of maternal antibodies surely means that the pup's own immune system isn't up and running yet(?).""" And my comments are exactly as I have stipulated above, the presence of maternal antibodies mean that the pup's immune sytem is not capable of fending for itself and that is why the 6 week protocol should be changed otherwise why vaccinate a pup with a weaker vaccine that is not going to work at all and offer the new puppy owners a false sense of security and subject a pup to the danger of catching parvo and dying a painful death? If a pup is immunised at 8 weeks it will be stronger, have less maternal antibodies and be capable of handling a stronger vaccine which will be able to override any lingering antibodies and offer the pup real protection.

The only other thing that springs to mind is that whenever vets immunise a dog or cat they hardly ever massage the area thoroughly to dispell the liquid that forms a lump; how many times have I taken a dog home to find that although the vet did give the area a quick rub the lumb was still there; I always make a point of rubbing and kind of lightly squeeze the lump which is usually the size of a pea and that soons eliminates the lump and the vaccine is more easily absorbed into the system rather than just sitting there. Cats are know to develop cancerous lumps due to vaccinations and this is because the area has not been massaged to ensure that the vaccine spreads rather than sitting there in a lump for weeks on end.

As the others have said, it is definitely an issue of allergy here. Either it's a contact allergy - grass, weed, nylon carpeting, bedding that has not been rinsed properly, in other words an allergy to a specific soap powder. Another form of allergy is 'atopic' allergy meaning something that the dog is breathing in that is causing him to itch like dust mites, pollen, flowers, etc. Food allergy is another one, some dogs are allergic to red meat or more often to the high cereal content of dry foods so its a case of opting to feed a raw diet or making sure that the food you are feeding is not full of cereal and grains. As Nicole has said, rinsing is very important, any shampoo residue is likely to cause itching. I have found that the more you shampoo when a dog itches the worse the condition becomes unless there is a bacterial infection or skin condition that needs treating. Does he have a habit of lying on something in particular all the time? some type of grass? wandering jew?...

You have raised an important point Puggles....the number of people that give their dog human medicine is unbelievable; you would think that common sense would prevail but some people lack this important trait to the detriment of animals. Thanks Raz, I didn't know the right term for snake breeders, learnt something today

Good luck GS; hope it's nothing serious.

Samoyedman, I did not say or even imply that other DOLers have made the stories up; as I said, there must be a reason why adult dogs which are fully immunised end up with parvo and I wonder whether some may have been immunised with an expired vaccine unbeknownst to the dog owner, I really feel that vets should, as a rule, pull of the sticker from the vaccine vial and stick that on the vaccination certificate but how many do that? Anyway, I'm off to read that link you provided.

God give me strength!!!!!!!!! I purchased a bag of Supercoat and fed some of my dogs with it (the local feed stores doesn't stock premium brands, the other choices around here are Pal pedigree, Bonnie and other rubbish) and the smell of their poo stinks, stinks to timbucktoo and back....I cannot stand it! I have thrown the remainder of the food out into the trailer destined for the tip! What on earth do they put in that food? NEVER EVER am I going to buy that rubbish again. Give me BARF anytime. I will try a premium food like Nutro for the maremma only and I hope that I don't need to use a gas mask. Two of the dogs had the runs IN THE HOUSE which is not the norm and they only had a small handfull of the stuff so I had to clean that mess up and I'm lucky that the diarrhea was on vinyl...imagine if I had carpeting, UGH.

Snake venom can bring it on - which is the likeliest case for my little bloke, according to the vets (and not the vets who immunise him) and some herpers I know. - Raz Raz, what did you mean by "herpers"???

Diamonds, I think that Puggles was referring to my post specifically as I attributed seizures to overvaccinating, I should have specified that not all seizures are caused by overvaccinating and that there are other disorders causing a dog to fit...but I wanted to mention the one thing that most people are unaware of and that is that overvaccinating can cause seizures as I have learnt with my own chihuahua once upon a time.

Great post Puggles!!!!! I hope that people will read and learn from your post, great work there. I do realise that in quite a few cases seizures are considered "idiopathic" as there are no real explanations why the dog has epilepsy, and that quite a few other disorders can bring on seizures...I didn't bother going into detail as all the other disorders are usually acknowledged by the medical field but unfortunately, especially here in australia, most vets are not even aware that in some cases dogs have fits because of the yearly booster and those that may be aware are still loathe to discourage pet owners from having their dogs vaccinated yearly!