Little Disheartned With New Vet

[Erny]

Good for you, cavNrott :D.

[OSoSwift]

I agree CnR - good on you.

The vet cannot MAKE you desex your puppy at 6 months, the dog is yours, you make the decision.

I was double checking vaccinations dates yesterday, the receptionist says well wh do we give you the three year one with her face screwed up. I said because I wanted it. Oh - nothing more was said. Myself and two friends are the sum total of people who use trienniel vaccines in our entire district!!

[Lowenhart]

If it does not drop he will need to be castrated the vet said by 6 mths, I said I wanted to wait at least 12mths she said no 6 mths.. Ugh so I was hoping to assist it to drop lol.. I might ask around re massaging it down but the breeder did say that I would need to do this and it is common..

I have emailed the breeder as I couldn't get hold of her today but i think I know the vet she goes to so I might ring them..

Re the vet saying he is too lean, you know I actually think she made more of that as I said I was feeding raw and I wasn't interested on feeding him totally dry food

.. I gave him a good feel today and his ribs are not sticking out, they feel good and this arvo he was running around full pelt heaps of energy. Looks like more vets to try lol..

I have had pups which didn't drop by 6 months and advised by a Reproduction specialist that there is no hurry to get them neutered. It takes a very long time for the testicle to get anywhere near cancerous. 12 months old is fine, but do expect to pay more as it is a much harder surgery (they have to go exploring).

[Salukifan]

Mumof4girls:

I might ask around re massaging it down but the breeder did say that I would need to do this and it is common..

Cryptorchidism is quite common but massaging the testicle into the scrotum will not assist it to descend if the cord isn't long enough. Leave your boys bits alone and see what happens. If he's only to be a pet it's just a more invasive desexing op when the time comes if the second testicle hasn't dropped.

The risk of testicular torsion in a retained testicle is probably more serious than cancer in a younger dog but there's no reason IMO it HAS to come out before the dog is fully mature.

[dancinbcs]

I have decided to ring every vet around and ask them what they think of a raw diet, that way I am not paying for them to lecture me lol...Her main reason was for his teeth, I said

he gets meaty bones but she insisted dry food was what he needed..

Ok this proves the vet has no idea about food. Dry is definitely not better for the teeth than bones but you have to feed bones, not just barf patties.

Definitely look for another vet. Maybe out your area on here and someone may recommend a vet around there.

There is no need to desex a dog with an undescended testicle until at least 12 months. I have heard that massaging them down is supposed to work in some breeds and some dogs don't have them drop until up to 6 months but it is not normal. The testicles should be down by 6 weeks, 8 at the latest. the number that come down after this is very small. If you breed on from dogs with late descending testicles you perpetuate the problem.

[megan_]

I wouldn't choose a vet based on their theories on food. The very best vet for my boy at the moment (who has an injury that my normal vet - who is happy for me to feed raw and vaccinate every 3 years - didn't pick up) was found by a vet who advocates feeding Science Diet (which is full of fillers). He specialises in racing greyhounds though so he knows a lot about dog physiology, trigger points and sports dogs.

Go to a vet that you believe will be able to diagnose disease, ask questions, have a good problem solving ability etc. Don't just pick a vet who is okay with raw (and some would argue that prepared commercial BARF patties made from pet quality mince that hasn't gone through the same pest inspection process as human grade meat isn't a great diet anyway).

I'd take a vet that "lectures" me over one that doesn't care any day :)

[mumof4girls]

I wouldn't choose a vet based on their theories on food. The very best vet for my boy at the moment (who has an injury that my normal vet - who is happy for me to feed raw and vaccinate every 3 years - didn't pick up) was found by a vet who advocates feeding Science Diet (which is full of fillers). He specialises in racing greyhounds though so he knows a lot about dog physiology, trigger points and sports dogs.

Go to a vet that you believe will be able to diagnose disease, ask questions, have a good problem solving ability etc. Don't just pick a vet who is okay with raw (and some would argue that prepared commercial BARF patties made from pet quality mince that hasn't gone through the same pest inspection process as human grade meat isn't a great diet anyway).

I'd take a vet that "lectures" me over one that doesn't care any day :)

I know Megan its just the way she spoke over the top of me and it wasn't just food it was desexing and pet insurance I felt intimidated and that's not a feeling I like.. I want a vet that I feel comfortable with and one that will listen at least to what I have to say. I dont mind someone having another view bu I want to be heard at least..

I want to feed raw not just BARF patties that's what the breeder had him on so I have kept it.. I will be adding other meats etc to his diet over the weeks..

I am not that hard to get on with I enjoy people giving me examples of other things and other opinions, I love this forum as I learn something new every time.. I just like to be listened to and not felt like what I am saying is worthless.. That's all :-)

[mumof4girls]

I have decided to ring every vet around and ask them what they think of a raw diet, that way I am not paying for them to lecture me lol...Her main reason was for his teeth, I said

he gets meaty bones but she insisted dry food was what he needed..

Ok this proves the vet has no idea about food. Dry is definitely not better for the teeth than bones but you have to feed bones, not just barf patties.

Definitely look for another vet. Maybe out your area on here and someone may recommend a vet around there.

There is no need to desex a dog with an undescended testicle until at least 12 months. I have heard that massaging them down is supposed to work in some breeds and some dogs don't have them drop until up to 6 months but it is not normal. The testicles should be down by 6 weeks, 8 at the latest. the number that come down after this is very small. If you breed on from dogs with late descending testicles you perpetuate the problem.

He is 10 weeks now so I will leave him be, I have no intention of breeding from him I just wanted to wait as long as possible and I have read 12mths is good age that if we have to desex because of the testy not dropping then we would at that age. She said I would have to desex him at 6 mths because the testy would get hot and that's not good.

He gets a fresh meaty bone every second day sometimes 3rd day but he has his old ones around that he chews on until I throw them.

I am in Camira near Goodna west of Brisbane so if anyone knows of a good vet I am more than happy to know :-)

[Christina]

Go to another vet. Its is your decision how you feed your dog. Everyone has their own ideas about it & they are all different. There is no one right way.

The vet should have listened to his heart, checked his ears, teeth, joints etc & took his temperature & vaccinated him if she found him to be a healthy & normal puppy.

You have left there feeling like you are doing things wrong & with no confidence. Wrong.

Its your dog & its fine & healthy. Find another vet.

[Stitch]

I will no longer accept a vet talking down to me. I have been caring for dogs for way too long now to take advice that I know to be incorrect.

That said, I think you need to be careful when changing a dogs diet, especially a young pup, unless you are absolutely sure that what you are doing is what the breeder would recommend or if the breeder isn't experienced enough, then what is the best food for the pup.

Some pups definitely go off their food when they go to their new homes at 8weeks (or whenever). If this happens I recommend the new owner just reduce the quantity of the food they feed, not change the variety or type of food. Puppies will always go for the food they like best which is not necessarily what is best for them. Once the pup is eating happily then gradually increase the quantity.

I feed BARF and raw bones BUT I also feed premium dry food in certain circumstances. I like my puppies to be happy to eat dry food as well as the BARF etc.as there will be times in their lives that they will need to be able to eat it. Premium dry food will definitely give the pup correct nutrition (especially important in the larger breeds), it may not however give the small dry poos or other benefits of BARF but some BARF mixes can be unbalanced.

There should be no guilt attached to the decision of what to feed your pup. You should feed your pup what it does best on and what gives optimum nutrition. A pup should not be skinny and should always have a good covering of fat over the ribs.