lucknow

Our vets wouldn't need a ga to x-ray something like that. They even did my girls spine last year with two different views with no ga. I would be getting an x-ray first to rule out anything urgent like bone cancer, then look at chiro, cartrophen, acupunture, etc once you have ruled out actual damage to the bone. the other thing to consider is that sedation in a large muscular dog can help tremendously in assessing joint stability. When my boy had cruciate issues the knee felt solid as a rock when awake (and he is very relaxed in a vet setting having grown up there) and xrays showed no abnormalities. We tried a month of rest (in the backyard so no walks/jogs etc) and anti inflammatories with continued worsening of symptoms, probably because the dog is also highly exercise driven and stopping him from play was next to impossible. At that point there had been initially very subtle shortness of stride gradually increasing over about 2-3 months to slight but noticeable lameness. Oh,and he stopped taking washing off the line, I thought he was finally growing out of his puppy stage! At the specialists movement was almost imperceptible under extreme pressure when awake (Hugo is stoic but he flinched when they put that amount of pressure on his good leg!) as even with muscle wastage there was just too much resistance. Specialist xrays showed a problem with his tibial slope and a tibial varus (leg was bowing). Arthroscopy confirmed partial cruciate rupture and movement was easily noticed when sedated, obviously requiring major surgery. While I know our case was complicated I do wish I had pushed for a more thorough workup sooner (not saying a chiro/physio wouldnt have picked up these problems sooner than a GP Vet though). The original surgery to straighten the tibia and correct the tibial crest slope initially appeared outstandingly successful but the pin to straighten the leg caused an avulsion fracture 2 months later. Having to take the dog back to specialist surgery (and another 6-8 weeks of cage restwhen we had just got the go ahead for short lead walks ) was bad enough, 2 weeks later we are still facing complications and there is a possibility he could still lose the leg.

that is basically what I was told when enquiring with my (then) local council a few years ago. I bought a padlock for the gate instead.

I have used this technique before to good effect - not sure though if it was my 'roar' or the fact that (because of child in aforementioned pram) my pelvic floor muscles are not a reliable as I would like and I sort of wet myself.. Maybe my very loud and confident interruption of attacking dogs focus was more effective because I was also seen as 'marking my territory'?

If you google 'dog antihistamine' there is an australian vet that gives doseages of some of the common ones. Definately worth playing around with different ones, I know for my own personal use I find Zyrtec good for hayfever but I also suffer from a type of hives (terribly itchy skin and one scratch brings me up in horrendous welts) and zyrtec doesnt help at all, I have to take a different type every few days to keep it in check. A few nurses are experimenting at work atm as we have mild allergy dogs and even the vets are sick of just prescribing cortisone with all its potential side effects.

I can - I would save my dog first, as I said above there is NO point in adding to a problem with an extra person and an extra dog. Secure yourself and your animals before deciding if your assistance is needed. Might sound heartless or like an issue to some people but think of the alternative. Originally one dog being attacked by two dogs and 2 "humans" in the midst. If the OP had run in all guns blazing you then have 5 dogs and 4 humans in the middle of a potentially volatile situation. This is without factoring in the 10 other people ahead of the elder gentleman. I agree no one ever knows how they will react in a specific situation until faced with it but surely this is common sense?Secure the scene first. I was taught it in school, I was taught it at home, I was taught it at work. Whatever action you take dont add to the injury list. (and adding uncontrolled/unprotected dogs into the equation could have catastrophic repurcussions). I would hope, as much as I love my dogs, that human life and safety would always take precedence but taking the initiative to not cause further problems for victims, rescuers or bystanders/passers by ideally takes precedence.

How long has it being going on for, has he had access to bones or chew sticks/toys, is he a scavenger that will grab an undesirable item, does he have any health problems you are aware of, is he on any mediaction, what age and breed is he, when was his last health check, how distressed is he, has he been well in himself recently, changes in activity levels, appetite, etc? From the tone of your post I would initially think canine cough - as a generalisation dogs will cough anywhere from intermittently to constantly, a frequent description is they sound as though they have fluff or grass in the back of their mouth. Cough is often worse at night (cold air) and/or after being active (think excited when you get home fom work, going for a walk etc). Having said that it can never be presumed, very rarely a dog will have a foreign body in the throat region and still be able to eat and drink (we had one a few months ago, liver treat or similiar in the oesophagus for several days - it ruptured and he was euthanased on the operating table at 3 months of age), depending on risk factor plus length of time etc bloat can sometimes present as intermittent cough (non productive attempts to vomit) without any obvious enlargement of the abdomen. Heart disease is another possiblilty. Probably many others not springing to mind atm if you have any concerns I always recommend you take him to a24 hr clinic for assessment or at least speak to them so they can run through pretty much the check list above and you can make a decision re how concerned you are from there. Hope its just a cough (if so and presuming no special diet or diabetes honey dissolved in warm water and offered lukewarm will give temporary relief in about 50% of dogs, many people give childrens benadryl also).

As it's already coming out the other end its unlikely you will have any problems , I would monitor toilting as well as eating/general demeanour etc and the glad wrap would be a major part of the history given to a vet in case of any concerns. Vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation abdo pain. dullness, anorexia among many others can all be symptoms. Hope all is well!!

was the horse alright??? hope so He did really well, probably helps being a big ass QH.. Not sure how he was at first treatment as he had initial care with primary vet and was referred to us for ongoing, but by the time he arrived his worst issue was antivenom reaction, already resolving when he pulled up. Went home 3 days later, got to say I dont envy the owners keeping him quiet though, he was 'champing at the bit' by the time he left!

Our most recent snake bite was through a cool spell last week, tiger snake vs horse. Very unusual to see one active down here in that weather.

I am completely lost for words, senseless all around

Ant rid is considered safe around pets as the concentration of poison means they would have to ingest huge concentrations for it to cause a toxicity. My cats have been quite attacted to it in the past to no ill effect, having said that I blocked their access to it once they showed their liking for it. I think it can cause stomach upsets if enough is eaten, I would imagine a pup getting hold of a bottle of it and having a good chew could be enough to see them on a bland diet for a few days.

that is how I interpreted the bilateral conditions also. I did ring to try to clarify after my boy was diagnosed with partial cruciate ligament rupture as initially there was some doubt regarding the stability of the opposite leg. Person I spoke to was unsure and even after speaking to a supervisor could not confirm how they would view a claim for a second leg (as in would my initial excess for cruciate mean I didnt have to pay a second excess). Her explanation was that they have the 'bilateral' more as an exclusion of pre-existing conditions, so a dog that has had an ear infection pre coverage may never be covered for ANY ear problem in the future. Section 1 Definitions - benefit limits, on page 6. It is pretty hidden away there!

So far so good, our first claim was hassle free and looks as though they will continue that way. I am still happy with them as comparing premiums vs thresholds at the time they looked pretty good, although when a friend looked a few weeks ago these have gone up (suppose I will get hit with that rise in a few months). It would be interesting to know how they compare to the other popular companies now

You are all much more inventive than me, we just had a washing line, socks and the corner of the sofa that could be reached from the crate. I am pretty sure Hugo has some sort of dog version of ADHD, nothing else holds attention for more than 5 minutes at a time (OK 15 minutes for a really attractive marrow bone). Thank heavens he seems to finally be learning to engage his brain and the washing at least is safe these days!

Hey lucknow - I did read about this in one of the reviews. I'm not really sure what to make of it. I guess asking an Insurance Company to pay out thousands of dollars year on year for a dog with a chronic condition might be a bit much. But on the flip side... if your dog is only 1 year old, and by some horrible stroke of misfortune, develops a recurring/chronic/ongoing condition, EVEN IF you continue to insure your pet with PIA for the rest of it's life, they will still only pay the maximum stated amount (let's say $8K) to assist you in treatment of that condition, EVER. Not just for the first year, but for the rest of it's life. I guess you would just hope for a pretty generous policy limit........ I specifically wanted a company that had a decent policy threshold. I remember looking at some brochures a few years back that had attractively low premiums but payment thresholds were scarily low. $300 for a broken limb or some such ridiculous amount. At the time it would probably cover xrays and splints but not much else, nowadays you'd be lucky to even diagnose the break for that! Having said that this thread has made me look much closer at the fineprint, I knew my annual limit but didnt realise it was a limit per condition until I looked closer after reading some of the other posts. Heres hoping none of us ever have to worry about reaching per condition limits!

I can understand staffing problems, everyone has them from time to time but it seems to have had pretty tragic repurcussions this time. It must be heartbreaking for the staff involved in the planning and implementation of the breeding program yes it would be heartbreaking. To be honest I would of thought they would have a plan in place to monitor bitches that are due, well before their due date. With volunteers even. We all know that things can go horribly wrong. A staffing problem can be a nightmare but what about having a list of other breeders that could of been available. heck if I wasnt so far away I would be available. I have done alot of volunteer work for the Police back home and would not hesitate to be available if they were short of staff. These are highly valuable breeding stock. Yes, I would have thought the same thing. I imagine, or would hope, that has been looked at now. I know when I have been working at vet clinics that did not have round the clock care (and before emergency centres were as available as they are now) staff would volunteer or be roped in to sleep on site for anything we were not totally certain to be safe unsupervised. Not sure with current OH&S/workplace laws that it would have been allowed or possible though?

Teekay- this is such an important point, and one of the main things I've been concerned about. All's good and well to receive help for the first year, but what about after that?? I have been considering Pet Plan for this reason also, but I'm a bit turned off by hearing that they're a bit slack with claims. It is worth looking again the policy fineprint, the companies I researched all sounded pretty similiar (in fact their websites all looked pretty darn similiar too, I think they all own a peice of each other lol). PIA has the following statement : The maximum We will pay for a single Condition, a Recurring Condition or a Chronic Condition suffered by Your Pet is the maximum amount that was current in the Policy Period when the Condition first manifested. Once this maximum amount has been paid, We will not pay for any further Treatment of that Condition during the remainder of the Policy Period or any future Policy Period. My maximum amount is $15,000 from memory. In theory for a recurring or chronic condition I pay one excess (for that particular condition) per calendar year and insurance will reimburse the rest up to a maximum of my policy limit. There is no time limit as such. Now just hoping my doofus boy doesnt develop one really nasty immune problem or something!

I can understand staffing problems, everyone has them from time to time but it seems to have had pretty tragic repurcussions this time. It must be heartbreaking for the staff involved in the planning and implementation of the breeding program

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensl...f-1226012455832 Dr Adkins yesterday said in a statement she was "deeply saddened by the tragic deaths". THE Queensland Police Service will be investigated by the RSPCA after a litter of dog squad puppies froze to death for want of a cheap heating box. The Sunday Mail has learnt five newborn german shepherd puppies died in Brisbane's police academy kennels at Oxley after a bitterly cold night last winter. Sources have revealed the squad was down one of its two kennel hands so could not maintain a 24-hour watch on the animals, as done for previous births, and no one was on duty the night the pups were born. By the time the pups were discovered about 6am the next day, their body temperatures had plunged and they had suffered organ failure. RSPCA chief inspector Mick Pecic said he would investigate whether there were any breaches of animal welfare laws, which carry a maximum $30,000 fine or a year's jail. "Generally there should always be a warm environment provided and someone there on hand to make sure everything goes OK," Mr Pecic said. Upset dog squad officers reached into their own pockets for electric blankets and placed feeding tubes down the throats of the pups but within days only one of six was alive. It is understood Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson's partner Dr Glenda Adkins, honorary patron of the dog squad, and officers were furious over the deaths of the animals. Dr Adkins yesterday said in a statement she was "deeply saddened by the tragic deaths". "I am confident that the members of the puppy breeding program and the vet who were in attendance throughout, did everything they possibly could to try and save these puppies. Absolutely no blame should be apportioned to these people," she said. Even after the deaths, the QPS is accused of ignoring several requests from officers for a $700 heated whelping box for kennels, where police have bred their own dogs since 2008. Vets said heating pads available for as little as $50 may also have saved the dogs, which are valued at $70,000 when fully trained. An internal police review was launched as word spread of the death of the pups inside the Oxley kennels' concrete "puppy development wing". The QPS sought to blame other factors when quizzed during the review and said the pups' mother, Freya, was inexperienced and had abandoned her offspring to starve, sources told The Sunday Mail. But vet Paul Henry, called in to try to save the pups, confirmed they died after being exposed to the cold at the poorly heated police kennels. "A cold snap came through. The staff were inadequately provided with facilities to keep them warm," said Mr Henry, who has 40 years' experience and is the consulting vet for the police service and air force. "They bought some electric blankets with their own money. Despite that, we had a few puppy deaths." He added: "When puppies go like this they go very lethargic, they get weaker and they don't suckle. "So they were probably not eating, but that wasn't the primary thing the thing was they were just cold."

Pet insurance has been a winner for me. 9 months of premiums, over $6000 in veterinary costs, I like the maths. In relation to coverage for older dogs, I am with Pet Insurance Australia and they will renew the policy each year, but will not approve new policies for dogs over a certain age. I think most companies have similiar rules.

Puppy in his crate or puppy proofed laundry etc would be the best solution I think. I would not recommend the toilet, not a likely scenario but imagine a puppy getting frantic and pushing up the toilet lid, falling in face first.. when I left my babies home alone we used their crate, I set up one half as a bed and other half as with paper. 1 -2 days in pups would be going to toilet on their paper if caught short (I had a waterproof layer under the bedding so it did not wet their sleeping area) and they only wet their crate a few times. Definately a few accidents as a puppy will not make a dog dirty, or permanently unhousetrained. Set things up so when/if you come home to a mess it is easily cleaned up and there are no other problems for pup to find such as cleaning products within reach when unsupervised .

Rodent poisons need to be ingested to cause symptoms of poisoning, so the if the rat you found had died from a traditional laid bait then no, it would not have been the cause. However a carcass that was eaten, and therefore not seen, could cause the death in theory. It is not terribly likely in a larger dog due to the larger volume of poison an individual would need to ingest to cause toxicity but cats and small breed dogs have been affected this way. Sorry for your loss

You can try woundgard, it is a bitter spray that can be applied to the wound area. Terrible tasting stuff, I know I've tried it! Some dogs do keep licking even with it on though. If you have seen him licking a few times he is probably doing it 10 times as much when alone and it is a vicious circle as the more they lick the more uncomfortable they get and so they lick even more.. I would try the spray, you need to apply it several times a day, but if it doesnt work you really should go the E Collar. Can someone pop around to let him out to the toilet a few times a day, or babysit him for you? If he keeps licking he can create an infection where it didnt exist before (constant damp and doggy mouth bacteria bathing a wound..)and they can be buggers to get right, let alone if he gets those sutures out.

If the rash is fairly generalised to the shaved area most likely thing is clipper rash +/- reaction to the solution used to prep skin prior to surgery. Animals also have a rather annoying habit of overlicking or traumatising the surgery site so may also be at least in part self inflicted. If however you are seeing redness localised to the suture line itself it is a little harder to tell as some redness and 'puckering' is not uncommon but can also indicate infection. Generally we instruct to check daily for signs of redness, swelling, discharge and if anything concerns you to get it rechecked. This is done by a nurse so is free of charge and seems to be the norm for most clinics. Has your boy been licking the area? If he has get an elizabethan collar on and dont take it off until stitches are removed. If you must take it off watch him as closely as you would a toddler around water - these guys can be incredibly quick and skin trauma can be significant, 'self suture removal' is a real pain to clean up and very occasionally a dog will traumatise to the point of prolapse (for want of a better word, my brain is not working too well tonight ). Creams are also available from your vet (after examination) to reduce symtoms of irritation but again the e collar is essential to stop them licking it off.. BTW am assuming your dog appears well and happy, no signs of illness such as lethargy, unusual panting or inappetance. If you are seeing any of these signs definately should get checked.

My dogs both like them but like previous posters I find them a bit too likely to choke, especially the larger dog who has a big chew. The only thing my guys get these days are fresh bones.