Jumabaar

My Kelpies are small in everything Rufflwear even though they are medium in everything else. So that does sound like the right size for yours.

Typically cruciate disease is chronic and so there does not have to be an accident or injury to have the camels back break. Just the changes in the forces moving through his legs could be enough to have caused an already weak cruciate (due to damage from inflammation in the joint) to give up the ghost. I have worked with plenty of very happy dogs post bilateral cruciate surgery who don't realise that they have had pretty major surgery. Certainly capable of a lot more than a 'wander around' and so we have quite a few on permanent exercise modification to minimise the progression of arthritis. Don't get me wrong- these dogs still get to zoom and play and enjoy life, we just make sure the game stops before they fatigue, chose surfaces carefully and modify the games played or who their playmates are. Much harder on their owners than on the dogs :laugh:

I will be on the perfect match stall all 3 days!!

I am SO glad that you opted for meds! They will dramatically improve his quality of life which is amazing Also remember that you can't reinforce 'feelings' and 'emotions' so if he is feeling stressed don't feel bad about letting him sit and chill with you (when you have the time). I do this with my storm phobic dogs by curling up on my bed and reading a book- they have both improved just by being able to have contact with me.

Allergies are not caused by 'new' exposures. The way they develop is through repeated exposure causing the immune system to react abnormally. To test if it is a food allergy you need to take them off their 'normal' food and give them completely new proteins and carbohydrates because the immune system has not been primed or regularly exposed. Typically we start off with a food trial and flea trial (which you have started) then look at possible environmental causes. It is also possible if there is an allergy that it has irritated the skin allowing a bacterial or yeast infection to move in which can also cause lots of irritation. If this is the case then a skin scrape to check that this is not exacerbating does warrant a vet visit.

The grooves is why I suggest brushing rather than scaling. I have not really found scaling awake necessary when the teeth are being brushed because there is very little build up of plaque. Brushing can certainly result in completely healthy teeth for longer- prevention is better and cheaper than cure!!

Apologies- I edited because it was an incorrect statement and do try to only have factual information so thank you for the heads up about my error. I am not trying to 'hide' it, I am trying to ensure that if someone random comes across this page that they do have the opportunity to receive the correct information. It still appears in your post because you have quoted me and I did acknowledge that I am a Dill :p because I was! I am passionate because I have seen lots of dental disease and know how much it impacts on an animals entire life. Also easy because I have spent time with a Veterinary Dentist and seen the 'after' of well meaning dental treatment gone wrong. Everyone certainly has the right to make their own decision but please understand that as with all services there is a certain degree of highlighting the favourable aspects (like what I am doing myself) and downplaying the negatives. I don't consider any general anaesthetic 'routine' and recommending them to my clients and for my own dogs but ultimately quality of life is my main objective so an anaesthetic for a dental is something that I suggest on a regular basis. I take the time to help owners to train their dogs to have their teeth brushed just as often. I don't even perform dentals so my clinic pretty much loses money every time I suggest it over just management!

I understand equine dentistry and have removed the word clean since I shouldn't have written in it- Sometimes I am a an epic dill. I was getting too excited about what I have recently learnt about equine gingival disease and what the equine dentist here in NSW is doing to try and promote awareness! I agree that your dog is a case where medical management is the only option. But I also recognise that for the majority of the canine population this is not the case. I have assisted with a dental on an 19yr old dog!! his anaesthetic was carefully monitored (by me), nerve blocks were used so that the dose of anaesthesia required was less (the lightest plane possible to keep him unconscious and comfortable), he was on a low rate of fluids before the operation and through the procedure and he recovered in his mums and my arms within 20mintues!! He has only had 1 tooth removed (fractured and removed a few years ago) in his entire llfe. By doing dentals regularly it was quite a short procedure- full oral check with probing under the gum around each tooth and clean and polish. From memory it had been 2yrs since his last dental and his teeth were brushed 4 times a week. He was so healthy and happy- and I do genuinely believe that having a healthy mouth was a big part of it. His birthday was the month after and they wanted him to have a comfortable mouth to celebrate and have his yummy meal with. I strongly suggest my clients regularly brush their dogs teeth with a toothbrush and canine gel because this does help prevent dental disease and dramatically increase the length of time between dentals! My 9yr old required a dental at 5yrs of age and I am thinking she might need one in another year- so once every 5yrs because of bones and brushing to keep the gums and teeth happy. They also use toothbrushing in zoo's with animals and it has proved useful to increase the length of time between dental procedures being done. They are quite happy to have the cue 'open mouth' and have an electric toothbrush used!! I also encourage people to do their own research- please make sure that you actually do research the possible downsides of this procedure because there is plenty out there (because it is easy to forget to research that aspect when trying to find out more information). That is why all Veterinary Dental associations that I have seen world wide have warnings!

PLEASE DO NOT THINK THAT THIS IS AS GOOD AS A VETERINARY DENTAL PROCEDURE OR EVEN COMPARABLE!! It is really quite upsetting that this is sneaking into Australia because it has caused so many problems in the US Sorry for the caps but this is how much I believe in it. Scaling the tooth is cosmetic only because there is no possible way to get under the gumline to do a full examination. It is not just about the dog sitting still. And if you think of the risk of bacteria getting into the blood stream via the infection under the gum and causing infections in the heart and liver then you can understand that it is simply not worth the risk of not having a proper dental done. Jules- equine dentistry is about rasping the top of the tooth down, not about probing under the gum. That being said we are starting to realise that Gingivitis and periodontal disease is actually a huge problem in horses too and vets are now starting to treat this during equine dentals as well as ensuring the teeth glide appropriately. Please go to this link see why http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/perils-anesthesia-free-dentistry-pets ETA this link http://www.avdc.org/dentalscaling.html ETA- Just watched a video and I didn't get past 'Step 2'- that wasn't even close to an appropriate full oral exam

Thanks for sharing Trinabean!! I am always on the lookout for more options and had been watching to see feedback on this range

I think you need to do a little more investigation with your vet to find a long term solution as there are many different causes of itching. Bacterial infection Yeast infection Allergy- food, fleas, pollens, grass, dust mites Does your staffy have red skin, fur loss? Does it change with seasons? Where on the body is he itchy? How doe you know he is actually itchy- what behaviours is he showing. The calendula tea rinse might help to manage the symptoms but if it is a bacterial infection then a course of antibiotics will get down to the bottom of the problem. Skin is difficult but with a little more information and investigation you will have a much better understanding of the situation and how to resolve it.

What I take from this that the 'worst case scenario' does not change throughout the dogs entire life, regardless of how the dog changes. So treat risk with the same respect and be aware of it. Its a good reminder to be mindful of your dog. My property is double gated and some dogs are allowed to run out to the car- but only when I am actually focusing on them. If I can't give them 100% of my attention (or at least constantly have my eyes on them and the changes in the environment) then they are on lead or crated. I am pretty risk averse but I let my dogs off lead in plenty of situations- it depends on the dog, what distractions are around and what the 'worst case scenario' is. i.e. walking a dog near a major highway off lead- i don't care how reliable the dog is I just wouldn't do it because the risk is too high. Vs running on an empty beach with a dog with a reasonable recall i.e. will hang around but is a bugger to actually catch! I think I have the benefit of owning a 'runner' for the first 5 years of her life who managed to end up in some dangerous situations even when they started off quite low risk! All dogs since have had recalls drilled into them as the most amazing thing in their life, but never want to have that feeling again.

As far as I'm aware, you can't open up a vet clinic without being a qualified vet and holding a license to practice so I'd assume not. From something said elsewhere, I believe the vet in question is fresh out of uni. Doesn't mean that the principal isn't a qualified vet - but I'd hazard a guess that at those prices they are using it as practical experience for students rather than having all staff as actually fully qualified vets. It should be made clear to customers the level of actual vet experience on offer as far as I'm concerned - and they certainly shouldn't be doing any diagnostics and prescription of drugs if they are not fully qualified to do so. T. Students can only do these procedures if there is a qualified vet observing/supervising them. So I would expect that this is a qualified vet. I do feel sorry for the vet in question- if she is a new grad and took this job as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. I can imagine it would be unnerving to do all this solo without anyone more experienced on hand and limited support. Not nice position to be in but in the current climate of fear about not getting a job I couldn't completely blame her. Re giving injections it is not something that we do from first year as part of our studies- we do it on our own time as vet nurses. Also I would be quicker to judge on the advice being given than injection skills! Without knowing more I would hate to pass any form of judgement.

Really not sure how it would build muscle up since a harness like that would actually stop a fair amount of natural input so is actually counterproductive! Nothing to say about the changes that would occur to the other supporting tissues and creating further abnormalities to the biomechanics of an already significantly compromised system. I would only ever recommend it if the animal was completely unable to undergo surgery and as a last resort.

Teeth dont 'heal' like the rest of the body. There is a hole in the middle of the tooth that the nerve sits when it is 'alive'. If you can see this hole then the tooth should ALWAYS be removed. This hole goes directly down into the bone that the tooth is attached to and so is a direct line for bacteria into the bone. This means that it will always result in infection in the bone which is painful and eventually lead to the bone being destroyed and the infection may even burst out of the skin!! Quality of life is important too so if chewing is her 'thing' then is is really important to find options for her to continue- don't feel bad about her breaking the teeth on the nylabone it is one of the 'safer' alternatives so there was no way to predict it. I have had some success with the softer kong toys as chewing options, although they do need to be replaced reasonably often.

There certainly will be future classes PS thanks for the support!!

I think it would depend how determined they are to get to their wound. It would have been great for my girl after she was desexed as she had some clipper rash on her tummy that she kept scratching at with her back foot. I ended up taping socks to her back feet that I had to take on and off for her to go outside. Clipping on the body suit would have been much quicker. For some it wouldn't be enough protection or if they licked the material over the wound site. I could even see it as an option for when owners are home and can supervise how their pet reacts.

Are you going to have the bones J? If so I'll grab one from you. Always prefer to give my money to people I "know". PS Ness - cute video I will :)

I would get a balance disc over a BOSU ball. I am looking forward to my stock arriving soon and I will have even more toys to play with *cough* sell :laugh:

I would wait another week before allowing outdoor off lead zoomies. But some extra walks for enrichment would be beneficial- not sure if he likes his food but making a food trail for him to follow. Or treats hidden in cardboard boxes which he can then destroy. What a lucky boy wearing jammies instead of a cone of shame!!

Webmaster- I can tighten it up behind the ribcage so they physically can't slip back because their body doesn't fit through the back hole!!! I had a slippery Kelpie who is fond of happy laps who has sadly only had them on my terms since putting her in the webmaster, as opposed to her daily ones in other harnesses :p

If it is muscle or hip pain then some gentle heat over the hip and lumbar area would help relax muscles and ease pain. It only has to be 42 degrees (so comfortable if you put it to the inside of your wrist area) for 15 minutes for it to heat up the area with a hot water bottle or heat pack wrapped in a cloth. I hope she is feeling better soon.

I think you did get the last one- and I finally got my dogs sniffing rather than pawing and one of them scoffed the blasted Q-tip!! I assume it fell through one of the container holes during some overzealous indicating haha.

It looks like they are currently sold out of the sent work kits :'(