Papillon Kisses

I’m glad to hear you’re going to a specialist clinic. Your pup is a lucky duck to receive top notch veterinary care. This is a super gross way to talk about it but in consumer law puppies are like products, and if a product is faulty there may potentially be recourse through your state consumer tribunal. However, as with products, often you’re left with returning the puppy for a refund or exchange, not a contribution to future vet care on a beloved pet that you want to keep. With regards to what to do, follow the specialist’s advice. Get a second opinion from another veterinary dentist if you want one. They’re the ones who have examined your pup and who are experts in their field who keep up to date with the latest research and techniques.

It is a tremendous gift to be able to give our beloved dogs a good death, rather than suffering in their final moments. It would seem your daughter appreciates this keenly, with her experience as a paramedic. I wish you peace and strength at this difficult time. Trigger warning [spoiler]My first dog died of heart failure, drowning in the fluid and seizing. It was a horrific, traumatic death. It has shaped my firm belief that a week too soon is better than a moment too late. I would give anything to go back and stop his suffering.[/spoiler] eta I don’t know how to hide that can someone help me

Wrote my response above before seeing yours! So I am spot on then with my suspicions. My dog’s dental vet wrote this article. https://sydneypetdentistry.com.au/dental-disease/base-narrow-canines/all-about-base-narrow-canines/ Your vet is wonderful to have picked this up! It can be missed by general practitioners. Full marks to them!

I’d see a veterinary dentist. They are the best qualified to determine if an intervention is needed and if so what and when, or if it’s something that might sort itself out and they’ll just monitor it for now. Ask your vet for a referral. For some conditions they prescribe ball therapy and it fixes the problem without expensive surgery. If left, these dogs can be in a lot of pain, and being in pain during a puppy’s critical socialisation period can mess with their mental health long term. I have a sneaky suspicion that this is that sort of thing your vet is referring to. My dog has terrible dental conformation, including a severe overbite, but I got him at age 3 so there was nothing to do except rigorous at home dental care and dental/oral surgery at a frequency higher than most dogs. Enjoy your gorgeous puppy!

You should go to the vet. This is an urgent problem given how quickly puppies can decline, so please don’t wait.

I’m so very sorry for your losses.

Hi there! Trazodone is one of many anti-anxiety medications that can be prescribed for vet visits or other situational anxieties. My dog didn’t respond well to traz, but it’s been a godsend for other dogs I know. If it’s not right for your dog, there will be other options. As Snook says, trial it before the stressful event. That way you’ll know if it does help, how long it takes to kick in for your dog, and whether the dose is right (there is a range). There is training you can do around these fears too. I’m currently doing an online cooperative care course with All Pets Education and Training. Or you can find a force free trainer here: https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/find-a-professional

Also interesting https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0196284

Gremlins

I know they’ve seen two vets, but I just can’t help but think that there have surely got to be other medication options for the liver and pain if they are causing problems – I am assuming the NSAID is for pain? For example Mal takes gabapentin for pain, and a potential side effect of that can be increased appetite. If appropriate, that may work in this sweet girl’s favour? Another one might be questioning if perhaps there’s something GI related going on and the denamarin and anti inflammatory meds just seem like typical suspects. Mal has developed food intolerances as a senior due to GI disease and had I continued feeding chicken, fatty fish, and fats in general he too would have zero appetite and diarrhoea. Or does it all come back to the liver and a liver diet is needed to improve things.

It sounds like a vet review is sorely needed.

Hey, so I don’t know about schutzhund, but if you’re open to other dog sports and seeing what your GSD likes best, there is a list of K9 Nose Work instructors at this link: http://acsw.com.au/certified-instructors/ It’s the same sort of training that bomb, drug etc detection dogs do and it’s suitable for all ages.

Relax and make it fun for your puppy. Focus on the two of you and your bond.

My dog has had negative responses to some medications or doses thereof, but if we had not persevered his mental health wouldn’t be where it is today. If you were only working with a general practitioner that may have been part of the problem, as they get very little training in behaviour medicine. Look here for a veterinarian with further qualification in behaviour: https://www.anzcvs.org.au/chapters/veterinary+behaviour+chapter many do remote consults if there is no one near you.

I’m so sorry to hear of the attack and the psychological damage it has done to your dog. I also have a fearful dog, and for me the first port of call is avoidance and trained behaviours. We walk at times and places where we’re less likely to see other dogs - industrial areas outside business hours can be good for this, and have a bunch of trained behaviours up our sleeves. Things like emergency u-turns to increase distance, find it (treat scatters), go behind me, and he’ll play Look At That when we have more distance. An appropriate fitted and conditioned basket muzzle can also act as a good people-with-dogs-deterrent. Increasing your environmental awareness is also integral. Consider your walk locations not just from a will-I-see-dogs point of view but also if I see them, can I cross the road or go up driveways or hide behind things, and are there blind corners or congested pathways that I need to avoid. If you can pick up your beagle, are there things you can put her onto or into if an attacking or rowdy dog approaches e.g. cars, garbage bins, or those electricity box things. I highly recommend working with a positive trainer, plus a veterinary behaviourist if your dog is more than a little worried. I think registrations might have closed but there’s a Management for Reactive Dogs course on Fenzi at the moment and a webinar of the same name comes up every so often. When off leash dogs approach us my first reaction second to asking the owner to call their dog is to throw high value treats (which you should always have on you anyway) at the other dog. It won’t stop a determined attacker, but it honestly stops most dogs in their tracks and buys you some time to high tail it. The great thing about it is that you’re not adding fuel to the fire with aversives, and the other dog sniffing can be a cue for your dog that they mean no threat. If you choose to use an umbrella as a shield make sure you use positive reinforcement methods to condition your dog to its use. The last thing you want is to add to your dog’s fear by scaring them with the umbrella when another dog approaches them.

I’d definitely get a full blood panel and work up, and consider the change of seasons extra coat dump, but will add that dogs can also shed bucketloads when anxious, which he might be with all these changes.

I think this is who they’d want to contact if in WA. https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection They essentially have a breach of contract.

Sending love

I’d probably switch to Bravecto in that instance, but it’s best to ask your vet. Sometimes they have specific recommendations for your dog, area, activities. I remember back when Frontline stopped working.

Wonderful news!

Yes, Dr Jaime Jackson at Primal Paws. Jumabaar on DOL. She’s Malcolm’s rehab/prehab vet and has been able to make diagnoses and prescribe treatment plans (exercises, massage, better pain relief protocols), when our regular can’t work out what exactly is wrong or what to do besides rest and pain relief, or when I go ‘something’s not quite right’ but can’t pinpoint it. She’s amazing and we love her.

Jaime does Skype consults if you’d like her eyes/opinion? She might have contacts in NZ too?

I follow what Tufts says. Go straight to the source.

You might want to rethink TOTW re diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy.

Put your hands on her body and check against this score chart: https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Body-Condition-Score-Dog.pdf When I first got my dog, who needed to lose weight, the vet gave me a rough figure and then we saw how he went. That figure ended up being a sort of ‘pet weight’ as show/dog sports people would say. Not fit, but not exactly overweight. He looks better at 200g less (this is a tiny dog lol). In terms or how quickly a dog should gain or lose weight, I would ask a vet. Just like losing weight too quickly can cause health issues, so can gaining too fast.