Papillon Kisses

You need to come back to Instagram!!

So much love here SM. What beautiful memories. I particularly love the "best night ever".

I am in a situation where two vets at our practice are in opposition regarding treatment and I'm not sure what to do. Malcolm (Chi x) has gingival recession in one tooth and his breath stinks. The other teeth aren't bad except maybe one which looks like it's getting gingival recession too (my check today). In saying that, I brush daily and with Malcolm's history of periodontal disease sometimes his teeth have looked better than they are. The brushing is getting harder to do, especially near the bad tooth. Anyway, Vet 1 is saying that the recession isn't bad, that the tooth has a good attachment and isn't causing him pain. She doesn't want to do a dental due to his age (11 or 12), Addison's Disease, and need to take medication the morning of a dental (which Mal's VB is not at all concerned about), but I feel like her understanding of Malcolm's bizarre presentation of Addison's is lacking. She says so long as I flush the pocket daily with hexarinse or saline it won't get worse and the gingiva will improve. I have been doing this but I think it's getting worse. She is refusing to do a dental and says if it is affecting his quality of life, and she doesn't think it is, then we should see a specialist and have them do it. Vet 2 is saying that the tooth needs to come out, that it is becoming loose and causing him pain. She has seen the tooth more recently and I could see she was taken aback by vet 1's advice. She is unconcerned about doing a dental but she's not the principal vet, vet 1 is. I think vet 2 has more understanding of Malcolm's unique presentation of Addison's and I trust her more, but the check she did of the tooth wasn't as thorough. That said, she saw us more recently and perhaps it didn't need to be inspected more closely if it has worsened, which I think it has. I mean if it's obvious from a little look and feel that a tooth is loose and painful then you're obviously not going to do more poking around. I think I need another opinion, just not sure whether to go to a completely different GP vet (who wouldn't have Mal's full history) or straight to the specialist (who would) or have vet 1 check it again and see if her opinion has changed. I don't want Malcolm to be in pain or sick (infection = organ damage) or have an unnecessary dental or die. But I also don't want to spend thousands of dollars on having a specialist do a dental if he's not actually high risk and vet 1 is unnecessarily worried. (Our Pap's cost $3500 over 10 years ago.) And I'm not even sure we could say "one last dental until you die" due to his dodgy dental conformation, though in saying that the bad tooth is one that frequently needs to be extracted in dogs as they don't really use it. I wish I could speak with the old head vet 'cause I really trusted her a lot, especially with her management of older and/or complex cases, but she's retired. In case it isn't clear this is really stressing me out. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts / could help me unpack mine / any experience, etc.

If multiple vets are stumped you might need/want to see a specialist. We saw an opthamologist recently... expected a $300 bill but it was $130.

Many on this forum like the K9+ ones that TSD linked to. I have this Bono Fido one and am completely happy with it, but I don't collapse it and my dog is tiny and gentle with it... he doesn't even lean against the sides. Incidentally I didn't find it "too" easy to set up in a way which made me think it would be flimsy. Still had to force it into position. Hmmm.

I think shade cloth might be slippery? What about this sort of thing. Comes in two colours https://www.bunnings.com.au/swing-slide-climb-1000-x-1000-x-13mm-green-rubber-paver_p3321049 https://www.bunnings.com.au/swing-slide-climb-grey-play-equipment-rubber-paver_p3321288

Aussie Shepherd, Border Collie or Toller.

Been in a good paddock

Hahaha you'd be surprised PC, from what I've heard from vets!

Our veterinary behaviourist recommends two or even three times a day. It helps keep blood glucose levels steady which in turn aids behaviour. When feeding multiple times a day it's important to be careful not to overfeed. I portion out my dog's food at the start of the day then feed from that portion.

Haha now I need to guess what you're referring to @Scottsmum!! As Roova said PPGA is an excellent place to look. Delta is another. And I too cannot stress how important it is that you do NOT punish your dog. A couple of others: Dr Kate Mornement at Pets Behaving Badly Kaye Hargreaves at Wagging School You may need to consult a veterinary behaviourist if your dog is too anxious to learn. I have a dog like that, he is a lovely little fellow who happens to have Generalised Anxiety Disorder. He is scared of dogs too. He has come a long way with treatment which includes behaviour modification. A good trainer or behaviourist will let you know when a referral is needed.

Pretty sure someone searched for Canaan dogs. Your story is precious! I know a poodle x who howls whenever he listens to Blondie.

What about asking the breed clubs?

Sorry I can't help directly as I've only known some Bichons, not owned them. Maybe you could contact the Bichon Club of VIC? http://www.dogsvictoria.org.au/DogsPuppies/BuyingAPuppy/Breedersdirectory/Puppies.aspx?BreedID=26 Or contact some of the breeders listed here, some specifically say they welcome questions: https://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/breeders/bichon-frise.asp ETA also found this: http://www.vbrbreedsclub.com/ https://www.facebook.com/VBRBVic/

Thread resurrected from 2010. Incidentally I recently learned of a case where a dog with dementia slipped under a pool cover and drowned.

Maybe she enjoys that too. Or are cats not interested in such smells like dogs are... I'm not a cat person haha. Did Scottie think he landed in poo paradise 'cause I think Mal would.

I've replied in your other thread.

I don't know anyone specifically, but looking for a PPGA and/or Delta certified trainer is a good basic guide. Here's some information from the Australian Veterinary Society that you may like to read: Reward-based training Ten top tips for training dogs And a Puppy Socialisation Checklist

I'm sorry for your loss of your special girl.

Hi KdogQLD, I see you've had no replies so I'll add my 2c, but first of all welcome to the forum! I have no idea about Nervatona, sorry. It looks like @Sheridan has used it so perhaps she can help. In saying that one does need to be careful with natural supplements just as you would with prescription medication. They are not benign and may be contraindicated in dogs in general or your dog specifically. I would ask your vet before administering it. Separation Anxiety is best treated with a behaviour modification program and in some cases a referral to a veterinary behaviourist and/or prescription medication is required. Again, your vet would ideally be your first port of call to put together a treatment plan that may or may not include a natural supplement. You may like to try Adaptil, which is a pheromone that dogs find calming. It has a good evidence base and is recommended by many vets. It is also safe to use regardless of any medical conditions your dog may have or medications they may be taking. I hope this helps.

RSPCA QLD has some enrichment ideas here: https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/what-we-do/training/animal-training-fact-sheets#Enrichment

There's good stress and bad stress. Even if your dog enjoys the puppy, the "good stress" is physiologically similar. So still worked up just in a different way. If your dog is having trouble with stress, it would be far better to treat that in its own right by doing such things as providing environment enrichment, teaching calm on cue and other biofeedback exercises, rewarding relaxed behaviours and changing the dog's emotional response to triggers such as being left alone (since you mention that). You could also see whether an Adaptil collar or diffuser helps your dog, though in moderate to severe cases anxiety medication may be warranted. I see you're in NSW. If you let me know the rough area, I may be able to suggest a suitably qualified positive reinforcement based behavioural trainer to help you do the above. They would also be able to assess whether you should be referred on to a veterinary behaviourist. It is very important to get the right person in as people using old-fashioned punishment based techniques and alpha/dominance rubbish cause real harm to dogs, especially if they are stressed or anxious to begin with. I know a dog who seizes when he's worked up either in a positive or negative way and a bad trainer made his condition a million times worse. The owner also has to make sure the dog doesn't get too excited as that brings on a seizure too. It concerns me when vets suggest getting another dog because the existing dog is stressed when left alone. Sometimes it might help, other times the dog is just as stressed or even more so. Let's focus on helping your dog be calmer in himself/herself before giving the slightest thought to bringing another dog in.

No no you were absolutely right to pop into the vet and ask! I'm always asking questions haha. I don't care if they think I'm a worrywort, it's my job as my dog's advocate. Mal's Addison's was diagnosed early because I took him in for something that others may have dismissed or not noticed. Usually it's dx'd during a life-threatening crisis.

I'm so sorry Gretel. No matter how much time we get it's never enough.