Quickasyoucan

I had the same thing with Medibank, I have had 100% cover for around 4 years and got a letter saying they had switched me to 80% cover. So my cover went down 20% but my premium went up 20% over $100 in one hit! It is now around 620 per year. They told me that it was because Jake turns 10 this year. Problem is I can't switch now as he is too old. They also could not tell me whether the big hike only happens from age 9 to 10 or whether it will go up that much ever year. If it keeps going up that much I may have to rethink. Having said that Medibank have been great so far and paid out for Jake's cruciate op with no problem at all within about 5 days of my sending the paperwork in. They are always quick to pay up when I have made claims for the preventative cover you get under Gold Paw.

I reported a cat that attacked my dog on leash in the street. He used to rush at dogs walking past. Bit a hole in my dogs ear resulting in a trip to the vet for antibiotics. Went to town hall and rangers took a full report and said they would write a letter warning owners to keep it contained. A cat can't be declared dangerous but I can be declared a nuisance in nsw. Seemed to work as cat was not seen stalking dog walkers after that! Hats off to council for taking it seriously mind you they did see the injuries in person

My father in the UK was only asking about lungworm at the weekend. I said I had not heard of it in Australia - obviously I was wrong! It is quite a problem over there. I guess it does rain more so they get more slugs and snails :laugh: All jokes aside a serious problem. A friends cocker over there was gravely ill with lungworm - luckily he did recover eventually

We go to the dog park every weekday but at 6 am only the same small group of people there and everyone knows everyone else. I would never go at weekends when the once a week walkers are out sometimes I drive past on a Sunday arvo and it is mayhem. You might also want to tell your friend about the greyhound in full prey drive after a small fluffy who broke his run careening into my solid boy and whose own harness skinned all that delicate skin off at the ribs. Fragile dogs and dog parks are a risky mix

If that were the case, then there's be no point in selecting dogs from parents with working or sporting ability or the ability to race around a track. There's be no point in breeding from dogs that are calm, dependable or even bidable. If what you say is true, then there'd be no need to breed from dogs with drive or "working lines" as you'd be able to make a dog whatever you want it to be. Once you've had close contact with more than a couple of generations of dogs, you can see just how much a sire or even a grandsire can influence a litter. So true, many many years ago we bred a litter in the UK with our very even tempered Welsh Springer Spaniel bitch. The sire we used we were told was wary of children but we were advised it was because he was at one time in a yard where kids going past used to tease him. Anyway at least 3 dogs in the subsequent litter were very wary of children and did not have the type of spaniel temperament you would expect. Those dogs were raised by members of our family and our own family all of whom had children (ie they were socialised with well behaved children from a young age). They simply did not like any strange children or in fact strangers of any kind. Very much an inherited issue imo.

Size has very little to do with anything. MOST dogs who are declared dangerous or menacing are small dogs, that are yappy and untrained. ANY animal control officer can confirm this. The info in the attached link displays declared dogs according to the Victorian Declared Dog Registry as of 2011. Only a very small proportion of declared dogs listed here are actually small dogs. link What an brilliantly researched article. Who knew there were actually two types of pit bulls? I'll definitely be trusting that news site for information. It is not purporting to be a research article, rather it is simply highlighting data obtained from the Victorian Declared Dog Registry about declared dangerous and menacing dogs. Regarding the breed, that is what the dogs have been registered as when declared and is not something dreamt up by the author of the article, however inaccurate that breed description may be! Assuming the breed inaccuracies don't include too many 4kg dogs being mistaken for 40kg dogs, I think it's safe to say this data provides ample evidence to refute the baseless assertion that most dogs who are declared menacing or dangerous are small dogs. Hence the reason why the link was posted. Does that not suggest to you though that the data is not accurate and therefore not of any use? If people do not know what breed of dog they own (i.e the dog is very likely to be incorrectly registered) or if they mistakenly call it something else, your data will be totally unreliable. Take for example this.. Malt x Shih (an incredibly common breed mix) are represented twice. The Kerry Blue Terrier (a small breed with only 12 breeders listed for Dol) are represented four times. It seems very likely the more malt x shihs should be represented but what are they registered as? Who the hell knows. Not to mention the fact that small dog attacks are less likely to be reported. That said I am not into the big dog vs small dog argument just wish EVERYONE would see it is their responsibility to keep their dogs under control and allow other people to go about their business without fear of their own dogs being rushed or harassed.

Only to say I am very sorry about your situation with your TPLO. I have no experience with giant breeds but have had several friends with rotties who have had successful ones and my 19kg dog has been okay too. Sounds like you and your dog have had a mixture of bad breeder, bad luck and some dodgy attitudes from the vets. Just wondering if there would be recourse against the veterinarian under the new consumer laws they are considerably tighter than the old trade practices act particularly for the average consumer.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/dog-mauls-owner-in-play-fight-at-woolloomooloo/story-fndo28a5-1226510132551 NET Syndicated NSW News Dog mauls owner in 'play fight' at Woolloomooloo by: Clementine Cuneo From: The Daily Telegraph November 05, 2012 Both patients suffered leg injuries and were transported to hospital. Source: The Daily Telegraph A man and a womanwere viciously attacked by a dog in Woolloomooloo. The dog, pictured, was captured and tie to a fence. Source: The Daily Telegraph Police officers attended to the injured man's dog and gave it a bone to chew on. Source: The Daily Telegraph A MAN was mauled by his own dog and a woman who came to his aid was bitten on the leg during an unusual attack at the weekend. Police said the 37-year-old victim and his mate were "play fighting" in Woolloomooloo on Saturday night when one of his two dogs got worked up and set upon his owner. The dog, a labrador cross ridgeback, latched onto his owner's lower leg, biting it to the bone, before clamping his jaws on the man's arm and savagely tearing at it. A female neighbour, aged in her late 30s, who heard the man screaming, was also bitten on the leg when she tried to help. While paramedics were treating the injured pair, two female police officers comforted a second dog belonging to the man - which had not been part of the commotion. Witnesses said the officers gave the "good dog" a bone, and sat with it to keep it calm, while the "bad dog" was tied to a fence, then taken away. "There were people screaming and carrying on, and the dogs were getting worked up. It was pretty full-on here," a witness said. The dog at fault was tied to a fence by some brave witnesses and left there while police worked out what had occurred. A police spokesman said the owner of both dogs was visiting the house in Stephen St just before 10pm and "play fighting" with his mate shortly before the attack happened. The injured man and woman were both taken by ambulance to St Vincent's Hospital for treatment and released late yesterday. The owner was reunited with the dog that wasn't involved in the attack. Sydney City Council rangers will today determine what to do with the other dog. Police said the owner had expressed a desire for it to be put down for fear it could attack again. Not hard to understand how that happened, but a clear lesson that any large dog (not just bull breeds) has a potentially dangerous set of jaws.

Tackling back yard breeding and BSL are two completely different things, although it's commonly the BYB dogs that end up the victims. Cosmolo, it would be a bitter pill and one the general public is not likely to swallow if you start calling for temp tests across the board. They and the pollies may however be more accepting of TT's for suspected restricted dogs or crosses. Although it is markedly unfair that any breed should be deemed dangerous by dint of being such a breed not by dint of any actions, I agree with both Cosmolo and Pav Lova. Having met Cosmolo's dogs I am sure that if they lived in NSW and were they to receive an NOI they would pass a temp test and live unrestricted lives. The options for a well-behaved unpapered bull breed are a darn sight better in NSW than they are in Victoria. Even if the entire premise of BSL is incorrect at least bringing it into line with NSW legislation would give dogs a chance and I hazard would cost far less than fighting numerous cases in VCAT.

Sandy Bay at Clontarf is also good, and is clean. You can see it from the Spit Bridge if you go from Mosman to Manly. With both Sandy Bay and Bayview though I wouldn't allow a dog to swim out too far as both harbour areas are breeding grounds for sharks. Unfortunately no surf beaches allow dogs, except maybe in the Shire. Wollongong has great dog surf beaches and Newcastle, Sydney not so much.

Thanks, I didn't read that in anything I read. As I said I don't condone the behaviour of the aggressing dogs' owners, but I do wish in general people would put their dogs on a lead and not abuse you for suggesting that they should - although the guide dog was - so many accidents could be avoided.

On a different note and this is not to take away from what happened. Did it anywhere say if the guide dog and its canine companion were on leash? I am still trying to understand how it managed to run under a car if it was on a leash. I only say this because I have heard of so many preventable accidents where people think it is safe to walk their dog on a busy road off leash only to have their seemingly bombproof dog see a rabbit, be spooked by something etc to go under a car. I see it every day. How hard is it to put your dog on a lead. It seems to be an ego thing. When I have said to people whose dogs rush mine put yours on a lead they say my dog is friendly and it is my right to walk my dog off leash - well not it isnt. As I said this is not to take any blame away from the roaming dogs but if the guide dog was indeed of leash this makes the tragedy possibly preventable. Irrespective of the breed of the dog this dog might have been spooked by a pack of any dogs if it were off lead (I have seen it a million times with one dog being chased in a dog park by even friendly dogs) to go under a car. I know these dogs were not friendly but the guide dog (even more so as it is such a valuable commodity) should also have been on a leash.

Just to add something my boy who is now 9.5 had a TPLO under a very experienced surgeon at Sydney Uni nearly 2 years ago. I too read some scare stories on the internet about dogs having complications (note to self when having an illness/injury google is not your friend) and tried conservative management first. In retrospect it did nothing but prolong the agony (pardon the pun) as it was clear that despite rest and physiotherapy and anti-inflammatories my boy was not improving and was still in pain. I might add he would have good days when I convinced myself he was getting better but the general trajectory was not improvement. I am also pretty sure that long-term use of anti-inflammatories can do more harm than good. The actual operation and recovery were nothing as dramatic as the internet might lead you to believe. Pretty much from day 1 he was weight bearing and the pain was gone! I only wish I had overcome my fears and had the operation sooner. My boy is 100% active now and pain free. I might add I have 2 other friends both with rotties one of which has had a TPLO and one of which has had a TTA in one leg and just had a TPLO on a second leg. Same story, no drama, and pain free (except to the hip pocket!). This is not to criticise but surgery is definitely not always the worst option and our first priority needs to be to have our dogs pain free.

I second the need for a proper opinion from an orthopaedic specialist. I had a general vet tell me my dog had moderate HD. When he subsequently injured his cruciate and I went to a specialist I mentioned the HD and the specialist said he didn't have any real degree of HD the generalist vet had just positioned him badly for the x-ray! I am in Sydney but I recall people recommending Charles Kunz in Melbourne (he used to come onto the forum sometimes). My sister's pedigree dog in the UK has developed HD from parents with good hip scores, sometimes it is just bad luck, mother nature has the last say.. Hope things turn out well for you.

My stafford x had a TPLO a year ago last October done by Prof Ken Johnson at Sydney Uni (they were fab). I was nervous as I made the mistake of looking at some horror stories on the internet but they put my mind at rest. It was WELL worth it. Basically the difference was obvious from the moment he had had the op. The first 10-14 days were the hardest (and even they weren't that bad) as I was worried about stitches, which he didn't touch anyway. My boy is nearly 9 so had it done at 7 years old. He has always been a maniac ball fiend/jumper though and not crate trained so I was concerned about him reinjuring his knee. Actually it was fine. When I wasa at work he was in my bedroom with curtains closed and window open (I put the mattress on the floor for the whole 8 weeks) and a friend came and toileted him. At night he was with me watching TV. Apart from the fact I reckon his leg is a bit more bandy you would never know and he is STILL a ball chasing loon. If he did the other leg (god forbid) I would definitely do it again.

A work colleague just took her 2 seven year old small nervous rescue dogs over to the UK when her husband moved for work. I mention the nervousness because I thought they would be stressed out by the journey but apparently they came out of the crate as if it were no problem at all and are loving chasing squirrels (without sucess) in Primrose Hill. They even flew over on the A380! But each to their own. It does pay also to check out any breed restrictions in place in any country you are planning to move to because some European countries (not the Netherlands that I know of though) restrict quite a few breeds, Germany and France spring to mind with restrictions on bull breeds for example. Not sure about shepherds but Ireland has a vast list of restricted breeds too.

Having a bad habit of scanning DOL pound pages I have seen (obviously no proof because not involved with individual dog). over the years: Masses of Malamutes and huskies. A lot of kelpies. A shiba inu A basenji A lot of beagles. A fair few pugs. A lot of border collies. A rough collie. A few shelties. A few english springers A few cockers. A few SBT's that looked well bred and a whole mass of of x's that were bull breed ish. Some Bull Terriers. A few belgian shepherds. A fair few GSDs. A few cavs that did not look crosses. Probably 2 curly coated retrievers. A fair few old labs and golden retrievers. A few pointers and one or two vizslas. A few GSPS and Wire Haired GSPs. I know Paws have had Havanese, pugs, poodles of various sizes, the odd schnzauzer, Shih Tzu. Staffy Rescue once had 2 tibetan mastiffs. There have been a fair few whippets. A few pharaoh hounds. Dachsunds. I think also there are other purebreeds that are rehomed via breed clubs and rescue that don't make it to the pound because these dogs are popular, they do get surrendered but they also find new homes quickly.

I have a rescue x breed (stafford mix) and like I suspect Cosmolo, if I wanted a future dog of a bull breed type, even if I wanted to, I would not go the rescue route. I have spent too many years worrying that BSL will be extended to unpapered stafford x. I also have a couple of particular purebreeds that I like the sound and look of and have in mind for future dogs. If I go that way it will be a purebred from a carefully researched ethical registered breeder. That said I would also like to rescue again as my experience has been great. My dog has given me the best 8 years of my life so far and I would not change him for the word. I also like the idea of rescuing a couple of aged 'verandah' dogs when I am older to keep me company in my dotage! The only thing rescuing him has taught me actually is that I would like again to have an adult dog, be it rescue or pedigree. It has been such a fantastic experience, and I knew what I was getting when I got it. I don't personally believe there are any guarantees temperament or health wise with any puppy you get, unless you are an behaviour expert (which most of us are not)or the perfect owner/trainer. I have 2 friends with purebreds dogs bought from ethical breeders with parents with good hip scores and the dogs have gone on to have HD. I also have relos/friend with healthy pedigree dogs. I have met healthy rescues and I have met unhealthy ones. I have met pedigree dogs with dodgy temps and I have met rescue dogs with good temps and of course vice versa. Depends on breeding, luck and the owner to various degrees in each dog. I don't want anyone to tell me where I can buy my dog, I want to be able to make up my own mind and do my research and get the dog that is right for me. I really can't tolerate extremists on any side of any coin. They wreck it for the good rescues and the good breeders.

Blimey you would be lucky to get out of a normal visit to the vet for itchy skin in Sydney for less than $100 these days. To my mind anything that is in the low hundreds of dollars is cheap. And as for digging around for retained testes as people have said it is major surgery. I spoke to a woman with a wolfhound with retained testes and she told me they took several hours to find the testes Not sure if she was exaggerating. Couple of hundred and you are done for life with desexing. Try orthopaedic surgery, if you want expensive, TPLO is between $2500 to $4000 and that's only one leg! Pets are expensive, it is not just the upfront costs, add up the cost of vaccs, food, tick and flea prevention and suddenly the desexing doesn't seem so much. And that is if your animal does not get sick ....!

Perhaps the OP has never lived next to a problem barker and never seen how effective and humane static collars can be. We have a cocker that lives next door. Literally from the day the dog came home at 7 weeks it has either cried or barked. All day. And I mean all day. I am out during the week at work but on rare occasions when I have been at home this dog literally barked and barked. We have a lot of stay at home mums with babies in the area they must have been driven mad. I am pretty sure the barking had just become an obsession. Neighbours on both sides complained to council (they have 2 side neighbours and me at the bottom of the garden), one neighbour 3 doors up started a petition for them to get rid of the dogs. Anyway they very sensibly got a collar for the dog. Literally this dog never barks now. I see him sitting up on the porch looking at us in the garden when before I could not use my own garden nor make too much noise inside the house without starting him off. It is not a great way for anyone to live. He actually seems calmer as he used to work himself into a frenzy. Collars can be very effective and save owners a lot of heartbreak and neighbours a lot of earache. You need to feel the stim (or not feel it really) before you make a judgment call.

So true Yeah mines only an SBT cross and he ain't slowing down yet heading for nine years. I am though..... I meet these old looking dogs plodding down the road and ask their owners how old they are and they say five! God mine was still a pup at 5!!

Changing perceptions in the Hugh and cry over pit bulls Shane Green December 7, 2011 . The RSPCA's Hugh Wirth with his border terriers, Lachlan and Lexie. He now believes legal sanctions are not the answer to the American pit bull problem. FOR decades, Hugh Wirth was the nation's most ferocious critic of American pit bulls: the dogs were killing machines and a despicable breed, he said. Now, he is officially silent. Although still Victorian president of the RSPCA, Dr Wirth is no longer its public voice on the contentious issue of the breed's existence. It is not that his opinion on the dog has changed. Rather, it is the RSPCA that has changed, with an official policy that it is ''the deed not the breed'' that matters. ''There's a difference with my view as president of the RSPCA Victoria, and a difference with my attitude privately,'' Dr Wirth said, speaking for the first time on the issue. The new policy was adopted two years ago, but Dr Wirth's position emerged only recently, after the August death of Ayen Chol, 4, who was attacked by a pit bull that entered her St Albans home. Dr Wirth said there had been no RSPCA gag, but at 72 and after four decades as spokesman, it was time for the organisation to ''train some other people''. RSPCA chief executive Maria Mercurio said policies were reviewed regularly, based on the latest research. ''Hugh epitomises to a large extent the RSPCA's approach to these sorts of issues,'' she said. ''While he holds a very strong personal position, the RSPCA as a whole needs to move on.'' Dr Wirth has shifted significantly his thinking on dealing with American pit bulls. He no longer supports a legislative approach. ''What I'm saying is that there is no hope of any legislation, including the latest legislation in Victoria, dealing with the problem of having pit bull terriers in the community,'' he said. ''It just will not work. It's not worked in England, it's not worked in Holland, it's not worked in Belgium, and it hasn't worked in Italy. And all those countries have withdrawn the legislation because it's so time-consuming.'' The community's attitude to dog ownership had to change, he said, with a more rigorous approach to selecting dogs and raising them. Dr Wirth said the legislation had given the community a feeling of safety - and that safety was non-existent. ''There's been a political solution, which implies new community safety, and that's not true.''There is now a clear division between the state's two key animal welfare groups. The Lost Dogs' Home, led by veteran Dr Graeme Smith maintains its fierce public opposition to the breed and strongly supports the new laws. ''We're on the side of doing something about American pit bull terriers because of our concerns that they are a very dangerous dog,'' Dr Smith said. ''When I interview owners who have been attacked by their own dogs, they talk about how the animal has been normal and well-behaved. Then all of a sudden, out of the blue, the dog goes off and attacks the owner. ''My feeling, generally speaking, is that laws can work, and 80 per cent of the population will abide by them. ''They will be an improvement in the way American pit bulls are managed.'' The first challenge to the new laws is expected to go before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal later this month, with a Ballarat couple arguing their dog was seized despite attempts to register it. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/changing-perceptions-in-the-hugh-and-cry-over-pit-bulls-20111206-1oh81.html#ixzz1foWowrfH Bolding is mine...!

I read this in the Daily Mail (UK newspaper) a great story and great pics of the dog. May she give the family years of comfort knowing that she was close to their son in his last months.

I have a friend whose rottie had a TTA at 18 months old. She is now nearly 5 and you would never know she had had any issues. The specialist I went to Sydney Uni (who were fab) do both types of op but Jake's leg was not suitable (physiology)for a TTA, so we had a TPLO. I don't think there is that much difference in price. Probably all up by the time you count in follow up xrays etc ours was about $4k. Thank goodness for pet insurance, though I would have found the money some how. I think the de angelis is the one that is considerably cheaper. A colleagues spaniel cross poodle is about to have her second cruciate done this way and it is about $1,300 (per leg) for their local vet to do it.

My boys repair tplo by an ortho specialist was around 3500. As others say not all ops are equal depends on size of dog. Very happy with our result but you must be strict with post op care