tdierikx

Sounds like young Ocka is a bit of a survivor... a tough little nugget... go Ocka! T.

Oh jeebus! Those are the scariest images I've ever seen... what a brave little man he was! T.

OMG!! What acutie! Now young Ocka... there are already enough house dogs... so you are going to have to grow up to be a good worker like your mum and dad, OK? Huggles little man... dream of rounding up sheepies and goaties, OK? T.

Good boy Dags!!! Awesome job young man! T.

Oh @Kirislin... my heart hurts for you and Marcus... Arkey was such an amazing boy... and I'm sure he has given you both some really beautiful memories to treasure. Please remember him with smiles, not tears... Fly free with the angels Arkey... you were a very special and treasured boy. T.

As one who knows the love of a good sheep, I'm so sorry to hear of Bruce's passing @persephone... He fell on all fours when he found your place to settle his bones... sounds like he lived every day of all those years well. Vale brave and handsome Bruce... you will be sorely missed. Love and hugs to you @persephone... T.

The coat seems fairly similar to Labrador fur, and has an undercoat... so they would shed a fair bit, just shorter haired furballs compared to a Goldie... lol! T.

@NikkiandKane... did the vet not give you the option of hypoallergenic kibble... Royal Canin, Science Diet, etc? They would work out cheaper feeding in the long run... T.

It all depends on the history the vet has with the dog in question and the information given by the owner. If the owner wants allergy testing done, then the vet should give them a referral to a specialist to have those done. A lot of vets may try the dog on hypoallergenic formula foods to rule out food allergy issues too... T.

Tapua Labradors has some awesome play/learning setups... https://www.facebook.com/Tapua-Labrador-Retrievers-1563641850548295/ T.

My friend's staffies were getting an unexplained rash for a while a couple of months ago, and she and the vet were perplexed at what was causing it. A good search of the entire yard found a very small amount of wandering jew hiding under some ground cover grasses that the dogs like to lie in when the weather is warm... removed all of it including the roots, and no rashes since. It doesn't take much of the darned stuff to cause a reaction... grrr! T.

@JimmyTheHuman... you sound like a great family for this little one... don't get disheartened at the odd negative comment, OK? I'm with persephone on the point of you posting some photos of him... and telling us his name... so we can all get to know him better. ... and just a side note about juice's avatar dog breed - it's a bull terrier, not a pitbull... *grin* T.

First post was on 21 April... 2 weeks ago... errr! I think the OP is trying his best to raise the little one right, so let's give him any/all assistance to do that, yes? T.

A friend of mine had to rip up all the carpets in the house because their dog was allergic to them... expensive! T.

@Rappie... would you have tried to saline flush the area injected? This poor little 1.5kg toy poodle really reacted badly after that was done to her... She seems to have come good as far as the swelling and infection are concerned now... I'll be seeing her today, so will have a better idea of lasting impact to the skin that started to necrose. I had my boss apply pawpaw ointment to that to help with healing there. T.

OMG!! Those eyes! She is gorgeous @Rascalmyshadow... congrats! T.

I had a foster pup who had a similar presentation with regard to stools... we tested for coccidia and giardia via a faecal float... he had coccidia. Treated it, and he was fine from then on with regards to eating pretty much anything. If you suspect your dog has allergies, then your next step is most likely going to be allergy tests to find out exactly what he is allergic to, and then hopefully being able to manage his interactions with said allergens. T.

Baycox (for cattle and pigs) can be used off-label to prophylactically treat coccidia - it's a single dose of oral liquid medication and is dosed at 0.2-0.4ml/kg. Suburban vets don't always carry Baycox though... and it's a bit pricey... between $140-180 for 250ml... errr! There are other drugs administered in tablet form, but must be given 2-3 times a day for 7-10 days... Panacur can be given for Giardia... your vet should know the dose rate for which version they have in stock. T.

The reason that we have the C3 is to cover for the THREE diseases that cause more death than all others... Parvo, Distemper, and Hepatitis. Each of these diseases WILL kill a young pup in a horrific manner. The reason for having 2-3 puppy vaccinations is to cover pups once the immunity gained from their mother's colostrum at birth has worn off. There is no 100% accurate test to tell us when that immunity wears off, but it is between 6 and 14 weeks on average. This is why we vaccinate usually at 6-8, 10-12, and 14-16 weeks of age. Generally the C3 vaccination is one of the safest vaccinations your pup can be given. It has been extensively tested over many years, and the margin for adverse reactions causing death is extremely low. The alternative if your pup contracts one of those 3 diseases is a slow and painful death from a disease that has no cure. I have personally seen pups with both Parvo and Distemper... and quite frankly I will always take the minimal risk in order to protect my dogs from those diseases. T.

I'm hoping that a vet wouldn't be administering a heartworm injection to a 15 week old pup... that isn't recommended at all! There have been reports of dogs reacting badly to the Proheart 12, but those numbers are VERY small... still no consolation to someone whose pet has died as a result. There are 3 ways that the canine cough portion can be given... as a single dose combined with the C3 components (C5), as an intranasal application alongside the C3 vaccination, or as an injectible vaccination alongside the C3 vaccination. Vets have been known to inject the intranasal and vice versa - and this can cause complications. Recently my boss's dog had the intranasal injected, and the vet then also decided to try to flush it with saline... the dog (a tiny 1.5kg toy poodle) got a massive reaction at the site, even to the point of some skin necrosis and a bacterial infection. This was a rare bad reaction to the insult... but still bloody scary... Even knowing all the possible ramifications of an allergic reaction to vaccinations, the alternative is possibly worse... if you'd ever seen a pup with Parvo or Distemper (I've seen both, and it's horrible), you'd fully understand that the vaccination risk is actually worth it... those diseases cause slow, painful, and heartbreaking deaths. T.

Great news! T.

To reduce the possibility of more trauma being caused from head shaking, you can bandage the ear flat. Draining may or may not work... it depends on which vessels have ruptured in there. It is best to have the haematoma seen by a vet to assess whether it needs a surgical option, or whether you have a chance it may heal on it's own. T.

You can soak for a short while in hot water to soften them up... just make sure they cool off before feeding them to him, OK? T.

And hopefully a microchip too... I'm tipping that a breeder letting a pup leave at 5 weeks old probably wouldn't have done that either... T.

I'd be checking his chest, shoulders and thighs for muscle tone/bulk for a reasonable identification of whther he is skinny or not... if you don't have coverage in those areas, then he needs to bulk up a bit more. Guidelines are just that... guidelines. Some dogs may need more, some less, than what is specified on the pack, OK? The fact that he is apparently fit, active, and otherwise normal is also a good guideline for overall health. Don't panic just yet. T.