tdierikx

I actually had a discussion with a vet that does our rescue desexing... he's of the opinion that the new vets coming through seem to only go for the easy options when it comes to the job... and if they can overservice, they are encouraged to do so by the franchises that now seem to own every other vet clinic nowadays... *sigh* T.

OMG... he's a very pretty boy, isn't he? And I think Henry is an awesome name! T.

Awesome outcome... glad to hear she's acting like a normal little ratbag again... lol! T.

Desexing at this stage probably won't stop him peeing on things... he's already learned the habit. You could try putting a belly band on him until he settles in and stops needing to make everything "his"... If you want to desex him for non-behavioural reasons, I'd say that's a good thing... he doesn't need them any more, right? *grin* As for his ear, I'd probably get a vet to have a look and find out exactly what you are dealing with before using anything to try to clear it up... there are different treatments for different issues, remember... I'd probably give it a good clean with a cleaning solution like Oticlean for starters, then go with whatever the vet recommends, depending on whether it's fungal or not. Oh... and we need PICS! T.

that's interesting...the Illawarra is also infested with foxes (more dead foxes on the princess highway than any other wild animal), and considering that the virus is spread by faeces and urine and can survive for months I wonder why there are no cases of infected dogs recorded for the last 10 years. There are quite some farms with working dogs around where the working dogs never see a booster shot... ...would it make sense to collect the fox carcasses and test them for the virus to get a better picture about how the disease is spread over the area / NSW? I'd say that the reason that there aren't any recorded cases would be a combination of mistaken diagnoses (symptoms can be similar to other diseases), and lax reporting by clinics... I know of vet practices that haven't seen Parvo in years... but we know that it is definitely still very active out there... That said, I had a vet misdiagnose a pup with vaccinosis as having Parvo, as his test came back a mild positive - however the pup had been vaccinated only 2 days prior, so of course he would have tested as mild positive for the bloody disease we injected into him... duhh! 2 days on a drip sorted the vaccinosis, and I can tell you now, had it actually been Parvo, he would have been on the drip a lot longer, and been a hell of a lot sicker. I've seen Parvo up close and personal, and it's an ugly disease with usually fatal results in pups. It would possibly make sense to collect at least specimens from fresh fox carcases to see what diseases they may be carrying. I don't know of any such studies though. T.

Molly is busy learning how it's done, while Ash is trying to help by pointing out that there may be another entrance over his side... and poor Pudden gets a face full of dirt... lol! T.

I have seen cases of both, but not in dogs of late... but foxes can transmit them both, and foxes are everywhere... even in suburbia. I'll stick with the C3 thank you, as neither disease is pretty... That said, titre testing is a wise move, but in most cases it can be more expensive than just giving a prophylactic C3 shot... and most average people will go for the cheapest option. T.

I'm certainly not pro giving animals vaccinations every year just in case either... the main reason vets like to recommend it is that they at least see the animal once a year for a general checkup as well. Like I said, my own animals will get puppy C3's and then first adult C3 booster, and preferably nothing after that... unless I have to board anyone, and then I'm forced to go the C5 as the boarding kennels insist on proof of same within 12 months of the boarding dates... *sigh*.. I'd rather sign a waiver saying I'm fine with my dogs getting kennel cough... been there, done that, and it sounds a lot worse than it actually is if the dog is otherwise healthy. T.

I'm of the opinion that "growth" is a combination of factors - height and length and that sort of thing - and then there is filling out and maturing. I would expect this to be over a shorter timespan for the smaller breeds, and takes longer for the larger breeds. I would have thought that at 2 years 9 months, a Cocker would have been fully grown in all respects, but other factors can come into play if the upbringing of said dog is suspect in some way... and now is getting the proper care and maintenance she requires to mature properly. T.

OMG! Totes adorbs!!! T.

Oh - and never worm pups the same day as they get vaccinated... I've seen issues arise from that sort of overload before too... I always do them at least a week apart. T.

steppenwolfstaffords - Willem has a bit of a history of being vehemently anti vaccinations, and thusly has been scouring the internet for information that backs his stance. Some of the 'studies' cited in some of his fave sources are a little bit suspect to say the least... please take what he is saying (albeit rather eloquently for a change) with a grain of salt, OK? Professionally accepted studies do show that usually the C3 vaccination is sufficient to cover a dog for many years against the main 3 killer diseases, and that it should be relatively safe to give same in a course for young pups to ensure uptake during a specific period that the accepted studies have shown pups start to lose the maternal antibodies. Most reactions are seen with C5 and above vaccines given to younger pups/dogs, most likely due to the way they need to be formulated to combine the MLV components for delivery via the vaccination. Personally, I do the puppy schedule of vaccinations and then the first adult booster shot, then don't vaccinate my dogs at all after that - unless any of them need to be boarded, and the kennels instist on the C5 proof of vaccination. I only ever give C3 to pups, and prefer C3 for the adult booster also. The KC component of the C5 only gives coverage for around 6 months anyways, and only covers 2 strains... it seems a bit pointless to me, as an otherwise healthy dog doesn't actually suffer badly from a bout of KC (it sounds a lot worse than it is) - dog knows I've had enough rescue foster pups with KC to know exactly what it entails... *grin* Go with your heart on this issue with this pup, OK? You have years of background experience with the safty of the C3 vaccinations for your litters, so go with that, OK? I don't see why a boarding kennel shouldn't be able to accept a dog that has been vaccinated with C3 within the previous 12 months, and then added just the intra-nasal KC component 2 weeks before boarding - that would give said dog the active coverage that the kennel requires... T.

I think the vet may be right about a brain issue... and the only way to be completely sure is to do the tests. Shaking his head around all the time can't be comfortable for the little guy... get it sorted... and if he needs medication for the rest of his life, then that's what he needs... T.

I had a pup end up on a drip for 2 days after the C5 all-in-one at a young age... I only ever give my pups/dogs a C3 now. Boarding is a bugger because they insist on C5 proof of vaccination or they won't take your pets... grrr! T.

Awesome news! She's a tough little tacker, that's for sure... I'm guessing that you did the all-in-one C5 shot, yes? She will probably do just fine with the C3 plus the intra-nasal KC components instead - I've not heard of many issues with that combo. T.

No...it is actually the maternal immunity / antigens that fight the vaccine - that is one of the reason why it so stressful for the immune system. It would be much easier in a way if the dog wouldn't have maternal immunity as it would require only one shot. To make it more complicated: the maternal immunity only provides protection against diseases the mother is immune to - e.g. if she never got a parvo shot and never picked up the virus via a natural way her colosterum won't provide this protection. During the 16 week period when the maternal immunity is present (fades out at the end of the period) there is a war going on in the puppy's immune system: the already existing antigens fight the vaccine so heavily that seroconversion might not happen...and once the maternal immunity has faded the puppy is without protection at all. That is the reason why they give (well, most of the vets) multiple 'puppy' shots as they can't can guarantee that they have been successful. ETA:...to clarify: you are saying the multiple shots are to address the (unlikely) case a pup missed out on the first colostrum...I'm saying that the multiple shots are given to address the (likely) case a pup didn't miss out on the first colostrum as this causes the unreliable responds to the vaccine. I'm not going to argue with you Willem... we both mean the same thing, just have phrased it differently... T.

Isn't she adorable? Do we have a name yet? And Willem... I was simplifying the reason for more than one shot... and basically said exactly what you have said. The pups definitely get the immunity from the first "milk" (colostrum) available from the mother, and that stuff is a once only availability - once it's used up and the regular milk comes through within the first few hours, that's it, so that's why some pups may miss out... especially if it's a larger litter that takes a while to be born... the first pups get the colostrum, and there's not as much left for the later pups. I used to actually put pups in a warm basket as they were being born, and when all had been delivered, I'd put them all on a teat each to get a good suck - thus increasing the odds of most of the litter getting the same immunity coverage. A learned friend of mine has actually done research and written veterinary papers regarding this immunity and where it comes from, so I do believe that I have my facts straight here. You are correct that the coverage from the mother will prevent seroconversion of the vaccine - and can last for up to 16 weeks - hence the recommendation of a course of shots in order to ensure coverage by at least one of the shots. Oh - and the lifetime immunity is dependent upon more factors than just age and size - it helps if the animal in question is actually getting small exposures to those diseases over the course of its life to basically keep the antibodies active and effective. I recommend titre testing at regular intervals just to make sure the coverage is there... T.

I'd hold off another vaccination until 12 or 14 weeks for this pup, then give her the C5 combination - get the C3 shot and the intra-nasal for the KC components instead of all in one C5 shot. I'm taking it as read that the dam of this litter was up to date with her immunisations, and thusly if all the pups got a good suck of colostrum when they were born, their maternal immunity should hold just fine until at least 12 weeks of age... the only reason pups get 2-3 shots is to cover any pups that didn't get that maternal immunity from the colostrum. Vaccinosis is very real, and it occurs a lot more regularly here in Australia than anyone will admit... I'm tipping that your pup will be fine in a few days - just make sure she's drinking enough, and stays otherwise normal in other respects (playing and the like). Overall don't panic... she'll be fine! If she reacts to the C3 and intra-nasal, then I'd seriously consider titre testing her for future immunity and only giving a C3 if the main 3 killers (Parvo, Distemper, and Hepatitis) drop to an ineffective level... at least you will be prepared for any reaction and have a plan to make her as comfortable as possible while she rides it out. Oh... and we need photos of the subject of this conversation... you can't use the "P" word and not post photos! T.

When were they vaccinated? I've had pups go a bit funny after vaccs, but as long as you keep them hydrated, they bounce back pretty quickly. Do not worm her if she's showing wierd signs... or use a softer acting worming tablet like Fenpral or Canex... do NOT give Drontal if she's off her food, as it's really hard on the gut. T.

When I was a teen, our dog decided to jump into the flooding (and raging) creek to chase a duck... of course, I jumped in to get him out when he found he couldn't navigate and was heading for the barbed wire fence... Then again, I'm a very strong swimmer - used to compete at a high level in my younger days. T.

OMG! How stunning is Ronan? T.

yep - it's his fault we have a menagerie :p I believe you... thousands wouldn't T.

A girl needs to keep her protein up... smart egg thief! T.

Nawww... the Boss has a definite affinity for the critters, doesn't he? T.

A bittersweet victory of sorts... but you will also now be the proud new owners of a beautifully bred and divine little soul... congratulations! Don't drop it there though... I'd be reporting the vet that signed off a health check on Beau, and going for either the breeder or vet for the extra costs you are out of pocket... or even go for both of them for same. If you have all your facts and paper trail for what happened, you should have a clear cut case for the CTTT to rule upon. T.