Elise

Glad to hear the vet got to the bottom of the problem and I hope your baby has a speedy recovery.

My dog was monitored very closely by the vet. I was aware of the adverse reactions and contraindications. I'm sure if Silboestrol was avail. first up, I would have been prescirbed it.

[email protected] You are welcome to email the telephone number.

I have used SUDAFED tablets with success. The vet prescribed two morning and two night until the incontinence stopped. Then to cut out 1 morning tablet. IF that still worked, cut out 1 night tablet. If that still worked, cut out the morning tablet altogether. IF that worked cut out the night tablet. OBVIOUSLY, I am talking about a GIANT breed so you wouldn't use or give as much for smaller or medium sized breeds. As new drugs were tried and tested, I put her on Silboestral, just one a week, she still head the leaks and we had to incrase but she did fine on this. The same vet told me SUDAFED had many cures. * It dried up runny noses * It cleared sinuses. * It aided in incontinence problems * It can be also used and given in a mating when the tie is too long (it helps the erection subside). * It helps to stay awake. Only use under veterinary/medical supervision though.

See if you can call the company and ask for a list of adverse reaction and contraindications.

I wouldn't recommend Rimadyl. Long term effects "can" be bad or even life threatening. You could try your baby on Cartrophen injections. I have found Cu-Algesic is very effective. You can also try Glucosamine and if you want something natural, you can buy gelatine from the supermarket which has natural glucosamine in it.

It's ok to give dogs "some" cat food as the Omega 3 Fatty Acids in cat food is good for their coats but only twice, three times per week. I "believe" cat food has a higher content of salt in it than dog food. Could present a problem in summer in the broad chested breeds who have a predisposition to bloat. DOG and CAT food is balanced nutritionally for the requirements of the said breed. It is not a balanced diet for a dog when it is their "sole" diet. Having said that, my dogs will clean up after the cats but it's only morsels so we don't stop them (but we don't let them eat the dry cat food). The cats are also there when we are dishing up the dogs dinner and often steal a bit of raw chicken etc.... I only ever boarded my dogs once when I was living in a motel and waiting for a married quarter with the ADF (Australian Defence Force), we supplied our babies meals.

TOOLS: You need two spoons (desert OR tea spoon is fine). METHOD: Crush tablet between two spoons. INGREDIENTS: Peanut Butter. Then you mix crushed powder of tablet in with peanut butter and put on roof of dogs mouth. They look like a talking horse for a while but they get their meds and they cannot spit it out. My grandmother had shitzu that lived up to it's breed name of "shit" and after she got some new scars on her hands from trying to give tablet. She went out and brought a pea shooter thing. I killed myself laughing. :rolleyes: I devised the above method for nan and her shitzu, no more probs giving tablets. Of course you can try hiding it in food morsels but the smart will eat the food, spit the tablet out. We are lucky with ours, they take tablets straight down the drocus.

Have you read Dr. Ian Billinghurst book on Give Your Dog A Bone? Personally, we don't feed the BARF diet, whilst ours do get raw foods. I have read the book though and found it an invaluable source of information.

Every "official" show entry form states: I certify that this exhibit has not within the said period of three months been in a kennel affected with Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Parvo virus or any other contagious disease and that during the last twelve months prior to the date of this Show the dog was vaccinated.

Doesn't the canine controlling body require dogs to be vaccinated prior to bringing them to show grounds? (I'd have to check the ruling on that)

I couldn't vaccinate my kids for whooping cough (pertusis) as ALL the kids were allergic to it. The doctor said the risk of them getting kennel cough were minimal prepared to the risk of the reactions they got to pertusis. He told me that if ever the kids come down with a cough (any cough) to have it investigated straight away. Then in 1995/6, they brought in a new vaccine for pertusis and I took the kids and had them done (no reactions). There is a boy near where I live (he's always in the paper) he ended up unable to walk, see, stand, go to school and had to spend time in a wheel chair and wear welding goggles after being vaccinated for meningacochal sp? Some people like our furkids react different to different vaccines. And yes, just because you are vaccinated for something doesn't mean you wont get it. Let's take the fluvaccine....the elderly are encouraged to have it at the onset of winter before the epidemic breaks out and yet, they still get the flu (probably not as bad if they weren't vaccinated for it).

I used to vaccinate for Kennel Cough but not anymore. It's an airborne virus, it can strike even the vaccinated pooches. There are there many strains of Kennel Cough, you can't possibly vaccinate for all of them. Kennel Cough is not life threatening, treatment involves antibiotics and cough mixture & of course soft foods for their sore throats. I had all mine done for kennel cough a few years ago, the neighbours dogs went down with it, and being an airborne virus, mine (who were vaccinated against it) were all infected with it anyway. "Some" vets still give the kennel cough vaccine up the nose, the dog promptly sneezes and you have to wonder how much of the vaccine they actually got anyway. More vets are using the vaccine injection opposed to the liquid up the nose now, thank GOD.

You can even try a dollop of vaseline to help push the cotton wool into the ears.

You can put the Boracic Acid Powder in before the bath if you choose but if they are wet from the bath and you put it in after the bath, it will absorb any water in there. Don't be afraid of cotton wool, you can push it deep in the ear, it will not damage any thing like ear drums. When bathing, start at the head "usually" dogs will titlt their heads back when washed anyway, if not, you can gently tip their head back with a forefinger under their chin. Then you can start underneath the chin, chest. Worming every 2 weeks until 12 weeks and then every 3 months thereafter.

I'm sorry for your loss. I've walked a mile in your shoes and I really feel for you. You have written lovely poems in memory of Xander. ((HUGS)) to you

Hi, I know all about your fear of getting ears wet, we have a girl who has had 5 aural resections and due to scar tissue, her canals have closed up the stink can be rank but due to the fact she suffers auto immune disease after having cancer (she's been in remission 5 1/2 years now) what works on her one week, wont work on her the next. Anyway, getting back to your situation. From the chemist, purchase some Boracic Acid powder, put a few pinches in each ear, it will absorb any water that may get in the ears during bathing. Also, put cotton wool in the ears whilst bathing to help deter any water from getting in there. Incase it is a skin problem like pyderma (which can get pretty smelly) use an oatmeal wash or malaseb or some other soap free product as some lyes in the soap/shampoos/detergents whatevers' can irritate the skin. Next step is to make sure that his teeth are all fine and that none are rotting. Dog with halitosis can smell pretty bad. Now with no intent to offend, you said your pupper is 8 weeks old, did you get him from a reputable breeder? Was he/Has he been wormed? Sometimes, blocked anal glands can smell pretty potent and we might be looking at skin, ears and teeth and it might just be blocked anal glands. If you know how to do this, go ahead, just stand out of the line of fire, if you don't get your vet to check. Not all dogs with blocked anal glands boot scoot their backsides on the ground. Block anal glands are not always from an impaction of worms either. The anal glands work by passing the smell on to what the dog passes, some times they become clogged or blocked, no surgery is needed to evacuate them. Everyone wreckons different but I wreckon blocked anal glands smell like a can of tuna gone wrong. So, if it smells like that, it could be the anal glands. Otherwise, after you have exhausted all of the above, try a lamb and rice diet or something similiar incase there is something in the biscuits which he's skin is haing an allergy to. Good Luck.