trinabean

And that's part of the problem isn't it? Health tests aside (and those are important, obviously) you need to know that the breeder is being open and honest too. Information on dogs in a pedigree can be hard to find out until you have the dog and it's papers. I didn't recieve my dog's pedigree until after I bought him. It's not comforting to know after the fact that there are 'drop-dead dogs' in a pedigree. Or for the breeder to admit that your dog's dam had health problems. Juice, I get where you're coming from with doing the research, and still ending up with a dog with health issues. Ditto. Interesting link Mita. Boxers are listed as highly susceptible to 4/9 cancers on the website. Pugs look like a safer bet Maeby Funke. I'm sorry for the crap hand you've been dealt, and I hope your little guy is going to be ok. If you love Pugs, don't give up on them. I'm not giving up on Boxers, I love the big doofuses too much. Next time I search for a breeder I have a huge list of health questions I'll be grilling them on (and then I just have to convince them that I'm not a nutter :laugh: ). I don't want own another heartbreak billion dollar baby! Best of luck with your dog MF. :) Edited: Went a little crazy with the colouring in.

Thanks Ari.g, beautiful Nelsson and Bianca.a. I'm taking him back to the vet shortly for an allergy shot, plus overnight he has chewed his feet so badly that one paw has been damaged. A loose flap of pad is sticking out on a rear paw.

Thanks Smiley. Well, an update on Bruno, he recovered well from the MCT surgery. His ear has just a small scar now. I received a formal apology and an explanation of the series of events that led to Bruno's pathology results being lost in the system for 3 months at the specialist clinic. Unfortunately, there were a series of errors/ oversights that happened in Bruno's case. Some of it was human error (staff were admonished for that) and some was systemic (the way results are flagged on the computer system). There were several backstop measures in place to prevent things 'falling through the cracks' but in this case every backup procedure failed. Bruno's case sparked an overhaul of their procedures, so hopefully this never happens to anybody else. I've accepted the apology, and will continue to have Bruno treated at the clinic for his on-going allergy/ diet issues. The specialist was horrified that this happened, in a 'of all the dogs this could have happened to, oh no, not Bruno, he's got enough problems!' kind of way. I will be very watchful for further cancers but my focus right now is on Bruno's every day comfort. His allergies effect his every day quality of life. At the moment he has flared badly and I'm trying to get the itching under control, around the clock. What with the allergy immunotherapy, antihistamines, cortisone sprays and creams, special diet and washes, among other things, it's a big job just trying to get him as healthy/comfortable as possible. I've opted not to put his body through further stress with chemo etc. You have to draw the line somewhere...

Bruno seems to think that everyone likes to play like a Boxer. Is completely surprised when rejected/ barked at. I hope that as he matures he might learn the art of diplomacy, and moderate his enthusiasm to match others better. It may never happen... In the meantime, he has a bunch of Boxer mates we catch up with regularly. It's very entertaining. Lots of zoomies (complete with wild eyes, flapping jowels and racing ears) , splatting and biffing with paws, body slamming and weird noises. When too exhausted to run anymore, there is the old favourite, lying down bitey-face. Total Slobberfest! :laugh:

Have you tried giving her pieces of roo tail? My dog is on a mushy restricted diet, but I give him a chunk of roo tail every couple of days to keep his teeth clean (I don't think I can train him to accept me brushing his teeth ). It's a lean, sinewy meat, and the vertebrae bones are consumable. You can get roo tail in varying sizes. :)

Snap! Me too Clyde, and my thoughts exactly.

I guess on the flip side, you don't know if the excess weight is the result of a health condition? I've felt the frustration as the owner of an underweight (and inherently unwell) dog. So I've struggled to get weight onto my dog while managing his health issues, but copped advice from well- meaning people. It can be hard to take, especially out in public. I've come home in tears from some walks. Ironically, some of the people dishing advice to me had obese dogs, so maybe a distorted view of what a healthy dog looks like? I'm glad my dog has finally gained enough weight to look healthy. The public admonishment from others has dried up. I know the majority of obese dogs are in all probability just over fed / under- exercised but there are exceptions. Just a thought.

I wish there was some way I could help you OSo. Applecross vet hospital here in Perth were really helpful (and cheap at $68). They got the results back from Vetpath within a few days too.

Yes it was to Vetpath as far as I'm aware. Surely the courier cost can't be that much? Does that quote incorporate the vet consult fee? I didn't include that, as Bruno was already at the vet for MCT surgery and I asked them to take blood for titre testing at the same time.

Pretty good thanks Bianca.a. So as not to derail this thread, I will update his thread in the health forum.:) They tend to have that effect on people. Something to do with the leaning on people while smiling like a spaced out clown Ah, but I love that quality in a big dog. :D

I had a BCx when I was a kid, -not the best choice for our family. He ended up 'going back to the farm' which I hope wasn't a euphemism for PTS. As an adult, I was determined to choose a breed wisely. Bruno is our first Boxer, and I am head over heels in love with the breed. I can't imagine life without a Boxer now and hope to always have at least one. Other breeds I adore are Weimaraners, French Bulldogs, Great Danes, Rottweilers, greyhounds and British Bulldogs. I'm also partial to a couple of other breeds that friends own lovely examples of, Airedales and GSD's. So I'm breed-loyal to Boxers but have a roving eye and appreciation of other breeds too. :) ETA: Grumpette, I'm a little bit in love with your dogs! Lovely photos.

I'm in WA and had my dog titre tested a few weeks ago. It cost me $68.

I've only ever seen an actual Bull Mastiff at a dog show. Lovely dogs, but fairly rare I would have thought. I doubt that there is much (if any) Bull Mastiff in any of the dogs involved in the latest news stories. As others have mentioned, people like to attribute a breed label to their mixed breed dogs. Some of the 'breeds' I've heard people think their dogs are ( or their BYBer's say they are) are absolutely ridiculous! I think people like to romanticise the truth. Why have a mutt when it sounds so much more interesting to attach a breed name with a rich history...

It's a bit embarrassing when strangers want to pat Bruno because he dislikes being patted on the head and shies away (and most people try to pat this way). And he is wary of strangers when he is on- lead. He gets easily over- excited too, so unless the person listens to me in how they interact with him (please don't pat his head/ try to hug him etc) they tend to end up bounced and slobbered on. I find men are often the worst. They have a tendency to a. Not listen to instruction and b. try to razz big boofy dogs up. I've decided that it's easier to avoid putting Bruno in that position.

I think that's sensible, and do the same, even though my boxer adores kids. We have inlaws from interstate staying with us at the moment. I think they may have thought I was being OTT in asking them to board their small dog while they stay with us. They have just told me a couple of recent stories about their dog biting the vet, and someone else (fear biting by the sounds of things). They thought it was amusing. Yes, she is only small, but I have 2 kids who I don't want bitten. I'm glad I insisted on the boarding. This news story is so sad. Another preventable incident. Poor child and poor dog.

Oops, almost too late, but Happy Birthday Miss Maddie! :)

Not a Frenchie, but I do have a brachy breed on antihistamines. He is mainly on them for environmental allergies (though he has food allergies too). He has a tablet 12 hourly, every day, if need be, for the rest of his life. We get them from a dermatologist vet. The tablets are 'Hydroxyzine.'

Or maybe just change the title?Anyway, she's very cute. I like her colouring.

Edited: was trying to be helpful, and stop the OP from getting in trouble.

Ranger00, another option could be to put access to a tiled room like your laundry by using a sliding door dog door insert. You could then block off access to the rest of your house with a baby gate. That way you could set up the laundry with bedding/ crate and toys for shelter, but your pup has access to the yard to toilet and spend time outdoors during the day. It does depend on the floor plan of your house though. And your yard would need to be secure and puppy proofed. We have a Patiolink sliding door dog door insert but there are other companies that make them too. Glass sliding doors are common in WA houses, so I thought it might be an option. Sorry about the breakup and dramas you've had.

That's fantastic PD...

God I'm so sorry Jelly. As others have said, you have gone above and beyond to help Roo. I'm sorry you are going through this. I hope you can enjoy some time with Roo in the next couple of weeks. May her last days be her happiest.

Aha! I knew there must be a spring-loaded flipper for pill expulsion! :laugh:

My current dog has only dooshed some cockroaches to death, but that's about it. Oops, I didn't include 'dooshed' insects. :laugh: Ok, the moth, cockroach and fly deaths brings Bruno's tally up a bit.

The cats that I had growing up were prolific hunters. They caught vast amounts of birds (mostly native species) and other animals. In contrast, I guess dogs account for a lot less carnage? My dog has caught one European rat, and two non-native species of bird, in nearly 3 years. Much less of a worry to wildlife than the cats. And he is contained to our suburban back yard. Which is more than I can say for many of the local cats. It saddens me to see so many cats heading home after a spot of hunting in the nature reserve at the end of my street. An area filled with numerous wetland species, including quendas.