Wundahoo

Agree !! RC Energy is great for weight gain in lean dogs and maintining weight in dogs with high energy output. Although it's high in fat, the type of fat is formulated to be easily digested and therefore less likely to cause pancreatitis. It's highly palateble and the dogs really like it so even fussy eaters will eat it. It's completely balanced so there is no need to worry about these issues when adding different things to a diet. Although it might seems a bit expensive it's actually quite economical to feed if calories per $ is compared with other diets. I often care for a friend's two working kelpies and one is a four-legged pogo stick and is never still. It's always been hard to maintain her weight and even more so when she's working the sheep. She has been on RC Energy exclusively for some time now and her weight is stable and much easier to control. When she needs it she is just given a little bit more. Prior to RC Energy it was almost impossible to keep up the food intake without overloading her. At one point she went through a bit of a picky-eater stage, she dropped weight and was very lean. That was when we started the RC and she has never looked back..... loves it and eats it readily, does extremely well on it and is easy to adjust the amounts as needed.

Under the ANKC rules an application for Prefix must include at least two choices of names. 3. The applications shall be submitted on the prescribed form, and shall include two (2) alternative selections of names in order of preference. You risk delaying your application if you only submit the one name. Your application form could be returned to you and depending on which state you live in, you may also be charged an incorrect paperwork fee. Even if you make only one name choice and the form is accepted it doesnt make any difference to the outcome. If it isnt a word that is acceptable under the rules it will be rejected, regardless of how many names you list. They are checked in order of listing and the first one that clears all checks is the one that gets the nod. You are better off submitting a full list even if it's simply to speed up the process and reduce the frustration factor. Should you be allocated a name that you really dont like, it's possible for you to cancel that prefix and reapply for another one. Slow, tedious and expensive but as long as you do it by the rules it should be OK. The ANKC system checks all prefixes which are active in Australia and also each name "must not be identical to, or similar in spelling, or phonetically, to a prefix name already registered, which could be deemed to cause misunderstanding, or confusion." As to active prefixes overseas, the only way that the Australian system can pick this up is if the owner of that prefix specifically applies to ANKC to have that prefix protected, or if it is a commonly known prefix with imported dogs in this country bearing that prefix name and therefore the name is picked up through the checking system.

Agree totally. If the owner doesnt understand the principle involved in using this tool then they usually wont understand the most basic of dog training methods either. I believe that an untrained or incorrectly trained dog suffers far more psychological harm than an e-collar dog. This method should always use positive reinforcement as well as the collar. Used effectively it's often no more than a tap on the shoulder, a direction to take notice of the handler. Of course they are lifesavers when used to teach snake avoidance and really the most effective way to get the message through.

I think that you need to do some more recording. If he shows this behaviour repeated over several days then yes, it may be indicative of a low level issue, which may begin to increase in intensity as he grows. He's still a young puppy and is about to hit adolescence...... and all the things that go with it. Just as with adolescent children it can be a tumultuous time when learning and training seems to have been forgotten and all sorts of behaviours begin to surface. It's a good time to find out if this is a one-off behaviour or if it's a pattern that he's developing. I agree with Corvus. Separation stress is under diagnosed simply because many dogs dont develop behaviours that lead their owners to know that they are stressed by their absence. Andrew you would never have known that Caesar was window-watching most of the day if you had not recorded him. Cockers are particularly sensitive dogs and waiting for many hours by a door or window is a classic behaviour that they can show if they are stessed about the absence of someone in their daily life, particularly if a routine has been developed. They are a breed which can exhibit some repetitive behaviours and will also sometimes show displacement behaviours when in uncomfortable or stressful situations. Most dogs dont suddenly develop separation anxiety to the point where they are incredibly destructive and an issue to their owners and themselves. It's a gradually increasing behaviour that is really only noticed by the owners (and then diagnosed) when it's at a level that causes the owner a problem. Behaviours that are indicative of possibile separation anxiety usually begin as minor behaviours that the dog adapts and increases as an expression of increasing levels of distress. You have an opportunity to intervene early and to decide if this behaviour is the beginning of a problem or if it's simply his way of passing a lonely day. If there is a lot of activity outside the window then yes, it may be something that he finds more mentally stimulating than playing with the same toys for hour upon hour. It may however simply be his way of expressing his stress at your absence for an extended period of time. Congratulations for being such a caring owner for Caesar...... he has every chance of growing up to be a really wonderful and happy dog. Many owners would not be as resourceful as you have.

I think that you need to be more specific. Without knowing what it is that you are referring to we cant really offer you much in the way of accurate advice regarding the liability of the breeder. Growth of dogs is affected by many things. There can be a genetic component as well as very many other factors, all adding in a greater or lesser degree to the final outcome. You say that if you purchased a laptop and it failed under a year then a statutory warranty would apply...... but this would only be the case if the failure was due to a manufacturing fault in the laptop. If it failed due to mis-use or some other factor (eg spilt coffee !!) that influenced the failure then the warranty would be void. Regarding your dog, generally there needs to be an "absolute" in order for the breeder to be liable. In other words it needs to be without doubt that the problem is caused only by the genetic makeup of the dog. I'm afraid that an opinion which says that the problem was "extremely likely" to be genetic is still not sufficient when referring to consumer law. For this to be applied there must be no doubt ..... in other words the opinion must be that the condition IS genetically caused.

You need to speak with a specialist about this. Simply doing a Zepps might not be the answer. If her problems have been long term with deep seated infection and she has very occluded canals she may need a total ablation and a bulla osteotomy, which if done by a skilled surgeon gives great results. Deep seated long term infections can get right into the middle ear and the only way to get rid of that and the subsequent secondary complications of chronic middle ear infection and chronic unremitting pain is to remove the entire structure. Cosmetically the procedure is usually better than a Zepps and if done by a good surgeon it solves the ear problems permanently. It can give an amazing result with some owners saying that they didnt realise how much of a difference it could make to their dog. Surprisingly some dogs can actually still hear in spite of having the middle ear structures removed. It's thought that there is some transmittance of sound through the remaining soft tissues. Radiographs and CT can give a good indication of the state of the middle ear and other structures. If she has had such severe and chronic ear infections to cause almost total occlusion of the canals then it's quite likely that she would benefit from a TECA rather than a Zepps. You may find that a Zepps will not get to the deep seated and most chronic of the infection and will not be of much use in the long term. Here is a good link to the procedure. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1708

The TPLO method is not an easy one and takes a bit of training for the procedure to be done well. Is this the same surgeon who did the first TPLO or a different one ? If you have seen a different surgeon this time then it might be that they are not quite as experienced as the last one and may not be as confident with their technique. Perhaps you might want to seek a second opinion from a specialist orthopaedic surgeon before committing. Edit for spelling.

The first photo clearly shows tan hairs over the eyebrows and the last photo has the faint masking of tan on the muzzle. I guess that one needs to know what to look for with this. I should imagine that in bright sunlight there will also be tan hairs visible on the pasterns, which I presume are "bare" ie the hair will be much shorter over the front of the pasterns as is with most of the true B/T cockers. As to the breed standard, it is quite open about coloursand markings. There is no description of the black and tan colouration regarding position, shape size or intensity of colour, so there really is no guidelines as to what is correct or not. It's hard to call it a "fault". In this breed almost anything goes colour-wise except for sables or white on solids. "Solid colours: Black; red; golden; liver (chocolate); black and tan; liver and tan. No white allowed except a small amount on chest" These faint markings are not uncommon in the breed. Pups like this are born black but as they grow, the tan markings become more obvious and then fade with age. Most dogs with these faint tan markings are registered as black because this is what they appear to be at the time of registration. These markings dont usually become obvious until after the first coat change, and only occasionally they may be visible in strong lighting under 6 months of age. Sometimes at birth there are a few telltale tan hairs around the anus but these actually disappear as the baby grows and are usually gone by the time the puppy is 8-10 weeks of age. It also usually means that the faint tan markings will begin to appear as the pup grows to be an adult. If a dog with these markings is mated to a true black and tan there will almost always be at least one true black in the litter. If a B/T is mated to another B/T then all pups should have tan points. Even a gold from a B/T x B/T mating will have tan points but they simply are the same colour as the body coat. There is some discussion as to the genetics of these ghost markings. Some believe that there is a suppression factor present which prevents the full expression of the tan points and that the dog is a "dominant black". If registered, the dog in the photo would more than likely have been called a black. This would have been correct at the time of registration and I believe that the dog is phenotypically black but the genotype is black carrying tan points. I dont think that it can be classified as a poor black and tan nor even as a poor black. Colour in cockers is pretty well an open things apart from sables, or solids with white other than on the chest. I currently have a 10 year old dog with such markings. She is registered as a black and had the telltale tan hairs around her anus when born. These disappeared within a week. She was about 2 years old before the ghosting tan was at its peak but was always clearest in bright sunlight, and not at all obvious in normal lighting. As she has aged the markings are now almost invisible again. One of her black daughters has the same faint tan marks at 3years old. Here is a good discussion on coat colour inheritance in the breed http://www.powerscourt-cockers.co.uk/advice_pages/coat_colour_inheritance.htm

The allergen itself may leave the body very quickly but the body's reaction to the allergen may take weeks to settle down. eg flea bite sensitive dogs can itch for weeks after a single flea bite. The stimulus to the itch (flea saliva) will be removed from the area quite fast but the body's other stuff which is involved in the allergic reaction can still be targetted to that area for many weeks afterwards, hence the scratching can still persist. This is sometimes why an owner may decide that a dog's allergy is not necessarily due to fleas, because they have treated the dog with a flea preventative. This will kill the fleas on the dog but it may not stop the dog's body from continuing to react to the challenge. Hence the reason why prednisolone is often used to combat established flea bite dermatitis/allergy. If all that was needed was a simple dose of flea treatment the allergy would immediately subside, but in some dogs with severe reactions it's necessary to add a component that will settle the angry immune system. The other scenario is that having treated their dog for fleas but still seeing their dog itchy, the owner may conclude that the flea preventative is not working. The same is for allergens contained in various foods. It's necessary for an elimination diet to be fed for 4-6 weeks to allow the body's irritated immune system to settle down and regain its composure, so to speak, before individual challenges (ie other food)are added. The best way to approach the problem is with the guidance of a dermatologist. It may be the cheapest option in the long run..... and resolve your dog's discomfort in the fastest time. Edit to say that it is not possible to begin an allergen challenge immediately if a dog has also been given prednisolone within weeks of the challenge, as the pred effect will take some weeks to go away.

I agree that if her problems were as extreme as they are now, she should have been euthanased at birth..... and in the hands of any responsible breeder probably would have. In fact if her parents were owned by any responsible breeder it's likely that she would not ever have been born at all !!! That is not issue, however. The issue is that this little dog now exists, is an adult, has obviously survived in very tough circumstances and so has demontrated an incredible will to live. Even though she looks bizzare she must be reasonably sound in her physiology and has a temperament that simply is geared to survival. She has a right to be assessed fairly by professionals and treated accordingly. If it has been deemed that her quality of life is so poor that there are more bad times than good, then certainly euthanase her...... but it seems that she has been professionally assessed as capable of attaining a good quality of life with enjoyable times and with an expert owner who cares for her very well. Her lifestyle is far from ideal and is not what we personally would want for our dogs but that is not really the measure. I dont think that we can bring the kangaroo into this discussion because that was a very different scenario. Obviously WW you are of the opinion that there is a line in the sand as to what is acceptable lifestyle for a dog..... thank goodness that we humans are not measured by that (or are there some who do that ??) ...... what would have happened to Stephen Hawking and many other lesser profiled disabled people whos lives are severely limited (physically or intellectually) but who still enjoy what they are able to achieve and in many cases who have made significant contributions to society, or simply live a good life. I'm not anthropomorphic on this subject, just trying to put across a point of view that we cannot assess this animal through photos and a website. It's not really up to us nor can we quantitate her quality of life. While I dont condone the wholesale across-the-board save everything attitude of some rescuers, I believe that it needs to be a case-by-case assessment which includes the welfare considerations of the animal as well as a very serious look at the abilities and desire of the carer to maintain a good quality of life for the animal. Rosie's carer has knowledge and abilities to care for special needs dogs and obviously does a good job. As to her motives I cant attest. Perhaps it is about her and not the dog.... I dont know. As to what constitutes a "good" quality of life and natural desire, I think that again it is a dog by dog issue. I have several dogs who show no interest at all in chasing balls, tearing up soft toys or digging holes. They just want to lay around on the couches and wait for the next meal time or greet visitors at the door, rolling belly-up for a tummy rub.... that is their hobby. Do I assess them as being miserable or depressed..... do I consider them to be abnormal...... do I wonder where I went wrong in their upbringing ???? I compare them to a couple of my others with which I cant risk leaving a soft toy because they rip it apart and swallow the bits and risk winding up in surgery to retrieve the contents which have stuck at the ileocolic junction. Soft toys are life threatening to at least one of my dogs...... so NO soft toys for adult dogs in my house just to be safe. Likewise they dig craters and tunnels which I am forever having to fill in and watch where I walk in the dark in case I fall into one !! I compare these dogs to the other in house on the couch and I wonder which is "happier"...... very different lifestyles in the same household, but both acceptable in different ways. As Skruffy n Flea says "dogs is dogs"...... they are each as different as we are. You are right WreckitWhippet "it should have been culled at birth" but "it" was born and "it" lived in extremely tough conditions .... survival of the fittest ?????? I wonder why she made it ? tdierikx you understand the spark that some dogs have. Pickles has it, my rescue also does..... he WILL NOT give up. Without that spark, that quality that gave him the will and the inner strength, he would have died a long time ago, probably at the hands of his previous owner and so I would never have met him. These dogs have something that makes them "special" in more ways than just their disabilities. I feel that Rosie is one of those. I suspect that at birth Rosie may have had a resonably normal appearance and that many of the deformities that we see now have been developmental and occurred slowly as she grew. If she was as severely deformed in the jaw as she is now she would never have been able to suckle properly and would have died very quickly within days. Somehow I couldnt imagine her breeder bothering to tube feed a pup like this. She is now in the hands of a caring and skilled person and I believe that while her life quite clearly is not "normal" she is loved and happy, albeit in a different way. I want to believe that her pain is also well managed because it appears that her carers are highly motivated to help her in every way possible. Pain management in dogs is now a highly developed area and it seems that Rosie is getting that expert attention. Like you, Little Gifts, I do struggle with the appearance of her current life but I like to have some faith in the expert and professional people who are charged with her care. I try not to look at the "outside" and judge. Edit for spelling

Dogs like Rosie are special and have a really strong will to live.... just like some people who suffer terrible adversity and yet who still fight to stay around and always seem to make the best of a bad situation. I'm sure that she will be one of those dogs who just wants to be here on this earth and who tries so hard to be happy. She is to be admired for that. Her carer is obviously well aware of her predicament and sounds as though she is very experienced in dealing with special needs dogs. From what I could see, Rosie looks to be remarkably healthy in spite of her major limitations. I currently have a rescue who is one of those "special" dogs. He came to me a bit more than 2 years ago and was surrendered to me after the owner was threatened with an RSPCA report. He had been severely neglected and was terribly ill..... very, very ill. I wont go into details but his treatment was expensive (over $4000 and subsidised by the treating vets for almost as much again) and it was long and harrowing. He has been left horribly, extensively and permanently scarred. Some people cant bear to touch him or pat him because of his awful appearance. I would post a photo but I dont want this thread to turn into a "freak show". At one stage after he developed a serious and life threatening complication, it was suggested to me that perhaps I should let him go but I was convinced that he wasnt ready yet..... he was a very tough dog and wanted so much to be here, so I persisted. He is now well and is the happiest dog !! He will never be competely cured but he is comfortable, cared for and loved......everything that a dog could possibly want. I dont care what he looks like because I see his beautiful soul...... I think that Rosie is much the same...... surely, if she wasnt a tough little character with a very strong will to survive, she would have died fairly soon. She deserves to be allowed to live her life, with the help of her owner who obviously cares greatly for her. These "special" dogs deserve to be looked upon with respect and afforded some dignity. They dont want our pity because they dont have a concept of that. They just want to be able to live their life. As long as they are not suffering intolerably and can cope with whatever disability they have then they have a right to a good existence. No doubt they need our help to do that but just because they are ugly or deformed or cant get around quite the way that they should is not reason for us to judge their right to exist. Edit for spelling

This is true in part, but only if the breeder has already applied for or has been granted a prefix prior to the birth of the litter. The ruling says that no dog can be registered after 12 months from it's date of birth. If the breeder has not applied for a prefix prior to the birth of the litter then it doesnt matter how much time has elapsed. Litter registrations are not retrospective unless an application for the granting of a prefix has been lodged with the controlling body prior to the litter being born. If this has not happened (ie the application for a prefix prior to the bitch whelping) the only way out of this predicament would be for the bitch to be transferred into the ownership of a person with a registered prefix and that tranfser would need to be backdated to prior to the birth of the litter. This would mean that there would be penalty payments for a late transfer. To do it this way is possible, but it would be frowned upon by the controlling body. I think that you need to get some advice from people whose job it is to deal with these situations ie CCCQld and Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs.

Best of luck with her Darien, I'm sure that she will become a wonderful companion for you.

I think that you have a good case to take to CCCQld. Regardless of whether or not there are papers available for your dog, it seems that a CCCQld member has promised you that there would be main registered papers for the dog that they sold to you. Speak to CCCQld about what has happened, stay calm and polite and make no "accusations", just state the facts as they stand. Write everything down in chronological order before you phone them so that you have a plan and dont jump all over the place. Give them as much information as you can over the phone and then they will probably tell you that you will need to submit it all as a stat dec so that they can act from there. They will then send a copy of the stat dec to the people concerned and ask for their comments. If necessary get someone who is good at writing to draft out your submission but as a stat dec it must be hand written by you, signed and witnessed. From experience it can be a long and slow process....... been there and done that, not about papers but about the repeated and continuous malpractice and unethical conduct of one of their members (now a suspended person !!!!). I had 13 pages of evidence which included various stat decs, certified copies of adverts and emails going back several years and verified information from numerous people, yet it took many months to get some action. It can be frustrating, but I suppose that they need to know that the complaint is not vexatious and that there is truth in what is claimed and that due process must be followed.

You need to Contact CCCQld as soon as possible. http://www.cccq.org.au/CCCQ-Constitution.aspx Have a read through the Constution and Riles. There are several sections which are relevant. Get as much information together as you can. Copy all emails and any other contact that you have had from both the original breeder and the registering breeder. CCCQld have some quite strict regulations regarding partnership and ownership of breeding dogs. You should have your dog's microchip number and the details of date of birth etc may be available through that. Also you should have a vaccination certificate as well. This also should state date of birth. If your dog was born before the transfer of ownership then the litter must be registered in the prefix of those people who owned the dog at the time it was born. If the litter was whelped while in joint names but the prefix was held by only one owner then there is a major problem !! If you were sold the dog and told that it would be registered and for some reason it cant then there is also a major problem which CCCQld may be interested in, or may simply suggest that you go to the relevant Qld state government department that handles consumer issues. I think that you will need some help from CCCQld to sort this one out.

Yes, exactly. This is how I use the regulations too. My puppies are sold without their registration papers transferred to the new owners. I will only transfer them once I have been sent a certified copy of the dog's sterilisation certificate which includes the microchip number of the dog. I then phone the vet hospital to confirm that the surgery has been done and only then do I send the papers off to the owners. It might sound a lot to do, but I have seen a false sterilisation certificate some years ago and so I always check first.

State regulations vary as to the time required for litter registration papers to be submitted to the relevant controlling body and also whether or not the breeder MUST transfer registration papers to the new owner. In my State we have up to 4 calendar months before litter registrations need to be submitted without incurring a late fee. Therefore it's possible for pups to be sold before the litter has been registered with our controlling body. We are permitted to sell puppies as pets without the need to ever transfer registration papers to the new owners. We are also required to indicate on the receipt of purchase whether the dog has been sold with or without the transfer of registration papers and if so, whether they are Main or Limit. It's possible for a purchaser to buy a pup which is registered on Main but for the breeder to retain the registration papers in their name rather than transfer them to the new owner. You need to check your receipt of purchase to see what has been stated. Most state regulations require that a reciept of purchase clearly indicates what the situation is regarding the registration papers. You dont indicate which state you are from...... in fact you say you are from "overseas" so it makes it a bit difficult to advise exactly. You have already established that the breeder is registered with their controlling body, so perhaps a phone call to the breeder might help things along if there is proof that you are entitled to the dog's registration papers. Edit for spelling

Does she suffer from anxiety? If so, I have missed that as well OP has said this...... "I have to address her separation anxiety from me as she will not stay outside unless I am there, she will not stay in any room that I am not in I have had her on Canine Tranquility meds from the petshop, but as this anxiety appears to be getting worse, it's time I think to talk to my vet." The behaviour is average and to be expected :) Some people put it down to SA. I dont think that it is "average". I know this breed very, very well. As well as working in general rescue, I am a cocker breeder of over 40 years experience, run Cocker Rescue for our club and act as a referral point for Club members with adult dogs to rehome. Over the years I have seen this pattern in many cockers that have been rehomed from a multiple dog and kennel raised situation to an unfamiliar environment and new rules which have perhaps not been fully or adequately explained to the Cocker. Initial uncertainty soon becomes anxiety which can unfortunately be reinforced with inappropriate responses from the owner. Please remember that this dog is not a "rescue" but a rehome and having been a kennel dog, this cocker is likely to have a very strongly developed pack bond, which now is not being satisfied. Being from a kennel environment, there can be issues with a different form of socialisation which can modify a dog's response to its situation. This dog is clearly not suffering from the sort of lapsed house training that is seen in some rescue dogs. It also has possibly never had access to such an intensity of human attention if she has come from a large breeding establishment or even from one with a moderate number of dogs. Her new-found human attention and the break in her pack bond has probably resulted in initial uncertainty which is now on the way to becoming anxiety. The owner certainly perceives the dog to be anxious, to the point where they have sought to medicate her. Many cockers, particularly those in this situation, are prone to develop separation anxiety and will insist on being with their person. This can happen quite quickly and the OP has already stated that the dog's level of "anxiety" is increasing. I feel that the OP is seeing a problem that will escalate in intensity and duration unless they are able to get some expert intervention. This dog's behaviour, although it may seem "average" to some under the circumstances, is probably the beginning of separation anxiety and for the sake of the dog and the new owner, needs to be addressed adequately and quickly. Simple patience is often not enough. Medication, without behavioural modification training also rarely works. Edit for spelling.

and do get assistance with this ... the little dog is 'middle aged', has anxiety and is confused .... Do you know exactly how/where she was housed previously ? Knowing that would help with her rehab. a great deal, I think I am not sure if I have missed something Pers though she has lived in a kennel environment going by the OP. Does she suffer from anxiety? If so, I have missed that as well OP has said this...... "I have to address her separation anxiety from me as she will not stay outside unless I am there, she will not stay in any room that I am not in I have had her on Canine Tranquility meds from the petshop, but as this anxiety appears to be getting worse, it's time I think to talk to my vet."

Many cockers, particularly mature bitches hate to toilet on wet grass. It sounds as though she is also imprinted for hard surfaces. This happens to many dogs that are kennel raised and I believe that there is some literature which talks about the age by which surface preference develops. It's quite young..... something like 8-10 weeks. If your girl has been kept on hard surfaces for most of her life she will have some trouble adjusting to toileting outside, particularly if the area is wet. She will also be typical of most cockers in that she will want to be with you all the time and this opportunity might be something new to her if she has been a kennel dog all her life. As a result she will possibly show heightened anxiety until the novelty wears off a bit ! Rather than try lots of different ways of getting the message through, I would suggest that you speak with someone who is very experienced with retraining of adult dogs or seek the assistance of an expert in behavioural modification. I dont think that it would be a mistake to use a method which involved crate training because if she has been a show dog she will be accustomed to being crated and wont feel that it's a bad place to be. Crate training can be a very positive method as it works on a dog's natural instinct to sleep in a den or small, covered and safe area. Good luck with her. I'm sure that she will be a wonderful companion for you once she has settled in.

This sounds like neck pain ! It might simply be due to muscle spasm which can be brought on by many different causes. It can also be a sign of an intervertebral disc problem. Best to get him seen by a vet before you try a chiro. Make sure that he doesnt have any issues with his spine because a disc can be excruciatingly painful. Chiros can do great things for muscles but discs are another thing and need a different approach.

OK I understand that it's always scary when the "BIG C" is mentioned however cancer in an undescended testicle doesnt happen suddenly or over a short period of time. The most common cancer of a retained testicle is a sertoli cell tumour. This type of tumour almost always takes several years to happen and it's thought that the testicular cells begin to mutate into cancerous types because of the higher temperature inside the body rather than when normally descended testicles are positioned in the scrotum, which is a somewhat cooler environment than the internal core temperature. I get a little bit annoyed at vets who only tell half the story and scare their clients into an early full castration without giving the owner ALL of the information. Full castration is a non reversible procedure which involves the removal of both testicles. This procedure can have some deleterious effects on the long term health of a dog if performed at too young an age. Owners of dogs that may need to be castrated for medical reasons must be given ALL of the relevant information as well as alternatives so that they can make an informed choice. Firstly, there is usually no real need to rush into castrating a young dog which has an undescended testicle. The dangerous changes usually take quite some time to happen. Secondly, even if the client decides that early removal of the undescended testicle is the way that they want to go, it's possible for their vet to perform a hemi-castration. It's quite reasonable to only remove the undescended testicle and leave the normal one where it is. This will allow the dog to mature as it should, with the benefit of the hormones that are needed for correct growth, muscle development and the secondary effect of stimulation of other hormonal systems such as thyroid and adrenals which can sometimes become deficient in dogs which have been subject to a total castration early in life. To remove only the undescended testicle also allows the owner sufficient time to decide whether a full castration is what they really want for their dog. andrewang, it's still possible that your dog's testicle may descend. 5 months is still quite young and I know of a number of dogs that have taken up to 12 months to become fully "entire"..... one was my own dog, a cocker spaniel too !! Please consider the option of a hemi-castration if you are really worried that his undescended testicle needs to be removed prior to 12 months of age. If your current vet will not perform a hemi for you then find one that will !! Or simply wait a while longer..... you might find that you have a fully entire dog by the time he is 12 months old. Cockers are one of the breeds that can show some quite marked differences in development when fully castrated at a young age. I generally do not recommend that cockers are sterilised prior to 10 months if female, and 12-14 months of age if male. The males often take longer to reach maturity. To be frank, my general recommendation to new owners if they have a male cocker is to consider keeping him entire unless there is a medical condition for which the best primary treatment is full castration. I usually tell an owner of 10 week old puppy which has a testicle that doesnt want to stay where it should, that they can safely wait for 12 months at least before they need to make any decision, and that is IS possible for only the undescended testicle to be removed. If there is nothing wrong with the other one, then consider leaving it where it is and allowing it to do the important job of helping your dog reach full maturity and to develop a healthy body system for life. Should you decide to have the undescended testicle removed then please ask you vet about anaesthetic administration and monitoring, IV fluids during surgery and post op recovery, as well as pain meds after the procedure.

The Vaccine Guidelines Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association has this to say ....... "Most pups are protected by MDA in the first weeks of life. In general, passive immunity will have waned by 8–12 weeks of age to a level that allows active immunization. Pups with poor MDA may be vulnerable (and capable of responding to vaccination) at an earlier age, while others may possess MDA at such high titres that they are incapable of responding to vaccination until ≥12 weeks of age. No single primary vaccination policy will therefore cover all possible situations. The recommendation of the VGG is for initial vaccination at 8–9 weeks of age followed by a second vaccination 3–4 weeks later, and a third vaccination given between 14–16 weeks of age. By contrast, at present many vaccine data sheets recommend an initial course of two injections. Some products are also licensed with a ‘10 week finish’ designed such that the second of two vaccinations is given at 10 weeks of age. The rationale behind this protocol is to permit ‘early socialization’ of pups. The VGG recognizes that this is of great benefit to the behavioural development of dogs. Where such protocols are adopted, great caution should still be maintained by the owner – allowing restricted exposure of the pup to controlled areas and only to other pups that are healthy and fully vaccinated. The VGG recommends that whenever possible a third dose of core vaccine be given at 14–16 weeks of age." Unless you have your puppy titre tested to check that he has responded to his first two vaccinations, it would be a good idea to have a third one done at 16 weeks. Of course there is a good chance that he is already immune and therefore wont need the last vaccination BUT you have no way of being certain unless you have a titre done. If you choose not to have the third one, please note that the Guidlines Group states that "great caution should be maintained by the owner- allowing restricted exposure of the pup to controlled areas and only to other pups that are healthy and fully vaccinated. The VGG recommends that wherever possible a third dose of core vaccine be given at 14-14 weeks of age."

It was reported that the man had long standing psychiatric issues. In his "right mind" he would probably be extremely upset at his own violence. I agree RV, perhaps some compassion for him wouldnt go astray.

Aaaahhhhh ! I thought the tone was familiar. I remember Dougie from years ago..... got a few DOL holidays if I remember correctly, but then maybe I'm wrong and just talking "rubbish actually"!