Looking For A Vet In Melbourne For My Chihuahua

[Kezpipa]

Hi all, I've been reading this forum on and off for a while, I find the arguments about breeding and etc quite intimidating.

Gemma is, I think, a longhaired chihuahua; I found her near the Merri Creek close to death in late 2003, the vet said she had been unable to give birth to a pup and it was dead inside her, slowly killing her. Lort Smith removed the pup and fixed her up really well. She is my first ever dog, although I'd hung out with my mum's dogs when I was young I had never been the centre of any dog's universe. She definitely teaches me a lesson every day I get with her

Anyway, a couple of months ago she stopped being able to eat canned food - she started throwing it up. We quickly looked on the net and found that we were supposed to withhold water for a while, and food for 24 hours. Got her to a vet, was given pills (I can't remember what) and told to feed her chicken and rice for a set amount of time. OK, did that, then introduced canned food again after the set time. She threw it up again.

Back to another vet, this time for more pills of a different nature and sachets to sprinkle on her food, for a set period of time. OK, did that, then re-introduced canned food. She threw it up.

Back to a different vet, Gemma got an injection which made her -scream-, and we were given two types of special diet food, one was hypoallergenic, and the other was I think more of an 'organic content' type, or something similar. Back home, she threw up both types of special diet food.

Back to another vet at Lort Smith, who suggested blood tests and screening but had nothing else to offer, and left me thinking - does this person have a clue what they're talking about?

She's fine eating chicken and pasta or rice, but nothing else stays down. Her stool has been inconsistent, and was pretty mushy-looking for the first while with a yellower brown to it, but has gradually come to a more stable, clean-up-able consistency. She is still extremely cheerful and happy in herself. It's only if she eats something she shouldn't that she appears unhappy. There's nothing she could be eating to induce the ill-health; we have a small enclosed back yard, and we've closed her access to the cat litter box (which she had been getting into previously and we think that was helping trigger the vomiting), and we've become extremely tight with regards to giving her anything she shouldn't have (like a bread crust here, piece of cheese there).

I am going to be flamed for bad pet ownership, I know, but I really am at my wit's end with this. Yes I should have done something earlier, I know...

Any help at all... vet recommendations especially would be helpful. I've just gone onto fulltime work so money is less of an issue now. Just like I had no luck with mechanics until I found someone who had been recommended to me by other people who own my type of car, I am hopeful that there is out there, a 'right vet for the job'.

:cringes, expecting backlash!: Sorry for the long post but I guess... /shrug/ Someone might have an idea of what it is from what I've said.

[^^PIP^^]

I use South Road Animal Health in Moorabbin. I think they are fantastic, they have picked up things in both my dogs, that other vets didnt.

She specialises in natural therapies, as well as the "normal" vet stuff.

[SueM]

Do you have to feed canned food?? What brand are you feeding, the only canned food I will touch and that is in emergencie is natures gift...

[Kezpipa]

I was feeding her both Pedigree PAL and Nature's Gift (wasn't sure if either was better - hey, I learned by example, from what my mum used to feed her dogs!, so I would swap to a can of the other type, each time). She initially was sick on the PAL, but has since rejected Nature's Gift too.

I used to try to get her to eat dry dog food but she became really particular about it, so I stuck with canned food. Until I came to this forum I didn't have an idea about BARF (tho it makes sense - as long as you know about doggy dietary requirements! Actually I didn't even know that canned food was 'scientifically balanced' until I read posts on this forum... I didn't **think**, basically...)

[cavNrott]

I would never withold water from a dog who is either vomiting or has diarrhoea. The dog can dehydrate very quickly. Did you tell the vet that you had witheld water from the dog?

I don't feed canned food so can't help you out there, I feed BARF and an occasional meal of Eagle Pack dry. I'm surprised the vets didn't recommend a good quality food for your dog, though I must say in my experience vets know very little about nutrition. The vet who advised you to feed chicken and rice was right on the money though.

A good quality dry food can be softened with a broth and your dog will probably like it.

If you mention the general area you live in someone will recommend a vet in that area.

[Cosmolo]

Glen Eira Vet in Ormond are excellent. I also have clients who are happy with South Rd Animal Health too.

[SueM]

Keep away from the pal canned food it would make a lot of dogs ill if that is all they were eating...

[Gomez the Norfolk]

We really liked the Village Vet on Toorak Road (near Williams St) when we lived in Melbourne - nice practice and good vets and treated Gomez very well...

Hope you get her sorted out!

[Kezpipa]

I would never withold water from a dog who is either vomiting or has diarrhoea. The dog can dehydrate very quickly. Did you tell the vet that you had witheld water from the dog?

I don't feed canned food so can't help you out there, I feed BARF and an occasional meal of Eagle Pack dry. I'm surprised the vets didn't recommend a good quality food for your dog, though I must say in my experience vets know very little about nutrition. The vet who advised you to feed chicken and rice was right on the money though.

A good quality dry food can be softened with a broth and your dog will probably like it.

If you mention the general area you live in someone will recommend a vet in that area.

What is 'good quality' dry food, by ppl's standards? Like Eukanuba? Or is there something else? Sorry to sound complete uninformed BTW.

We're in Brunswick vicinity, so all the suggestions thus far have been a bit of a drive - but still, a recommendation is preferred to random vets in our area.

I don't know where I found the recommendations to withold water - it was a google search, and I just went to random forums etc. However on doing a similar search today it looks like people are equally inclined either way. The vet we went to said that withholding water was the right thing to do - however he had an idea in his head about what he thought was wrong with Gemma, therefore he was probably inclined to recommend a solution for her undiagnosed problem based on this bias.

[monsterpup]

Here's a list of Melbourne metro vets who are members of the Australian Association of Holistic Veterinarians - they have conventional veterinary qualifications, but have also done a lot of extra courses/study.

My vet is Dr Nicole Hoskin, from Prahran Vet Hospital. I can't recommend her highly enough. We have also seen other vets in that practice and they are all exceptional. Hope the list helps, there is a vet in Northcote and one in Thornbury (I think these are near Brunswick?).

Good luck with your dog.

Dr Carolyn Anderson BVSc

Warranwood Vet Clinic, 1 Colman Rd, WARRANWOOD, Vic, 3134.

Ph: (03) 9879 0900 Fax: (03) 9876 6938 Mob: 0417 590 944

OT: Diploma of Phytotherapy, IVAS

Interests: Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Nutrition

Dr Onn Ben-David BVSc

463 Hawthorn Rd, CAULFIELD STH, Vic, 3162. Ph: (03) 9528 2525 Fax: (03) 9523 8242

Interests: Herbal & nutritional

Dr Philippa Gemmell BVSc

22 Manningham Rd, BULLEEN, Vic, 03) 9850 1600 Mob: 0408 451 421

OT: IVAS, Flower Essence Cert, Reiki II, Pranic Therapy, Grief & Loss Counselling

Interests: Behaviour, Psychology

Dr Nicole Hoskin BVSc

646 Malvern Rd, PRAHRAN EAST,Vic, 3181.

Ph: (03) 9510 1335 Fax: (03) 9521 2841 Mob: 0408 164 254

OT: IVAS

Interests: Acupuncture, Bach Flowers

Dr Carl Muller BVSc

646 Malvern Rd, PRAHRAN EAST, Vic, 3181.

Ph: (03) 9510 1335 Fax: (03) 9521 2841 Mob: 0419 002 405

OT: Dip Acup; Dip Chinese Herbal Medicine

Interests: Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Bach Flowers

Dr Ann Nevill BVSc

South Rd Animal Health, 565 South Road, BENTLEIGH, Vic, 3204. Ph: (03) 9555 1899

OT: Acupuncture, Reiki, chinese herbs, flower essences

Interests: Acupuncture, Herbs, Nutrition

Dr Margaret O'Riordan MVB

160 Collins St, THORNBURY, Vic, 3071.

Ph: (03) 9480 1823 Fax: (03) 9480 1823 Mob: 019 131 196

OT: Dip Hom; IVAS;

Interests: Homoeopathy, Acupuncture, Nutrition, Herbs

Dr Alan Sultan BVSc

Northcote Plaza Veterinary Clinic, 43A Dennis St, NORTHCOTE, Vic, 3070

Ph: (03) 9489 3322 Fax: (03) 9489 3299 Mob: 0417 014 759

OT: IVAS

Interests: Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

[InspectorRex]

Have any of the Vets suggested doing a faecal (poo) analysis? to see if anything untowards there? That is the first thing I would be wanting and blood tests.

[Kezpipa]

Here's a list of Melbourne metro vets who are members of the Australian Association of Holistic Veterinarians - they have conventional veterinary qualifications, but have also done a lot of extra courses/study.

My vet is Dr Nicole Hoskin, from Prahran Vet Hospital. I can't recommend her highly enough. We have also seen other vets in that practice and they are all exceptional. Hope the list helps, there is a vet in Northcote and one in Thornbury (I think these are near Brunswick?).

Good luck with your dog.

Thank you monsterpup, that's an excellent idea. I might use one of those vets - yes Northcote and Thornbury are two very close suburbs.

Have any of the Vets suggested doing a faecal (poo) analysis? to see if anything untowards there? That is the first thing I would be wanting and blood tests.

We were told faecal analysis would be useless as so few pathogens would be likely to be picked up.

At the time blood tests were - well, there was financial issues, as well as the way the vets talked about it - I just didn't have any confidence in them. They made it sound like a blood test was a complete shot in the dark? Based on Gemma's symptoms.

[InspectorRex]

I would be getting the blood tests and faecal analysis done asap. Your dear dog may have a condition like Inflammatory Bowel Disease and if it does you will need a referral to Veterinary Internal medicine specialist so they can assist you in getting your dog on the road to recovery.

A faecal analsis and flot can reveal a vast range of issues, I am surprised none of the Vets have not done one.

I lost my Champion bitch to Inflammatory Bowel Disease( she had it severe) and I would hate anyone to have their dog endure what Maggie went through.Maggie's symptons were gurgling tummy, vomitting, weird poops/