Emergency Vet Trip for Blue!

[TAH]

There was a time when I was home with yella and Boaz when they started fighting. Boaz will instantly stop first time he hears my voice yella on the other hand will keep going. I got Boaz to stop and looped a lead rope around yellas and pulled him back. Once yella was away from Boaz he calmed right down.

 

[Southern by choice]

I've heard the same about female dogs! Most people with Alanos crop the ears too, but we left Clara's alone. She's too darn cute to look mean!

Blue sounds like a lovely dog!

It's amazing how many people forget that dogs are animals and expect them to act like people. Not everyone should own a 140 lb dog.

Yep! I agree. I also think, especially with LGD's we are wise to remember their capability with predators and the fact we can lose them.
Thank you, Blue really is my boy! I adore him. Of course if the family were online they'd say "their ALL your dogs" and they are right! Just love them all so much. You'd be surprised at how well he walks on lead, sits, and understands what I want him to do.

Do you know why? Do you think she's cystic (I'm thinking goats)?



I apologize for my ignorance and I'm probably just not reading this right- what reason are the ears cropped for? From what I interpreted, I thought it sounded like you meant so they wouldn't get damaged in a fight, but that doesn't sound right...I always thought it was just for looks.

No not cystic, just happens sometimes. She tends to get triggered by other females so it ends up kind of perpetual. Dogs that do this should not be bred and it is best to eventually spay them.

Yes, ears are cropped to prevent tearing while engaging in "battle". Less risk and damage to the dog.
I like cropped ears on dogs. Briards, Danes, Dobes, to name a few.

 

[Bruce]

I'm on the other side. I dislike cropped ears and tails for "fashion" purposes. Cruelty to the animals, "bling" for the owners. An uncropped Doberman is a much nicer looking animal.

 

[NH homesteader]

Tail cropping is awful. The ears are nowhere near as bad. The pups in my dog's litter that had their ears cropped didn't need pain meds and were normal in a few hours. They didn't care.

 

[Southern by choice]

I'm on the other side. I dislike cropped ears and tails for "fashion" purposes. Cruelty to the animals, "bling" for the owners. An uncropped Doberman is a much nicer looking animal.

Tail cropping is awful. The ears are nowhere near as bad. The pups in my dog's litter that had their ears cropped didn't need pain meds and were normal in a few hours. They didn't care.

Originally it had nothing to do with fashion but for purpose. Dogs were bred for purpose. It is not cruelty, this has become a fashionable word in the pet world.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with ear cropping, tail docking, or dewclaw (dog paws)removal.
Far too many repeat this mantra and it gets so old.
The same people who say this have absolutely no issues with and often preach spay/neuter. Whereas spaying a dog is a major surgery. Most don't know that either.
It is the single most dangerous surgery for a female dog. Yet people do this without even having a clue. Another mantra repeated that people believe that it is the responsible thing to do when it actuality it is absolutely not. Ripping out the endocrine system of a healthy animal that has no medical reason to necessitate such surgery is cruel. Most dogs are spayed because heat is too "inconvenient" for the owner. Same goes for the neutering of a male dog. Although not as dangerous it is still a major surgery and has very long term effects on the health of the animal. Setting a dog up for a great many different type cancers because dog owners can't be bothered to be educated on how to not let your dog get bred two times out of the year.

 

[NH homesteader]

My other dog had his dew claws removed... Do people have issues with that also? His were going to get caught on something and ripped off... It wasn't a big deal to have them removed.

OK so is tail docking not as painful to the dog as people say? I don't have an issue with any of it if it's for a working dog. I guess tail docking for fashion kind of bothers me.

We have a friend whose mother adopted a perfectly healthy 9 year old dog who was not neutered... She had him neutered and he is now obese. I am interested to hear more info about spaying and neutering impacting a dog's health...

 

[Green Acres Farm]

The vet gave us a hard time when we didn't want to spay my dog at 5 months. Basically told us she would get breast cancer and dogs from miles away would be at our house and it would be super messy.

I saw an article about the dangers of spaying/neutering too early and wanted to wait until she was at least older.

Her first heat came... and... Nothing happened. Where were all those dogs the vet said would come? And her being in heat is not that inconvenient. If she's in the house, we just put a diaper on her.

You NEVER hear anything about how it could be dangerous, only Be The Solution.

My grandmother adopted a kitten from the humane society. At 8 weeks that kitten was neutered because they required that. I mean, I can see how they don't want more stray kittens, but that can not be good for their health, especially that young. She asked if she could wait to do it when he was older, but they said no.

My aunt has a cat who was neutered young and has urinary stones. The vet told her that although no one will tell you this, it was probably from neutering too young...

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Hope Blue heals quickly. We had an incident over the summer with our two females. The vet didn't do stitches, just had us do some flushing since the wounds were pretty open, not pocketed where bacteria could grow. It healed up well.

 

[Southern by choice]

I am interested to hear more info about spaying and neutering impacting a dog's health...

I have 200 pages of studies and documents and my own experience and observation from all my years in canines. This spans from the PRE- spay/ neuter era til present. Sadly most people if you are 40 or younger, and definitely under 35 years old, have grown up in this de-sexing culture... this is all they have heard, all they know and so they haven't even been around or grown up with intact animals. No education on heat cycles, reproduction in the female dog etc.
I find it irresponsible on the vet side and owner side.
Glad you are interested in finding out more so at least you can start making an educated decision.

I will say for many, after years and pretty much their whole life of hearing this spay/neuter nonsense they really have a hard time wrapping their head around it.

@Green Acres Farm good for you! and you are right... it is a bunch of crap. Male dogs do not come from all around. I have 2 females in heat right now. I have 8 intact males. Yes we had a squabble but all in all they are all fine.

Mammary cancer is the least of the issues. Pretty much eliminated by early spay but then a whole host of other (far worse kinds) cancers occur because of it. Mammary tumors can be detected early and removed. It is the same tactic that many use with the "pyo" (uterine infection) truth is 1% of dogs will ever get pyo.

1%
If a doctor told you that you have a 1% chance of dying from a uterine infection so you should have a complete hysterectomy would you do it? Of course not.

 

[NH homesteader]

I absolutely grew up with the spay and neuter mantra repeated over and over so it's a strange concept that this may not be correct. My male dog did have a dramatic reduction in aggression when he was neutered... But he had other medical issues that were resolved at the same time so.... Hard to say.

Our friends have an intact male Alano (the cousin of mine) and I've had a hard time wrapping my head around how gentle and well behaved he is! But I am open to reading about it... I have some time before I will be getting another dog so I will be reading up on it for sure.