I took our kitten for her last injection last night, so whilst I was there I thought I would mention we were getting an Aussie, and ask if they had any experience of Aussies, this is how the conversation went:

Vet: Yes, I have known a couple of Aussies over the years, they seem to be a fairly healthy breed, but don't let breeders tell you that if you buy one from anywhere other than a breeder, that they will be riddled with health problems, it isn't true, a dog, is a dog, is a dog, much like humans you get some healthy ones, some unhealthy ones, regardless of the breed.

Me: Well we have chosen a breeder, and I am sure she will do anything she can to make sure the pup's are healthy, sure she can't say this pup will be 100% healthy for life, but she will do what she can to reduce health risks, at least hereditory ones. Do you think you have enough knowledge of the breed to be able to treat him correctly? I know of a drug that is used often that can actually kill an Aussie - Ivomectin (or however it is spelt!)

Vet: Oh we only use that drug on a few dog's.

Me: Yes but did you know it can kill an Aussie?

Vet: I know it can harm Collies and the like.

Me: Well an Aussie is a Collie type. I think I will have to have another look around to see if I can find a vet who has recent knowledge of them.

Vet: Well it is up to you, but a dog, is a dog, is a dog. If you wanted to register him here, we will treat him the best way we can.

Now, she is probably annoyed at me for questioning her capalbilities, and I am annoyed at her for suggesting that I go to a pet shop for a pup. The other problem I have is that I have rang around all the vets in our phone book, and the closest one that has Aussies on their books are 21 miles away, which isn't going to be good in an emergency. What do I do? I have spoken to people at our vet's in the waiting room, and they all praise them very highly, but if they haven't got the knowledge of Aussies, and then feel annoyed when I ask them, is this the wrong vets for my pup? Or is it a case of use them and hope for the best? Help!!!!

You've got to remember that they are a rare breed, mine is even rarer so no vets in about 50 miles radius and maybe more have come into contact with mine so I wouldn't expect them to know the details.  Vets can't know everything about every breed, that's for us who have the breed or are about to to advise them.  If they don't like your advice then find another vet but we can't expect them to know everything!

I think in some ways a dog is a dog, until every breed is health tested for the same problems I don't think that any breed or x-breed can say that they don't have that problem.  We didn't think that we had any in our breed until a couple of things cropped up.  I've been lucky with my health tests but not everyone has.

I've been in my breed for 13 years and I still hardly know anything about them but I've had them in this country the longest :d

Good luck with your new baby though.

Sorry, I wasn't saying she was a bad vet for not knowing about them, it was the way she didn't like the fact that I knew about this drug and she didn't. I was trying not to sound like I knew everything (because I really don't!!), but I found it really difficult to tell a vet something she didn't know. I didn't want it to seem like I was telling her how to do her job.

From what other people have said about the vets, they do seem very good, this is why we took our cat there in the first place, and if you think it will be fine to take the dog there as well, then I don't have a problem doing so, it would have just been nice to have a vet that does know about them, then I am not relying on myself to diagnose the pup, if/when ever I needed to.

Anyone who knows about Aussies, are there any other ddrugs/illnesses I need to look into, that are specifically about Aussies???

Thanks SWD :D

There are vets that do not try to convince you they are all knowing, espoeically about pedigree dogs or particular breedsa but are open to accepting that your knowledge will help to complement their expertise in treating and diagnosing disease. 

My present vet is like this and wil take on board my suggestions as to what I think may be the problem rather than being dismissive as my last vet was, which ended up with me having inappropriate costly treatment when I had been right all along with a minor problem. 

As the symptoms returned after the vets treatment I changed my vet, advised this one what had gone before and what I thought the problem could be and lo and behold I was right.  Might not have been but at least he was prepared to consider it.

Recently I had a freind suggest that her bicth be checked for underative Thyroid as her symptoms looked like another freinds dog who had this problem.  Vet was adamant it wasn't likely, but she insisted, adn he had to appologise as that was the problem.  He had expected ehr to shwo more signs of ill health, but this is a stoic breed and she grinned and bore it.

So I am just taking a long time to say, the vet doesn't have to know everything about Ozzies, but needs to accept that you may know things they do not and work with you as a partnership for your pets health.

Their views on ethical breeding practice is shocking and woudl put me off them for a start.  No wonder so many people don't know the right way to go about geting a pupy and the importance of ethical reputable breeders.  It is the other kind that gives many vets such a poor opinion of breeders and pedigree dogs.

The thing is Brainless, I obviously don't have the years of experience that you do, and whether it be specific breed problems, or a problem that any dog can get, I am certainly not in a position to go to the vet and say this is what it is. Obviously I have done a bit of research, and reading through all of the health post's on here and other forums, has given me a little bit of insight to very few problems that can occur, but I wouldn't feel confident, at this stage in my learning curve, to go into any vets and tell them what is wrong with any dog. So if it turns out that our pup does have a problem, especially a breed specific problem, I won't know what it is, and any vet that doesn't know Aussies won't know either. Do you know what I am saying?

Although this vet's remarks struck me as being a bit off, well if I am honest I was a bit annoyed when I came out, the surgery on the whole is very well thought of. The nearest vets that have experience of Aussies are 21 miles away which is just no good in the case of an emergency, so surely the next best thing I can hope for, is a vets practise that is at least recommended?

I know it all comes back to me researching so I know as much as I can, but most owners who have had the same breed of dog for 20 odd years will tell you that they are still learning, what hope have I got after only 6 months? The best thing I can hope for, is that when we take the pup for his first vet check, we get the vet that did my kittens first injection, and that she will be as wiling as me to learn about them. Then obviously in the future I will be able to ask for her by name. If it turns out that she wasn't quite as interested as she first seemed, then I will have to look at other surgerys, that also have a good reputation.

>> There are vets that do not try to convince you they are all knowing, espoeically about pedigree dogs or particular breedsa but are open to accepting that your knowledge will help to complement their expertise in treating and diagnosing disease. 

I have one such vet - he is fantastic and as such I haven't changed vets even though I moved last summer (however I do have an agreement with a closer vets they they will see mine in an emergency). My bitch was the first malamute he had come across, so knew little about them but was more than willing to learn. Even now he still researches particular problems I mention to him and takes my advice on board (my two have notes on their records on which injections not to use etc). I was having a lengthly discussion with him about a particular problem which wasn't common and I, having had spoken to a specialist, knew more than he did which didn't bother him in the slightest.

>> Recently I had a freind suggest that her bicth be checked for underative Thyroid as her symptoms looked like another freinds dog who had this problem.  Vet was adamant it wasn't likely, but she insisted, adn he had to appologise as that was the problem.  He had expected ehr to shwo more signs of ill health, but this is a stoic breed and she grinned and bore it.

I had this problem when my normal vet was on leave :( My boy had a particular problem and I put forward a suggestion as to what it may be. The vet who was covering (who is now a member of the practice) dismissed the idea immediately saying that he wasn't showing any of the normal symptoms. A while later I insited on having this test done, the newer vet thought I was mad and that it was a waste of money and lo and behold the results came back just as I had expected. I had one very apologetic vet on the phone and my boy was started on tablets. However I still feel happy about the newer vet treating mine - the problem that he was diagnosed with was overshadowed by other problems, which she went out of her way to attempt to research, including gathering information on obscure conditions that he may have had, so she's not all bad :) Now as soon as I suggest something she immediately goes off and researches it and never dismisses my ideas. My vets know that I have far more information on ailments that affect my particular breed than they do and are happy with this.

Natalie - if you find a vets close to you who are willing to listen and take on board any breed specific information you may have then I would definately go to them irrespective of the fact they may not have any experience with your chosen breed. Mals are not at all common where I live and I would have to travel quite a way to get one who knows about the breed but my own vets are fantastic and I am more than happy to stay with them.

I've found most vets have different ideas on whats what. Its very hard to know just who is best and I try to find out as much info as I can on health issues or diets and make my own mind up.
There is times however when we just have to trust them and to be fair to my local vets they are great and have taken care of Bruce when he has needed a helping hand.
The trouble is they have so many pets to care for it must be very hard for them and I believe they do the best they can in all cases.
I must confess that suggesting a shop is the best place to find a pup is not very good. I tend to use the older more experienced vet and stick to him/her then you can build on it from there.

The vet that did the first injection, was very young, she said she had heard of the breed, but had never seen one, the one that did the injection last night, was about 50 something, maybe this was why she didn't take to kindly to me asking about her experience. I will just be 'another one who thinks she knows it all' to her. I don't think I over stepped the mark though, asking if she knew about a rare breed, as SWD said, vets can't know everything, about every animal.

I think you were right to ask questions. My vet likes to be involved and to try to understand more on a Newf. You might have hit the nail on the head, perhaps she does not like being told but I really feel its right that you question her even for your own peace of mind. Humans are such funny things :)

Well my vet John is IMHO a one off, if someone comes to the surgery with a breed he is not familar with say like the SWD, he will have a good long chat with owner & then find out more about it good & bad. When we talked about SHM with Geoff Skerritt, it turns out that several years ago John arranged for Geoff to give a lecture on it to ALL the local vets because John had seen one case & wanted to make sure that others were not diagnosed(as one practice had done on four different cases of SHM all from the same breeders owned  by differnet & seen by differnent members of the practice :O)

He has been like this right from when he first qualified ! & has without a doubt an excellent knowledge of many breeds of dogs & cats

Hey MM, can I borrow John for the next 13 odd years please ;) :D

Nooooooooo I need him here lol he's as excited as me about my new boy told me that he needs to see him the first time I take him in LOL if he wasn't married I'd bring him home lololololol

Well, who am I to get in the way of true love? LOL :D

LOLOLOL he is young enough to be my son ;)(well not quite but he looks it ) Hmmmm toy boy lololololol

He will keep you young ;) :D

Did she actually suggest you go to a pet shop - or was she attempting to push the rescue route at you? :)

Her words were as above, but the way she said it, it seemed like she was just trying to get me to get a dog from anywhere but a decent breeder. She didn't seem very pleased when I said I had already found a breeder.

I would say if they are reported as a good vet generally go with them and fill in any breed details yourself if you have to.  There may be times when a vet a long way away will not do.  I don't think bed side manners is all that important myself, well not to us non-sensitive types ;)
Actually if you have reported the conversation verbatim they did not actually say they were not including Aussies when they said they knew Ivomectin could harm collies and the like :) you going on to assume that was what they were saying may have niggled a little and left them feeling bed side manners were adrift all round :p :)

Isabel, if she knew absolutely everything she could possibly know about Aussies, but she wasn't a very good people person, then that wouldn't have bothered me.

The fact was she didn't know that by saying "Collies and the like" included Aussies, even though I had tried to say it in such a way as not to offend her, she obviously did think that I was trying to tell her how to do her job, and she didn't like it (which BTW I can understand, I wouldn't want anyone, who wasn't a hairdresser, telling me how to cut hair!)  but if we choose to register our pup with her, and fill in the breed details, is she going to have a paddy everytime I am aware of something she isn't?

Well you are obviously not going to get on with her so best not register.  I still can't see from the above statement that she was excluding Aussies unless it was not verbatim and something else was added to that effect   I doubt any vet would have a paddy if you requested a particular drug was not used.  The records could be marked as such, much as any records can have allergic reactions flagged up, and then the jobs done with.

It was perhaps just the way she said it Isabel, but she didn't know an Aussie was a Collie type.

Thanks for your help.

natalie did you specify an Australian Shepherd or did you just say Aussie?

The first thing I said to her was:

"Whilst I am here, we are getting an Austrailian Shepherd in November, do you have any on the book's here, or have you treated an Aussie before?"

So I used both the breeds full name, and nick-name.

Ok was just curious :D I don't think many vets would go far wrong in treating most dogs and as they can't be breed experts on all then it is up to us as owners to have a good knowledge of possible health issues which affect our chosen breeds especially if they are rare. This is where all your hours of research and finding a good knowledgable breeder comes in. My sister-in-law was in the same situation when she got her first Aussie she was the first Aussie in our area and there was only 1 other in the county. She had a vet who knew her well and who freely admitted he hadn't seen let alone treated an Aussie but he was interested and willing to learn. This is where your problem lies the vet obviously dosn't know you your experience or how accurate your knowledge of the Aussie is and from the sounds of it I don't think shes too sure what an Aussie Shepherd is let face it they are presented with all kinds of weird and wonderful new creations with fancy names these days and this maybe where her dog is a dog attitude comes from. As for Ivermectin you would be suprised at how recently vets would try and prescribe this for Rough Collies let alone Australian Shepherds. Funniley enough our vet thats willing to learn is also called John :D

Right well I am off to find a vet called John!! :D

I hadn't thought about her thinking the breed was a new fangdangled one! With her saying she had seen them over the years I assumed she had, but I suppose if she didn't know of them she might have felt she had to say she did. (lot's of she's there!!!) Maybe that was why she was a bit off, and trying to get me to go anywhere for a dog - I suppose in the hope that I would find a different dog, that isn't a fashion statement! It all falls into place now - well done SC :D

I think I will stick with them then, as I said everyone speaks very highly of them, I will have to get better at putting suggestions forward with out sounding like a know-it-all! Maybe I should have dropped the names of a few websites yesterday - starting with the KC's one!!!! :D

Thanks SC, very helpfull!!

I'm sure you are wise in going with a generally good vet.  It sounds like you have already covered the main issues anyway and hopefully things will run smoothly from now on :)  My vet, incidentally, had never had one of mine on her books either, although she certainly knew it was a terrier :) as yours will probably be able to see it is a collie, but I never felt it remotely an issue and I am sure she would not have minded me telling her of any breed quirks.  Mind you they don't need to actually have a specimen on their books to know some of the relating issues these are the sort of things that do get written about in the veterinary journals.

I am sure you are right Isabel :D

Thing is most vets aren't geared up for knowing all the rarer breeds, my vet practice hadn't seen a Munster until I took my first one in.   If you said Australian Shepherd she may have thought it was something like a German Shepherd, which is far from Collie type.   Unless your vet is seriously involved in showing or a dog related hobby, I doubt they know every breed in the UK.   Even a lot of showgoers can't tell you every breed by sight!

Christine, it wasn't the fact that she didn't know of them, more that she didn't seem to take kindly to me telling her. Like I said I tried to say it as nicely as I could as I wouldn't want someone who didn't know anything about hairdressing telling me what to do, but surely if we can sit here and say we don't expect a vet to know absolutely everything about every breed, surely it wouldn't have hurt her to just swallow her pride and say "they are a new one on me, what are they like etc?" Or at least to put my mind at rest regarding whether she was willing to learn (along with me) about Aussies.

Having said that, if she did think it was a designer x breed, she may well have just said what she did to show she didn't approve? Maybe she was just having an off day? Who knows? :D

Vets admitting they might occasionally be wrong....now there would be a refreshing thing!!!!!  ;)

Well aparently if you look out for a vet called John, you won't have any trouble!!! ;) :D

:D LOL @Natalie

>I know it can harm Collies and the like.

Natalie, I read that as she knows it can harm collies and the like; therefore including Aussies in "the like" part but not saying that she knew specifically that it harmed Aussies - if you get my drift ;)

My favourite vet is very stern and scary, but I feel he is the best vet in the practice, although for someone of a sensitive nature he probably wouldnt be suitable :p

ClaireyS,

Do you mean she didn't know that Aussie's were included in the "and the like" part?

sorry no, I meant she was including Aussies in the "and like" part as in she was grouping all collies together including Aussies :)

Hi Natalie

I had a similar problem with my Bracco and a certain drug.  I told the vet about this and, although they didn't know because Bracco's are quite rare, they put it on her records so that it would be there for reference.  I think when we have our pups we want the best for them but, at the end of the day, the vet is quite right.  They will do the best for your dog and if you are really worried about lack of knowledge of the breed, then it is up to you to educate the vet on the special needs of an Aussie!  They would probably be quite pleased about that because it is yet another breed they will get to know more about.  With more and more people now opting for some of the rarer breeds, I am afraid this is going to happen.  With my Bracco I just make sure I am aware of potential problems and advise the vet.  Don't worry too much, I am sure your vet will be absolutely fine and take care of your new baby like you would expect him too.  To be honest, they will probably be on their guard and ensure that they do a fab job because you obviously know your stuff and have researched the breed!

Hope this helps.

Annie

I think I will do as you and others have said and get them to put it on the pup's record not to use the drug, and just hope that I can research as much as possible, so in the event of needing vet treatment, I will have the knowledge for the vet to use IF they need it.

On a different subject, I didn't know more and more people were opting for rare breeds, I wonder why that is?

I don't know, for me it was because the World has become more accessible.  I went to the World Show in Spain with 3 friends thought that maybe in a couple of years that we may bring the breed over to England a month later we were back in Spain importing 2 :d  Then another 2 a few months later.  Thirteen years down the line I now have 5 and maybe if all goes well with my soon to be litter yet another 1 :d  They range from nearly 12 years to 2 years of age at the moment.

I remember my vet 3 years ago when I took one of my Pomeranian's with an ear problem he was so taken to him and admitted that he thought that they were just snappy little things without much of a brain.  Since seeing a few more over the years he now realises that they are quite an intelligent dog and he now quite likes them :d

Well yes I suppose the accessability must play a part in it, we were going for a Labrador, researching Labs on the net, then found something to do with Aussie's and haven't looked back! This should be a new post!

Natalie, our vets hadn't seen aussies until our 4 arrived, but over the last 6 years they have learnt about the breed with us, laughed with us at their antics and hugged  and comforted me when the first one was suddenly PTS.
They were willing from day one to learn about the breed and before they prescribe any drugs they always check to make sure they are suitable......
I trust them 110%. They are in Altrincham Cheshire which is probably a little far for you, but If I was you, I would definitely go with a vet who is willing to learn.
Gabrielle x

I have two choices, either stick with these and just hope the vet was having an off day, and will be more open to suggestions next time (or I get another vet from the same place), or I go to another surgery that I know nothing about that still has no personal experience of Aussies.

I think the best thing would be to stay with them until we have actually got our puppy, and see what happens when we take him for his vet check and innoculations. If I am still not happy then I will have to start looking around for alternatives, but I think the best starting point must be where I know other owners are very happy.

Yes Cheshire is further than the one I found that had experience of them. Thanks for your help :D

Hi Natalie

I think it is largely the accessibility thing but also that people want something just a bit different.  I've had a lot of responses about my Bracco like - "Is that a bloodhound?"  "Ah, a bassett with legs!" and "what sort of crossbreed is that?"

I've gotten used to it now.  I'm learning all the time about the breed and she never ceases to amaze me.

Kind regards
Annie

I suppose it is the way the world turns!

I must admit, when I first came across the site with the Aussies on (I had never heard/seen them before) it was quite nice that they were a bit different, but now, because of all of the research I have done, and the way they have already taken over my life, they just seem like a 'normal' dog!

I know what you mean Natalie.  When I first got my Bracco I was pleased as punch and felt very "special" as there are only 3 bitches in Scotland.  But hey it's all the same when you are cleaning up poo and she is thieving off the worktops!!!  Bless her little cotton socks!

Annie

LOL how funny!! :D

I am trying to get prepared for the "why has your Collie got no tail?" "thats a big Shelitie!" and all of the other comments people are bound to come out with. I shall tell 'em ;)

Hi Dogdeli1

Do you know of any websites where I could find pics of your breed...I'm intrigued as I don't believe I've ever seen one.

thanks

How many do you want??? LOL

Try doing a search on the breeder section of CD, I don't think I can put links up to peoples personal websites, even if they are not mine :D

Note: The breed's full name is Australian Shepherd not Aussie! Also they are in the pastoral group :D

Bracco Italiano

Thanks for that JG!!  My baby is chestnut roan.  Shaynola, if you pm me with your email I'll send you a photograph of her.  They are an acquired taste but I personally think they are beautiful - not everybody does though!!  I have had some remarks.

Annie

Thanx JG...beautiful dogs.

Have PM'd you Dogdeli1