[kdryan]

Well, Harley had his fist vet visit today and it turned out he had just about every type of intestinal parasite a dog could have. She said he had a scorching case of worms (do you think? ) and gave him a shot that she said would clear it up in about 72 hours. He also is having a few hip problems she hopes he'll grow out of. She did say not to let him drink the lake water around here. Polk County, Fl has suffered decades of abuse at the hands of the phosphate companies and most of the lakes in this county are abandoned phosphate mines. She also said after swimming to rinse his ears out whether local lakes or in salt water and in salt water to completely rinse him afterward. She also mentioned that it's alligator mating season around here and to be on the lookout for them while letting Harley play. That part I believe...

Other than that, he got a clean bill of health and has a followup in two weeks. My boy's got style...

One thing, I did mention that I had seen several people here mention 'Cold Tail' and asked her what it was. She just kind of rolled her eyes and said it was an old wives tale (no pun intended) but didn't elaborate. Can someone explain it to me?

Kevin

 

[windycanyon]

Hip problems in a 10 wk old? That I have a very hard time believing since all dogs are said to start out w/ normal hips (develops with growth).

As for cold tail, if she hasn't heard about it, she doesn't see many Labs. http://www.thelabradorclub.com/subpages/coldwatertail.php
for starters.... Anne

 

[justine]

Ick. Abbey had worms as a pup, too. Did your vet tell you which kind? Whipworms, hookworms, roundworms, etc?. There are a lot of them and some are much worse than others.

Cold tail happens a LOT with Labs, so like Anne said, maybe she hasn't seen a lot of them.

As far as Harley's hips, what kind of problems is he having at such a young age? Just curious since I don't hear about that many pups with hip problems!

 

[kdryan]

She stretched him out in a kind of a wheel barrow position on his front paws and pulled his legs out straight behind him. Apparently they didn't go far enough back for her taste before he started whining about it.

Since we live in Florida, is Cold Tail going to be an issue? Most of the year, the water is pretty warm...

 

[Di]

Sammi has had cold tail, so if its an old wife's tale I'm baffled! There are lots of great sites about it, but basically its like a "strain of the tail" that they can get with either lots of play in cold water or even outdoor activity. You treat it with rest, and time usually 3-5 days, and some give buffered aspirin for the pup's discomfort

 

[Baloo317]

I think she maybe misunderstood, as "cold tail" is sort of the laymen's term for it so she maybe thought you were referring to something else...?

Regardless, cold tail isn't something I'd worry about, just a muscle strain, basically. I live in Canada, and Baloo starts swimming in the spring as soon as the ice is (mostly) gone, and he's never had cold tail. In regard to his hips, I would stick very strictly to the "5 minutes per month of age" rule for this pup, no forced exercise, watch stairs, try to restrict jumping as best as possible, etc. If he does indeed have less than stellar hips, what you do with him now in terms of exercise and impact can have a big influence down the road.

 

[cinderbay]

There is another term for it Limber Tail. It does not really have to do with the cold. My girl got cold tail once after a very exuberant day at the beach in the summer.

 

[Luvmydog2much]

DO NOT BRING HIM BACK THERE.

Any veterinarian that hyperextends the hips on a 10 week old puppy until it objects is not a vet I would be visiting.

Not very educated, my vet (who does mainly bulldogs and repro) knows what cold tail is.

 

[BigBrownDog]

DO NOT BRING HIM BACK THERE.

Any veterinarian that hyperextends the hips on a 10 week old puppy until it objects is not a vet I would be visiting.

Not very educated, my vet (who does mainly bulldogs and repro) knows what cold tail is.

Yeah that is what I was thinking as well. What a ridiculous thing to do to a 10 wk old! Not at all conclusive either, I would think. If my vet handled my puppy like that I would be leaving promptly.

 

[sarah]

you vet sounds dodgy. Is there another vet you can take Harley to for a second opinion?

 

[kdryan]

There are plenty in the area. The main reason I went to this one is she did a decent job with our Guinea Pig and Cat before they passed on.

Of course we all know how much a Guinea Pig and a Lab have in common...

Is there a way I could find who IS good with a Labs special needs in my area?

Kevin