Shylo's Wynn & Maggie

I think the two photos illuatrate the dilemma. What's one to do? The name and address in the photos have been "blocked" to protect the innocent but are signed as required.

I've used it several years now. It won't prevent all parasitic infections but in my opinion is a good base line for prevention of parasitic infections. Kind of like a broad spectrum antibiotic. It's not going to "kill" all bacteria but is effective against a wide range of gram positive and negative bacteria. Even though I use it (Sentinel), I have regular fecal tests done. If the fecal study is positive for other parasites, appropriate meds can be prescribed. This has happen to my dogs even while on Sentinel. I think the combination of meds and lab work provides the best care. Hope this helps. Shylo

My inlaws have a grocery store and awhile back this lady came into to purchase some goods. In the course of the conversation, she acknowledged the fact that I rescued a new border collie. Whatever you do she proceeded to say, don't feed your dog any of the "raw hide" products from outside the US. Why asked why, she responed that it was common practice to incorporate a small amount of arsentic into the food as a preserative and also because it tastes good to the dog. Being a science teacher, I found that hard to believe. I know the wood industry uses arsentic to preserve wood, its used in semicondutors and in industry. Anyone ever heard this claim? More inmportantly, what is the best natural product that will aid in cleaning teeth? I know I could have my vet do it, but prefer not go that route with a young dog. Shylo

I recently lost my 6 year old bc. My vet made a diagnosis of Cushings disease based on the fact the her blood panel showed an alkaline phosphatase that was off the chart and an ALT that was significiently elevated. No low dose dexamethasone test was done to confirm the diagnosis. My dog died within 15 days of becoming ill. The first symptoms I noticed were a decline in her activity level, thirst and panting. A blood sugar was the first test done, but it was normal. Does anyone have an info regarding this disease in border collies? Does breeding play a part? Would giving Prednisone for hot spots be a contributing factor? Interesting, there was no hair loss and no enlargement of the stomach which I would have expected to see. While the answers to these questions won't bring my dog back, it may help me in my effort to see if I missed something that might have been treatable.