Got a healthy basset? Seems like there is always something...

8175 Views 34 Replies 17 Participants Last post by jaleely, Sep 6, 2011

jaleely

Discussion Starter · Sep 2, 2011

I'd like to see a post of some of the Healthy bassets out there. I'm beginning to think its quite a hard thing to find in this breed. I am just sorta grumpy and down today, but it seems like there is always the big C or glaucoma, or genetic issues. My own guy gets shots every other week for his legs, and constantly battles skin issues and mange. Even my beagle has a constant ear infection we've spent at least $1,000 on over the past year trying to fix.

I want to hear about a basset who lives a nice long healthy life! Tell me a tale of how healthy your dog is!

21 - 35 of 35 Posts

Wworm

· #21 · Sep 3, 2011

Yay, Mr. Hank!
and please tell ur mama to keep making beautiful artwork, drawings, and paintings of u. she is soooooo talented. we love it when u share ur art with us

Herzo

· #22 · Sep 3, 2011

Yes positive, I always think it is a good thing. Oh and you did the portrait of your dog? Nice!!!!!!

SophieB

· #23 · Sep 3, 2011

vonny01 said:
Mine are not very old but do not have any problems

Rupert is the oldest at 6 and a half and apart from some Colitis when he was young has not seen the Vet for at least 4 years other than routine jabs.

Dudley and Patience have never been to the Vet for anything other than their booster jabs.
They are 4 and 3 and a half

How often do you have Dudley and Patience 'boosted'?

After doing a lot of intensive research, read several books, contacted a couple of Americans who have been researching immunisations in dogs, spoken to Basset breeder friends, a local groomer/breeder/shower of Retrievers and Spaniels, and others, I feel that boosters on top of boosters just wreck our dogs' immune systems and possibly/probably cause so many allergies, ear problems, skin problems and worse....

What do others think? (Having only just seen this topic, I have not read other replies and have to go out this minute, so will read them later)!

vonny01

· #24 · Sep 3, 2011

SophieB said:
How often do you have Dudley and Patience 'boosted'?

After doing a lot of intensive research, read several books, contacted a couple of Americans who have been researching immunisations in dogs, spoken to Basset breeder friends, a local groomer/breeder/shower of Retrievers and Spaniels, and others, I feel that boosters on top of boosters just wreck our dogs' immune systems and possibly/probably cause so many allergies, ear problems, skin problems and worse....

What do others think? (Having only just seen this topic, I have not read other replies and have to go out this minute, so will read them later)!

All mine are done every year as they go in Kennels and it is a requirement

SophieB

· #25 · Sep 3, 2011

vonny01 said:
All mine are done every year as they go in Kennels and it is a requirement

Every year???

There's no way that I would have my Bassets done year after year and weakening their immune systems! Even my vet, when questioned, after I had thoroughly researched the subject, has admitted to me that most vaccines have a 7-year to life immunity, so to have your Bassets done every year must surely be totally uneccessary and your kennel could well be in cahoots with your vet!

Here are just two of the many articles about this very subject! Also, have a read of Catherine O'Driscoll's book 'What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255863/Vaccines-making-dogs-sick-vets-cash-in.html

Ihttp://www.knowbetterpetfood.com/arewevaccinatingtoomuch

vonny01

· #26 · Sep 3, 2011

SophieB said:
Every year??? There's no way that I would have my Bassets done year after year and weakening their immune systems! Even my vet, when questioned, after I had thoroughly researched the subject, has admitted to me that most vaccines have a 7-year to life immunity, so to have your Bassets done every year must surely be totally uneccessary and your kennel could well be in cahoots with your vet!

Here are just two of the many articles about this very subject! Also, have a read of Catherine O'Driscoll's book 'What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255863/Vaccines-making-dogs-sick-vets-cash-in.html

Ihttp://www.knowbetterpetfood.com/arewevaccinatingtoomuch

I think you will find that all boarding kennels insist on yearly vaccines,and nowadays a lot of the Insurance companies do as well or else your policy is invalidated

SophieB

· #27 · Sep 3, 2011

We never put our dogs into kennels if we go away, and have relatives who stay in our house to look after our dogs. Maybe insurance companies should have a re-think about how often vaccines need to be given to our dogs to keep them in the best condition!

In the past, our dogs used to have it done regularly and I'm sure it contributed to the number of vet visits we used to have for ear infections, itchy skin, lumps and bumps and suchlike, so we'll see if not having them done makes any difference and so far, it has, as we've not been to the vet since they were both spayed at exactly six months of age and they were three-years old in April. We don't have pet insurance.

mhvonalmen8908

· #28 · Sep 4, 2011

My two are very healthy but Doppler is only two and Virga is a year old so we don't have a lot of experience thus far. The only problems we've had are Virga twinging her leg. Knocking on wood it continues!

Herzo

· #29 · Sep 4, 2011

I have been going with about every three years. That is what some recommend. I know that's what the Colorado State University recommends. My Vet thinks it's who ha, but that's ok if he wants to mess up his dogs go for it. I have read allot on this and I do think we are vaccinating to much. I have to get Rabies every three years as it is the law but wish I didn't. I have heard there is a study going on now that is trying to prove that rabies lasts 10 years in a dog.

Mr. Woofus

· #30 · Sep 4, 2011 (Edited)

We only vaccinate Woofus and Snoopy what is required by law...rabies. And I wish we didn't have to do that. Vonny, this is by no means an attack on what you do but I implore you to check things out and not just listen to what is told to you. All animals...and humans are WAY over vaccinated. It's all done because the drug companies make billions....simple as that. We try and go about our dogs health in a holistic way. Keep them healthy their whole lives, and there should be little problems down the road. Everyone has their own opinion, this is just ours.
Sophie....I completely agree with you on this. When the wifey and I go out of town, they go back to Daphneyland (our rescue) because they are the only ones who we trust, and who don't require 100 vaccines.

vonny01

· #31 · Sep 4, 2011

I only vaccinate because I HAVE TO.
We like to go on holiday and the dogs have to go in kennels.
With Rupert's temperament issues I would not leave him with anyone else so there is little choice in the matter.
If we stop going away we will think again but at the moment it is a requirement so we are stuck with it.
But I do not regularly give them flea stuff unless |actually see fleas

SophieB

· #32 · Sep 4, 2011

I fully understand Vonny!!! MrWoofus, I'm glad that someone else agrees with my findings after my almost five years of really delving into this subject and you are quite right, the drug companies are making millions from this over-vaccination of our pets!

Charges for these vaccinations also vary, depending on where you live! In 2008, my vet charged £62 each for my two pups (I think big dogs cost more, but no idea why as they're all small as pups) whereas my sister's Munsterlander cost just £16 a couple of months before... for the same thing!!! Her vet told her that anything over £3 is profit!

I know my vets have several super-duper surgeries(whereas my sister's vet is like James Herriot with a land-rover and village surgery) mine have huge estate cars and spent several millions on equipment and premises, but no need to overcharge clients to recoup their spends!!!

I think a lot of vets presume people have their dogs/pets insured, which I think (so do others) that it leads to us being charged a lot more than we should be paying....

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jaleely

Discussion Starter · #33 · Sep 5, 2011

Sophie & MR woofus, agreed! I try to do as little vaccination as possible (after the initials) though i do keep flea medicine on the dogs (we have a huge amount of fleas, and we're ripe with ticks in my area).
I do vaccinate...but not yearly. I weigh each one accordingly.

As for pure bred dogs, I think the statistics are about the same for mixed and pure, and i do think it' boils down to who is checking in with these statistics, and also like someone said, that vet care has come a long way in the past few years to prolong life.
That being said, there are still over-vaccinations *lol*

Insurance and kennels just want the absolute null possibility of your dog getting sick (and them paying for it) or your dog getting another dog sick (and them getting sued). So, of course that's why they get away with yearly requirements. it's all politics.

For Bowser, since he has a low immune system, it's kind of a give and take. I'm afraid to get him taken care of, or get him shots, sometimes, because the cure can be worse than the possibility of him getting sick...but at the same time, I don't want him to get sick!
That's kind of why I started this thread. I was just kind of down thinking about his issues, and kind of down in following a few sad stories about sick or deceased bassets. I really just wanted a happy thread about fun happy bassets!
I've also started a new job at a pet store, and half the time you get happy loving pet-parents, and the other half of the time you get ignorant animal-mistreated morons that depress me because I can't take their animals away from them *lol*

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sadeyes2

· #34 · Sep 5, 2011

Wish I could cheer you up jaleely, but Toby has had ortho-arthritis since he was about 6 or so.

In saying that, he was a rescue and probably not bred by a proper breeder, so the chances of illness are so much higher.

jaleely

Discussion Starter · #35 · Sep 6, 2011

*sigh* yes, bowser has terrible genetics, and I'm afraid i didn't help matters when we used to encourage him to run and bounce up and down the stairs...there's controversy, but i truly believe that helped along his leg issues. My poor boy is always itchy, skin issues (mange bouts), immune issues, leg problems...it just hurts my hear to see him suffer (because of course he doesn't know any different, so he just troops along) and then to hear all the sad basset stories. I am so moody about it lately! *lol*

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