Why are European dogs healthier than ours..... - Page 2

Renz, if I were you, I'd try DH's recommendations and if they don't help, find a vet dermatologist. Don't assume it's food, 80+% of the time it's inhalation allergies or there could be an underlying staph infection present. In either case, you need an expert to make the correct diagnosis. Give DH's method a few months to work though, you might not see results overnight.

BTW, dogs can develop allergies anytime throughout their lives and the allergens are usually things to which they have been exposed to for their entire lives - pollens, molds, dust, danders and so forth. They are like us in that respect, the big difference is they scratch while we sneeze and cough.

Good luck - been there done that; it's not a lot lot of fun.

DH and Blitzen,

DH thank you for writing a detailed explaination on what to do.  My plan is now set.  I will do as you say for 3 weeks and I will get back to you.  All of my GSD's have been from a top notch kennel in Germany from wonderful breeding.  I just have not had this problem.  But you make good points because we do live where salt is used and he does run with me - however I have been diligent to wipe the paws and the stomach.  I groom him daily (only child).  I am just somewhat frustrated.......He is a CTD which is used in a challenged reading program each Friday and he is calm and reads with 9 childred - I do not want his itch to bother him during the intense program.......however I will deal with it.

DH the humidity is up high, bedding is in the wash, Carpet man has been called off to by food. 

Blitzen as always thanks for the words of encouragement.  I have 2 of the best Derms at the U of M - (I thought) maybe need to re-evaluate????????????????

I have also been in both worlds and one thing I do know for a fact is that Germany has more affordable and reliable vet care. Sorry, it does not have much to do with your case, Renz. I want to wish you good luck with your dog!

It never ceases to amaze me how different the costs are. If you live in the U.S. and your dog needs life saving surgery, it can cause you to go broke. Not so in Germany. I heard of a case for example, where a female went over to Germany for breeding. A vet found a tumor on one of her mammary glands at a routine check-up. It was removed for about 300 Euros (including aftercare). We all know what this would have cost overhere. That is one example.

We are on very good terms with our vet, but it still cost us over 3000 US-Dollars when our male had to have surgery and stay with the vet in his emergency care clinic for about 10 days.

I had extensive work done on one of my females in the Netherlands at a specialized clinic due to the fact that she would not get pregnant and we wanted to know why. She was there for three different appointments and it cost more money in gas driving from Germany to the Netherlands than the actual treatments. I can say now that I have a very healthy dog which got the most thorough check-over any dog could ever get. She did get pregnant too at her next heat cycle.

Years ago, our VA-male Sam vom Haus Burow was kept alive and comfortable for at least two years longer by a German vet and her great homeopathic remedies. She was well known all over Germany as a great veterinary homeopath and I was lucky that she lived right in my parents' street. My mother would go to her and get Sam's medication which she mixed especially for him. Sadly, she is retired now and I miss her terribly.

When I read on the German boards what all the vets do for dogs which are sick, I am amazed. A lot of people could not afford this here in the U.S. German vets try to find alternative cure and listen. They do not have any interest in pumping unnecessary medication and chemicals into the dogs. If I ever have a very sick dog again, I would not hesitate to consult with a German vet anytime. I read Louise's thread about the vet misshaps carefully and was really shocked at some of the stories.

Chris

Surely there are homeopathic vets in the US?

Renz, even if your dog does have allergies, you can desensitize him and he will continue to lead a normal, happy life.  He should probably not be bred though, but some would argue against me on that.  My first GSD scratched 24/7 and developed secondary bacterial infections. I fooled around for almost 3 years switching food, trying this, trying that but nothing made any difference.  I bathed him with medicated shampoo 3, 4 times a week for a year, that didn't help. I finally found a good veterianry dermatologist who skin tested him and found he was allergic to just about every pollen and mold in the east. 

If I had another scratching dog that didn't respond to a common sense approach such as DH has suggested, I wouldn't waste time trying anything else. Off it would go to the dermatologist. Seeme to me that so many GSD owners waste time with food when it's usually about something else anyway. Regardless, I think he will be just fine once you get to the root of the problem.

AIR,

I am sure that there are great homeopathec vets in the U.S.

The point I was trying to make is the costs involved? Do you think any vet here would agree to make a diagnosis sight unseen and agree to customize meds (that is what they usually do in homeopathy)? And all that for a fraction of the costs which are normally charged?

So, to compare prices: How much is cancer surgery and follow-up treatments here? Is it affordable for the average dog owner? How about emergency vet care? What happens if the owner can not afford it?

If you do not think that my post has any point, when why would the dogs in Europe be healthier? Is the food better? Maybe because there are not too many products "made in China", including components for animal care and consumption? My parents who live in Germany swear to that fact. They were just here for a visit and tried to find anything not made in China and it was tough. 

It does seem that dogs over here have more problems with allergies than in Europe. I can not back that up with facts, just my personal impression by comparing posts on U.S. boards vs. German boards. Why is that you think?  Germans usually vaccinate their puppies less and later than we do. Could that be it? Less parasites? I had to explain on a German board once what coccidia and giardia were. Peopel were not familiar with it. Food? Some do BARF but others feed kibble. Environmental factors? A lot of dogs are kept in kennels, but that should not make a difference. Most kennels are out of untreated wood in Germany. I dare to say that most dogs in Europe get more exercise and spend less time in crates. Also, more house dogs are prone to allergies than other dogs. I heard of one person here locally who had a dog which was itching like crazy. They could not find the problem until the vet tested carpet fibers. Too much formaldehyde in that carpet. These allergy tests cost that poor person over 2000 dollars. Formaldehyde is very poisonous and can even be found as a preservative in rawhide if it comes from China. When we heard that we stopped buying dog treats indiscriminately and now pay attention to the small print.

Chris

Daniela and Chris-both good posts. I still think the book/publication probaby cannot be supported with true data, but you are correct about the comparisons of veterinary care between parts of western Europe and the U.S.A.. Yes indeed one can be bankrupted here by something that was relatively easy to treat. So many of the veterinary practices stateside (especially those operated by younger veterinarians) are out to soak the customer for whatever they can. Of course here this practice begins from the level of the pharmaceutical suppliers, as well as some who supply certain foods and "nutrients."

As far as the suppliers who press veterinarians to use and sell their products, I do not really like to make this comparison, but I have a long-time friend who attended mortuary school many years ago as he thought of becoming a funeral home director/owner. The basic idea continually reinforced during his training was "Sell everything you can while the family is crying." Essentially, take advantage of people who were grieving, confused, and unable to make rational decisions. Shameful, I agree, but it is common practice that unfortunately many of us have endured at least once.

Louise's thread was a good one, and one that I think unfortunately could never be finished. I guess the one (1) redeeming thing is that I nowadays know much more about canine health than I did, say, twenty (20) years ago and I am able to say "No!" if I can say nothing else. I think that age as well works in my favour for this matter, as I am now older, sometimes considerably older than many of the veterinarians and their staff.

And while I still cannot support the premise of the doctor's book, you are correct when you say that European dogs, especially the GSD, overall look much better in Europe than in the U.S.A.

Regards,

Bob-O

The cost of vet care in the US is out of control and it will only get worse since many owners are becoming more educated about their pets and are refusing annual vacs and vacs against nuisance diseases such as kennel cough.  I think we can credit that to the internet. It is going to get worse before it gets better if it ever does.  Your vet pays approximately .75 per vac including the syringe; you do the math. Less vacs given, the higher the fees for other services no matter how mundane.

European dogs, IMO, are no healthier in general than ours, although people in Wurope tend to have less dogs per household, therefore may get more care. Also, the vets I have visited in Germany are better trained and better-familiar with our breed than vets in the US. Stands to reason, as the GSD is a prevalent breed in Germany and a source of national pride, while the US population embraces 100's of breeds. No vet can be intimatey familiar with half of them...

SS