charliehotel

Maybe ask your vet what they think about feeding kangaroo meat? I know some dogs owners like to feed it but others dont, pancreatitis or not........We tried it because it's very low fat, and Chucky ate it without any problems for a while but then he just went off it and wouldn't eat it anymore. Personally I think he was just putting it on to get some roast chicken, he does that periodically!!! Any time he 'goes off his food' he gets roast chicken with all the skin and fat removed, so why wouldn't you put it on to get a better dinner!!!!!

Sounds like you are on the right track with the diet though - sometimes it's a bit trial and error but if you aim for the lowest fat content possible you shouldn't go wrong. Hope both your dogs are doing well now!!!!

Hi there, my OH has a 14 year old Malamute who came down with pancreatitis about 5 years ago. My OH used to give his Mal a big marrowbone every couple of days that was cut down the middle so he could lick all the marrow out, and the vet reckons that was a big factor in causing the disease.

Like other people have already described, it's a disease that's able to be controlled by diet, but you do need to be the food police!!! The diet needs to be as low fat as possible so doing things like boiling lean mince to get all the fat out is a good option. Also lots of vegies and a good dry food that has the lowest fat content you can find - there's quite a few different varieties out there, so it's just a matter of finding one that your dog likes to eat. Chucky likes the Optimum one better than others but that's just his taste!!!! Chucky also gets cooked rice and pasta mixed into his meals, each night it's like a meat, dry food, pasta and 3 vegie mix and he's been doing very well on it for 5 years now. For a treat he gets the occasional roast chicken with all the skin and fat taken away, and he also used to like raw kangaroo fillet steak (it has virtually no fat) but he spontaneously decided he doesn't like it any more!!! If you are really keen to make up some doggy treats, my OH used to make his own dried beef strips (like beef jerky for dogs) with the leanest meat he could find and Chucky would have these instead of doggy biscuits or other fatty treats.

I'm not sure what medication Chucky was on when he first got sick, but he's not on any medication anymore, it's all diet controlled. So hopefully that will be the case for your Mal too, might bring the bills down a bit!!

Good luck - I'm sure you'll all be fine once you get into a routine.

Well I certainly hope that I don't disappear in a pile of dirty nappies once I become a mum!!!!!!!! But everyone keeps telling me that I'll have no time for anything..........I'm going to have to get VERY organised!!!!! Being on DOL certainly gives me faith that you can have dogs and kids without neglecting either of them, there's plenty of people here who manage it so I know it can be done......

So back to you Rar, this is your thread after all!!!! Hope you find a solution that works for you and your furkid - there WILL be success for you both I'm sure!! Lots of us have overcome very similar problems to what you are experiencing. There were times I cried with frustration and wanted to give up, I was so sure that nothing could be done. But now looking back now I just wish I had taken action earlier because we would have been back on track so much sooner. Getting specific, targeted help just for us really made all the difference, and it was seriously only two sessions. Best money I ever spent on my dogs!!!!!

Who knows, once the baby arrives maybe I'll be able to offload her to my OH on Sunday mornings and start sessions with the local ADT.....

Hi there, I understand where you are coming from completely!! I had similar issues with one of my dogs (a big boisterous lab x called Minna) who was virtually impossible to walk on a lead, at her worst she was able to pull me off the foot path and on to the road!!!! I despaired of ever being able to learn what I/we were doing wrong and how to fix it, I honestly thought that I was going to have to put up with it. But after reading up as much as I could (particularly from DOL) I decided to go with some one on one professional training and the recommendation was to try Judi at Pro K9.

If you'd told me that just 2 sessions with a professional trainer could make such a difference, I never would have believed you. But it works!!!!!!!!!! Within the first session Minna was walking without pulling on the lead, at my side, looking to me for direction and I had learned what I needed to do to work with Minna to make sure she continued this standard of behaviour when we were on our own. In the second session we built on the foundations and also learned heaps about how to manage dogs and babies (our first one is due in 2 months and I was concerned about making sure we managed this issue properly for both the dogs and the baby's sake). Minna's a different dog!!!!

I can really recommend going for some one on one professional training - it's worth the money and it was a lot cheaper than I thought it would be, especially considering the results that could be achieved in such a short time. But I guess that's the whole point of one on one training - it's just about you and your dog and your issues, with 100% of the instructors attention. I can't speak highly enough of Judi at Pro K9, she's just great and we learned so much from her. Judi's based in Berwick which is not too far from you if you'd like to get in touch with her. her website is www.ProK9.com.au

Good luck!!!!! And don't give up. Solutions are out there and you'll find the one that is right for you. :p

I agree with the idea of making the vet a fun place to visit. My vet surgery is great, the vets and the nurses all make a fuss of each animal and they take a lot of time with the young ones to make sure that it's not a terrifying experience. They hand out lots of yummy treats too!!!! My dogs are both so keen to get there they just about pull me in the door!!!!! I'm so grateful that the staff go to so much effort, it really pays off.

These two products sound exactly what I need, I have a lab x golden retriever that the flies just love and they have bitten her ears to bits!!!!! Would a normal pet supply place carry these products or would I have to go to a horse supply place?

And while we are talking flies, does anyone know of a fly repellent that works? Once my dog's ears are healed up I would be wanting just a fly repellent to prevent the damage happening again. Any advice appreciated please!!!!

My OH has a malamute who has had pancreatitis for about 4 years now. the Mal boy is around 13 years old, and the initial attack 4 years ago nearly killed him. The vets treating him seemed to think that it was brought on by a diet too high in fat, which fits in with the diet he was on at the time. my OH used to give him a marrow bone every day or two, sliced open down the middle so he could lick the marrow out easily.

Since his diagnosis, the Mal boy is on a strict no fat diet. He gets lean mince that has been cooked and then had the fat drained away, vegies, rice, and the lowest fat dry food on the market (can't remember off the top of my head what brand it is). But he's in fantastic health, especially considering his age. He still romps around like a puppy!!! So, while I'm sure some dogs will get it worse than others, it's not necessarily doom and gloom to have your dog diagnosed with pancreatitis. Find a no/low fat diet and stick to it, it will definitely make a difference. And talk to your vet to find out if there's medication that may help. Good luck!!!!!

I used the balloon idea years ago when I had a dog who was taking clothes off the line, but it wasn't so much the water that worked as the big bang when he burst the balloon, it scared the hell out of him and he never did it again.....I did it when I was at home to make sure everything went ok, but I'm not sure if it's the right course of action for every dog....it worked for him, but it certainly wouldn't work for the girl I have now, she is way too highly strung!!!!

Just addding to the other great suggestions.....I'm in Melbourne and I find the Preston Market is the cheapest place for raw meat. Prices are usually chicken necks $1.20 kg, lamb shanks or necks 6 for $10, bags of rib bones a couple of dollars. Even cheaper if you go at the end of the day. And if you become a regular some of the stall holders give you special deals!! :D Vegies are also cheap up there.

Fastgals&Boy - When Donnie had kennel cough, I was giving him a small dessertspoon of manuka honey at night before bed and again in the morning, just him licking it straight off the spoon. And if he had a bad cough attack during the night I'd get up and give him another spoon. I have no scientific basis for this, it was simply a matter of applying what worked for me when I had bronchitis and was coughing just like he was!!!! It really worked for both of us. In regard to the sugar, I wasn't too concerned because I was more worried about his coughing. I wouldn't think that it would get in the way of the other supplements though, because I've read about natural remedies where manuka honey was used in conjunction with garlic and horseradish. I've also heard of people mixing the honey up with warm water as a drink for their dogs, and this also worked for them. BTW Donnie is quite a big boy, 30kg, so a smaller dog probably wouldn't need as much, and he only got the honey while he was sick.

Hope this helps....it's just personal experience of something that worked for us. Hope your furkids are better soon!!!

BTW - Donnie's had kennel cough twice in 4 years and both times I let all the owners of dogs he'd been in contact with know about it. I also cancelled his dog walking service (as a treat he and Minna get taken out by Lonely Pets once a week, in addition to their daily walks with me) and let them know about the KC. It's an airborne disease so it very contagious, and I reckon it was the right thing to do to tell people.....no point spreading the misery further.

Try making a sand pit for your dog to dig in - this sort of worked for my dog Minna. She just loves to dig, and doesn't bury anything!!! Each time I put her poop in the holes she digs, she goes off and digs somewhere else, and she also likes chillie and pepper powder!!!! But I got her one of those plastic shell pools and have half with water and half with sand, and I put treats in the sand pit to encourage her to dig there instead of the garden. Like I said, it sort of works for her, but I know it's worked really well for other dogs.

Just reading this thread now and feeling better about my own lack of success trying to stop Minna from digging!!!!!! I've tried just about everything - poop in the holes, pepper and chilli powder, citronella and other 'keep off' products, you name it, all it does is make her dig somewhere else. She has her own sand pit that gets treats and bones for her to find but once she's found them it's off to somewhere else in the garden for another digging session. She has a home alone interactive toy, lots of bones/stuffed kongs and chewy toys to play with, gets walked off lead twice a day, and has another dog for company (hallelujah, Donnie does NOT dig!!!!). As far as doggy life goes, Minna has it pretty good. She just loves to dig. I've resigned myself to the fact I will not be getting any of my rental bond back. And when we finally buy our own place, a beautiful garden is not on the agenda!!!!!!!!!

I've tried cheese, peanut butter, raw mince, frozen mince, dry liver treats, etc. (And mixtures of all!!!!) The thing with Minna is that she'll take the kong because she can tell there's something good in it, but then she can't be bothered working for it. She gives up after a couple of minutes. Which then leaves Donnie to get two sets of treats because I give them a kong each, and being a kong grand master he can empty it of anything within 5 minutes!!!!! It's strange, she has a strong food drive, but when it comes to stuffed kongs she gives up. She has developed a digging habit and a great ability to prune plants, but I've managed to confine that to one particular garden bed. Scariest of all though was when she got into my recycling bin and broke all the glass jars and bottles across the yard :rolleyes: ..........my own fault completely, I always used to keep it in my garage because Donnnie never bothered it, but I moved it to my front yard when Minna came home as part of my puppy proofing. for the first two weeks I remembered to keep it away from Minna but on the weekend I forgot and came home to broken glass everywhere. Can you believe that she didn't cut herself (or Donnie) at all??????!!!!!!!! I feel like such a bad mum.... the home alone is being ordered next pay day!!!!!

Thanks for that ReXy, I think I will definitely invest in one!!! Minna and Donnie spend lots of time playing tug of war with anything big enough for them both to get a hold of so it sounds like it could really work for us. We've had to put ourselves in quarantine due to Donnie copping a bad case of kennel cough so I've been going through chew toys like there's no tommorrow....I tried stuffing Kongs with food treats but Minna just doesn't get it, which leaves Donnie getting twice as much food and Minna looking for other things to chew (the fence, the garage door, my plants..... !!!!) The citronella spray has also worked well for us.

As soon as I can figure out how to get my computer to accept the USB cable there will be photos of my two available!!!!

thanks for those tips, so far things seem to be working out okay......I'm actually amazed at how patient Donnie is with Minna. There were a few times when I thought she was going to end up dominating over him, because he puts up with so much from her, but when it counts he puts her back in her place. And he is also much calmer now that he has company. They are currently sharing the futon in front of the heater and Minna is cleaning Donnie's feet!!!! :p

Hi there,

Minna (6 month old lab x) is going through the chewing stage at the moment too. Even with bones, toys, kongs, two walks a day etc she still finds something to destroy on a daily basis!!!!! but that's puppies I guess. I was doing an internet search on dog toys and found something called 'Home Alone' which is a hanging interactive toy that the dog can chew on, pull on, and get treats out of. It sounds pretty good, I don't know if anyone has used it already and can give a report???? I actually found it on the Save A Dog website under their toys section, which is uncanny because that's where I adopted both my dogs from in the first place!!!!! Anyway, it sounds pretty good, and it might be an option to consider.

Charlie

Hi Everyone,

On Saturday I adopted a 6 month old female lab x (Minna) as a companion for my 6 year old male x breed (Donnie). So far they get along really well, but I'm wondering how much I should be involved in sorting out who gets what status in our new pack? Obviously I have to be the top dog, but I'm not sure if I should just let Donnie and Minna sort out the next positions themselves or if I should actively be involved in keeping Donnie as my number 2 (which personally I would prefer as I've had him longer, and also he is well behaved which I'm hoping I can use to influence Minna's training) with Minna as my number 3. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

charlie