bark

My dog is 7 yrs old now and had a scale and clean once when he was around 3yrs old as part of his surgery at the time. The vet recommended Hills T/D and whilst it's expensive it does help. Yes it's fatty so I adjusted his diet to accommodate the extra fat and the kibble is supposed to be large so it cleans the teeth. As others have suggested there are alternatives such as bones, brushing the teeth or Petzlife gel. I used Plaque off and Aquadent but I didn't find they made any difference and stopped using them.

Lucky you. I've tried to stick to a healthy diet for my dog which avoids additives, preservatives and the other fillers that are put in alot of commercial pet foods and started with the Health Booster to add to my homemade BARF diet. Then I learn't about the Complete Mix and moved to that to mix with roo mince, human grade beef and lamb from the butcher/supermarket and my dog was fine on it. He was on that for a couple of years but then it was time consuming to make the meals, package them in meal portion sizes and freeze them, so now I've moved to Big Dog BARF for the convenience. I still have a bag of Complete Mix on hand for those odd meals I make.

I've used the green liquid which is added to their drinking water, I've used Plaque off, Hills Prescription TD chews, Petzlife gel and Fragaria Vesca (derived from a strawberry plant and in liquid form) which has been mentioned on this site before and a variety of natural chews. So far Petzlife has made a difference especially on the K9s and inside of the bottom lower front teeth. My dog doesn't like me applying it with my finger and running it over his gums and teeth but it works. I've tried both flavours and neither appeals to him but I persist because it works. There's still some tartar but it's slowly disappearing.

My dog and I were in the large oval at St Ives Showground and this man's big black dog lingered too long around my nervous small dog (victim of an attack and wary of all dogs) so I asked the man to call his dog away. The man replied "If you don't like it you shouldn't be here". This happened about two years ago and since then we no longer walk in the oval as that sort of attitude really ticks me off, where owners have no consideration for others.

Have you tried Animal Welfare League NSW,11 Cicada Glen Road, Ingleside (past Terrey Hills). There's no contact with other dogs and you can pay for additional walking time.

There are also fresh pig trotters. I bought some from my local butcher and will see how my dog likes them

When I used to make a veg mix for my dog I added cooked beetroot and he was fine with it but his poop would come out a dark colour

I also use Paw Paw ointment and I also have Mushers which is great because it doesn't leave any marks on the carpet and there's no strong smell

My dog has eaten grass since he was a young pup with stomach problems and he'll still eat it now and then if he's had something that doesn't agree with him.

What size/s and cost please Bark? How long have you had them and is there a "used-by" date on them? I bought them about 1 yr ago. The DAP one is a small, expires in Jan 2012 (this one will be going cheap) and the other brand expires in 2013 (I have two of those ones) which I think is a one size fits all and you cut to adjust the length. Let me double check the details and I'll get back to you with a cost (postage will extra). The real details are: DAP collar 45cm/18in exp 13 Jan 2012 cost is free provided it's purchased with the 2 Beaphar collars. 2x Beaphar Calming Collar 70cm exp 01 Feb 2013 cost for both $50 plus postage.

For anyone who is interested I have two unused collars; one is a DAP still in the packet but no box and the other is another brand still in the box. I bought them online from the UK but never needed to use them and forgot about them until I saw this post.

I bought some about 2 years ago and as far as I could tell it didn't make a difference.

My brother in law drove from Sydney to Adelaide and back to collect their Visla puppy.

For a few reasons ... barks at magpies and the brush turkeys so the neighbour gets REALLY annoyed, it breaks up her week while I'm working and I want to improve her social skills in a supervised environment. I've found that she's more comfortable with other dogs the longer she's with them, hence the day care.

I dont' think there's any training or entertainment come to think of it. The carer takes the dogs to the park then they come back to the house and stay in a room. Comparing what Linda provides makes my carer look like the budget package Unfortunately Penrith is a hike for me especially week days, but I would be interested in Linda's details as I'm always on the look out for good boarding facility when I go on hols.

The first time I dropped her off she was put into a small room which had a few mats scattered on the floor and when I collected her she was in the room with 2 other medium to large dogs and very excited to see me. The owner said she was taken to the dog park and tended to do her own thing which is sniff around. When we got home she was happy to spend the rest of the evening in bed. From this I thought she was fine with the new day care centre. I don't think there were any toys in the room. The second time I dropped her off at the front door, her lead was taken by the day care staff and she walked straight into the house with no resistance. When I collected her she was in a locked crate in the small room with a medium/large dog and a medium dog. My dog saw me and just stared from the crate at me with no wiggly tail just a dull blank look. I asked why she was in a locked crate and was told there had been alot of dogs in and out of the room (my dog has a timid nature). When the carer took her out of the crate and out of the room my dog followed me but there was no excitement to see me as is her normal greeting. When we got home I could tell she wasn't her normal self which made me wonder whether she liked staying at this day care centre. I don't know how long she was kept in the crate but the carer said she liked it, which was a surprise to me. This morning she was back to her normal self keen and eager for her morning walk. Yes it's hard to know whether the carer just wants your money or whether it's really in the best interests of the dog to be there because you want to improve their social skiils.

What signs should I be looking for to tell if my dog doesn't like the dog day care which is in a home environment?

Hi I think it depends on which Council area you live in. I had a similar issue and found out that my Council considers any continuous barking for more than 6 minutes a nuisance. We spoke to the neighbours, found out why our dog barks and have tried a few things, I also take my dog to day care a couple of days a week provide a change in scenery whilst I'm at work.

Does anyone use any homeopathic remedies for heartworm or ticks? Sometimes I wonder about giving the monthly commericial preventatives for worms, heartworms and ticks which are filled with chemicals and came across this website: http://www.allnaturaldog.com.au/australian...lief-p-288.html There are a few other homepathic suppliers and I'm interested to hear if anyone uses them, what it's for and whether it works.

Hi, Has anyone used or know of the following boarding kennels/service; if so would you recommend them? Waggy Tails Retreat, Seaforth Beckman Boarding Kennels, Terrey Hills Goochie Poochie, North Narrabeen Jennoli Pet Agency - I think they provide a similar service to Don'tFretPet Any comments would be helpful. Thanks

My dog is not good with raw bones either so I give him whole raw carrots (if you dog can eat raw veg) and Hills Prescription t/d chews which is designed to reduce tartar build up. There's also Aquadent - a green liquid added to water but I never found it helpful. I also use Fragaria Vesca, a natural liquid produced from a strawberry plant and available from certain chemists which also helps reduce tartar buildup - I found about this from other DOLERS. I've been applying the drops directly onto his tongue about 15 mins before each meal for approx 8mths and I can see a reduction in the bits of brown build up on the inside of his bottom K9.

I allow a gap of 1 hr or more before feeding a meal and the same after exercise. The kennel my dog goes to feeds one meal around 4:30pm (after a day of exercise and "relaxation time" 1 hr prior to feeding) and no exercise after that to avoid bloat.

The vet gave my dog the "all clear" much to my relief... just bad constipation and I don't think he (my dog) enjoyed the rectal examination on his birthday. The instructions were Duphalac 4ml 3x per day which is a human laxative and to feel his abdomen for any tenderness (there was no tenderness). It took 2 doses to take effect. I was in the process of moving to a prey model diet but after that scare I'll be limiting the bones to chicken only.

I was thinking along those lines and thought there might be something to assist with breaking the bone He isn't stressed at all, just wants to play, go for walks, chase the birds and eat. My dog still wanted to eat and play until he got really bad. Please go to the vet, just incase. I spoke with the vet last night and am following their instructions.

I agree with all the others and you will have to make that hard decision to raise it with your friend bore the undesired behaviour becomes worse. My dog used to go to day care one day a week, and 2 other houses so that he wouldn't be at home by himself during the week while I worked. However I always made a point of spending the whole w/e with with him so he knew he was my little boy and would sometimes take a day off work for more bonding. Now he just goes to one house for 2 days a week and the rest of the time he's at home