westiemum

Hmn Mrs RB... did you go to my school? Perfect description of my sports day agonies! But must admitI enjoyed the swimming carnivals... I was one of the top two who 'got to do everything'.

Nope. Rather put my money elsewhere. I don't support 'for 45% of all creatures great and small' - or there abouts...

That's a great price Juice - just watch the postage out of the US - they are very heavy. :)

I was worried about all the bleach they use to clean chickens with but probably nowhere near as bad as the pet mince rubbish.... because I am vego I spend a lot of time contemplating meat :laugh: I actually spend most of my shopping time in the meat department. First dog has been eating like a king, but OH might begin to notice the cost when I'm buying for two! He already has been salivating over Snipers lamb offcuts. We live next door to a cattle station and if I had the freezer space I would buy a killer off them. Might be worth investing in a chest freezer? I don't think they are very expensive to buy and run... :)

Snook I have a couple of snugglesafes you can borrow to try if you'd like. I really like them - they do the job overnight to use , I doubt they can be chewed and are safe. Very easy to use - just whack them in the microwave and you're done. Give me a hoy if you'd like to try them. BTW $79 seems very expensive to me - if you hunt around you can pick them up for sub $60. I paid about $52 + postage from memory a couple of years ago. :)

He's divine. Congratulations on picking an oldie - they are so often overlooked. I have two oldies here and they are such a joy! Welcome to DOL and look forward to hearing how you and Hamilton (great name!) are getting on. :)

Lilysmum big hugs. You'll make the right decision whatever that might be.

RIP brave little puppy. So sorry for her family.

Absolutely correct Crisovar - there are other excellent choices around and I use chicken necks, turkey necks and offal as well - but the OP was asking about pet mince from the supermarket so thats what we've been commenting on. :)

Well then I'm the second weirdo as I couldn't agree more :)

PErsonally I wouldn't use it. I prefer human grade - whenever I see 'not for human consumption' I ask 'why'?

Hi Sheridan, So sorry that RC have stopped making your food. I just rang my vet as I was in there earlier tonight and they've swapped over from mainly stocking Hills to mainly stocking RC - and they said the rep told them that sensitivity control is unavailable at the moment but they are re-formulating it and its coming back. Which makes sense - why would they delete a line that I would have thought many owners relied on? So it probably worth keeping an eye out too - it'll probably suddenly re-appear. Hope that helps. :)

Thanks PP - I didn't think of that - I've always put it down to his dementia. But your're right - I do need to have it checked out. And FR - yes I knew I'd missed something bleeding obvious - thanks very much for that. Will give it a go. :) In the meantime, any other suggestions about belly band management or training? :)

That's fantastic - really pleased she's come through so well. It also gives me hope and confidence for my aging 2 oldies :) Thanks for posting

Hi All, Please can I have some DOL collective wisdom and advice. I have bought a belly band for Mac, my old westie with mild early dementia as intermittently he's dribbling... not badly... But it seems to be getting a bit more frequent. When I put the belly band on him with a poise pad, he wees straight away - so it seems to me it's defeating the purpose. What am I doing wrong? Or have I missed something in my tiredness of the last few days? Thanks for any advice - I'm sure I'm overlooking something bleeding obvious! Oh and please spell it out - I'm really weary at he moment so need things specific and clear! :)

Yep I can vouch for calendula tea - it would give my girl westie good relief from her itchies (and give me a decent nights sleep!) but as Erny says it isn't a cure. My girl has just completed a three month course of Atopica - a cyclosporin which has worked brilliantly - but is extremely expensive (for an 8.5 kg westie its $152/month on the full dose . Luckily for me it was part of a clinical trial for atopic dermatitis so the first three months of Atopica was paid for by Pfizer). According to the vet dermatologist its very expensive to manufacture as there is no synthetic equivalent - synthetics bring down the cost of drugs. Shes just this week finished her trial and gone back to one capsule every second day which makes the cost just manageable. Possibly worth considering if you're getting to the point of desperation that I was with an extremely itchy dog who was waking me 2-3 times a night with her scratching - her scratching lesions were becoming really bad and her skin looked like it was always on the verge of breaking down. Not to mention just how unhappy she was. I had to do something different - both for her and for me. So I decided to see if she was eligible for the trial and luckily for me she was and was allocated the Atopica control which she can continue with now the trials over - and she's soooo much happier and better. Now I'm just hoping that the capsule every second day holds her. :)

I think Black Hawk is relatively new in the last couple of years and its Australian made and owned. So its probably not on doganalysis which I think is an American site. Also remember that I'm pretty sure that imported dog food is irradiated through Australian quarantine - and as far as I know the jury is out on whether or not this is a good thing. But I tend to be a bit wary. As to which is better, its really what your dog does best on - some will do better on Artemis and others on BH. If it were me I would try the 3 kg bag of Black Hawk first - its cheaper, Australian made and is developing a solid fan base (and yes I'm using it as a supplementary feed at the moment) - and if you're not happy with it then try something else. Hope that helps. :)

gazellehound its really about what suits your dogs. There are those of us who are/were raw food and meaty bone fanatics years ago - I was one of them - yet I now occasionally supplement with dry kibble - particularly now I can get brands that I'm happy with at a reasonable price. Although I would never feed a solely dry food diet - I genuinely believe dogs need moisture in their food as well but I don't mind supplementing occasionally with dry food now. (Mind you a bag lasts me forever - using Black Hawk at the moment ) If you are lucky enough to have a dog who does well on raw meaty bones (RMBs) and prefers them and is happy and healthy with good coat, weight and teeth and you can then reduce her 'dinner' amount (I assume its a commercial wet or dry food?), then I think go for it. I wouldn't be worried at all - in fact lucky you, as you're probably finding this is a cheaper way to feed good food. I see you are in SA - something else you can try is Jo's 'Formula' (DOLs 'Yellowgirl') - its is very reasonably priced and very high quality raw food. I've been using it now for some years and my dogs have thrived on it. Jo's shop has changed hands recently but the new owner, Corina is lovely too and has continued with Jo's Formula and if anything has improved it. The shop is 'Adelaide Dog' at 305a Payneham Road, Royston Park - northern city side of the Portrush Road intersection in a small shopping centre complex with an Italian name like Minnicozi - or something like that. Corina also stocks a good range of healthy no-preservative treats and chews - so that might be worth investigating too. And for anyone who's wondering - no - I have no connection with the shop or Jo or Corina - just really like what they're doing. Hope that helps. :) ETA: Forgot to add a vet will usually do a good job on a dental - but it does involve a general anaesthetic and expense on a fairly regular basis - so if you can find a solution which doesn't involve a GA (eg good chews or bones) then I think thats far far preferable and I think most good vets would agree. (GAs should always be minimised IMO). The other thing you can do is actually clean their teeth with a doggy toothpaste and a finger glove 'brush'. I've not had a lot of success with it but I believe others have, particularly if you are disciplined and brush each day. Vets and pet supplies places sell them. :)

Hi Julie, Happy to help but I don't use outlook - so please could you pm the email address for tickets?

I've read bits of this thread for some weeks - and this afternoon I've finally had time to sit down and read every last post in both threads. Well what can you say. Carlo and kelscats you both did an absolutely incredible job. Carlo, you are amazing - you persevered to save Pearl and then you were wise enough to listen to the years of experience and wise advice on DOL. And then there's the amazing job that those other DOLers did in supporting you when the going got tough. Persephone, Bulldoglover and others need to take a bow as well. Having been where Carlo was as a newbie years ago I know just how incredibly important that support was to me - and I'm sure it has been to Carlo. These two threads for Pearl are the most magnificent examples of everything that is good about DOL and its community. Troy I think its time for a 'DOL Thread Hall of Fame' or something similar - some way to preserve those threads which are far above the ordinary that we can refer to when we need a shot in the arm and a reminder of why we all do this stuff. They are not for adding to but for keeping and re-reading and referring others to when we need to. They are also marvellous and real demonstrations to the wider world of the value of local rescue, fostering and rehoming. And I think Pearls two threads should be the first to be preserved somehow (and I'm sure there are others we could think of that are as worthy and extra special). Not sure how you (Troy) work out 'Hall of Fame Threads', probably just your decision, but these threads are far too special to eventually be lost in the myriad of threads that make up DOL. Anyway just my thoughts. Pearls skin reminds me of Eddie - a westie who when we got him had the worst skin and coat I'd ever seen and a pus-filled fur-less infected rear end. And although it took time (well over 12 months from memory), Eddies skin completely healed and he now has the most magnificent coat! All it took was a rescue from abuse, three months of fostering in two foster homes (like Pearl, I too had a cat problem with him!), and a vigilant search for the right new family who cared and persevered with him. I'm sure the same will happen for Pearl. Good luck beautiful girl and congratulations to her new family - heres to many happy years together. :)

OK - an update on the weeing on the bed situation. Sheridan I think you hit it on the head - cos the only time I've had a wee on the bed since the mega washing is when I was ultra tired one night and grabbed a blanket from the clean dog blanket pile and someone weed on it! I was upset until I remembered this was the pile that didn't go through the mega washing vinegar rinse exercise because it was already clean and Id done what felt like thousands of loads already. And no bed weeing since then. So Sheridan I think you're right! Thanks tons. And I just have to remember not to use any of the blankets from that pile on the bed until they've been through the wash again! :laugh:

Ditto!

OK - some Adelaide prices - Burnside Pet Centre for those this side of town - 3kg bag of adult is $24.95, and the 20kg is $97.95. I think that stacks up pretty well when you add delivery prices to the online price. :) Anyone else have any comparisons?

Just received some samples from Black Hawk to try... cat food as well (for the cat!). I use it only as a supplemetary feed so will be interesting to see how we go. :)

Hi All, Sorry I haven't read the full thread - but anyone know roughly what to expect price wise in Adelaide for the 3kg and the 20kg bags of Adult Black Hawk? I've seen $20 and $90 bandied about but wondered if they hold true in Adelaide? TIA. :)