westiemum

At last I've found a raw mix I'm happy with - sorry if its been posted before but thought I'd re-post in case anyone would like to try it. This recipe is written for my Thermomix (TMX) so I've halved the quantities but should work well in a food processor. This looks great and my guys just wolfed it down. And its so quick and easy!! In the right quantities it also seems to work well for chunky dogs needing to lose a bit of pud! Hope it helps. This is a TMX variation of Dr Billinghurst's raw barf patty recipe. It is based on a half kilo of raw crushed vegetables and a half kilo of raw minced meat. All ingredients should be human grade IMO. This amount makes about 12 half cup servings for a small dog. Ingredients: 1/2 kg vegetables (carrots, celery, spinach, cauli, broccoli etc), roughly chopped 1/2kg lean meat or mince (beef, chicken, lamb, pork, kangaroo etc). ('Roo and pork are good for dogs with allergies). 1/8 lambs fry (or similar amount of other offal), roughly chopped 1/4 small tub plain, low fat yogurt 1-2 free range eggs (I use 2) 2 cloves garlic 1.5 dspns flax seed oil 1/2 tspn of vitamin B powder Up to 2 tspns kelp powder (I use 2) Any other healthy food scraps eg small amounts of cooked veggies, rice, pasta cottage cheese etc. Method If mincing your own meat, mince it first for 8-15 seconds on speed 7 and set aside. Chop veggies, garlic and offal in TMX for 6-8 seconds on speed 4 or until it looks like fine coleslaw. Veggie mix should be well chopped, fine enough to make into patties, but not mush. Add mince and all other ingredients and mix on reverse + soft speed for 8 - 10 seconds until well combined. Shape into patties and freeze or freeze in serving size portions in plastic bags. Thaw as required.

What she said. I rode as a kid and I can't see me feeding horse meat to my westies any time soon.

MM its the matching pegs in the middle that worry me!! :laugh:

Yep once a day here too

fungrzz I'm really pleased to hear your dog has pulled through - thats terrific. However at this age and with this sort of medical history I would be very wary of relying on pet insurance for the future. I tried to insure my 6.5 year old west highland some years ago who, as a puppy farm rescue dog had a significant history. They were happy to insure him as long as all but his right big toe was excluded (eg had had an ACL repair so the healthy right leg was excluded!!). Anyway I decided with all these exclusions to not insure him but save for his expenses by upping my mortgage repayments and drawing down if I needed it. And I'm glad I did - as his last threee ops since November last year would all have been excluded under the policy. So I suppose its a case for you of ask the questions, read the small print, understand the exclsuions (there will be a heap of them I bet) and then decide whats best for you. Generally, I think pet insutrance for older dogs with chronic health history is often a waste of time. Pet insurance works well with puppies or young dogs with little history of health problems IMO. Hope that helps. ETS

Although I'm not a big fan of the RSPCA, I'll support them on this one as at least the issue is getting some air time at long last. However the only independent paper in Adelaide today trivialised the issue IMO on its front online page today. So I've just written a polite response to them - will be interesting to see if I get anything back. (Referred them to Petrescue and www.wheredopuppiescomefrom.com.au). We'll see.

Great video Westielover - I had never really thought of westies as agility dogs!! But what a little beauty!!

Kirty. I think you are amazing - I'm lucky enough to have 3 westies who come and go through a doggie door whenever they need to without any trouble at all - the youngest rescue seems to have an occasional chew on my right ugg boot (never the left) and an an occasional 'up you' wee in side. - but thats it I really feel for you and admire you - I don't think I'd cope... :hug: from the westies.

Thoughts have been with you - great to see you back. Have really missed your posts (And Beau, that toofy little wonky bite man, sends his love! As do the westies... )

Hmn... good topic Steve. For me its a puppy farmer is someone who comercially breeds companion dogs in livestock circumstances where socialisation is poor and the only motive is profit, rather than betterment of the breed. As the owner of two puppy farm rescue dogs, I think the profit/non-profit (or altruistic), non-socialised/socialised and and livestock/companion animal dimensions are the clinchers for a definition. ETS.

Yep same here Ravyk - similar routine here for a porky westie - low cal dry food didn;t work so half a barf pattie and veggies did the trick with a chicken neck (yes one!) in the morning. Worked a treat.

Thanks everyone for your replies - will pass them all on.

Thanks Bully - will pass that on too

Thanks Zebette - will pass that on.

Thanks everyone - will pass those suggestions on. Anyone got any other suggestions in Adelaide (not just southern suburbs)?

And if Coles and KMart sell out, don't forget the baby blue ones from Ikea - I have half a dozen of them - wash like rags and dry in seconds!

For multiple heat pads it seems to be much cheaper to buy out of the UK on ebay even with international postage.

Have a look at the website - scam or not anyone who buys from a website like this with photos like this on it deserves all thye get IMO. Link here ETA link

I agree that vets need to be clear about the options, costs and choices (and potential consequences and risks) up front. In that sense its no different to a human surgeon who will often give options and choices up front as well. For what its worth, I always have fluids, pre-anaesthetic blood tests and plenty of pain relief for my elderly westies - I hate to be in pain myself and don't want them to be either (And thats what paying extra into the mortagage is for!)

I'm in the unusual position of having a small dog (ten year old westie) who has just had a tibial wedge repair on the right after the DA technique failed. (His first DA with the same vet in 2006 on the left has worked brilliantly - no probs at all). The DA technique on the right was around 1.2k and the subsequent tibial wedge over 3k six weeks later (before my very kind vets discount back to 2.56k! :rolleyes: ). So its been an expensive 6-8 weeks but I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. So far so good. I used to believe in conservative treatment but with an existing vulnerable previous repair (in my case on the left), I'm very very wary about putting the vulnerable (left) leg under pressure while waiting to see if the right leg resolves - hence my opting for a surgical repair on the right ASAP rather than waiting. I was really concerned about the first (left) ACL repair breaking down. It also means their lower back is also under pressure until repair/resolution. So all in all for my old boy I opted for surgery. If I'm really honest, I was opting for conservative treatment in 2006 initially, to put off the expense of surgery - and in hindsight I wonder if that put the right leg under pressure and on the path to a breakdown some years later... who knows... but worth thinking about. Hope that helps.

Hi Tansy, My boy has just had his right ACL repaired for the second time... and cartrophen injections have also been recommended. As my vet has never once led me astray, I'll take that advice and start him on his first injection next week. I understand your preference not to over-medicate - but these new drugs are so good these days IMO over-medication generally is less of a worry - and I certainly know my boy is much more comfy when he's well medicated (not over medicated mind you). Good Luck!

Clipperworlds Joint Guard prices were cheaper for a while - but not any more - they've gone up significantly recently. For example the 750gm tub is 150.00 at Clipperworld and 119.95 at Greyhound Products Direct - so pays to shop around. Hope that helps.

Am I happy to own a westie or three? You bet - little/no shedding or hair around the place at all!

Thanks everyone. These friends of mine are going away for 34 days - and are really anxious that their beloved goes somewhere comfy and warm! Will investigate Plymptom - thanks grabit - any other suggestions anyone?

Anyone recommend a good kennel for an elderly doberman in Adelaide anywhere? Any thoughts or advice really appreciated. Edited to delete the 'southern' requirement!