westiemum

Hi PRS, Thanks very much for your post and the info - I sooooo hope we don't get to that stage but its good to know about if we do. I don't think he is in pain - he just has a yeasty smelly ear which he scratches on and off. So I think the next step is back to my long-suffering vet! Cheers, Westiemum :thumbsup:

Thanks karly101, The one thing I am confident about is my boys diet!! Yes there have been some really good ideas here - so thanks for the post. I soooo hope my boy lives to 18+++++ (as long as he's healthy and happy!) - congratulations - a major achievement. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi CC, Oh good!! Thanks. Glad alls OK with you. And yes Off Topic is fun!! So start posting!! See you round. Cheers Westiemum

Hi Midol, I used to buy pet grade roo too - until I found out it has an additive in it to keep it smelling OK when its really off that is apparently carcinogenic, and it had a really horrible greeny blue dye through it. So I suppose I'm saying just be careful about what's in it. I have small dogs so I buy human grade roo for them once a week or once a fortnight - but that might not be economical if you have big dogs. Hope that helps. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi percyk, Doesn't surprise me - doggies tend to know when they are on a good wicket!! I'm sure you're up to speed with 'Specials' - but I haunt the supermarket meat specials, bag them and then throw them in the freezer - when Coles reduce their offal, usually on a Tuesday or Wednesday you can pick up a kg or two for under a dollar a kg - and I get two to three meals out of it for my two westies. I also buy RMBs, lamb flaps (cut off any excess fat 1.49/kg - sometimes less), chicken necks (2.00/kg), and any chewy meat on special - the chewier the better - chuck, gravy beef etc. I also get good chicken frames with some meat still on them from my local butcher very cheaply. The man next door also gives me his reject whole fish he has caught down at his shack - and my guys are in seventh heaven when 'Uncle Don' comes home with his pressies for them!! Then a barf pattie or two a week, homebrand sardines, homebrand mackeral and veggies some nights(frozen mixed or whatever is in season) So theres plenty of variety for them - and I find its dirt cheap. Just takes a bit of thought and effort - and my guys are worth it! And they love it - they go into ecstasy when their bones or flaps come out - and its so good to see them really chewing away and thoroughly enjoying their meals - real dog behaviour. And I believe I save a fortune in vet bills! Anyway I hope that helps. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Cheekycairn, Thanks for posting - its an interesting read to say the least - hence the reaction you've got. I've just realised you're a newbie - hope the negative reaction hasn't put you off DOL. Things do get a bit heated here occasionally - and diet, 'designer dogs' (or more appropriately deliberate/commercial cross-breeds) and training are the three topics I've noticed people get quite 'hot under the collar' about! When it comes to diet there seem to be three camps - raw/barf feeders, prey feeders and those who use commercial foods - and I doubt you'll ever get any of them to agree!! (Me included!) So welcome to DOL - and thanks for posting - even if it ended up a tad controversial! Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Dackel, Thanks very much for that - really appreciated. Will look at all these good ideas after we've been to the vet1 Thanks again Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Percyk, For me the bottom line is that if the company is making it that hard to work out exactly what's in their products then give them a miss - VIP in my mind are fairly similar - minimal legal information requirements only instead of full disclosure. I'd only buy stuff where you can be sure what's in it - as you'd do for your kids - and that usually means human grade. Your doggies will thank you for it, be happy and healthy and you'll save a fortune in vet bills. Hope that helps. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Becky, Where are you? Cheers, Westiemum

I'm with you Cosmolo - mine have never been healthier or happier than when they are on a raw/prey/barf diet - in fact I think they get more dietary variety than I do! And historically its about overall nutrition - daily variation is normal for humans as well as animals - so I don't get too fussed on a daily basis. And the suggestion to cook and process food at home instead of buying the bought cooked processed stuff seems very odd to me. And what is with this 'it takes time and effort' to prepare meals?? Huh?? Yes of course it does!! And its worth every cent and second! And with a little forethought (remembering to get stuff out of the freezer!! How hard is that?) and 5-10 minutes of preparation at night or a little longer of you pre-prepare, its not time-consuming or difficult, particularly once you get into the swing of it. You don't feed your kids out of a packet everyday (I hope!) so how is it any different to a little thought and effort for your pets?? This feeding out of packets and bags for purely convenience and dubious nutrition reasons I find odd (to put it politely!). And yes I know others see it differently! Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks Kamuzz, I was really hoping to avoid needing to go to that extent - but will certainly discuss with the vet and good to know it worked for Elliot. Thanks very much for your post. Cheers, Westiemum

Thanks Bully - I hadn't come across the website - thanks very much for posting it and the ear cleaner recipe - and I hope you never need the other recipes either! Cheers Westiemum :p

Thanks again Clyde and Rappie - think I'll take him back to the vet again before we embark on any of these and get him to have another look see to double check the canal and drum and maybe do a swab if he thinks thats needed. Thank goodness he's a great bloke who adores my boy and who's very used to my asking 20 questions!!! Then we'll go from there. Thanks tons everyone - very helpful - as usual!! Any other advice still welcome. Cheers, Westiemum ;)

Thank you Cavandra - i wondered if there might be a powder recipe out there - thanks Thanks both Rappie and bingo - Rappie I was afraid someone would say this is likely to be life-long - but I think you are right - I think my poor boys almost occluded canal is a big part of the problem - which as you suggests, short of a surgical solution, means ongoing management - thank you. And thanks for the revised Malaseb recipe - the one I remembered was the 1:30 dilution. Thanks so much everyone - much to try and consider here. Cheers, Westiemum ;)

Hey thanks so much Laffi and Dogmad - much appreciated. Yes a good quality diet for any doggie is really important and will certainly have a look at those links Laffi - thank you. Dog mad its wonderful to hear of your old westie x - she certainly reached a good age and thanks for your regime. Thats basically what I do at the moment too - I suppose I was hoping for a 'magic cure' where I didn't have to put him through the ear drops regime quite so often - but as you say, the ear drops regime might also be the safest in the long term. Thanks so much for your help and replies. Cheers Westiemum

Thanks everyone so much for your quick replies. Thanks for the diet tip - he is already on a completely raw/prey diet - no grains and corn fillers here - but thanks for the reminder that this is the absolutely right way to go. And thanks ArtyFarty for going to the trouble of putting up the recipe - the alcohol is probably the drying agent and is probably just what I'm looking for - so off to the Chemists... And Clyde I've never heard of ear dryers - I have a hunch that the chronic moisture because of the narrow, almost occluded canal is the problem so this might help too - what exactly is it and do you know where to get them by any chance?? Thanks a lot everyone - keep it coming! Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Everyone, As many of you know I have a 9 year old rescue westie who is the light of my life. With the help of many others including great DOLers I've rehabbed him back to brilliant health - he is quite the most amazing little dog. With only one problem - he has chronic left ear infection. According to the vet his left ear canal is very narrow because of untreated chronic ear infections when he was in the pf - the fur on the left side of his face was stained through seeping chronic infection when I got him. The ear canal has narrowed through scar tissue and maybe even calcification over the years from chronic untreated infection. Its narrow, poorly aerated and chronically moist and so often smells very yeasty - I know when he's having a bout as apart from the smell he scratches it which doesn't help. I treat it with ear drops from the vet which help a lot but the problem seems to constantly recur. I'm wondering if the problem is that it never seems to dry out properly (bit like swimmers ear in humans). I'd really like to do something for him rather than constantly pour drops down his ear. Would anyone have any ideas about what I might do differently to help my old boy? Any different drops or treatment? Anyone have any experience with this?? Thanks tons - any advice really appreciated. Cheers Westiemum

I'm completely biased - but having said that I wouldn't touch the stuff - VIP are notorious for not disclosing the ingredients in their products - and I'm completely against diets comprised of mainly processed food for dogs or humans. As someone said to me recently, feeding (mainly) processed food to your dogs is like feeding your kids McDonalds everyday - nutritionally bankrupt. But as I said - I'm a biased and a raw/prey feeder and I understand others see it differently. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi ILA, Good thread and discussion - but I agree with previous posters - when you are on a good thing - stick to it. It sounds to me like your dogs have a great diet. Nothing but human grade for my guys - haven't found a 'petfood' - wet or dry - that I'm prepared to trust yet - except the Barf patties - which they don't get every day. So they have a very varied raw/prey diet which overall I'm confident they get all their vitamins and nutrients from - Chicken necks as their morning snack then at night for a main meal they get offal, chicken frames, RMBs, fish (home brand mackeral or sardines), and cheap chewy meat on special, lamb off-cuts and barf patties - all roughly once (sometimes twice) a week - bulked out with some veggies and the occasional carrot for a treat. I think overall its not a lot more expensive and I save a fortune on vet bills - I can't remember the last time either of them were at the vet - at least 6 months ago I reckon. Feeding this way takes a little more effort than just opening a packet - but I think its worth it - my guys are happy, healthy and at ages 7 and almost 9 are bouncing around like puppies. And if any company won't be transparent about what they use in their products then I'd stay right away from them - what are they hiding? I think its important to know and understand exactly what we feed our doggies - the same as people are fussy about what they feed themselves and their kids (or they should be! ). I used VIP kangaroo years ago for my pussy cats before I knew any better - and really regret it - in hindsight I think I was feeding them a really poor quality diet as it had a really funny smell and seemed to have a bluey green dye through it - yet I stupidly didn't think anything of it at the time - now I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. And I now wonder if there was a connection with their poorer health in their old age.... Thanks for starting the thread - hope that helps. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Shoshana, Not quite Torrens Park but probably only 5 minutes further on... I recommend Regan at Pet-A-Coat Junction Shop 4 261 Goodwood Road Kings Park 8272 3333 0438 853 517 Going north on Goodwood Road heading into the city its in the group of shops on the RHS just before the underpass. Regan does a great job of my westies which isn't an easy clip (I'm told!) - couldn't be happier. Hope that helps. Cheers, Westiemum

Hey thanks Melbomb and Ness, Will check out Petstock - BTW I've never been into one of their stores so can someone please reassure me that they don't stock live animals? (If they do, I don't care how cheap they are, I won't shop there!). Thanks Westiemum quote name='ness' date='17th Jul 2008 - 10:58 AM' post='2840155'] Actually yep I was going to say the last time I looked at petstock it was cheaper then through greyhounds.

Hey thanks Daxilly and Amerykus, Yep 109.50 for 750 gms seems pretty fair to me too. I'll be in the market again shortly so will head back to Greyhounds unless anyone has found anywhere better?? Cheers, Westiemum

Whoops sorry for the wonky link - one day I'll learn to use that link thingy. Good luck with the Jointguard - It's working brilliantly for my guys. Cheers, Westiemum

Hi Cosmolo, Try here for Jointguard - haven't found anywhere cheaper and the p & H and service are excellent. Cheers, Westiemum :D

Hi WD, What gorgeous westies!!! And so good to hear Roxies skin is clearing up - well done. Will you give us an update now and then? Cheers, Westiemum PS Yep that canned stuff IMHO is evil!! :p :p But I know others don't think so... but then again a respected DOLer, (Which one? I can't remember! There are lots of them!!) once told me that feeding cans is like feeding your kids McDonalds every day!!