westiemum

Ahhh! They're coming out of the woodwork now!

Yes - particularly if it can focus on companion animal issues for both discussion and debate but not if it is too much of a companion animal tabloid. Needs to be really well written and informed IMO. 'Page 2' doggies wouldn't be required!

Ha!! Home made fish and chips! I knew it!!! I'm not the only one!!!. Come on everyone...' fess up! Who else has been known to feed 'funny stuff' on occasions when the cupboards bare? :laugh: love the fish and chips Stan just opens the fridge and helps himself they get a meat pie on their birthday :D And I'm sure they love their pie!! Do they have it with sauce???

LOL!! Stitch! I understand your anality!!! But my guys have cast iron stomachs (they are westies after all!) and canned dog food makes their poo really voluminous and smelly!! Fish and chips are a much better option IMO! But each to their own! Its rare that I run out of everything (usually think ahead by having Home Brand mackeral and sardine cans in the cupboard as back-up) but maybe once or twice a year it all goes really pear-shaped with no thawed food or canned fish! Team that with an 8 pm finish at work and fish and chips it is! As to fillers, the alternative to making your own here is do what Snook and me do and buy the raw mix from Adelaide Dog! We're really spoilt here having easy supply of this stuff. Best ever dog food IMO. (It's Yellowgirl's orginal mix - there was a thread a few years back on how she arrived at the formula for it).

Ha!! Home made fish and chips! I knew it!!! I'm not the only one!!!. Come on everyone...' fess up! Who else has been known to feed 'funny stuff' on occasions when the cupboards bare?

Thanks B! Yes a lovely cutie! He's a really happy little man with the waggiest tail - it never stops! And when you think about all he's been through in the last few weeks - through the pound and getting here - he's remarkable. And then the ultimate indignity last Monday of desexing, ear flushing, biopsy and cyst popping! Their resilience is incredible...

Very clever DD But don't even think about it...

Luckily for me my garbage guts will eat anything - on the night in question it was really late, I was buggered and we were all starving - so fish and chips seemed a reasonable option at the time! So yes they would eat it every night - but then they do eat anything!! B needing to cut costs was also the reason I went looking for a cheaper grain-free alternative as well. And the westies seem to be doing well on it as an occasional food. (They are raw eaters most of the time... apart from fish and chip nights....

Stan's Mum thats so true. I think we all can get caught in the overthinking trap and get far too uptight about what to feed our dogs. Its a bit haphazard round here at the moment as I'm working very long hours. So one night last week I came home with fish and chips for all having no dog food unthawed - and guess what the westies ate!! They loved eating with me and it certainly didn't do them any harm for one night. And I'll bet my life that I'm not the only one on DOL who has done this sort of thing from time to time! Rehabbing little Oliver is a different matter - need to get his skin ears and coat right - but quite frankly all the DOL advice seems to be that all he need is some minor tinkering to the westies diet and he'll do well. . Might even try him on some fish and chips....

Thanks Tazar. Its going to be very difficult to give him up.... he's out like a light next to me on the lounge at the moment - he sleeps like the dead!!!

Thanks Kirty - didn't think of that. He's just had a can of sardines and wolfed them down like there's no tomorrow... next for the brush!!!

And precisely why I'm not on it T. Worse time consumer than DOL!!!

T you and Lyn are absolutely amazing - talk about a cuteness overload! Great work!! More pics please!!

Thanks Crisovar for confirming - I've always wondered what the VAN was like but never felt my guys needed it. But might give it a go with Oliver even if just short-term - I think he could do with a bit of extra supplementation to get him started...

<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(238, 242, 247);">:) *nods* also apologies if I scared you - however , it can be one of those useful little bits of info to keep tucked away .... ;) 'Zactly. Thanks Pers. The clever boy has found the warm air outlet on the side of the laptop and muscled Sarah out - she has a peeved look on her face!!

Well we've just got back from our first 'proper' lead walk. And he did very well - coped with cars but clearly didn't like them very much! Thanks very much Pers and DD. Pers I've rubbed his tummy and it definitely feels normal. The back is another question. When I pick him up under his arms or around his tummy he occasionally yelps. But you can rub along his spine with quite some pressure and he doesn't bat an eyelid. But the vet manipulated him pretty well a week ago and nothing at all suspicious came up. DD thank you but not concerned - just don't want to overlook anything. I'm sure its nothing as serious as pancreatitis. He's not sick like Andy was when that was queried with him a few months back. I'm actually wondering if he's constipated? The poor boy has been from the pound, to foster care to transport kenneling to me so in some ways I'm not surprised his tummy might be a bit upset. He's had to get used to the westies raw diet pretty fast. But I'll talk to the vet about it after Easter and collect some poo to take with me as well.

Oh yes! I meant to comment on that too. I found that out many years ago when I thought one of my dogs was being playful and bowing What did it end up being DD, if you don't mind me asking? Anyway off to do some lead training with him - will check in again later. Thanks again everyone

Ah Ha!!! Thanks Pers and DD - I noticed he did that stretching a lot and he yelps a bit if you pick him up around the tummy - but its not swollen, hot or tight. and you can rub it without affecting him. Its only when you pick him up he occasionally yelps. I'll ask the vet to have a look when I'm back there next week. Any ideas on what it might be or anything I should do in the meantime?

Thanks dogmad very much. Its lovely having a foster here again. Andy was the last a couple of years back and he became a foster failure! I'd love to keep Oliver but I just can't having three dogs already. So finding a great home for him will be the next step . Yes according to the vet its flea allergy. The general consensus here seems to be minimal bathing (which is what happens here anyway), and lots of oily fish. Wil try some sweet potato over Easter (the westies will enjoy that as well) Would the VAN supplement stuff be of any use do you think? (I'm concerned he might benefit from short-term supplementation to boost vitamins and minerals just to start?) Thanks again everyone. :)

Thanks Mita!! I think so too even if I do say so myself!! It was a DOL thread on dog names that insired me. I narrowed it down to six or so and kept coming back to Oliver. It really suits him and his 'I want more' character! I also wanted him to have a name that I think most adopters could live with and honoured his resilience - just like orphan Oliver of Dickens fame!!

LOL thanks DD. Having said that he's now snoring on the lounge next to me, snuggling up to Sarah! Fast learner this little boy! Yes he is a ripper of a little dog. I think he has at least two breeds in him - Cairn and Australian Silky I reckon. His face is very similar to Australian Silkies on Google. But he has very little tan colouring - is mainly black and white/cream so there's obviously something else there!! I can't take credit for all of his rescue though - five other people (that I know of) were also involved across three states - All Westie rescue in Melbourne organised it all, Elaine was his temp carer in Sydney after he was sprung from Hawkesbury Pound and Dorothy of GTE Dog Transport cared for him for a week as he made his way to Adelaide and Alison drove him over from Victoria. So it was quite a team effort. He was really in danger apparently as Hawkesbury was overflowing so I'm told. Then my great friend here who also does westie rescue came with me to collect him from Alison at Murray Bridge, outside Adelaide. He will make someone a cracker of a little dog in a month or twos time.

Thanks very much Staffyluv, I think I have some sardines in the cupboard so will give him some tonight. Yes Olly had his first chicken wing on Wednesday - while he had absolutely no idea how of go about eating it to start with, he soon cottoned on! Thanks again.

Anyway Stans mum, I would consider you the very best of dog owners as you feed Stan what works best for Stan & his bum :laugh: No matter what type of food it is. It is not about the name or $$ etc it's about whatever keeps your dog in his best condition. Only a very caring owner who takes pride in their BF's health & condition would go to the trouble of trail & error to get it right Well said BCC. What works for one dog doesn't necessarily work for others. Which is why I'm asking questions about my new foster in General Discussion at the moment. Just because it works for the westies doesn't mean it will work for a foster who needs rehabbing. :)

Esky I buy the three kilo bags from Woolies at the Arkaba. I'm going to see if they have the newer seven kilo bags tomorrow and if not I'll try Woolies at Unley. The seven kilo bags bring the price down to a tad over $4.00/kg - which is really reasonable I think.

Absolutely assuming they stay with supermarkets only and don't expand to other outlets.