Bubitty

Go with Calamine Doghouse. I find that it relieves itches instantly on my furkid.

Ok I know I promised I would not freak but I am a tad concerned. He has been scratching at a spot in his right ear and it is very red and clearly itchy. He has not been rubbing ear in groud and ear is clean so I do not think there is an infection. I have put some calamine lotion on which and he has stopped scratching. Is there anything else I can do or just continue on with Calamine?

I agree with this Em. I tried the “hide your face” trick by raising his paw to his face and he just stared at me like I was a mad nutter.

OMG you guys are pure genius!!!! I did not think of sticky tape!!! Last thing I would have thought of!!!!!! I racked and racked my brain and just thought “its not natural for him to raise his paws!”

Time out works like a dream for us. Sometimes when Bubby gets too nosey or pushy, after 2 warnings we will "time out" and into the kitchen he goes. After about 5 mins we let him out. He is always completely settled after this and will stop being pushy or will watch what we are doing without poking his nose right in and trying to join in. It works like a dream and has had no negative effects for us. He is VERY NOSEY and likes to know what is going on so having his view blocked for 5 mins is very effective.

Hi, Last time we had an incident vet told me to wash tooth puncture with warm salty water and peel scab off everyday for 3 days (then wash with more warm and salty water) to prevent an infection. For scratches or bite marks (ir no puncture) I was told to put iodine on the wound.

Hi I have seen some dogs perform the "Hide your face" trick and would love to teach my Goldie this trick but don't know where to start. Normally if I can lead him into it he will pick it up very quickly but I have no idea how I will get him to raise his paw to his face. Any advice would be great! Thanks!

samoyedman, How about trying Royal Canine? I am not sure how it compares to Nutro but I supplement my boy's diet with it and it agrees with him very nicely. He used to throw up and have diarrhea when we tried Eukanuba.

I use the Lab one as well but only as a supplement to his normal diet. He gets about a cup in the morning every day. It didnt upset him tummy (he threw up and had diarrhea whne he tried Eukanuba but he was fine with RC. I find his fur softer since I have added it to his diet and it has helped keep his weight on. His poos are good, no change from before it was added to his diet. I buy a 3 kg bag for $23 which is not too bad at all.

Bubby (Goldie weighing 29.4 kgs) gets in the morning: 1 kong full of Royal Canine (its a large size Kong), 6 chicken necks, 1 dried Roo tail OR 1 kong full of Royal Canine, 2 dog biscuits with a dab vegimite, 1 pigs ear OR 1 kong full of Royal Canine, 1 marrow bone (I don't saw it in half so he gets no marrow, its only for playing with), bottle with 5 small cubes of cheese and some liver treats I vary this but kong with RC is the constant Dinner: 1 chicken frame (if it is large and meaty) or 2 chicken frames (if they are small) OR 400g lean mince (beef or chicken) with 300g pureed veggies OR 2 cans sardines plus 2 scrambled eggs (no oil) (He gets this just once a week)

Yup it was on one of the other threads and I was very amused at the thought of a dog on Chinese medicine but it has proven to be a godsend. It has only been a week so far and he has stopped licking completely. I don’t know if it will hold up in the long run (praying it will) but he has simply stopped licking and scratching. Have sent you a PM.

Thank you so much Arby!!!!! PHENERGAN brings back memories as I used to itch as a child and had to take it. The syrup made me sleep and sleep though! Completely knocked me out.

hehehehe looks like the overwhelming winner is polaramine! I am hoping and praying that it won’t get to antihistamines and that the Chinese herbs keep on with the good results and that I am not just imagining improvements! Funny when I first found out Bub had allergies I felt so sorry for him and myself but since being on this forum and finding out how common it is I feel so much better!

Have you guys tried Chinese herbs as an alternative? My Goldie has allergies and I was recommended to try chinese herbs by a very kind lady on this forum. We've only been on them for 4 days but it gives us hope and its a natural remedy so its well worth a try! I can give you the brand if you like!

Hi Guys, Before I posted up a thread about antihistamines for dogs and everyone mentioned how expensive they were. One of my vets said that they sell 100 tablets for $30 especially for dogs. This seems very cheap to me. Are the dog ones more defective? We are currently trying a herbal remedy recommended by a lovely lady on this forum and this antihistamine business is only a back up plan. Also can I just walk into the vets and buy a bottle of whatever pill I need or do I actually need to have Bub with me? I just want pills from these people (because they are close to home) and Bub is going to go to another vet from now on so I don’t fancy bringing him in because they are going to sell me more stuff to flush out his ear again (they ALWAYS do this and he has no ear infection!). Thanks heaps!!!

Another fan of ALOVEEN here!!!! It smells delectable!!!

Bub is 19 months and still squatting. Only time he lifts his leg is when he needs to aim at a difficult spot but prefers to squat if he's peeing for the sake of peeing.

I heard that they are REALLY salty if you taste them and thats why the dogs love them. Mine never cared for Schmackos. I was a bit disappointed that he never went wacko over them. He doesnt do tricks for them either. Just sniffs and looks offended! I bake these mini blueberry,coconut and honey muffins. He will do ANYTHING for those.

Sorry for hijacking your thread laffi! Thank you so much for replying Faolmor!!!!! That was a fantastic read! I love how clear and informative your posts are!!!! You write so well!!!!!

Sorry, off topic! Faolmor, Really interesting stuff you posted! Hoping you could help me with a few off topic questions! Thanks! Is it really true that they think their meal is the last meal? Because Bub always starts buttering us up (nuzzling, kissing) at around 7.30pm which is his dinner time and as soon as he’s eaten the “buttering behaviour” stops so we’ve always had a theory that he knows when dinner time is. When I bake a cake or something he gets all psyched up, I always get the impression that he’s thinking “oh goodie, there’s going to be a bit of cake to be had.” Am I humanising and imagining this behaviour?

Hi Jodie, I have read this thread and it has moved me so much. Give a GIANT HUG & KISS to Ollie dog for me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi morpheos, What kind of reaction do you get when you use the vacuum cleaner? Mine used to hide in another room and even on sweltering hot days he would sit in the hot hot kitchen because he was scared of the noise from the air conditioner. We had really shiny floors which you could see reflections from when the blinds were open and at some stage he was too scared to walk on the floor. However we just ignored him and continued to vacuum, use the air con, like normal and over time (I could never pin point a specific time) he just got over it. He sleeps under the air con now and we can’t get rid of him when we vacuum because he follows us everywhere. Its almost as if he cant hear the noise or doesn’t even notice it anymore. Maybe your boy is still growing up and getting used to the world. He could be fine over time and no longer fear these noises. Im not very experienced so keep in mind this is just my 2 cents!

I alternate every night between chicken frames and mush meal with pureed veggies in it. It's really obvious when he poos, after he has the frames the stools are rock hard and concrete like, after the mush the stools are solid but much softer in consistency. Bub cant handle frames for 2 straight days in a row so this routine works for him.

I didn't know you could keep carcasses in the fridge for a few days. I've always frozen them as soon as I get home. My overgrown rat does not eat defrosted BARF mix. I have to freeze the meat and vegie mix separately in portions and then mix it together before i serve. Only way he will eat BARF. ETA: My dog doesn't eat or chew on old bones. He chews on them for the first hour or so that they are given and then never touches them again (even if there is still meat). Tangwyn, can I assume you have a lab???

Hi Ski, I'm most certainly not an expert but I can certainly tell you about my experiences with Bub. We got Bub when he was 12 months old and at first he was very scared and cautious of everything. He was extremely well behaved but always looked nervous and would jump at the slightest noise. He would also cower when he met men and would cower at my husband. He wasnt even really interested in the food or treats we gave him and always looked nervous/scared when he was given food. We were told by the breeder that he was very "soft" (probaly one of the main reasons why he failed as a show dog). We were CERTAIN that his breeder did not abuse him as he clearly adored them and was quite cheeky in their prescence. We took him out every day to socialise at the doggy park with nice, mild mannered, well behaved dogs (but monitored him like a hawk, make sure he has no bad experiences there). We asked random strangers to pat him and praised him when he did not cower. We took him to different places with different noises and sounds and gave him treats when he looked calm and happy. Lots of hugs and kisses and play at home. Lots of random kisses all the time. Eventually he realised that we were going to take care of him and that he can depend on us so he completely relaxed and began to enjoy life. He has been with us for 6 months now and the change is phenomenal. He is a completely different dog. He swanks around the doggy park, tail wagging trying to elicit pats from both men and women. He gets really excited when we offer him dinner, treats or toys. He wrestles with us and when he is overly jubilant (When we first get home he occasionally even tries to jump on both of us (something he never dared to do before). He's always offering us a paw, putting his head on our lap, burying his head into our necks and licking us and when we take him to visit people he carries on like they are the love of his life (every one has told me he makes them feel special). His inherent personality is still there though. For example he is still extremely cautious which I believe has always been his true nature but if we tell him to do something or that something is ok he will trust us. I say take the advice that the others in this forum have given you but also just give it time. I think he just needs time to establish that you are "ok" people and that you're not going to hurt him so gradually you will build his trust. Maybe its just taking longer with your particular dog than normal. Hope that is of some assistance!