SoL

FINALLY!!! I've found a supplier for both Great Barko and Uncle Albers. Spoke to the SA company who put me onto their rep. Apparently there's a place 20mins down the road in Rutherford that sells both feed for around the $25-27 mark. :D Apparently he's being swamped with calls re the food because Supercrap has gone up in price and down in quality. Will pop along tomorrow to get some ;) Hopefully the dogs do well on it. Oh, btw, didn't get the fats but the protein content for Great Barko is 22% and for Uncle Albers is 24%.

thanks guys I have searched and searched but can't find any local information anywhere. I've phoned the PSBoyz and the bloke I spoke to doesn't really recommend it - too oily (he then tried to convince me onto the $100/bag variety but I just can't afford it) he did however say that he was looking to do a deal with the makers of it so that he could stock it so now I'm completely confused LOL The amount of poo that potentiall could come out of them can't be anymore than they do already on Supercrap. Still want to give it a go but ordering it from SA seems excessive. I've got a couple of other feed/produce places to phone today to see what they can do. Where does everybody else get it from? Which one should I consider then, the Barko or Uncle Albers? Also, has anyone seen or used a dry food called Tucker? Any comments? (sorry to hijack the OP's post!)

I've really only used parafin to fix sweet itch and coat problems on horses so the idea of using it as a food additive is a bit alien to me. I would go with caution on this idea. Maybe try one of the above suggestions re using a more food-based oil. Good luck and I really hope your pooch is pain free.

Where can I get some from to try? Can anybody post the analysis and ingredients up? I'm off to search on Google. Now is Uncle Albers the brand and Barko the name or vice versa?

Barko and Uncle Albers - I must say that I've never heard of them. Are they only for large/giant breeds or are they suitable for all?

My girl Zulu is a bugger for itchy scratchy skin. I started with Emu Oil, it cleared up but came back even though we're still slapping it on her. I've now started with Dermaveen cream as it is colloidal oatmeal so we will see how that goes but I'm very interested in the food additives. She is pregnant so I am not going for the corticosteroid and antibiotic treatments. If there was one essential addition to help here, what would it be? (Sorry to hijack)

I admit to having a temper to lose and have lost my temper when working one of my horses - he was a lot smarter than I was being at the time and he got me at every turn and trick I tried. He was lazy and didn't want to go. He found a way of making me extremely spooked whilst onhis back. He got his way and I lost out big style. I lost my confidence with him. I learnt alot. I find it a lot easier to connect with and talk to my dogs and, as such, don't lose my temper with them. If we have a session where we're really bashing heads against a wall, I take it as a sign that its not happening and end the session on a good note. Isn't it facinating the little things animals can teach you?

Have now had a chance to read through the article properly so hopefully I can paraphrase it without causing too much controversy re copyright!!! Here goes ... Basically, the main gist of the article is don't believe the hype. There's only one place that manufacturers of dry food have to tell the truth and make it scientifically based and that is in the nutrition label, even then it can be misleading. All the rest of the labels such as 'natural', 'premium', 'quality' is pure marketing - there is no scientific basis for those names. Also use the list of ingredients, which is required by law to list in decreasing order of weight, ONLY to identify whether the dry food is mainly made up of animal product or plant/cereal product. The Pet Food Industry Standards Association of Australia (PFIAA) provides guidelines and explains that pet food 'varieties' are determined by the amount of meat in the product: "Beef": beef is the main meat used "Beef Dinner": Beef is at least 25% minimum in the product "With Beef": Beef is at least 5% of the meat in the product "Beef Flavour": Beef is less than 5% of the meat or a commercial beef flavour is used "Meat", as defined by PFIAA, means any part of an animal, game or bird which contains protein and which is ordinarily or in nature used as a food by dogs whether fresh, chilled, frozen or dried. When looking at nutrition labels of, say, dry food, you should only really look at the 'guaranteed analysis' as the terms "crude protein", "crude fat" and"crude fibre" refer to the analytical methods used to estimate the level of each nutrient and actually have no relation to nutrient quality. The percentages determined by the American Association of Feed Control Officials "AAFCO) are used by PFIAA to determine the percentage of each nutrient should appear in dog food. The following is used as a standard when evaluating dry dog food so aim to choose a food closely matching these figures: For Growth/Reproduction Purposes Protein: 22% Fat: 8% Fibre: No recommendation Calcium: 1.0 - 2.5% Phosphorus: 0.8 - 1.6^ For Maintenance Purposes Protein: 18% Fat: 5% Fibre: No recommendation Calcium: 1.0 - 2.5% Phosphorus: 0.8 - 1.6% The article then goes on to state the importance of choosing the right kind of food for your dog, ie high energy for working dogs, lower energy for sedentary dogs etc. It also briefly touches on the feeding a veggie diet. It finishes with a quick list of factors that should be considered when choosing a dry food, the last one stating that the food must contain nutrients ina usable form. Proteins and carbs are ineffective unless they can be absorbed which is what makes the difference bewteen cheap and more expensive food forumlas. The higher-priced products are more likely to have balanced and usable nutrients. Voila! Troy, if I've breached some copyright thing with this, please take it off the forum, otherwise, do you think it worthwhile making the post stick?

I'm not sure that I would be allowed to paste that much of their text on here. PM me with your email addy and I'll type it through :rolleyes:

I've just got my Dogs NSW journal and there is an article about this very topic. Though it doesn't give any brand recommendations, it does tell you what to look for. Very interesting.

So, if you were to add the copra to a dry food, say, Advance, would that not upset the balance of their diet? How about if you added it to a cheaper food, say, Supercoat? Both of which claim to be complete foods, that is, not meant to be supplemented. What, therefore, is the nutritional difference between virgin coconut oil (where the hell do you buy that from) and copra?

Yeah, I know. I had the same reservations but the lady who bred our dogs told us about it (and she's been breeding and showing successfully for well over 20 yrs) and we tried it with no ill effects. I don't use it on our girl with sensitive skin - we use one with oatmeal in (can't remember the name) but on the others it works a treat.

I have used Dove Anti-Dandruff shampoo with really good results. It smells nice during and after washing, it doesn't leave scurf in the coat and it conditions as well - our dogs coats are always gleaming and soft afterwards (only lasts a nano-second before they start rolling). Have stopped washing Chester in anything that smells too much though - he gets very 'amorous' with anything that moves after he's been washed and is smelling pretty, the little studmuffin LOL

Stop washing her that often. She's a pup, moreover she's a staffy - this is what they do! If you can't bear to just brush the dirt out when she's dry then wipe her over with a wet cloth when the dirt is still wet. Honestly, I think you're worrying a bit too much. Let her be a puppy. If you don't like her rolling in dirt then give her something to play with or designate an area for her to dig like a sandpit. And, speaking from personal experience, don't have the babe sleeping with you on the bed. Trust me, when she's 1 she'll be kicking you out of bed.

Look, if it's his first day home there's bound to be some crying, whining even howling going on. You've just separated him from his littermates and he's on his lonesome. It will get better. It's very important that you start as you mean to go on - that is - don't give in to temptation and go and cuddle him every 5 minutes to shut him up - that's rewarding his noise and DON'T let him up on your bed (please take this from personal experience). Shove some cotton wool in your ears and ignore the noise. Have you got a ticking clock? If you hide that under a blanket or cushion it apparently sounds like a heartbeat. Never tried it myself but a lot of people swear by it. Good luck and things will settle down soon.

First off, they are 5 month old BABIES, so you would have to expect some cheekiness. Also, being 2 dogs together, you would have to expect one to egg another on in regards disobedience and also some tusselling regarding hierarchy. However, I would like to know how much training you are putting into your dogs. Training one dog on its own is work, training 2 together is really hard. It needs to be every day, little and often, with rewards and praise where and when appropriate. Consistency is key. And I would train them seperately. If you give a dog a treat every time he comes when you call, pretty soon he will listen for you to call him. What I would do also is pick one thing to train at a time - don't overload them, keep it nice and simple to begin with. I would also take them to a training school and socialise them even more. If you can't trust them with leads off (and you yourself said that they are unreliable at coming back to you without food) then don't take the leads off and I definitely would not do that in a public area. If they are happy to fight to that extreme between each other, what would they be like with a strange dog? I would also not feed the dogs together (put a decent space in between them) and change your vet. OK, Amstaffs and staffs were bred to have balls about them, but that doesn't mean it's acceptible for them to start fighting over dinner. Our boys started facing off to each other when they were about 2 yrs and even then, as now, we were on top of them and stopped the fight so 5 mnths IMO is way too young to accept that behaviour and it should never be encouraged (and the fact that your vet has condoned that kind of behaviour is quite boggling). They will sort out dominance in time and you will find that one is naturally more of a leader than the other. It's ok to let them play-rumble but you should know how quickly a game can become serious. What if somebody else's dog was at the end of those jaws? Always stop them when it's getting serious and separate them to cool off. Look, I'm by no means an expert so it maybe a good idea to contact a good reputable trainer.

its to protect against kennel cough...i think Yep, it's part of the new C7. We get all of our pups done with all 3 and then all dogs get a booster every year. I've been told it's unnecessary I'm just not game enough to try it.

I was always told that the vaccination took 2 weeks to be completely effective.

Remember to wash and de-flea bedding and sleeping areas as well at the same time you de-flea your dog. Otherwise your hard work and money will be for nothing. I use Advocate and that seems to work fine.

I was also going to suggest soaking the dry food. Keep the bones up to him as well - either that or let him chew your shoes LOL

I understand the need to keep your dog occupied and I don't think they'd hurt the teeth, but I would be concerned about the dog swallowing any small part that has broken off, or something getting lodged in your dog's throat.

I don't think leopuppy's dog will like being put in the freezer

Boiled chicken and rice is great for upset tummies. It may also the Pedigree puppy food - I've always found it to be a tad rich, so try just giving her dry food (with plenty of water available of course) and see if the runs clear up.

Have you tried Tea Tree Oil? Even baby oil? Don't laugh and I know that this may be too much info but I know that the only way to really get wax off legs (mine that is) is to use oil. Ummmm failing that, I'm stumped. Good luck

Pastel colours would look lovely: pink, blue, green, lilac, dusty rose, etc. None of those colours are over the top or crazy, but I do think they would set off your girl in a very nice way. Thanks mersonmalinois I went to the Salvos yesterday (god I love that shop!!!) and got a whole outfit for ... $11!!! OK OK now I sound like a complete cheapskate but I can't afford to fork out heaps of moola for clothes that are going to get dirty on a regular basis. I ended up with a beigey pair of pants and a white top that doesn't look too corporate! Hopefully that will do for the mo but I'll keep my eyes out for decent greens and reds as well