Golden Rules

HERE is one on Ebay

Agree :D Quick simple solution that will suit the dog and your family Once the diabetes is under control, your dog shouldn't be drinking and peeing as much anyway.

Or if you buy pet mince such as that from Lenards, it is actually minced chicken frames so therefore has the bone content already in it.

Yes, you need to soak it. It's like meusli I guess! Once soaked (overnight or it says 24 hours preferably) you add mince to it and feed away. I have 2 bags of it here but hardly ever use it because I forget to soak it.

That sounds like the behaviour of a spoilt child! I agree, a large crate may be better than a pen if you have one, and remember to talk to him, and tell him simply, why he is confined and not allowed to run free. Who knows what they understand but I talk to my lot all the time.

"Keeping him quiet" will vary from person to person, and dog of course. When Dougal had his cruciates operated on, he was to be kept quiet for 6 to 8 weeks. For me, that was confined to the house and only outside to pee etc. I made sure I had all sorts of chew toys on hand but I found a small bone most days and the trusty old Kong worked wonders. You can't keep them entertained all day and often they will just sleep anyway, but I am amazed at dog's ability to adapt so quickly when they have to. You might be surprised Tilly!

Oh Tilly, not such good news, at least it's only a partial tear so it has a chance of healing on it's own with rest. I know what you mean about getting a big dog in and out of a car after sedation or anaesthetic! It's definitely a 2 person job! Are you taking time off when the puppy arrives? It's weird the way things work out, it might actually be a good thing for both dogs

The very fact he is panting when he wakes up is an indication he is in some sort of distress. It is likely he is just constipated but he hasn't pooed and has lost his appetite therefore he could have a blockage of some kind, so you need to take him to the vet, preferably sooner rather than later. I do hope he is OK, let us know how you get on.

I bought stuff that came in a roll, you buy it by the metre and it's not expensive, and it WORKS! It's got a rubbery feel but the one I bought was cream with a light blue print on it. From memory, I think it was about $28 for 4 metres.

Crysti_Lei - you had certain expectations of Naut and they weren't only not met, but you and she have been through an awful lot in her short life so far. She is a gorgeous smoocher but I can understand there have been some obvious obstacles to forming the usual or expected bond. Yeah, that's another thing to factor in, whether it is just the dogs personality that affects a bonding process. Although I think now seeing a healthier dog and a better bond, I 'think' the two would go hand in hand. Personality has a lot to do with it, I have had a dog with no allergy issues and I didn't bond with her. Everyone who met the dog bonded with her just not me. And I have had a couple of rescue Goldies who came with either allergies or numerous other health issues, I believe it made the bond even stronger. Both dogs have gone to Rainbow Bridge and my heart broke each time.

Really?? And not put on weight? I ask because I have an almost 7 year old Goldie on Bonnie Light at the moment with chicken carcasses - trying to get him down to 30kg (which will be skinny for him but he has HD and both cruciates operated on). Bonnie Light has always been good for dropping the weight, nothing artificial, and is inexpensive. But if there is a better quality food where I can feed more, I'm interested!! To pipergirl_84 - if your Goldie is doing well on her current food, it may not be so important to change her food, but supplement with fish oil and joint support powder? Have you got pics? You know it's complusory to post don't you?!

There is one outside the vet clinic on the corner of Beaufort St and Central Ave in Mt Lawley. It is $10 a wash (gold coins only I think and I think you get 10-15minutes) and provides everything. There are a few shampoos to choose from (3 - dark coat, light coat, flea wash) and a conditioner. Also has a dryer and you have 30 seconds free at the end to rinse down the tub. It was very good when we used it and had a nice chat to the owners. Thanks for that info Mim, I might just go there next time, just for the dryer! I washed my Goldie at the vet's free hydrobath today. Brushed him first and got lots of hair out. Loads of hair came out while I was washing him and then when we got home and after he dried off 'au naturale', he got another good hour of brushing and there was STILL hair come off him by the handful!! I think the dryer would help blow a lot of the loose coat out. Do you know if you can you use it just for the dryer and not the wash?

I have one that was used once on my little Norwich and she hated it - and it's not powerful enough for the big dogs so it's up for grabs if you want to try it out. $10 plus postage :rolleyes:

I only know of one place in Perth that has a free dog wash - or should I say free use of a hydrobath. It's at a vet, and yes, you just rock on up like you do at a car wash. You bring your own shampoo etc - all that is provided is the water, electricty and the hydrobath. I guess it's a promotional sort of thing, they maybe hope / expect you take your dog there for heath care as well as the odd bath?! No dryer though ;) That would be very handy!!

What a beautiful girl! RIP Cindy

I think the best thing for teeth cleaning is feeding chicken cacasses on a regular basis. The bones are more rubbery and able to bend around the dog's teeth and they don't wear the teeth down like harder bones. The chicken I get doesn't have much if any fat on them and it's a staple of the dogs diet. Nice clean teeth

If you can get the refill from a vet or wherever, just get a mortein diffuser from the Supermarket as they are only about $10 whereas the vet will charge you around $45 for the same thing

I just got roo from the supermarket as I only fed it once or twice a week as a change from the constant chicken. Thinking back now though, my thoughts at the time were to stick to chicken and turkey (the latter being quite inexpensive) because I read somewhere that any red meat can cause allergies more so than white meats.

Another vote here to avoid beef after I had a goldie who itched a lot after eating it, I kept to chicken and occasional roo meat. Hope you get it sorted as this isn't the right time of year to drop weight (even though we seem to have a never ending summer, it must get cold soon!)

Hi Erny Hope you enjoyed your eggs on toast, that was always a great Sunday night tea when I was a kid For the future, you might be interested in having a homeopathic remedy on hand for times like this. I always have Arnica cream which is magic if you apply it as soon as possible after any apparent injury (not to broken skin though), and I also have THIS which has been invaluable for my big Goldie who is always injuring himself.

Very good point! I was lax in bathing my little Norwich after she had her first season and wasn't sure why all the dogs were still after her until this was pointed out to me

My pet insurance doesn't cover any alternative therapies unfortunately however it's paid for itself many times over in other ways

Yes, swimming is very good, and keeping your dog as lean as possible. I have a Goldie with HD - plus he has had both cruciates done. I give him 3 fish oil capsules every day and a Glucosamine (1500mg tab) once a day. At the moment he is also on Metacam as he has started limping badly. I have previously been using Technyflex - we ran out about a week ago - and I am wondering if this had brough about the current limp. We also have acupuncture done every six weeks or so - sometime more often if needed. He has been so good lately, we haven't been for a couple of months. But it seems to work well. Not sure of any foods that are particularly good but as natural as possible would be the way to go. Doesn't have to be BARF everyday. Maybe every second day? Also my dog has Cartrophen injections every 3 months to help avoid arthritis. I have no idea id that works or not but we will keep on going with it as it doesn't seem to do any harm.

I would say yes as I have given Metacam and antibiotics together (as per vet instructions after operations). They work differently so not sure they would interact with each other. There's a few vet nurses here so hopefully one of them will come along soon to confirm.

Ruby was indeed a beautiful girl and that last photo is just perfect. How very tragic