Lynlovesdogs

so are you guys saying its worth its HUGE price?

lilysmum: that's great info! I've been browsing through coles when I was doing my groceries today and was looking at beef and stuff. which cuts should we buy? is there any that's not safe for them? is it better to mince the meat?

Today i bought some lamb chops, which i asked the butcher to dice and the bone was given to us, I thought of starting out with that and lessen the dry food. Do you think its better to buy in bulk and keep it or to just buy it weekly? thanks again so mcuh its highly appreciated

when we first got hazel in march, the vet advised us to bathe her daily!! because aloveen soothes.. we felt it was a bit much, so we did once a week. but we conditioned as well. because of her scratching, she used to smell quite fast (she was shaved too) but gradually her skin got better and we sort of stopped to 2 weeks and now month-2 months she doesnt even smell, if we just brush her every couple of dyas

lilysmum: well the vet thinks its seasonal allergies so i've ordered the blood cleanser and the acute skin irritation remedy for her contact allergy AND her allergic rhinitis one as well (for her watery eyes). Where can i buy that book is ti very very pricey? (asa u know some books are)

Kitkat: well we're UNSURE if chicken is bad for her, but thats just wat we were advised. When she first came to us ( any change in diet caused diarrhoea) so we freaked out she used to be fed chicken necks and stuff it hink but she was also on cortisone everydya. so she was EXTREMELY BLOATED

thanks guys keep it coming!

I know this has been done to death.. but after reading countless threads and countless links on BARF diets etc, I am still truly confused. I've just been advised by Robert Macdowell to ease my dog onto a raw food diet (we think she has seasonal allergies ). We only got her this year, and when she came to us, she was constantly on cortisone, her skin was horrible. Since then, she's been on Nutrience Derma (recommended by the vet) she gets pigs ears as treats (done by this lady who does it as natural as possible?) We were also advised by some of our pet food suppliers that she shouldn't be fed chicken because chicken makes her itch but lamb is the best. so we havent fed her any raw chicken but the occasional lamb bone from when we cook. We also give her ACV in her water and glucosamine supplements as well as a fish oil capsule and an egg once a week. I hope that DOLers can help us out.

How do we exactly "ease" her into a raw food diet? What is the right amount to feed her so she doesn't get overweight?

What sort of meat is suitable? and what sort of veges need to be included? Do we just buy meat that we buy?

Thanks so much guys

oh and edited to ask, what's the best place and best value place to buy raw meat/bones etc for her as we're in sydney?

not to sound stupid but is Nutro = Nutrience?

Thanks again ptolomy, once again a very useful and great response. I used to see a homeopath in Malaysia but its a bit far

Well the vet actually TOLD me to go to the specialist and recommended me to Beth Mcdonald in USYD... Would the dermatologist be able to test for food allergies too?

Thanks again

Ptolomy: thank you so much for all your advice.. Do you think that we should start her with an elimination diet first? Or should I ring the recommended dermatologist to have a chat? How did u manage to find this "witch doctor"? is there one in Sydney? Its such a frustration because she just sits there and tries to scratch her mouth raw and chew her feet and yes her bum and fanny are red. and there's not much we can do about it to immediately stop it. What would be your first step to recovery?

I'm only a uni student (supported by my parents who live overseas) its a good thing I have savings. I don't mind spending any amount of money as long as it'll help her.

Really appreciate the replies

just wondering, would it make a difference to give them human ones?

jsut a quick update. came bak from the vets today, she just clipped Hazel's nails short.. only one of them bled. and she stopped it with Potassium permanganate. she said her groomers (at the vet) doesn't seem to be doing his job...

thanks heaps duncan+dougal, do i just get regular zinc tablets? what's the dosage like?

sorry to hijack this thread and to bump it up.. but i just returned from the vet with Hazel and when we got her (adopted her earlier this year and is 6.5 yo), she'd been on steroids almost all her life (as far as we were told). Vet said she probably had allergies and to stop the steroids as they cause a hormonal imbalance which is bad for them etc etc.... anyway we shaved her, used aloveen and throughout winter, her scratching just stopped gradually. we had given her a elizabethen collar cos she doesn't know when to stop, she'd scratch her face: mouth and eyes, till they bled... anyway she got so well till we even had the collar off her during the day...

Come spring, and she starts itching like mad... constant chewing of her feet, bum scooting and her eyes and mouth were just ALWAYS itchy!!! so we were advised about considering allergen testing and stuff.. and we weren't sure if it was her food but like aniangel says its a contact allergy (well seems like it the paws)

She's on Nutrience derma for her skin, and we give her ACV in her water (started a few weeks back) and fish oil. the only treats we feed her are pig ears which our friend does which we don't think is too bad for her...

Anyway sorry about the whole sob story, but I was hoping someone could either reply or PM me with more details about the allergen testing. like is it the pricking one, or the blood testing one, what does it test. how good is it? and how much it costs, how much will the eventual vaccines cost and is it worth doing these? i just see her and its so sad because there's nothing you can do and u just wish you could make it all better? i'm sure all of you understand hehe

THANKS SOO MUCH GUYS!!

oh edited to add : ps. do u know if insurance would cover all this?

thanks

I know there are heaps of threads on doggy nail clipping, but i was hoping this title would lure some dol groomers out here.

I'm looking for a groomer who dremels dogs nails?

yeah been reading them all, was thinking of taking her to the vet for a check up and thought might as well ask about the nails... how much does it cost to get them cut undersedation?

Thanks poodle wrangler. Its just that we usually shower our dog, she doesnt really need grooming. but when she needs her nails clipped we send her to the groomers. This has happened the last 2 times and it just seems like her nails are still super long and the ends are really rough? as though its been just clipped very lightly

Well, we adopted her, so maybe because of her past owners, on closer inspection, her nails have slight cracks even up near her foot... I would get a dremel but I thought it'd be better to just get a groomer to show me the ropes first.. just to be on the safe side

anyone else recommendation?

sorry to hijack this thread but... can anybody recommend a groomer in sydney (preferably eastern or inner west- i live in surry hills but i can drive) who uses a dremel?

But then, if it was my dog I would of been at the vets the minute the bleeding started too :rolleyes:

i agree.. not the next day... glad to hear she's ok

Thanks guys

just wondering how the pup is

Hi all,

I've had my doggie for about 6 months this week, so we were just wondering, how often would u take ur dog for a check up? is it every year, or every 6 months, or is it just when u think there's something wrong?

Just wondering what everyone's opinion is or what they actually do

thanks dolers

haha i agree.. aloveen just makes them smelll sooooooo good ;)

ah sorry musta mis read it thanks toohey, guess I'm goin gto bunnings this weekend!! so the key is, use the sandpaper ones, don't use the grinding stones in the set?

thanks for the link... was wondering why Doberman Dawn recommended NOT to use the sanding drums?

where can we get these dremels?