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Hmm so a 15 kg bag would only last 2 months... well assuming I was to feed straight dry food, which I won't be... Can anyone tell me how much a 15 kg bag would set me back then? this really is doing my head in

I find this confusing too... if I was to go by say what Royal Canin Recommends, a $90 bag would only last 2 months. Versus what we feed them at the moment, which costs us about $20 a month. They're only little dogs as well! I can't understand when people say that a 15 kg bag lasts a big dog about 4 months... I guess I'm working it out wrong. I get angry when people imply that I don't want the best for our dogs. I have been researching extensively over the last two weeks on ways I can improve our dogs wellbeing. I was simply asking for people opinions on Eukanba, as at the moment it is a much more affordable option for us. People keep insisting that the premium options aren't really that much more expensive. Well tell me then, how much will it cost to feed two 7.5 kg dogs for a month on premium food? And I am looking into other options. We already feed them meaty bones 5 times a week, but at the moment I wish to supplement this with dry food, as I don't believe that I should be changing their diets too drastically too quickly. I also want to do a lot more research on feeding dogs fruit, vegies and yogurt as this is obviously not something they have genetically evolved to eat, nor have they eaten in the past!

Hmmm well although I still don't know the conditions surrounding the RSPCA's shelters. if they're treatment of and endorsement of battery hen eggs is anything to go by... then I understand why people are so against them. And the fact that an RSPCA watchdog has been established speaks volumes as well. Pretty sad

The problem is we can't afford to feed them any of these, which all seem to work out twice as expensive as Euk I thought that feeding them a better quality food than what the supermarket offers would be preferable. Because its generally considerably cheaper than buying from a pet shop or the vet. My vet actually tried to convince me it would be cheaper to feed them on Royal Canin than supermarket food... I've done the calculations and its not!! Unless I only have to feed them a third of what is recommended I'm not trying to start a war or anything.... and please inform me so I know. But what are they supposed to do? If they have limited funding there's only so many dogs they can care for, feed and shelter at one time? Are they supposed to just start turning animals away? And if there is a company sponsoring them, then wouldn't it be so they could increase funding, therefore decreasing deaths, and also providing the animals with a better quality food?

Can you give me an idea of how much Nutrience is? I haven't been able to find any online stores that sell it.

Our dogs used to be on science diet, however after running out of a giant bag we had bought on the internet, I grabbed a supermarket bag one week, and unfortunately weeks turned to a few months. I know that the supermarket stuff is rubbish, and I'm keen to switch back to a premium kibble in conjunction with chicken frames, necks etc. I was wondering if Eukanuba is ok? It works out at about half the price of science diet, royal canin etc Surely it must be an improvement on what I have been feeding them! (Yes I feel bad) Also i was looking over some old posts and a few people mentioned they won't use science diet due to political reasons? What's this all about, someone mentioned the support the RSPCA, I'm confused, is that a bad thing? Anyways just curious if anyone could fill me in

You're an angel! Thank you :-) What good doggies, how long have you been doing TOT for?

Lovely to see a Rottie owner promoting the placid and gentle temperament of the breed on the www. ;) Any vet is welcome to look in the mouth of my Rottweilers without anaesthetising them and vets have done so many times without complaint from my dogs. Don't stress it?!

I think its the same in every profession though isn't it? And other professions have managed to come up with sets of rules regulations and guidelines. A central regulatory body would have to conduct and gather research on various methods and techniques and decide as a whole what is acceptable, humane, and effective, and then put these guidelines into force. For example they may rule that certain collars are ok to use, if used correctly, however some trainers may still decide not to use them. Anyways, thats my two cents worth :-)

Has the owner tried food specifically for sensitive skin? Probably, but thought it might be worth a try. Also, has she considered taking him to a animal skin specialist, they might have more luck in recognising the problem. If he's having a reaction to something he's eating, maybe try an elimination diet, or switching brands of food. I had a cat who we thought had a skin condition, but it just turned out he had a major flea and ear mite problem, once we got those two under control, the skin cleared up almost by itself. Good luck!

Hmmm found some ?vomit on the floor this morning, looks like they ate half the garden along with the chicken frame... lol They always throw up when they eat grass, I wonder if they ate too much of the lawn with the chicken frame, or was it the frame itself. I will give them a break today and tomorrow, and then give them some chicken necks on Monday.

IF Steve or anyone else could answer my question, that would be fantastic! I just started tonight, and thought I understood everything, but when I went to do it I realized I wasn't sure... When I am going to release the dog and say 'ok' do I say ok as i take the tie off, or after? You said in your instructions that they should be responding to my ok rather than the snap of the lead so I'm not sure. Also do they need to make eye contact with me, or just a general look at my body, as they are quite short and have to look up a fair way ;) I noticed they glanced in my general direction quite a few times, and then eventually made eye contact with me. I think thats all for now! Really hoping this gives me a bit more authority and control with them, as they go absolutley berserk at walk time, when anyone comes anywhere near our house, or even when I just put on a pair of shoes or get dressed...

Thanks everyone. I thought I was so clever for finding them ;) I might try the Preston markets next time, it would be good if the fresh bones were to work out cheaper than premium pet food per day, so I can alternate them, and save some money! Staff n Toller, probably should have read that post before dinner! Never mind, will keep a close eye on them for the next day or so, and give them another small bone on Sunday or Monday.

Hopefully this will help some people that are struggling like I was to find chicken necks etc for your doggies. I'm in Melbourne and had been looking everywhere, and the butchers were no help at all. Woolies at Greensborough had chicken necks and frames at the deli for $2/kg, and in the meat section I found lamb ribs, lamb neck joints, and heaps of other larger bones and joints of meat. Gave my two dogs a rib each this afternoon when I got home, and they didn't know what to do with them :-) They looked at me as if to say, what, you want us to work for our food? I am going to give them a chicken frame each for dinner, hopefully they won't be too big for them, we'll see how we go!

Well our in laws have said they will pay for it all to get done, I guess they feel responsible as they were in their care for the last 5 years. Apparently they have always had bad teeth, and I'm a bit upset that not more was done sooner. The only thing we were told to do was give them chicken wings, but not only has that not helped, but it has made them sick as well. I can see now after ringing around that $250 is the best price I'm probably going to get in Melbourne. I really just needed to know that we weren't getting overcharged, and that the procedure is necessary. I don't want them to have to lose any teeth or get extractions, so I know its important. I'm also concerned about them going under anesthetic as you can never really guarantee what will happen. I know its necessary as they would never ever withstand having their teeth cleaned while conscious but it still seems extreme I'm off now to find some nice tasty chicken necks!

Well I've rung around a few vets and its not cheaper, some places are even more expensive I rung Lort Smith Animal Hospital but they said that they would only tell me a price once I bought my dogs in for a consultation. How are they possibly helping people save money? I have to pay another $60 on the off chance that it may be cheaper, but chances are they would only be saving me a small amount anyway. Oh and of course I only found this out after waiting on the phone for 15 minutes...

I use revolution and have never ever had a problem with fleas. We don't need to do any extra things like wash their bedding or wash them with a special flea wash or anything.

I'm not sure what to do! Both dogs have yellow brown buildup around the tops of their teeth near the gums, and smelly breath. The other part of their tooth is nice and white. Their back ones are worst. One dog is worst than the other so we can prioritise them. The chicken wings never seemed to do much and a lot of the time they would get sick after them so I stopped giving them a few months ago. I will go and hunt for some chicken necks, I know I've looked for them before and had trouble finding them. I know this is going to sound like a stupid question... We have gotten into the habit of mixing their dry food with some rice and vegies. I've read a few posts on here now, and grains are basically just filler for dogs and just pass right through? Would the rice and vegies be making their teeth worst in terms of allowing stuff to build up on them? When we first got them they were being fed on dry food mixed with raw meat (not on the bone) but the vet told us that the raw meat wasn't that great for them and wouldn't help their teeth. They're really fussy, and I feel bad just feeding them plain dried food, is there anything else I can give them to supplement their diet? I see some people talking about feeding dogs a natural, well balanced diet they make themselves but what does this involve exactly? Sorry for all the questions!

p.s. I could send my two fur babies to the Vanity Fur Day Spa and get their teeth cleaned and so much more for $95 each http://www.wishlist.com.au/Product/Product...amp;PCHID=19991 I wonder if they would get them as clean as the vet? Is it possible to get a decent teeth clean done without them going under GA?

I actually burst into tears when he told me the price, and said we couldn't possible afford it :-( I'm such a sook! This price isn't for extractions or anything just the GA and the cleaning!! I think I might need to shop around a bit more... I will give a few vets and groomers a ring tomorrow. I wonder if anyone in Melbourne can recommend a good vet? I can't get over how much the prices vary...

I took my two little Australian silky x Maltese fur babies to the vet today, as one had an ear infection. The vet checked both their teeth and said that they both need them cleaned under anesthetic. At the same time he would drain and clean the infected ear. I was told it would be $250 each for the teeth cleaning, plus $70 for the ear. This was on top of $110 worth of antibiotics, rinse, ointment and recommendations of dental specific dog food i.e. Royal Canin etc. Is the teeth cleaning a reasonable price and necessary? $700 all up for the vet is unfortunately out of the question for us without getting assistance from the in laws (adopted the dogs from them 8 months ago) Which of course we will do if it comes down to our dogs health, but it seems an awful lot to me. Is there anything I can do that will get their teeth clean, or is it too late now? The vet said that they needed a specific dental food as a preventative after the teeth cleaning, I guess this is what they should have been on all along. Also I guess we should of been cleaning their teeth every week, except we had no idea! We also have them on chicken wings which we were told would help keep their teeth clean, but the vet I saw today told me this wouldn't help. Also I'm concerned about the amounts of saturated fat in the wings as they have both had suspected pancreatitis since coming into our care. Any advice for a fairly new dog owner? Are we getting over charged or is this just a necessary part of owning small dogs? Thanks for listening (hope its ok that my dogs aren't pure bred!)