poodlefan

Ciara: I have to say I've met the odd Chi that would benefit from spending time with K9... [imagines K9 in his bite suit with 40 Chis attached to various bits] :p

Here you go Ciara... bugger those ugly black ones K9 is trying to flog.. They aren't REAL dog collars.. THIS is a real dog collar - its a Coach (they come in just about every colour):

K9: try this one... lol... Ciaras after a COLLAR, not a weight belt.. K9 gawd :p My poodles can wear FHR's Vizsla's collars round their waists - no probs. Ciara if money is no object, check out the Coach brand leather collars on Ebay - gorgeous but EXPENSIVE. :p K9's puppy leads would be an OK Chi lead but if you are really stuck, a good saddler or leather worker may be able to customise something - I can think of a couple of bridle parts that would make an OK Chi collar :p My dogs wear the Blackdog or Lupine plastic buckle collars - but they don't pull on the lead and they ain't great big boofers either.

Oh boy.. how distressing for you. My Darcy did this.and had the trots too . three days on a drip and he was fine. In the meantime I ate my finger nails to the bone. :p Please let us know how Oliver is getting on. :p I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good news. Bloody Parvo.. :p

You know what I don't enjoy about dog training - some of the owners. Particularly ones who won't recognise or acknowledge THEIR contribution (or lack of it ) to their dog's problems. No dog training professional career for me. I'd throttle someone.

Can you add a dash to his drinking water? Failing that, I'd syringe a dose down his throat.. :D

Dachshund Lover you are correct. A true BARF diet contains no processed food of any kind - canned or kibble.

KHL, I based my advice on this: No mention of RMB's there. A full two thirds of a balanced raw diet is RMBs so you really need to up them if you want to do this properly. No balanced 'raw' diet includes kibble or cooked food of any kind. If you do choose to feed raw (not a 'hybrid' diet) you really need to do your homework as it takes planning to get it right. Get it wrong and your dog will suffer from malnutrition. If you don't own Dr Billinghurst's books I highly recommend you buy them or at least the "Grow your pups with bones" one.

The only mince I use in my dog's diet is blended with 50/50 with vegetables to make a BARF mix. It's beef mince. I'll confess to finding a lot of chicken stuff on the nose if it isn't used or frozen straight away. If your dog has no problems with chewing, he or she would benefit from getting chicken off the bone - wings and necks are good if your dog is a bit small to tackle carcasses.

KHL: Raw mince, chopped vegetables and rice will not be a balanced diet for a growing pup - it will be deficient in at least calcium and phosphorus. Vegetables need to be juiced or blended for dogs to have access to their nutritional value. Dogs have no need for cereals in their diet so don't worry about the rice. It would simply be acting as filler. If you are not going to feed kibble (which has vitamin and mineral additives) then you will have to feed raw meaty bones like chicken wings and necks in order to provide them. Personally, I think the pet mince is the most likely source of 'wind' in the diet you are currently feeding. It tends to be made of lower grade meat offcuts and is often laced with preservatives. If you don't choose to adopt a full "BARF" diet I highly recommend you keep Minx on a premium puppy kibble. Why don't you try one of those?

My advice would be to discuss your concerns with your vet - many vets these days are prepared to discuss the pros and cons on vaccinating but you need to make an informed decision which has considered the risks. Vaccinations do impact on the immune system. You need to weigh the risk of vaccinations against the risk that your dog, with a compromised immune system will be more susceptible to contagious dog diseases than others. If your vet is of the 'vaccinate or else' brigade, find another vet. At the very least a titre to give you some indication of your dog's current immunity to potentially life threatening diseases seems warranted.

Lablover I'm so sorry to hear about your girl. I hope that the prognosis for her is good.

I'm currently feeding 5 poodles with a collective weight of around 32kg. I'd estimate the cost as being around $35 per week. Some meals like chicken legs are only around the $4 mark for the five dogs. Lamb is more expensive and the veggie mix is about $6 per meal.

Mita: Mita if you are feeding both the dogs the same food/potions I don't think this allows for the fact that one dog may have a higher metabolism than the other. Feed the chubby girl less - she may not like it but she will learn to live with it. I have one "good doer" in my family. She gets far less than the other but eats it twice as fast. Different dogs of the same size and breed can also have different activity levels. The slimmest dog in my family is a 'busy' dog. He never stops. Lily is more of a couch potato.

Kayla I'm a raw feeder so I'd say its NEVER too early for bones. PP charge like wounded bulls - you are probably paying about 25-50% more for that food than an equivalent premium brand from a decent store or vet. :D I won't buy anything from a place that sells puppies anyway. :rolleyes:

Folks you SHOULD be able to feel a dogs ribs and hips without too much pressure. In a smooth coated dog you should be able to SEE the last three ribs. Most Australian dogs are overweight. About 40% of them are technically obese. Sometimes feeling a lean dog is a shock if you aren't used to it. Don't assume that because you can feel a dogs ribs, it is underweight. I suggest you read the 'corpulent canines' article at the attached link. http://www.caninesports.com/fatdogs.html For the record, its not what a dog weighs thats important - is how well you can feel ribs, hips etc. Fat dogs lives are being shortened by well intentioned owners - they face a raft of medical issues due to their excess weight. You can feel my dogs ribs, hips etc without too much pressure. I keep them lean because they lead active lives and because I want them to have fit and happy senior years. :rolleyes:

Vickie: I see it too. I hate it. If you treated sports horses the same way, the equestrian fraternity would tar and feather you. :D

Maybe some more facts won't hurt. Try getting her to read this: http://www.caninesports.com/fatdogs.html He will get all the nutrition he needs. IF she wants to feed him more, then she should add something like mashed pumpkin.. filling but not fattening.

Perhaps if you point out that she's taking years off her dog's life it might get through. She's also condemning him to painful arthritic senior years. She might like to try training him... it would certainly solve the walking issues.

From my observation of dogs that have had the op, its extremely painful. Worst side effect can be faecal incontinence - ie dog cannot control its bowels. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure in this case. No point in being squeamish if your dog's welfare is involved. SOME groomers do anal glands. Its not rocket science if you know what you are doing.

Ah, swimming - no better form of exercise for dogs or people. Pity I swim like a Bamix.

If you can find someone who had been a flyballer for a while and has dog's aged over six still fit and competing, they'd be the people to talk to.

I am not a flyballer Tollers but from my observation it would have to. If dogs don't do a swimming turn they hit the box with their front ends with considerable force. The swimming turn will still place stress on a dog's body and but less than a sharp stop and turn would - that's why warming up should be a priority. Ooh - forgot to add. I reckon offlead exercise should from the majority of any sports dogs's fitness regime - uneven ground is also good to work muscles and improve balance.

Flyball is notorious for cruciate ligament damage. One of my old vets reckoned flyball had paid for his BMW. No dog sport is without risk Tollers. Conversely dogs have been known to seriously injure themselves blatting round a paddock. The key strategy to adopt is one of risk management. You should have your dog lean and as fit as you can get him for flyball. Learn about appropriate warming up and cooling down routines, including stretching. Failure to do this is key cause of injurires. Treat your dog like an athlete. Ensure he is not forced to over train or over compete and the he has lighter training or a spell after big comps. Learn to watch him and get him regularly chiropacted or physio'd if necessary. If you have not had a knowledgeable vet check your dog over in terms of his suitabiliyt for flyball, then I would do that as a matter of priority - vets can spot structural issues that you may need to manage. And most importantly, do NOT do flyball with too young a dog - it is far too much stress on growing bones. In the States, I am told there are flyball competitors who have their dogs PTS aged about 4 because they are unsound. The key is start slow, keep fit and don't overdo it.

Lyssa: I think you just answered your own question Lyssa. Yes, it is fun to have a dog that you can take anywhere, that is welcome everywhere and that you can teach tricks. Good, humane training does not change a dog's personality - sometimes it gives more confidence and it can definitely shave off some rough edges. An aggressive dog is a dangerous dog, regardless of its size - imagine some small child being bitten by your dog. Having your dog declared dangerous is definitely not fun. Having to have your dog put to sleep because of its aggression is even less so. Your entire family will need to set some boundaries for your pooch. My advice to spend the money and have a professional dog trainer come and show you what to do.