Snoopy21

Did you change to raw Sas? My dog is both itchy and hyper, so I'm hoping that a change will help her too.

Definitely possible. For me anyway. I have one of those kids for whom preservatives are a huge issue. The difference is extreme - from twitches to self mutilation to wild meltdowns and other behaviour issues. Plus it is well acknowledged that sulphite preservatives are a trigger for asthma for example. I don't see why dogs would be any different. As for it being insulting, well......if you have seen huge positive changes in your child/dog just from changing their diet, it is almost abuse to not continue that. They cannot reach their potential, learn effectively, or even feel in control of themselves if they are hyped up on chemicals. And if your dog hurts someone (even accidentally by jumping or knocking them over with bouncing) then the consequences aren't nice.

Thinking of Yogi

Thank you!! I'm not sure that the problem is diet related, I think it probably a variety of things. I just want to do everything I can to help her as it is very painful to rip nails open, and expensive for me to have her sedated and the nail removed. This is the second nail this year, with several other smaller splits and tears, added to a tumour removal and broken toe, and we have done a lot of keeping quiet, vet visits, bandaging and worrying. I would appreciate the information from your friend t-time if that is ok. Thanks for the link Erny - I'll head over and read now.

Any idea of the dose t-time? Could work out expensive anyway as she weighs 40 kgs. Gelatine? Never heard that one before. Did it work?

So Willow had to be sedated last night for yet another split nail to be removed. She is a biggish, heavy, clumsy girl who goes at things full bore, so it is no wonder she hurts herself. But what I want to know is there anything we can do to improve the strength of her nails so this is less likely to happen? I gather that keeping them shorter will help. If I grind them down often enough will the quick recede so I can go shorter next time? How often can I do it?

What a handsome face. You must be missing that smile. Run free gorgeous boy.

I'm heading off to buy a spiky collar and muzzle right now. Better stock up on dangerous dog signs too.....

What a gorgeous smile!! Congratulations!!

I keep my dog onlead because her recall is unreliable. That doesn't make me a bad owner. We have certainly been to puppy school! I'm being responsible, she could cause an accident or frighten someone?

Formaldehyde for example is a metabolic intermediate and is produced by all living cells (plant and animal). It is broken down by sunlight and bacteria and is quickly decomposed by metabolic processes in the human body. It accumulates in neither the animal body nor the environment. A wash and drying outside in the sun should soon remove all formaldehyde from clothing. I can't see how it would be 'the cause' of cancer when we make it in our own cells and it is easily broken down.

We trained Willow to sit at the glass door when she wants to come in (she was jumping up on the door) by just giving her a hand signal to sit each time she approached the door or looked like she was going to jump on it. We never let her in until she was sitting nicely and then made her wait until she was invited. It just helped her to be calm at the door. She will still jump if she has been sitting there for a bit and noone has let her in, but more often she politely knocks with her claws. It's cute! I might get a bell that she can tap......

Nice!! I'll give it a go thanks Aidan. She usually (95%) gives attention when asked so is it OK to ask for attention in that situation or should it be her choice to give it to me?

Good timing for a bump for this thread. I have a whiplash injury today thanks to a particularly spectacular lunge to greet another dog yesterday (Willow not me!! I was just on the other end of the leash). We have been working at the loose leash thing, and Willow has been getting plenty of walks and has been pretty good. But what to do about the lunging? How do I lessen that very strong response to stimuli?

I am totally at peace with you having dogs that hate kids on your own property. The same as a horse that might kick. But the fact is that dogs are often out in public, where there may also be children. If you stick to quiet areas, dog parks etc then it probably won't be an issue. But if you choose to walk a crowded street, or attend a busy social gathering, or walk past a primary school at 3pm, then I would think that your dogs needed to be good with kids. And the elderly, those in wheelchairs, men with beards, other dogs etc etc.

The unfortunate fact is that people don't know better. Not everyone is a dog person. And it was different when we were kids wasn't it? People assume that a puppy is cute and fluffy and they want their kids to have the pleasure of patting it. They don't understand about fear and the long term impact of that on your dog. They don't read doggy body language and they don't think a cute fluffy puppy would ever bite.

If it helps - Marmaduke drooled, knocked people flying, ate a ton, destroyed the house and embarrassed everyone, so hopefully too many people wouldn't want to invite that into their house. It didn't deter my husband from his grand plan though.....

Could it have been that there was some infection in the wound so they opened it to clear it up? Looks a bit like an abscess repair to me.

Mmmmmm.....tastes like liquorice.

I would be most worried that the rat had been poisoned. Check your dogs carefully for signs of rat poison ingestion.

Hopefully the 6 mg will give her some relief and I will call the vet in the morning. I can ask her about it then.

Thanks! Will give it a go now.

OK so I have the 12 hour action ones which have a 6 mg dosage per tablet. They say for use for ages 12 and up. Willow weighs in around 40 kgs, so around the same as 12 year old yeah? So just give her one?

Willow has broken out in red, itchy welts all over her tummy and hind legs this evening. She isn't swelling anywhere else but looks miserable and the rash is hot and puffy looking. Is there anything I can do for her tonight? I have Polaramine in the cupboard (mine) can I give her that to ease it a little? What dosage would I use?

She did. She will always behave at that field from now on. Working on making it the same other places. You enjoyed the doggy kisses anyway didn't you? Occupational hazard?