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Has anyone else observed this in a medium size dog? Since a pup (now 3 yrs old), sometimes when he sits his front legs wobble and tremble. Both feet stay on the floor but the 'wrist' bit seems to bend back and forth. It never happens when standing and he has no problems walking, running, or playing. If you hold either leg and manipulate it does not appear to cause pain, and he shakes hands on command with no trouble. No problems getting up from a lying down position or going from 'sit' to 'down'. He does these big body stretches quite a bit - for anyone familiar with yoga terms he loves 'upward dog' and 'downward dog' moves. The only other issue I have noticed is he is not fond of either his front or hind legs being brushed. I have only brought it up with a vet once when he was a young pup - after feeling his legs he said he wasn't experiencing any pain and it may have been a growth spurt. I don't know if I should investigate further now that he is fully grown, or if it is a just a quirk? He is part poodle and is a 'floppy' kind of dog in general if this makes sense!

Just to let you know the pathology results revealed a Cutaneous Histiocytoma (benign lump). I have included a bit of the report below. 9 stitches later and he is acting as if nothing has happened (And I am much relieved and grateful for the good result). HISTOPATHOLOGY REPORT CLINICAL NOTES Firm growth, L shoulder. SUMMARY CUTANEOUS HISTIOCYTOMA. COMMENT Cutaneous histiocytoma is a benign lesion that occurs most commonly in dogs under four years of age but can occur in dogs of any age. Preselection sites include the head, neck, ears and distal extremities. These lesions typically undergo rapid growth and spontaneous regression that may occur over a number of days, weeks or months. Excision of this lesion is complete.

Thank you both, it is so helpful to have others give support and keep reminding me to stay calm I'm trying not to think too far ahead, at this stage I'm just dealing with leaving him there for the surgery (he's never been away from us since the day I brought him home - even the groomer comes to our house!) and trying not to burst into tears whenever I see him, because I know I am upsetting him by acting out of the ordinary. His operation is tomorrow so I am thankful I don't have too much time to wait and worry.

My 2 year old male has had a lump on his shoulder blade for about 2 weeks. It is a bit bigger than pea sized, it started as a hardish raised lump with a scab on top and has changed to a slightly larger but more flattish lump with some brown discharge. It is on the surface of the skin and just under if that makes sense. I was bathing it with salty water (thinking it was a small infection or ingrown hair) and it doesn't seem to worry him if it's touched. I took him to the vet yesterday. He squeezed the lump (more brown gunk came out) and he checked this sample under the microscope. He said he saw blood, pus and some 'abnormal' cells and recommended removing the lump and having it tested. He said he has concerns it is a tumour. I said I thought tumours were solid and pus would be an indication of an infection? but he said he was worried about these cells he could see 'breaking down' in the sample. He said because of his age he is also worried because in younger dogs, tumours can sometimes be very aggressive. I've booked him in for the surgery to have the lump removed and crossing fingers for good results. Until I receive the results, it would be helpful to me if anyone had a similar experience with this type of lump? I would like an indication of what we might be in for...

I've been using Apple Cider Vinegar for the past few weeks - diluted 50:50 with water and sponged all over the coat. I do this twice a day (before taking him out for a walk so he is still damp) and then in the evening after his walk I run a flea comb all over. It is a mild repellent - I still might find one or two fleas on him every couple of days using this method, but I was combing 6 to a dozen off him every day when using a herbal flea powder so I think I will stick with the ACV through summer. Some people hate the smell of the vinegar but I quite like it - it makes me hungry for fish and chips!

I have the Cool Champions mat. It feels like a thin quilted parka (not squishy) and when wet it doesn't feel mushy or slimy, just damp. I use it indoors on carpet and it stays cool for several hours. I can't compare it to any others but I am happy with it, I didn't want a gel one or a fluid filled one as I was afraid of it puncturing. My boy is still getting used to it. He likes to lick and lick it and then lay down next to it. I've had to coax him onto it but one night I noticed he was laying on his side with his head on it at least (I think this was unintentional as I put it down right next to where he was sleeping and he must have rolled over in his sleep!). Not sure whether it would assist with arthritis. Are dogs with arthritis ok to lay on something damp or would this aggravate the condition?

Thank you for your responses. My boy has been on a raw food diet since 8 weeks old - over the past 18 months I have gradually switched over from Pitcairn's suggested diet (which includes grain) to VAN (some grain) and now a Raw Meaty Bones model (no grain). His diet now consists of majority RMBs, with a small percentage of offal and other raw meat, no more than 10% raw veges (eg broccoli, cauliflower, buk choy, carrots, zucchini, cucumber, parsley) and 3 raw eggs per week. He has a teaspoon of natural yoghurt in the evenings and tiny amounts of Ziwi Peak 'Good Dog' treats and dried beef liver as snacks. His ears flare up approx every 4 months and he has required vet treatment 3 times (in 18 months). The vet diagnosed Malassezia (yeast). The other times I have used Malaseb solution diluted as a flush at the first sign of gunk or smell and this has worked well, but I am reluctant to continue with chemicals. He has only been on the RMB diet for the past month so I am hoping in time the elimination of grains will make a difference. My groomer clips under his ears and along his cheeks and I also trim the hair on and around his ears. I usually don't wet his head at all when bathing him, but not sure of the groomer. In the past when plucking his ears I have sterilized the tweezers with tea tree oil. I'm not sure what else to try! I am reluctant to put anything in his ears when they are clear as I think I should just leave them alone when there is no problem with them, but now I wonder if I should be using some kind of preventative treatment on a regular basis.

Does anyone know of a headband or tie that can be used to hold floppy poodle ears up? I pluck them every month but my boy is still prone to ear infections (especially at this time of year). I was thinking if I could find something made to hold his ears up, I could use this occasionally to let the air circulate underneath. My vet advised tying a hair ribbon on the longer hairs on top of his ears to give them a little lift but I was wondering if there are any custom made bands out there for this purpose. Have just spent 30 mins googling ear bands / poodle ear ties but I have no idea if they even exist or what they would be called!

Thank you for your responses. I must admit I am still a bit confused. Are the RMBs I am feeding comprised of too much meat and not enough bone? The beef brisket and lamb neck are about 50/50 meat/bone; the chicken necks as mentioned would be about 75% bone. I'm not sure what tinned sardines/salmon would be - majority meat I guess. If I up the RMB intake to 75% (still using the above variety), make the diced meat component, incl heart 15% and 10% liver & kidney would it be more well rounded? I'm happy to drop the dairy component although he loves his spoonful of yoghurt as dessert each evening so will keep this as a treat

Just wondering what percentage of RMBs people are feeding (as part of total daily diet) for an adult dog? I'm trialling 50% of total diet as RMBs (alternating between chicken necks/beef brisket/lamb necks) (with tinned Sardines/Salmon twice a week instead) I feed the RMBs at breakfast, and for dinner the remaining 50% as a mixture of: 10% Kidney (lamb or ox) 5% Heart (beef) 25% Muscle Meat (mix of diced kangaroo, and either lamb or beef) 10% Ricotta/Cottage cheese/Yoghurt And in addition to the above mixture: An egg 4 times a week Sml amount of steamed and mashed veges Do you think this breakdown provides enough variety and adequate calcium intake etc? I've seen raw diets recommending up to 75% RMBs and some advising as low as 30% - confusing!

I have been giving my 10kg boy a fish oil capsule 5 days per week with his raw food diet (on the other days he gets sardines/eggs). After reading about the need to give vitamin E supplements when giving fish oil to prevent rancidity in the body, I have been adding 1 Vitamin E capsule containing 200IU of Vit E 3 days per week as well. I have just switched fish oil brands and the one I'm using now is Salmon Oil 1000mg per capsule providing 300mg EPA/DHA combined. The label states "has added vitamin E as an oil antioxidant" on the front, but doesn't detail how much vitamin E it contains in the capsule nutritional analysis. Is the Vitamin E that has already been added sufficient, or should I continue to give Vitamin E capsules a few times a week?

:rolleyes: Many thanks for the ideas, I checked out the other thread too. I also had a look at pawzazzpetz.com.au as recommended on the other thread; I never knew you could buy all those different types of freeze dried meats - I think they will be winner! My main source of treats has been fresh fruit (apple, pear, blueberries) but I've become wary of them in case they cause a flare up with his yeasty ears. Does anyone have any advice on whether dried fruit would cause yeast flare ups, or certain types of vegetables? I would think veges like (raw) carrots and celery etc would be ok, I think it is only starchy veges that may cause a problem??? I'm happy to hear there are also packet treats that have all natural ingredients, it will be so much easier to take a few crunchy treats out on walks, rather than bits of raw meat as I'm currently doing!

My boy is on a raw food diet, and I need some ideas for 'natural' treats and rewards. As he is prone to ear infections (yeast) I'm trying to avoid: processed snack foods with additives etc grains any yeast producing foods which is making it difficult to come up with a list! Also, what do you think of products that claim they are 100% liver etc? I was given a sample pack recently of 100% liver drops and they are light and crunchy and I can't figure out how it can just be liver with nothing else added!

I have a break away collar, here's where I ordered it from online (with some product info): Breakaway Collar

I just found kangaroo meat at Coles (Sydney). They had it in 1kg packs of mince, no preservatives; and small packs of kangaroo fillets. I bought a 250g pack of fillets for $4.62 (which works out to about $18 a kilo). Not sure of price of mince per kilo.

I wouldn't really consider it dry food as you soak the grains in water for 24 hours and they form a kind of paste which you then mix with the raw meat. If you add a little more water when serving, the consistency is more like a (cold) stew. You can buy 1 kg packs (which lasts a medium sized dog about 10 days) to try it out - and it also comes in 5kg bags. Dr Bruce's Website also has some more info on the product.

I have been using the puppy mix for my 8 month old for a month now (2 meals per day, with meaty bones 3 times a week instead of the mix). He loves it. I mix it to the packet specifications with red meat - beef strips, lamb strips (making a big batch and freezing in portions) and add a bit more water to the meal when serving because he seems to prefer the grain mix sloppy. So far so good, but I am also keeping an eye on his weight in case I have to make adjustments to the portion sizes.

I'm considering switching from a Raw/Cooked home made diet (with no bones) to all BARF. I'm still doing some research into the diet and my main concern is the safety of swallowing chunks of the whole raw bones. Would it be ok to smash them up with mallet to begin with until I feel more comfortable with the raw bone concept? Does anyone do this on a regular basis or does it defeat the purpose of BARF? My dog is small size, 8 months old.

He is not an Ivermectin sensitive breed so I think he would be clear of the gene. My main reasons for doing the switch is that I've read Ivermectin has been used for many years (longer than Moxidectin) and Valuheart is Australian made (Proheart is made in USA).

I'm thinking of switching from Proheart monthly tablets. I read that Valuheart is the generic Heartgard (which I originally wanted to purchase, but couldn't find it anywhere in tablet form - only Heartgard Plus which is a chew and also controls some intestinal worms). I'm using Drontal All Wormer every three months so only want a monthly heartworm treatment. After doing some research about Moxidectin (Proheart) and Ivermectin (Valuheart) I think I would like to switch. Any opinions?

Miranda, the diet I'm following is from Dr Richard Pitcairn's book "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats". Pitcairn's book on Amazon It's based on raw meat, cooked or grated veges, and cooked grains - with added supplements. I make up a batch that lasts one week (frozen in patties). I usually alternate between chicken and beef each week, always with cooked rolled oats (pup did not do well with other grains) and cooked and mashed mixed veges (carrot, broccoli, cauliflower) and a couple of cloves of grated raw garlic. Calcium is also added (I use a seaweed based calcium powder), and vegetable oil (I use safflower or sunflower) and a 'Healthy Powder' mix which includes Kelp, Vitamin C, Lecithin and (optional) Brewers Yeast. As I am not using the optional yeast I also include some powdered spirulina as a mulitvitamin (added separately when each meal is served). Bones are used only as recreational - I give a brisket bone once a week. The book has several other recipes, all with nutritional analysis included. I researched home made diets for months before I decided on this one, (as opposed to BARF - my main fear was the problems that may occur from raw bone splinters). It's quite easy once you get the hang of it, although I still refer to the recipe book each week to get the exact measurements right.

Thanks for the suggestions, he has been to the vet recently and is in good health. I've been reading up on the pineapple and will give it a try, although I'm a bit confused over fresh or tinned, do they both work? How much to add to his meal? (he weighs 9.5 kg and has a meal of 1.5 cups of raw food mix, twice a day).

My pup is almost 8 months old and since I brought him home at 8 weeks he has tried to eat his poo every time he does one! I have tried putting tabasco sauce on it - he ate it. Chilli sauce - ate it. White vinegar - ate it. For quite a few months the only solution was to put him on a leash each time he looked like he needed to go, then straight afterwards take him into the house, lock him in and then go back and clean it up straight away. Since then we've progressed to being off leash - he poos, I tell him to leave it, give him a reward, quickly get the poop scoop (he lays down inches from the poo staring at it until I return), come back, tell him to leave it again, reward again, scoop and dispose. This only works when someone is around to carry out the process! If you leave it too long or nobody's around he happily eats the whole thing. I was told he might be doing it to get attention (i.e he is usually chased around the yard and made to drop it) so I don't know if I should just let him eat it all he wants until he tires of it, but I was also told I need to break the cycle and if I have one whole week of no poo eating and then he eats just one bit I'm back to square one. My concern is he sometimes throws up after eating the poo so I'm reluctant to let it continue. I'm considering Bitter Apple spray next, I've heard its good for dogs who chew the wrong things but he also has some pretty weird tastes - he loves to play with and bite into the lemons and limes that fall off our trees. I also don't want to use anything that may be toxic in case he does eats it. Any solutions? Will he grow out of it? He is on a raw homemade Pitcairn diet, healthy, a good weight and his poo is well formed and not smelly.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am in the Bankstown area, my closest bushy areas are by the Georges River but I've also travelled out to the beaches in the Sans Souci area for walks. My pup has the type of fur that makes a good hiding place for ticks so I'm quite paranoid! I've been sticking to footpaths and parks with cement walking tracks since December - I only feel safe letting him on the grass our own backyard!

I'm looking for a listing of suburbs that I should be concerned about, with regards to ticks. So far I have not been able to find any publications online that provide a list of Sydney suburbs that have tick problems - most just have warnings about being careful if you travel to a tick infested area, but I would like to know which suburbs are tick infested! I know ticks can travel via clothing etc so any suburb can be at risk but I'm more interested in the suburbs considered tick 'infested'. Can anyone help? I live in South West Sydney.