Odette

Thanks for the replies, I'll definately try the "taking it away" if she hasn't eaten it approach, at the moment I just leave it out or in her feeder ball. I even went to mixing some of the cat's food in (she also gets Artemis Fresh Mix), and this worked for a while, but now she won't eat either... I soften it for her with water sometimes, and this seems to help, but yeah.. Not a reliable winner, she literally turns her nose up at it. I'll give the fresh mince mix a try with it too, I've done this with roast chicken, but she's figured out how to pick out the chicken and leave the food... Thankyou! PS I'll add, for those of you who have a cat, the Artemis Fresh Mix is THE best cat food Ive ever tried, the change in my cat's coat and condition is really noticeable (id been feeding her Eukanuba prior to that, then onto EP Holistic (for both of them), then the Artemis. Miss Heidi Paws is 2 years old, Tonkinese. They both look very healthy, very clear eyes and good coats, but the cat especially looks great (maybe because Ive been feeding the puppy super premium from the start, so the change wasn't as noticeable, i don't know...)

Hi there, My puppy has become a super fussy eater. I currently feed her Artemis Fresh Mix puppy, and although she hungrily ate it at first, she turns her nose up at pretty much anything (unless it is roast chicken or whatever Im eating). I don't actually feed her my food, but my mother does when she comes over or is babysitting the pets :/ I have been guilty of it too at times, I'll admit, although I know it's not a good idea and do try to keep her away from my food. Any advice on how to deal with this? Do i persist, and hope that she'll just eat when she gets hungry enough, or should I consider changing again? Maybe preparing her food myself? Is this as good as a brand like Artemis? She is 9 months old, pug cross cavalier, spayed recently, not a big eater anyway (has gone off a lot of her treats as she's getting older, including pigs ears, bully sticks, chews etc) Thanks in advance.

She's be 9 months now when she finally DOES get desexed....

this is hilarious

I called up the local store - $46 for those little panty things! Needless to say, I didn't go and buy them :D I made a set myself with a old pair of knickers and a panty liner hahahaha. Hilarious! Poor dog - she looks miserable!

I have to go and pay her registration, I might as well go today, even sick I can't handle sitting in this house all day! Im bored out of my brains..... There is a pet store not far from here, Ill pop in and see what they have (and nope, they dont sell live animals )

http://ledeckgsd.com/articles/bitches-heat.htm This is interesting.

You're kidding me right? Oh Im TOTALLY going to get some. How funny!! How long is a dog in heat? It seems so long.. I thought it was only a few weeks?

And how long will the blood spotting last?

OK, so this is the update. She is leaving blood stains all over the place I don't get it. Vet nurse said she was in heat back then, when i took her in. How could she still be on heat now? It's over a month later!!!! I've had to cancel and rebook again. Now for the end of May. I'm really not impressed at all. Does this mean they made a mistake? How do you mistake that sort of thing? It's quite obviously swollen now and yep, little blood marks... Could she have had an infection or something back then??

Odette puts toys on me while playing with them... will actually follow me around witht he toy in her mouth, then somehow have it on me while biting it... Why would she do that? She does it with bully stickks and pigs ears too, but mostly with toys, and the more you move away, the more intent she is to have the toy somehow touching you or on your arm/leg/back/lap while she chews it..... Is it so I'll play tug with her, or is it a dominance thing??

I have the exact same problem with my puppy - she's fine when its dry, but when its raining, she won't go outside.. Makes toilet training a bit difficult... Not sure what I'll do this winter!

Hi goldielover! Ok Ive just finished her first bag of it, and i'm really happy with it. Her coat looks amazing, andis very soft, lovely eyes, and she eats it well. Small poos that dont really smell. I have to admit, I prefer it to the EP Holistic, and the puppy definitely likes it. The cat though, Im still mixing it in with the EP for her (standard EP, not holistic), i had a lot of it left, and her poo seems to be a lot smellier... I don't know if thats because of the mix, i'm starting to phase it out now, but she does look very healthy, and likes the food.. she picks around the Eagle Pack and eats the Artemis! i have more than 3/4 of the bag left, so we'll see how she goes on it.... I have ordered a 7 kg (or thereabouts) bag for the puppy, which will hopefully be delivered tomorrow, to continue her on it. Its a winner for me

I chose Other - I've been feeding my puppy Artemis Fresh Mix Puppy, and its great. i was feeding her Eagle Pack Holistic before, but she went off it I order online, from k9 & Katz kitchen, and its great - free delivery, fast service. Im happy with it.

Thankyou very much for all your replies, much appreciated

Excellent I'll keep feeding them to her then! She LOVED it, especially the bloody marrow... I also noticed at Safeway, in the pet food area (fridge area) there was a unlabelled bag with a couple of bones inside, obviously off-cuts.. Would you feed this?

I bought a chicken neck too, I've give her that on the weekend.. I didnt realise she could bite through the bone the way she did! I know you cant give them cooked bones because they splinter, but can raw bones do the same thing? I have to say, she was very stinky afterwards too... Poooo!!!!!!!!

OK, so I bought her a chicken drumstick from Safeway, human grade, and i gave it to her raw.. She had a lot of trouble getting hte meat off, so i cut some of it off for her, and left her with it.... She ate the bone!! Will this be a problem? She left little tracks of bloody marrow all over the place, but Im worried about it splintering in her? It was a raw bone.. I didn't think she could bite through it like she did! She's ~4.5 kg, 7 months old... She's quite small!

Ive given her tendon chews, i could go and pick up another one tonight actually, thanks! And the marrow bone sounds good - where would i pick one up from? The butcher? Fresh or dried like you might get from a pet store?

Odette has a couple of retained canine puppy teeth, and I'm having her desexed in about 3 weeks so they're getting removed at the same time.... I've been keeping an eye on them, as they can tend to get a little grubby around the gums, between the adult tooth and the puppy tooth. Ive been brushing them gently with a soft toothbrush before bed to try and get any gunk out, but her gums look a little red around those teeth.. What is the best way to keep her teeth clean and ward off any possible gum disease while im waiting for the operation?

How about a small breed dog?

Thing is - conventional medicine is also a big business. Some would say the biggest. We probably need to remember that, too. Personally, I have no problem being sceptical about anything, or anyone. Nobody here has asked anyone to risk their animals' health. Because she has a dog which has had a vaccine reaction, the OP was simply searching for some info about alternatives to vaccination which anyone has used. Sadly we haven't had anyone join the discussion who can educate any of us about homeopathics, and none of us are vets. So no-one has been able to actually give her the info she was looking for ;) Sorry FTPO. That's true, it IS big business, but it's also regulated. You can be pretty sure that whatever you are using has had to pass a number of tests and regulations - same cant be said for homeopathics. And to stress a point - there is no proof, at all... :p But yeah, it's good to keep an open mind, and make educated choices... I would think that "vaccinating" your dog using a homeopathic vaccine is taking a HUGE risk for your dogs health, particularly with parvo and other life threatening infections?

LOL I'm a vegetarian too, seems we aren't entirely all that dissimilar.. I also don't think we disagree on everything, but things tend to get a little bit skewed on these boards..... All part of the fun i guess!

I'm interested in the efficacy of nosodes to be honest. I wonder if there is any published data illustrating efficacy at all! I'm not seeing much in an internet search, in fact, Im seeing quite the opposite. I'm at work, so Ill be brief, but here is a statement from the British Veterinary Association: "The BSAVA does not endorse the use of nosode vaccines for companion animals and believes that there is no evidence base to support their efficacy. The BSAVA particularly advises against the use of nosodes in a legal context (e.g. Local Authority inspection of kennelled animals). The BSAVA supports the use of the wide range of high quality, safe and efficacious licensed veterinary vaccines. The BSAVA believes that all animals should receive the benefit of solid protective immunity from life-threatening infectious diseases that is conferred by vaccination using licensed veterinary products. The BSAVA endorses the concept that tailored vaccine programmes should be applied to as many animals as possible within a population to maintain the level of protective immunity within that population."

Just wanted to clear this up. Homeopathic nosodes aren't injected. They are an oral preparation. You're welcome to your opinion about homeopathics etc. I'm not trying to change your mind I'm still on the fence myself. However, I don't know if you class veterinarians as not respected, or part of the scientific and medical industry, but there are many vets who use homeopathics. It is becoming increasingly accepted even in Australia. And there are a number of professional bodies (some listed in blue below)with conventionally qualified members who do use homeopathics as part of their system of treatment. Here is what a vet (with a Phd ) has to say about nosodes: "The word comes from the Greek nosos, "disease", and eidos, "from". This is because nosodes are prepared from diseased tissue or the product of disease. In other words they are made from natural secretions that the body produces to help eliminate infective agents. Nosodes can be used to help protect against the same diseases that vaccines are conventionally used for. This includes Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis, and Kennel Cough in dogs as well as Feline Enteritis and Cat Flu in cats." From Dr Douglas Wilson, BVM&S, PhD VetMFHom MRCVSc CertIAVH. "Dr Wilson is a veterinarian with over 25 years of experience. He has worked in the USA, UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He recognizes that there are limitations to conventional veterinary treatment and now uses a holistic approach to animal health care. Dr Wilson is experienced in treating dogs and cats, horses, farm animals and other animals. He is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA) The British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons (BAHVS) The International Association for Veterinary Homeopathy (IAVH) and is President of the Australian Holistic Veterinarians (AHV):" Titre tests do show when your dog's immunity falls below safe levels, and when your dog is at risk. That's what they're meant to do. They give you a picture of your dog's immunity so you don't over-vaccinate, but they don't replace vaccination. They aren't anything to do with homeopathics at all. It sounds to me like Dr Wilson has a vested interest in promoting homeopathy, given that he is a member of a number of groups, and President of the Australian Holistic Veterinarians I don't know about what form a "homeopathic vaccine" comes, injected or oral, it really doesn't matter - I don't believe that they work. i cannot see how an animal can successfully mount an immune response against an antigen in a solution so dilute that the antigen is no longer detectable in the solution. That's just common sense. And I'm sure that many veterinarians ARE using homeopathies, they simply don't have to undergo the same scrutiny that human medicine does - really opens up the doors for those peddling homeopathy, doesn't it? If I was in the business, I know where I'd be trying to sell my goods! And that's what you need to remember - it's a business. There are plenty of doctors and therapists with the same qualifications in human medicine that also promote homeopathy for the treatment of human disease - it doesn't mean that they are as effective, or have undergone the same level of scrutiny in regards to safety and efficacy. Plenty of people have their heart in the right place, sure, but they go against the fundamental principles of research and proper scientific investigation when they promote a treatment or drug that does not have any real proof behind its method or principle! Hoping that something works doesn't mean that 1) it works or 2) that it's safe. You also need more than a handful of cases to prove efficacy too, and large scale studies are simply not done or reported, because the methodology is often so flawed that they can't publish in peer-reviewed journals! I wouldn't risk my animals health, to be quite honest.