Sagittarian

The Pet Patio door is still the same as it was - Kramar are the distributer now but the owner of Pig in Mud works for them (or did when we last spoke several months ago). My parents in law have one we sent them for their cockers and absolutely love it. Feel free to pm me if you want some more info. Sags

He actually was quite serious about the whole thing and wouldn't sign, having probably heard me talk in the past about dogs that our customers have from there that came to their home with kennel cough. And others, some that he personally knows through school, that were entirely unsuitable for the owners. I hope this can all be sorted, for the sake of the living creatures involved. Sags

I am rather disturbed that my 11 year old came home today telling me he'd been asked at school to sign a petition to keep Pets Haven open. Since when were minors able to sign petitions - given the requirement of full knowledge and disclosure prior to making such decisions? Sags

You are totally correct here dog0267 re the imported foods having to say EXACTLY where the ingredients are sourced from, not so for Australian products unfortunately. Don't you just hate that with our Human food...always says on the can/package "from local & imported ingredients"....I for one, would love to know where my food comes from ...what bit is local & what bit is imported & from where Even things like herbs and spices being irratiated as is some Qld fruit. Be nice to be able to make more informed choices. Sorry, back to topic.

Give me a call at work today if you like and I'll pass on some numbers of people we've had excellent feedback about. 9331 7869 - I'll be there from 10 - 2ish. Ask for Phillipa - if I'm with a customer, please leave me a number or else ask for me to pm you the details. Sags

I was assuming that the op was using good quality capsules - which is why I asked about the volume, as the better quality products don't require the volume for the same results. Sags

Hi, Why not post it here as most of us are really interested in Aussie made products? Sags

I completely agree Nekhbet I'm a huge advocate for PREMIUM (ie not supermarket rubbish) dried dog food, unfortunately in Neo's case he was put on a balanced natural/raw diet by our breeder and vet due to digestive problems, we tried every kind of ultra premium dog food for him, but he just ended up with diarrhea We even tried the "Science" hypoallergenic prescription food gradually and he still couldn't stomach it, trust me I tried everything, I don't give up easily! My other dog has been on ultra premium dog food since she was a puppy (I import food for her from the USA) and touch wood she's never had any issues, this food is balanced with fish oil and vitamin E luckily. Neo's diet did have some items rich in vitamin E (corn, liver etc) but unfortunately it wasn't enough to counter the large amount of fish oil i was giving him. May I ask how you import food and which type? There are so many hoops to jump through with food importation that I am really interested to know what you had to do to achieve it. Did the food require irradiation and if so, did you also factor that into your discussions with vets etc? I am a little puzzled why you needed to give an 80 kg dog 8 capsules a day. That seems extreme for a human, and if you were using a human product, then why so much? Just really curious as this is really interesting reporting on your experience. Sags ;)

May I ask why it was getting hard (now impossible) to get the Royal Canin breeders bags? We have quite a few breeders who we order for and apart from the occasion out of stocks that all petfood companies seem to experience, there are few issues. Sags

Snags... which specific product was it? We are looking at stocking it as we've trialled it very successful in the salon, so would really love some feedback. Sags

If you have any concerns, contact Eukanuba - they are very happy to provide accurate information. Stock is beginning to flow back in the new packaging. High turnover stores are the ones most affected by the reduced volume available as demand hasn't slowed but less stock is available. Feel free to pm me if you'd like a contact number and name to speak to. Sags

Keep in mind that not all pig's ears are the same. The majority are imported and irradiated, which does matter to many folks. Australian ears are available but sometimes one has to ask! Sags

Out of fairness to the original product, Nutro was never banned. It changed hands (was sold to Masterfoods/Mars who also own Advance, Pedigree, Royal Canin etc), and with the imminent plans to manufacture here, the NZ distributor was no longer able to supply Australia. Sags

You're comparing apples with oranges, as Artemis is holistic. While the idea of using Australian made is nice, not all of the ingredients in Nutro are Australian. I also prefer to avoid wheat for my own dogs and while no Artemis products contain it, some of the Nutro range does. It really depends upon which variety of each brand you are considering, as well as your own dog's needs. Both brands have multiple varieties, designed to suit different lifestyles, calorie requirements and so forth, so it isn't as simple as choosing between say Coca Cola and Pepsi. In the end, it generally comes down to how your dog does on a food, rather than how other people's dogs have done, but it certainly helps to get feedback to weigh up as well. Sags

I think what k9katz is asking is whether a label has been added to the bag that says something along the lines of "not to be fed to cats" or "not suitable for cats" - rather than being part of the actual nutrition panel on the packaging. I'd be interested to know as well. Sags

There's also Dexter the Elephant and Darwin the Frog in the same range - a bit dearer than the four original cuz varieties but very popular as well. Will try to find some pics. Sags

Have pm'd you. Sags

Is it in the budget to have him professionally groomed more often? We have a number we do weekly which definately makes shedding more manageable at home. Because each dog is thoroughly brushed out first, you have a lot of relief from excess hair. I also wondered about diet. Is Ollie's food changed around a bit, or is he on a diet including lots of omegas that stays pretty stable? It's just that changing the diet tends to be followed by a big coat drop in many dogs and I've seen a few that shed way less when kept on one diet. Hope it all works out for you, he sounds very loved. Sags

Anyone using these? Would love some feedback. Sags

We have the whole range in Keilor Park and most of the range in Gisborne. Sags

We attended our first Paws in the Park, an annual walk through the Gisborne Botanical Gardens followed by a small (but growing) event including stalls, microchipping, and a fabulous raffle. Run by Gisborne Vet Clinic, with proceeds going to several local groups, including the Dingo Sanctuary. The sun finally made it through, followed by around 200 doggies and their owners. We were next to a reptile group and had so much fun learning about snakes! Anyone else attend? If anyone wants to see pics, there are some on here http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gisbo...165609603449514 Sags

You can always have a chat to the Pro Pac rep or anyone at Aquatopia in Qld, as they are the importer. It is not irradiated. It is owned by Midwestern Foods, who also make Pro Pac. We've carried the range since it arrived and have a rapidly growing return business who absolutely love it. Hope that helps. Sags

Sometimes running water is more interesting. There are waterers on the market (Drinkwell, Dogit to name two) that some in various sizes and aerate the water as a side benefit. To anyone adding water to food - just be a little careful if it is dry food containing Vit C as a link has been made between wetting these foods and gastric torsion. Sags

Seeing as this has been bumped I'll update that Prestige no longer imports Ziwipeak. We're running down our stocks now, and from a wet perspective, are looking forward to the arrival in the not too distant future of the Artemis canned range. Sags