Sagittarian

Yep, I know, Silverhaze - but no lower (from memory) than EP and being of a different formula will have different benefits. The new Earthborn Holistic range is either on the docks or in the warehouse now. It is imported by Premium Pets who formerly were Aquatopia. They also have Pro Pac so it should be fairly readily available over the coming weeks. Sags

This food is not far away. Only fish as an animal protein. There is a full range, including a new grain free product. http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/oc...usion/index.php Sags

SilverHaze - I've found Artemis Osopure Power to be outstanding for conditioning dogs. Very palatable and of course without the fillers. Alternately, might be worth trying the Maximal which is grain free as it does tend to add condition both via muscle and toning. Sags :D

None of the Artemis products contain beet pulp. The Osopure Adult is under $100 and the 18kg Power good value as well.

The vast majority of dogs fed commercial diets do extremely well on commercial dry foods. There is so much "information" out there - some of it very biased and inflammatory - that one has to make a decision to do their own research and come to their own conclusions. At the end of the day it makes common sense to know the ingredients of anything you feed and what it provides biologically for your pet. Sometimes we don't know our pet isn't doing as well as they could be until we try something else. And what suits one pet may very well not suit their brother or sister. While I understand that any forum is a place to express an opinion, I do wish that a bit more thought would go into the airing of some opinions that might unnecessarily make a reader believe they are harming the very creature they love. Winterpaws - do talk to Iams - feel free to pm me and I can give you a direct number of someone who will assist you in either returning food for testing or help you find a solution. Sags

Please be very careful dispensing advice like this as bloat is caused by many factors, and many, many dogs who have only had soaked kibble still have had bloat. If a dry food contains ascorbic acid it is generally recommended not to soak the kibble (some packaging actually says not to be wetted) as there have been some reports suggesting this may be a risk factor. Good quality dry foods don't need soaking unless to soften for either very young or very old dogs. Adding sardines or other oily fish, a small amount of wet food, a complete raw egg or fresh meat will provide a more enticing dish. Some dogs love Euk and won't change off it. But there are certainly some great alternatives suggested here - we find palatability high with Artemis (have a number of Sami customers on it), as well as Royal Canin and Nutrience - and all have sample packs. Enjoy your bundle of fluff! Sags

http://www.seek.com.au/job/dog-b-groomer-b.../16280853/13/1/ If you know anyone who is fantastic with animals and wants to work in a gorgeous new salon then please feel free to pass it on - or cross post. Sags :D

Keep in mind that cereal/grains, being carbs, puts on weight as well as fat - so any diet with a high carb content will add the kilos. Roo is great, but with the less expensive foods it can be that there is not a whole lot of meat content, but a greater percentage of what are much cheaper to add cereals/grains. Bonnie suits a lot of dogs, but our experience is that it is more as a part of the diet than a complete intake - eg 25% of total each day, with meat and meaty bones, vegs and fruit, and some decent supplement such as vets all natural health booster or missing link. If you need to feed dry as a complete, it may not provide the results you and your dog want without a whole lot of increasing/decreasing intake. Best to try a bag of each and monitor weight, overall condition, and dog satisfaction before making a long term decision. Sags

A beautiful tribute to a beautiful lady. Thank you, Julie, for the call last night and thank you both for providing our little Kita with a loving home. We all have many wonderful memories of this very special lady and she will leave a big place to fill behind her. From her first family, she is survived by her sister Evie, who, along with her brother Langley was her best and most fun competition in the ring back in those first few years, and it was a time never to be repeated or forgotten. Vale Nikita. Rest well, sweet baby girl. Phillipa

Stevo - might be worth reducing the amount you feed for a couple of weeks and reassessing as the softer stools are often from overfeeding. Sags

The rice in Nutro is monsoonal rice from Asia. Keep in mind that the Nutro currently being sold is a different formula than when it was made in the US. Some dogs do well on it, others who used to use the original Nutro have been disappointed, so as with anything, it will depend upon the individual. Sags

Sounds very exciting! Is there talk that it may be subject to0 irradiation - or is the delay because they are working to prevent that? Sags

I've just done a quick audit of some of the foods here - both large puppy and adult versions. I can't find one that has both the same cal:phos rate for adult and puppy food. Eagle for example is 1.5:1 for pup and 1.1:0.8 for adult. Royal Canin Maxi adult is 1:.85 and junior is 1:0.7. As I've said though, working with your breeder is best as they know the breed. :-) Sags

I think it is a great idea to link your breeder to your shortlist. I wonder if it is possible to get onto an overseas forum for your new breed to get ideas on other diets if your breeder hasn't fed dry. If your breeder is an experienced raw feeder and has successfully raised pups to adulthood with their diet, then you have a great resource to draw on. It may be worth considering following their diet for at least the growing phase. Adding dry food to the mix will throw out the balance with the raw unless the whole diet is revamped. My other concern is that by feeding adult dry, you do have an issue with the calcium/phosporus rate being designed for an adult, not a growing puppy. There's no way around that. Every premium brand will have the information available, so please do think long and hard before putting a baby onto adult food. We don't do it with humans because of the different needs we have at different stages, so why with a precious pup? As to feeding large adult food to a medium adult - there is a lot less problem with this, as long as the dog in question is in good weight and doesn't require a higher energy food. Best of luck with your baby, you sound like you have a lot of fun ahead! Sags

And nobody here has discussed feeding protein solely. As far as comparing Euk to Nutro - I don't mind Euk Large Breed Puppy as we have many customers whose pups do extremely well on it. We used to be the largest retailer of Nutro in this country until it was purchased by Masterfoods and many of the lines changed. I would need to look closely at the individual product now to give my feelings on it as we don't stock the new range. There are any number of great choices out their for owners of larger breed pups - Nutrience is one that we've recently watched a really fast growing pup excel on. Another is Artmis Med/Large Puppy which many Golden Retriever breeders are moving to - perhaps preferring a holistic brand that delivers. There is also Pro Pac Large Breed pup and Royal Canin Maxi Junior is well liked by many. At the end of the day, it really is what your own dog does well on. Sometimes, finding out what is best for them means a few tries at different things. Sticking to your breeder's recommendations is also important unless you do your research, decide you want to chose an alterate that is based upon knowledge, not just hope. And as Stormie mentioned, don't discount a quality, well planned raw diet. A bit more vigilance required, but I am one who believes that dogs are carnivores - not obligates such as cats are - but that they are designed to do well on protein. Sags

Thanks, Stormie - I value your input as I think you have done more than the average kind of research, and have less of a vested interest than some others. Apart from my own nutrition training, both from petfood companies that I've worked for in the past and my own in depth research, I've observed so much in our own dogs. A breed such as the St Bernard grows so incredibly fast. If one were to restrict their protein intake and replace it with calories, I would see a pup that is not only fat, but lacks lean muscle and bone strength. I might just say that through selection and nutrition, our kennel at its most active had a hipscore average of 2 (breed average 17plus) and an elbow average of 0. We are not without practical experience. At the same time, I understand the approach of breeders who seek to grow their pups slow by restricting protein - whether this is a scientifically sound way to feed I am interested to learn. Sags

Was the seminar in any way involved with Eagle Pack? Just curious, as I know their stance on this. I've raised many litters of St Bernards on a variety of diets - including BARF. Our experience is that higher calories create problems even in an otherwise sound puppy. Keeping a large/giant breed lean during vital growth years can mean all the difference in the world. I'm really curious about this ongoing belief that protein is the bad guy in raising puppies. If you feed raw, then what is the protein level likely to be? If you feed prey model, again, how high will the protein be? We are talking about a creature that is designed to eat bones, meat, and other protein sources. Are our dogs becoming so distant from their original biology that decent levels of protein suddenly create issues? Marketing of pet food companies aside - where scientifically is there hard evidence that protein is the problem? Sags PS I would now raise a pup on a "high" protein dry food if I believed it was the best dry food.

Meal is a higher meat content than "meat". Just a question - if you are feeding a low protein dry food, then adding raw, how will you keep the protein content low? So often we get caught up thinking it is protein that overgrows a pup, but it is excess calories. Protein is absolutely necessary for optimum growth, as is the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus, which is not usually the same in adult foods. Having said that, if your breeder helps you with lots of good info about feeding, then you are in good hands. Sags

I just spent two hours stripping out Evie's winter undercoat - with our Mars Coat King. As she is in the showring next week, the last thing I would want is to cut her coat. Result - multiple bags of undercoat (and lots more flying around the yard with the birds in pursuit ) and a much more streamlined Saint. I guess it's horses for courses. Sags

Wow - as someone in this industry, I find that attitude a bit off. If our customers request a product we go searching for it. To me it's about looking out for the customer. Sags

RC Golden Retriever will be hitting the shops very soon - great news! Sags

Dave - California Natural, along with Evo and Innova, are under an exclusive arrangement to be imported only by PP. Trust me, we, and many others have tried to change this. Going back to Artemis, if you have local stores where you shop, why not give them Judith's contact details and ask them to talk to her? I imagine she would send them info and samples etc and that way they may decide to stock it if you are going to keep buying? Sags

Dave, why not contact Judith at Artemis Pet Foods Australia and ask her where your nearest stockist is? Judith and John are Melbourne based - they import the food and provide an amazing service so will try to help you, I have no doubt. Sags

Simpson Supa Jet is getting some reports! What are the noise levels like and what are the heat ranges? Thanks! Sags

It is perfectly suitable for your pup and for similar retrievers. However, if you are concerned, the food does have a return policy on it. :-) Sags