Sagittarian

Evo and the other Natura products will be more widely available here in the future. The company was bought out by Proctor & Gamble and I imagine it is only time until we see some filtering through. Pet Goods Direct have been bought out by Petbarn (at least in Victoria) and are going through redevelopment now. PGD was/is owned by Paradise Holdings, same as Pets Paradise. Sags I know, what a shame! It sounds like a fantastic product, but I find the whole idea of Pets Paradise so depressing! Perhaps, if more people complained to Innova Evo about Pets Paradise, they might consider changing to a different distributor? Look I am not sure of the name but I think it Pets Direct ????? well what ever the name they sell Evo. The shop I use is at RiverLink in Ipswich. By the way last time I was inside the Riverlink complex PP appears to have closed down. The entire front of the building was screened off.

Neither of the grain free options of Canidae will contain filler. For that matter, none of their range (or Artemis, or Earthborn Holistic) contain soy, beet pulp, wheat, corn or by product. The Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural seems to suit a wide range of dogs and is a grain free, mixed protein food. Sags

Thank you all! Sags

Our Gisborne shop was nominated for the Macedon Ranges Business Excellence Awards and subsequently became a finalist. Last night, Ian and I, along with our two senior managers, attended the awards ceremony at Kyneton Town Hall. We are thrilled and humbled to announce that we won the category and received the 2011 Excellence in Retail Award. This is an award open to all retailers in the region and is the most hotly contested of all the categories. Our thanks to those who nominated us, our wonderful customers and their owners, the local community of Gisborne for embracing us when we opened 18 months ago, and our supportive staff. Thanks also to Troy for letting me brag!! Phillipa 4 Paws & More Pet Supplies Gisborne

Well, you didn't look in the right place lol! Next time, drop into to see us first! Sags

Purchased my first St Bernard in my teens. Trialled in NSW and during the few years I lived in NZ. Gained CDX with the granddaughter of the above. Met my husband at a dog show (does that count lol?) Have bred and/or owned a number of Best in Show winning Saints and a Grand Champion. Worked for various petfood companies. Groomed from home whilst the kids were young. Judge Utility at Champ level and Non Sporting & Working at Open level. Been on committees of all breed and specilty clubs and was chair of Conformation Committee in Vic for a year. Ian owns two pet supply outlets that I work for as well. It is our passion and so rewarding to meet so many great dogs, the occasional cat and so on. During the years we were breeding and active in the showring, I had a particular interest in genetics and particularly the genetic health of St Bernards. With the business so busy, and two awesome sons and a property to look after, we've not been as active in the dog world these last few years. All the Saints passed away eventually, so we now enjoy our wildlife and other people's pets. Sags

Melton Obedience Club or All Paws Forward (we get lots of good feedback from both from our Gisborne customers). Sags

Sorry - OT - TLC which variety did you buy? Unless it was one of the grain free ones, I think you've been mightily overcharged. Sags

Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion contains no chicken in any form. Can be ordered by any retailer that buys from Premium Pets (formerly Aquatopia). Sags

If your dog can't handle chicken fat, then Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion, or Canidae Grain Free Salmon are worth a look at. If Lamb is okay, then the Canidae Lamb & Rice contains no chicken either. Sags

If you do decide on Bowen, then Melissa from Pawsitive Therapies is brilliant. Pm me for her details. She is north/western region but travels to you. Sags

TT - unless you are a junior, I think $18 an hour is way too low. Is it casual rates or permanent full time? Fancy a move to Victoria? We are interviewing right now. Sags

Nothing wrong with a generic, but as with anything, check it covers everything you want. For our cost conscious customers, we sell individual Wormex tables (covers 11 intestinals) and at $2.95 per 10kg tablet, it provides an affordable alternative (particular for those with big dogs or several dogs). Sags

Oops, sorry. Gisborne, Victoria. Just outside metro, but probably a bit far for you to commute. (unless you want a change of scenery!) Sags 4 Paws & More Pet Supplies

I've just posted a full time position on the dogzonline classifieds (might take 24 hours to appear). We need a head groomer who can work full time hours, including some Saturdays. Experience in style clipping is essential, whether from work experience or from completing an accredited course. Great pay and working conditions. PM me for further details. Sags

Jerojath - do you know if DGSV is still going? We're looking for an additional groomer and it makes sense to contact the various training establishments to see if they have current or recent graduates looking. Sags

We've been told everything from supply issues to a train derailment in the States being behind the constant and ongoing shortages. For five years, in our case. There always seems to be a new reason why product is promoted to retailers and customers and then not available in the quantities and time frames needed. That is our experience, anyway. As far as ingredients changing, even the packaging we had in of the first shipment said "now with canola oil" from memory, so it has changed to some degree. Sags

I'm pretty sure the bow wow ones are from cina. I get baked ones from pet stock that are locally produced. Given the dramas with chinese made treats over the last few years I wouldn't feed my o/s treats to my dogs. Um, thanks for that bit of info. Ive tried australian pig ears from petbarn n the local vet but my fussy one doesn't like anything other than the bow wow ones. As for the overseas products...the kibble is from the US, the canned from thailand, so I really don't care if the ears are from china or not. Im not fussed about source, but that's just me The difference though is that there are many dry food options that are not subject to irradiation, but very few pig's ears (or similar). That's why we stock Australian made ears. Labradork... how about turkey necks? Much bigger and there are both fresh and dried versions around. Sags

It is always a bit hard to compare prices unless you work out the cost per kilo. I think Artemis and Canidae are actually very well priced compared to some others, and both are rapidly becoming more readily available, including the grain free versions. We've had great success with Nutrience, RC, Artemis and Canidae with our giant breed dogs, but it always will come down to the individual. Suggest the OP get onto some of the Australian websites of any companies of interest and either check out availability or email them for info. Sags ;)

If by "grain free" you want a food without any grains or cereals, then there are a few options of a similar type to Orijen. Canidae has Grain free Salmon and Grain free ALS, which is a mixed protein product. Artemis Maximal is chicken based grain free. Eathborn Holistic Primitive Natural is grain free with a mixed protein similar to Orijen. Evo (made by Natura) is grain free and it appears that at some point soonish, it will be available from a wide range of retailers, not just the PP group. K9 Natural and Ziwipeak are grain free, but are quite different from Orijen. Eagle Pack doesn't have a grain free food. Hope that helps. Sags :D

If anyone is looking, or knows anyone looking - just listed a casual vacancy on DOL classifieds - the Gisborne one. Sags PS on Seek as well. PM me if you need further info.

Lab Jnr or Maxi Jnr will both fit the bill. Royal Canin have a number of breed specifics that are not yet in Australia, but are planned to be brought in. Worth contacting Royal Canin Australia to find out the current status and facts. Sags

We always carry Lectade in both stores, particularly over summer. Have used it multiple times with our own dogs and found it always did the job. Glad you found the hooman equiv. Sags

If you want rawhide type treats then nearly all of them are imported and irradiated. If the place of purchase can't tell you, then don't buy. Online sellers (apart from those who make their own), buy from the same sources as a store front does. We stock up with Australian made products as much as is possible and we ask every company the hard questions about their sources. Our pig's ears are only ever Australian, and we find that by working with wholesalers who have a desire to provide better quality, we can in turn pass that on. Sags

Plush Puppy Volumiser - experiment with the amount you use at it will have different results on different coats. We always diluted it a lot and would use it during blow drying. Isle of Dogs Lush Coating Shampoo followed by Lush Coating Conditioner is designed to add fullness. There is also a Lush Coating Brush Spray that you can use following washing, or in between. Hope that helps. :-) Sags