Crisovar

Well my dogs should probably be unhealthy or dead, but they are thriving and tend to do so well into their teens, so I guess I shall just keep on feeding all that bad chicken,some lamb and beef and some of them nasty dry foods as well. The best food for your dog is the one it does best on is the way to go I think.

Is she skipping or pacing? Springers will quite often pace.

What if it is actually a protein the dog is reacting to, wouldn't it make more sense to feed only one protein source?? Not all allergies are caused by grains.

Dr B's patties are great, when I have used them the dogs have done very well on them, I have also used FPs and although the dogs ate them they passed whole pieces of vegies and didn't do as well.

Making your own BARF as per Dr B's book (s) is cheaper. The patties are a convenience thing, for those who do not have the time or inclination to do it themselves.

Air force dryer will dry poodles just fine, on a table or on the floor :wink: My back prefers the table option though.

please!! i have the day off tomorrow, so im up for it!!! Hands TB a glass

Good Grief........... I read all this and now I think I need a drink. anyone else care to join me?

Some of them are just gross, you wonder how the owners can let them get that bad, and they are often still kissing them and allowing them to lick their faces. I groomed a dog a while back and its breath was just toxic, it was disgusting, I looked in it's mouth and it had wads of hair stuck in between its teeth. I grabbed the haemostats and pulled at the biggest chunk of hair and the whole tooth came out, it was so bad I almost lost my breakfast.

Death breath and that lingering smell on your hands that makes eating lunch suddenly not so attractive.

If you are concerned about what products you use on your dogs you need to be aware that Probans ingredient is Cythioate which is an organophosphate, also be very careful what other chemicals you use on your animal when using this pesticide.

Don't lick your dog lick you. You are probably allergic to the saliva.

I'd be going for pyramid matting or such from Clark Rubber instead of carpet, you need to be able to clean it properly.

I presume you are talking about common brown dog ticks? No further treatment should be required, but I would be looking at using a tick preventative on your dog.

Poppy may the mice be plentiful, the sun warm and the cat bowl full. What wonderful memories Jed, the best kind.

Don't you just love the food debates. Every single food topic turns into a bash the commercial food thread or supermarket brands and or bash the Vets or breeders who sometimes suggest them. Some people need to jump in every time, but the facts are that not everyone is prepared or is even in a position to spend their life researching how to feed their dog. Many people here are totally and passionately absorbed by their dogs, fine, that is all good, but for a huge number owning a dog is simply an enjoyable part of their lives, that is good too. Dogs can and do live quite happily and healthily on commercial foods, so if that doesn't sit well with some they need to get over it. Dogs live till ripe old ages eating supermarket foods, get over that too. I don't feed supercoat but have neighbours who have a very fit and healthy Rottie that thrives on the stuff, he did very badly on a raw diet and it frustrated them, they tried on the of the gold plated premium super brands it didn't suit, so understandably they went back to what he did well on, I wouldn't feed it, most here wouldn't, but the dog is doing great and has for some years, are they wrong? Some here would say yes, but the dog is happy and they are happy. Why do Vets tend to recommend commercial diets for animals? easy, owner compliance. Ever tried to explain a homemade renal diet to a client? You lose most after 1 minute. Same with obesity diets, allergy diets, intestinal issues etc etc. Like it or not we live in a world where people are impatient and have little time to spare, you try and explain to a mum with 3 kids in tow , and a husband who expects dinner now that she has to feed this this and this, and not feed that. Dog will be back in 2 weeks same issues. Make it easy, make it safe and owner compliance is better. I am one of the silly ones, I spend the time playing around with diets and reading and trying until we get it right for the animal, I have the time, and the interest because animals is what I do, it is how I earn my living, it is how I spend my life. My animals come first. Not everyone is the same. They are not wrong, they just do it different. Many Breeders also recommend things for the same reasons, make it easy, make it readily available and send the pup home with a broad palate that prevents too many dietary hiccups early on. No use insisting on only feeding brand X, then sending a pup out to the boonies where brand X has never been heard of let alone stocked. That happens too, and it is no wonder the new owners get confused and frustrated, and puppy gets the runs and it all ends in tears. It doesn't have to be so hard guys, it doesn't have to be an exact science, it doesn't have to be a who is right and who is wrong topic. It should be what the dog does best on that matters.

What a load of crap!!! Vets sell dog food in the same manner they sell any other product on the shelves, they buy it wholesale sell it retail, I have never ever in all my years working in Vet Clinics and working with dozens of Vets seen anything like some of the crap that is sprouted on this forum. As for wanting the dogs to be unhealthy that is utter bullshit!!

ask your vet about how many people think advantage/frontline etc is put in the dog/cat food to eat. Yup. You would be suprised how many and I always made sure people knew not to feed it to them. I would hate to add up the amount of time spent explaining things, or repeating ones self over and over. The release of Frontline spray onto the market was a classic, it drove us nuts explaining it's correct use. Sometimes it is all you can do to keep a straight face and continue. Anything to do with diet and flea control are just the most frustrating subjects when dealing with the public.

But we're not talking about a millenia ago. How long do you think we have had commercial food for? it hasn't been around that long. What do you think domesticated dogs ate before there was neatly package dried food? Human food A lot of people I have talked to about dogs tell me that in their parents time, dogs were given scraps from their plates. There wasn't much awareness of dog food. The dogs probably did get raw meat once in a while, but also a lot of cooked food!! The dogs in our family ate meat scraps and bones along with leftovers, but the leftovers were not at all a big part of their diet, there were not many leftovers. Wasting food was not the thing to do.

The reality is that every day Vets deal with pet owners who have no idea at all, you would not believe,the diets of some of the animals. Unless you had a Pet Nutritionist on staff you wouldn't have the time or the resources to deal with it. For most Vets the safest way out is to suggest that the clients feed a commercial diet, it takes out the guess work and you have a better rate of owner compliance. I have had owners eyes glaze over when you try to tell them how to apply Advantage. You have to more often than not simply resort to KISS. Last week we had a young large breed dog that was being fed only roo meat, no bones nothing else, simply plain minced roo. This has been the only diet of this dog from 6 weeks to 8 months. Next was the dog that every day eats my dog gourmet meals and gingernut biscuits, the latter actually was doing quite well compared to the pup. People who frequent forums like these usually have a keen interest in their pets and for many, their animals are their life, compared to the regular pet owner who isn't as informed and not as inclined to research and learn. It is the regular pet owner that Vets see in abundance.

Chicken and rice is bland and easy on unsettled tummies. Would you rather they advise clients with dogs that need a bland diet till they recover that they feed them PAL. Sorry not talking about the chicken I am talking about the rice. Maybe do a little research into what grains can do to dogs. I do not have to research anything , I am trying to explain that SICK dogs need a very bland diet and Chicken and rice is bland and proven to be easy on a SICK dogs stomach. There is time to push the barf, prey model whatever diet onto people and isn't when they have a dog shitting through the eye of an needle with gastro. If you read the OP again it is asked if it is ok to feed Chicken & Rice as the main percentage of a normal diet. Anyways moving along now. I read it did you? She never claimed the Vet advised it as a regular diet, you brought that up.

Chicken and rice is bland and easy on unsettled tummies. Would you rather they advise clients with dogs that need a bland diet till they recover that they feed them PAL. what puggy is saying is why do vets keep telling people to feed rice in the dogs normal diet. dogs digestive system cant break down the cellulose [cell walls] in plant material rice is good for unsettled stomachs but shouldnt really be fed in regular amounts as part of a healthy dogs normal diet We are discussing the SICK dog diet are we not. The OP was advised to use it for her SICK dog. Lets start another Vet bashing thread. Who said here that Vets pushed it as the dogs regular diet?

Chicken and rice is bland and easy on unsettled tummies. Would you rather they advise clients with dogs that need a bland diet till they recover that they feed them PAL. Sorry not talking about the chicken I am talking about the rice. Maybe do a little research into what grains can do to dogs. I do not have to research anything , I am trying to explain that SICK dogs need a very bland diet and Chicken and rice is bland and proven to be easy on a SICK dogs stomach. There is time to push the barf, prey model whatever diet onto people and isn't when they have a dog shitting through the eye of an needle with gastro.

Chicken and rice is bland and easy on unsettled tummies. Would you rather they advise clients with dogs that need a bland diet till they recover that they feed them PAL.

He may be scratching because he is sensitive to the bites and not because he still has fleas, check him before you dose him with more stuff. Some dogs with flea bite allergy only need one flea bite to set them off scratching and chewing. If he has no fleas, wash him in a soothing shampoo like Aloveen.