tyra20007

Oh dear...six years... I'm thinking that myself regarding a sugar reaction... I should also mention that we can't give him bones as the breed has soft teeth and hubby doesn't want to give him brisket bones as he eats them on the carpet...(he's an indoor/outdoor dog). I have an large old rug near the back door that both my dogs know as the "bone mat" and they are not allowed to have a good ols chew until they are on their mat.. It didn't take long to train them to eat bones just on the mat and with a gruff "UH AAH" they learned to stay and munch.. I personally would never feed any kind of raw hide or pigs ear as I hear they are full of preservatives. I am a strict BARF feeder and would also never give any of those dentabones or other processed bones or treats as I believe they are just rubbish and cannot compare to real natural bones. The greatest bone you can get from your butchers for a fun chew that will last for ages is a Beef Chuck bone - it is knobbly and spinal bones are very difficult to chew, they have so many angles on them it is great for keeping all the teeth clean.. I have 2 Dobes and neither can chew them completely, I have also given them to a Bull Terrier and a Rottie and neither could consume them completely. If you "train" your butcher right you can get him to leave a little more meat on the bone so the dog gets some great non fatty meat and a good chew at the same time.. I hope this helps

Hi I have a friend who is a BC breeder and I asked her about your dilema. Her response was: That poor lady - tell her that as it is high summer not to worry too much. The coat will return in the colder months and hopefully it won't be too noticable that it has been shaved. Also, salmon oil, corn oil etc may help. Re the change in coat texture - that is what happens, and the dog will probably never get a proper full double coat. That's why we never shave ours - Maddie (at 14yrs old) was the first, and it was because she couldn't cope with the grooming. It makes me very glad I have Dobermann's, as there is no way I would let anyone else groom or wash my dogs.. I will keep my fingers crossed that Simbas hair grows back fully in winter.

I find the best bones to keep to avoid most of the fat are Lamb Chine Bones and Beef Chuck Bones. I have now "trained" my butcher into leaving a lot of good quality meat on the bones (he saves them & calls me!) - costs a tiny bit more but the dogs love them.

I'm the same. I feed chicken frames, roo tails, beef tails, chicken wings, turkey necks and lamb shanks. They also get mince (chicken, roo, beef, lamb - depending on the week) with vege slops. I'm trying to find somewhere I can get mince with ground bone in it though. You can get a very high quality chicken frame mince from Lenards Chicken stores throughout Sydney - the best part is it is all human grade with not alot of fat in it all for $1.50 per kilo.. I hope this helps in your search for mince with bones. No mincer will ever cope with lamb or beef bones so I give those whole for breakfast, Beef Brisket is great as they can eat the whole thing easily. I use the chicken frame mince for their dinner mix.

I feed bones in the morning (chicken frames / lamb bones / beef brisket) In the evenings they get a mix of minced chicken frames/ chunky minced beef/ choped liver/kidney mixed with Vets all Natural. So I tick alot of boxes because it is a combination diet that I feel gives them the very best.

I have been using the Vets all Natural complete mix for over 2 years with every meal. I do not use as much as they recommend on the package - Instead I use about 1 cup dry (+1 cup water) per 1.5kilo of meat. I make up my dogs food monthly (2 Dobermann) & I make up about a 25kg batch and then freeze it in individual freezer bags weighed out into his & hers servings. My mix usually consists of: -All Meat is Human Grade- 10Kg Minced Chicken Frames 10Kg Chunky Beef Mince 5 Kg Chunky Cut Up - Lamb Liver & Other offal Approx 16 cups of Vets all Natural Complete mix soaked with 16 cups water for 24hrs I mix that all up and then freeze it - The Vets all Natural is already freeze dried so re-freezing it doesn't undo the goodness it adds to the diet. The whole grains are in the complete mix and are not there to be digested - they are there to stimulate the bowels and intestine and even help to stimulate the anal glands when passed - which helps reduce colon problems and keep the colon walls clean. To the defrosted mix I also add - grated carrot, zuchini, spinach, apple & other veges + a selection of supplements like 1 tsp Pet Pep Up 1 Tbsp Green Pet Supplement 1 Tbsp of Omega 3 Oil. I have also changed a few friends over to the above diet and have seen remarkable changes in health & coat condition within weeks of beginning to feed this diet. My dogs have never eaten any processed dog food wet or dry - I love preparing their food and knowing exactly what they are eating.