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Thanks for your replies Rommimum and GSD's 4EVER. We feed mainly softer bones, eg chicken, lamb necks, etc so will definitely eliminate the harder ones like shanks. Shame really, the furries love them! Think I will do some teeth cleaning aswell. Cant hurt I guess even if we are still feeding bone. Especially on that one side where the extra tartar will build up. Nooki will be having her op soon. Fingers crossed all goes well Thanks again

Any Barfers had probs with broken teeth? Asher had a premolar removed about 7 months ago, we think due to bones. Nooki is having one of hers removed tomorrow, we think because of the bones also. We dont feed alot of Weight Bearing bones. I think it was the lamb shanks on both occasions. Nooki has great teeth, Asher's are good also but not quite to her standard, so bad teeth decay is not a factor. And to wrap up this dental Q & A ..... anyone brush their dogs teeth? Vet recommended we start doing this as when the premolar in particular is removed, the other side of the mouth is used predominantly so tartar build up is going to be higher. If you do brush your doggies teeth, what do you use and any tips. Sorry to get a little off topic.

It is great news isnt it Miss B So what a day it has been our household today. Asher off to the Vet at 8.30 for Xrays and Vacs, back home with Nooki Pick up Asher at 10am Back with Nooki at 4.10 for Vacs and to discuss Asher's Xrays. Off to work! So the Xrays showed that Asher's TPLO Post Op is going really well. We looked at the Xrays from the day it was done and then todays and there is an obvious difference between the two as far as bone goes. When perorming the TPLO, the bones are basically cut in 2 areas to get the Steel plate inside the bone. When reviewing the bone growth on the Xray, we could see it was healing well. The Vet was a little concerned about the muscles though. When he was manipulating the leg Asher was in some pain or discomfort so he said we need to stay on top of our Physio and get back to see the Physio specialist soon to re-evaluate his exercises. But at the 6 week mark all is as it should be and he was happy thus far. Phew To add to this though, before discussing the Xrays, he was doing a checkup on Nooki and I mentioned she had bad breath over the past week but it may have been due to the Bat poo I saw her eat. He had a look and found Nooki's premolar was cracked. Insert naughty word here. So back on Thursday to have it removed. At least we know what to expect..... Asher had his removed at the start of the year You know when you talk about getting Pet Insurance and you put it off and put it off and put it off. DONT!! we have spent over $5000 this year on our 2. Pet Insurance for the 2 would have cost me about $500. Hindsight .... slap me. Anyway thats the 6 weeks Post Op Update .... Thanks for reading

Its been a few weeks so its time to update you all on Ashers Progress. So we hit the 5 week mark on Tuesday and everything is still going great. Asher is putting weight on his leg really well and he is not putting it out to the side as much as he did. He is still on Lead everywhere in the back yard, but in our small yard which has been his home for the past 5 weeks, he is generally left to do what he wants. I only allow him to have so much freedom as I know he is sleeping most of the day, I know how able he is to get around and I am always within 5 metres of him so I can hear and see him. When going anywhere out of the house, he is crated as I cant be there to watch him. He is also still crated at night to avoid any zoomies and accidents. He loves his crate On trips out to the backyard he always wants to run around with Nooki and go nuts like he used to, so it is hard to not let him, but I am so worried he will slip over and do worse damage so I put my sorry feelings aside for his well being. We were supposed to go to Physio last week but hubby snapped his big toe in half so we havent got around to it. We have xrays on Monday and I'm so excited to see how his bones have healed!! Of course even if its healing really well, he still needs some looking after as its a long recovery (6 months) but it will be a great sign So all is great and I couldn't be happier with his recovery. Will update after Xrays

A call to the Vet is always a good idea .... but ... Why not ask fellow DOL'ers for their advice? Some of us have been there before and might have hands on advice

Hey Teebs Asher had his pre molar out at the start of the year and he was back on bones after the 2 week mark .... just to give that full healing time. He hasnt had a problem so far even though the pre molar is the big chomping one

Licking erratically means that you dog is suffering bad Nausea as Persephone said. Poor lil Tike. Cant help with remedies sorry. Hope he feels better soon. If the vomiting continues though I would be calling my Vet or paying them a visit if they are open.

aww Kelly, ya poor bugger. I just wanna give you a great big hug Im glad she is on the mend from the canine cough, hopefully she kicks it soon and you can start to monitor her again. Good Vibes coming your way Lovie ;)

I've been trying to figure where I knew the name from!! So cute! Asher was on the Cortisone for about 3 weeks the first time. It had an effect within 30 hours. Effect meaning he wasnt biting and scratching the area every minute. It was non stop, poor bugger. When the dosage finished, he was ok for about a 4 days but then it started again. The 2nd dose was about 2 weeks worth. During this time we were trying to move to full BARF but I still had a bit of kibble as part of it. I finally got rid of the Kibble and over the next 3 months or so the irritation, skin redness (almost raw and hairless patches) and biting was pretty much gone. Dry food has so much stuff in it that my dogs dont need. All the cereals, wheat and corn, preservatives, colourings ..... yucko. Here's a bit of info, just a short one, which sums up why I no longer feed kibble. Plus my furries do so fabulously on Barf. http://www.wolfweb.com.au/acd/badingredients.htm Evening Primrose Human style! The Fish caps and Flaxseed Caps I give are all human ones aswell (bahahhah sounds funny human ones). I just drop them in their food and the kids eat em straight up. I did the whole put a hole in it and squeeze (which you might have to do to begin with) but I got more on me than in the food!!! I say kick the Kibble habit Miss Lotus I promise Mumble will improve in many ways and hopefully have some success with his allergy.

Miss Lotus, I'm with you on being a little confused, but I just use my own instinct and gut feelings on feeding. That being said, I dont give them cocoa pops for breaky and popcorn after tea while we are watching a movie!! I basically feed Chicken necks or Maryland twice a week, red RMB 3-4 times a week and Barf once or twice. Give or take mince with egg and Veg, sardines, etc. The advice regarding weights and measurements, ratio's and percentages is fantastic! Some of the DOL'ers in here have got their shit down pat!! But ...... I dont believe, IMO, that for my dogs it is all necessary. I think it is an absolute science and peeps who feed this and that to supplement this and that are doing what is best for their animals. But you need to do what is best for your animals. Another example is I give my kids a fish oil tablet, evening primrose tablet and a Flaxseed tablet (vita E) with their dinner. I have my reasons why I do this, as does everyone else who feeds all kinds of crazy things to their dogs!! Dont try to give everything that you have read in here to your Dogs. You would never have time to leave the house otherwise! Dont be disheartened. Continue to read the thread, take on board the things you find interesting that might be good for your dogs and anything you dont agree with or that hurts the brain, leave it on the pages. Now, back to your post, I started rambling. If you are trying to get allergies under control, should you maybe feed less variety so you can pick up when the irritation is at its worst based on whats fed? Thats if it is a food allergy of course. Asher suffered badly from an allergy that we think began from his contact to the Wandering Jew. It runs down our driveway and he would jump in it and roll around at the end of our walks. I didnt realise at the time...silly me!! He went onto cortisone and it helped so so much, the incessant scratching and biting stopped within 30 hours, but of course, after the course was finished, it came back again. We changed diet to raw after that and he has been so good since. He suffers from a little bit of Dermatitis but its nothing compared to what he went through. I give him the Evening Primrose Tablet as it is good for skin irritations. If you feed a Raw diet, why are you still giving dry food? It could be your reason for the allergies. All those grains and bits and pieces. I would say get rid of the kibble all together.... see how you go after that. VAN stands for Vets All Natural. Mumble is the best name ever!!!!!!!! OMG so freakin funny and cute!!!

I knew there was a reason I shouldn't have posted that question!!! Thanks for the clarification guys! yes, a little red faced now. I did so much research on the freakin tapeworm but I forgot to search where they pick it up from. I guess when the Vet mentioned Offal my mind had made its decision Thanks all. ETA - Tomas, can you give me the type of Muscle meat you feed so I can add it to the list please? I just want to be specific so the newbies like me know exactly what to look for. TIA

Hope Saki is ok Sam I'd be freakin out but thats cos I stress too much!! She sounds like she's doing ok though Lovie. Her poop is gonna be interesting Good luck ..... and as if you didnt already know, please go straight to the Vet if anything turns nasty.

They were Tapeworms corvus. Got rid of them with 2 doses of worming tabs (10 days in between). Could have come from any Host (dog, cat, cow, sheep, rabbit, etc) just so happened to be feeding Offal. It could be purely co-incidental, but even my Vet said Offal first before I even mentioned it. But, who knows. Its that old once bitten twice shy cliche you know

The list so far. Hope this helps those unsure of what they should and can feed RMB Lamb Shanks Turkey Necks Lamb Rosettes (necks) Lamb forequarter chops Lamb Ribs/flaps Osso Bucco Brisket Bone Chicken Necks Chicken Marylands Chicken Wings Chicken frames Kangaroo shanks Kangaroo tail Lamb Necks Lamb Shoulder Roast Lamb Shoulder Chops Lamb Flaps Whole Chicken Chicken Leg Quarters Veal backs Venison Necks Whole Turkey Beef Ribs Pork Shoulder Roast Pork shoulder Chops Oxtail Muscle Meat Beef Tongue Heart Ox Cheek Offal Kidney Liver Spleen Pancreas Brain Sex Organs Veggies Spinach Carrot Apple (no pip or core) Pumpkin Cauliflower Broccoli Sweet potato Peas Beans Other meats Mince Beef Steak (cheap on special one!) Salmon Whole Whiting Whole raw Sardines Green Tripe Canned sardines Other Miscellaneous Egg and shell Yoghurt Flaxseed oil Fish oil Tabs Krill Oil Tabs Primrose Oil Tabs Sasha's Blend Cottage Cheese Brewer's yeast Kelp powder Barf Patties (Brands) Canine Country Br B's Patties K-9 Natural

and another thing Can you please add to this list what you feed, RMB and Muscle Meat, Offal, Veggies, other meats and Barf Brand Please add and repost (without quoting) with what you feed. I think this will be a helpful resource to all of us. Once it is finished maybe we could add it to the OP as a starting reference, instead of having to find the bloody page all the time! RMB Lamb Shanks Turkey Necks Lamb Rosettes (necks) Osso Bucco Chicken Necks Chicken Marylands Muscle Meat Beef Tongue Heart Offal Kidney Liver Veggies Spinach Carrot Apple (no pip or core) Pumpkin Cauliflower Broccoli Other meats Mince Beef Steak (cheap on special one!) Sardines Salmon Other Miscellaneous Egg and shell Yoghurt Flaxseed oil Fish oil Tabs Primrose Oil Tabs Sasha's Blend Barf Patties (Brands) Canine Country

So I've been meaning to post this for a few weeks now but was worried you would all tell me I was being silly .... so here goes. I feed BARF only and have done for about 6 months now. After reading many posts from other threads I decided to give offal a go. We had fed tongue before (muscle) and heart with no worries. About 2 months after feeding offal maybe once a week Nooki got worms. My 2 had never had worms before and are/were regularly wormed. I haven't fed offal or muscle meat since. Nooki hasn't had a re-occurrence of worms either. Coincidence?? Anyone had this happen? Anyone think im nuts? Discuss

YAY for Chloe getting better!!!! The liquid anti-inflam and pain killer we used for Asher was a liquid and we just squirted it on his food (vets advice) which was so much easier. Hope you find a nice meaty juicy fishy new flavour Kelly

Kelly, stop thinking about taking some time off and do it!! You deserve a holiday suga! So here's our update on Ashers progress on Day 18 of Post Op. Physio has been going well although there are 2 exercises we dont do due to it being too uncomfortable and maybe a little bit hurties for Asher. That exercise is with Asher standing, I put my arm under his belly towards the back and lift one of his front paws off the ground to effectively have him put weight on his back legs. The physio said that if there were any exercises that he was not up to doing, then to leave them and attempt them again the next day. She said that about everything which was cool because if I feel like im overdoing it with him or if he is not up to it, then I dont do them. We take it at his pace. That being said, his pace is great!! He is doing so well. Today he was almost fully weight bearing on his leg which was impressive, but it did not last the whole day, but still, some smooth progress going on No incidents over the past few days due to Me being more vigilant! I have actually slept in my own bed the last 2 nights in a row although lying in bed trying to listen out for any noise makes sleeping a bit hard!! Yeah, im a worrier and I have no idea why because we havent really had any issues. Guess im just a little bit OCD So all in all, a good week

Saving some dosh is a great positive for your family Kelly!! Hopefully Chloe will get used to it soon. I remember when I was putting Vas on Asher's nose, he hated it to start with and I felt so bad holding his jaws together. He soon got used to it (applied it about 8 times a day for about 4 weeks)!

Im happy for you all Kelly that it is Cushings. Happy in a strange way ...... Yep, definitely better the devil you know (have Kylie in my head now) and not something else on top of Cushings. Glad to hear she is doing really well She's probably happy with the diagnosis aswell Overall, good result and new treatment program, Chloe is happy and so are you. My heart feels fluttery for you Lovie. Like a strange weight has gone I hope she continues to feel good and that the new treatment program goes well for her. Keep us in the loop with her progress please. Would love to know how she goes for her 2 week tests. Yay for Chloe!!!!

give em hell girl!!!

Kelly, hope you're ok. Did you get your results lovie?

The Vet probably said that to try to put you at ease Kelly!!! I know what you mean Lovie. I thought about this heaps while Asher was in overnight. But as You told me (im going to reverse the advice) ... Chloe will be just fine Kelly and before you know it she will be back at home with you for cuddles and love! Go for a Massage Lady!! Go on! Chloe wants you to!!

Thanks Huski! Asher is such a shy boy isn't he

Kelly, that is so so true!! The surgery was such a daunting thing, yep, it pulled at my heart and made my eyes all wet and my tissues all soggy It was such a monumental part of MY healing to bring him home when he was obviously doing so well. Then to be so prepared thanks to you my dear has made our recovery to date successful. I was in the backyard this morning on Asher's first 5 minute walkies for the day and I thought about how bad I felt for him because he wouldn't get his roomy backyard for a few months. Then I kicked myself and came to the realization that he doesnt miss it that much, what we are doing is for his own good and that he has a pretty good life .... I was just humanising way too much!! He's coping just fine Kelly, please go and get a massage. Chloe would want you to. Go on. Book in for tomorrow or thursday. You need it. You DESERVE it!!