chuckie500

Thanks for all the advice.

It's healing well now. i think the main thing to help was the pyrohex shampoo on the paws and the ilium neocort. thank goodness.

it wasn't getting much better and i was out of town (in sydney) so i just took him to the nearest vet. they turned out to be very very nice. Well she didn't give it a name. she shaved the hair around it. then washed it with pink chlorhexidine i think. then put some illium neocort on it. i said had some of that so i will apply the ilium neocort on it from now on till it clears. She recommended the pyrohex shampoo on the paws twice weekly. started that to-nite. and there is a leave in conditioner, but i haven't tried that yet. she did suggest oral antibiotics also, but i hesitated on this (maybe i should of taken them too, regreting that i didn't now), because i'd rather try the topical stuff as it seems to be a topical problem not a systemic one. she did not disagree with this and said it still should clear up without the oral antibiotics. well if it doesn't drastically improve by the w/end, i'll go again to my local vet. i'm keen to try the pryohex oiitment - that sounds good. Sorry i just called it a hotspot. sam gets these spots on his paws he chews occassionally. i think allergy related. ps I tried an elizabethan collar with little success. the problem was me not the dog. I couldn't work out how to put the thing together!

I think the elizabethan collar would drive me & him nuts. Yes warm salty water sounds good. i think it needs to dry out a bit.

My Sam has a hot spot just next to his paw and he licks and licks it till its looks red and sore. Is there a good simple topical medciament that be put on it to sooth and dry it out? Any ideas? Thanks

Thanks 4paws. I'll think about it, but i don't want to trouble you just yet unless I really want to commit. I like others I guess feel a little bit burnt by Orijen. Not their fault, just the whole experience, that we have been so close to inadvertently hurting our dogs. First the melamine, then this & you wonder what next. Maybe a local food product is best? How can be sure that the company sources all their ingredients form safe sources? Is there a great local product with no corn and no wheat, with the first ingredient being meat?

Mine are on barf for 40%, 10 other, and 40% kibble. For the kibble they were on Eaglepack fish, then when Orijen came out, I switched to it and they loved it. They seemed to have more energy too. But now i am stuck again. For the moment i will go back to Eaglepack and maybe stay on it. I think its either that or Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance. Other such as Artemis, hard to get; Ziwipeak, expensive and not really a kibble.

I'm going back to Eaglepack Fish. I got this reply from them. I asked them to put it on their website. I'd prefer something with less grain & no beet pulp, but at least there is no irradiation, no wheat, no corn, and they were never affected by the melamine issue in the USA last year. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for your enquiry and I am happy to inform you that Eagle Pack Pet food is not Irradiated upon entry to Australia. Please see below statement for further information. We are currently in the process of getting this information on our website. In the last couple of days an article has appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighting a series of ‘illness and deaths’ amongst Sydney cats linked to Orijen pet foods. Be assured that, Eagle Pack, as an importer of high quality pet food uses human grade ingredients only in our food and does not apply any un-natural chemical preservatives in the presentation of our food. We would also like to assure our customers that whilst Eagle Pack is produced in the USA we are not linked to Champion Pet Foods (producing Orijen Pet Foods). There was also mention in this article about the use of irradiation treatment on pet foods. We are responsible to AQIS to fulfil many stringent obligations before we can bring food into this country. Once again Eagle Pack would like to assure our valued customers that our Super Premium and Holistic Select Pet Foods do not require any irradiation treatment to be sold in Australia. Eagle Pack Pet Foods are made with the finest quality ingredients backed by world renowned quality assurance procedures and processes. As our front desk to the marketplace, know you are supported by our company if you have any enquiries regarding these recent events. Please feel free to contact us either via our customer service email address [email protected] or call Jennifer Knowles on 1300 8 EAGLE. Phoebe Barnett Customer Champion Eagle Pack Petfood Pty Ltd Unit 1/ 320 Lorimer street Port Melbourne Vic 3207 Telephone: 1300 8 Eagle Email: [email protected] ________________________________________

Red bleeing gums are a sign of gingivitis or gum diesease. The by products from the plaque irritate the gums. I would brush daily even if they bleed a little. After a few days the should look pink instead of red, and the bleeding should cease. Is it a soft peoples brush?

I checked out ziwipeak at the store. It's not really a kibble, is it. It's a dried product and seems to be 100% meat. I don't know how come they don't get the irradiation treatment as I don't think it is even cooked. It seems to be a very high quality product. (And price to match).

This is so funny. Can someone post a photo of their dog with chicken feet poking out of their mouth pls.......pls, pls, pls,

I was at the supermarket & noticed they have chicken feet! They are cheep (haha) and seem to be less fatty than wings. Any one given these to their little dogs? Do you think they would be good for little dogs to chew on & gobble up? not sure about letting them eat the little nails on the end? hmm..... thanks

I think my vet sells it. Its in Newcastle.

I was on EP fish , then went to Orijen, and now am goin back to EP Fish. I would prefer grainless & beetpulp less, but i think EP fish is the best of the bunch. Ziwipeak is hard to get in the 1kg pack and Artimis (sp?) is not widley available in NSW. I use kibble for about 40% of the diet, and i think aftre the Orijen fiasco, its better to spread between a dry food for convenience and BARF or homemade for balance.

I agree its a bugger. Mine prefer Orijen over EP. I liked the Orijen becasue of the meat content. I still think EP fish formual is good but the formula of Orijen was better. If the irradiation depletes vitamins then I am glad not to use Orijen as I guess they were not getting all the benefits anyways. Im tossing the rest of it out. It is reassuring that no dogs have come down with it. I would like to see a statement from EP saying their food isn't irradiated though.

Thaanks all for your comments. Jessca, I think from your reply EP isn't irradiated , and i'm personally favouring going back to them. I looked Ziwipeak today in the store, but the minimum amount you can buy is 5kg which is a big bag of it. i wish you could buy a little bag to sample. it looks good and the ingredients look excellent. I use barf patties for about 40% of their meals as it is.

I don't mean to be scary but I am concerned about Orijen lately (in view of the poor cats) and the melamine issues from China last year. I used EP Fish formula then Orijen for about 40% of thier diet , but now am concerned. Some were sayig all foods into Australia get irradiated. Does include Ziwipeak from NZ? Who has some suggestions of good premium food that is not irratiated, that has no corn or wheat, and i has good safe & realiable supply chains so you can be sure that ALL the ingredients are good quality? Thanks

I saw checken frames at the supermarket. I assume you give it raw, and for littel dogs you would break up bits, is that right? Also has anyone given their dogs chicken feet? I saw them at the supermarket too and less fat than wings.

Where can you get bone meal? I asked at petstock and they had no idea what it was.

Sometimes when I pick up a book about doggie diets , some of them recommned supplements. I'm just wondering who uses them and why? Is bonemeal necessary if you don't feed bones (one of mine is a gulper)? Any one use missing link? thanks

If there r red gums, they r inflamed. I'd get a second opinion from a vet with post-grad quals in vet dentistry. When we go to the dentist not all gum/teeth problems are solved in one visit. I think we refer to having a "dental" for our dogs its a scale and clean. If antibiotics clear it up, to me it sounds like an infection of sorts. ??Just thoughts.

Your diet sound similar to mine. About 45% Orijen or Eaglepack; 45% Muscle meat, barf patties etc, 10% Other. Ihope its ok.

sorry i dont know where you get BARF patties in Qld. My vet sells them here and so does a pet supply store too.

I'd try barf frozen patties. mine luv it.

I'm also careful to avoid any product manufactured in china given the problems with melamine. i know i'm abit paranoid.