mudget

Actually we do! I do both - we have bowls set up so people can give some to their dogs - mainly for palatability, but I do take my dogs with me sometimes(Loki the aussie is a great demo dog cause he likes to show off!). Many other premium brands do this too. It's great for people to get a real hands-on to see the kibble, especially because we have breed specific and giant breed formula (eg lab food is a cheezle shape to encourage chewing rather than scoffing, mini food is nice a small but good for cleaning teeth, giant is a really nice big kibble so they don't end up with it up their nose!). CoupeDash - Glad we've helped solve your dilemma! I feed my dogs when I get home from work (used to feed at 5pm but now I don't finish til later so is around 7pm). If I am going to exercise them I hold off their dinner until after their run, and wait around half an hour to an hour before they get fed. Again, this is another way of reducing the chance of bloat and lets them settle down a bit before eating ;)

Sags, just to further add re kibble shape of the GSD food: I have spoken with my rep for find out more info for you and my understanding is this - the kibble breaks down into smaller pieces in the gut a lot quicker following chewing so that it can be digested faster. I understand this reduces fermination in the stomach, which can lead to the increase in gas etc in the stomach. If you wish to find out more I suggest you contact them directly as I only demonstrate casually (I work ft). A Great Dane kennel owner actually uses te RC GSD food (Great Danes were found to have the highest incidence of bloat - University of Purdue, US study on GDV), and while I do not regularily use it for my wei (although on occasion they do get it) I have not had any issues with bloat (touch wood!) as I ensure I don't exercise directly before or after eating, make sure she doesn't drink to excess and have made myself aware of the symptoms so I can get her to a vet immediately should the unfortunate happen. I have not opted for a prophylactic gastropexy, which is common amongst weis. Bloat is not only limited to deep chested breeds - while more common - my rep breeds and shows samoyeds and was fortunate to catch one of her bitches before it was to late... On a side note, and coming back to the original point of this thread - my wei is actually taller than the average wei female, but if you maintain a puppy formula until 18 months this should be fine to ensure correct skeletal growth and appropriate protein and calorie intake for a growing dog. In agreement to Sags, they will grow to their predetermined height regardless of how much, or what we give them (unless they are deficient, which will just lead to deformaties) and so long as they are given the right level of nutrients and minerals to support their growth you should be fine. I monitor my dogs' body condition to determine whether to cut back or add more - my wei doesn't hold weight well so I adjust as needed to maintain healthy body condition, although I don't think this tends to be such an issue with GSD in my experience.

I feed a general amount (ie 2 cups twice a day for my Wei, 1/4-1/2 cup twice for my aussie) and then assess the condition of them. My wei doesn't hold weight very well, so I up the food as needed, especially during colder months. My aussie on the other hand puts it on like his mum (although I wish it were as easy to take of as for him *sigh*) so I keep a close "feel" of him cause he's too fluffy to go by eyes only lol. Because my wei is taller than the average wei female i don't stick to strict weights either, I just want them to be healthy and lean ;)

Sags, this is taken directly from the RC website: Cross-Shaped Kibble The unique shape and size encourages your German Shepherd to chew, promoting better digestion with less gas and diarrhea while slowing ingestion, which may also help prevent bloat. This is in one of the information booklets on the GSD food specifically (not the all breed one, this is a book specifically on GSD. If you so desire I can send you a copy in the mail or you can dl a PDF copy here: http://www.royalcanin.us/brochures/MAXI_Ge...4_brochure.pdf) Objective 3: Help to prevent distension and/or torsion After a meal, the stomach can achieve a volume of 1 gallon in a 33 lb. dog and up to about 2 gallons in a large breed dog. This predisposition to distension, associated to a relative laxity of the stomach’s means of attachment to the abdomen, means that the dog is predisposed to bloat, or gastric dilatation volvulus syndrome. This complaint is fatal in 30% of cases. l There are several factors that heighten the risk of stomach torsion/distension: - Size: heightened risk in large and giant-breed dogs (Glickman, 1994) - Age: heightened risk in animals over two years old (Glickman, 1994) - Sex: heightened risk in males (Glickman, 1997; Bright, 2003) - Quantity of food ingested: heightened risk in the event of ingestion of a large quantity of food (Glickman, 1997) - Speed of ingestion: heightened risk in the event of fast ingestion (Glickman, 1997) - Stress: heightened risk in the event of stress (Glickman, 1997) Another significant risk factor that also needs to be considered is the breed. Breeds with a higher ribcage depth/width ratio, like the Great Dane or, to a lesser degree, the German Shepherd, appear to be more at risk of developing this complaint than other dogs. The elaboration of the German Shepherd 24 kibble is the result of a great many trials at kennels. Ten prototypes were tested. The animals’ physical and physiological reactions, the time they took to eat and the effects on digestion were recorded in true-to-life conditions. The cross-shaped German Shepherd 24 kibble came through the various stages of development with success. Its shape and dimension encourage the animal to chew. If you have any more questions regarding the research I suggest you contact RC directly either by calling them (1300 657 021) or fill out an enquiry form http://www.royalcanin.com.au/index.php/royal-canin

I know for Hills and RC it has to be 10 bags at the same store or vet clinic because we have to lodge the receipts for the client. Yeah, it has to be purchased at the same store. Some stores still work on the card system, where you get it stamped for each purchase. Some stores work in conjuction to their membership card, so it gets automatically recorded when you purchase. It is also for the most frequently purchased bag size. But if say you have purchased 9 15kg bags and one 4kg you will only get a 4kg free, so its best to have a seperate card for the smaller bags to maintain your big freebie! It's interesting that our store hasn't changed ADV to 10 bags, unless I've missed something (seeing as I'm stuck in the grooming room for most of the day!) Eeek! Thanks for the info so I can check up on it!!

That's interesting! No, in Vic it's still 8 bags. I'm a dog groomer working at a petstore, which is why I know the difference for the different products. I wonder if they will be changing it across the board or if its a shop specific thing? Will have to suss it out...

Interesting. I've never seen this as part of RC's promotion of the food. What do you base this on? It is incredibly important that only accurate information be provided regarding bloat. I look forward to further advice on this. Sags Hi Sags, I actually do demonstrator work for RC which is why I know so much about it. My rep informed me of this. Apparently the shape of the kibble is important in the way it breaks down in the gut. If you want to find out more info feel free to contact RC directly as they will know more specifically :p Cheers, Lisa

RC is slightly better than Advance, and I feed my dogs on RC. I would recommend the RC Lab specific diet as it has kibbles especially made for labs - slows ingestion as they have to CHEW their food rather than inhale it lol! It also has L-Carnatine which breaks up the fat molecules and mobilises them so they can be converted to muscle, which basically means it helps control weight. It also has 33% protein, which makes them feel fuller for longer. The other bonus of RC over Advance is that it has a higher amount of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint maintenance. But, its all about whatever your dog does well on and is happy to eat. My dogs get dry only with the occassional treat, but if you wanted to feed meat you can although its not necessary as the dry food is a complete diet. If you want to feed meat or canned food, you should feed about 80% dry to 20% wet food. If you do decide to change over foods, regardless of the brand you should do it gradually. This ensures the gut flora can adjust to the new food and reduce the chance of diarrhoea. You should do this over about a week if you can. So day 1 have 3/4 of the original diet to 1/4 of the new, then half/half and so on. Some dogs are fine, but its always better to be safer than sorry! All of those brands offer a 100% money back guarantee so if you do want to change over and your pup doesn't like it you can take it back where you bought it from (with receipt) and get a refund. They also have a loyalty program - Euk and RC have buy 10 bags get one free, ADV, buy 8 get one free. ADV used to be a bit cheaper but its slowly creeping up to much the same price as the others now... Hope that helps!

I use Andis clippers which do me well enough. They come with a #10 blade, which is all you should need to get rid of matting. Don't get really cheap clippers cause you'll find they'll burn out in no time, so its worth spending a little extra. I think the Andis are about $260 for a two speed... Be careful with clipping cats, though, as their skin is much finer than dogs and can tear/cut easily. Just go slow and you should be fine. Just do a bit at a time. I have a persian that comes in every couple of months to get her derriere done, as she gets quite matted underneath. We just do a couple of minutes at a time and then have a break as she is rather temperamental! Towel wrapping can help too, which calms the cat and protects you! If all else fails you could try sedation rather than anaesthesia. Should calm the cat down a bit - that's the theory anyway. I had a cairn terrier come in that was apparently sedated and was still nuts! Was actually quite a lovely little dog when he wasn't being groomed lol!

Another thing I thought to mention is to be careful feeding too much raw chicken as it is quite fatty. Obviously you don't want any fat puppies! My dogs only get dry food with the occassional treat, such as a marrow bone from the butcher, in which case I will usually skip one of the meals. Remember, premium foods are a complete diet with all the minerals and nutrients they need, especially for growing pups, whereas raw meat and biscuits doesn't so much

Royal Canin is a super premium pet food. Bonnie is a lower quality food. It's not as bad as what we term "supermarket" quality (eg Pedigree) but what you are currently feeding is one of the best brands available. Royal Canin specifically offer a diet for German Shepherds. You will want to use the GSD Jnr until about 15 months of age, then move onto the GSD adult. This product is specifically for GSD and caters for the needs of a large breed dog. It has the appropriate protein requirements as well as glucosamine and chondroitin for joint maintenance. As far as I am aware Bonnie does not contain joint formula (being a cheaper quality product). You will also find that the stool odour and amount will be less with the RC than with Bonnie as the ingredients are of a better quality. The main ingredient is poultry muscle meat (human grade), rather than by-products. Everything within the product is there for a reason, not as a filler (as in cheaper products, hence the more poop!). The other benefit of the GSD specific food is it caters for the sensitive skin and stomach common in the breed (but not in all dogs) as well as a kibble shape specific for deep chested breeds, to reduce the incidence of bloat (very important!). In my experience many breeders use Bonnie as it is more economical for them (which is fair enough). For those of us with only one or two dogs and can afford to spend a little extra it is well worth upgrading to a really good quality diet. I have two dogs - an Aussie Shepherd and a Weimeraner. Both are on the RC Maxi adult and have been on RC since puppies. They are in fantastic condition, have great coats and I never have any problems with diarrhoea - unless they've eaten something they shouldn't! I feed mine twice a day, but halve the amounts. If you feed twice, give the larger meal in the morning as they will burn it off during the day. You will find also that you won't need to feed as much of the RC compared to the Bonnie, which in the long run saves some money. The other bonus with sticking to the RC is the loyalty program (buy 10 bags, get one free - organised through the store you purchase your food at). Bonnie does not offer this (or the money-back guarantee). Another thing that might help is that the GSD club actually use (and sell at a subsidised cost) the RC food (maxi and GSD) I hope that helps!!