Skruffy n Flea

hmmm, i think revolution is the only topical that allows 'wetting' after 2 hours --- the rest i think suggest you allow 48 hours... maybe a good brushing will help remove the 'dirt'? i hate fleas with a passion...

I would skip the peroxide for the moment, its a really harsh chemical for the dogs and ourselves. Why don't you try just dipping their feet in the Apple Cider Vinegar first and see how that goes. I wouldn't even water it down, providing they don't have open wounds. It is natural and its not going to do any harm. Apparently the best apple cider is one thats organic and dark in colour. thanks for the tip; i had considered that peroxide would likely be harsh, but with the dilution rate i was happy to move forward... i like your idea of beginning with just ACV, of which i have a good supply AND i can start the process NOW! :D your poor baby with the scratchies but congrats on the success using diluted ACV! curiously, i don't get an offensive smell off either of my dogs and i have to say that neither dog has particularly itchy ears, so this exercise may be pointless --- gotta give it my best shot tho... thanks for your post

Plain white vinegar would probably do the trick and kill the yeast, but you could always lash out and buy some of that nice balsamic (red or white) from Aldi or even better buy some organic non-pasteurised apple cider vinegar (with the 'mother' in it) that way you can pop a little into their food or use it yourself when making your own mayo...it is a great cure-all (bit expensive though...around $8-->$10 for 500 ml) thanks i do use ACV, adding just a tsp of it to their evening meal and you're right, it is a tad expensive and dr becker's recipe does call for 1-4 cups of it for the foot dip --- i'll start with the plain white vinegar, see how that goes

i hope i don't upset you but i just need to ask; how old is your OH!??! um, could he be a tad jealous of the attention you give the dogs? also, some peeps deflect adversity and become defensive so as to make it more about 'something else', rather than facing their own inadequacy... i hope you both can rise above this and he gets over his petty insecurities [sorry ]

i've been using petbarn's label beef tendons --- they are really a good hard chew and it takes several days for my two swfs to get thru one. i've found it quite difficult to get a good supply of bones so, apart from lamb ribs, my two get beef tendons every few days and i have to say, i'm impressed with the results

update msn! or did i see another thread started by you!??!

THAT was really informative so thanks boronia for the link! both my dogs gnaw at their feet [well, one does; the other mainly just licks] and their feet have a corn chip smell --- not overly unpleasant, but i'm up for 'disinfecting' in any event because the treatment seems reasonably innocuous so peroxide on my next shopping list as is witch hazel oh, is it plain white vinegar do you think?!?

i've just picked up another order of BH from kel and she told me that in a few months it will be on the shelves at pet shops --- my only hope is that BH is 'picky' as to where their product is available, but that's just me... anyhoo, one of the side benefits of BH is its cost effectiveness and no doubt pet shops will add their own loading --- kel did tell me tho that she will continue as a distributor and that she won't be hiking the price thanks kel, YOU ROCK

nup, not touching that with a barge pole... also, it would seem to me that a yr 12 student would have a better grasp on the written word --- just sayin'

fleas/wormers [cats and dogs] vetstop and i think they're in qld. cheapest i've found online for fleas/worming products but they also cater for horses, greyhounds, birds, reptiles, books, cds & dvds, and household with a section for specials...

you could try nadia she works out of her home garage and is just down around the corner from me. i started taking my two to her in feb this year for the bath and groom and i'm pretty happy with what she did but my dogs' grooming needs are reasonably straightforward --- they're booked in for the next 3-monthly tmrw. and she does scissoring too... her hours are pretty good! i think she's picked up the majority of small/medium dog business in our area give her a call and have a chat.

that's heartbreaking news and i hope the vets and derms have a heap of info to help you and oscar thru this stage of his life... i did a quick search and came across this site: K9 health support, which deals with canine cancers and nutrition --- perhaps it will provide you with some ideas of what you might be able to do to help your man with his cancer. it's an australian site too: home page, with an email contact at the bottom... i wish you and oscar the very best of good luck

at the current royal easter show there is a display in the food growers section that describes, in a domino type effect, how much of a grower's product over a 12-month period [i think] will be consumed and so, while not recalling exact numbers, let me say: ... will consume xxx eggs layed by xxx hens ... and so on down the food chain... also, several years ago and while waiting to pay for my target purchases, i noticed some in-store signage relating to their lay-by terms, one indicating that the balance must be payed according to the lay-by agreement ... ah, the mystery of contractions

and here i was shocked and horrified when i picked my two up from a kennel, them smelling like polecats, stinking up the car on a looooong trip home after a 10-day stay and us having to get our shit together straight away to get 'em both bathed before they stunk up the house!!! i hope you get a satisfactory follow up! the email tho might indicate the kennel owner's own disdain that perhaps what happened to your bully wasn't reported to him/her! odd, but possible!??! i don't remember a good boarding kennel story ever being told...

heartbreaking

..... that's fantastic, SnF ;). If you don't need to pill them frequently, use the "it's only a treat" method in between, as though it were a game. This will help by the time you get to the next time you need to pill them. I don't mean you need to do it every day, but more frequently in this beginning, especially now as they did take a tablet, you really want to let them know that more as likely as not, it will just be a yummy treat. Well done . excellent idea! i think i have flea treatment coming up so i'll get onto it!!! i was using the word 'open' but that term would be better used for other purposes and cuz it's only early days, i'll use 'tablet' instead... i'm still pretty impressed with myself btw :D

i did it!!! i actually did it!!! :eek: after 2 and a half years of having a dog [2 dogs for the last 18 months] and after failing dismally to worm them a week ago, i came to the DOL brains trust and thanks to this thread, particularly to erny's post, i took the initiative and set myself a plan to get the dogs used to manual pilling and for me to gain a level of expertise and comfort... so, from about tuesday last and before each meal, i sat each of them separately on a cleared bench with a range of yummy stuff within reach of their noses and of course my hands --- bella was easy but we've had her since a pup and she was used to being handled, but byron is a mystery and he has trust issues... anyway, saturday evening was the time and bella was a breeze --- i did need mr skruff to hold byron's head while i pilled him but YES!!! I DID IT!!! no muss, no fuss!!! and no-one died!!! no more devising new plans to hide these horrible things in their food; no more reciting the definition of insanity in my head every time i did the same thing expecting a different result!!! OMG the relief!!! thank you DOL!!! to the OP; i hope things have progressed and your parents are now able to pill your dog without concern ;)

firstly, i think the canidae discussion was just a side chat inside this thread and it started cuz a BH feeder found herself short so asked a question --- i didn't see anything wrong with it but it might have been a tad self-serving or gratuitous perhaps, particularly posting the pic; not for me to judge tho secondly, i think the BH label suggests not to supplement when feeding BH and i take that as suggesting no additional vitamins and or minerals... lastly: i feed my two [8 kig, 7 kig] just under a quarter cup each of BH in the mornings; for interest, i add either a quarter of one slice of low fat cheese, crumbled up and mixed in with the kibble OR i'll mix in 25g of nature's gift OR i'll add about a soup spoon of bbq chicken... during the day they MIGHT get rmb OR a beef tendon but that's every other day [so not every day] but commonly, i'll do some training with them using liver treats, cabanossi or paws fresh chicken... at night, they get a mix of barf, leafy green pulp, some nature's gift biogestion5, some bbq chicken and a few pieces of paws fresh chicken to which i supplement with ACV and omegas... before bed, they get a small amount of nibbles with a small amount of BH added

the worst i've seen and it was only recently at our local dog park; a black jap spitz x'd with i think a pom, which in and of itself doesn't sound too bad as far as breeds go BUT it was the ugliest, weirdest looking thing i'd seen in a long time, so much so that i couldn't take my eyes off it... it was charcoal coloured, a ball of fluff that took in its whole body and so much so that you couldn't easily determine its head and the only distinguishing feature of its head was the white feathering on the very tips of its ears --- it had longish, spindly legs that seemed to spring as it trotted about and it much preferred its own company... it reminded me too much of the cartoon tassie devil and at any second, i half expected it to mutate into some whirling dirvish and start making all those same sounds --- freakiest looking dog, really unattractive! its owner, a young girl, said she worked at PP and that she remembered this dog when it first came in with its litter mates but that this particular pup went unsold and so was transferred on sale twice and that she tracked it down and bought it... the only other 'breed' that startled me was what appeared to be a BC x corgi --- altho a gorgeous looking animal [bC thru and thru but for it's stumpy legs and stout body], i remember feeling hellish sorry for the poor thing! horrible what some peeps do; flat out horrible

Our Aussie laboratory tests will reveal something if the thyroid issue has progressed to the point that 70% of the thyroid tissue is destroyed. USA tests (Dr Jean Dodds) tests are more thorough and can detect issues a lot sooner than that. Our Aussie analysis is based on the size of the dog. USA tests (Dr Jean Dodds) analysis is based on the size of the dog; the age of the dog; and the breed of the dog. yikes! so the all-over general blood test would NOT reveal any thyroid indication IF a thyroid issue was in its early stages!??! does not a t4 count reveal anything untoward!??! i honestly do not understand how i could have missed this hair thing with bella! i don't even know how or when it happened or started or when or if it is stunted regrowth or whether it was actual hair loss!!! anyhoo, out of hair loss, dry and brittle hair, seborrhea; secondary bacterial and yeast infections; lethargy, obesity, slow heart rate; changes in skin pigmentation may occur, only the bolded symptoms are present; as for skin pigmentation, there is what appears to be a darkening, but because the darkening is confined to just the area that the hair growth is stunted, i don't know if it is in fact a change or whether it is natural because both areas are usually covered in hair --- the hair thing [!??!] is confined only to her thighs and it appears even [that is to say, looking at her from behind, neither side appears lopsided] and feels smooth and soft to the touch... using this site as a guide, it could also be cyclic (cicatrical) alopecia; seasonal flank alopecia, being that the growth cycle of hair stops at certain times of the year and appears as symmetrical hair loss with definite borders; usually on back and flanks; skin may become darker, but with the pictures i've seen and further reading i've done, i doubt it is the same... i can see that hypothyroidism can present with subtle effect of symptomology and i'm planning a phone conversation with bella's vet to allay my present fears and seek further advice... erny, thanks for your post --- if it comes to that, i'll be seeking your assistance to get the serum across to dr dodds. i must admit and now that i've done some more research, the vet's first thoughts were to test the thyroid and the adrenal [that being for cushings, but i didn't put the 2 together]. i opted to go the all-over general because it tested all and sundry and would show indications, which would determine the next step...

i take it you're not a cat person, huh? No...I am not a "cat person" & didn't know there was a law that said everyone should love cats. I am a "native wildlife" person & you can't be both unless you keep your cat locked up 24/7 & no animal should be denied access to fresh air & sunshine IMO. ;) OT sheena, it was just your choice of words [as bolded] is all... i too am for native wildlife and i've managed thus far to keep my cat safe and within the confines of my backyard, offering her full access to fresh air and sunshine without detriment [and i would know] to any wildlife it can be done, but if you're not a cat person, that's okay, and not everyone is! just like not everyone is a dog person or a mouse person, or a rat person yada yada --- it was just your word choice Skruffy & Flea...I didn't take any offense When we moved to our 200 acre farm & bush block about 30 years ago, we had big problems with ferrel cats, some, no kidding, were almost the size of a border collie. After an extensive & humane trapping program, together with the neighbours, we eradicated the area of feral cats along with thousands of rabbits & some wild dogs & foxes. We havn't seen a cat around here for about 20 years & our little patch of land abounds in wildlife & especially small birds, that are so tame they will dance around me while I garden. What I don't like about cats is that they will kill for fun & not for food. I may have to take in my elderly mothers lovely cat one day, but it will have to be an inside cat, but I wouldn't actively go out there looking for a cat to keep me company. Unfortunately, even inside cats, kill the wildlife I have living in the house ie. geckoes & penny lizards & are good at escaping between one's legs & getting outside among my fairy wrens & pygmy glider possums, no matter how careful one is, especially children Anyway...this is a little ahhhh, that clarifies your situation perfectly and thanks for taking the time --- that last cat was a feral and it sounds like your little patch of land is heaven i agree that cats are opportunistic and that's why i'm as vigilant as i can be; not just keeping bobbie out of trouble, but keeping safe what little wildlife there is in the middle of suburbia... if you take in your mum's cat, a cat run would be in order, but you'd already know that :D

i take it you're not a cat person, huh? No...I am not a "cat person" & didn't know there was a law that said everyone should love cats. I am a "native wildlife" person & you can't be both unless you keep your cat locked up 24/7 & no animal should be denied access to fresh air & sunshine IMO. OT sheena, it was just your choice of words [as bolded] is all... i too am for native wildlife and i've managed thus far to keep my cat safe and within the confines of my backyard, offering her full access to fresh air and sunshine without detriment [and i would know] to any wildlife it can be done, but if you're not a cat person, that's okay, and not everyone is! just like not everyone is a dog person or a mouse person, or a rat person yada yada --- it was just your word choice

thanks for your reply we haven't yet gone the path of food elimination or to have her tested for other allergens; if this condition persists, that will be our next step. i've heard of VAN omega blend and wanted to try it with both my dogs [because byron suffers from itchies] but i can't seem to get my hands on any! i did consider buying it online but the cost of postage near doubled the cost of the product. i do add omegas to both their food and my local health shop has been able to order melrose omegapet, which i'm a bit excited about and i should have that in the next few weeks ;) thanks oakway the vet and i did discuss having bella tested just for her thyroid but after discussing all the options, the vet informed me that the all-over general blood test would show indications if there was an issue with inter alia her thyroid, liver, pancreas and because the thyroid test was specific, i opted for the all-over general so if anything showed up in those results, we'd know what direction to head in... hi kelly_louise and thanks i don't recall cushings coming up in my discussions with the vet but i feel confident that something would have showed in the blood test results. also, bella's regrowth doesn't appear sparse; it looks and feels normal except that, as you put it, it's growing very slowly the vet told me that it can take up to 3 months or so for hair to grow back, so i'm just going to have to keep an eye on her and wait it out --- if anything out of the ordinary occurs in the meantime, then i'll get her a referral to a derm :D unless there's something else someone can add, this is about the extent of it... thanks again for the replies

i don't think my cat knows fleas but both my dogs do! maybe the flea we all complain about is commonly the 'cat flea' seeing as they can host on dogs too... there are different products for cats as there is for dogs but i am aware that you can give a 1/4 tab of comfortis to your cat so i don't think there'd be much, if any at all, difference between the two parasites... i take it you're not a cat person, huh?

hello 4 or so weeks ago, bella's groomer noticed and showed me that bella had some low grade hair loss over her thighs [i hadn't noticed but it was and still is quite obvious] and since then i've been treating her condition with some natural products [topi topi stopsitch, aloveen, omegas, pawpaw ointment and the like] without much result [not really knowing what to expect or to expect anything at all really]. over this past week and having exhausted my researchness, i decided i needed to take her to the vet who physcially examined her quite thoroughly and found nothing out of place. during the consultation, we talked about the possibility that she was feeling some kind of pain in both thighs but the physical exam revealed nothing, or that it might be behavioural, but the hair isn't bitten off or fuzzy in any way; it's very soft, like regrowth. i also remarked to the vet that i thought the skin on her thighs appears darker to which the vet said that it could indicate some inflamation, but it could just as likely be the fact that the area in question is normally covered with fur. the vet took sticky tape tests from several areas of her body [including her paws] and a skin scrape from her thigh and all came back clear, except for a small quantity of mould spores [from her belly] that occur naturally apparently! the vet and i had a very long discussion about what we could do from there [skin biopsy, derm, a 3-week course of antibiotics [just in case], blood for thyroid or blood for an all-over general] and so i opted for the all-over general, which would show indications if something in her system was off kilter. the vet agreed this was the best course to take at this point. that test returned normal, apart from 1 liver enzyme being very slightly elevated. the vet told me to continue with the natural applications and to keep an eye on her in case 'the condition' escalated and bella started to become uncomfortable, however, we both agreed this would be unlikely given that the hair loss was first noticed about 5 weeks ago and nothing appeared untoward before, during or after the groom session. there were no outward signs of any kind that alerted me [obviously] to this hair loss and i'm really very aware of both my dogs' behaviours so that if anything was not normal, i'd have noticed --- both got their summer groom [very short] in november last year and so bella's coat is only part-way regrown and so when i took them for their tri-monthly trim [butt, face n paws] in feb this year, i was a tad taken aback to realise there was this hair loss on bella's thighs! byron's hair is to his knees and appears to be growing normally! awfully sorry to be so longwinded but i'd rather give you all the backstory instead of in dribs and drabs, answering questions yada yada --- and so, this brings me to: in your experience, what could have caused this hair loss or stunted regrowth?; and is there a way i can help her hair regrow? tia for your advice and input