Polgara's Shadow

Ohh...isn't Tip the sweetest thing I ever saw! Vulcan and I are sending Tip lots of healing Vibes. Please keep us updated this little guy is breaking my heart.

In addition to what everyone else has said...chew toys. Stuffed kong-like things and edible bones/rawhide. Allows you some down time while keeping them occupied. Chew toys don't last as long with Staffy's as it does with other breeds, given their strong jaw muscles and tenacity, but usually long enough for a bit of peace. Vulcan is knawing on a kangaroo bone as we speak, I can watch him out the window while I'm on the couch with the laptop, a packet of tissues and some lemsip (yep I've got a cold). He'll be ready for a nap when he's done. I also feed him whole chicken carcasses a few times a week.. Takes him longer and works his jaws and mind. I strongly suggest you supervise your Staffy with chew toys as they have an incredible ability for breaking things into choke-able peices. I also put the scrap peices of bone in the bin when he's done. Aussie dog toys are great we have the home-alone and the staffy ball. Edit to add...clicker training, they need to think and figure out what your asking...fun for the humans too (I find it fun anyway)

Can anyone recommend dog walkers in the Mornington area in Victoria? We are going away for ten days and pooch will be staying with my mother while we are gone. Although he'll be getting much love and care whilst with mum I'd like someone who can walk him for an hour each day. He's an 18month old SBT, very friendly though being an SBT he is strong. There seems to be a few businesses in the area that offer walking services, I'd like to know what others experiences have been with them. Feel free to PM if you don't want to post. Thanks in advance Pol & Vulcan

Vulcan has the singletrack. We love it. It comes with the waterbladders which are full when we use it. In addition to the full water bladders I can also fit in a rolled up travel waterbowl, phone and keys. You could fit other small items in there too, (like a map, a few treats etc) but I haven't tried. You could obviously fit lots more in if the bladders were empty. It's sturdy and tough - Vulcan occasionally dashes into the undergrowth and it is surviving the resulting snags and scrapes well. The chest strap sometimes loosens when he's caught a snag, but this doesn't seem to upset the balance of the pack. I simply tighten again when I notice this - maybe if I used the keepers this wouldn't happen. We use it about once a week. The longest he's had it on is 1.5hrs, I have not noticed any rubbing. I've had the pack for about three months. If you want your dog to carry more than small day trip items, them I suggest you will need a bigger pack. I got mine from BackcountryK9.

I use Vet's All Natural Omega Blend..very happy with the results!

Pixandpug I'm heart broken for you. What awefull news. I think you have made the right decision to free Oscar of his pain. I'll keep a corner of my bed free for him over the next couple of night too.

Don't feed the pup anything other than the recommended diet. It will cancel the trial and you will need to start again. My pup has allergens and was put onto Hills Science Z/D for his elimination diet. He was four or five months old at the time and I (like you) was worried about him getting enough and it impacting on his development. His health and weight actually improved - because he was no longer in contact with the allergens. The Hills Z/D is a fully balanced diet. I'm presuming you are doing your elimination diet under vet or dermatologist supervision and they have chosen an appropriate kibble for you. If this is the case, try not to stress (like I did). If not, I recommend speaking to a vet knowledgable about allergies or a dermatologist. The emilination diet will be over before you know it (6-8 weeks) and the pup will be better off with you knowing what the problem is and you knowing how to manage it for them.

It felt like my pup had more scabs and open sores than healthy skin for awhile there. hugs for your and Oscars pain Turns out my pup is allergic to sardines, lamb and grass. I never would have figured that out on my own. You are doing the right thing going to a specialist. You may not be able to find a cure, but I'm sure you'll find a management plan that helps him be the best he can. It is likely to take many months to figure out exactly whats wrong. I highly recommend callendula tea to sooth the skin, I haven't heard of any dog having an adverse reaction to it - perhaps spot test first to be sure. Because you said he's getting worse not better, I also recommend stopping the other washes and medications. They don't seem to be helping and the speciaist is best placed to advise you what to use. Stop changing his foods around. Pick one thing to feed him and feed that exclusivly through to your consult. Your specialist will be able to give you the best advice. It can take 4-8 weeks to get allergens out of the system so if you are introducing new foods you won't be able to tell whats causing the problem. Covering his feet and cotton bedding are good idea you already have been given. No need to feel guilty he's on your bed lucky boy Have hope there are plenty of people who suscessfully manage dogs with very bad skin and allergies. At my pups worst I was considering PTS if we couldn't make his life more comfortable, if he'd stayed as he was it wouldn't have been much of a life at all. All this because of lamb, sardines and grass We keep these things out of his life and he's now a fit and healthy 18 month old whose coat gleams and glistens with health. He hasn't had a scab, open sore or rash for 8 months

As the owner of an allergic dog...what MEH said. Trying to self-diagnose burned a hole in my pocket for months.

Hi there my pup experienced hair loss on his thighs as a reaction to allergens. Turns out he is allergic to a few grasses (couch & kykuyu) as well as lamb and sardines. Fortunatly we don't have much grass at our place so it was relativly simple to remove it all and I stopped feeding lamb and sardines. I never know which of these was causing the hairloss as all were removed at about the same time. Along with removing known allegens I now supplement him with Vets All Natural Omega Blend and his coat gleams with health. Is it possible that Bella is reacting to something in her environment, or something in her food?

I'd say he's a very dark brown brindle Greytmate, but not a black brindle. He has a light amount of brindling, and after having a good look then I reckon the tan bits may shine a little bit less than the dark bits, or at least the gloss is a little less obvious there. But they are still glossy. Does that mean a white dog wouldn't have much gloss? I had to do a bit of googling to find the words I was after but.. I understand that the way the cuticle lays on the hair strand results in gloss. Flat cuticles = gloss; raised cluticles =matt. Is that genetic or up to nutrition? Or both, nutrition to maximise the genetics, but your stuck with whatever the genetic potential is????? Is that what you mean by type of hair, or do you mean curly or straight?

Just wondering about how much coat shine is genetic. My SBT boy's coat gleams, everyone who sees him comments on how healthy and shiny he looks. Getting his annual booster shots last week, the Vet positivly gushed about how shiny and healthy he looked. He has food allergies which has lead me to do much research into dog nutrition so my pride would like to think that his shine/gloss has alot to do with his nutrition and overall health. However I suspect his coat would forgive us many nutritional sins, although his allergies probably wouldn't. His allergies manifest in many ways, but interestingly his coast only lost some of it's shine when he was at his very worst. I recall his breeders telling us they simply wiped his parents coats down with wet wipes before entering the show ring. I know there are plenty on here in the know about colour and genetics, so how about genetics and coat shine/gloss? Do breeders activly select for this trait?

My young SBT boy is not so subtle. If we don't meet his excersise and mental stimulation requirements we come home to a destroyed yard. Then we have to deal with him irritating the heck out of us, pouncing at us, trying to knaw on our hands and arms, dashing in and out the doggy door all night long, barking at possums. We try very hard to keep up with his excercise and training, exposing him to different environments, and taking him with us where ever we are going. Then we have a calm, snuggly, sweet, fun, obedient ball of muscle.

Sensational photo! My SBT boy loooooves his pack. We got the Ruffwear singletrak. Not great photos as I took them with the phone. Youve challenged me to get an action shot of him in it! The rottie looks spunky in his pack too edited because I should read my posts before pressing submit

Toys still surviving today (16month old SBT) home alone (aussie dog) staffy ball (aussie dog) kong x2 one with a rope in it so we can chuck it Giant sized rope tug and suprisingly two puppy sized rope tugs, but we don't play with these any more as his teeth are way too close to our hands these days! He seems to enjoy lying on his back mouthing them, wriggling around and kicking his feet in the air. We have two supervision only toys as they would be in tiny peices otherwise kong frisbee chuckit with rubber balls our yard it littered with half chewed plastic or rubber items: plant pots, buckets, bottles, dripper system, hose etc..etc..) He seems to find chewing plasic and rubber endlessly entertaining

The walky-dog looks like a great suggestion :rolleyes: I'll hunt one out. Sounds like we could start at 15-20 minutes with Vulcan at a trot with no problems? I'm anticipating I'll have the harder time out of us I'll let OH take the pooch to start with as I get get my coordination together. I imagine OH will do a slow ride with us then tear off for a proper work out after. We are lucky that we live by the beach in a holiday town. Most of the houses in our area are holiday houses so pedestrian and car traffic usually isn't in existance, except in holiday season when we tend to bunker down in any case ;) I expect we'll be able to stick to tracks the majority of the time anyway. I will definitly keep an eye out on the condition of his paws, thanks for raising that one! There's not many concrete sidewalks around here so about half our walks are on bitumen road, the other half on sand or dirt tracks. I guess it'll take a few rides for his paws to toughen. You guys have stoked my fire about this bike and dog thing. Thanks! Any more tips or things to be mindful of?

OH bike rides a lot, mostly for fitness. He'd like me to ride with him too - as an activity to do together. I've never been a big bike fan, but taking Vulcan with us makes it a more appealing offer. Vulcan is now 16months old, he's an SBT. So I'm wondering how to get Vulcan started. Is 16 months still too young for an SBT to be doing this level of excersize? Vulcan goes for walks and swims at the beach most days, I'd say his fitness and health are good but he's by no means an athlete. I've been very mindful of not overdoing it whilst he's young. Would ten minutes at a trot be about the right place to start and build from there? How do those of you that ride with your dogs manage leads, pulling to sniff at things, getting in front of the bike. Do they ever pull you off the bike

Congratulations You will bring a lot of joy to people in need of a smile.

I think its strange too Adnil444. The pet supplies people told me its was the same recipe also. Kangaroo was his favourite BARF, change of packaging now he turns his nose up at it. I tried mixing eggs in there to entice him but still wouldn't touch it. He's not usually a fussy eater either.

Another vote for ruffwear from backcountry k9. I recently bought the red lifejackt and singletrak backpack. The life jacket is great. It's not bulky, has plenty of adjustment and the foam goes all the way under his body keeping him level in the water. Weve only had it a week or so but his confidence in swimming has improved significantly, which is why we bought it so big from me The backback is also great. I bought it so he can carry phone, keys and a little water on longer trips. Also gives him a job to do which he seems to enjoy. I haven't used it much yet but again another They both look fabulous and seem to be made very well.

Yep me too. My boy loved the old patties. He has food allergies and the Dr B Barf patties (chicken beef & Kangaroo) were one of the few prepared foods he can eat. I bought him kangaroo ones recently - in new packaging.. flatter, more like hamburger patties. He won't touch them

Usually I don't bother wasting my breath to explain the correct terminology. What annoys me way more than that is the amount of random stangers that enthusiastically bound up out of seemingly nowhere to ask if they can breed their english or american staffy bitch with Vulcan, my (desexed) male SBT. I try and bite my tounge and extricate myself from the situation asap. Do other breeds get this too, or is it unique to the bull breeds?

She's stunning Her coat looks a little 'flat' (no shine) to me, but pictures can be deceiving and some dogs coats can be naturally flat. If she were mine: I'd get her on a good quality commerical food and/or barf, with a little Vets All Natural Omega Blend for the coat. I'd probably want to up her weight a teensy bit, like half a kilo, as some others have posted. She's lurvely have fun with her! Edited to add... Bronson looks sweet too!

i totally understand. I have a dog that suddenly decides he doesn't want to swim anymore and just stops (yes, he often decides he doesn't want to swim anymore when he is still in the water!).. if he wasn't wearing a life jacket, he will sink. But Ruffwear stuff are awesome We went swimming with his lifejacket last night, gave him the confidence to go out deeper I didn't get a picture of lifejacket yesterday but I got a couple of the backpack. This is one of him wondering what on earth I'm doing to him.

I don't post heaps and have only been on here a year, but: - found my SBT boy on the puppy pages - discovered that there is more dog food in this world than what exists on supermarket shelves - bought lots of stuff for SBT boy based on ideas on here (arrived today are ruffwear: a lifejacket and a backpack) never would have thought to buy stuff like this before! - learnt a lot about ailments affecting SBT's - got help with identifying and managing my SBT boys food allergy - fell in love with frenchies... and desperatly want one Note related to my dog ownership but... - made other half stop asking me what I'm doing on the computer coz now I'm always on this forum - become stangely addicted to reading threads that turn into flaming I DOL