stand. poodle fan

Are you saying the dog never goes for a walk??? Yes poodle hair will keep on growing - imagine what the poor dogs face will be like with a huge amount of hair on it . Leaving hair around the face ears and rear will be quite unhygenic - some dogs are unable to toilet if the hair around their bottom/penis or vulva becomes thick and matted. Hair under the eyes also needs to be removed and as poodles can be prone to ear problems having a clean face assists in air flow to the ears. During the period when the dog sheds its puppy coat (as it reaches maturity) the dog must be thoroughly combed DAILY to remove matts. Any coated dog can be left long but it is a HUGE effort to maintain the coat - ask anyone with a poodle in full show coat. There are a huge number of clips which can look very natural - hope your friends make the right choice for their dog. A breed that needs regular clipping has to become used to the procedure and failing to do this can result in a very stressfull experience for the dog (despite the patience and care of the groomer) - see the photo on this forum of the oodle that just required a clip off.

Some of the self promoting designer kennels that we are all familiar with actually advise that their "oodles" only need clipping twice a year - its their miraculous "wavy coats" don't you know! grrr

Princess Bella - according to your first post the ears were only part of the problem - having a poodle with allergies can I suggest that the dogs anal glands may be very smelly and productive ( have a friend with mini poodle - his glands are coming out as he is so stinky). Once I controlled my dogs food allergies - the glands returned to a normal production and rarely need to be expressed. Skin biopsy may have been for SA - a horrible skin condition in poodles (yours is a cross isn't it?). I would not use a snood on a dog with ear problems - shave the ears and get as much air in as possible.

Just be a little carefull with cuddling a seizing dog when they have regained consciousness - I was bitten the first time as my dog was very disorientated and does not recognise me when he first comes out of the siezure. Sometimes he wants to be near me and other times he stays away for several hours.

My dogs tap dance for meals with bones in them - a lot less enthusiasm for dry food meals - their preference is clear. You may be able to meet nutritional requirements without meat but what keeps teeth and gums healthy plus the absolute joy they get from chowing down on a bone which definitely meets some canine instincts - a marrow bone can keep them busy for hours.

Be very wary of using any essential oil undiluted as it could be toxic to a dog or cat. How pleasant would a dog find these oils given that their sense of smell is so much more acute than ours ??

I have 3 dogs and they get slightly different things. Older dog - eukanuba and chicken necks and mackerel 2 per week ( got lamb flaps and shanks when younger) Lamb now upsets her tummy. young dog - eukanuba and chicken necks, lamb flaps, mackerel and occassionally turkey necks. This dog loves fruit so he often gets a mouthful of whatever I,m having. Both dogs get this combination twice per day dog with food allergies (red meat, chicken and wheat) This dog gets pro plan salmon and rice (just changed from eukanuba vet diet which is fish and potatoe based) in the morning and turkey necks at night. Hope this helps

I thought Advantix was toxic to cats?

Don't panic - a long time standard poodle breeder I know reckons the bottom jaw is the last to grow and judging from your picks not a lot of growth would be needed to make the bite a scissor. As the dogs adult teeth are not through yet I would wait and keep checking. A groove can be cut to allow the canines to fit properly but I wouldn't do this until the adult teeth were through. Check on the teeth and give plenty of raw bones to encourage baby teeth to come out when it is time. Go to the vet if teeth are very smelly and babies are not coming out and adult teeth are through.

Do any of these joint formulas, especially glucosamine, have any negative side effects?

Hi again Dave, forgot to say that the preferred customer deals you get with some outlets is worth it - with Eukanuba it is every 10th bag free - so add that into the price. My boy maintains his 29kg weight on 2 cups per day and some RMB. Less poop and farts are an added bonus :rolleyes:

Dave - I pay $84-00 per 15kg bag for Eukanuba maintenance.

I use both Eukanauba and Hills Science (for the dog with skin probs) have had no problems with palatability - but my dogs are not fussy and would eat no-frills if I put it in front of them - they don't mind "road kill" either if they find it before I do on our walks Did you introduce the food in the manner reccommended by the manufacturer in order to minimise the risk of upset tummy? If a dog won't eat - remove the food - it will eventually eat (of course , this may not be an appropriate response for very small breeds or those who are malnourished or otherwise compromised).

There are 1000s of dogs treated with Drontal with no ill effects - you are just unlucky. I have been using it for 10 years with no probs and if you had seen the tapeworm that an aquaintance pulled from her dog's butt you would treat for tapeworm. This also explained the dogs inability to remain in top condition no matter how much food she pumped into her. I tend to avoid giving worming tablets at the same time as vacc's as I figure it is a lot for their bodies to deal with. Hope you get to the bottom of your little fellows problem.

Spaniels usually have very thick hair so shaving the ears completely will assist air flow and decrease that warm humid environemt that someone else mentioned. Use a 10 blade.

I live in a very high risk paralysis tick area and have used Proban for years because ticks can get into nasty areas like ear canals, mouths and bottoms where the only possible product that will work is one that is in the bloodstream. My dogs also swim frequently and during show season I bath them twice a week so I feel that anything applied topically will have diminished efficacy. My showdog has a huge coat so searching is impossible. Tick collars stop working once they are wet so if your dogs swims or even gets wet during rain it stops working (I would also be worried about topically applied products if you have children who touch the dog often as there is the chance that they could be injesting/absorbing these chemicals). You can use some products in combination but get a list of these from your vet because some can be toxic when used in combination.

Have to agree with previous post - don't treat for fleas if you don't have them. I always have a flea shampoo in the cupboard and treat as required - which is not often. I found fleas more prevalent in the country than on the coast.