allie181

Me too. I am quite OCD about fleas. It took all my might to let him into the house. To me fleas are in the same category as lice on children. They make me scratch insanely myself (I know it is all psychosomatic but I can't help it). Another question - Should I be flea bombing my house? Given I acted straight away when he came in, and that I have pretty much restricted his access to the lounge (which is carpeted) and tiled areas, is bombing necessary or is treating both dogs sufficient? (My house was definitely flea free before he entered.)

I have a 10 mth old Cavalier who is on flea prevention and has thankfully never had a flea. Today I collected my new family member who I adopted (3 year old Cavalier x Tibetan Spaniel). The foster carer said she'd been having a bit of a flea problem with him and her own dog. First thing I did when I got him home at 11:45am was take him into the bathroom, apply advantage and give him a comfortis tablet. I just combed him (5pm) and got a lot of dead fleas off him (mainly his bottom half). I also found one still alive in his tail and promptly killed that. (He didn't appear to have any irritated skin so I assume the flea problem wasn't too bad.] He has a lot of that "dirt" and that they get when they have fleas. I really want to give him a bath with Aloveen before he uses any bedding tonight. [No way is he coming in my bedroom until he is 100% flea free!!! ] Can I give him a bath at 8pm tonight? Will that have been enough time for the Advantage to fully absorb and me not to risk washing it off? Or do I need to wait until tomorrow night?

Thank you both for your tips. I'll give that a shot. I guess I got a bit lazy after he became essentially trained. He is a little champ with #1s and goes on command now (if he needs to - but he usually tries if I say "toilet"), so I just have to get serious about training him with #2s now because clearly he doesn't understand where I want him to go which is obviously my fault Thanks again

My courtyard is a timber patio plus a small grassed area (about 1m x 1m) specifically for my 10 month old Cavalier, Dallas. Dallas does #1 on the grassed area. However he only occasionally does #2 on the grass. He usually does #2 on a specific corner of the patio (not near the grassed area). How do I get him to stop this? I've tried catching him and redirecting him to the grass but because he has a doggy door to get outside I often find that he's slipped out to do #2 without me realising. I've also tried picking up his #2 and putting it onto the grassed area but that doesn't seem to make any difference. I've also cleaned the patio thoroughly with disinfectant to try and get rid of any 'markings' he might have on it but that's also done nothing. I'd really appreciate any other suggestions. Thanks

I have a 10 month old Cavalier. About 6 weeks ago when I was taking him for a walk and cleaned up after him I noticed some flemmy blood on the outside of his stool. It was the first time I noticed it. I kept an eye on his stool after that but didn't see another problem. I figured he may just have strained too much and hurt himself slightly when 'going' as can happen (it was a firm stool). About 2 weeks after that he got into the liver treats and ate the whole bag. After that he had bad diarrhea. The vet said it would pass but on night 4 a lot of blood came out of his bum and kept dripping out so I rushed him to the vet. The vet examined him (no x-rays or bloods - she just examined a sample of stool with blood that I brought in and felt around him (he showed no discomfort). She diagnosed him with Colitis and he was put on antibiotics for 7 days. He finished that course. He stool seems to have become more normal since then however I have still been keeping a close eye on it. Tonight I inspected some and part of it was dark red. Not obviously blood, rather it looked like the really dark red colour that meat can sometimes have. It wasn't like what I've seen on either of the 2 previous occasions so I may just be worrying about nothing. A week ago I switched him from a mince and veggie diet because he refused to eat the veggies and I didn't think just meat alone was healthy. So now I've got him on nature's gift wet food (he refuses to eat any brand of dry food, and he didn't like the RAW patties). I wonder if that food could be the cause of the slightly reddish colour in his stool? He is off his food tonight, but he seems to go off food about once or twice a week. He isn't particularly food motivated, so I don't think that is a sign that anything is really wrong, but I suppose I can't be sure. His personality hasn't changed and he is responsive and his energy level seems OK. Am I just being a worry wart or should I perhaps take him to the vet again and get lots of tests done to rule everything out? Thanks in advance

Many people don't realise that the King Charles Spaniel is a totally different breed. They are a bit smaller and have a shorter muzzle and a domed head. They differ in temperament too. There are not many King Charles Spaniels about. These are 'Charlies' Thanks Gretel. So I'd be correct if I referred to Dallas as either a Cavalier or a CKCS but not as just a 'King Charles' - correct?

I am a newbie to this breed and have a dumb question. My boy is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (according to the breeder and his papers). When I take him to the dog park people often ask if he is a Cavalier or a King Charles. I thought they were the same thing (after all, he is a CKCS). Can someone tell me what the difference is? Thanks.

My Cav gets a weekly bath. The only reason he needs that is that he goes to daycare once a week. When I pick him up from that OMG does he stink, so much so that I need the windows down until we get home and he gets a bath. But otherwise he never smells. Apart from each other, do your dogs spend much time with other dogs? When you bath them do you wash/replace all their bedding etc? p.s. I use Aloveen shampoo on my one and it is nice and gentle on him.

Thanks everyone for your advice. He doesn't have fleas, and as far as I know he doesn't have worms. He has had an upset tummy lately. About a week ago he got into the treat cupboard and ate a bag of liver treats. He had diarrhea for a few days. The vet said he'd be fine and it would pass, but on about night 4 blood rushed from his bottom so I raced down to the emergency animal hospital at 11pm. He was diagnosed with colitis and put on antibiotics. That was about 3-4 days ago. The blood stopped by the next morning and his diarrhea stopped about 2 days ago. I hadn't given him his antibiotics when I gave him these 2 tablets, but nevertheless maybe his sensitive stomach at the moment contributed to him throwing them back up. (Although I recall he had trouble last month with the comfortis - but he'd been fine the previous few months). Maybe I should switch to a spot on. My only concern is it won't be strong enough against fleas. I've read some posts on this message board that said that their dogs still had fleas and advantage wasn't strong enough. I read comfortis was best. I have a major phobia of fleas and really need to keep him flea free. I may actually try Advocate. I see that Advocate covers fleas, heartworm and normal worms - that's everything (except ticks), right? If I use this I won't need to give him any tablets? Thanks everyone. I'm glad I didn't rush into giving him another dose.

I bought it online so I'll just give him another dose. Thanks. Bummer. You could contact Elanco (the company that makes Comfortis) as it's part of their guarantee. They may send you another one? Not sure, only ever dealt with over-the-counter returns. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give that a shot.

I bought it online so I'll just give him another dose. Thanks.

I have a 10 month old Cavalier who weighs about 6.5kg. This afternoon I gave him 1 milbemax tablet (for dogs 5-25kg; to be given once every 3 months) and 1 comfortis (4.6-9kg; to be given monthly) [i now realise I should give 1 tablet one day and the 2nd the next day - rookie mistake by me!]. I put them down his throat and then he ate some of his dinner which was mince & boiled rice (with a little chicken stock to help them combine - otherwise he spits out the rice). About 45 minutes later he threw everything up (it looked like a sausage). I went through it and couldn't see any tablets. Dallas has a lot of interaction with other dogs so needs to be protected. Should I give him the tablets again or would enough of the tablets have been absorbed into his system (which is why I couldn't find the tablets)? Thanks

My cavalier can't eat much chicken (either raw or cooked) otherwise he gets the runs quite badly which is unfortunate because he loves it. I make his own food - 1/3 cooked mashed vegies, 1/3 raw meat and 1/3 noodles or rice. Of the 1/3 raw meat, most is red meat but I do mix in a little chicken (about 1/4 chicken, 3/4 red meat) and that ratio seems OK.

Thanks, I'll go with Milbemax. I used that on my cats long ago and never had a problem with it. Didn't know they made it for dogs also. Thanks. (SecretKei - I crumbled it up in his raw mince meat which he normally wolfs down but wouldn't touch it with the interceptor mixed in.)

I have an 8 month old Cavalier. He goes to doggie daycare twice a week so needs super coverage. Currently he is on Comfortis for fleas (which I'm very happy with - much better than spot ons!) and Interceptor for all types of worms. The Comfortis is fine - it is a small table and I am able to get that down his throat. But he hates the Interceptor chewable and I've tried crumbling it into his food but then he refuses to eat it. Are there any other good options that cover all types of worms? Is there an injectable option or is that only for heartworm? Thanks in advance Allie

Phew, thanks Sheena. That's what the pet store guy said too. We just had a breakthrough of sorts. I bought the advance rehydratable food today also. Just gave him that (rehydrated) on its own with no enticements added and OMG he ate it all without taking a breath. I just did a dance around my lounge room because I am so relieved and excited.

Yes, it contains yeast, but I did some searching and it seems to be a common supplement & as long as he isn't allergic (which he doesn't seem to be) and I'm careful with the dosing (1/2 - 1 tsp per day) it seems like a good thing to add to his diet. Of course like everything these days, there are always 2 opposing views, but I'll see how he goes for a little while. Here's some info I found about it: Definition # Brewer's yeast is a type of nutritional yeast that is often given to dogs as a supplement. Yeasts are one-celled fungal organisms that eat sugars and produce carbon dioxide and alcohol as by-products. They are used to bake bread and brew beer and wine. The specific strain used in most brewer's yeast supplements for dogs is called Saccharomyces cervisiae. Sometimes, brewer's yeast supplements are made from by-products left over from brewing beer, but the highest-quality supplements are made specifically for dogs from fresh ingredients. Benefits # Dog owners give their pets brewer's yeast for a variety of different reasons. First, brewer's yeast is a great source of B vitamins such as biotin, trace minerals such as zinc, proteins, and amino acids. The amino acids and vitamins can help make your dog's skin healthier and its coat shinier. Second, brewer's yeast is often recommended by holistic vets to help strengthen dogs' immune systems. According to the Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, in one study, brewer's yeast was shown to protect chickens from salmonella-tainted feed. Brewer's yeast is also a common natural remedy for dogs with fleas. Holistic veterinarian Richard Pitcairn recommends it for that purpose. It is thought to work against fleas because it contains sulfur compounds that make your dog less palatable to fleas. However, at least one study showed that brewer's yeast provided dogs no protection whatsoever against fleas compared to a control group. Risks # Some dogs are allergic to yeast, and dogs that are allergic to other foods are likely to be allergic to yeast as well. Low quality yeast is especially likely to cause allergic reactions. If your dog has food allergies, introduce high-quality brewer's yeast into its diet cautiously. If you see any signs of an allergic reaction, discontinue the brewer's yeast immediately. Types # Brewer's yeast is sold as pills, tablets and as a powdered supplement that can be sprinkled over food. The nutritional content of the yeast is not standardized, and will vary depending on what the yeast was grown on. Compare labels to ensure that your pet is getting the most benefit from the product. There is also a difference between premium brewer's yeast supplements and supplements made from the by-products of the brewing process. Yeast that has been grown specifically for use in supplements has more nutrients and is less likely to cause allergic reactions. Dosing # The correct dosage of brewer's yeast depends on the size of the dog and the type of yeast you are using. For powders, 1/2 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight is usually recommended. The correct dosage for tablets depends on the size of the tablet. Read and follow the dosing instructions on the package.

I really can't understand why you don't just mix a bit of tasty mince in with the kibble. If someone just gave me boring, dry old kibble I wouldn't eat it either. If you really insist that your dog is only going to have dry kibble for it's every main meal, then once you got the dog eating it with the mince, then slowly start to reduce the amount of mince, until he's just eating kibble. Sheena, I had already tried your suggestion but he was smart enough to eat the mince and spit out the kibble I tried being strong but he went 2.5 days without eating so I relented. I then tried buying apperteaser and lightly wetting his kibble and coating it in the apperteaser. He ate a bit but wasn't a huge fan. Today I went to the pet store as I was going to buy some BARF (unfortunately they were out) but the attendant suggested I try adding 1 tsp brewer's mix to anything he wants to eat for a few weeks just to increase his appetite so after 3-4 weeks he is happy to eat what he is given. Anyway, as soon as I brought the bag of it home Dallas went bananas over the smell. So I tried wetting a little kibble and sprinkling some over it and he ran over to the bowl and started eating. The test will be to see whether this was a one-off or continues.... Fingers crossed!

No, he's not fat. I guess my concern all started because when I first got him he was a little on the skinny side so it is something I'm now conscious of as we worked hard to get a little more weight on him. However the vet said his weight now is perfect.

OK, it is almost 9:30 and he's eaten about 1/2 a handful of dry food but that's all he's eaten all day. It is bed time in about an hr and I'm starting to think I'm going to have to put him to bed hungry. I'm going to stay strong, it is only 1 night after all and hopefully by tomorrow morning he'll be hungry for breakfast.

Thanks, I'll keep you updated. A few days isn't so bad, I was expecting it to take weeks. I can survive a few days of ignoring his pleading eyes

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I'm going to start implementing it this morning. He's started on me already ;) I put the dry food out, he gave it a sniff and went over to his other bowl (which I use for other types of food) and put his face in it and made a big point of telling me that it was empty. So from now on that bowl doesn't come out unless it has food in it (I kept it out because I have a tiny unit with no storage space, but I'll find somewhere to hide it). Dry food will be out for 10 more minutes and then it goes away. I'm going to stay strong. Thanks again!!

Dallas is a 6 month old Cavalier. The breeder said she didn't feed much dry food, but occasionally gave him some Eukaneuba and some Advance Puppy Rehydratable. Until last week his diet consisted of 2-3 chicken necks for breakfast about 3-4 times a week and Eukaneuba dry food the other 3-4 days. Then I'd put dry food out and he'd get nothing else until he ate some dry food, which usually wasn't til late at night, then after he ate a small bowl of that I'd give him some nutro wet puppy food. He also gets a raw egg once a week (although I just read online that this is bad for them so I don't know whether to stop doing that). I stopped chicken necks last week because he was getting an upset tummy (it was really loud and rumbling), dragging his butt along the ground and going off his food for 1-2 days and and I didn't know why, but after keeping a food diary I realised it was the chicken necks. The breeder gave me Advance dry food but he didn't like that. Since then we have tried Eukaneuba, Artemis, Hills Science Diet and Nutro. I even bought a top end supermarket brand (Optimum) just as a test (I think of supermarket brands like lollies for dogs) but he didn't even eat that. I ended up putting them all on a large plastic plate to see which one he preferred and the one he ate - after he was left to go hungry til late - was the Eukaneuba. We got given a sample of boxer junior Royal Canin from Doggy Day Care last week. I gave him that tonight and he sniffed it and walked away, but when he got hungry he did eat it and seemed to choose it instead of the Eukaneuba. So now I am thinking about going and buying a small bag of Royal Canin puppy (not the boxer one since he isn't a boxer, but just the normal puppy one). But it will probably end up just being the same struggle so I think I'll wait until we've finished the Eukaneuba - by then he may be 10 months old and ready to start on an adult dry food. Yes, he is spoilt. Although I am strict with his training and his behaviour generally. He is going to have manners and know how to behave like a polite young man. But with his diet I give in. I can't bring myself to let him go hungry if he doesn't eat his dry food, I'm too worried about him getting sick or being underweight. Thanks Archie, I'll try some of those fish oil capsules

My puppy has dry skin and the breeder has emphasised the importance of having oil in his diet to keep his skin healthy. The first time I fed him sardines he ate them but he has refused to eat them ever since, and even mixing it into his other food hasn't worked. So, I'm looking for alternatives. Is there a good supplement that would do the job? A special dry food isn't really an option either because he dislikes dry food (I've tried 5 different super premium brands and the only way he'll eat any is if I starve him until 9pm and then he'll eat a small handful but that is it, even if he is starving!) Thanks in advance :D p.s. Any tips regarding the dry food issue would also be greatly appreciated.

My 13 week old Cav had his 1st vaccination with the breeder and his 2nd at my vet a few days ago. The breeder said to me when I collected him that a vet would tell me he needed a 3rd vaccination but that this is actually unnecessary and is simply a money spinner for the vet. My vet did say he requires a 3rd vaccination in a month. Whose advice do I follow? Does he need the 3rd vaccination or not? Thanks.