cj-b

Thank you both. Yeah I think I will change him over once I run out of the Sentinel. Everythings Shiny, I haven't studied the Interceptor yet, but I thought it did Heart Horm as well, like the Sentinel but just didn't control fleas. Should I get the injection as well? Or where you refering to something else???

This might be one for the vets out there???? I have been using Sentinel Spectrum for the last 3 months. The problem is, when I go to my mums house, my boy always seems to pick up a flea or 2, it's just her area. She has had it sprayed, treated, you name it she has doen it. Anyway, I was using Capstar after everytime I took him, but recently discovered Comfortis. I have decided to use this instead of Capstar as it works out cheaper than the capstar in the long run. But now I wondering if I need to use the Sentinel over the Interceptor if I'm using the Comfortis?? Would the comfortis be enough to control adult fleas and stop the cycle if used alone with the Interceptor or should I continue to use the Sentinel??? The only reason I'm looking at changing is because of $$$ as it's less than 1/2 the price.

Swimming sounds like a great idea for her. And I also agree that she could go without the added pasta or rice. Has she seen the vet recently? If so, what do they say?

Check out the Artemis Weight Loss Management dry food. It's the only weight loss kibble I know that still has meat as the first ingredient, well in this case still the first 4, but still only 6% fat. http://www.naturalpetstore.com.au/d/WMA30/...-food---13.6kg/

I think it would be best to do your own research if your worried the slightest about adding a certain type of food to her kibble, and make your own decision about what is o.k and what isn't. There are so many different opinions, it will drive you mad to believe them all, not to mention there would be nothing safe for your dog to eat Hope that makes sense.

It's good to know you think she looks good and her coat is nice. Because thats something I don't really know about. I guess because I don't have anything to compare her to. I've never seen a dog with a bad coat. I think she is waiting for something better! I have got some chicken thight cutlets (with bone) and am feeding her one a night and still offering supercoat at breaky. She is LOVING the raw chicken pieces and will eat her dry food if a crack an egg on it. With regards to Sardines... Why do we give those? How much and how often? Do I just buy tinned sardines? Would like to add those to her diet but not sure how to go about it. CJ-B - Thanks for the advice! I think I will stick with Supercoat for now and see how we go! I think that maybe she was just bored of it because I wasn't giving her the raw as well as the supercoat! But have started that again! Oh that's great she is loving the raw pieces, and great news about the kibble. And eggs are a great topper to add to kibble for healthy skin and coat. A lot of owners use eggs, sardines, yoghurt, cottage cheese etc, as toppers as well. Sometimes it's to make the kibble more appealing but most times it's used to add certain vitamins, minerals or essential fatty acids for overall well being or to help with skin and coat condition. Sounds like to me you are giving her a great diet. :D Thanks Cb-J. :D I would like to add sardines...do I just feed the tinned ones? And how many per meal? And how often per week? Love the idea of the cottage cheese and yogurt will add those to the dry food too to make it more inviting! ;) Yeah, the best ones I think are the home brand ones from woolies, $1.63 for a pack of 3 tins. Some people perfer to use the ones in oil, but the variety in springwater is just as good. There is a thread going at the moment about how often to feed eggs and sardines. If you read it you will see everyone has their own opinion on how often how much, depending on size and type of dog and also their tastes. So maybe stick to the general rule of no more than twice a week for each type, and go from there. You might find that she will only like a couple, not all dogs like sardines, but love yoghurt etc. Personally I would pick 2 or 3 that she likes, and alternate between her favs. Regarding amounts, if you give the sardines a try, only add about 1/4 tin to begin with and slowly increase to 1/2 tin per serving, so 1 tin per week. And the yoghurt and cheeses I think for a small dog, a tablespoon would be ample, but again go by her likes and dislikes. But this is just my opinion, do some reading around if you like and work what you think will suit your baby best. As I said, everyone has a different idea ;) Hope this helps.

It's good to know you think she looks good and her coat is nice. Because thats something I don't really know about. I guess because I don't have anything to compare her to. I've never seen a dog with a bad coat. I think she is waiting for something better! I have got some chicken thight cutlets (with bone) and am feeding her one a night and still offering supercoat at breaky. She is LOVING the raw chicken pieces and will eat her dry food if a crack an egg on it. With regards to Sardines... Why do we give those? How much and how often? Do I just buy tinned sardines? Would like to add those to her diet but not sure how to go about it. CJ-B - Thanks for the advice! I think I will stick with Supercoat for now and see how we go! I think that maybe she was just bored of it because I wasn't giving her the raw as well as the supercoat! But have started that again! Oh that's great she is loving the raw pieces, and great news about the kibble. And eggs are a great topper to add to kibble for healthy skin and coat. A lot of owners use eggs, sardines, yoghurt, cottage cheese etc, as toppers as well. Sometimes it's to make the kibble more appealing but most times it's used to add certain vitamins, minerals or essential fatty acids for overall well being or to help with skin and coat condition. Sounds like to me you are giving her a great diet. :D

Hi, I wouldn't take her completely off the Supercoat if she is doing well on it. All dogs are different, what works well for one, doesn't the other and visa versa, and this reflects on the advice and opinions you will hear. I personally know of a breeder that has recently won best of breed at the Ekka show, and she feeds all her dogs and puppies, Supercoat Puppy, as well as fresh chicken wings and and chix mince, with the occasional sardines mixed into the kibble, thats it. So it can't be all bad for every dog. And it's a bonus its cheap. If you really want to change kibbles (which I don't think you should, if your dog does well on it, just because a few people comment it's not a good food), look at the ingredients, don't make your decision based on what is written on the front of the bag. Personally, I don't think Supercoat is bad at all, especially when you compare it to some so called premium dog foods that are 4 times the price. As an idea, maybe give one meal 3/4 Supercoat with 1/4 Chix mince (lennards do a mince of meat and bone for $1.50/kg), the next a chix wing or frame or whatever chix bone you choose, necks are great for small dogs. Good luck with your doggy.

Hey I'm not sure if it's nutritionally suitable, but would bottled baby food work?

And I often reply "your kid likes Maccas too doesn't he" - so that makes Maccas a suitable diet for a child? Diet no, treat yes. Same as the Rawhide, it's not part of his diet, only an extra to give him someting to chew on, and to also keep his teeth and gums in good condition.

My 14-17kg dogs chew things like that once through the middle to bend it then give the swallowing whole a good old go. Bit like sword swallowing A houdini, that's very scarey. My boy is only 6.7kg, and really wouldn't have a chance of doing that, well not yet anyhow

Rawhide is technically untreated leather. However rawhide chews as sold for dogs, if from less than wonderful can have all sorts of chemicals and crud added to it. A lot of it is made from mashed up who-knows-what rolled and dried into shapes. Consider the "bones" made of rolled up sheets tied at each end - wet one, untie the knots and you have a flat sheet of soft material which a medium/large dog is perfectly capable of trying to swallow whole, but because it's soggy and floppy it's all too easy for it to get stuck half way and choke a dog. The chemicals, the fact it can be swallowed in large lumps and the fact it can kill a dog are big no nos to me I guess it might depend on which Rawhide you choose to buy. There are some available that have no chemicals, colours, flavors or preservatives. And as far as the choking goes, not sure how this could happen with the twisted stick kind. But my dog is only small though. So maybe a bigger dog could be able to break a part off, not sure, I can only go by own my dog, who has not a chance of breaking a chunk away. He can only knaw away at the end, which takes him a good week or two to get through. And then he doesn't eat the whole thing, I take it away, when I think it's too short, incase he does try to smallow it. I spoke to my local vet about them. And she said they are a great alternative to fresh bones to keep teeth clean and gums healthy. My boy loves them, so I think I will continue to use them. Just wanted to add, I think the whole thing about Rawhide being able to kill a dog, is crazy. It's just like RMB, supervision is the key to avoid such accidents.

Thanks for the ideas. The ingredients are all natural being Porkhide, Chicken Liver, Rice Flour, Whey Protein and Vegetables. I like the idea of tendons, I think he would love them. Oh and I forgot to say at the start, he also has a pig or lamb ear once over so often as well. The stick thing I do give him, will last about a week, he just chews any at it. I might ask the local vet and see. He is a small dog as well, about 7kg and 6 months old. He currently gets, Nutro and Raw mixed together twice a day, with some extra Omega Oils added.

I was wondering if the Pork Raw Hide Chew Stick things you can get, are enough alone to maintain good teeth and gum health? My boy doesn't like chewing on bones, he just prefers to play with them by moving them all over the backyard, never chewing on them. Tried Chix necks, lamb flaps, marrow bones, you name it, we've tried it. He does eat a little Kibble, but his diet is about 75% raw, in the form of Dr B's premade patties, which he also loves. So I don't think the kibble is enough alone to clean his teeth. But, he absolutely loves these Pork Raw Hide Sticks I buy from Big W, that are filled with Chix Liver. And I mean love them, he will knaw on one all day. Do you think this enough to clean his teeth along with the small amound of kibble he gets?

This is so sad I hope someone can help out. It must be so upsetting for her owner as well, must be heart breaking. I remember my nan, had a cat that needed extensive surgery, that as a pensioner she couldn't afford, so she had to put him to sleep, she was gutted. I hope it's a different story for this little one and it's owner. Fingers crossed you all.

This seems odd to me, I haven't gone into a store yet that doesn't sell it And my local sells the 15kg bag for $98. I once looked into buying EP for 130+ for a 13.6kg bag. Like most of the Premuim foods, there is a 100% money back guarantee. So if after trying it for a few weeks you or your furry one is unhappy with it, you can take the unused portion back for a swap over or money back.

Nutro Large Breed might be a good one for you to look into. It has high levels of Essential Fatty Acids, as well as VitE and Zinc. It's 100% natural, australian made, and a little cheaper than both EP and RC.

I'm not sure about Labs, but do they do a seasonal malt???? I'm not sure if it would be the food, but I'm no expert. I have always been told it takes 8-12 weeks for the food to make a difference to their condition. But not sure, hopefully someone else will be able to answer this better. Can I ask what Shampoo and if any conditioner you use?

The thing many people don't understand is that dogs don't have developed taste buds like ours...they live to eat and not eat to live. It is more likely that he was holding out for the texture than the taste. That makes a lot of sense. I reckon he does perfer the softer texture. He is the same with bones. If you give him a chix neck, he eats it but it takes him awhile after, leaving returning, leaving returning. But if I bash it first to crumbled it up a little, he loves it, doesn't leave it alone. Think I will definitely stick to everyones advice, and keep mixing. thanks

Thank you for this suggestion. This morning instead of giving him just kibble. I measured up 1/4 cup of bikkies, added his Omega Blend then half his barf for the day, mixed it all up, and the scoffed the lot So will do the same again for dinner. Fingers crossed this continues, and I have peace of mind he is eating correctly and without having to leave out kibble all day. Thanks

some great information and ideas everyone, thank you. I think I might give the mixed idea a go. I had never thought the little bugger was just holding off for the yummier one, little turd. But it makes a lot of sense. Will try this over the next few days and see how we go, thanks again for all your help. :D

Thanks. Do you think a puppy 6 months old that will reach a mature weight of around 8kg, should be fed 2 or 3 times a day? I tried a little warm water on his kibble this morning and he seemed to eat more than he usually does. I gave him about 15 mintues then took it away. If he gets his barf for dinner, should I offer him the remaining for lunch? Sorry for the stupid Q's....

Thank you so much, I feel so much better (and just picked up his leftover kibble). I was starting to wonder about on bags. You make sense to me though with everything you said. Do you know at what age, I should be only feeding him at night times? As I thought it may have been he is only hungry at night, but he is only nearly 6 months old. So thought it would be wayyyyyyyyy to early for that.

I'm not sure it's that easy to get a 3 mth old bouncy Lab to hold it's leg out and then have it laying on it's side, perfectly still, with the paw in a good position. If it were me and he is still the same tomorrow I would be taking xrays and if they find nothing in the toes or wrist, I would tell them to keep going and get views of the elbow and shoulder as well while he is sedated. This sounds like a good idea to me.

O.K I have a 5 month old cross breed puppy. He currently weighs 6.5kg. He is fed 2 meals per day. Nutro Kibble in the morning and Pre made Dr Billinghurst Barf at night. According to the feedings guidlines for each product, he should need approx. 1/2 cup of kibble and 115gm of BARF a day (half of each recommended daily amounts). Most of the time he will eat all the barf straight away, I allow him about 15 mintues to eat, I refridgerate any left over ( if any ), and give it to him the next morning, before his kibble. The kibble he only eats on average half the amount I give him. Should I be worried he isn't eating enough, or could it just be thats all he needs. Should I do the 15 minute rule with the kibble as well, or let him pick at it over the day? He does about 2-3 stools a day, most days 2. And he doesn't seem to be too thin, a nice shape, can feel his ribs but they don't seem to be bulging. Should I cut back the amount of Kibble, until he eats it all, or should I continue to offer the current amount. I only worry as he is still a puppy, and not sure if he isn't eating enough he won't be growing right. Or if I take away the uneaten amount of kibble after 15 minutes, which sometimes he doesn't touch at all for a couple of hours, that he definitely won't be getting enough. As you can see I'm a little worried and clueless I'm sure it isn't an issue of him not liking the Nutro as sometimes he scoffs the lot. Am I worrying about nothing, or should I be trying to feed him differently? All suggestions welcome...