best4koda

Yes, very good humour. Can I just say in regards to theory, it's something everyone should read to gain knowledge but sometimes even with the best theory in hand, just sometimes you need to throw the book out the window.....and go with your gut as dogs are like kids, each one has a difference to them.

Hi, yes we had a GSD that suffered with it greatly. He would vomit for a 5minute ride to dog training. He was so bad that the GSD club gave him an award for it. But yes he did eventually grow out of it. We wouldn't feed him in the morning or night until after the required trip. And he still would vomit. But slowly but surely he got used to it. He would dribble in the car and would sit quietly as he got older. My solution was putting a vinyl mat down in the back of the wagon so it was an easy clean up job.

Have you searched the net for some info on the diet. Someone here should be able to provide some info for you. In my search for my dogs on issues there is diet advice on the web. Have they determined what the cause of the colitis is? Diet, infection etc. Some of the foods to avoid if it's food related are quoted as "in the case of dogs are beef, dairy products and wheat, which are common in commercial foods and kibble". What meat are they currently feeding with the rice?

Thanks for that, I was wondering if there was any reason not to add some to her diet to assist her. We are doing a form of an elimation diet at the moment. Only her kibble and rice. Through the week I added a small amount of rump steak off cut (not the fat) and she ended up cow pats and a little worse. Back to kibble and rice and firmed up better again. Last night I gave a small amount of chicken frame mince and are now waiting to see how she goes with that. So it appears beef maybe a no no for her, and perhaps the pigs hears were messing with her as well (previously in diet for chewing) and I think she has problem with fat as well. I am going slow to see if we can work it out. Hopefully I will hear from some more people about the enzymes and probiotics as well. I'm hoping if we can find the triggers and then slowly move her to a mix of fresh and a kibble that agrees with her. I prefer fresh food in her diet. Thanks.

Hi Sky, yes it does (twins). My friend laughs at Koda and describes her as high maintenance chic!...Hyperactive I must say. She would have made a fabulous sled dog I reckon. I thought my over sized dominate male was difficult but he was never pushing it like this one. I have come to conclusion that dogs are like kids, each has to be dealt with individually and the same training practises do not suit all. Love the GSD can't help but keep going back to them.

Lamb flaps etc were in the diet previously so are staying away from them for the time being...too fatty for her I think.

Hi, I am in the liverpool area. I don't have an opinion on a local one but my friend used K9pro but they are at Kurrajong Heights. Have you tried any trainers at all to address your issues yet? Walking on lead issues is best for someone to see to know what the issue is sowill not comment on that. On doggy manners have you heard the term NFIL (nothing free in life)? Do you make them earn everything. Examples, sitting and staying before they can eat, sitting before you throw a ball, Not allowed to go through the door first before you etc. Doing more of this helped us. Also my dog was out of control everytime she came in, jumping on furniture and being silly. Having a GSD do this inside your house is very concerning, it was driving me crazy. I then tried on lead training inside the house. It has made things better. She went on the lead before entering so I had control, then she had to sit in her bed and not walk around. If she miss behaved to much it was out the door with her. It has helped alot. Just some food for thought until you get a response from someone who knows someone local.

I am currently using a prong collar for my young GSD. She is a high drive dog. Check chain just wasn't working. Constant checking, you could not get her to walk with relaxed lead at all. Head collar made it a bit better but she just learnt to lean into it. Our previous 2 GSD's were able to be taught against pulling with the head collar but not this one. With the check chain she was simply choking herself all the time. If continued I'm sure she would suffer ill effects. A friend who is a trainer tried all different collars on her and got similar results. Then suggested if I wanted to try a prong collar. I said show me as I had no opinion or knowledge of them. In minutes I had at the very least a dog who knew there was a boundary to her pulling with out being checked by the trainer. I am currently training her in a fairly controlled environment at a park that allows enough distractions for her to learn to do as she is asked but not too much until her behaviour is controlled. I am impressed with the results so far. In my opinion (and only relative to my dog)the prong collar works for her as she needs very little correction in comparison and there fore is a better solution. If used correctly I will not cause harm. End result is a dog under control enjoying being taken out and about. But it's horses for courses, this time around its a prong collar, the previous 2 times it was a halty.

Yeah, I've had a look at black hawke but havne't made a decision to try it yet since just starting proplan sensative. Which only has rice, oats and barley by the ingredients. If I can work out what the issue is then I can make a better choice on what to try I guess. I really don't like the wheat they are filling food with.

I have been in the process of moving her to the proplan sensative kibble to take her off the usual protein sources and less grains. It's salmon based. She seemed to do alright at least for a little while just on boiled chicken and rice the first time. When I changed her food the previous times I went to artemis which was lamb and the second was Natural Balance which I think is lamb as well. Yep, will not feed necks. Pers, yep do check the poo as a matter of course but it's an obsession at the moment trying to get her settled into a good food for her.

Ok, noted on the chicken necks will feed frames. Just found Menai Lenard's sells the chicken frames minced so will pop over there today and grab some to try her on. Will pick up a frame to try her with too. Always been weary of chicken bones so have never fed them. Other sheps we have used bigger lamb and beef ones. Thanks.

Yes, I'm going to try chicken necks with her. But I will see if she firms up a bit better first then I will try some chicken necks, frames I think she will not chew well....busy eater here. will add a bit of sweet potato too. Does this help firm like pumpkin or is it simply good vits. I know pumpkin helps firm up but can make them thin I'm told?? I meant ENZYPLEX as Protexin is a probiotic. Thanks. Would love more opinions as well.

Hi, I have been trying to solve my Shepherds diarhea issue for sometime. Summary is as follows: Initial case was stools slowly getting softer n softer. Was put down to food change. Changed to another food and got worse and produced soft stools with mucus as well. Vet visit, was apparently treated for giardia, antibiotic and a gut protectant. Presented at time with mild temp and they found some evidence of blood in a sample. Not tested for giardia. Seem to get better with meds and on chicken and rice diet. Slowly slid backwards after some time and back to normal diet. Kibble, fresh mince, beef or roo, mainly beef. Let her have a large beef bone. She consumed the lot, marrow included and ended up with full on diaahea. (Not good in hindsight) Vet visit to new vet recommended. Drugs prescribed for giardia noted as inefficient to treat giardia. Re-treated witha course of drontal and another drug for the stomach. after a few days she got slowly better. But not a 100% solid. Followed up with Vet and they suggested to test for EPI and/or try prescribed vet food for intestinal sensativity. After seeing the price of test and food decided to try proplan sensative kibble. She is about 50/50 on that and the proplan chicken and rice. Nothing esle besides some boiled rice added. She had firmed up to a fairly normal level. I decided to see how she went with meat. I allowed her to have a small amount of rump off cuts...not fat. More then 24hrs later soft cow pats again. Today a bit better as a mix of both.Note, she is in perfect condition otherwise, coat and weight so I didn't think epi would be the issue or it's only minor not full on. I suppose my question is, when or should you try one of the enzyme supplements like Protexin or thrive D. Or would a probiotic be worth a go. Is it more likely to be a food intolerance or an IBD issue. Is a grain free food worth trying? It would be nice not to have to look at poo daily for an update. Sorry that this is another poo article but am frustrated with which way I should go. Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Agree, take to the vet as soon as possible. Usually if they are listless and off their food means a definite vet trip.

Yes,I would agree and get her vet checked. Our beloved Kain would pant alot when he was ill with cancer but he was in alot of pain and it had moved to his lungs as well. Best to get it checked as it could be lots of different things as suggested above by Rappie. Hope it's nothing.

We were advised that after our german shepherd got to a certain age (I think 4 months???) to drop the protein down to 26% and below to stop her growing too quickly. I think that is the main reason. I know someone who went to a higher protein once the dogs were finished growing to build muscle on their dogs. Will be interesting to see what the people in the know add to this....always looking to know more about nutrition for my pooch.

Thanks Aziah, yes that's what I was thinking as well. I've started to introduce the proplan sensative tonight in place of the other kibble (slowly but surely)with just boiled rice added as we have been feeding her. Then hopefully if she is better on the sensative we can start to trial some of your suggestions above....lamb necks I hadn't seen. I don't think I would give her chicken frames as she would gulp them I think. Roo tails might be good as well as the lamb necks. yes, we will be off to the vet if we can't solve it. Just want to see if it's food related before we go down the EPI road since she seems to be thriving otherwise. Thanks.

Previously I have been told to use Capstar (tablet) to kill the adult fleas.

Hi, today I was enquiring about royal canin products and which ones different outlets have currently. Yes there will be a shortage of it as there is an import issue. I believe they have to change their processing to meet the customs/import guidelines to Australia. Some other brands have already gone through this previously. So today I chose to try proplan instead of RC for the reason of I didn't want to start something that's about to disappear off the shelves for a while. I have no idea what length of time it will be though.

Yes, perhaps you were right but I had given it to her as someone suggested bones to help harden up her motions and she had previously never been able to break the bone down like she did. I did think we were going to have a bad reaction once I saw she had consumed it all. Since seeing the vet she has only had proplan chicken and rice kibble and boiled rice. Today after speaking to the vets the next thing was to try the prescription vet food which costs a bomb. So I thought after reading the ingredients I would try the proplan senastive and see how she goes. If you have further suggestions let me know. Am willing to try a natural diet as well just need good guide lines from some where. Thanks.

I was hoping someone had some feed back on this issue as it's driving me insane. Anyway, we have treated for giardia with drontal this week. She has sort of gone to doing firm poos....well that was this morning and this afternoon she has gone soft again but not the runs. I have gone and bought Proplan sensative today to trial her on it to see how she goes. Would love some feed back from somone. Thanks.

Our german shepherd, 9 months old has been having trouble with her motions. I initially put it down to a change in food but after it didn't improve we started the vet visits. She slowly got softer, with some solid poos, some cow pat ones....some starting one way and finishing then ended up with diaarhea. Took her to the vet, was supposedly treated for giardia, antibiotics and a gut protectant as they found blood when they took a sample. She also had mucus in her poos at this time. She appeared to bet better for some weeks but has slid backwards again. Started to get cow pats again. Then the other morning after consuming a large end of a beef bone (she got to all the marrow) she was duck squirting everywhere....off to a vet recommended by a friend. New vet found the drugs previously wouldn't have killed off giardia so represcribed to rule that out. She provided us with a sample during the consult so they tested for another parasite and it was all clear. AFter seeing her motion, the vet is leaning towards EPI. ( insufficient enzymes from the pancreas) But after reading I'm not sure....she is in good condition, doesn't appear to be dropping weight, coat is good too. She initially presented with a skin allergy very early. I removed all treats at the time and it cleared. She has had the odd infected spot put down to a fungal infection at the time. Anyway I have to questions: 1. has anyone done the latest EPI blood test that apparently will give you a yes or no result, and if so what was the cost. 2. Does anyone have an opinon on what it may be. She is currently on proplan with limited additions into the diet, beef, kangaroo meat with kibble. Also has had cheese for training treats, was feeding pigs ears and raw hides for her chewing. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Okay have been removing the mushrooms by hand. I have a question. Does anyone experience raw hide chews upsetting their dogs stomach....She was getting better poos then I feed a raw hide as she was bored due to rain and since she has been soft again....it's really the only extra thing in her diet at moment? Just wondering what other people find with these.

Artemis also does a grain free one but is fairly high in protein. If your dog is full grown then I suppose you can feed less as long as your pooch isn't left too hungry for the rest of the day. High protein can cause young dogs to grow too quiickly (so my breeder says anyway) My shepherd was showing a skin allergy while young and we removed all commercial dog treats and it calmed down and doesn't seem to suffer often with it now. Just food for thought on the allergy front. Nothing proven just worked for us.

Yeah, spores are a problem. I've taken everything out of her diet except her proplan food and roo mince and we will see how we go slowly bringing things back in. Checking daily for new mushrooms sprouting. Has anyone had dogs react to pigs ears? That's really the only major treat she gets as she's off bones until she's consistent on the stomach. I used to get her lamb bones but have kept her off since being treated incase it was the fat content upsetting her. Thanks.