Roar Kingdom

Hi I am looking at importing this product from the USA for biking with dogs http://www.biketowleash.com/ Just trying to gauge interest in the Australian market. I have biked with dogs before using the WalkyDog attachment, and I enjoyed it but had a few safety issues with it, ie a strong dog tipping the bike, the dog getting trapped beneath the bike, and the rope inside the attachment snapping. This product looks excellent and I have had a long chat with the designer and producer on Skype. His passion for biking with dogs really comes across and I would love to support this product. Are there fellow cyclers out there keen to get biking with their dogs? It's such a great bonding experience, and good for fitness and mental health all round. Let me know if there is any interest out there. Retail price in Oz would be $168 pp, but unlike other products you can just attach it to a quality collar rather than investing in a proper racing harness as well.

Are separate vaccs available for parvo and distemper though? My understanding (and I could well be wrong) is that only the combined vacc (C3?) is available (at least in this country), so if one of my dogs is ok for coverage of say parvo, but not distemper, I can't just vacc for distemper. Is that correct or not? It is correct. I had this dilemma, my dog was fine for parvo, but low for distemper. I ended up giving another C3 just to be sure. She was retested 6 weeks later and both parvo and distemper were fine. * It may be possible, but very difficult to get a distemper only vaccine??? No it is not possible at this stage to get a single Distemper vaccine, however when analysing Distemper titres, there are more things to consider than just the titre result. For example, Distemper is considered to be eradicated in most areas of Australia, Distemper antibodies are less likely to be circulating in the system because as Stormie pointed out there is no natural challenge, also the immune response for Distemper is based more on cell-mediated immunity than circulating antibodies, so you could get a low titre but still have adequate memory cells in face of natural challenge to mount an immune response. Re-vaccinating an adult dog who has adequate Parvovirus antibodies (given Parvovirus is more likely to be encountered here in Oz) IMO is very rarely warranted. This decision should be based on geographic & lifestyle risk factors for Distemper vs likelihood of ill effects of the vaccination in that particular individual. I usually only titre test adult dogs >2 years for Parvovirus, but offer the Distemper titre as well if the client wants this done.

The AVA policy does not dictate that 3 year core vaccines be used. The Policy is copied below: Vaccination protocols should be determined within a veterinarian–client–patient relationship, based on attributes such as duration of immunity of available vaccines and an individual animal’s requirements. Every animal should be immunised and each individual animal only as frequently as necessary. Current scientific consensus recommends that adult cats and dogs should be vaccinated with core vaccines triennially where applicable. Informed consent is important. Core vaccines should be administered to all animals to protect them against severe, life-threatening diseases that have a global distribution.

Many Vets in Oz are a little 'behind the eight ball' when it comes to titre testing. Titre testing is one of the only scientific means we have of determining whether a vaccine response has occurred, and whether antibody levels are high enough to be considered protective. There are limitations though, as some animals may still have adequate 'memory cells' to mount a response to a disease challenge like Parvovirus despite low circulating levels of antibodies - which is what the titre test checks. This is more likely with Distemper; usually titre tests are fairly accurate when checking immune status for Parvovirus. Titre testing to check whether an animal actually requires a vaccination is a much better approach then just blindly injecting a compound vaccination that may cause side effects or vaccine reactions. We can only test for Distemper and Parvovirus antibodies; there are no tests for Infectious Hepatitis (which is considered to be eradicated in Oz anyway) or the Kennel Cough vaccine components (Bordetella & Parainfluenza). Titre testing protocols vary for individual pets depending on lifestyle, geographic risk, age, vaccine response history, general health... It is a good idea to have an individualised 'vaccine' protocol determined for your pet that minimises all unnecessary vaccinations, by consulting with a Vet who advocates titre testing. Holistic Vets are generally well versed in titre testing so find one in your area. Many Holistic Vets also offer online or telephone consultations if you don't have one in your local area. Kind regards Dr Renee Holistic Vet

Hi Jazzie I am an online Holistic Vet with a passion for natural diets and have welcomed the shift in the veterinary community to move away from annual vaccinations. Many pets suffer from reactions and side effects when multiple vaccinations are administered every year, and current scientific recommendations are to tailor vaccination schedules for each individual pet, according to their health, lifestyle and individual needs. If your pet is plagued with chronic problems or ill-health such as recurrent ear infections, itchy skin or feet, digestive issues, arthritis, allergies, or other disease then it is possible that annual vaccinations will aggravate, or may have even caused, these problems. If your pet is not exuding perfect health, he/she should not be vaccinated. My approach is to provide clients with advice regarding your pet's current vaccination schedule, and outline how to safely minimise the number of vaccines your pet is receiving, and the frequency of administration, while still ensuring your pet is fully protected against life-threatening diseases like Parvovirus. I have written a dog vaccination article on my website that you may find interesting, and I can provide an individualised vaccination schedule specific to your pet and situation. Kind regards Dr Renee Holistic Vet

My tips for long term chemical free flea control are: * Blocking off areas of the house/yard/garage where fleas survive and proliferate * Keeping other favourite resting spots swept clean and dusted with a natural flea control product like Dr Goodpet’s Flea Control Outside (diatomaceous earth) * Throw out any flea-infested bedding and invest in products that are easy to keep flea-free, e.g. Houndhouse Kennel * Regular baths and a homemade lemon rinse to drown the fleas (the limonene in the lemon works as a flea repellent) * Maintaining an all natural diet to keep your dog internally clean, healthy, and hence their blood less attractive to fleas * Regularly vacuuming the house, including rugs, doormats and under the couches. Your vacuum is one of your best weapons when fighting fleas, as they stimulate fleas to hatch and you can suck them up with the vacuum, and they die from the turbulence. For more info please read my latest Holistic Vet Blog titled 'Holistic Approach to Flea Control' Kind regards Dr Renee Holistic Vet

Thanks for offering to help : ) I've come to the conclusion that I'm not one of those people who subscribe (abscribe? What's the word?) to the theory behind a raw food diet, or believe that my dog SHOULD and MUST be fed raw...and I'm finding it quite freeing, actually! (I'm not at all implying that you're one of them) Some raw food supporters are so preachy and fanatical. They're like reformed ex-smokers or Born Again Christians. It's a real turn-off. Thanks for the comments. I hope my reply came across as informative rather than preachy. It is inspiring to read that so many forum members are interested in nutrition and questioning the ingredients written on commercial pet foods. I have written various ezine articles on natural diets based on my training, research and experiences and intend to write more discussing the various facets of holistic pet health. My interest is in sharing methods that work for me via my Holistic Vet blog, in particular sharing simple and easy ways to walk a greener path. My choices/methods may not suit everyone, however I hope that my experiences and information comes across as interesting and informative, with lots of photographs to illustrate and inspire. Dr Renee O'Duhring Holistic Vet

Ziwi Peak and K9 Natural are both by far the best natural foods available in Australia, both trusted NZ brands with quality ingredients and not irradiated on entry into Oz. K9 Natural is excellent - freeze-dried, shelf stable, and very easy to prepare. It's available in larger pack sizes for bigger dogs. Ziwi Peak is 'semi-moist' as it is dried at such low temperatures, preserving much of the nutritional value of the primary ingredients, which are all quality ingredients appropriate for a carnivore. Next best IMO, if you want a dry food (less recommended even if the primary ingredients are good as it is necessarily more processed ie high temperatures and pressures, destroying or altering much of the nutritional content) would be Artemis or Canidae grain-free . What difficulties have you encountered feeding a raw diet? It really is quite simple if you do it right.

Well said spotted devil, you need to be careful not to reinforce the behaviour stemming from the fear response in these situations. Go slowly with any fear, introducing elements separately in a calm environment and rewarding normal behaviours. For example, you could try having her walk over plastic when going out the front door or gate on a walk and rewarding good behaviour, or setting up a plank in your backyard and rewarding her investigating it then encouraging her to walk up and down it to try to remedy the see-saw response. Once the normal or favoured response is consistent in the home environment start to explore it again in a different environment such as a park, working up to training classes or other environments where there is a lot of stimulus around.

How bad are the teeth? It is unlikely that teeth brushing alone will clean up teeth that are worse than a dental grade 2 on a 4 point scale - ie minimal tartar build-up, no gingivitis. It is also quite difficult to clean the molars effectively with teeth brushing in most dogs. A dental under GA may be necessary initially to clean up the teeth, than ongoing care with brushing (a fingerbrush is often easier to get to back teeth) and LOTS of soft, raw meaty bones like whole raw chicken carcasses, lamb flaps etc. A natural, raw food diet will maintain dental health long-term much better than a processed one. Processed foods stick to the teeth making a breeding ground for bacteria and tartar. It is a complete lie that dogs (or cats) need dry food to keep their teeth clean. It also may be worthwhile getting your dog checked by a Holistic Vet who practices some kind of bodywork therapy like chiropractics, or acupuncture, as there may be some jaw pain or other reason why he is only using one side to chew.

I see more gastrointestinal upsets with cheaper products. You can definitely 'overworm', especially a puppy with a sensitive digestive system. Worming agents are pharmaceutical drugs and should be treated as such. Drontal is a good product and rarely causes too much problem. I generally recommend to worm puppies with Drontal twice 6 weeks apart, more frequently than that only if indicated by a eggs found on a faecal float. For adult dogs I prefer to do a faecal float once or twice yearly to check for the presence of intestinal worms and worm as needed; they are less common than you think. Or use a herbal wormer 'just in case' - good herbal worming products such as the Greenpet one are very effective for adult dogs. Heartworm medications need to be evaluated according to likely risk of infection vs toxicity of ongoing use of a chemical. Some regions in Australia are low-risk, some are high-risk, weigh everything up and do what you feel comfortable with. I am not a fan of monthly use of allwormers like Sentinel or Interceptor in adult dogs, as I believe this is unnecessary use of chemical agents and can be problematic for some dogs.

Most fruits are fine for dogs in small amounts, and many dogs enjoy a fruit meal. Unless pulped or blended they won't extract much nutritional benefit from it however, as they can't digest the cellulose in plant matter. They will however provide fibre and enjoyment! Toxic levels of most fruits like apple seeds, avocado skin and grapes are quite high and not usually a concern for the average sized pet eating it as part of a balanced diet.