Miranda

That's normal, I've never met a dog who didn't love cat poo, all my dogs would kill for it, it's a real delicacy :D

I agree with settrlvr, hindquarter lameness and bunny hopping are frequent symptoms of HD and I wouldn't take the dog to a chiropractor until this has been ruled out. I wouldn't bother to change the diet either. Take the puppy to a vet who specialises in HD x-rays, don't just take him to the local vet, most pet vets don't have enough experience in this field and you need someone who does a lot of x-rays and knows exactly what they're doing regarding positioning etc. Your breeder should be able to give you the name of a suitable vet. Your puppy may or may not have HD, but you have to know one way or the other and x-raying the dog is the only way to find out.

Same here, corn doesn't agree with two of my dogs and I think that's the main difference between the ordinary and holistic varieties.

Most puppies grow out of it, I have two here who ate the other dogs' poo (not their own) until they were about 12 months and then they stopped. However I have a bitch here who still does it and she's 7, but she doesn't do it at home just on walks I've found that the best way to deal with it is to pick up poo regularly and wait till they grow out of it as most of them do.

I wouldn't say that he's being naughty or dominant. The puppy is only four months old and not fully trained yet, puppies this young shouldn't be allowed free access to all parts of the house, crate him or put him in a puppy pen when you can't supervise. I think your husband is over reacting.

Yes definitely stop feeding the dog tomatoes

Tell him to contact Monash Vet Clinic, they are happy to do the implants, I was discussing them with one of the vets the other day. And no I'm not intending to use an implant on any of my dogs

You could also try some Protexin probiotic liquid or powder.

Yes it would have been helpful if you'd mentioned that, would have saved me a lot of typing . Are you feeding EP Holistic as the ordinary varieties contain corn and both my boys have loose poo if they eat anything containing corn.

I wouldn't recommend any of the franchises (Bark Busters is a franchise) as they're only as good as the franchisee. Some may be good trainers and some will have little or no real experience with dogs and may only have attended a short training course. Also most franchises adopt a 'one size fits all' approach and pay little regard to the fact that all dogs are individuals and may react differently to their training methods. You really need a behaviourist/trainer and I would recommend Steve Courtney from K9 Force who is a member of this forum. Yes it will cost you money, but if you want to keep your dogs unfortunately you have little choice.

Yes I feed raw bones and always have I've been looking at what you feed your dog and you are feeding a lot of carbohydrate, rice or pasta, raw vegies, eagle pack dry and an apple or a carrot or an eggplant. Many dogs don't process carbohydrate efficiently and this results in loose, voluminous poo and gas. If I fed my dogs what you are feeding I think they'd react as well. Why don't you cut out the rice and/or pasta, the vegies and the eggplant (I wouldn't feed eggplant to a dog), carrot and apple and just feed the mince, the chicken and bones and the EP and see how he goes on that. If he's still the same I'd also cut out the chicken frame, one of my dogs gets loose poo if he eats a chicken frame. ETA I've just seen that he's only 4 months old, IMO you are feeding way too many different things and it's no wonder his digestive system isn't coping. Just feed him meat and dry food for now and I'm sure you'll see a big improvement.

I don't agree with this at all, I'm not a dog trainer, but it doesn't make any sense to me and may even make your dog worse.

When puppies are with the breeder they have competition from their littermates, once that competition is removed puppies quickly realise that food is readily available and this, combined with the stress of adapting to a new environment causes some puppies to pick at their food for the first few days. Make sure that you don't leave food down and don't attempt to hand feed the pup, put the food down and give the puppy 20 minutes to eat it then remove the bowl and give nothing until the next meal. Providing the puppy is active and happy this behaviour is just part of the settling in process and the puppy should be eating normally within a week providing you don't pander to it.

Tonsillitis is reasonably common in dogs and symptoms vary, picky eating, slight cough, failure to put on condition can all be signs. I have owned three dogs who had to have a tonsillectomy due to recurrent bouts of tonsillitis and they were all much healthier and happier following the surgery, it's a relatively simple procedure and the recovery period is short, the dog is usually back to normal within 48 hours. Antibiotics can sometimes be successful , but frequently the problem recurs once the course is finished and it is far better to have the tonsils removed than to subject the dog to ongoing antibiotic treatment which is unlikely to be effective in the long term.

I feed a minimum amount of dry food, and latest research shows that including meat or canned food with the meal tends to lessen the chances of bloat. However food and feeding practices aren't the only causes of bloat. Dogs that have a first degree relative who bloated (especially if it bloated under 5 years of age) and dogs that are underweight and/or of a nervous disposition seem to be more susceptible and happy, laid back dogs have been found to be much less susceptible. IMO often there is a genetic predisposition to bloating and I steer well clear of lines that have more than the usual incidence of this disease.

You could try cartrophen injections, usually they are very effective in most dogs. I would also give her Joint Guard and 1000mg fish oil capsules which are anti-inflammatory, one capsule per 10 kg. Your vet will be able to advise you

I don't give boosters after 16 months of age and neither do I vaccinate for kennel cough. I don't consider the kennel cough vaccine to be necessary or effective and IMO a dog vaccinated after its immune system matures at 6 months of age has lifelong immunity. I'm not suggesting that you do the same, just replying to your question

Happie have you removed the hair that is growing inside the ears? It is very important that you do this or your dog may suffer ongoing problems. The hairs accumulate wax and debris and restrict air flow making the ears an ideal environment for fungal and bacterial infections to flourish. You will also probably find that the hairs are making it more difficult to administer the drops and that the solution is adhering to the hairs and possibly making the problem worse. If you haven't already done so pluck the hair from the ears as soon as possible, the fact that the dog objects is irrelevant, there are some things that must be done to keep dog's healthy and keeping the ears clean and free of hair is one of them.

Yes I also have a bitch like this, it's not uncommon.

Yes I agree with TSD, if you 'shot' him when he stopped growling you're actually punishing the dog for the correct behaviour, seems a bit strange to me as well. If I were you I'd start TOT (Triangle of Temptation) with this dog immediately. I had a very pushy young male here and I would have to say that starting him on TOT and following the NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program have made a world of difference to his behaviour. TOT is pinned at the top of this forum.

I am not a fan of tying dogs up under any circumstances so I disagree with their advice, I much prefer a puppy pen or a crate.

Cloudiness following an injury usually occurs because there's been some damage done to the cornea causing it to swell and thus producing a cloudy appearance. Any injuries to the cornea can develop into corneal ulcers so a trip to the vet is vital. Your dog may just need the eye cleaned and some antibiotic treatment, but the treatment really depends on the severity of the injury.

I think that most dogs are happy providing their basic needs are met, even those who don't live in an ideal environment are probably happy, as dogs accept the way things are and don't know that their lives could be any different. Dogs live in the present, they don't fret about the past or worry about the future and they have no concept of death. BTW a wagging tail doesn't always denote happiness, but that's an entirely different topic.

Hi Lablover can you tell me the name of the book, was it Excel-Erated Learning? :rolleyes: Yes, yes, yes. I have some of the seminar DVD and CDs also, which I adore. And I do not adore lightly LOL. Thanks Lablover