Mystiqview

Optimum is made by the same company (Advance). It is for want of better description their supermarket line to compete with the other higher supermarket lines (Proplan etc) I have used it in the past when I could get the 20kg bags of it. But then it went under a different name. I believe it was not as popular, so they did a name change to Optimum a few years back.

Don't forget if you are substantially changing his diet to do it slowly. To change it overnight may cause diarrhoea and other small gastric annoyances. Nothing major.. just a little smelly until his body gets used to the new food. If you can not afford the super premium brands that have been listed, try the likes of Bonnie Puppy or Not my favourite- supercoat puppy. Stay clear of any dry food that has coloured bits (bits that look like veges). The premium ones are better, but not everyone can afford them. I use Advance here. As far as bones go: at this age I would steer clear of your harder bones like Larger Beef Bones, Marrow Bones - only because of the puppy teeth breaking on the harder bones. Lamb Brisket, Chicken necks, wings, carcus are all ok. Beef brisket is harder than lamb, and is ok too. Once my puppies lose all their baby canines and the new ones are showing I then allow the harder bones to come into the diet. The Canines are the ones more likely to be broken on the hard bones and also the ones most likely not pushed out easily when the new ones come through. I have used sausage for morning 1/2 meal as it is quickly eaten when you are rushing to get ready for work, but never have based a diet on it. I have always followed up by good quality dry food and chicken bones etc. Night meal normally consists of something meat based mixed with softened dry. If you are Southside. Have a look also at Big Gun Butchers. Their human hamburger mince is only about $5/kg. They also sell bulk frozen Lamb briskets and Turkey Tails (as opposed to chicken necks) for $20-$30. You will need a deep freezer or something. But worth it in value.

how long has it been going on? Where does she sleep at night? Inside/outside? does she stay in one area the whole night (ie crate).. Does she vomit when she wakes up when sleeping during the day? how big are her meals.. maybe make them smaller but more frequent. Could be acid, although to me I dont think it would make a difference on whether the dog is awake or asleep.. It is still the same time between meals so acid would build up regardless of whether the dog is awake or asleep. What do you do when she vomits? Do you go rushing to her or leave her be and quietly clean up the mess? If you rush to her.. I would suggest just keeping a cool eye on her without making a fuss, just incase it is now a learnt behaviour. She may have had a stomach upset ages ago, but your reaction when she vomited is attention.. and it could be no behavioural. It could be something upsetting her stomach. Try some Yakult or natural yoghurt in her diet. Also depending on how long it has been going on.. do not feed her for 12 -24 hours just incase it is something that is upsetting her. Food back in will only reinflame the problem. When you start her back on food, keep it plain and dry for a couple of days, then add the rest back in

Got no idea what they are talking about. I think that still gets around as years ago they said not to feed chicken bones because they splintered.. I feed chicken bones/frames etc without issue.. Only occassionally it goes straight through them. You can feed any bone As long as its raw I dont feed hard bones like beef bones, marrow bones etc to puppies only because of their puppy teeth and the possibility of them breaking on the hard bones. I feed Lamb brisket or chicken/turkey bones instead. It is not until puppies get adult teeth that I start to give them beef bones and marrow bones. For me also having borders, I get the butcher to cut the bones lengthwise so they can get the marrow out and still have a good chew

Lizzy, I would measure the water you give her per day. If for nothing else, just so you know how much you put down and how much is actually drunk. This includes what you put in her food. Also, what does she do during the day/night? Where does she spend her time. If she is in a cool area doing nothing all day she will possibly not drink as much as a dog who is keeping busy. how much does she pant? If she is not panting hard or minimally, she is not losing as much water, so will not need to drink as much as a dog that is panting hard/most of the time. That is not to say she is still drinking enough - she may not be. She should naturally want to drink after exercising. This is where putting something in her water to encourage drinking then. Thats where the products like Recharge for Greyhounds and Dogade were initially designed for. To replace what was lost during exercise. However in your original post you did not mention the kidney/pancreas problems. Before using those products or similar I would ask your vet if they are suitable for a dog that has those problems. Also look at seeing a natropath or hollistic Vet. There are more getting around now and in some cases there are some really good ones. Nothing against your own vet, but I have found in some cases if a vet is not across many varying issues or if a problem is slightly off left field, they may not come to think of something to try that may help. That is where sometimes a second opinion from a vet from a different surgery may offer something else to try.

A vet seeing the dog would be the best to diagnose that.

There is a product called Dogade. Comes in Beef, Chicken or Bacon flavour. Its electrolite based, but also gets them to drink more. I use it particularly in summer or while exercising dogs. Found it is really good. They really drink it. http://www.dogplus.com.au/ Or try mixing a tiny bit of vegemite in with the water.

I have seen places like The pet Cafe break down a big bag into smaller ones and sell those separately. But for the cost of that I have to wonder about the economics of it. Its a good idea for people with little dogs and also those wishing to try a new brand without having to buy the 20kg bag.

Your vet would be the best person to advise you.. Also try a hollistic vet in your area if there is one there. It may be controlled through diet. There is also a rectum cream you can get to wipe on to ease discomfort. Had to get it for a girl I had once who turned part of rectum inside out from trying to pass a bone fragment

I have had a tick on for probably no longer than a day and had a puppy succumb.. and have found a tick after a few days after a dog was showing signs. I have found them small and large on dogs that have succumbed. If no signs I keep them quiet for a few days to two weeks.. and if succumbed quiet for up to 6 weeks

can be. I generally found a lot of bum scooting and having general straining problems when pooing as it can be painful I have had a dog in the past who had anal gland problems. Had to regularly be expressed. They sit at 4 and 8 o'clock positions. I was shown how to expess them on the dog I had, maybe ask your vet next time to show if you if are ok with it.. It is rather smelly and do not stand right behind the dog when doing it, and always wear a glove.. the smell lingers on your skin. Here is an extract from the local rag.. funnily enough.. its about anal glads.. Prevention: "ensuring a reasonable amount of fibre in your dogs diet can aid in the emptying anal glands as regular 'bulky' faeces aid in squeezing out hte glands naturally. Keeping the dog at a healthy body weight will also reduce anal gland problems as many obese pets suffer from this disease"

Put it in the sun for a few hours. You can get activated carbon filters that attach to the taps. We have one on the kitchen sink here. Mainly because we are on tanks and to filter the water for that reason as we only have first flush systems. There are water agers you can buy for aquariums.. But do not know how they will go for your purpose

conjunctivitis can only be one eye to start with.. Normally quickly spreads to both. There is another eye drop stuff I have bought from chemist, but cannot remember what its called. I just tell them what it is, and they recommend something.

That's weird. According to Dermcare who actually make Permoxin it is 7 days for fleas and ticks (this is personally from them personally), but as mentioned clinical trials showed 13 days. I'm looking at a bottle right now and it says 7 days. I use it as 13 day coverage in a very heavy tick area and it works well. Although only one day after and ticks will attach. Maybe the Vet Products seller is telling you his own personal opinion and what works for him? I think efficacy of all products vary from pet to pet. Interesting. I just read the dermcare website and it claims up to two weeks.. Hmm.. However, I know of cases where dogs have joined sheep and cattle in proper dips, (far stronger stuff than we get to use) and still succomb to ticks in bad seasons/areas. I know of people who have used the Fidos Free Itch concentrate (that claim up to three days) in the morning and had ticks attached within 12 hours and the dog to the vet. Some people can be lucky and others unlucky. It comes down to risk and what makes people feel comfortable with. With ticks and how quickly a dog can succumb to them, I would rather pay the little extra on a better preventative than spend it at the vet with the heartache of the dog on a drip, then try to keep it quiet for a month after.

Proban is very effective, but used long term, it does cause liver damage. Jed. This is the 4th time I've queried you saying this so will PM you as you mustn't go back to the threads I discussed this at length with my vet, who is also Professor of Medicine and Surgery at Sydney Uni and he said there is no evidence of any damage/side effects from Proban. I was very hesitant to use it initially. Do you have any links to this please? I too have researched this since putting my girls on it and not found clinical evidence to the liver damage claim. I wonder if that claim came from a one or two off instance rather than broad scale side effect??

If it is conjunctivitis, I have always used human eye drops for the problem. Worked well.

Squeak, I have never used Revolution as it is cheaper for me to treat my dogs separately for ticks, heartworm and fleas. If the active ingredient is an organic phosphate then no you could not. I dont think it does contain it, but best either read the packet or ask your vet. Out of interest, I was at Vet Products Direct today and spoke to the vet owner there.. Permoxin is only 3 days. His advice was if the dogs were swimming regularly he would not trust Frontline Plus/Advantix/collars for the effective treatment of ticks as the effectiveness dramatically drops. On a side note.. I turned up at the wrong time.. Channel Nine Brisbane Extra programme was shooting a segment.. I happen to accidently be on there with two border collies

Some tick products contain organophosphate which is basically a pestacide. The Bayer brand tick collar is another that contains the same chemical. (One saying was, do not use two green label products). Malaban, Maldacin also are organophosphate based. You cannot double up on these products. Other flea and tick products use pryethan based (suppose you can say natural loosly) The pestacide based products last longer (and do a better job) than the pryethan based products. You just have to be aware of their contents and be careful not do double up what you are giving them. Pestacide based products have been around longer and have been used on animals all their life without causing the animal harm. (excluding individual cases of allergic type reactions). It comes down to what protection you want to give your animal. If you are in chronic tick area, then you need and want the best product to prevent your animal from succumbing to tick. Between the three dogs I have here, I go through a 100 tablet bottle of Proban a month too. $52/month is cheaper than $500 vet bills (and I got off lightly there). Advantix/Frontline is about the same price (Frontline Plus 6 pack $54.00 for 10-20kg, $57.10 20-40kg) for a six pack if you buy it online.. For ticks you have to use it every two weeks.. It works out only slightly cheaper. It is also not rated as I will say effective for lack of better words than Proban, as like I said previously you are relying on a barrier at coat/skin level to repel and kill ticks. Whereas Proban is within the system and in the blood, so when a tick bites it dies. So: Proban + Bayer Tick Collar No Proban + Wash in Fidos Free itch or other herbal washes Yes Bayer Tick Collar and washing in Maldacin No Advantix/Frontline + Proban Yes but not needed as Proban also does fleas Frontline/Advantix + Fidos Free Itch Yes

Priceless pets at Kedron sells Proban 100 tablets for $52. I think it is about $5.50 for postage. Likewise other online vet places sell it for similar prices. If your dogs are swimming daily, the stuff you put on the coat will go straight into the dam or whatever they are swimming in. Poison in water wayn (just because it is natural does not mean its not poison to aquatic life) Not good. Not to mention you are throwing money away there with it being washed off. Fidos/Permoxin only lasts up to three days WITHOUT swimming to wash it off. Frontline states on the bottle the efficiency wears off with dogs swimming/baths. Likewise for tick collars. All these products can take up to a week to work through the coat of the dog (says so on the packet). Those products you are relying on the barrier being in the coat and on the skin. Dogs swimming will naturally wash much of it off. If you are going to use those products then I would strongly suggest you stop your dogs from swimming as much as they do. I had your attitude at the beginning of the tick season here (somewhat complacence because we never had a tick here for 17 years) then bang.. two ticks on two dogs within two weeks of each other and horrendous vet bills as a result.

It may take a little while for things to work out at club.. Give it some time. Try doing some training down there other days when there is no club training. Keep your sessions SHORT. Use a treat your dog goes ape for, and dont be afraid to use it to your advantage at this stage in her training. You can wean the food off later once she knows what it is you want from her. Watch your footwork too when you do your exercises. IF you always finish on the left foot coming up last for sit, and you do the same for stand/drop, she will be getting a silent cue from your leg to sit. Something else to think about - sorry. Try giving the command for stand/drop on the opposite foot. You said you train daily at home.. Do you train outside of your back yard?? If you don't you should.. even if its the footpath opposite your house. The smells at home are something she knows and is comfortable with.. Even the outside footpath has different smells.. minor distraction.. Oval where many dogs congregate.. HUGE distraction. Personally I think hour long classes are just too long. Especially for young and inexperienced dogs. Try doing heaps of short, intensive and high motivated (heaps of food, toys or whatever turns her on) training, then have a game to break it all up. Do not be afraid in the early stages to use heaps of food to teach the dog what it is you want. Once she knows what sit when you stop is for example, only then reward a nice straight sit, a quick sit etc. Likewise for each and every new exercise. If you find that she is not responding or starting to lose focus, try asking her to do something she does well, praise it. then go and have a quite you and her time.. Don't raz her up.. Just go for a quite calm walk away from class.. then come back. Some clubs of course will not like that. But taking a break is also a double edged sword. It can give you and the dog the break you need, but it can also condition the dog to get non responsive so training DOES take a break. I have used Vicks under a dogs nose in training before.. only a small amount is needed, they cannot smell anything other than vicks.. Also used to use it under the stallions noses when I did dressage.

You would need to report them to the authorities, as it is illegal to do this in Australia! Yep I know it is.. Just like it is illegal to add MSG to restaurant food here in Oz... Does not stop them using it though. Flavoured potato flakes (like corn chips) are loaded with MSG.. (621) likewise 2 minute noodle flavours.

Advance puppy rehyrdratable (dry food) mixed with Biolac or Goats or Lactose Free milk (UHT available in supermarket). The puppy rehydratable is really small kibble and easily softened. I just cover the dry food wiht some boiling water, cover for 10 minutes then add the milk to speed up the process of making it mush. I also mix some mince (beef, pork or lamb) through as well. I dont believe in Farax or weetbix. No nutritional value in it.

Proban, Proban, Proban I am down at Samford. Frontline and Advantix are not cutting it this year. I had two dogs down at the vet at the beginning of the season and they were on Advantix. Very nearly lost one of them - she was too young to go on Proban at being only 10 weeks old. Proban is more expensive than the other two and can be a pain in the butt to administer..(It is one tablet/10kg fed at same time on alternate days. ) but much cheaper than $500 vet bills (that was then by 2 dogs) We have not had ticks on the property here for the past 17 years. This is the first year we have had them. Permoxin only lasts a couple of days. Would not rely on it. It is the same as Fidos Free Itch concentrate. Only lasts up to three days (or there abouts). I know of a few people who have used these products and had a tick on the dog that afternoon and it has done nothing. Permoxin and Fido's is great to wash the dog in while on Proban as you cannot use the products like Malaban and Maldacin which is the same poison as proban. You cannot also use a tick collar while using proban or Maldacin wash. Maldacin lasts up to 7 days. (Notice Up to claim - on label)

Brisbane: Big Gun Butchers at Underwood: Frozen 10kg (or there about) boxes of Turkey Tails and Lamb flaps. $20-$30 Turkey tails I think are little more expensive but they are HUGE! You will need a deep freezer. I get the box, partly defrost enough to break into smaller meals then refreeze.

Used to have it when I had dobermanns who have floppy ears. Dogs with floppy ears are more likely to have ear problems with dogs with pricked ears as the flap traps dirt and water. We used to get the first aid metho from chemists and put a few drops of that in the ear.