Rosetta

Sometimes certain foods just do not agree with our dogs. I would rather move on and try another one - there are lots to choose from - rather than persisting with the offending food.

This is an interesting and informative thread. I have one itchy dog of four. After trying to pinpoint what the causes might be, I'm leaning more toward the fact that I planted a Kikuyu lawn in the yard. She never had an issue as a pup when it was just plain old paddock grass around the house and I've never actually found a flea on her to say that is what the issue is. I had a flock of Galahs come in and decimate the lawn last year and while she had the occasional sratch it was nothing compared to how uncomfortable she had been. The recent warm weather and rain has meant the lawn has regenerated from what roots the Galahs left and she has started scratching again, especially after a big run around and game outside. My three other dogs still don't seem to be affected, but one of my rescue dogs has also started to scratch a bit and all of them were recently treated with comfortis.

Might be a job for Round-Up which is a shame because the yard has just started to look good again. Big job too as the house yard is almost an acre.

S

Have you thought of putting a t-shirt on her - that would protect the underside at least.

Isn't it bad to combine kibble with raw - I am sure I read that somewhere.

Do the RSPCA offer emergency boarding at all? I seem to recall something about them offering this for homeless people with maybe a payment plan? A long shot I know.

Couldn't the lady arrange a short term loan to pay for the boarding? Surely it would be worth it if the dog is loved - poor thing must be very distressed being deaf and almost blind.

I also find it offensive that people insinuate that dogs who are fluffy and may yap "get whats coming to them". That is a very nasty attitude and I can't see how people who think like that can call themselves dog lovers

mymatejack - you are the typical owner that I fear, no empathy for those that own small dogs.

As a small dog owner, I'm sick to death of people who own large, uncontrolled and frequently unfriendly dogs who allow them to run off lead or loose when they aren't even around.

And believe me, they far outweigh the number of small dogs in my area. I think I've found 2 loose small dogs over the last 5 years and many, many medium/large sized dogs in the same period.

The loose small dogs were not a problem to me - I didn't even have to kick them to deter them.

As for the large dogs, well it was a different story. I've had to fend them off by whatever means it took - one day I'll probably have a heart attack with the level of adrenaline required to get through. I'm currently having a problem walking my dogs in my street and the surrounding areas due to owners of large or dog aggressive dogs that are in unfenced or improperly fenced yards.

Your lack of empathy, emotional intelligence or whatever you want to call it - is obvious. You are pretty typical of the people I've encountered. Don't give a crap about anyone else.

Totally agree - a completely inappropriate response by this poster.

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I have had the exact same trouble with my poodle on a few occasions. He is only 3. Same situation - vets did not really have any idea why he lost use of his back end. It lasts for about 15 minutes and then he comes good. I have opted not to investigate unless it worsens as the vets don't know where to start any way.

Well of course they would all say they could treat it and I don't know anything about this "flooding" method that Erny mentioned but my instinct would be to avoid going down that path as a first resort. Vet check should be the first option by an experienced vet behaviourist who can check him physically and also treat the behaviour. Its too much of a risk to send him off to a training kennel IMO - it could be a disaster.

Yeah it is the 'meat' meals bit that would put me off. I want to know what meat.

In VIP food , the meat meal is very likely to be, roo, horse, pig , chicken, these are the most common meat supplied by the place VIP get their meat from. I previously worked for the local council in which VIP sources their meat. So I would not be concerned about the meat meal it should be of a good quaility.

Hi Crowley - I think this was exactly what some were worried about - that there may be horse meat in there :) Personally I do not want to give a food containing horse meat - nor pig.

For 100 a visit in a 13-14 yr old dog I'd want to be sure something else wasn't going on (i.e it's not just a simple anal gland expression). I'd be concerned re reoccurring anal gland abcess or anal gland neoplasia.

Consult/Anal gland expression + antibiotics + antiinflammatories = around $100

For an initial check up yes - but the OP said this was a $100 charge every 6 weeks.

IGA have a good range of bones. I have seen turkey necks and wings there.

Not worth feeding bones at all IMO - too much of a worry. I would rather just give other chews for teeth cleaning purposes.

How are other chews any different to bones if they are the same shape etc ... except that bones are better for them in the end.

Because a lot of them are not rock hard and are more digestible.

Not worth feeding bones at all IMO - too much of a worry. I would rather just give other chews for teeth cleaning purposes.

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What about turkey necks? Would they be too big for a 4kg dog as a meal?

I can see a place for it in treatment of sick or recovering dogs either by vets or owners - not for otherwise healthy dogs no.

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Should note that people are referring to cooked turkey bones as being bad as in any cooked bone - not the cooked flesh of the turkey which is fine without the skin.

Ok, I'll get a quote today, I guess I was just expecting a $600 one but maybe I'll be suprised!

Omg the doggy pill, I didnt even know you could do that :laugh:

You might find that medication is expensive anyway. $200 is cheap for female desexing - does that include the fluids and pain relief etc? Could your regular vet do the xrays while she is under?

Poor little Bonnie - she is having a bad trot

I think what will happen is that the owners of the aggressive dogs will do absolutely nothing about PTS or anything else. The only thing that works with those types of people is intervention by the authorities and if the council does not care then the situation is pretty hopeless. The neighbours need to get together and put in a joint complaint to council. Poor dog - Charlie I mean .

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Just a quicky i did see on the QLD floods a man being rescued via the helicopter in the cage/winch and they brought his little terrier (looked like an aussie)up with him.

I know its not always feasible with large dogs but i honestly wanted to hug the pilot and rescuers for letting him carry his little dog up with him.

I think I saw footage of this after they'd landed. There were 2 helicopter crewman who carried 2 small dogs under their arms (one looked like an aussie-terrier) to 2 elderly men. While the TV reporter was talking to one man (with a mini-foxy on his knee), the other was continually stroking his little terrier.

Also an AGL helicopter rescued an elderly man near Maryborough. The winchman brought up his 17 yr old little dog, too.... in a backpack.

I heard some of these stories too Mita. I think the rescuers should be able to make a judgement about individual situations rather than follow a blanket rule. I think if a person can easily carry a small dog - inside a shirt or a bag for instance - then they should be able to take their pet with them. Unfortunately this is really only an option for those with small dogs. Remembering back to the Qld floods in 2011 there was a lot of heartbreak over pets left behind that, in hindsight, could have been saved. I think I recall one particular sad case of a man shooting his dog rather than leave it to the floodwaters because he could not take the dog with him when being rescued

Best to get a vet to do it if she can - I am sure she will find one who will do it cheaply.