Kavik

I have got the green light from my vet to feed Diesel a homemade diet after he has had surgery for splenic torsion and had his spleen removed (see here http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/245254-feeding-after-splenic-torsion-and-removal/page__p__6078046__hl__%2Bsplenic+%2Btorsion__fromsearch__1#entry6078046) So now I need some help with ideas on what to feed. The only constraints are that I am not allowed to feed bones, which makes it trickier, and no potatoes. Vet recommended 60% meat, 30% veges, 10% cooked grains (he suggested rice or barley). So far my thoughts are go get some chicken frames or wings minced at the chicken shop if they will do that for me, vet said should be OK if the bones are minced, other types of mince, sardines, eggs, offal (vet said to cook first), pulped veges and fruit, do they really need the grains?

It is tough with WIRES and snakes as sometimes there aren't any available volunteers in the area to help, but if you say that the snake has been there for days and keeps coming back and you know where it is, they will come. Some locations have several very good snake handlers who will go check out all snake calls and some locations don't have as many. Nope. All times they were not interested. All times I knew where the snake and lizard were and it wasn't a "I'm sorry we are flat out" or we have no one to help, it was a flat out no . Leave it alone and they won't help I'm sorry they were unhelpful Teebs If I end up going back to work there (I left when I had a baby) I will remember to help more with snake calls. Lizards are tougher, as not dangerous, usually people are just scared of them.

I would be flipping out too, snakes around the house terrify me

I have Kavik! ALL DAY!!!!!! Fair enough :) I have worked for WIRES so I know how crazy it can get, especially with snakes, trying to sort out the calls that actually need you to send someone out vs those that don't need you to call someone out (when people overreact and say that there was a snake there a week ago can we come and see if it is still there) and not wanting to overwork the volunteer snake handlers who get several calls or more every day.

Keep pestering WIRES, if you keep calling and saying he is still there and has been for days they will check it out, pays to be persistent.

NEVER try to kill a venomous snake! It is very dangerous! Don't try to catch it and put it in a container either . . . (have had calls where people have done this!)

It is tough with WIRES and snakes as sometimes there aren't any available volunteers in the area to help, but if you say that the snake has been there for days and keeps coming back and you know where it is, they will come. Some locations have several very good snake handlers who will go check out all snake calls and some locations don't have as many.

You could try calling WIRES, they have snake handlers.

Sounds like you need to get her focus first, before you start training her. I've found that can make a big difference especially when it comes to distractions of other people and dogs. Teaching focus also works their brain - I think the focus work I do with Kaos tires him out maybe even more than the exercises I am also teaching him for agility :laugh: Here is a recent topic on this http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/244651-how-do-you-teach-focus/page__p__6057699__hl__focus__fromsearch__1#entry6057699 ETA: you want to get them to want to work with you/for you before you try to teach them more specific things.

It was a pretty awful time of year to have such a scare and emergency, though it had a better outcome than the vet initially thought - they initally thought splenic tumour and were worried about multiple tumours, so I am just glad it was something else and that he is still here with me. I haven't had a chance to get the mince yet - will get it tomorrow when we do shopping and try it then. I'm not so much worried about having to change his diet, more about him losing weight, poor bugger seems to always be in the wars with his skin problems as well . I know the main concern is around food, so am now worried that since I am having to feed him so much 3 times a day instead of once or twice a day, that it is 3 times more I have to worry about a problem, dunno it just seems almost counterintuitive to have to do it this way. I just want him to be and look well again. I guess as he is now 9 years old and has several health problems it may be asking a bit much to expect him to look really well.

You can also try and vary your walking route until you find one that is quiet with fewer dogs, and vary your walking time for the same reason.

That is awful! So sorry for your loss

I would love to be able to get him on a more concentrated food eventually, as the amount I may have to feed once I figure out the optimum for him may be enormous, but the vet said he would like Diesel on it for the rest of his life

Sydney Animal Physiotherapy looks awesome! Definitely something to keep in mind.

Thanks guys!

Diesel had splenic and stomach torsion on Christmas Eve which led to surgery to remove his spleen and tacking his stomach to his abdominal wall. After the surgery the vet said he had to change foods from Advance to Eukanuba Intestinal Plus (formerly Low Residue). Besides being expensive, Diesel has also lost a lot of weight and I have doubled the amount of food I am giving him to try to get his weight back up (the food is like air ). So I am struggling with this and trying to find out what else I can feed him. The vet has suggested I might be able to add beef mince if he can handle that. Diesel has always needed a lot more food than my other dogs to keep condition, before the surgery he was getting about 6 times as much food as KAos, now he is getting 12 times as much! I am splitting his food into 3 (vet suggested 3 x daily feeding).

Thank you!

Does anybody have recent contact details for Peter Schofield who is a dog chiro/muscle man? The phone number I have for him isn't working.

Does anybody know a good dog chiro or muscle man in Sydney? I have been to Peter schofields before but the number I have for him doesn't seem to be working - does anybody have an up to date number for him? Or suggestion for someone else?

Mine are all crate trained but taking crates to the vet for dogs seems a bit excessive! Especially as they can be easily handled and managed on lead. Different for cats and small animals who are generally not used to being out and about and who can scamper off if not confined in a crate or box.

One thing I do if I know the dog is a pest and can see that it is in the front yard or loose is to avoid going past the house so I don't have to deal with the stress of it rushing me. Either by crossing the road or changing my route. There is a little JRT a couple of houses down from me that does this.

For Susan Garrett's programs, she gives out the information on email lists, here are her two pages http://susangarrettdogagility.com/ http://www.clickerdogs.com/ Here is the site for Greg Derrett's online course (I haven't done this one - not enough time or money to do it yet!) http://ultimateagility.com/

Hi skip Great to hear an update on Jade :) Hopefully get to see you at some trials this year?

Also there are things like type of anaesthetic that can make a difference in price. Some anaesthetics are more expensive (you don't get to choose what they use, that is up to the vet and the animal's condition), and the time in theatre may differ as well. My vet lets me know the options and their cost before they go ahead so I can decide. As someone mentioned earlier, early diagnostic tools such as blood tests, xrays etc add up too.

Why don't you like harnesses? Because in the closed in environment of the waiting room a harness doesn't give the owners control of where the dogs head is at. Its much easier to walk past another dogs rear end than it is to walk past a hyperactive, lunging, 'in your face' dog in a harness. I like to use the car harness because I can hold the tab on top which the seatbelt goes through and it gives much better control than just a lead. Since I am holding the tab her head can't really get more than 20cm away from me and she definitely can't lunge. What type of restraint are you talking about for one which can control where the head is at? A crate is the only way I know of and there is no way I could carry mine in a crate. They can still move their head around/lunge more in a harness which you cannot control than even a flat collar and lead - even if you hold the handle on a harness they can reach further.