Yonjuro

erm, he is a sled dog, you know that right? Did you also know that they are very intelligent and if they didn't want to run they wouldn't ??

Thanks JayGee! Yep :D you need to brake when someone comes up which we did considerably when and after being overtaken I had to keep the brakes applied or Ronin would have overtaken straight away. After around 30 seconds you can go again to overtake. When on the straight towards the finish you don't need to give time or brake :) Those are general race rules and etiquette :) But you are right he is competitive, he didn't want to be overtaken but won't give up, he just 'dogs it' until I let he go - just like his dad (dog dad that is)

Thanks Rebanne :)

Thanks happypaws, no pics as yet, hoping some spectators post some on the FB page :-)

Here is a vid of our first heat on Saturday of the last race of the season. Temps were a bit high but we had some very experienced race marshals so it went ahead and I was happy that it was okay for us. Some duelling with the overall season winner - I haven't got the official times yet I am pretty sure we came in second in this heat!!! She started 30 seconds behind and i must have finished around 10 secs in front over the line. Had a good run of Sunday morning too batteries died on the camera, but not sure placement yet, but came overall4th :) The 1, 2 and 3 were the winners of the season so no shame in finishing behind them :) Race was 2.4km I was very proud of my boy, as we almost cancelled due to him not being well the couple of weeks before this race. He is bright eyed and bushy tailed now :D

Phew, what a horrible time you have had to go through Kirty. What a stress ready through this post I had missed, I can't imagine the stress you must have felt. I am so pleased that Pudding has come good, well, pleased is an understatement - it is FANTASTIC!

The honey is great for a dicky tummy but you know that already :-) Supposedly the coconut oil is also very good for digestion and the tum tum, But squirts are not pleasant. You could always try a bit with Sarah if she is have a boney meal?? BTW Sarah was the name of our Maltese Terrier when I was a wee lad :-)

Sharing is caring :) Let me know how you go with the baiting :) A little coconut oil in warm meal water is good too. Probably not a good idea out of meal time as it might result in the squirts

Tis funny the things we do, I often part defrost the meat in the 'soup' as there are lots of goodies in the juice that leaks out :D Regarding the adding water, I was put on to it by an experienced musher and as per usual I put my own twist on it :D I think it is especially important in winter as dogs tend to drink far less. The other thing the mushers do it warm up the water on really cold days and will often 'bait' it with chunks of sardines or similar :) I love learning more about this fascinating subject, now if I only looked after myself in the same manner... I have my eye on a tun of Connoisseur Cookies and ice cream and I reckon I will nail half of it :laugh:

That's excellent Westiemum!!! Funny you should mention wet food as I add around 3/4 cup of water to his food bowl, with the supplements mixed in to keep hydration up. He laps up the soupy stuff before tucking into the meat LOL Some may think we are nutcases, but it is a label I am happy to wear :laugh:

I know that ZRD - Zinc Responsive Dermatosis can happen in some huskies fed too much bone. The calcium binds the zinc and the skin conditions appear and can get very very bad with open sores etc. I imagine that excessive bones, will reduce zinc in any dog and will effect the skin condition albeit at a less dramatic level than ZRD. The good news is that is can be treated with calcium reduction and zinc supplements, but those are things that a vet will need to advise you on.

I am not sure about the skin issues side, but at least the reading will give you a good idea of organ function and various minerals etc. The more info you have I suppose is going to at least help in taking various worries or concerns out of the equation. I think there are specific tests like nutriscan for such issues, but I am not experienced with this side of things. I hope you get some answers and can put a plan in place to help Abbey :)

My boy has been on prey model raw for around 16 months and was on kibble + raw from as soon as he could chew (started at our breeder). I modify it slightly with supplements. I am not a PMR zealot as not all he is fed is on the bone. Being a bit of a doggy health and nutrition nutcase I wanted to make sure that what I was feeding was good for my boy and not just feeding my own views on natural feeding or Dog forbid - ego. My vet is pro kibble but has always commented that Ronin was in perfect condition and to not change a thing with his diet, but I always had a lingering worry that I might not be doing the best possible for my boy. People always say the best food for your dog is the food they do best on. I suppose this is true to an extent, but unless we know what is going on inside we really are only guessing that the food is good or we put all of our trust into the food we buy. External checks are good but long term is where diet will really reveal any health issues. So anyway, the results came back and I went through them with my vet. Calcium : Phosphorus is what I really was interested in as I think this is the trickiest with raw feeding in my opinion and I believe that many people feed way too much bone. Our vet was very impressed, everything came back perfect, and something he rarely sees according to him, again I will say he normally is a pro kibble vet, but never said to me at any stage I shouldn't feed raw. I do press my vet to be harsh with me for anything related to health and condition as I am not needing him to be gentle with me :D I do feel from reading many posts and talking to lots of people that many feed too much bone regardless of whether they are on kibble or raw. So while this may come across as a self congratulatory post, my point is that I think it is very valuable to do blood panels regularly and not just when you dog is ill. Don't overdo bone as calcium can bind zinc and lead to a myriad of problems. For what its worth I feed 10 - 12% edible over the course of a week, most days I balance everything (over the two meals) as I have a routine that is very easy for me now :)

Thanks Ci - I have found the same conflicting reports too :D

Its interesting as the reading I have been doing indicates that probiotics and hour or two before brekky or before bed is best as the stomach acid from food digestion doesn't destroy as much. It also indicates that before bedtime when on antibiotics replenishes the gut ready for the next round. So it is quite a confusing debate. Ci have you got a link for the source of the info you posted above. I am not disagreeing just want to find out more for my personal interest :)

...not one of my prouder moments - but bloody funny nonetheless. I pi55ed myself when I played it back

This one :laugh: Don't half strap your go-pro on when sun is not fully up and distracted :D

What is the latest thinking on giving probiotics while your dog is on antibiotics? I have read conflicting views, some saying that contrary to popular belief probiotics can actually be helpful while your dog is on antibiotics ??? Any thoughts on this? :)

The other tip is to put you hand under your dogs chin when you give the food covered treat. This way they can't work their way around the pill to drop out on the floor.

Yep fun for sure :) Dog park :laugh: Nah, huskies are teflon coated, just a wipe down with a damp towel :-) I did :laugh: , but I have a soft crate in the back for him :-) Yep, he is a rat-bag

Some fun at the dog park this morning :D

That's a hard situation Snook

I haven't needed capsules, I wonder if you can squash the smaller ones and then wrap something around it. OR - get a cube of cheese and a chopstick or similar and make a hole in the cheese or even palony and then push the cap in.

I have used mozzarella and that work great too, as you can squish it around a tablet :D