espinay2

Fabulous! Remember, there are bound to be days when she doesn't eat. PArticularly in the beginning. Even if you can get her to eat like that a few times a week in the beginnign it will be an improvement. Just keep to a routine and remember not to stress on the days she decides not to eat. Let us know how she goes!

I agree with aatainc, you can make a pretty reasonable diet with what you have listed there. As she eats chicken necks, wings etc, then that is great. Does she eat egg? That would be a good addition if she does. What about yoghurt? A fish oil supplement too will be good if she will eat it. Several meals a week of just chicken wings, necks or frames is fine. If she wont eat the frames, stick to the wings and necks. For example, you can feed 4 meals of just chicken mixed around through the week with three meals such as the following: 1. A meal of fish like tuna, sardines or salmon and maybe some rice (and egg/yoghurt if she will eat it). 2. Beef with vegetables for another meal. Start with less and begin to cook less and less if you can. Mixing raw meat with warm broth or gravy sometimes works. Or mix some cooked and some raw. Start with small amounts at first. 3. Beef or lamb for another meal with some liver (or if you find a mix of meat, liver and veggies that she likes, feed that twice a week in place of meals 2 and 3). Again, you can later begin to cook less and less maybe so the outside is seared but the inside is a bit pinker to raw. Start slowly though and work with what you have at the moment so she gets into a routine. I would suggest getting the routine of eating sorted first before 'challenging' her overly much by changing the food and making it too completely raw if you dont think she will accept that yet. You can do more of that in a week or two. That said, while not ideal, we dont live in an ideal world and the raw chicken accompanied by the above cooked meals is still streets ahead of commercial foods imo and a pretty reasonable diet if she will accept it and maintain weight on it. If she needs to gain weight, perhaps also feed treats as often as you want of your homemade ones, BBQ chicken and bits of cheese etc. HTH

I am glad you liked the PP. they look great . The volumising cream is great and I have had some great results with using it on out of coat dogs, but I definitely agree to wait till you have more coat on Maggie before showing her. Unfortunately she will not do herself justice with the coat she has now. Di you blow dry them too?? The trick to a lot of these products like the volumising cream is to use in conjuntion with blow drying and to brush the hair while drying so it stands up more.

Yes, I have used the Fido's and actually have about half a bottle sitting there currently that I picked up when I couldnt get the Plush Puppy and needed something in a hurry. The Fidos is quite good and better than a lot of others, but I MUCH prefer the PP :D . Not Fifi, but I will add my comments. On the big white fluffies I use it as coat protection to help keep the coats in good condition. I dont think it really adds 'shine' but rather helps maintain the good health and strength of the coat. I use it as a final rinse but usually for maintenace baths rather than before a show. Sometimes I will spray some on areas like pantaloons and furnishings/elbows etc to help keep the coat looking better in these high wear areas. Yes, I use it during final show prep. Just adds a nice light extra sparkle to the coat :p .

having dealt with finicky dogs in the past I can sympathise with you. They can really cause a lot of stress and worry! Here are my suggestions: Make a list of the things she WILL eat. You have already mentioned chicken necks, so that is a good start. You also mentioned that when you add things to the dry she will eat those things and leave the dry. What type of things are those? Lets start with those and see what we have first. Next, look at how you act and her environment around food times. Sometimes a finicky dog that has established a certain pattern needs to be 're-taught' to eat. Hovering, tempting and hand feeding and sometimes a lot of other dogs around only increases stress at mealtimes. With increased stress a dog may begin to see mealtimes as a bad or unpleasant experience and not a good one, and thus refuse food. They then need to 'relearn' that mealtimes are ok and need no be stressful. This can take time. One of my 'finicky' ones is a master manipulator and I have to be careful with her at mealtimes as without knowing (and having dealt with finiky ones before that were much of my own creation) she could easily become an extremely finicky dog. I can NOT even make eye contact with her during mealtimes as she will not eat or will stop eating. Sometimes I can even be in the same room with her! My routine with her is to give her her food and walk away, leaving her on her own in her crate with it for about half an hour. When I come back it is generally gone. I dont stress if she misses the odd meal, but not too many in a row if I can help it. I would probably lean towards feeding her separately, perhaps in a crate in a spot where she can take her time and away from all action. If she has established a particular pattern of not eating, it may take time to re-establish an environment where she wants to eat. Starting with foods she is comfortable with for a while - even if the menu is fairly limited - may help to reestablish a regular schedule. You can then start adding in small amounts of other foods to see if she will eat them. Another way to add extra food is to give it as healthy training treats. How is she at taking food in that manner? If she is keen to take food as treats, perhaps try increasing he quota in this way as well. Trying to give some of her water intake as broth may also increase her calorie intake.

I love it Their Herbal Whitening shampoo is about the best I have found for the white dogs, and I use a LOT of their other products. the Reviva coat is great - a little bit in a spray bottle with some water goes a long way as a grooming spray (I use one of their little spray bottles as you dont need to mix much!). The Seabreeze oil is great for coat maintenance as a rinse, but again, a little goes a long way. I only use 3 or 4 squirts in a big jug of water tipped over the dogs. The Pixie Dust is loads of fun for providing a bit of sparkle to the coat. I just bought the odour muncher to try out and found it very nice. The protein Balm is nice too for a little added moisture in dry coats - with the hot dry weather here at the moment I have found it quite useful for keeping the coats well hydrated and fresh.

Actually it is more likely to get something from another human than it is from a dog . But yes, some things can be passed between dogs and humans including some parasites and types of mange/mite etc and of course fleas. Interesting and only slightly related titbit: Did you know that during the initial stages of the great plague in London that they killed hundreds of street dogs and cats to try and control it? Of course it was the dogs and cats that were keeping the rats under control.....no dogs and cats meant more rats who were major carriers of the plague (or rather the flea that then passed it to humans) :p

Hydatid cysts are usually found on organs such as the liver and heart. I wouldnt feed the organs of wild caught animals, however personally I dont have an issue with the meat. Liver/heart etc purchased from the supermarket have gone through an inspection process. The cysts are easy to spot for those who know what they are looking for. If you are concerned about hydatids however, you can always use a worming preparation designed to cover them.

Yes, my dogs and cats get roo meat and roo tails. Roo is a very 'gamey' meat and like most 'wild' meats has a stronger flavour than our domestically bred animals. Dogs not used to the flavour may sometimes find it ovrpowering, particularly at first. Sometimes mixing a small amount with beef or some other milder flavoured meat can get them used to it. Roo is also a very lean meat (again, it has that in common with most 'wild' meats). Great for weight loss, but not good to be fed exclusively without the addition of some kind of fat source eg a fattier meat occasionally such as chicken or lamb and essential fatty acids such as fish oil.

The problem with feeding particularly large quantities of fatty leftovers such as ham and turkey to dogs at xmas is the high percentage of cooked fats. Dogs - and particularly dogs fed a mostly commercial food diet and/or a diet that is relatively unvaried - may react to this high fat overload and it may result in a bout of gastric upset or even pancreatitis. How much a dog can tolerate will vary from dog to dog. It is best however, if you are going to give a treat of xmas ham or turkey to keep it in moderation, and if the dog is not used to much change inits diet in particular stick with very small portions of the non fatty parts only. Ham is also high in salt, so you need to be wary of that. The ham bone should be fine provided it is a RAW ham and NOT a cooked one. If it is a cooked one, throw it out or freeze it for use later as a base for some great pea and ham soup. Ham and turkey can make good training treats, so cut it up small if you have leftovers and perhaps use it that way (similar to the way I use BBQ chook which makes EXCELLENT bait for the show ring ). In summary, assess your dog and keep all things in moderation. Better to space out the treats throughout the year rather than provide one big one at xmas time that may do more harm than good.

If I had a choice, I wouldn't feed it. In hard times though, anything is definitely better than nothing. If you can afford $10 a week, there are much better things you can buy depending on local resources. For example, $20 here will get you 2x 10kg box of chicken frames, a bag of lamb offcuts, 4 cans of home brand cat food fish (sardines or tuna with no additives to speak of), a bag of rice or rolled oats to 'pad out' the fish meal and a few trays of organ meats like liver, kidney, heart etc. Enough to feed 2 medium to large dogs for 2 weeks or even more on what is quite a healthy diet (and similar to what many feed even without major monetary restrictions).

Why a raw diet? Because I have had fabulous results with it. Been there, done that with the Eukanuba. Total disaster.

Cardowans in Qbyn has already been mentioned Chicken from the chicken shop at Fyshwick markets is probably closest for you or Greenbank is meant to be pretty good. Petbarn in Fyshwick has rabbit among other things. The freezers are down the back. High Country Meats is usually pretty good if you call and put in an order to make sure they have it there for you (lamb flaps etc) I shop at Belconnen Markets, but that may be a bit too far for you on a regular basis. Organ meats on markdown at Woolies

Plush Puppy www.plushpuppy.com.au

Not often overall, but I have encountered it quite a number of times. Yes. It is simply the best gait to assess structure on the move when you are looking with the naked eye. In a way, but then a dog that does not move correctly at the trot does not have correct structure. Naturally there are breed differences. For example a Airedale with its upright shoulder moves differently at the trot to the Afghan. And Chow with its straighter stifle will move differently to a Min Pin which has a hackney gait. A lot of this is training for both the dog AND the handler. It can take work to establish the correct pace and length of stride to match the dog and show it off to its best advantage. Not all dogs are run at the same pace and in fact sometimes you can run them TOO fast just as you can run them not fast enough. Where the lead is can also play a part. You can cause a dog to crab very easily if not careful. Of course the dogs structure can play a part too and a slower pace can sometimes show up a few things that are harder to see when the dog is run faster. Often you will hear judges ask handlers to slow their dog down and run the dog on a looser lead.

It must be remembered first of all that there are TWO trot gaits - the 'trot' and the 'flying trot'. In the 'trot' or 'supported trot' which is most commonly seen, even in the show ring, the dog is supported at all times by contact with the ground. The supported trot is a two beat gait. The 'flying trot' or 'suspended trot' on the other hand is a fast gait in which all four feet are off the ground at once for a brief second during each half stride. The GSD is the breed most famous for this gait, although all/most breeds are physically capable of achieving it. The flying trot is correctly a four beat gait (the rear foot will hit the ground slightly before the front diagonal) and a function of speed. I suggest reading something like 'Dogsteps' to see illustrations of the two so that the difference is understood. The trot is a patrolling gait that an animal can keep up for hours. It is used to cover distances at a steady pace with the most economy. In relation to the use of the trot in the conformation ring, the trot has the advantage of displaying the dogs angulations, length of stride, and the ability to cover ground. It is the gait that best shows off particular aspects of a dogs conformation to the observer who is examining the dogs structure (ie the Judge). Some judges will also ask that the dog be walked. A LOT can be seen about a dogs structure and movement at the walk. It is a lot harder to gauge things at the canter because the dog is moving faster making it more difficult to see. It is also unlikely that many handlers would fare too well if asked to canter their dogs around the ring instead of trotting. Many have trouble just with the trot! . The gallop of course is way too fast to be of use in the conformation ring. Remember - and I have stressed this before, the role of the conformation ring is to judge STRUCTURE. The trot is simply the gait which is the most effective for examining structure on the move with the naked eye rather than with the benefit of slow motion replay cameras and cineradiography.

Beef backbones are pretty good. Lots of chewing, but bone is a bit softer. Pigs or Lambs heads make good chewing too (and great for scaring the neighbours ;-) ). PM me and I will let you in on some sources . Pigs trotters as well. If you want to still give the leg bones, I sugget trying to get your butcher to leave them whole rather than cutting them up. Petbarn or the Organic Butcher at Belconnen Markets. They are generally considered not necessary. More of an added extra. As already stated, it is better to concentrate on getting the rest sorted (RMB's, organ meats etc). don't let worrying abut veggies distract you from more important parts of the diet. My theory is, as they are non-essential it doesnt really matter if they are cooked or raw. I feed both when I do feed them either in the form of cooked or raw 'leftovers'. If you want to be 'purist' about it, the best method is fresh (not frozen) pureed in a food processor, juicer or blender. Whole and raw. With or without the shell. Definitely overkill. Look at the big picture and keep it simple! It is a natural reaction though. We are used to being told by pet food companies that pet food is very scientific and can only be done by people with lots of letters after their name. Well, commercial pet food formulation IS complicated, but that is because they have made it that way. They cook, they render, they substitute with strange and unnatural ingredients to try and find cheaper ways of providing individual nutrients, they try to put back in what their processes take out. There is nothing natural about commercial pet foods. I laughed a few years ago when one particular pet food company decided that to create the optimum cat food they needed to 'recreate a mouse in a can' - ummm, pardon me, but wouldnt it me easier just to feed them the mouse rather than trying to create it artificially and 'scientifically' using other ingredients? Sheesh! Mana on a side note - would love to hear more about your Dads antarctic experiences. He ran the Mawson huskies???. My GGfather was with Scott on the Discovery PM me An animal can't change its natural genetic makeup. This is akin to saying if you feed a horse meat, its body will learn to digest it. Here are some articles: http://b-naturals.com/Sep2005.php http://b-naturals.com/Spr1999.php

I have fed raw for about 11 or so years now. I changed because of a dog with alergies and it just seemed to make sense. I knew a lot of others in my area who had had success and decided to give it a try. I really have never encountered a problem and can see no reason to EVER go back to kibble. While I fed more veggies in the beginning, over the years I have changed things around and now tend to feed a lot less - more or less in line with Tom Lonsdales thinking. I find this works very well for my dogs. I love the coats and the condition as well as their overall health. I too am not fond of recreational bones like the big leg bones and personally dont feed them. they are very hard and as a rule a dog/wolf in the wild will not bother with them for this reason. They are even worse when they are cut with a saw as this creates artificial surfaces which encourgae the dog to chew on the harder parts of the bone rather than just the softer ends. If someone wants to give these types of bones, IMO they should always be provided whole and removed once the soft ends have been chewed. I would not give them to hard core chewers. The types of Raw Mmaty Bones I feed include the following (noting I have large dogs - the smallest is a Dally): Chicken Frames, pieces, whole chickens (half each usually) Lamb flaps, whole necks, offcuts Kangaroo Tails Rabbit (whole or pieces) Duck (usually quartered) Turkey necks or frames Beef Brisket bones, backbones, oxtails (whole) Pork trotters, hocks, tails (incl backbone) They also get other things like roo mince or chunks, beef mince or chunks, kidney (beef or lamb), heart (beef or lamb), liver (beef, lamb or chicken), tounge (beef or lamb), eggs, canned or fresh whole fish. When we have veggie lefovers or other heathy food scraps (eg leftover rice) they get that. As a rule however, I do not specifically prepare these for them. If I have a heap of veggies in the fridge I will sometime puree them for them, but veggies are usually a small amount about once a fortnight on average. The only supplement they get regularly is fish oil capsules (except for the arthritic girl who gets others specific to her condition).

I agree with fifi. No puppy zoomies inside, and never on hard/slippery floors. It is good practice anyway to teach them from a young age that running in the house is not allowed Outside on grass is fine. I would discourage too much running on hard surfaces or in places where there are too many things to crash into or get caught up on.

I too dont beleive in walks for pups. Take them everywhere for socialisation certainly, but even around the block is too far for a young pup IMO. If you want to get them out of the yard for exercise, best to put them in the car and take them to the park where they can have a run around and explore and flop down when they want to. Then pick them up and take them home in the car again. Too much walking puts stress on the growth plates in the bones which are at that age still soft and not hard like regular bone. Damaged growth plates can lead to problems with growth and can create bone and joint problems leading to pain and arthritis etc later on.

Diet comes from within and personally (and IMHO) ditching the Science Diet in favour of something else would probably be your best bet. If you don't want to do that, adding things like sardines, eggs, fish oil capsules (omega 3) and other fresh foods such as fresh raw meaty bones (eg lamb necks, chicken wings or frames, beef brisket bones and so on) on a regular basis will likely help.

As fifi has said it can really depend on the diagnosis and how critical the condition is. I have had a dog with dilated cardiomyopathy but unfortunately she only lived about a month after diagnosis despite medication. She went to sleep one day in her favourite spot and simply didnt wake up. I have known other dogs diagnosed with heart conditions however, to live for years.

While I could have dealt with green poos for a short time after I gave them (and given their colour I actually expected it) it was the fact that the colour and identifiable parts of the product took TWO WEEKS to pass through SEVERAL of my dogs systems that put me off the product. Now I am not squeamish, and my dogs are fed a raw (prey model) diet including a wide range of raw meaty bones (and have a well developed constitution - yes they have been known to eat things a little 'on the nose' at times and they have no problem with this), but the normal digestion rate is 4 to 7 HOURS NOT 10 to 14 DAYS . THAT was the part I didn't like (and yes my dogs do get a wide range of commercial treats as well on occasion so it is not that they are not also 'used' to commercial products). Based on this experience (which came well before this release BTW, and my previous thread here will show that) I personally wont be feeding them again. And those are the facts!

I started a thread here on them here once before so if you do a search it should come up. I have only given them once as a treat after avoiding them for a long time (just didn't like the look of them). My dogs were pooping out green colour and lumps of the greenies for over 2 weeks! After that I decided NEVER to give them again. I should have stuck with my gut instinct in the first place.

Depends. Some take virtually no time at all and some take longer. It can depend on the dog too (size and eating style). Some of mine take only a minute or less to eat a chicken frame, some take two but never much longer than that. Other things like big kangaroo tails or larger beef backbone pieces etc can take them up to 15 to 20 minutes or so. Rememebr these are actual meals, not additions to meals. I feed my dogs once a day in the evenings although it wouldn't be that hard to feed in the mornings if I wanted to. Just the way I do things.