espinay2

As long as it suits your living arrangements (dont want her getting squashed if there is any activity! and remember to get her used to the routine for those times she is not allowed up on the bed so it is not stressful for her to be 'banished' either now or potentially in the future) As long as you have your leadership and training sorted and do not allow her to become a 'little monster' who wont move from a spot on the bed when you ask etc. As long as she is washed and brushed regularly, is healthy and does not have fleas or worms. As long as you change the linen on the bed regularly. As long as she does not cause an allergic reaction which makes breathing difficult. I personally cant see a problem with her sleeping on or in the bed

Taurine is an amino acid in raw meat that is destroyed by cooking. If cats dont get it they die (as was found in the 70's when cats fed solely on commercial cat foods started dropping off). The need for dogs to have taurine is now becoming recognised. Their reaction to a lack of taurine is not as violent as a cats, but it can cause problems. A lot of commercial dog foods still do not include it though some have started to. The main difference is that cats are obligate carnivores. Dog are carnivores but they are a bit more of a scavenger than cats and can exist (I say exist but not thrive) with a higher percentage of grain etc in their diets as is used to 'fill out' commercial foods. Commercial dog foods contain a high percentage of grain generally, whereas commercial cat foods tend to contain less (although some -especially dry foods - have still contained reasonably high percentages). Again, this can effect dogs but in cats the reaction to long term use is much more obvious - for example kidney failure.

I dont find the smell of the canned (pure) fish cat food much different to the 'human' canned fish really. My cats eat a raw diet too, just like the dogs, but they do get some canned fish (although they much prefer the prawns and raw fish we buy for them on occasion. They are just too messy with the whole raw sardines though - we almost have to hose out the room after them! )

I often use this for the dogs. I see no problem with it. I do alternate with other fish including whole raw fish), but find it a handy standby for the odd meal. Yes, it is lower grade than the human quality, but it is still fish with not much else added.

Both the dog and the bitch used for breeding need to have their hips and elbows x-rayed and the x-ray films submitted by the vet for assessment by a trained assessor. This assessor then provides a report which details what they see in the x-ray and provides a 'score'. This report and score give the breeder information on the hip and elbow health of the dogs to be bred which may cause problems for those particular dogs as it matures and which may be passed down to their pups (causing them to have problems either eariler or later in life). For the breeder to assess correctly the genetic joint health of the dogs they are breeding, it is actually even better if possible to have the scores on more than just the two dogs being bred but to have the information for as many dogs as possible in the pedigree going back as far as they can (as well as info on the siblings in the pedigree). this will give an even more complete picture of what may be inherited by the pups. IMO having the scores for the sire and dam is the minimum I would accept for any breed prone to joint problems. It is no guarantee, but can provide at least some assistance towards ensuring any dog bred from them has a better chance of being pain free throughout its life and not lumbered by a incapcitiating (and often costly) condition. Here is info on the HD scheme run by the Alaskan Malamute Club Victoria: http://www.users.bigpond.com/amcv/HD%20Program.htm For info on Malamute health, this looks a good comprehensive website: http://www.malamutehealth.org/ As for the nose, it looks to me like incomplete pigment. It may colour over and it may not. Only time will tell.

also... Lamb flaps Turkey Necks Rabbit Kangaroo Tails (may not be able to eat the bone all up when young, but they will have fun eating the meat and some of the bone!) Duck Carcass Whole Ox(beef)tail (not cut up into little pieces). Naturally what you give will depend on the size of the pup. I dont even bother with chicken wings or necks for a Pyrenean pup as they are too small for them to get any value from chewing. Larger chunks/bones may be a bit big for small toy breed pups (though I had a great time watching my tiny 10 week old kitten steal a huge roo tail from one of my dogs and guard it from all comers as she munched away on it like a tiny lion )

Currently only 3 large dogs. Low metabolic rates so food intake is about that of a medium dog. Average fortnightly basics shop: 6 lamb necks, a couple of bags of beef brisket bones (at $5 each) and a few bags of mixed (mostly lamb) bones ($3 each) and whatever else he has such as beef backbones - usual bill about $25 from my 'tame' butcher 2 10kg boxes of chicken frames ($8 each) from the chicken place - total $16 About 4 rabbits (cut up) from the pet food supplier (a bit under $5 each) is under $10 Trays of kidney, heart and liver from Woolies on markdown at around $2 each on average - lets say $10 (the cats get some too so may be less) Total is around $61 to feed 3 dogs I sometimes buy other bits and pieces on an opportunity basis which may be more expensive, so I would say the average bill is around $70 to $80 per fortnight.

I have a breed where we DONT remove the dew claws. They have singles on the front and doubles on the back. I have only ever had one bitch injure a dew claw - that was a front one which she injured in a fight when she caught it on the collar of the other dog. While I would never remove a dew claw from my own breed except in cases such as above (she kept her other front one and never had a problem with it), I do admit to recommending that small fluffy dogs in particular - eg poodles, malts and other fluffy types - have their dew claws removed as they can be lost out of sight out of mind in the coat so owners forget to clip them (resulting in huge long talons, often grown into the leg for the groomer to find) or can simply make grooming more difficult and be a hazard for the unaware or those not taking care with clippers or scissors.

Some people do clip off poms, and yes they can look cute if done properly (they need a clean matt free coat to begin with and to be done by a pro who knows how to use comb attachments and is an expert in scissoring). Mostly they look butt ugly IMO and their coat can often end up quite choppy as double coats can be hard to make look nice if you try to leave any length (unless you shave the dog close to the skin like a short haired dog and that is generally not pretty). There is also the risk of post clip alopecia when clipping this type of dog - basically the coat doesnt grow back and the dog looks motheaten as the coat grows and often ends up with bald spots where the hair simply doesnt grow back. A clippd dog also requires extra attention to brushing as the coat grows - more than a non clipped dog sometimes - as the undercoat can overtake the top coat. you need to ensure the coat does not matt up and pack down as it grows. Properly brushed out and left its natural length, the coat looks lovely and in summer will provide plenty of airflow down to the skin to cool the dog - provided it is brushed out. A little trimming can be done to tidy things up if the owner wants. On pet poms for example I may trim up hair on paws to neaten them and may tidy up around their pantaloons and under their tail and belly/between the hind legs, and any long stragglies generally. If they are having difficulty now, now is the time to start doing the work. A little bit of brushing - even just concentrating on one small area - EVERY day accompanied by praise, treats and hugs. The less you do it, the more work is required and the less they will like it - a vicious circle as then the owner starts grooming them even less as 'the dog hates being groomed'!! Yes, the trick for a dog that doesnt like grooming is to groom MORE often so it is less of a chore and hurts less. It becomes a pleasant experience rather than a traumatic and painful one. May I suggest that one way to go would be to book the pup in - from right now - for a regular appointment for a bath and brushout with a good groomer. Once a month perhaps with them maintaining the brushing in between. A professional can help them and teach them how to brush their dog in between visits and provide that 'backup' of a thorough regular grooming without them having the hassle. They can help establish a good routine for the pup from right now - which will be particularly important when the adult coat starts coming through and the pup loses its puppy coat. This is when the pup is at its most risk of getting matted - dont wait till it happens to seek help - too often groomers are faced with uncontrollable matted older pups going through their first coat change. It would be sooo much better for all - and most importantly the pup - if a good grooming routine was established beforehand.

There must be a Leonards (sp?) (yes it is a store - a chicken outlet usually found in shopping malls) in Qld as I have a friend on the Sunshine Coast who buys from them. She was bragging to me that her partner gets a 10kg box from them for $5 (the cheapest I get from my supplier at the moment is $8). The idea is to just look up poultry suppliers in the yellow pages and call around to ask for prices. It will always be cheaper for bulk and the standard 'unit' is a 10kg box.

Yes, check for pain and also make sure the vet checks his heart.

My preference is to give daily, or at least most days. The odd day without is no bother, but I would personally aim to give them more than half the days of the week.

I don't For general walking and training I use a martingale collar on just about everything regardless of age. The only time I use a slip type collar is used is for show training - pups are started out on a soft cloth slip lead.

in addition to the good comments already given - apple cider vinegar in the drinking water can sometimes help too.

I would suggest feeding Raw Meaty Bones as well. Depending on the size of your dog, these can be things like chicken necks, wings, pieces, frames or even whole chicken, turkey necks, lamb necks or flaps/ribs, beef brisket bones, rabbit, kangaroo tails etc etc. You could also add the occasional can of sardines, salmon or mackeral etc.

My advice .....Backchain (gee I am starting to sound like a broken record )

Do I? For the average dog I dont (I have used it fora rehab case for example, but I dont use it generally). Most fish oil capsules are stabilised with Vit E though.

While not ideal to wash every week, I understand why you have to do it in relation to hospital visits and the like, so instead of using a shampoo, how about using a mild rinse of some sort. Something like the Fidos Herbal Rinse or the Plush Puppy Hydrobath Wash. The main thing I think if you are washing so often is to make sure you put some of the moisture and oils back into the coat by conditioning it. Use a conditioner every time you shampoo for example. Check out some of the conditioning products such as PlushPuppy Reviva Coat or Plush Puppy Coat Rescue.

Omega 6 is readily available in a lot of foods - chicken (in particular chicken fat/skin) and lamb etc are good sources of omega 6 so if you are feeding a diet which includes these thing, I do not beleive you need to supplement Omega 6. Omega 3 on the other hand is less available in foods particularly in our depleted environments (although brains and fish and eyeballs etc are good sources! ). This is why it is generally suggested to supplement with Omega 3, but is not considered necessary to add any extra Omega 6 (unless you are specifically feeding a very fat free lean diet for a particular medical reason for example)

My perference is not listed - fish oil capsules. 1000mg per capsule and most economical in bottles of 200. Sold in pharmacies and health food stores (I buy 400 capsules for around $30). No mess, no need to measure out (except to count them) therefore less wastage and spillage and much more stable than oils which are open to the air etc.

I think Cardowans in Queanbeayan still does home delivery, so if you are looking for someone who delivers, why not give Jim a call and see what he can do? (he is in the yellow pages) I have bought stuff from him for years (I just added it up - Over 10 years I have been buying meat from him! ) and have always been happy with what he has.

No, I would not feed it every day. Too much tuna can deplete Vit E (particularly in cats, but I would also use caution with dogs). Fish one or two times a week is what I would suggest. Instead of feeding tuna all the time I would also suggest rotating it with things like Sardines, Mackeral and/or Salmon which are generally better choices in the oily fish varieties.

Unfortunately dead and injured roos are a common sight around Canberra and the region. Where I work we have roos grazing around the carpark and paddocks/bushland around the building (we even have echidnas inn the garden right outside the door!) Unforunately their close proximity means they also cross busy roads. We have a wildlife carer in our office and it is not too unncommon to have a young wobbly joey taking its exercise in the hallway

Apparently the product is shipped to Canberra from Qld where it is made and stored in the distributers purpose built coolroom here. The system of storage etc seems good, but as others have said, I wouldnt be leaving it out even in an esky during the day except in our winter here. I ordered a few things to check it out. I can buy the raw stuff cheaper elsewhere, although I tried a couple of things and quality seems pretty good. Even though I feed raw I checked out a few of their cooked products for curiosities sake. Nothing overly special IMO.

Nope, no wild rabbit in Qld and they take great pains to keep it that way. Keeping pet rabbits is illegal up there too (I am a born and bred Queenslander BTW ;) ) Wild rabbit is darker, leaner and usually smaller than farmed rabbit. Farmed rabbit looks a little more like chicken and tends to have more fat. You would never confuse wild rabbit with chicken (it is definitely a 'game' meat). One of my cats will only eat wild rabbit. Refuses to touch the farmed stuff. The dogs dont mind the farmed stuff which is good as I have a source where I can get that for a cheaper price. My dogs in fact have farmed rabbit for dinner tonight