essentialdog

Yep I figured that some people still won't take any notice even if she's wearing the 'dont feed me, i have a medical condition' tshirt. After reading all your comments, I have decided to introduce the muzzle in a positive way so thank you so much for your help. It just annoys me that she has to be limited because people can't help themselves. It's nice that people love my girl but also feels to me like they're giving out the treats to make themselves happy and couldn't give a hoot about her well being.

Yep it's all about rinsing really really well, like several times. The silicones are also used in plastics and alot of industrial applications. They're incredibly tough to rinse off the skin and hair unlike oils. Silicones stick to the coat like superglue - I personally do not like them at all as there's so much better stuff out there that will condition and moisturise but unfortunately companies like to use cheap ingredients as oils are quite expensive and take alot more time and care to incorporate into an emulsion. It really annoys me. They're particularly bad when used in a hydrobath and you will find there is even more of a build up. Of course this is one possible reason and like others have suggested diet could also be a factor.

Thank you so much for your feedback. I am in a total state of panic and to loose her would be devastating. I can't stop her from going out and running around as that is no life for her at all. I figured the 'dont feed me collar'may be not enough, so I also ordered a doggie tshirt on cafepress that says 'Do not feed me, I have a medical condition'. If people don't listen then I'm just going to have to walk her with a small group of friends or get a muzzle. Like you say OSO there are alot of dipshits out there. I just feel this deep sense of grief and loss for Maya and how much I have to limit certain things that she used to enjoy just to keep her safe.

Has anybody used a 'Do Not Feed Me' collar on their dog? If so, is it effective at deterring people from feeding your dog? My girl was most likely fed some pork crackling over Christmas by someone and got chronic pancreatitis. She nearly died I am incredibly worried that someone will give her a treat without me knowing. I'm trying to find the best way to stop people from doing this so any suggestions would be much appreciated.

As others have said washing off the conditioner thoroughly should help but may not eliminate the problem. The reason for this is the silicones in the conditioner stick to the coat and leaves a white residue on the coat and skin. Silicones are used to make the coat feel soft and shiny. Try to find a conditioner that uses oils to condition instead.

It is hard to determine unless you know the ingredients. Some oils go rancid after 6 months and some last longer. It depends on its preservative system, ingredients used and the type of preservative system. The average shelf life for a commercial product is usually 2 years. If you could give me a list of the ingredients on the bottle I'll be able to give you a more definitive answer.

To say that I’m trying to discredit a competitor is a bit of a stretch for the following reasons: 1. I do not have a line of dry dog food. 2. I’ve been running a small boutique online business of dog shampoos for nearly 4 years and can hardly warrant as a competitor for a mainstream brand stocked in Pet Barn. 3. The topic of this discussion is not just about Ivory Coats new line of dog food, as it steered to the topic about reliability of product reviews, then what the Australian Made logo meant. 4. My questioning of the 'Australian Made' logo vs ‘Product of Australia’ logo and what each one represents refers to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of products on the market and not just Ivory Coat. If I meant to harm any business by my comments then this should also include Dick Smith, Ugg Boots and the other thousands of businesses who bear the logo. I have noticed in this forum emotions can run high as we are talking about things related to our dogs. Some comments and opinions are met with defensive responses due to misinterpretation. Although this is a common phenomena when reading text, before jumping the gun and assuming one’s intention is negative, perhaps pause before your comment and allow the possibility that what is being said is different.

All the tickets are gone now. I may have a couple more but will post again if this is the case.

I'm talking about any Australian Made logo. To me 50% Australian made is not Australian made.

Not sure where you are getting this from but it is not correct. It is kind of mashing together the criteria under the Code of Practice (COP) for use of the AMAG Logo and the Australian Consumer Law. Under the AMAG COP - the criteria to use the Australian Made Logo is that the product is substantially transformed in Australia and at least 50 per cent of the cost of production has been incurred in Australia. Under the COP, it specifically states that the process of reconstitution (i.e.) adding water back in is not substantial transformation therefore the water is to be considered as if it was water from the same country as the product you are reconstituting. The AMAG logos are just a certification that business can apply for to include on their products. However - under the Australian Consumer Law there are guidelines from the ACCC regarding country of origin labelling that everyone must adhere to regardless. So for example, water used for reconstitution would be considered as water from the place of reconstitution (i.e Australia) - but you would have to label the product on back of pack as Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients (or imported and local ingredients depending on percentages). If you are interested in learning more then the ACCC has a guidance document on country of origin labelling, the COP from AMAG is readily available on line and just this week the House of Representative's Green Paper on Country of Origin labelling has been released - all 167 pages of it. Apologies if I am incorrect as I didn't mean to alarm anyone. However when I went to apply for the 'Made in Australia' logo for a cosmetic product,they gave me a worksheet to fill out. When I spoke to AM for assistance, I asked about packaging and they said they don't count packaging or labour costs as a criteria for compliance. I found that quite off putting and didn't think it was worth going ahead getting a licence for the logo. As I am not a lawyer, I find the Code of Practice set out by Australian Made a little confusing. However, there are 6 different categories each with different compliance criteria. For example the 'Australian Made' compliance criteria is far less stringent than compliance criteria for 'Product of Australia'. What I know is what I was told by Australian Made is in order to comply one only has to use 50% Australian ingredients in order to comply with the code and bear the 'Australian Made' symbol and thought it was important for people to know this.

It may interest you to know that the Australian Made Logo is a license that businesses purchase where 50% of the formulas ingredients must be sourced in Australia. Packaging is not a consideration so you can buy all your packaging from China or elsewhere and still qualify to use the logo and be officially registered on the website as Australian Made.

Hi, We've got 2 free tickets we're giving away for the Sydney Dog Lovers Show @ the Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park 7-9th November. The first 2 to PM me will get the tickets. From Sam @ Essential Dog

As a formulator, my guess is the calendula cream would contain about 1% calendula extract or approx 5% calendula infused oil. I use a high quality calendula infused in olive oil - can be used as a spot on treatment and is fantastic for healing hot spots and wounds. Another good remedy is directly applying the inside pulp of an aloe vera plant.

If it's not a dermatological problem it may be due to the shampoo or any topical treatment you are using. A lot of dog shampoos contain silicones which leave a build up on the skin that manifests as white flakes when used over a long period. Topical treatments in particular ear drops most often contain salicyclic acid which is quite harsh and can remove layers of skin.

Also wanted to add that a few dogs I know with extra sensitive skin have used advantix as an extra spot on treatment and had severe allergic reactions.