Nekhbet

this is eagle pack giant breed artemis The ingredient qualities are similar its just what they use that is different. Eagle pack is corn, rice whereas artemis is potatos, brown rice, oatmeal and millet. Its the protein ratios that should matter at the moment.

puggy pug I love a BARF diet as well, dry food is a little more specific in their percentages. Batches have to be tested to fit in with guidelines whereas raw food changes between seasons and the animals it comes from. I would see no reason to go onto BARF completely if the dog gets better or a good dry food makes no difference after a couple of months.

dog food bags tend to be terrible over ... my 60kg Dogue now eats about 3-4 coffee mugs of dry food a day the packet says he needs about double that but you use what you think is right. If the pup is a good weight a couple of chicken necks are good as well.

I used the normal giant breed in the purple striped bag for my Dogue de Bordeaux. The kibble is quite small so your pup should not have an issue chewing it. your dog will have an average growth rate on this food as its not very high in protein compared to most foods BUT it is very well balanced. I only recommend it as I have used it myself.

what made you choose a maremma? and do you want it primarily as a pet or as a guardian? a few rabbits would be great for the dog. Lilli also has LGDs you can PM her as well. If the dog is a strong guarder why not send him off to a farm if you are in suburbia

my dogs take nibbles from all the edible plants around my garden. I bought some herbs and potted them up they all just loved standing about and sniffing them. My dogs prove to me they are not completely carniverous. If they have too high a protein diet I find they will up their plant/fruit intake to compensate. Diesel yesterday was at the nursing home being fed apples, orange, banana ... he ate all of it once I told him it was OK and loved it.

would you consider knocking back to something like Eagle Pack giant breed puppy food for a while? Its quite good for problems. as for the growth plate injury make sure they x-ray and have a qualified person see it. No one can accurately predict the future, if it was my dog and chopping off the leg was the only option I'd reduce the diet to something like IP and let the puppy grow slowly and on the lighter side. You never know how they grow and they do have a lot of growing to do

I use the BC-200 dog collar, I preferred the older model that had a middle plastic prong on it but this new one only has 2. I have found that you have to have the collar snug on the dog to make sure it doesnt spin on the neck as it wont pick up the vibrations and you cannot leave them on 24/7 http://innotek.com.au/products/bark-control/bc-200 - it comes with a recharger too no replacing batteries! for the pet dog I find these affordable and they really work. You can eventually wean the dog off after a while by leaving the collar with a drained battery then eventually moving it down. Remember you have to provide your dog with stress relievers, activities and toys when you have the collar on or it builds frustration because all that old anxiety doesnt have a release now.

innotek static collars are the only one I will bother with. Their low level stim is not very much (yes i have tried it on myself) and they gradually increase the stim ONLY if the dog keeps barking. Very effective collars and well worth the money. As for if they hurt - well my Malinois barked through one on the highest level. Didnt flinch a muscle and yes it was working at the time. They are not that bad but at least you know they will definately work.

its effects can wain over the years mainly due to advancing wear and tear on the joint and the drug cannot keep up with that. its better to build muscle and supplement then only rely on Cartrophen/Pentosan. I took Diesel off completely it did nothing for him at all, in fact he seemed lamer on it then off.

find a new vet - pups are NOT too young for a skin scrape all it is is putting a little parafin on the skin and then using a scalpel blade to scrape off a little of the top layer. I have a dogue de bordeaux who has had his share of skin problems and my first vet was an angel - she did a few scrapings before prescribing anything in order to not give him unnecessary medications. she cannot say its not mange without a scraping. Having been a vet nurse we learned you dont 'presume' unless you have done the relevant test. A scraping under the microscope could have identified some fungal infections as well. Hereditary baldness is Demodex - which is cause by the Demodectic mite. If it is a bacterial infection then a blood test should be done to check the dogs immune system and thyroid function as such extensive baldness so quickly alludes to something systemically wrong with the pup as well. Did she do a light test to check for ringworm? why didnt I become a vet again ...

make sure the vet takes a scraping and looks at it under a microscope before you hand over your money. Many vets take stabs in the dark and end up pumping animals full of random medications. Also make sure your breed is not one that has an Ivomectin sensitivity as it can sometimes be used off label in the treatment of Demodex.

cartrophen is not a steroid and is fine for long term use. Although it is not very effective in all animals. Find a good holistic vet and start with glucosamine/chondrointin and fish oil caps as they will help a lot.

if its working why swap it? Dont fiddle with a dogs diet for the sake of it, if its working stick to it. You can introduce some raw meaty bones for the sake of his teeth though and see how he copes with daily bones.

if a dog has the constitution then anything can be viewed as a confrontation. Dunwarren it is true, too many people these days wrap dogs in cotton wool and then wonder how anything so cute can become so nasty! A dog is a dog is a dog despite the fact they may be 1kg or 100kg. Sounds like this dog needs to be taken back to basics and shown its not top dog. I would go get a vet check to make sure there is definately no medical reason adn then call in a good trainer to help you ASAP.

did the vet look at the wax under the microscope? If not get them checked to see what is the right thing to use. Do not trust a vet that just hands you tubes of creams and washes without looking under a microscope first. scratching can also be mildly habitual particularly if there is not outward sign. She could also have a sore disc in her neck and dogs can scratch if there is mild pain as well. if her skin is good and the diet is good then I would start thinking of visiting the chiro.

Dr Potter at Potter Chiropractic out in Werribee/Hoppers (he's behind werribee plaza)

if she is used to a kennel run then put her into one ASAP. We like to think a new found 'freedom' is liberating - in fact it can be terrifying. ALso frightened dogs left to run about have a high chance of injury, destruction or escape with little chance of capture. I would be setting her up a run and start of by just feeding her twice a day, ignore her completely until she settles in. I would be using a travel crate instead of a kennel so if you need to take her somewhere she will immediately feel secure inside. Less is more with dogs like this, flooding can be dangerous unless you are trained. The more you ignore and stick to a routine with her the less she will show shying behaviors - a dog will not do something if it does not have the desired effect. You will gradually see her get closer but keep ignoring her until she starts wanting attention. If she is pregnant I would be desexing her instead of allowing her to have puppies - she is backyard bred, she is insecure, frightened and no guarentee of being a good mother. All these hormones would not be having a great effect on her either and placing her under more stress. You need probably medication and behavior modification with a professional in order to help this dog long term. They can be snapped out of it, I have done it before, but you also need to be realistic in your expectations. She may never be a pet dog that snuggles in your lap all the time, she may never be stable enough to leave the property or she may come round. Take baby steps and if its not going to happen then leave her in her comfort zone.

http://www.burnbankretreat.com.au/ I managed to get a room here with my dogs, if anyone else is looking for accom give these people a bell its in Berwick but it was the closest I could find that was dog friendly ... AND THEY HAVE A BAR

I was told we can still bring them and practice at lunchtime :p so maybe I'll bring all 3 with me I am a masochist aren't I Oh does anyone know of any dog friendly accomodation around there?

leerburg.com has some basics on his website ... sift through and take what you need or PM me if you get stuck if its a stubborn mastiff I got plenty of hands on with that one (she says wiping the drool of her pants after extracting a cooked lamb bone from said brick heads gob :rolleyes)

tarp ... oh dear I have missed some things havnt I and here I thought leadership and good handling skills were the way to go *slaps forehead* Rock if you need pointers or some start up training there are many good trainers who can help you at home - me, Cosmolo, Erny etc we all have websites in our signatures take a squiz and see who suits you best I think a few private lessons will help you on the right road :p

pet loos are overpriced I recommend a large shallow container and paper based cat litter. The best thing you can do is buy a crate. Pop her in the crate at night and as soon as you open it in the morning put her on the doggy loo or outside. It will help with both the bed issue and the toilet issue. Wash where she has already been in something like biozet or urine off to remove the smell, and leave a few grains of litter in the box with her smell on it so she knows where to go. If you have carpet I would wash it with those hirable carpet washers Safeway have and give it a good rinse with hot water a couple of times after the shampoo. as soon as she slips into a routine she will be easy to handle.

if you want him to her you better start now - I would focus on it before the agility training. Dont chop and change methods decide what you want to do with the dog and get started before you end up with a dog that knows bits and pieces but really will not give you titles/work. The tie out is tying the dog up and teasing so the dog cannot reach the toy. Frustration builds want, which in turn builds the drive to that toy/s. remember also his tug toy will not be something he gets unless he is playing prey games with you. I like jute/fabric tugs better then ball on a string personally, but its whatever floats the dogs boat. You have to build drive before you can harness it into training, but remember as well you HAVE to teach control as you teach through prey.

I dont think its cut and dry. I have 2 entire dogs and yet in 5 years no accident. If there is a reason for entirity then keep it, and that extends further then just breeding. saying that I think with the way the dog behaves towards other dogs losing his testes wouldnt be a bad thing