Ricky2

Thanks, i will contact the vet and see what can be done with pain meds. It is a shame if she is in pain without showing it as she used to be absolutely nuts but has now settled down,well she is at that age where they do slow down a bit,but still worrisome as she does show some signs of dysplasia :/

@sandgrubber from the sources that i've investigated it isn't serious yet as she is only starting to show some signs of dysplasia,and thanks alot about that link and sorry if i may sound rude and ungrateful by going against your tips on NSAIDs, i just do a lot of research to know more about what i can do and have found out that as a class of compounds they cause the breakdown of articular cartilage…” “…thereby accelerating osteoarthritis etc.. https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/think-twice-before-using-nsaids/ what say you?

Hiya, my annoying self is back to see if i can get some tips on what to do..I know i should contact a vet and do an x-ray and will do but would just like to hear from other pet owners,but unfortunately where i live the vets are few and either extremely bl*ody expensive or don't further investigate issues and just put them on tablets without making sure what the problem is. Seriously cant trust them as they don't believe in titer testing,benefits of raw etc.. and there have been cases where pets have been given out-of-date worming tablets/medication etc.. Unfortunately i believe that my 2 year old lab mix is starting to show signs of having hip dysplasia :'( , bunny hops-has done it for a while, a year or so,and started to worry but she seemed to have improved and no further symptomsand i was glad but now she isn't as active as before and while standing from a down position she puts her weight more on one side then the other, even while sitting it looks like she struggles to do so, which she didn't so do so a month ago. I'd like to know if i can put her on joint/hip supplements approved by many who do so in order for their dogs to grow healthy strong bones and those with arthrits etc without consulting a vet first and see how she does on them? I have also heard that fish oil is good for that but have also read that with the level of mercury etc, it isnt worth it? Cheers.

@persephone Thank you,yes i will mix it up as im not fully confident to feed raw,it can get pricey andI havent got the time to prep meals for her unfortunately. As with everything there are so many pros and cons-some say x others say x-holistic vets say raw is the best others just point out negatives etc..its really hard and confusing, i will follow the tips you guys give and just keep doing my best and not overthink it. Do you give your dogs raw goat milk? I've heard both good and bad things about it

Raw feeders- what do you supplement/do you supplement with? From what i read,depending on what your dog needs it,you usually have to use supplements with raw in order for them to get everything they need.

Hello,so i'm back with another topic-I'm so sorry if i seem annoying as it is basically all about food. So my lab mix is a b*tch and she has phases where she will either globe down her food, wont eat it at all or just barely.. Can someone tell me what foods i can gave give raw or cooked from meat to veggies in order to improve her kibble diet please? What are your thoughts on bone broth,raw taking different times diggesting from kibble etc? Is it fine if i give them chicken that aren't organic but home grown and so without any growth hormones-they are fed both corn and grass,kale, some left overs etc..? Also-good quality wet food, and grain free tinned green tripe as i cant get it raw nor frozen? Bad for teeth or good? She wasn't too fancy on boiled pumpkin and raw carrots the time i fed them to her. PS-Should i get batches of frozen raw food already prepped from time to time, and give it to her as a separate meal in order for her to clean and improve her teeth etc...For example 2/3 x a month give 1/2 amount of kibble in the morning and half batch of frozen/raw food in the arvo? would that be bad for her digestive system because of not being able to keep up with the changes? Also,should i freeze meat,organs etc.. before feeding it raw to her in order to kill the bacteria? And do the organs need to be from fully grass fed animals? Thank you.

@crazydoglady99 Thank you,will try my best to do so,she has been on a few different brands but the best she has been on is this one she's on at the moment,all the others had corn/maize as the first ingredient.I once bought a grain free of 8/9lbs that I could afford but again it had chicken and white potatoes which I read wasnt good so immediately stopped,kibble with chicken is what most sell in the supermarkets nearby and the brands that have other things have maize/corn and by products which is even worse. The vets and a few other pet shops have better kibble but it is simply too expensive €40+(I know that with better kibbles you feed less so it is at the same time cheaper,but I cant afford giving that money for a bag)..I agree it can be allergies,but she has also been itchy since she was a puppy even though now as an adult it got worse.I will be looking out for other kibbles. @asal I am from Portugal and there has never been a warning that I know of about heartworms, thank you for telling me about your experience,poor dog thank god she was fine until her last days x. I will contact her vet to come check her anal glands and ask her opinion on what I should do regarding heartworms. Thank y'all so much! Really appreciate it.

Thank y'all for de advice,will get her checked soon and will try to find the yogurt maker here where i live @Boronia,thankfully i'm lucky enough to get some things organic thanks to my grandpa who farms as a hobby and believes food should be grown naturally without any hormones or pesticides. @Rebanne Portugal,so i may not have available the stuff that you guys do,but stil, l love to hear what other people think as over here it is rare those that are fed for example raw,titter test(rarely talked about and vets arent really open to discuss about the vaccines as they risk loosing their licence if they dont follow vaccines protocol) which is quite upsetting.

@tdierikxThank you,Luna I am still a bit relunctant to give them raw because of salmonella-especially since she eats outside and she doesnt always eat her kibble in one go-same reasons why i havent tried soaking her kibble in water to be easier to digest. Whenever i do give her eggs she goes absolutely nuts and devours her food,cheeky girl hehe. Thank you for tips,will do it..if she lets me xD @sandgrubber Thank you- Yes i do know that the expensive stuff sometimes is all talk and advertising,although there are few differences specially from what i see with the teeth, do you have any brands in specific of yogurts to give ? What about wet food- read both good and bad stuff on it. Carrots should be organic or are the normal ones fine-boiled,steamed or raw? ..I do try to keep her slim,not that hard as she isnt too piggy with her food-with ours its another talk.

@Boronia Thank you ,will do,will be a fortune as things around here are expensive but better safe than sorry-Her vet does home consultations so i never have to go to a clinic with her,should i contact the vet and will a home consultation be enough to get the glands checked or should i go to a clinic for blood sample etc?, She's around 44/46lbs nearly 2 year old Lab x Portuguese water dog mix who's fed mainly kibble-First ingredient is hydrolised chicken,corn,rice has salmon oil,and yucca extract etc..,not the best but it's what i can afford..I do give her raw bones, boiled eggs,from time to time-think i will start avoiding them around this time as mosquitos are starting to appear with the hot weather-which is why im even more worried with heart worms- it was a nightmare today with them little nuisances. Tried boiled organic pumpkin once but she disliked it,so yh she's quite picky.Loves our food and always tries to beg for it,bless her. I'm afraid i havent got any recent pics of her at the moment on my laptop but will update more once i have my phone. This one is from a few months ago in the summer-She has grown a few inches but not much has changed.Looks nothing like a lab aha-got the looks from her dad-Sorry im a bit chatty :D

Hiya,so i am unsure if my dog has worms and/or heartworms as she does have a few symptoms that may be a sure sign that she does D:...she has been constantly itching-she was always an itchy dog but seems to be worse,scoots her butt in the grass but she does get a bit of poo in her bottom as she has a long coat so i have to constantly clean it (urgh sorry)sometimes coughing but she does eat random stuff even when i try my best to keep it from her, like wood sticks,lack of appetite but she does eat her kibble even though not in one go,notice her more tired but still playfull but maybe not as much etc...and she drinks from the fish pound that i have when shes out in the yard,even though she has 2 places with clean fresh water and i constantly tell her and warn her to not drink from the small lake as it is still water- constantly worried as i just read that still water thats been out for a while can cause heartworms. I just gave her a dewormer tablet 3 days ago and a spot on even though she does not have fleas or ticks and i did not seen any worms on her poop so i guess she does not have them but i am worried about heartworms and dont really know how it works to get them checked or if i give her a pill for it? Help me please!,and thanks ahead.

@Dogsfevr @Papillon Kisses Thanks,do you have any idea that if i start brushing her teeth from now on,will i be able to remove the tartar she has or will it just stop from getting worse? Ah! Jokes on me,ive tried positive reeinforcement with her when needing to apply something,letting her sniff the stuff and rewarding her and she'll go bonkers and look at me like "Mate, i aint dumb,feed me as much as you want i'll still be an annoying b*tch and bark at that!" *Excuse my language. Tried with flea spray,letting her sniff it, today for example had to apply antiseptic to her paw i let her sniff it and rewarded it and she went bonkers and started yapping at the bottle,thinking it was a toy and something funny

@persephone I do give her raw bones from time to time...once or twice every few months. Although its not heard about too frequently at least that ik of, i've just read a while ago that feeding raw can cause paralysis by the Campylobacter bacteria-,most specificaly found in chicken D: - read it from someone who used to give her a dow raw chicken wings etc... and her dog started losing feeling on hind legs etc..once she stopped feeding her the chicken the doy got better. Maybe im contradicting myself when asking for advice and then coming up with all this crap,maybe im just being overly concerned,but i cant help but worry with every little thing,especially being the first time knowing that their diet can be improved.

@tdierikx completely Organic? Or is it fine if the chicken are fed both grain+grass/kale+leftovers...If fed frequently will it completely clean her teeth? Thanks

Hiya! So my 1 nearly 2 year old pup has some plaque/tartar on her teeth,especially now since i've changed her kibble it seems like its getting worse and i would like to know if there's anything to reverse it or prevent it from getting worse without having to go under-1* Too pricey,2*Heard some bad things from people whose dogs had their teeth cleaned under anaesthesia. Since ive never,ever, brushed my dogs teeth-its not heard about too frequently in my country,especially since its only been a few years since people started to actually care about pets etc.. If i start brushing her teeth,which i think will be nearly impossible as she hates when we are too fussy around her,and doesnt really apreciate when i try to check her teeth,will i be able to have her teeth sparkling white? or will it just stop from getting worse? Has anyone heard about DentaSure ® All-Natural Oral Care Spray .. it is said to completely remove tartar,plaque etc...If it does work i would be willing to try and get a bottle-it will be a nightmare for her as she hates sprays-Starts barking at flea spray as soon as she sees it,also hates when i need to apply ear drops to her ears.(ah! sorry out of topic) Thanks

@sandgrubberyes that is true,it's a shame we cant trust food companies, all they care is about cashing in $$$ , i've seen dogs on cheap food and scraps that outlived those on premium,and looked amazing, what works with other dogs may not work with yours etc..in my case since i switched to this new one i have seen a bit of an improvement, she hasnt been eating much which slightly worries me at times-i thought she was going to big a massive pig as shes a lab mix but i was wrong(she is when something picks her interest), in terms of stools, coat etc..i have seen some improvement from when she was on the cheaper brand,her coat used to be terrible,her stools soft and huge,but now they are slightly firmer and smaller(sorry about the topic ). Also this a slightly out of topic but should i feed her boiled carrots or raw? (I will mix that up in kibble) Do i have to peel them? Also in terms of fruit what can i mix in her kibble? And again,sorry for the change of topic,what do y'all think about kibble with rosemary? I have heard it has a lot of benefits but can trigger seizures.

Thanks,Do you give it raw or do you cook it? I read that you shouldnt mix raw meat with kibble as they take different times digesting.(?) I will try giving her bone broth,Do you let the cubes thaw before finally feeding it to him? My grandparents have chicken and today i just went and got lots of eggs,I'll boil 1 and mix it in with her kibble,i think i'll just start of with half as it is going to be her first time.

It should be sardines in water right? unfortunately i've never seen them at the supermarkets where i live, not even online. When i first got her i thought it was going to be an issue with the weight as they are known to always want to eat.Her littermates are like that,they devour their food in seconds, but mine doesn't which is both good and bad, funnily enough i'm having trouble on making her eat,she is in no way skinny which i'm relieved about,and i know there's nothing wrong with her because she goes crazy with our food which we never or rarely give a bite of and whenever i give her raw bones.But it does worry me when i go for long runs with her and she wont eat. I think she is just cheeky because sometimes she'll immediately start eating when im near her,and i always go away because i think she made a habit of it. Maybe im just worrying too much. I really wanted her to try the salmon version from the brand she's on but the composition isn't as good as the chicken and lamb is (has cereals and by products,but has yucca and beetroot extract if im not mistaken). oh well i'll do what i can ahah

I agree with you,also the prices are extravagant mostly because of the brand and not the quality,for example purina,pedigree etc..but no one can deny that most of the time we are able to see a difference when on a higher quality kibble,teeth wise,shinier coat,etc..but it is true that there are lots of dogs that live long lives on poor quality kibble and/or scraps. Its also sad to see how many companies have been changing the quality on kibble once they have established themselves and now use lower quality ingredients.Same with the grain free,known to be related to heart issues because of taurine deficiency etc..truth is what may work for your dog may not work for mine. Hope to hear more from people so i can learn more and try to give the best i can.

Thank you for all your opinions, please do send me some kibble suggestions,unfortunately they might not available where i live. Sadly there are no decent priced brands without any fillers, at least where i live.(Portugal) and ive never seen samples around supermarkets. Im kinda relunctant to add extras to her kibble as ive heard that you shouldnt give eggs,liver etc everyday as i said before im afraid she'll refuse to eat without those.. The kibble that she's fed at the moment costs 11,99-7.5kg and lasts her around 3 weeks, she never goes a day without eating so thats good and the vet told me she looks great and to keep doing what i am. I have seen good results since i moved her to this brand, her fur is more shiny,doesnt have as much hair falling and her teeth havent been getting as much plaque as they used to when on the other brand which used to cost 13 something-10kg. And you're spot on persephone i've been looking so much into raw feeding but heard its not as easy as it looks as you usually need to supplement it otherwise it could cause some damage, also i'ts not too pratical for me to feed her raw as i usually am out of the house by 7:30 am and wouldnt be able to remove the food so it doesnt spoil which i know probably wouldnt happen and i can prep but stil :D also l heard its really expensive to raw feed,even by those who have doing it for years and meat around here can be quite pricey,everything is LOL . On working days i usually feed her around 7 something and during weekends and holidays around 10am. Do you think i can give her chicken legs,breats,thights as a snack from time to time,would i see any improvement(teeth wise,coat...)? Also whats your opinion on good quality wet food(alpha spirit etc)-heard its bad for their teeth...

Hello, i have a 1.5 year old lab mix around 44 pounds who's been fed only kibble since a puppy,not knowing much about nutrition i started her on pedigree and purina friskies thinking it was good quality kibble just to later on find out it was horrible.Since i am and was on a tight budget i had to keep her on a white brand but have recently found a better kibble thats on my budget (1st ingredient is hydrolised chicken,corn,rice..salmon oil,yucca extract) not the best,but better than what i was giving her(cereals,by-products). I do give her raw marrow bones from time to time so she can gnaw on but immediatly remove them once she starts eating little bits of bone. Shes been really picky recently and barely eats her kibble,just today she came back from the beach and i gave her kibble and when i came back later on she still hadnt eaten it.(+3h) Ive been looking into soaking her kibble in water,but read both good and bad things on it,also been thinking on adding boiled eggs or liver,chicken hearts,raw/boiled carrots to both improve her kibble and see if she'll eat but am afraid that if i start adding those from time to time to her kibble she wont eat it without that, as im basically spoiling her. What can i do to make her eat her kibble,and if i start mixing her kibble with something what should i do so she wont get even more picky by only eating kibble mixed with something. I have changed flavours so she wont get bored but she didnt really like any of them.She did seem to eat much more when on a poor quality kibble but im really trying hard to avoid it. Please help me out.