Erny

"A few days" is not long enough for anything to be able to be determined. Game meat is better than beef, lamb, chicken.

Blood test for what, in particular?

Is this the Allerblend food? No offence to Dr Bruce, as I have had great success with VAN products with my past and other dogs, but I did trial the Allerblend and stuck to it exclusively (along with the Omega Blend Oil and the VAN supplement powder recommended). It did improve my dog's issues to a degree in the early months - not 100% but at least not as devastating as he had been beforehand (which is when we were on top-shelf dry food/s). After about 7 months, my dog's system blew a gasket again however and so for us it was back to the drawing board. I've had my dog on Augustine's Approved recommended diet for the past 2 years and so far this, coupled with the supplements I get based on hair-DNA analysis, has served my boy very well. My dog's not 100% perfect and I still suspect there's something else I haven't yet put my finger on completely that persists as an underlying problem, but he's the best he's been for the longest duration. Yes - I ran the gauntlet as well and spent a LOT of money in the process. Don't mind that so much IF the results are positive, but it is frustratingly despairing when it doesn't achieve improvement. Every dog is different and what may work for one may not for another and it is therefore a matter of trialling. But in this, I wish I had done the hair-DNA analysis earlier as it may have circumvented quite a lot of trialling and money-spending before coming up with something close to making a really big difference.

Agree with the above. Or it could be that the dry food needs to be removed from the diet altogether. If the dog's system struggles to properly digest, this in turn goes towards causing other problems which by end result can be a build up of toxins which the liver and/or kidney are unable to deal with as they normally would. And with this ^^. Diet goes to the support of the whole body and every little bit within it. Everything is intrinsically co-dependant.

Many times, a visit to a dermatology vet ends up with cortisone treatment though, from what I hear and know of. Personally, I think a hair-DNA test and a blood run to check thyroid (via USA) are the first two best places to start as the results of these can potentially lead to treatments which do not go to cortisone, antibiotics and the like and may prove a dermatology unnecessary. The handy thing with the hair-DNA test is that you don't need to take the dog - the hair sample may be posted in, so there is little to no inconvenience involved.

Glad the tea rinse helps, LG. Glad that you have behaviourist assistance. Sounds like you're doing a good job. Two things I'd be inclined to do (if you haven't already, as it sounds as though you're being quite thorough) is : 1. run a hair-DNA test. 2. run a blood test to check thyroid levels (via USA Dr Jean Dodds). Best of luck though .... sounds like you've been putting in a good deal of work with her and good on you for that :) . PS - Just to clarify - I didn't mean put a leash on and tether her. But by the sounds it's not a situation as I first imagined it.

Also, have bloods been run for a thorough thyroid balance check? Wouldn't trust the Aussie test. Not thorough enough to pick it up early enough, IMO. I use Dr Jean Dodds (USA) for these. ETA: Mind you, the hair-DNA analysis can also detect thyroid imbalances. Not sure I would trust the prescribed herbal supplements enough (only through lack of personal experience) to re-balance the thyroid sufficiently, although my confidence is building. My own dog was diagnosed hypothyroidic at 15mo (via USA). He was medicated for it (in his instance, 600mcg thyroxine daily). Each and every year I've had bloods checked to monitor levels and each and every year, it has come back as fine on the medication level stated. Almost 2 years ago, I began my dog on supplements prescribed via hair-DNA analysis (as well as supplements via Augustine Approved) and approximately 1 year ago, ran the usual annual thyroid blood check (via USA). It came back as requiring the thyroxine medication to be reduced by 1/3rd (i.e. down to 400mcg daily). This was double checked by a further test a month or two later, and came back as 400mcg being the correct dosage, and so we've continued on this. I don't know if the continuation of supplements will have made any difference since then, but a test re-run is scheduled in the next couple of weeks. It will be interesting to find out.

Yes ..... I agree with this.

Speak to Dr Bruce Syme and also look into getting a hair-DNA Analysis test done. Dr Bruce may be able to assist you with this anyway. I have found the hair-DNA Analysis very helpful in guiding you to what foods the dog's body needs to avoid, as well as indicating what assistance in terms of herbal supplements the dog's system needs to bolster it and help it deal with general allergens that are ever present around us and which, under normal healthy balanced circumstances, should not present a major problem. Depending on what the analysis presents, there are also matters of liver or kidney overload - don't be scared by that .... what I mean is that your brother's dog's liver and/or kidney could be saying (for example and metaphorically speaking) "we've been working hard to rid the body of the toxins the body is reacting to, but we can't manage it all" (and so the body works to rid these built up toxins via the skin). If the analysis indicates this sort of thing, supplements to target and improve kidney and liver function via cleansing and detoxification might also be provided. My point of this is that (just hypothesising) yes, diet could and often does play a part, but sometimes simply switching the meat protein source doesn't always do the trick because of the complications prior diet has left the body in a state of and in this sort of event, a bit of help to make the passage of return to the system's optimum function makes all the difference. This is probably where I would begin, rather than trying to hip-hop from one diet style to another. I've tried that too and it is not only costly in the $$$ sense, it is slow, stressful and frustrating in the meanwhile. If it is not the diet (would be interested to know what tests the Vet ran to determine this), the hair-DNA analysis may still point you in the right direction.

But is it worth it - does it work? Lol - I'm interesting in the answer to Steve's question too. But in the meantime, slip a lead on her BEFORE you begin revealing the cues she's come to learn as meaning CTR time. And make sure you give her a yummy treat after you've finished the job and before you release her.

Have you investigated possible causes of the symptoms rather than only treatments for the symptoms? If so, would you please let us know what has been investigated. In the meantime, you do need to treat the symptoms not only to ease/soothe the irritation but also to work against the irritations developing secondary skin infections. Have you tried bathing with Calendula Tea?

I too apologise for continuing the derail ..... but, whilst I am not familiar with the Tang Pei breed, the images I've seen do not depict a dog with vast bald areas. The Shar pie's I have seen and worked with also do not show up as having bald areas, although because of the lay of the hair in the areas of their skin rolls, it is possible to see to the skin. I may be incorrect, Little Gifts .... I'm certainly not proposing it to be the case, but that it might be worth checking out. Good luck ..... I'd be interested to hear how you get on. But as I've mentioned, if you do have the test done, have it done via USA. A negative result via Aussie tests doesn't necessarily mean "negative". It may only be that the thyroid condition has not degenerated sufficiently for our Aussie tests to pick it up.

Naah, it's ok Terri S. You're right in terms of her "absolute-ness" and our dogs are individuals. If she's not careful, her "absolute-ness" will be narrowing her view too much and won't have her looking for alternatives/options that will work when other things don't. All the best, and happy training :) . Hope it continues to go well.

Agree about the cuddles. Cuddles are a reciprocal thing if both parties are going to enjoy it. And *trust* certainly needs to be present in both parties for it to possibly be a positive thing. The enjoyment of cuddles is also a situational thing as well.

It makes sense to me when I think about it. If the thyroid is not functioning as well as it should and given its support nurtures just about every organ in the body, then it is comprehensible that the muscles and ligaments in the body may also be at risk of not receiving the right nutrition for optimum upkeep and I would expect that this would be likely to show up more commonly in the main ligament/ligament fibres as these are the ones taking the most stress and strain in the normal course of the dog's physical actions. It would not surprise me that there is a link between early desexing > thyroid > cruciate either. Everything is intrinsically linked and it all really starts with nutrition balances to the body - diet and/or hormone based. Just my thoughts.

The thyroid gland is responsible for the good function of just about every organ in the body. Consequently, symptoms of thyroidism can manifest in so many varied ways. Skin issue symptoms can be caused by thyroidism - in fact, it is quite a common symptom. At early onset and when the dog is younger, weight loss or inability to gain body weight can also represent as a symptom. As can nervous/vigilant type behaviour. So rather than looking at the reasons why your dog feels the cold, investigate why she is "practically bald over half her body" and why she "has no body fat".

That's fair enough, Terri S. But if something's working well for a dog, the trainers should be able to recognise that, so hopefully they'll accept the good that's happening, embrace and help you with it. Actually, to a certain extent I kind of agree. Many dogs find stroking down their bodies or a hand ruffle on the side of the neck more rewarding than a "pat" on the head. Much does depend on how the "pat" is delivered, and the circumstance though. My dog will appreciate a finger ruffle to the top of his head when we're (e.g.) sitting and waiting at lights to cross the road (well, he's sitting, I'm standing ... lol), or when we're sharing a 'cuddle' moment and I gently move my thumb over his stop towards the back of his head. But when we're in active training, a long but swift(isn) stroke or rub down the side of his body is what he prefers. They're all different though and I know of dogs who enjoy a bit of a ruffle at the head. In general, however, I find it can be off-putting and for some a bit too dominating (and I tend to find it can deflate drive, if that's the method being used to train in). Just my thoughts and experience - not intending to debate on it. IMO, it really is a "to each his own" and if a dog shows he doesn't mind and/or enjoys it ...... kudos :) .

I would be having her thyroid levels checked. And I'd be inclined to have the blood (serum) analysed via Dr Jean Dodds (USA) rather than here in Aussie, as the USA testing is more thorough than ours. ETA : Just saw that Dogsbesotted () has mentioned checking thyroid levels too. ETA: There is a link between thyroid issues and cruciate ligament injuries.

Harnesses alter and/or hinder free movement. They are not as 'kind' or 'aversive free' as some PP trainers/organisations would make out them to be. A martingale is a 'soft' style correction collar and like any correction collar used properly, are as kind or kinder to the dog especially when learning is faster and easier for the dog. Worth switching schools, especially if the one you're at don't or are unable to give you proper coaching on the good use of a correction collar?

I agree with Jumabaar - there are more things than meets the eye to cruciate injuries. Diet, thyroid (which in itself can be genetic but also influenced by diet), as well as lack of attention to core muscle exercise can all contribute to this injury. We tend to be reactive to cruciate injuries, dealing with the symptom, rather than focusing a bit more on being pro-active and working to protect the cruciate ligament and reducing the likelihood of occurrence.

Has your current Vet looked beyond the symptoms to help work out the cause? There are numerous possibilities such as : Improper cleaning or even too much cleaning; Bacteria; Antibiotics; Allergies (through diet or contact); Hypothyroidism; Yeast/fungas; Mites/parasites. Unless the cause is through "1" and "3" listed above, I'd be inclined to not only address the cause but ask "why" is the cause there? So far, much of my own research, enquiries and personal experience trials have all lead full circle back to the immune system and this (primarily but not totally in so far as my boy's individual case is concerned), back to diet.

Yes - it can improve your timing, if your timing of the verbal marker is sufficiently 'out' to inhibit good and efficient training. But if previously using "yes" has worked for you and seeing as the clicker is a bit of a problem for your dog at the moment, I'd be inclined to stick with the verbal marker. In the meantime, you can practice and improve your timing skills by using exercises with the clicker such as has been described to you amongst the posts of your thread, without your dog being involved. Just an option to think about :) .

There are herbs that are anti-inflammatory and and also herbs specific to the nerves which are likely to assist. You'd need to visit a holistic Vet to assist and guide you on this, but IMO worth a try. Acupuncture would be another alternative treatment I would seriously try. And massage.

In a nutshell ..... there are good reasons for desexing i.e. to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to dissuade against instinctive prolificacy type behaviour. Apart from that, IMO you can't beat nature. We start changing nature to eradicate what we don't want/that causes problems (eg. testicular cancer; sexual behaviour; etc) but we find that creates imbalances and ergo problems, elsewhere. I'm not saying "don't desex" but I am saying that we should be more aware of what we are doing and how it might come back to bite us on the later and in some other way. This way, I think we are more likely to approach things such as desexing with more forethought than what we have done over the past decades. I think that is in fact already happening (and for this I'm pleased) with alternatives such as desexing later rather than earlier (for development sake and assuming responsible ownership); not going for full hysterectomies; tubes being tied; etc. Not that these render anything as being perfect, but looking at things so they can be as close to ideal for us as well as close to the best we can do for our pets.

Unless I missed something along the way through this thread ..... why don't you stick with marking with "yes" instead of using the clicker?