pebbles

I've had three of mine on Joint Guard for about 12 months and haven't had any problems.

Yep, me too - been feeding raw and dry together for years and have only recently read that this is wrong, still doing it though. What problems can it cause?

nekhbet - shows how old I am - didn't know there were small toothbrushes, never saw any when my kids were small so I'll have a look next time I'm shopping. persephone, I'll see if I can get some roo tail bones, tried the large type bones and the two 'swallowers' weren't interested when they couldn't get lumps off maybe the roo might tempt them.

Ok so I'm being difficult (or my dogs are lol) - any type of bone or tooth aid, ie dentastix etc, just get swallowed as soon as there's a piece which will fit in the mouth. I've held bones/necks while they have a chew but they soon lose interest when they can't have them themselves and they just seem to pull at the meat with the front teeth not actually chew on the bone. Toothbrushes:- these are Min Pins, small mouths, it's nearly impossible to get to the side and back teeth to really do any good. My old girl has had hers cleaned at the Vets a few times but at 14+ years I don't want to put her through that. Her teeth are still good but tartar is building on the molars and needs to come off so I thought this stuff might be a good alternative. I'll do a bit more searching about it and maybe give it a try.

As the heading says - PlaqueOff apparently good for keeping dogs teeth clean, has anyone used it? I have trouble with a couple of mine with bones, they just break bits off and swallow them, chicken necks go down in one piece, chicken wings scare me with all the pointy bits 'cause they still swallow them and bigger bones get broken and swallowed as soon as the pieces fit in the mouth. Apparently this is just sprinkled on food, supposedly natural ingredients so could be a life saver.

An old fashioned remedy for falsies who produce milk was to swab the teats 2 or 3 times a day with vinegar - I've used it and it worked - but then again maybe they would have gone down anyway! Worth a try?

Well, nothing's appeared yet! Mick is eating, drinking as normal, seems OK. Luckily I don't think anyone has seen me out poking around in dog poo with a stick - they all suspect I'm a bit crazy and this would confirm it His poop has been normal but there's no sign of any plastic in it - would the stomach juices have dissolved it? Yep, I've read about some of the things that pass through, guess I'm just a panic puss, never had anything like this before, maybe lucky?

Thanks ellz, will give Mick some vegetable oil and might drop a bit in 'someone's' lunch as well, got to make him suffer lol. rexiam, no worry about plumbers tape here - 'someone' can't even fix a dripping tap! hehehe, can you tell I'm still p'd off at 'someone'?

Thanks - that's the sort of answer I was hoping for - just have to follow the 'poo' trail and keep looking!!!

I'm always a bit paranoid about my dogs getting hold of uneatable stuff and today due to carelessness on someone elses part Mick (Miniature Pinscher) grabbed a piece of glad wrap type plastic (off a tray of meat) and it went down before I could get it. It was about 2 inches wide x about 1 inch, soft and squishy. Hopefully this will pass through him? Boy, I'm not talking to 'someone' and have threatened him with any Vet bills!

Mine would be over 30 years old. I got it for the Afghans and it's been used on some breeds over the years and put away when not suitable. It's out again now for the Silky Terrier and still going well! I used to have two but one got pinched years ago so I'm very careful where I put this one - can't afford another lol.

Eeekkk now I'm worried - my bub has been an angel to do her nails (it's the grooming bit that's not so good) but she turned 4 months 2 days ago and her nails are due for a clip!

This is probably way off base but check her elbows - run your fingers along the back of the leg up over the elbow - do they both fell the same and have the pointy bit right at the top? I've a dog who was born with a problem, showed up in Xrays at 5 months. It was first thought that the problem was lower down but turned out to be in the elbow.

Yesterday afternoon about 4pm Mick wakes up and went outside and I followed like a little lamb lol. He picks up a bunch of leaves and starts doing mad zoomies around the yard, in the door, around the house and out again. Bounces up to me and says 'it's play time'. Bl**dy dogs, why do I stress out so much? Poor boy still only got a very small tea. 6am this morning (the 2 boys always want out at that time then we go back to my warm bed) I'm out in the freezing cold with a torch watching for a poo - it's OK. Get up about 8am and let everyone out and Mick is crazy, wants the old boy to play, does laps of the yard flat out then demands breakfast. No sign of any problems so while that's great I'd still like to know what caused the weird behaviour. Eta - thank goodness for DOL, it's great to be able to communicate with others who stress out about our mates.

Mick had his heart/ lungs etc checked twice. Firstly by the Vet. who prescribed the anti's etc then again by the Chiro/Vet I took him to last week. He had a muscle out in his back and one in the thigh which he's apparently had for a long time. Mick has a deformed front leg and the muscles out were most likely caused by him favouring the leg. The Chiro/Vet checked everything possible and said he was a superbly fit little dog.The Chiro/Vet is very good but concentrates on the Chiro. part, having a large following in the horse world and isn't equipped to do small animal surgery, xrays, etc. Pity as I'd use her in a second. His temp was normal mid last week and it's normal today. Yes, Jed, reckon I'll be asking the age of any new Vet I find lol. They're getting younger every day bit like the Doctors, not many of the older 'family' Docs around either.

Fifi, yep all the functions both in and out are normal, just this quietness and stretching. He's outside at the moment trotting around and seems OK but??? Hope to hang out until tomorrow for the Vet as weekends there's only one there but weekdays I can ask to see one of the others if I'm not happy with the first one. Wont feed him tonight (he'll hate me!) can't hurt. Dunnwarren - watch out - I'll stick a stamp on him and post to you!!!!

Persephone, yes, I'm thinking maybe something along that line but would the Moxylan and/or Metacam disguise this? He was back to his usual self until today. My main problem is the lousy Vets I'm dealing with now. I know the old guys whom I'd been going to for 15 years would have listened to me and done more. The costs for the dogs have kept me poor but they don't miss out - it's just so frustrating when it's $50 for petrol, 3 hours travelling then another $145 for Mick last visit and I left feeling it was a total waste and I reckon that's been proven now. Guess I was grasping at straws hoping that someone could come up with something I could throw at the Vet but I'll keep an eye on Mick for today, he's sleeping now, and head there tomorrow and do some 'desk banging'.

Mick only had the Metacam for 4 days and I did query this as well but Vet gave me some 'gobbledegook' answer while I was trying to convince her it wasn't a stomach bug. I'm just so frustrated with this new lot, they don't listen to what you say and I'm too bl**dy old to take being treated like a jerk. I've contacted some other show people in the area and not one of them can recommend a Vet here for anything a bit out of the ordinary. Guess I'll have to do the trail and error thingy but that's hard on the dog and also my pocket.

Mickey, 2.5yr old Miniature Pinscher, never been sick before. Sunday 2 weeks ago he wasn't himself, quiet and stretching a lot but not quite the usual 'belly ache' stretch, more a leaning forward, twisting the body, head and neck to one side, a few belly rumbles. Eating, pooing etc. OK. Took him to the Vet. Monday am.Temp. of 39.8, diagnosed with gut bug, which I queried but who am I having had dogs for 50 years to query a new young Vet? (My Vets who I had great faith in retired and sold the practice. I've been there 4 times for other dogs and haven't really been impressed) OK so Mick was given injections of Moxylan and Metacam, also sent home with a course of Moxylan, 2 daily for 10 days and Metacam, .04 for 4 days. He came good on this. I had him checked by a Chiro Vet last week, couple of muscles out but no big drama. So Moxylan finished on Friday and this am Mick is right back to the quietness and this stretching bit, even more so than when it first happened. Has anyone had anything like this? Any ideas? I can see another trip to the Vets tomorrow (or today and of course, it's got to be Sunday!) Seriously thinking of trying another Vet. wherever is a 300k round trip so any thoughts I can throw at them would be appreciated. Oh I'm gunna kill my original guys, how dare they retire!!!

This could depend on what your pup does with the water bowl My latest girl has a lovely time upending the water in her bed, I've tried different types of dishes but she works out how to tip them out so no water overnight for her. With the weather cooling it's really not necessary for them to have water overnight.

Kyliegirl, yep, that menu I posted could look a bit over the top lol. One egg gets whisked, shell pulverised, divided among 4 littlies and fed maybe once a week/10 days. The liver, heart fed in small amounts mixed with chicken/beef mince probably about the same time spans, Sardines, small amount about once a week. When I had big dogs this was still done in proportion to their size. Base meals consist of the minces, necks and dry food.

My dogs have a variety chicken mince, bone etc minced in, raw. Beef or 'roo mince lightly cooked with raw veges mixed in. Chicken necks. Eggs raw with the shells. Sardines in Oil. Yoghart. Liver. Heart. Sometimes Pal, dry or Supercoat dry. Ocassionally tins of Natures Own or My Dog. I've had long coats and smooth, big dogs and small, and they all do well on the above and I've never had any allergies or food intolerances.

I agree with 'ahmadi'. Some of those 'premium' food prices IMO are just ridiculous. I've fed and shown dogs for years before all these 'studies' and have never had any food related problems. 'Way back when' Pal was the 'premium' dog food and mine were fed that along with raw meat and bones from the knackery, couldn't get raw meat in sufficient quantities anywhere else. I still ocassionally feed Pal along with an assortment of other wet/dry commercial food as well as raw meat and bones and haven't a worry with loose motions etc which are often mentioned. Dogs have all been well and winning in ring. I wonder sometimes about the apparent increase in allergies, etc. as they didn't seem so common years ago. OK so there's the old girl saying "back in my day"! lol ETA - just thought I'd add that I don't use chemicals either on the inside or outside of my dogs so maybe that has something to do with their good health as well.

I love those 'tough' ones - find the 'on' button and you usually have a great mover in the ring. Keep at it My old girl took a while but once I found her motivation (roast chicken, only given on show days) boy, she was a 'look-at-me' show girl.

puggy-puggy - the dog belongs to the cousin - I don't think de-sexing needs to be mentioned at this point