Poodle wrangler

I'm not sure if it's Eagle Pack brand, but check out the ingredients of the Adult Holistic vs. Puppy Large breed. In one of the better brands the ingredients are almost the same, but the adult one a fair bit cheaper. There are very small amounts of glucosamine, omega 3 and 6 in the puppy formula, but it would be far more economical to give sardines once a week, plus some shavings off a human glucosamine tablet each day.

Keeping your dog lean is helpful- less weight through joints and ligaments. High quality food, but less of it now he's less active . Sorry, am not sure re. supplements etc. that might be helpful. Sasha's bland and Jointguard are usually only recommended for joints, not ligaments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonary_edema The possible non-heart causes that seemed possible were: # Inhalation of toxic gases # Severe infection # Pulmonary contusion, i.e. high-energy trauma # Multitrauma, e.g. severe car accident # Aspiration, e.g. gastric fluid or in case of drowning # Upper airway obstruction If the heart's OK, I'm not sure. Heart failure is one of the most common causes and that's usually what Frusemide is prescribed for : It reduces the amount of fluid in the circulation. Hope she's OK.

It's just a name they gave on one brand of chewable dog toys. Actually, we left out on old kids rug (cheapie, vinyl back) and one of the dogs loves using it to lie on. ?Carpet offcuts, even the carpet samples they also sell?

? dry food is very convenient? That + lack of freezer space is the reason I don't do an all-raw diet.

I intended to have the standard poodle's front ones removed when he was desexed at 6 months. Vet talked me out of it: He basically didn't like doing it other than on a very young pup, or, for a good reason (very high injury risk with the type that are poorly attached) . He said it's best done on pups only a few days old when it's only a very minor procedure. For our dog it would have involved dislocating the joint, then amputating the claws, stitches etc. Vet reckoned they'd be sore afterwards, also, as it wasn't going to be a minor procedure on our 20kg dog. Decided to do as the vet suggested because Charlie's dewclaws sat in quite close to the leg and were well-attached. Normally covered in fur, also. He'd have difficulty getting them caught on anything other than my brush .

So sorry about your dog . Thankyou for sharing the info. :p . I knew nothing about this disease b4 reading your post.

Yes. I'm sorry to be cynical, but I don't agree with vets pushing commercial diets unless it's designed for a specific illness :shakehead: . It's preying on new dog owners who want to do the right thing by their dog. You'll pay a premium there, too, as vets don't have the purchasing power of pet suppliers. Many kibble brands have something for "sensitive" dogs. Our local vet has the Hills there, and gives out the samples, but doesn't push it.

Does the vet sell the Hills? I'm no food expert, but get on a few websites and compare ingredients. Hills has a premium price tag, but premium ingredients? (off the Hills Science diet website).Corn's a grain that most dogs find difficult to digest. Popular in US foods due to their agricultural subsidy system producing an excess of corn (cheap). "by-product" refers to all the yucky parts of the chicken, including diseased parts and the stuff off the floor (unfit for human consumption). I think you can find a superior kibble in the supermarket . The raw stuff you're feeding sounds fine. Some DOLers juice the veg to make it easier to digest. I think the Hills is rubbish and it's the raw food and youth that's responsible for your dog looking good. If you do change dry food, just increase the new food gradually over a few days to minimise tummy upset :p . If you can't live with the Hills poos, I'm sure a local rescue would be grateful for the extra food.

Maybe more raw bones to chew and tough toys like the chewable Kongs stuffed with peanut butter or treats. My bigger dog has a "Texas T-Bone" one of those designed-to-be-chewed type things and loves it. My smaller dog used to sleep on a kids sofa- chose it himself- cheaper than most dog beds . Both my dogs are still sleeping outside, though they're poodles, so have in-built woolly jumpers :cool: .

Does your friend have the same breed of dog as you? I noticed a huge difference in what food was suitable for a smaller vs. larger breed of dog. I need to take more care with what I feed the large breed dog, whereas the smaller one can eat anything. Wrong food and the larger dog starts to lose weight, stools messy and/or huge and just doesn't seem so healthy. Cobber would be far cheaper than ProPlan? Also, check if your friend adds other food to the dog's diet, also e.g. raw. They sometimes forget to tell you the kibble's not all they eat .

Short answer is: No. There isn't any such thing . You have an active cross on your hands, so I'd not buy him a "good" bed for a while yet. I found my pup asleep in the clothes basket one day because I'd not got him a comfy bed, yet . I felt a bit bad, but got over it . If he's outside in kennel- cardboard is a good insulator and free e.g. boxes at the entrance of your local Bunnings. 2nd hand shops have baby blankets etc., but suspect they'll be chewed, too. Inside, a mat would be good- somewhere that's his place and you can say, "On your mat". Can supervise that so it's not chewed. I wouldn't give it to him for outside. Has he got some other things to chew e.g. Kong-type toys, raw bones etc.?

Does the breeder feed raw/ natural? If not, you could either ask him/her to change your dog over before you get him, or do it yourself, but slowly i.e. over about a week. Coming home time is a bad time for sudden diet changes. Too many other changes going on .

I walked our pup up and down a steep driveway at regular intervals for toileting. I just kept walking around in circles, being very boring, until he did something. Walking around seems to help get things moving. I'd give him the opportunity to wee/poo in the same area each time (cleaned up- they'll still smell where it was). Soon as he started to wee, I'd say, "Wee, wee. Good dog! (sounding excited)". Reward was coming inside with me afterwards, too. I'd put pup on a lead to walk as he's a terrier, isn't he? Mind of their own . If he's being difficult, I'd include a favourite treat as well as praise for 'performing'. He WILL get it, but every accident you allow inside is a step backwards- have to watch him like a hawk, or put him outside so he can't make a mistake. He doesn't whine to be let out of the crate to go to the toilet? Is the crate big enough that he can only stand up and turn around- any bigger defeats the purpose (for toilet training)- he'll just use the furthest end for toileting . My first dog was a winter pup and slower to toilet train than our new guy- I sympathise . It IS much easier in warmer months and I could see a dog that's not black, too, at night .

My dogs only get them occasionally. I guess there's a fair bit of fat on chicken wings (skin) compared with chicken necks, for example.

My standard poodle was also 20kg when he was desexed last month. He was a bit dopey-sleepy the evening afterwards (he was done later in the day), but recovered very well. If he starts licking the stitches, what's the plan? e.g. Elizabethan collar? Our vet lent me one to use, just in case, but he didn't lick stitches excessively, so I didn't need it. Took stitches out myself after 10 days. Vet will have an info sheet- things like light meal night of surgery, no jumping up allowed etc. I've not noticed any difference in him at all. My other dog was desexed at about 6 months with no problems, either. Best wishes. Am sure he'll be fine .

My guess is that behaviour is not being discussed in this thread because it's about whether or not the pup can hold on all night and not about behaviour. My question to the OP is, has this pup been inside and house trained during the day? Since he's been outside at night since he was a baby puppy I doubt he will hold it all night. You'll probably have to get up and take him out at least once. If he's never been house trained then it's pretty certain he won't hold it. My dogs are all inside dogs and they have access to outside 24/7. They have all slept through the night from about 16 weeks of age. At that age if they need to pee they take themselves out. Both dogs are generally inside when we're home, without accidents, so I'd say he was housetrained. He'll go to the door to be let outside. I'd take him out regularly for toileting as a younger pup and think he knew what "Wee wee" meant: After a while he'd look to me as he started to wee, as if waiting for me to say, "Good dog" (?) . He also cried b4 weeing in the back of the car (I couldn't pull over safely in sufficient time . Learned my lesson ). Thanks for the help .

Puppy tummies are more easily upset, so I'd rather feed much the same thing day-in, day-out. Can still have variety within this. Pet chicken mince can vary a lot in quality (some is very poor quality). Just add small amounts to other food until you get rid of it, I guess. I'd use chicken necks in preference to mince (about $2.50/ kilo). As long as the labs don't try to 'inhale' the necks. If so, turkey necks are great as they're bigger (Woolworth's, about $4/ kilo). I like a mix of raw and kibble, but people all have their different ideas. Also depends how much freezer space you have and if you don't mind handling the raw stuff.

It's a bit harder to judge weight on a Border Collie with that lovely fur . What makes you say he looks very skinny? Can you see his all his ribs when he's wet? See backbones sticking out? (both suggest he's too lean). Does he have a "waist"- narrowing before hips? (good, normal). Healthy dogs will not starve themselves and if the vet says he's a good weight, I'd be inclined to believe him/ her. It's better for your dog's health to be lean. He's active? Regularly wormed (e.g. every 6 weeks or so)? A healthy dog who doesn't want to eat steak? Suggests a possible underlying illness or he's already full ! But, if you're not happy with what the vet's said, get a 2nd opinion. Someone may be able to suggest a good vet in your area? Can you post a pic?

Great to hear . It defies common sense to say a food that stays "fresh" in a package for months on end is the best food for an animal . If you check out the ingredients of much commercial dog food, it's no wonder they're busy brainwashing people. Much of it would be rubbish if it wasn't made into pet food. "By-products" belong in the rubbish bin, IMO. Good profit margin in "recycling" this, I guess. Breeder of my standard poodle said that one of her older dogs had a whole new lease of life when she switched to BARF a few years ago. Had wished she'd done it earlier.

Both my dogs really liked it (Lamb and Rice, only available in 4 kg) and the larger dog is a more fussy eater. Stools much improved compared with Supercoat + raw foods. No skin issues and dogs had good energy levels, healthy looking coat etc. It's more like about $80 for 20kg. In my area, brands like Eukanuba, Iams, Advance etc. cost more than that for only 15kg. Eagle Pack, ProPlan, Nutro are over $90 for 15kg . I'm told they're cheaper in metro areas. Just had quick look at pack: "Ingredients: Lamb, brewers rice, oatmeal, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, whole grain corn, animal fat ...... " (+ vitamins etc). Guess it's a matter of comparing ingredients between brands and seeing how your dogs do on it. All the grains are fillers, of course.

Can you brush most of the dirt out? Once dry? With all the wet weather, I've just been drying off lower legs with a towel (only if going on carpet). Then brush later when dry to get rid of left-over mud. Shaved feet are a bonus- poodle-like feet might look silly on your dog, not suggesting that- but cutting away any extra fur under and between the pads will help save your carpets. Can you get some carpet offcuts to use in high dog traffic areas? Those microfibre towels/ cleaning cloths are not bad at attracting dirt, either.

To put in perspective, the health and pregnancy risks of NOT desexing far outweigh the possibility of spay incontinence. In our council area it's about an extra $130 to register a dog that's not desexed by 6 months (unless you're a registered breeder).

Yep, blame yourself, not the dog if you've put blood and bone all over the place . Some people get those "clam shell" pools (designed for kids) and fill half with sand, then hide treats in there for dog to find. Dog can still dig, but does no harm to garden is the theory. Dog will love water in the other half when it's hot weather. Bones are great for dog's teeth and pups love to chew. Can you confine her to a smaller area when she has a bone (if you don't want it buried)? You could try giving the wings etc. first, so they're gobbled up, then give other food (?kibble). Are you overfeeding? Be guided by pup's weight- you should be able to see a "waist" (narrowing b4 hips), feel the ribs easily, but not see the backbones sticking out. It's better for growing bones for pups to stay lean. Park and beach every day? On or off-leash? Most breeders advise not to overexercise a large breed, either.

Where do I get this? I am also going to try fish oil vitamins. Thanks everyone for replying, it is all appreciated keep it coming as much info as poss pls everyone I dont have a crate but she is confined now and resting. Supermarket for human stuff e.g. Glucosamine and chondritin. JointGuard etc. for dogs. Sorry, I'm sure about dosages?