Poodle wrangler

My standard poodle did poorly on SC Puppy, however the older mini poodle did well on it a few years back. Eagle Pack, Nutro etc. are not for those on a tight budget- more expensive than Iams (I think) and similar $ to Eukanuba. The vets will be the most expensive place to buy, I would have thought. Vets are often not the best to advise on standard dry food diets. Different if your dog has special health needs. For supermarket ones, both Optimum and Purina One will reimburse you for up to 4kg bag of dry food (1st purchase). You sign up online. Perhaps a good way to try it? I tried the Purina One Lamb & Rice and both dogs liked it, though now I find they only do Chicken & Rice in 7kg bags . Stools good. I find supplementing with chicken necks/ frames, brisket bones and pet mince is economical. As long as you have a little freezer space. If stools are loose, try adding some of these to pup's diet, less dry. This worked well for my larger dog. Other foods in the SC price range include: Bonnie puppy, Coprice puppy. Similar quality. Read the ingredients. Some aren't worth the extra $.

I noticed the large breed pup was less interested in food for a few days and wanted to chew. Found a couple of "baby" teeth on the floor a couple of days later. I gave brisket bones and chicken necks/frames for outside and had a rope and nylabone type chew toys for inside.

Calcium and vit c supplements can make some joint problems worse. Dogs don't need vit c the way we do. If you feed kibble, it should be specific for large breeds. Before the "Puppy, large breed" formulas came along, people used to just feed adult kibble. If $ is an issue you may prefer to do that as some of the large breed puppy formulas are expensive. The usual puppy kibble has too much protein and fat for large dogs with big bones . I was also told to keep pup lean and avoid over exercising while he's still growing. Also, avoid things which put strain on joints e.g. running up and down stairs, jumping in-out of utes/4WDs, jumping on-off lounges etc. Hope he's OK . You're doing the right thing taking him to the vet .

I found on a US website dosage: 10mg/lb- http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/daspirin.html You can buy 100mg tablets of aspirin (e.g. DBL aspirin) as well as the usual 325mg. Be careful when talking tablets- too much confusion possible! Aspirin can irritate the lining of the stomach, so is best given with food. I'm not sure about an active dog on aspirin. Aspirin is also a blood-thinner . If I take it, I bruise very easily (not sure if it does same to dogs).

Agree with the fish oils/ Omege 3. You can use the human type fish oil, in smaller doses. Some also suggest Flaxseed oil added to food (can get in a bottle, instead of capsules). Don't give too much oil, though . I'm not sure about the rice and pasta causing the problems? But they're not great dog foods as they don't provide much nutrition. Dogs are basically carnivores and need more meat than carbohydrates in their diet. Don't write off the vet prescribed medication entirely. It can clear up a "flare up" of the problem, then the natural remedies can be used more effectively for prevention. Lots of itchy skin threads.. Do a quick search for other ideas... Others have said the Malaseb can cause irritation when used over time. T-Gel was suggested by someone- human shampoo for itchy skin from supermarket/ chemist. ETA: Other obvious things to help are: * When bathing: Make sure you rinse, rinse. Then when you think all shampoo's out, rinse again. * Brush dog's fur right down to the skin- part fur with your hand, then brush away from your hand. Many people don't do this. My MIL was spending a fortune on shampoos etc. on her itchy dog but not brushing her dog properly. I use a slicker brush for this, but not sure what's best for a schnauzer?

The wealthy ones are probably the worst to extract $ from. Friends of mine are multi-millionaires and had about 8kg of puppy food left over (pup became adult). You'd have thought I had 2 heads when I suggested they donate it to rescue . I think you'd be surprised how well you do with being firm with people. They'll respect you for it. Once they come around, they'll be more loyal than ever and will give you excellent word-of-mouth business. Those that don't come around? You're better off without them. Can't you hear it now, "Why didn't the groomer insist I didn't use Woolmix?". (Hope they don't read this thread).

Well when you put it like that By clip, I mean a #4 body with scissoring legs which is not anything like the summer "shave offs" you might be thinking of (?). I normally clip both poodles all over monthly. Face, feet, base of tail get done more often to keep them clean and comfortable. Obviously I wouldn't shear him very short all over and leave him outside in the middle of winter . Why not leave him as is? He'll have a difficult to manage coat by the end of winter if I don't clip him shorter before then. I thought now is preferable- August is normally colder around here. Both are active dogs who get dirty, so a longer coat means extra bathing and grooming, no fun for any of us . Both dogs have been sleeping outside since we got Charlie at about 10 weeks of age. He's now about 7 months. The older dog used to sleep indoors during winter only. Weather's not extreme here and they have shelter, bedding etc. I've not clipped him yet. Think I'm going soft .

My mini poodle has similar symptoms, on and off, and the vet thinks it's grass allergy. I just keep his eyes clean and am still using an old (but very clean, stored in fridge) tube of "Amacin" eye and ear ointment (contains antibiotic and steroid) which settles his eyes -use for about 2 days- if they get particularly reddish with more clear gunk than usual. I'd use this only once every few months. I'd take him to the vet if anything changed or the discharge became yellowish-green.

Other thing is: Dog can develop an allergy to anything, at any time . He could have been fine with his food/ shampoo/ environment etc. in the past, but the same thing could be causing an allergy NOW. Have to look at everything..... PITA.

Lots of great advice, already . Good on you for doing the right thing for your dog, helping him to lose weight . I'm starting on my slightly tubby mini poodle who's been eating puppy food and is more enthusiastic now there's competition for food. Son came home from school having done shapes in Maths and said, "Mum, Oscar looks a bit like a cylinder" (dog's got less of a "waist"). I imagine extra weight is very bad for their backs? You could try telling family: "The vet says it's very important" "Dog could become lame if he doesn't lose weight" (?true with the daccies long back?) (if sneaking treats) "You'll be shortening his life!" (well proven in studies).

As long as they're still eating and look a healthy weight, I wouldn't worry at all. They eat more enthusiastically during growth spurts, I guess. I think it's normal for dogs to eat kibble as food of last resort .

Ditto Woolies. About $4 a kilo, I think. Nice for the larger dog .

I'm not sure about other ill effects, but doesn't "malted" mean there's a fair bit of sugar in there? Could cause lot of gas/ farts? I'd be especially careful with any breed that gets bloat (intestine twists and can rupture; vet emergency). Just my ideas, not facts. I'd keep it away from the dogs . They don't know what's good for them.

Sorry, no factual info. Things you use eucalytpus oil for: washing floors (a small capful, recommmended by the guy that laid some laminate at our place) and remove persistent sticky residue off CDs. (the price) and other plastics. Used it at work instead of 70% alcohol because it worked better . Also, poodles are the wooliest breed, I think? I don't know any poodle people who use Woolmix. I remember a young girl I used to work with- you'd wash her hair in the cheapest, no name shampoo and her hair looked great. No special diet. Youth and genetics, I reckon .

Sad thing is that a dog haircut costs less than mine AND they look better than I do . Don't go grey early (started in my twenties!!!!)- it's expensive to look normal .

A crate is a great idea for toilet training and preventing damage by puppy if unsupervised for a few hours. Some crates have a partition/ divider which allows you to easily make the crate larger as pup grows. Pup+blanket from breeder should go in; only big enough for pup to stand and turn around, otherwise it will simply wee in the corner away from its bed. Pups shouldn't wee where they sleep and eat. Crate is meant to be a happy place for pup- you feed them in there, give treats in there- so it becomes a den, not a cage . A smaller one (cav size) is great for the car, too, as most puppies vomit until used to the car. I bought one for my standard poodle, but found I didn't need to use it as he slept outside and toilet trained quickly. Sold it. Plan on at least 2 toilet breaks overnight- make them as boring as possible for pup (it's not playtime) and wait until results happen: Praise++. It aint over til it's over .

How old is he and is he teething? Could influence his "toy" preference. Leather gloves would be nice and chewy, plus smell like you . Kong make a special softer puppy variety- have you tried stuffing it with his favourite food? I like those ropes, too, only about $4 in Woolies and the dogs love it- chew toy, tug toy, easily replaced. Brisket bones and chicken necks and also good crunchy foods. Pigs ears?

I had a similar problem with my mini poodle at a similar age, even though I'd had him since a pup. My husband was away and I'd spoiled the dog. After he came back, the dog snapped at him as if to say, "she's mine", and I knew I needed to restore the pack order. The dog had 'promoted' himself to no. 2. He has a more dominant temperament. We did the basics like no lounges/beds, dog eats last (having watched everyone else eat), dog training, husband doing some feeding and a little training also (e.g. sit for treat). Best thing I've done and we've had no trouble since. Dog is now allowed lounge and bed privileges, when invited, and there's no problems. Best thing was to address the problem ASAP. The relationship with my dog is so much better for it .

A friend at work cooks pet mince and says it stinks out the house . She doesn't add the extras, though. I guess if he's happy to cook for the dog, and the dogs are doing well on it, keep it up . I prefer not to cook meat for the dogs (but I hate cooking :D). Dogs need more meat, less carbs, the opposite of humans. Veges best cooked and mashed so easier to digest as dogs also have much shorter digestive tracts.

Dogs are silly and don't listen when you ask them to stay quiet :D . After desexing the vet pamphlet said "no jumping" for a week and here is my fool dog bouncing straight up in the air a few days afterwards. Your dally's injury is more severe by the sound of it, though. Confining your dog in some way is really the only way to keep him quiet while you're not there. Is it possible for you to buy a crate for him to use when you're out for only a few hours? Not practical to use if you're out for many hours, of course. Crates are designed to be used as a den, not a cage. Your dog needs to be trained to use it and enjoy being there. An XL crate would be big enough for a dally and about $140-150 new. It would likely come in useful for post-op recovery if an op is needed. Can you otherwise confine him to a smaller area to minimise the risk of injury? One of my breeder's dogs injured himself and he had to be crated for a few months. She absolutely hated to do it (active breed), and asked the vet who said if she didn't the dog's leg would never heal properly. So, she did it. Sounds like you'll need those XRays - to confirm a diagnosis. One thing at a time .. Best wishes for you and the dally .

Our standard poodle pup is the first larger dog I've had (20kg at 6 months) from a pup. I unintentionally underfed him when I first got him, so he got a bit skinny sounding similar to your grey. He had a lot of fur to hide it and I was feeding strictly by the packet instructions, not wanting to overfeed due to problems with bone growth etc . Fortunately he had a few nights back at the breeder's a few weeks after we got him and I was set straight- "feed according to the dog, not the packet". Does your grey seem to be hungry? i.e. when you put food down he wolfs it down and would eat more if available? I found this was the case when our dog was too skinny. If there was food about, he'd eat it, even if he'd just had what I thought was enough as a meal. He's still lean, but will leave a little food in the bowl, and I take this to mean he's had enough. I can still feel his ribs easily, see a "waist" near the hips, but no bony spine. Vet said he was fine recently, also. Good luck. From you description, it sounds like Zorro needs a bit more weight on. Can you post a pic?

I'm sure I've read Woolmix is a problem, too, some time ago on DOL. Eucalyptus is an excellent cleaner, but very harsh. I'm really interested to hear if anyone can find what the actual pH of dog shampoo is . I can't even find a list of ingredients.

This is a tough one. I just looked at the bottle of the Aristopet poodle shampoo and it doesn't have a list of ingredients Same for the Laser Lites branded bottles, too. Perhaps because it's "for animal use" it's not required to have it on there? I often bath my dogs in "human shampoo" e.g. Pantene, Pears, cheap Aldi brand etc.- results OK, though they seemed to get dirtier quicker after Pantene. Leaves residue in my hair, too, that's why it went to the dogs . You'll get the "different pH" argument perhaps, but most shampoos for humans don't have correct pH for human hair, either, so not sure about that one. It's not a problem on a healthy scalp. Will read with interest as I can't work out why the dog shampoo costs more than the human stuff. The tresemme is cheaper than many dog shampoos if you buy it on special. I think you did the right thing- if the dog's skin is health and looking good, why worry? The customer's always right .

Try starting a 'New Topic', then more people will see your questions and be able to reply ... I'm sure I've read a few posts about colitis and food intolerances b4. Here's some: http://forums.dogzonline.com.au/index.php?...&hl=colitis http://forums.dogzonline.com.au/index.php?...c=57151&hl= http://forums.dogzonline.com.au/index.php?...c=45188&hl= Sensible advice you've got already. With the variety, you wouldn't know what was causing trouble, so back to basics is a good place to start. Lovely-looking dog (avatar), too .

I know I was on a good wicket with the $30 full poodle groom (the mini), even if it was about 2 years ago. Luckily fur grows quickly, so a bad haircut from me won't kill them. Well, if a showie can do a their standard poodle showdog in the shower, I should be able to do mine with < 1/2 the fur in pet trim . I'll go in next time I'm passing the salon and check it out. Thanks for all the info .