Dog_Horse_Girl

Sadly for 'consumers' many vets haven't a clue about many aspects of caring for our dogs and cats. Nutrition is one of those areas where uni doesn't provide any assistance for the learning vet, so the food companies step in. HSD, Iams/Euk and similar foods are sold to vets as being "complete and balanced" but more importantly, sold as being able to produce a 100% + profit-margin. That is, if the bag sells to you for $100, the vet bought that bag for $50 or less. Read widely from vets such as Tom Lonsdale or Ian Billinghurst. These vets know that nutrition is not about making money primarily - and they also know that feeding processed foods will generate MORE business for the vet due to the numerous problems these foods create. I've never seen a dry-food fed dog with excellent teeth but many fed on raw do have great teeth. And poor teeth lead to other health-related problems including heart disease (it has never been scientifically-proven in either dogs or humans as far as I know but there is a link b/c of the fatty deposits in the foods and bacteria that grow in a dirty mouth), gastric upset, and smelly/greasy skin and coat and dirty/smelly mouth. Veanna keep feeding a BARF style diet. Loki will thank you for it. And you'll end up needing the vet less often if you ask me! :D Oh, find another vet - NOW!

:rolleyes: Innova is only available at Pet's Paradise...that's why I'll never buy it. For the problem, I'd reckon it's the sudden switch that's done it. Try to begin the new food gradually, with a ratio of 1/4 new and 3/4 old food and slowly increase the new while decreasing the old.

That's one reason our dogs are kept inside our house. Toads kill dogs. If you're not there to intervene, it's a tragedy. :rolleyes:

The greyhound owners that I know in the USA all brush their dogs' teeth. Some are now feeding raw, but the vast majority feed dry foods and some feed the genuinely super-premium labels such as EP Holistic, California Natural or EVO (both Innova foods, both excellent), Canidae (not available outside continental North America apparently), Timberwolf Organics, and Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Organic Formulas. The rest feed HSD/Iams/Euk b/c their vet says it's the right thing to do. :p

I'd strongly recommend you contact Robert McDowell about this dog and the medical issues it has. He's a herbalist who treats people and a range of other animals...he's very good at treating the whole rather than the symptom. Itching can be caused by many things, allergies being just one of a number of causes. I'd say that cleaning up the dog's diet will help the skin problems no end and a top quality dry food such as Eagle Pack is the way to go rather than a cheaper, locally made product that uses inferior quality ingredients IMO. I would not suggest a raw diet in this case b/c of the circumstances but generally this is a good idea if the owner has the motivation and know-how to achieve a good balance in a raw diet. Best of luck! :D

Molly seems to continue seizure-free. We obviously don't know if she's had any more when we're at work...there are no signs of her seizing when we get home so I have to assume the meds are adjusted properly and doing their job. :D The dogs all need their annual checkup this month. I'll be asking about whether we should do another blood work-up for Molly...or if she's OK to keep on the meds a bit longer...or what other options we have available.

Yep, I read it and almost choked. The statements given are just ridiculous... However...in the US (litigation capital of the world), liability is a serious business, as is the sale of processed dog foods. Therefore, it seems most vets denounce natural feeding of our cats and dogs and proffer their preferred-stuff-in-a-bag...usually HSD or Euk/Iams. All of which are rubbish IMO. I prefer to take the advice of Aussie vets who actually care more about our dogs than making money and covering their behinds legally speaking. And that sensible advice includes the regular feeding of Raw Meaty Bones to our dogs and cats. In fact, my dogs are fed a raw, whole foods diet. That is, RMBs, offal, some veg pulp, some sardines, yoghurt, eggs...not all at once but this is their diet over a month. I rotate different foods so they have a balanced diet with everything they need (quality nutrition provided by whole foods served raw) and nothing they don't (no added salt, sugar, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives). I don't even give them 'pet mince' except that sold at Lenards b/c most pet mince contains sulphur dioxide...a nasty preservative that can cause organ damage in people AND dogs. Feed raw meaty bones. The benefits far outweigh any (falsely stated) risks. My dogs are living proof of how sensible a raw foods diet is...and I'm not alone. :D

Not a fan any longer. My little dog nearly choked on pieces of this food and if I hadn't known what to do, she'd be dead now. It took my husband and I about five minutes to completely clear the blockages and she wasn't able to breathe properly during this time...she could have been brain-damaged or worse. IF you have a small dog and you would like to feed this food, my advice would be to slice the pieces up into tiny bits so the bits can't get lodged part-way down the gullet.

What does your vet say is causing the problem? Is it stress (either positive or negative?) or is it motion sickness? Do you feed your pup before you travel or does the pup travel on a completely empty stomach? Usually an empty stomach helps if it's motion sickness OR stress-related. But be guided by your vet's advice and opinion. My car-sick dog is medicated for car trips. She just can't help vomiting even if she's not had her breakfast...there seems to be 'something leftover' from dinner the night before.

I don't feed veg slop on its own. It's given about twice a week at most...with RMB and sometimes with yoghurt or offal as well. Some people do mix it with minced meat but I don't in preference to leaving the slop as just slop. Sorry if my earlier post confused you, b/c what I meant was the slop is not mixed with any other food but is served with other food. HTH. ;) BTW - nothing at all wrong with the diet being mostly RMBs...I only give minced meats b/c decent bones are very expensive here and also very hard to find. Everywhere else we've lived, the dogs have got mostly RMBs and rarely did they get minced meats b/c I don't think it's necessary.

My chi cross sleeps with us, our other two are a bit big for our bed but they do come in for cuddles sometimes. They don't smell and they rarely get a bath (maybe every three months or so unless Ruby has rolled in something disgusting). They're fed raw whole foods though so we don't have to put up with the smell some processed foods create. ;) I second the recommendation for Aloveen products - the shampoo and conditioner are mild and smell divine.

Mine are fed twice a day as well. And they're also fed a raw, whole foods diet similar to BARF. I just split their rations - 1/3 in the morning, 2/3 in the evening. ;)

Are you sure a pup needs a weekly bath? On whose advice is this based? Bathing a dog or pup usually only removes fleas on the animal at the time but doesn't control the pests otherwise, and I certainly wouldn't be relying on bathing to keep a dog flea free. I'd suggest asking about suitable flea preventives when you see your new vet at the pup's first visit. This would be routine for a new addition to the family and I usually do this in the first day or two. For my dogs, I use frontline plus but they're all adults. I'm not sure of the suitability for a toy breed pup...that's why your vet is the ideal person to see regarding this. Congratulations BTW - chis are awesome little dogs!

Way too much plant content I'm afraid. My dogs get veg a couple of times a week maximum. And just a small spoonful at that. STOP feeding dry food b/c that doesn't help IMO. Reduce the "meat" content but don't reduce the meaty bone content. RMBs are preferable to minced meats for me...and definitely human grade minced meats except the chicken mince at Lenards is generally good quality (it's frames minced and no preservatives). I don't do "patties" either. Just meaty bones; offal; minced meats; veg/fruit slop; yoghurt; sardines; egg. Not all together obviously. And not every meal, again obviously. This is what they would eat over a month or so.

There are many causes of itches in dogs other than fleas. It would seem your Molly has something else going on. What has your vet suggested you try to curb the itch other than a flea treatment? I'd be looking at her diet, her environment, and also having a close look at her skin. I have a dog with allergies caused by contact with allergens, most likely to be plants and pollens. As she can't avoid these things, we relieve her symptoms by using herbals supplied by Robert McDowell. We tried the western treatments (antihistamines, steriods), which worked whilever in use but as soon as the medications were stopped, the itch returned. I'm talking about scratching until the dog yelps in pain, scratching until the skin is literally raw and bloody. This is very distressing for the dog, not to mention the owner. Since starting Ruby on herbals, her symptoms have disappeared. She now gets approximately two doses a week depending on how she looks and behaves. We couldn't be happier and nor could Ruby. I'd suggest a re-visit to your vet b/c whatever they've put Molly on hasn't helped. I'd also suggest you have a look at Robert McDowell's website: Robert McDowell's website HTH. BTW - IMO supercoat is crap in a bag...I'd ditch it and opt instead for the 'whole foods' approach.

Have they never heard of worming in TAS? De-wormers are available that treat all intestinal worms including hydatid tapeworms. They've been around up here on the mainland for years now.

Today I bought a bit of dog food. I got some at Woolies b/c they actually have a good range at times: turkey wingettes; lamb off-cuts on a tray; beef off-cuts on a tray. Normally I don't buy off-cuts but these pieces were mostly meat with a small amount of bone. The lamb is a bit too fatty, so I'll trim it before I serve it. I wanted some lamb necks and flap (ribs) but they didn't have any. And I couldn't get any organs either so I'll go to the butcher tomorrow and get some heart, kidney and livers. I don't buy bagged off-cuts unless I'm completely desperate, b/c you can't see what's in the bag and it's often really bad quality...but tray-packed is much better IMO as you can see what's inside and feel each piece to see what the bone:meat ratio is for each piece. I then went to Lenards and bought: a bag of necks; a bag of wings; 3 kgs of pet mince (which is minced up carcasses). I also bought some frozen veg to make a slop b/c the fresh stuff is so expensive ATM and I haven't even bought much fresh for us this week b/c of the prices. Tomatoes are $9 per kg. Pumpkin was 'cheap' at $3.50 per kg.

Keep irrigating with the salty water for now. You can book in on Monday if you're at all worried but the wound looks small and clean so it will likely heal of its own accord. JMO.

Had a great post and lost it. Basically, shop at the butcher rather than the supermarket as most butchers are very accommodating. Go for Meaty Bones not offcuts or bags of "dog bones" b/c the latter are mostly bone that's otherwise going to be thrown out b/c there's virtually no meat on it. I'll post more again later...when my brain is functioning again.

Dr B's books are very affordable, I bought mine from Callicoma Kelpies and Pet Supplies by mail order (she's in Grafton NSW) and you can likely source the book from Dr B's website...from memory it was under $20... You've bought the right herbals. I just got the SA mix and the blood purifying mix...Ruby didn't need the third one b/c her eyes aren't too bad other than the occasional discharge and that's cleared up nicely now. Try to introduce just one new food at a time and see how she responds. Some dogs will do well on rabbit, for others it's chicken or duck, and others still do best on lamb or roo. Any processed food is more likely to bring on a reaction IMO b/c there are LOTS of ingredients that can be to blame, and often it's a preservative or colour or flavour. Raw foods don't have these ingredients so they're much less likely to cause issues. However, buy the best quality raw foods you can (I use human grade everything except roo mince b/c roo is so expensive for human consumption); buy in season so it's fresh and affordable; ensure you have a good balance over a week or two rather than each meal being "complete and balanced"; and make sure there is plenty of meaty bones as well as minced meat products. Also offal is a real boost to most dogs - I use heart (usually lamb); kidney; liver; and from as many different animals as possible. Veg is just raw veg processed through a juicer (throw the bulk of the juice out and use the pulp) and a small amount of fruit thrown in. Avoid brewer's yeast as a supplement as it is known to cause allergic responses in sensitive dogs. Use kelp, alfalfa, and fish oil as a bare minimum and you may wish to add vit c, garlic and linseed/sunflower mix. And read as much as you can!

It depends on the dog but Ruby is the one I'd bath more frequently than the others and even then, it's only a few times a year if she's not been swimming or rolling in anything yucky. Dogs don't need frequent bathing and doing so can cause problems IF you use the wrong product or don't use the product correctly. A healthy dog should have a healthy coat and skin that doesn't smell. Long coated breeds need more frequent grooming than my short coated ones, but even so, brushing/combing/stripping is more important IMO than bathing. Sure, bath a few times a year, or even monthly if your dog really needs it, but more often than that for a pet (non showing dog) is not really needed.

I have heard it is a very good food, but as far as I am aware only stocked by a pet store chain which most DOLers won't buy from because they sell puppies out of the stores. I wouldnt buy anything from a shop that sold puppies or kittens. I got it from Pets Goods Direct, a store that has been open for about 7 weeks near us. Then you're still supporting PP b/c that's who owns this "new" business...the Bates clan is very clever at understanding OUR concerns with their PP stores, so they're launching these PGD stores everywhere and these stores don't sell puppy mill pups. Innova did an exclusive deal with the Bates clan so you'll NEVER find this excellent food anywhere but PP and PGD...until the Bates clan open yet another brand of store.

You mention giving your dog leftover bones from your cooking...but I hope you mean that the bones you feed the dog are RAW rather than cooked? You can research as much or as little as you like on raw feeding for your dog. I guess it's up to you how much you want to prepare yourself vs what you buy ready-made. But you must understand the basics IMO or your dog's health may suffer (which is the opposite of your intentions). Robert McDowell is an excellent herbalist IMO and he offers some very sound advice (except I disagree strenuously with his advice not to desex a pet). Why not start by reading "The BARF Diet" by Dr Ian Billinghurst? It's a great beginners book that gives great ideas for what to feed and how to switch. I did a gradual switch but IMO the rapid switch is fine b/c I put my dog Molly on a raw diet almost immediately she arrived (the rescue group fed her on euk and it was doing her all kinds of harm...terrible teeth and breath for starters!). Most dogs with allergic reactions aren't actually allergic to food items although that does happen in some cases...mostly the itching we see is b/c of environmental causes such as contact allergies to plants and plant parts. My staffy cross Ruby has had terrible allergies all her life (well, since we adopted her when she was 6 mths old) and we had her on anti-inflammatories and steroids on and off every season. It was awful. Since we moved back to Darwin, I have been using Robert's SA mix and it's been FANTASTIC. Ruby doesn't scratch any more, her eyes no longer have a yucky discharge and her skin is "normal" again. This is a real miracle IMO b/c her itch was relentless before the herbals and is virtually gone now, less than four months after commencing the regime. Ruby is down to one or two doses a WEEK. Read Billinghurst, search here for BARF diet and raw feeding, and ask questions! We're here to help and no question is too hard or too silly.

The raw diet was just a suggestion b/c many people find it helps with allergies. Robert McDowell is online and another member has provided the link to his site. We chose not to test Ruby for the same reasons you cite. You don't need to spend a lot of money on Robert's herbals. A 100 ml bottle of SA mix (skin allergy) will cost about $60 including postage and the dosage is initially 10 drops twice daily. Ruby's now on just 10 drops every other day...and her symptoms are completely gone, her skin looks normal again, and she's much happier. She just doesn't itch any more, which in itself is miraculous.

Have you contacted Robert McDowell? His herbal treatments are a huge help with Ruby's allergies. She would scratch herself raw to the point of bleeding and yelping while scratching but just couldn't stop herself. She's now on a maintenance dose of 10 drops every other day and she's really well. No scratching at all. She is due for a bath, and I use Aloveen shampoo and conditioner for all the dog b/c it's gentle and smells delicious! BTW - I feed the dogs a raw, whole foods diet and I know many herbalists believe this will help the dog have a more manageable condition than a dog fed on processed foods. However, Ruby has been raw-fed for years and I can't say for sure that the raw has made a huge difference compared to the processed. It's the herbals that worked!