Dog_Horse_Girl

In that case, a DAP diffuser won't help. It works best with indoor dogs - we have two in the house going all the time. Can you keep the barking pup indoors?

I'm so sorry. ;) RIP Barker. You are loved. You will be missed. :D

Yep, good advice to remove the VAN complete mix...too many grains. Also up the raw fruits and veg to suggested levels of 25% to 30% of daily dietary intake over a week (I don't give fruit/veg every day). Also add more offal, doesn't have to be yucky...I use lamb hearts, lamb liver, lamb kidney and whatever else I can get that's easily sliced and then frozen in 'serving' sizes. I'm about to do a batch of veg/fruit slop. I freeze a serving size per zip lock sandwich bag, flattening it out before freezing it so it thaws quickly. I use as wide a variety as possible and always put one or two different fruits in the mix but it's predominately vegetable matter. Contact Robert McDowell about the skin problems, his remedies really do work! No processed or artificial anything. Review all medications but don't stop them without vet advice esp if you live in a heartworm area or a paralysis tick area for example. You can also supplement with Alfalfa, Kelp, Vit C, Vit E, fish oils (cod liver is the least expensive and very effective)...plus probiotics to counter-balance the antibiotics somewhat.

It's not an assumption, but my opinion based upon reading the two products' ingredients lists. Price alone is no indicator of quality - - - just look at Hills Science Diet for proof of that theory. If your dog does well on a particular type of food, feed it. If not, find something the dog does well on and stick to it. For me, that's a raw whole foods diet.

There were *many* foods involved in the recent recalls. That's no indication of quality as a general rule IMO. And this thread is about dry 'Natural Balance' processed food isn't it? Wet pet foods are a bit O/T in that case. I know you like to support Australian made and owned. Why not add that so people know your bias? I have no problems in posting my biases are for raw, whole foods, organically sourced when possible and that I don't like feeding processed foods under most circumstances. The locally-made Natural Balance is definitely inferior to the imported Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Organic Formulas IMO. The ingredients are superior and the manufacturing process seems to be superior as well. :D

I contacted Robert a couple of years ago. Ruby has dreadful skin allergies which we believe are caused by grasses. The only place she doesn't react is Canberra but she's reacted everywhere else (Darwin, Cairns, Melbourne). We used to take her to the vet for anti-inflammatories (injectible and tablets) but obviously can't do that year-round. I e-mailed Robert for some advice. He said that it would be worth trying his Blood Cleanser and Skin Allergy compounds. So when Ruby's skin started itching when we got back to Darwin, I ordered both remedies. She's been on them for a couple of weeks and the results are FANTASTIC. She's still scratching but not as often or as hard as usual. Her skin is much clearer and the irritation has definitely reduced (the skin is much less red). She's not making herself bleed any more and her fur isn't falling out as it usually does. I can highly recommond Robert McDowell's products. E-mail or call him - he's brilliant IMO. ETA - Ruby is fed a raw, whole foods diet but I notice that if she's fed commercial treats or foods of any sort, the itching seems worse. I'd suggest switching to a raw diet too as many processed and refined foods don't sit well with either dogs or people.

You're joking, right? De-barking isn't a first-step approach but the absolute last resort shy of euthanasia. If you are wanting to offer meaningful and helpful suggestions, perhaps try again? I'd suggest to the OP: using a DAP diffuser (this helps to calm the anxious dog); use of interactive toys such as kongs, buster cubes, egg toys etc; confining the dog to a smaller area; leaving the TV or music on for 'company'; obedience work before you leave combined with a walk; minimising the 'hello's and goodbyes' and giving the dog as few leaving cues as possible; employing a routine for when you are home; videoing the dogs when you're not there to see what's really happening; and doing some alone training so the dogs learns that it's OK to be alone. It's good that your neighbours seem OK with this but beware as this can change rapidly in some cases. Let them know you're trying to resolve it and that should help. :D

Oh, PL I'm so sorry. Run free Big Boy! You are loved. You will be missed. :p

Nope, this food is 'bite-sized' so she didn't chew it...she chews everything else I've ever offered to her. :D Chicken necks can't go down her throat without her chewing them. 4 Legs OTOH, is just the right size to get down the throat and get stuck. And many dog owners have reported the same thing with this food yet the company hasn't got a warning on the packages about the size of the food pieces being unsuitable for very small dogs. :D What if I hadn't known canine first aid? My dog would have died. And this has happened before with this particular food. That makes them negligent and liable, IMO. :p

I go for the greek style yoghurt too, it's nice and thick, full fat and the dogs love it! I feed it two weeks on then two weeks off. They each get an amount in proportion to their needs. Molly gets a couple of teaspoons; Ruby gets a soup spoon full; Lilly gets a fist-sized serve, all once daily.

Ruby's had a yeast infection in her ears. She scratched at them like crazy and ended up with a lot of bleeding from scratching so much...so I don't think this dog has a yeast infection. Ear mites, OTOH, don't always produce behaviour changes in the dog (such as excessive scratching or head shaking) which is why I think it's more likely to be mites. :p I'd give the canker drops a go but if no improvement over a week, then a vet visit is in order. :D

Yep, if this was happening to any of my dogs, and it has, I wouldn't leave it a month, I'd be at the vet after a couple of days of loose stools. To add that these are senior dogs, I probably wouldn't have waited that long either. Nutrience is a good food generally speaking. Nutro and Eagle Pack are, however, better quality IMO. :p Most dogs do well on Nutro or EP b/c both brands have formulations to suit many different dogs with many different needs. It could be that you have one dog on one food and the other dog on a different food. There's nothing wrong with that. My three are all on raw but are fed differing things from each other to take their needs into account. :D I hope you discover that it's nothing serious. But as dogs age their needs change and some change more than others. :D

It sounds like an ear mite infestation to me. Get some canker drops from your nearest ethical pet shop and follow the directions. Healthy ears don't need cleaning often - I usually check them once a month and rarely clean them (ears are for the most part, self-cleaning).

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing...my nephew is working in a butcher shop ATM and I was thinking he could send me some RMBs...

Yes, I still don't know how this inferior product can get away with calling it "natural balance"...perhaps the DVP company doesn't know? This other product is no better than supercrap or pedigree IMO...similar ingredients in similar ratios. But so many Australians seem quite happy to continue feeding vastly inferior foods b/c they don't see the benefits in switching to a higher quality product. ;) Or perhaps they can't justify spending that little bit extra? I'm now paying 2 to 4 times the price for RMBs that I did in Canberra. But the butchers here are so expensive and all give the usual excuse of "you're in Darwin"...so tired of that old chestnut b/c freight really shouldn't add double or triple to the price and most of what I want is "scrap" that they can't sell for human table consumption (lamb flap, neck etc - all top quality just not suitable for the table) yet they charge what I consider to be a premium price ($5.50 per kg for lamb neck is just ridiculous as one example, I was paying about $1.50 per kg in the ACT region and about $1.00 per kg in Melbourne). But they have their profit margins to protect, eh? The cheapest I can get is beef neck pieces at $1.50 per kg (and there's a lot of bone on it) which is what I consider a reasonable price for dog food. Perhaps if I buy enough the prices will come down...we'll see.

Glad to hear it's nothing serious and that you're treating the problem...your vet sounds lovely too.

No, the OP is referring to the inferior (IMO) product that is made in Australia and somehow managed to 'borrow' the name of a great product for itself. Dick van Patten's is IMO an excellent food. However, I checked the ingredients list of the local product and it's not a good food IMO. Corn isn't suitable for the majority of dogs and can cause all kinds of 'side effects' such as irritated skin and eyes, poor coat, upset stomach, and hair loss in severe cases. I wouldn't recommend it and I certainly wouldn't feed it. ;) There are many better quality foods out there if a dog owner is happy to pay a reasonable price for a better product. I feed a raw, whole foods diet, BTW.

This could be caused by so many things that I'd be seeing the vet rather than asking here. ;) In the meantime, stop washing the dog as this could be making things worse. Also, try to see if there's a particular time that the dog behaves differently, such as scratching or chewing the skin. If there's a smell it definitely warrants investigation IMO. Dogs on a good quality diet shouldn't smell, or shouldn't smell much anyway. :D

It's off the menu at my place now after Molly almost died from choking on it. ;) If I hadn't known what to do she would be dead. It's not worth the risk if you have a smaller dog IMO. Big dogs shouldn't have the same risk but I'd still be careful. :D

Yes, but sadly they're not available in Australia. Canidae is one, Timberwolf Organics is another. Why not resume either EP or Nutro? IMO you get what you pay for and in the case of dog food, this can mean the difference between great ingredients and poor ingredients. Why feed inferior quality if you don't have to?

That's my question too. If the pup's doing well on a super premium food, why would you try a much lower quality food? Euk is pretty poor in comparison to both Eagle Pack and Nutro, you've only got to read the ingredients list and SMELL the foods to know that.

I miss Dr B's BARF patties...well, the dogs do. There's no distributor in Darwin as far as I can tell. I've tried to contact the nearest one in QLD but they've ignored my e-mail...I'd be interested in distributing the patties here, if anyone knows a contact for this it would be great!

Aloveen shampoo and conditioner. Dogs love it, we love it, and it smells divine!

I began feeding a raw, whole foods diet b/c of Lilly and her inability to do well on cooked/processed foods. Most ran right through her and the one that didn't certainly didn't get/keep weight on her bones. She's just lost some weight b/c of the move/kennel stay/change in climate. So I'm increasing her raw bones and offal and trying to incorporate higher fat bones but it's not easy to source bulk bones around here. I use chicken parts (whatever I can find these days!), lamb flap (or I would if I could find it...haven't tried too hard as yet but will take all suggestions offered), roo tail which is lean but also very good for them, lamb neck or neck chops, beef ribs, soup bones (great for cleaning teeth and the extra meaty ones are fabulous)...I'm trying to find BARF patties but no joy as yet. Really, raw foods provide better quality nutrition IMO...bones are the best food b/c they offer great nutrition and other benefits including teeth cleaning and jaw exercise, both of which is important for a dog's overall health and wellbeing. Greyhounds do have sensitive stomachs in many cases. A raw diet can help tremendously with this.

I have a recently-diagnosed epileptic dog, Molly. My advice would be get to see your vet as soon as possible so s/he can begin to search for a cause. It could be epilepsy but seizures can be caused by many things including toxins and tumours...it's best to rule out the really awful things ASAP. It's a matter of discussing the seizure/s with the vet, doing bloods, and in some cases starting phenobarbitone immediately. It's a steep learning curve. Molly has just gone in today for a blood draw to check her phenobarb levels...I'm hoping it's all good and settling into the desired level of drug in her system. I won't get the results for a few days as there isn't a local path lab in Darwin...apparently the bloods go interstate!