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If the beef bones aren't weight-bearing bones, or the kind that break in to pieces that are the perfect size for choking on, I don't see why it would be a problem. Variety is important though, and so is having some meat on those bones!

Apparently tomato juice or sauce is quite effective. It increases the amount of sodium, which increases the water intake, so the urine is more diluted. However, I wouldn't go with this option - increased sodium can lead to kidney stones. I would be wary of any supplements to prevent grass burn. What do you feed your dogs? Could you train your dogs to urinate in one spot? Then there could just be one burnt patch. If there's a post, that'd be a good spot to train the boys if you have any.

If you want human grade roo tails, they will be a bit more expensive. I'm not sure if it's that important to get human grade roo meat though - as long as you worm your dog regularly it should be fine, I think.. Anyway, it's easier to get HG roo tails from markets than from a butcher. Make sure you get them cut up (from the base of the tail to about 25 cm along weighs about 1 kg!). I have been able to cut roo tails with a sharp knife but it took a while and didn't smell so good

Dr Bruce Syme is Australian. If all Australian chickens are now antibiotic and hormone free, why would a butcher advertise on a large board in front of his shop that his chicken is antibiotic and hormone free? He should not have too if it is the norm one would think? :D It's just advertising Much like avocados are advertised as cholesterol free - plants don't produce cholesterol!! :D (OK sorry, there are minute amounts of cholesterol in plants.) So just because one claim is made, doesn't mean the reverse of the claim would be legal.

Haha, I was thinking exactly the same thing. Wild dogs aren't known for their fabulous body odour or clean fresh breath either. Haha, good point :p I would be interested to see how my dog would cope with the prey model diet. I am certain he would just LOVE all the food, because he eats ANYTHING - but that's the problem. He is a bottomless pit, and my family thinks I'm SO cruel for underfeeding him ( !), so I keep the vegetable content at the BARF level mainly to add bulk to the diet.

Dr Bruce and Dr Billinghurst have different ideas about which meat is best for our dogs. Dr Bruce recommends kangaroo, mainly (I think) because it is not farmed. I have heard differing ideas about pork too. I don't bother with pork fillets, but I do give my dog pork bones with a bit of meat on them. These seem to be the perfect bones for him - he can eat a whole bone, they have never made him sick and are just the perfect size. I did stop feeding them for a while when a butcher discouraged me and after reading that website, but I asked my vet about them and he didn't think there was any problem. Can meat from animals with parasites be sold for human consumption? I was under the impression that it cannot - so surely pork from a butcher would be fine? ETA: Pork isn't as fatty as people think. It gets the tick of approval from the heart foundation! Bacon and similar cuts excluded...

I haven't filled out the poll because my dog doesn't really have as many skin issues as he used to. The biggest improvement was when I stopped buying lamb bones from the supermarket - I'm not sure if it was the meat itself, or how it was treated, but I am suspicious because they lasted a lot longer than bones from the butcher. Bones from butchers get stinky much faster A couple of weeks after the last time Jake got all his shots, he had really flaky/dry skin and shed heaps.

Exactly. Given the pup has already been sick from chicken mince, would it be unwise to recommend chicken necks? That's what I would try. I don't see the need to mince anything except vegetables, so my dog gets bones, meat and offal whole.

It does sound like a lot of protein. I hope that owners give their dogs' kidneys a break every now and then, by fasting perhaps.

Not sure what it's like in Sydney, but in Melbourne roo tails aren't too hard to find, but aren't everywhere. At markets I can get them, but they aren't always generous enough to cut them up for me. At pet shops they have told me that their saw won't cut them, but I have managed to cut them with a sharp knife (though it wasn't that easy), so surely any saw would cut them! 1 kg of roo tail is too much all at once. Jake has only had ox tail once. The tail was cut up, and the pieces were too small - he choked on one. So make sure you don't get tiny pieces! The argument FOR feeding vegetables is that if a dog ate vegetables in the wild, they would have been the contents of an animal's stomach, so would have been totally crushed. That's why they have to be pulped/blended to be of any nutritional value for your dog. So... do some research and decide what will work best for you and your dog. I have Tom Lonsdale's book, Work Wonders, and two of Billinghurst's books including Give your dog a bone; both diets include vegetables, but at different levels.

Similar experience.. when I was feeding dry food, my favourite (and my dog's) was Innova Evo but he was always hungry so I mixed it with Eagle Pack Holistic. That was the best dry food combination for my dog. Then my supplier stopped stocking it, so I got DVP, and Jake's skin issues returned. So while I believe it's a high quality food, it wasn't right for my dog. It's worth a try if you can get it in a small bag. If I wasn't feeding raw I'd choose Evo + EP Holistic, and I'll probably always buy Ziwi Peak for treats ($$$ :p )

Perhaps try feeding her dinner with no ACV for a few days, then slowly increase the amount until you are feeding her the old dosage. It's weird that she went off sardines though! I can't imagine a dog not liking the stinky slimy things. Could you try adding something she normally loves to the supplemented food? Maybe meat juice or stock, liver, whatever makes her go crazy?

You could try feeding your dog based on his ideal weight, minus one half to a quarter. The advice in this thread has been great - preparing the meal early in the day and then only giving "treats" from that bowl is such a good idea. I know how hard it is to convince overfeeders that they are being cruel. I have been trying for aaages to convince my mother that it is more cruel to allow your dog to become overweight than it is to allow him to become slightly underweight. I wish you the best of luck!

I haven't been able to find any pet food stalls at the QV market recently, but I did find a game stall that sells kangaroo. They charged $6.50 per tail though Does anyone know where I can buy kangaroo tails and/or bones in Melbourne? Thanks

Congratulations!! I hope everything goes swimmingly. Everyone has given you good advice about bringing your pup home, so I'll get more breed specific in a breed-wise rather than breed-bashing way. "Separate Dogs before Leaving the House. This is one of the hardest things for new multi-pit owners to accept: Our dogs can be the best of friends BUT they still may find something, someday, that will cause an argument. When you’re home, a small spat can often be stopped fast with a loud shout. But if you're not home, this same argument can escalate, drag on and cause injury or worse. Avoid this terrible possibility by getting your dogs used to being separated during 'down time' in a crate or on a tie-down, first while you're home and then while you're away. You can rotate dogs so one is out while the other is contained. Or, let one dog sleep in your closed bedroom for the day while the other gets the sofa. Dogs are creatures of habit, so once you let them get used to this routine they’ll accept it as perfectly normal. Remember to exercise the dogs before you confine them so they can rest and enjoy a chew toy while you’re away. By following this standard protocol employed by owners of many dog breeds including and especially the terrier breeds, you can leave the house knowing that you’ve done everything possible to ensure the safety and well being of your pets." One of the cutest photos ever: I can't wait to see photos of your doggies together!!

Gosh, what a headache she must be! Have you tried taking her for a walk before you leave for the day? Does she behave destructively even when you're at home? Is there a chance her behaviour could be anxiety-related? Have you tried putting things in cupboards, rather than just almost-out-of-reach but within eyesight? Can you lock the shed door and keep the patio clear of anything she might shred? I know these are obvious things but clearly the temptation is too much for her. Depending on how long you spend away from home, crate-training might be a good option. Maybe a dog-walker too. What do you put in her kongs? The longest my dog has ever spent on a kong or a bone was when I combined the two Have you trained her to give/drop? That command would be helpful for when she steals pegs. Sit and stay would help then too - she could just watch you and then get rewarded for being so calm.

Have you tried crumbling stock cubes over the food? That's one idea I've heard can help the transition from dry food to raw. And gradually reduce the amount of stock used. Maybe that was only for the vegetables though I wonder when Jake will stop being such a guts! I thought BARF was meant to be satisfying.. he really is a bottomless pit.

I'm sorry for offending you. I certainly didn't mean to offend you. The American Pit Bull Terrier is my favourite breed and that is why I was compelled to recommend that you never leave your dogs together unsupervised. It's obviously your decision. I have an AmStaff mutt and I won't ever leave him with another dog unsupervised. Not because I think he will start a fight, continue a fight or anything of the sort, but because his ancestors were bred to be dogfighting champions. They were selected for their dog aggression. That is not your fault, that is not my fault, that is absolutely not the breed's fault. If anything happened, I would never be able to forgive myself and I would be devastated. It is simply not worth the risk to me. I know what you mean about NILIF, but my dog relaxes when I get home pretty quickly, and after a couple of minutes is very excited when I finally call him over

Ooh, a new addition! Congratulations you must be so excited. I don't agree that the dogs should be fed together. I haven't found any information (other than peibe's anecdotal) that this will prevent resource guarding. They'll share toys, why should they share space when they eat? My main concern however is that you intend to leave these two dogs together unsupervised. What's the saying? Never trust a pit not to fight? Even if Diesel absolutely loves every dog he meets, I personally don't think it's worth the risk to your dogs' health or your bank balance (stitches, antibiotics, surgery - all adds up and is easily prevented). Plenty of dogs survive the day with just a few toys, a bone and a kong as company and a comfy place to snooze. Do you use NILIF in your home? That is useful for any dog, but might be extra helpful for your situation. There are some books that can help you to manage a multi-dog household, eg "Who moved my bone?" It even has a gorgeous pit/AmStaff on the cover ETA: Multi-dog home

If your dog pulls, maybe you could try a Sporn harness. My dog has sensitive skin too. With a regular harness (which doesn't make him walk very well) the skin under his front legs gets irritated, but with the Sporn harness he hasn't had any problems. AND he walks beautifully when it's on him without causing any pain or discomfort. A miracle!

There is a Billinghurst book specifically for pup nutrition - could you purchase these and include it in the cost of buying the puppy? I haven't read this book so I can't comment on it, but I think the other two books can be a bit daunting because of all the decisions to be made. Maybe summarise the options? There are lots of BARF threads here - just do a search for barf. BARF is an acronym for "Bones and Raw Food" or "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food". It is based on a diet of approximately 60% raw bones and attempts to mimic what our dogs' ancestors ate before the advent of commercial dog food. There are many health advantaqes of the BARF diet, but it does take a bit more effort and planning (or you could buy pre-prepared BARF patties). Dr Ian Billinghurst has written books on the subject. barf shop barf world Good luck!

I have been using the shampoo and I think it's pretty good. I have used the spray on sore paws too and I think it helped. Tiggy asked for a natural product though - I don't think Eqyss microtek fits that description. The label does however say that it neutralises contact allergies

As peigirl said, Vitamin E is important - it counters the potential of the oils to cause our dogs to age. Where do you buy flaxseed oil? Is it in the fridge in health shops?

I haven't tried 4Paws yet - I found a supplier within walking distance, so I called them. I definitely should have clarified - I will only whinge and mention the shop's name if they are unhelpful/impatient when I place the order . And in that case I'll try 4paws. I am preparing my dog's meals now, but I feed him meat and vegetables on alternate days. When my brother looks after him while I'm away, I want to use the BARF patties so he can just feed 2-3 a day. No way can I hassle my brother with anything too complicated or messy. :D

I should add that I use the Micro Tek shampoo (I wasn't aware there was a variety of shampoos!).