Chocolate

Newnewf, I think next time you board your dog discuss his grooming needs. Ask what the boarding price includes and what extra grooming services they offer.

I think I might have to try and find a distributor here in WA, Belinda The price in WA is higher in WA due to the extra freight cost. Unfortunatley they'll never been available at the lower Eastern States prices like $17. A State Distributor will be selling for RRP so you won't buy them cheaper that way. The best thing to do is to shop around and compare prices. Once the new packaging filters through to all the retailers as they replenish stocks the price will go up everwhere eventually. There is an EXTREMELY small profit margin in these patties.

Letter from Ian Billinghurtst, BARF Australia Why New Packaging? Change is always difficult and we are well aware that our new packaging for Dr B's Genuine Aussie R.A.W is likely to attract as much negative as it attracts positive comment. The change has been partly in response to pressure from companion animal owners and partly because with the increasing popularity of the product we had to go to the next level in terms of production methods. The old method of production was labour intensive, slow and highly dangerous to the operators, with each patty having to be sawn by hand using a band saw. Additionally, improper handling after leaving the factory would often result in the patties sticking together, making them difficult, if not impossible to separate. We have, for a long time been receiving requests for the abolition of the round shape; this has come from many quarters; the complaints mostly being that the round shape took up too much freezer space. Other problems and complaints have involved bag fragility and ties which come off too easily; both problems resulting in the patties suffering freezer burn. Additionally, many people would not buy the prouduct because they did not like handling the raw meat patties. Our new format has overcome most, if not all of these problems. Once pet owenrs get used to the new packaging, they will find that it is much more user friendly and being totallly sealed, the patties cannot stick together and are totally procected from oxidation. On a further positive note, the new packaging contains much more information and we must stress that the cardboard we are using has a high compenent of recycled material and is of course recycable. Our aim as always is to Restore Animal Wellness through promoting and supplying a convenient form of Evolutionary Nutrition for companions animals. --------------

Glad problem solved:-) I think they did them like this so that anyone who doesn't like handling raw meat can just peel off the film push the patty from the back out into the food bowl ready for defrosting and then you just give it to your dog at meal time. Hands not even touching meat, no patties stuck together to have to break apart either. A more practical shape for storage in the freezer being a box not round. It looks like they have done them to be a kind of steak shape.

You can see on the photo that they are the same weight as before. Who says there are preservatives in now?

If they are frozen don't they just pop out in one go - they would only be messy if you defrosted them in the packet by the looks of it.

The clipper tongue is fine, the other blades work okay with the clipper. I feel like it is out of alignment or something.

A chap called Andy Stubbs of Professional Sharpening did my blades. I don't have a clue about diamon cut paste but he did seem professional it was a mobile service and he had all the gear in the van where he did the sharpening. How do I know if the tension is set properly? I oil the blades during use and brush out hair if it looks bogged. Normally used for clipping maltese/shitzu type dogs. I normally do a once over clip, then hydrobath and then finishing clip. I have a Wahl clipper. He checked the plastic on it and said that was fine. I think the problem lies with the actual blade. If I run it along the coat is just doesn't cut even though it was freshly shapened it made no different so I think there is something else.

I have a 5f which stopped cutting the hair. I had it sharpened but it still doesn't cut. Is there something else that could be wrong with it, like can they go out of alignment? If so, can it be fixed or should I chuck it and get a new one?

When I get my dremel I'll type out any instructions on or in the packaging. I'd say if you follow that Doberkim page you'll do pretty well though. The only thing I would suggest as an extra precaution is a dust mask so you don't breeth in all that ground nail. Good luck

Hi guys, I'd like to give something back to this wonderful community that is giving me so much help and info. If you go to the link I pasted below you will go to a tool store where you can buy a purpose made dog nail dremel at an amazingly low price of $39.95 with just $5.00 postage. I had bid for the golf one on ebay but was outbid at the last minute which I'm actually quite happy about now as it allowed to to purchase online this one which is designed for the job at hand. I'm over the moon with this price of $44.95 all up as I saw they had them at the local shop selling for $75. I would have bought it at the time but I'd already placed a bid on ebay!! Happy buying:-) http://www.mytoolstore.com.au/dremel-cordl...ombo-p-754.html

Well that looks an absolute bargain, thanks Badboyz

I'm not wanting to use a dremel instead of nail cutters but as well as them. I want to cut the nail down and then dremel to neaten and balance the nail. It gets rid of any burrs and any wonkyness from the cut. Just takes it down smoother.

I had a cheap brand $25 one which was okay for a while but the motor gave out recently. Hence I thought I'd buy a dremel branded one this time around that should last for years. Thanks for letting me know this is the L one DFA Which is the dog one from the US Settlvr?

Thanks for the quick replies guys. Dogsforall I found this on ebay. Is this the one you have or is it the cheaper L shape one you refer to???? http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-Dremel-Stylus-M...1QQcmdZViewItem

Also what is the best type for me to buy for doing dogs nails. Any recommendations, greatlfully received.

Thanks for all your replies guys. Oh I'm feeling like such a bad mummy at the moment. When I usually look at my boys teeth they look just fine but... I had a really good look right up the back molars the ones that you have to pull the corner of the mouth right back to see them and low and behold I found the problem on one side of his mouth only he has those upper and lower furthest back molars grey and bad looking. Oh I feel terrible. I did have his teeth cleaned a few years ago and I kind of regretted it because I found that it attracted tartar so much more quickly once they'd been cleaned. But as I say a quick glance around his mouth never showed up those two bad teeth. I can only assume that is the side he used to eat his biscuits on. He has been on a raw diet now for sometime but oh I feel awful as this must have been giving him some pain and discomfort for some time and he is such a good boy. I think he deserves a better mum than me. I'll take him straight to the vet to get them pulled out - I'm in shock. I can't wait until they come out now as he'll feel so much better. Now I'm wondering what kind of damage this could have done to his body as I've read about bad teeth putting toxins into the blood. ;)

Hi I have a 7 year old who has pretty shocking breath yet he eats raw meaty bones, has a natural diet and his teeth look pretty good. They haven't been cleaned for a few years but when I smell his teeth and gums they don't smell it is his actual breath I think. If the odour isn't from his mouth but from within his body I'm wondering whether it could be a sign of something else. Any ideas or experiences welcome.

It may be that the amount you are giving is a bit too much for this dog and so you would be best to slightly reduce the quantity until the stools become normal again and then continue at that level.

Please don't let the actions of *he who shall not be named* be held against Perfect Paws as he has nothing to do with the operations of that business and hasn't done for some months now. For sure, understood loud and clear.

What a shame a long standing quality company like Conmura Hydrobaths has been put under so quickly by the new purchaser. I believe Conmurra were bought out by the chap who ran Perfect Paws in Perth. Whether they still own Perfect Paws or sold it at that time I don't know but I think when they bought out Conmurra they renamed it Hydrobaths Australia. My hydrobath came from Conmurra before being bought out about a year ago and I was so impressed with the service then. Such a shame when someone brings down a long standing company like this in only just over a year.

Sorry re your orginal post weak pasterns can be from both nutrition in puppyhood and structural faults. If you lift the front of your sheltie up do the pasterns fall straight down as a continuation of the leg? If they look weak with no pressure on them they are certainly structurally weak.

By 9 months of age there would be little that could be done if the weak pasterns have been caused by nutritional deficiences during puppy growth period. Of course it could be a structural weakness in which case nothing can be done. The only thing I would suggest to try to see if there is any improvement dietary wise is to give vitamin C and a natural calcium sup like cottage cheese, yoghurt.

I'm interested to know what establishments charge for a straight hydrobath. Do you charge for more a blow dry? What do kennels that board charge for hydrobaths? If you have to groom a dog out do you charge more?

The clipper I am using is a Wahl. I'll have to look up the Double K. I found that trying to clip through matts seems to blunt the blade, is my clipper not powerful enough? How often would you recommend getting blades sharpened or should I just buy new ones? If you can do a dog in 20 minutes what sort of dryer do you have to get it dry in that time as I find it takes me a good half hour to dry the dog?