sandgrubber

You can purchase DNA test kits that don't go through a veterinarian... you deal directly with the company. I'd say that's risk free so far as getting reported goes. No guarantee the results are accurate or meaningful. There's so much confusion about pits as breed vs type, and AmStaff vs APBT that it gets quite muddled. If I remember correctly, in some parts of California (Santa Rosa County for one) a Staffy is considered a pit bull!

Annoying that national standards aren't free to access online. A bit like the Middle Ages when the Bible was considered God's law, only elites could access it.

Confused. Sounds like you know parentage. What DNA test?

"recent scientific data?". It's been known for YEARS! But good on the ABC for spreading the word

Better underweight than overweight. Can't judge from photos. It's how it feels when you move your hand over the bony parts that counts. Best to avoid rapid growth on big dogs.

Yoli kept returning to my big Echium, sticking her nose in and wagging vigorously. When I let her out, she'd run directly over to check out the bush. I was surprised to look in and see a nest with 3 baby birds, maybe 200 mm above where her nose is in the photo. Yoli loves to chase birds. I groaned, thinking "this is not going to end well". To my amazement, the nestlings haven't been abandoned, and Yoli hasn't made any effort to get at them (she could, easily). They are starting to get their pin feathers now. So I think they may survive the puppy's interest.

Soon full of b.s. it would take hours to rebut. Not worth the effort. What next... arrest people for yelling at their dogs to shut up or tugging on a leash ? That's punishment too, and for some dogs, more distressing than a light tap with an e-device. Even better, why not go after people whose dogs suffer loneliness and boredom. If they want to avoid cruel use of e-device, and it does happen (though nowhere near so often as other forms of cruelty) , they should restrict maximum settings so that the dog can't get more than an unpleasant tap.

If that's plastic mesh, it's very easy to believe.

If it's that far along, xrays will work... most vets can do it

You might try putting a notice at your vets, or calling her breeder, or if she's dog friendly, hanging out at a local dog park and talking with people who like her. The ideal solution would be to find someone who is happy to have a second dog around for awhile... perhaps in an arrangement where you look after their dog when they go on holiday. $1700 is cheap for 4 mo boarding... I would check out the kennel thoroughly.

BBC News - Corgi comeback? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49695950

The US origin hound breeds, like black and tan and blue tick are worth considering. Catahoula as well.

Have others found some breeds are thriftier eaters than others? I've had Labradors for decades and now have a young Springer. She eats more than the Labs do, at around half the weight. No surprise, in one way. I've known for a long time that my Labbies will get very fat if I feed them the amount recommended on the bag (or the raw diet recipes). But it is a surprise to find that a dog of another breed can consume so much and stay slim.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2019/09/cellbio-another-dubious-lab-test-from-hemopet-and-dr-jean-dodds/ There have been many recommendations for sending to Dr Dobbs on DOL. Not taking sides. But I think it's worth knowing that there are reasons to have reservations before going ahead.

Not necessarily old dogs. I had a neighbor whose 3 yr old border collie would sit facing a corner for hours and was prone to weird behavior such as unprovoked and unexplainable snapping. The vet could find nothing wrong.

Coating with peanut butter may require less food intake. Personally, I'd call the vet and ask how empty the stomach needs to be. My dogs don't mind the finger down the throat, but I don't like doing it

Mine never bothered their stitches. I kept a collar handy, but didn't use it.

Yup. Lots of variables. Could be a disaster, could be nothing much. I have Labs. I planted bulbs with blood and bone. They dug all of them up. Others alerted me to possible dangers, which seem to depend on how the B&B is made. Not all dogs are gutsers, and there'd be difference between a sprinkle of the stuff and a 5+ mm layer. I now stick to compost, manure, chemical fertilizer, and pee for the part of the garden the dogs use. Less worry.

Too bad it's gonna cost 35 USD to read the full article. I'd guess if you could do an MRI on my Springer pup (no way she'd stand still for it) you'd find enormous regions devoted to olfactory sensing and very little else .

Watch carefully. If you see any signs of digging and eating you're going to need to do a thorough job of digging it in. Blood and bone can be very dangerous for dogs, at least in some formulations. They dangerous part is how much some dogs love the stuff, and the fact that it isn't very soluble... thus it hangs around for a long while. The other problem is that dogs tend to dig up your plants when blood and bone has been dug in.

I thought you might like this story from The Washington Post. As humans shaped dogs’ bodies, we also altered their brains https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/09/02/humans-shaped-dogs-bodies-we-also-altered-their-brains/

From personal experience, I agree on staying lean and building core and leg muscles. Presuming the problem is in the hip. Alternative opinions deserve consideration. For transparency sake, please name the vet and provide links to the studies.

I am not a fan of Dogs Naturally. They do not stick to evidence based medicine and have taken some worrisome anti-vax positions. See, eg: https://theoutline.com/post/3127/all-natural-pet-care-is-a-scam?zd=2&zi=uhwrynxl NSAIDs can have side effects, especially those not intended for dogs. I'd be interested to see evidence for claims of cartelige break down. As an oldie with arthritis of the hips myself, I can say that Xrays don't tell the whole story. My doctors are a bit amazed that I still walk a few km a day with little or no pain, as my left hip is quite bad. They do admit that they've seen it before, though. Radiometric evidence and clinical signs of pain often don't correspond. Likewise with dogs it's not uncommon to see a dog with bad hip or elbow scores get to advanced old age with no signs of arthritis. One inexpensive way to test for pain is to get your vet to prescribe a pain medication that does not cause drowsiness. If she becomes more lively and moves more freely when medicated, it's a strong indicator of pain. Note, best done with advice from a vet. It may take a week or more for anti-inflammatory meds to get on top of inflammation.

If she has serious dysplasia at two, joint supplements aren't going to be very effective and may do nothing. I'd guess your best options are NSAIDs (cartofen, spelling?) or surgery, neither is cheap. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2014/03/legs-glucosamine-study-sows-little-evidence-of-real-benefit/

How do people interpret this? Seems worrisome that the Chair is from the Animal Justice Party. How were other members selected? Is the 'charitable organization' in question the RSPCA?