Danois

There are some Fb groups for Danes which may be of use but a lot of crap information too. Otherwise @sas has put together a lot of resources here re buying a Great Dane. 

http://www.greatdanerescue.com.au/downloads.htm

Otherwise I think JP 

There are very few breeders in AU I’d even consider these days.  A lot of crap breeding. 

The main colour related issues are in harle - obviously the deaf issues from double Merle but there is more skin issues with harles too. Blues can also be prone to skin issues (like blues in other breeds).

My old links are broken but I think this is the same piece http://www.apollodane.com/blog/the-art-of-breeding-great-danes/great-strip-tease-show-or-understanding-dane-coat-colour/article-coat-colour-in-the-great-dane/

JP Yousha from ChromaDane has written a lot about colour genetics in Danes. I am assuming she is still current in her thinking. Sas (find her as The Balanced Canine on FB) may have more information on this. 

Seriously relax! Puppies go through podgy and lean phases as their bodies grow. You are not going to cause lasting damage if your puppy is a marginally overweight for a week.  Similarly them being lean is not going to harm them either. 

I would not be calling a breeder or speaking with a vet about weight - it is pretty easy to monitor yourself. Look at them from above, and look for the waist. If it’s fuller then cut back slightly on the food for a couple of days. They won’t starve!

Best thing you can do for the puppy is get it off the RC dry food. It’s nothing more than expensive cereal. Get the puppy on a decent diet and that should also help. 

You need a carb source to bind the product together in manufacturing. Without it it is just crumble. 

There was never any product safety issue with the product for dogs. 

The issue was about the irridated cat food. 

It was then a high quality product and I fed it, and would feed it again. And I had a cat affected by it. 

You do realise the post is now 5 years old right?  

Prime100 rolls, K9 Naturals freeze dried (add water) and K9 Naturals or Ziwipeak tinned (the tinned only ocassionally)

On 11/08/2018 at 3:37 PM, persephone said:

Oh gosh  
 The dog is still registered/microchipped in the first owner's name , and if there is nothing written ..no receipt ...sorry , legally this dog is still 'hers' 

We can possibly assist in your dog friend search - you're going thru a rough patch, and I agree -a furred companion would be a lovely thing for your heart

This is not actually correct.  Legally the dog is not still the old owners. There is clearly a contract that has been created and performed - the old owner offered the dog for sale, the new owner agreed to buy the dog and gave consideration for it - and the Dog handed over. All elements of a binding contract. There was also steps taken in reliance on the contract ie pet insurance, money outlaid. 

The fact there is no receipt is irrelevant.  The fact he’s still chipped in the old name is also not persuasive - transaction only took place 3 days ago and it is to be expected it will take a few days to put through paperwork etc.

This is completely analogous to buying a used car. You’ve paid for it and picked it up, change of ownership follows.  

(I know the OP has since said the paperwork has all been done). 

Personally - I’d keep the dog.  You acquired it in good faith and have bonded with it. 

Records of the Vet belong to the Vet. There is no obligation to provide them to the owner - nor right of an owner to demand them.  There is a case (from Supreme Court) supporting this. 

If requested by another Vet, the Vet may release them if necessary for the treatment of the animal.  That’s in the AVA Code. 

https://balancepetfoods.com.au/t/dry-dog-food

Seems to be the same guy that produces this. Interesting they’ve chosen new brand, new website etc

Try this link https://www.australiangreatdaneguide.com/puppy-kibbles

This sets out recommended kibbles for giant breeds - from someone who has put a lot of work into analysing the ingredients and ratio. 

DO NOT feed raw to a giant puppy while they are growing.  It is too easy to eat ratios out and screw things up. However raw is awesome for once they’ve finished growing. 

There is a hammock style one from Kurgo (brand) that fits an XV perfectly ( I had one) . Can get them at pet shops for under $100 usually. 

Ah!  That's what he developed - IMHA.

Size of dog might have an effect too - mine was 75kg.  His cortisone dose was low for that weight though.

Yes - direct experience. I haven’t seen anyone else on here talk about it over the years from memory. 

I think it all depends on how early it was diagnosed.  The vets I had at the time failed to diagnose it despite the presentation of symptoms - they were determined he had hip or elbow displaysia.  Even though he had a swollen hock, bowel issues, high WBC and a fever attack and shifting lameness over a few month period. 

It was thanks to DOL he was diagnosed as I had connected with another Dane owner who was a Vet nurse. I went and saw them and diagnosed very quickly. 

We went on a grain free food, he was on prednisone daily initially and avoided stress.  I think he was on another immuno suppressant later from memory. 

There is no happy ending to the story. About 6 weeks after a very stressful incident too, he took a turn.  From memory he developed pancreatitis and we had to back off the prednisone. When doing that we realised that not only was there the IMPA but another IM issue too in play - which can happen once they have one. 

There were too many fires for him to fight and we made the decision to have his peace. He was 21 months - so I think we had about 12 months after diagnosis. 

That was just under 10 years ago - hence being foggy on some details now. 

Food alone will not address the clear gut health issue. 

Go check out The Balanced Canine on Facebook. 

Lawyers bills are ordinarily a reflection of the quality or quantity of their clients’ instructions. 

Barristers are needed for technical points of law or complex advocacy IMO. 

Just get a good lawyer to run it. 

If you self represent - well you get what you pay for...

Check in with the Animal Law Committee resources on NSW Law Society website. 

It isn’t a criminal lawyer that is needed. 

18 hours ago, Little Gifts said:

I hope someone can give proper advice. I wonder if the cat was in a council area where it was supposed to be suitably contained? If that's the case then some blame will be on the cat's owner for having it loose too. Then there are the dogs. No history but a potential disposition to chase and catch based on breed might be considered. And then we have the fact that even though the dogs were leashed the parents were unable to restrain the dogs at a critical time. No intent and no history to suggest they are a public risk but several unfortunate contributing factors have led to this incident. It could've been avoided if the cat was contained and the parents were able to manage the dogs under all conditions. I hope they are not seized (or worse) for instinctual behaviour (perhaps muzzling in public might be a safety measure that is now needed) but it is an eye opener for all dog owners really. Of course we don't want our pets to cause harm to others but I don't know how well I could control both of mine if I was walking them at the same time and a cat ran in front of them either.

 

I hope you find out some factual information so your ex can take a sensible course of action.

The fact the cat was outside is largely irrelevant.  It is entitled not to be chased and attacked regardless. 

The parents have failed to have effective control of the dogs.  That could attract a fine. 

The dogs could also be declared dangerous as they have seriously injured/ killed another animal. 

Isn't the guy at Pet Foods Reviews at pains to point out his independence?

But that level of angst applies to so many aspects of our life - especially our own diets!

We have so much more access to information now - as well as choice in the marketplace as it’s easier to import or the barriers to entry to the market as not as high so more players entering the industry. You see that with how Black Hawk or Ivory Coat started. And science is much more advanced. 

I just see it as symptomatic of our evolving society. 

You don’t need to be a scientist to appreciate a diet of Pal is not good long term. Dogs may live a long life for many reasons other than diet. But you’re not giving them the best fuel for their bodies and mind. 

It’s like saying “I ate fast food every day of my life”. 

Would you eat that type of food every day or do you recognise that quality nutrition plays an important part on your overall wellbeing (physical and mental)?

4 hours ago, Rascalmyshadow said:

There is no dry food that is good for teeth, they are all crunched up too quickly and leave trapped particles between dogs teeth, doesn't matter how big the pieces are.

 

The marketing and consumption of dry foods is one of the biggest causes of an increase in dental issues in dogs along with crappy breeding.

Do you have the research to support that claim? I haven't seen anything that has contributed to increase in availability of dry to increase dental health. 

Research I have seen supports benefit of abrasiveness and mechanical action of chewing dry food on helping prevent tartar etc. The fact VOHC (look at the composition of the members) gives a tick to certain products also supports that - given they independently review the studies etc

I am also curious about the breeding point. How does breeding related to plaque and tartar build up on teeth?

Glad you came back in TSD! I was going to say the same thing - excessive water intake is exactly that - excessive intake usually from dogs who spend prolonged periods in pools/ sea etc

When is time? In my view with big breeds, on diagnosis. The potential for significant pain when the bone fractures whether you are there on not is the deciding factor. 

On 05/01/2018 at 4:47 AM, sandgrubber said:

Complete control is a big ask.  I walk three Labs in our small town.  They are good most of the time.   The exception is encounter  with loose dogs. I know they COULD pull me off my feet if a loose dog came bounding up to us.  I also know that I can prevent this from happening by sitting down.  Has happened a few times.  I scream bloody murder.  Sometimes someone comes out and collects the loose dog or the dog goes away .. one time no one responded and I had to let go of my dogs.  The approaching dog turned tail and ran.

I do wonder how those dog walkers would respond to approach by a large, off leash dog.

Never seen dogs off lead in NYC other than in the dog parks (or designated off leash areas). 

Majority of dogs I'd see on our walks (with a friend who lives there and owns a dog) didn't even pay heed to other passing dogs.  No barking and lunging at the mere sight of another dog. 

I see it being that many dogs there don't place a high value on other dogs - because they don't get forced into what happens here - thrown in a park with lots of other dogs off lead and expected to figure things out.