Miss Helena

OMG, I so couldn't do that with Bonnie re kibble!

Hi Kosti! That's what I was talking about - two different builds altogether, even though they get similar meals. Bit like people I suppose. Is Arnie's hip okay? Sounds a bit serious Edited to add: you can also see the difference in leg length between your two Kosti.

Hee hee, Bonnie has gotten up to 4kg once too - that is too heavy for her size (she really did look fat at 4!) Perhaps Sophie is a tad bigger chi? Bonnie is currently about 3.6-3.8. Not too bad, tho 3.5 or a bit less would be better. It makes me laugh to read/hear about chis that are 1.5-2kg - that is so tiny and frail.

Cool - Chi chis biggest (or smallest) loser!

Good tip re pumpkin - I'm going to give that a go. Edited to add: I've yet to find any food Bonnie won't eat! I think I could serve her a plate of brussels sprouts and she would eat them

Sophie is cute! She looks to be similar weight-wise to Bonnie. I agree though, it's really not good to let them get fat - bad for their legs (especially their patellas).

Mind you, they (Sophie and your new chi) might just have different builds... Bonnie is the short-legged, stocky variety of chi, and from what I can see of Sophie in your signature, she looks to be too. Here is Bonnie for info: She would have to be half starved (and very unhappy!) to get really slim. Her breeder has some chis who are really slender, just naturally.

Sounds similar to what I feed Bonnie. She also has a weight problem - the smallest extra bit of treat etc and she looks more pudgy. It's a pain! Better than having a really fussy/skinny chi I suppose....

Thanks Cynthia! She is a real sweetie (not that I'm biased...)

Bonnie with her fav toy! Me sounding like a numpty! http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=HKJzE3xvKNI

I suppose you could always snip the claws off them (with those strong kitchen shears) for a smaller dog. I'm sure most dogs would love them, as they are a tad gross! Edited to add: the chicken feet are a tad gross, not the dogs!

The EP Holistic Select is your best bet. I use the fish one and from memory it only has rice in it - no pesky wheat or corn...

Have my packet of Liver schmackos here: "Manufactured in Australia by Masterfoods Australia New Zealand" No mention of where the ingredients are sourced from tho.

I think it's to do with how "cooked" the food is? I've sent both AQIS and Eagle Pack emails asking about irradiation....yet to hear back

This is scary! I feed EP holistic and hate the thought of it being irradiated. I'm going to investigate further....

That's interesting re arthritis PF....I've heard conflicting opinions on whether LP surgery prevents it. I personally tend to think it would help prevent it....stop the joint clicking out of place and bone rubbing on bone must help preserve joint function in years to come.

Wow, that is a fantastic landscape shot CD!

Yes she had her first heat just prior to when I bought her....I only bought her at 10mo.

Good luck, I'm sure she will be fine! It is stressful though....Bonnie was 12mo when she was done, so not quite so young...

I tend to agree re that - mine certainly prefers a bit of heat to the cold - she really seems to feel the cold

I know with humans the spinal cord/sciatic nerve takes a few months to get function back after being compressed by a bulging disc. Sounds like your Valentino had a pretty bad problem (3 discs!) Poor thing, such a shame that daccies are prone to this... Still early days - I'm sure he will get better. What does your vet say about things?

If I ever get a longcoat, I plan on trimming them up a bit, mainly for maintenance/hygiene reasons. I'm personally not a big fan of dragging tails and really long culottes/feathers etc... Bonnie gets really hot quickly laying in the sun (as she is black). She doesn't tend to overdo it though thank goodness and comes inside when cooked to perfection! I have to be careful taking her for walkies in summer and only do it first thing or early evening when the sun isn't too hot (for my own skin's sake too!!)

This topic is very interesting! I got Bonnie when she was 10mo and she appeared to miss out on some socialisation. She is 95% fine with noises and all sorts really, but is extremely nervy around new people - despite me taking steps to help overcome it. This (nervousness) seems like a very difficult issue to overcome....

Ah, small dogs and their teeth! In addition to hard biccies and lots of chicken necks I regularly clean Bonnie's teeth. If I leave them for a week or so, she starts to get some build up and less than flower-fresh breath. If you want to try cleaning their teeth manually, I found that the following worked well. I do her teeth with her on top of my washing machine, so she is at the right height. I worked gently up to being able to actually brush her teeth (with a tiny toddler's toothbrush and doggie toothpaste) by doing it in steps: Just started with my index finger and no toothpaste, gently rubbing her teeth whilst praising her. Do this every few days for a week or two, until they are okay with it. Then use your finger and a tiny bit of tooth paste...repeat until they are fine with the toothpaste. Then use one of those cotton white gloves and tooth paste and a tiny bit more pressure. Finally the toothbrush and toothpaste. By being gentle, using graduated steps and lots of praise, I found this has worked really well. Bonnie has sparkling white teeth and nice breath! Chis can be BAD with their teeth too...blergh

I sometimes give Bonnie bits of corn...she seems to really like it, but it goes right through them (in one piece)...the evidence is visible the next day Edited to add: def no actual cobs though, just corn kernels!