GSD's 4EVER

Me too .... the dogs' health care comes before me though. The last massage I got was a painful bone cracker that I couldn't walk after from a session at the chiropracter about 8 years ago. They sure love living at "Treat Central", that's for sure. They sleep all afternoon after they come back. It's so quiet in the house, you can hear a pin drop. Where do you live ?? If it's in Melb, I can give you the person's name.

As well as all the natural foods that have been discussed here, I give my girls a big dollop of home made yogurt every morning with a desert spoon of flaxseed oil. 3 times a week, I'll also add a desert spoon of cod liver oil & a capsule of Vit E, Vit B, Grape seed, Selenium & a teaspoon of green tea leaves. Mish (nearly 12) also gets a teaspoon of Silium Husk every morning as a bit of extra fibre. On their evening meal I sprinkle a teaspoon of Glucosamine now that their growth plates are done. On the weekend, morning & evening for both days, I also give them Arnica tablets to deal with any bumps, bruises, aches & pains they may have picked up during the week. This may be a bit OTT for most people, but I also take my girls for a massage every week.

I don't remove it. I cut into chunks with the skin on, cook in the microwave until very soft, then mash and mix with the rest of the brew. The skin just breaks up into small pieces and gets mixed in too, along with the seeds. I don't give my dogs anything cooked. I pop all the vegies into the food processor, pumpkin skin & seeds included & grind it up.

If you are close to a market like the one in central Adelaide, you can get your offal cheaper than the supermarket. You can freeze offal. You introduce the offal slowly in some cases. For some dogs it's an "acquired taste", so they may go "Yuck, what's that crap ?" when you try & give them too much at once. Some people cut the offal into chunk sized pieces or even use their blender. Of course you can't do this with bones .... stick with it. It will work out cheaper in the end & be more healthy for your dog. Remember ... there are no can openers in the wild

That's pretty much what I did. While they were little, they got one meal kibble and one meal raw, then changed the kibble to a chicken drumstick in the mornings and their regular raw at night, with kibble 1-2 times per week replacing their evening meal. Now they have raw 99.9% of the time and are thriving. The only reason they'll be having kibble now is to use up what's left in the cupboard. When I got Spirit at 8 weeks of age, I "de-toxed" her on chicken & rice for 3 to 4 days to get all the chemicals, preservatives & commercial food out of her system & then straight on to a natural diet. She took to the new diet with great enthusiasm & hasn't looked back.

The unit is about $20, but it will pay for itself in no time. I get the plain powder. It's been ages since I've priced yogurt, but it costs me about $1.50 to make a litre of yogurt. What's the price of a litre of commercial yogurt these days ?? It was around $4 when I started to make my own.

If you make your own yoghurt, it's even cheaper to feed them. You can get the container & powder from Big W. It's called "EasiYo". I have 3 dogs & they get a big dollop on their breakfast every morning along with their oils.

Yes, it's the liver of a sheep.

You get a free sample of "Apperteaser" with every order.

Well said Tikira. I've felt that way for a very long time as I've lost both animals & humans suddenly that I have been very close to. I try every day to treat my fellow man with a little more understanding & smile at all the animals that I come across during my day.

Have popped in a couple of those remedy bottles we spoke about & some comfort "noom nooms" for S & K. :wink:

It's the first day of many "firsts" Sweetie. It will get easier as time goes on. :rolleyes: I struggled with all the "firsts" until the first anniversay of Zena's death. A special ;) to you Rach & those other gorgeous kiddies of yours for today. Your "care" package is in the mail. Hopefully it will get there in the next day or 2. I looked at that post from BT & thought "OK, who are you & what have you done with my husband ??" ;) Just goes to show how much of an impact Jae has on people. ;)

Three German Shepherds walk into a bar & the barman says "Why the long faces ?" This is how all the fun began Rach ... :wink:

This has been a very hard decision to arrive at Rach & today was your finest hour, with Jae loving you right up until the very end, helping you to stay strong in his gentle & compassionate way. I wish I could be there today, if only to put an arm around your shoulders. The pain will diminish over time, but the love you have for Jae will always be as bright as those beautiful eyes of his. Much love.

So :rolleyes: , but how is Tara's "boyfriend" going after his massage on Thursday ?? He looked rather good to me as he trotted up the road. PM me. I only stumbled in here by accident

I give my 2 a dessertspon full every morning in their breakfast along witha big dollup of home made yoghurt. 3 times a week I also give them a dessertspoon of cod liver oil with their breakkie.

Ta for that. I take my girls for a massage once a week. (Lucky ducks) Have been taking Mish for the last 9 years, so she's pretty spoilt. Not really. She deserves it 'cause I love her. Best muscle therapist in Melb in my opinion. She uses my treats, so no charge on the treats & no charge for massage. She also uses lazer therapy which is fantastic. Mish looks amazing at the moment. Check the White Shep thread. BBJ came & took pics of Mish today & posted one. You wouldn't know there is a thing wrong with her from her pic. Thanks so much for your wishes for Mish's health. If you believe in the "Power of Positive Thinking" & I do, with all of you "pulling" for Mish, she's got a lot of new best friends out there & trust me, the old girl thanks you heaps. Mish is very lucky to have you all sending waves of love

I know your heart is in the right place, but I don't want to start a separate thread for Mish. If I did this, I'd spend all my time on the thread & not being with Mish. Most important to me at the moment to spend time with her. Mish's progress will be updated on the White Shep thread. You are all terrific & I really appreciate your support.

My OH has been dealing with all the technical stuff, so I'm probably the wrong person to speak with. As I understand it, by removing her glands, they tried to remove as much of tumour as posssible. Because it's in her backside, to get the lot, they would have to remove half her backside & she then wouldn't be able to toilet properly. This cancer has also metastasised rather badly in Mish. We're not sure if an Oncologist can help us at this stage. Mish is recovering well from surgery & at this stage looks fantastic. It's early days yet. Our vets are terrific people & are researching every avenue to give Mish the best treatment. We'll see what Sat brings. In the meantime, it will be life as normal for Mish. As soon as she's recovered from the surgery, she'll be back to work & getting ready for that next pass for her first Obedience Title. Best thing for Mish really. She's the ultimate "stress head" & if we're all gloomy, she'll get upset & then the cancer will spread even faster.

Her anal gland. Mish has had a natural diet for years. I even make my own yoghurt & she has cold pressed oil, cod liver oil & extra vitamins. Looks like it has just been a case of "damn bad luck". Thanks for giving me your thoughts. So much appreciated.

Well, all I can tell you at the moment is Mish (hopefully can post pic so you can see what she looks like), had her glands removed last Tues. Flav has posted Mish's diagnosis. Chemo looks like it's not viable. This type of cancer is rather invasive, so putting Mish under the extra stess of chemo isn't worth it. I'd rather see her happy for whatever time we have with her. We're going back to the vets next Sat. There is a new drug that will slow the cancer down. We'll see. She's been given 6 months, but how long is a piece of string !! Mish is 10 & is a Shepherd X Ridgeback. She is a darling girl & everyone loves her as soon as they meet her, hence Flav being very generous as to start this thread. (You big softie you) Mish doesn't have any commercial dog food, human quality all the way. I also make my own treats which don't have any chemicals, fat or preservatives. My girls (See Tara, young GSD in aviatar) also have a massage once a week. I work from home, so Mish & Tara aren't stuck out the back for at least 8 hours a day. They get a run every day, no matter what in a great off lead park close to home. So, to sum up, my girls have the best of food, comfort & basically live a great life. Don't think there is anything I could have done to prevent Mish getting cancer. Happy to hear what you all have to say. At this stage, we're just going to see that Mish has a full & happy life. We're not going to sit around moping or letting the old girl feel sorry for herself. She & I have a special connection, so she'll let me know when it's time to go.

That was just the best. So beautiful. I know my Sheps that have passed are in good hands now.