Anna H

Ok, need some help here guys.... One of my GSP is quite underweight at the moment (can see hip and rib bones clearly) and I'd like to get some weight on him. I've tried increasing his food intake and he'll always eat willingly, but the more I feed, the more he poos (and usually get the runs if I up his food too much). He gets a mixture of dry/chicken frames/dog rolls/bones. I can't feed him things like lamb flaps without him getting serious runs from them. He is eating more than double my GSP bitch at the moment. I desexed him a couple of months ago, but this hasn't helped at all. He is only 14 months old, so still a very active young dog - however, he is confined to a run during the day whilst I am at work so shouldn't be getting too much exercise (unless he is pacing when I'm gone, but I've not noticed that). Ideas?

I've got one cat and one dog that likes the treadmill... and one cat and one dog that hates it.... probably worth a shot if you can borrow one to try out. Just never leave unsupervised when on treadmills.

Is it likely that a boarding kennel/dog club will accept this? Some I've seen have been seriously stuck in their ways... the kennel I now choose to use seems a little more flexible (at least they accept a C3 on my own risk) I'd prefer not to vaccinate annually, but had mine done the past two years in a row because of boarding requirements. Cost about $75 for the vaccine & check up which I thought was too expensive, I don't use the heartworm vaccine (not comfortable with the idea) so not sure of prices... but I am in Perth and prices are probably different.

That has been my experience too.

Yep, they can still get it. Chelsea had it despite being vaccinated, but it did seem quite mild - so maybe the vaccine helped a bit.

Thanks guys... Clyde, neither of my cats get any spot on treatments so wont have that sort of a mix up... glad to hear your cat survived! Thanks for the tips

ok, just doing a bit of research here, my two always get bothered badly by flies in the warmer weather; usually I just use a spray on repellant, but the place we have just moved to (probably) has brown ticks as well. What can I use for the dogs that wont harm the cats to protect against ticks/fleas/flies? I was looking at Adantix, but I believe it to be harmful to cats? Our cats don't lick/groom the dogs these days, but they do all share couches/living areas etc

I don't know how well those vibration or high pitched noise collars work - but I'd be mighty annoyed at the waste of money if it didn't. Maybe some other DOLers will come along that have had success with these. I just went straight to a zappy one - fixed the problem humanely and fast. I got the YS300 , it isn't the cheapest available, but I think it was money very well spent... it is well made and doesn't pick up the barking from my other dog either. It says it is for smaller breeds, but works fine on my GSP on the lowest level.

oh, it's nothing serious... just maintenence stuff (desexing, vaccinations, teeth cleaning etc etc) - its just that all four need something done! I migth look into that book, I've seen it before and was wondering if it might be a good starting point in a highly excited dog.

Would love to, money is an issue at the moment - have just bought a new house and am about to fork out the better part of $1k for assorted veterinary work to my pets. yes, nearly all the training sessions/clubs I went to seemed to think letting pups run riot with each other was a good idea - so I gave up going to the clubs up because of this.

Daily if you count that he spend the whole day with my other dog... otherwise, not really that often anymore. I realise this lack of interaction is probably making things worse, not better - not many people walk their dogs in the dark at 5am (when I get up before work) so he rarely sees other dogs.

Ok, somewhere along the line I've stuffed up and now have a dog that is far too reactive/uncontrolled whenever another dog within sight. All he wants to do is play and be a complete fool... not agro whatsoever. Any tips on where to start in training a more suitable response from him whever we meet another dog?

We're going through a similar thing at the moment, my younger one likes to drag my girl around by her collar. They both wear breakaways and yes, I starting finding them off more than they were on (it had become a game to get the collar off ) I'm having some success with bitter spray, but I need to reapply it often (at least once a day) for it to work. Might be worth a try?

Adding some smooth rocks helps too - just make sure the rocks are too big to swallow!

Thanks all. I had a quick chat to the vet and they weren't concerned unless he was severely underweight, which he isn't - he's just a bony teenager

I'm not worried about him being lean - my other GSP was the same at that age. More worried about the effects of the anesthetic, I've read here before that the skinny ones can take a bit longer to recover.

I had planned on getting Ollie desexed this Thursday, but I'm having a huge amount of trouble keeping weight on him at the moment no matter what I feed. He is a nearly 12 month old GSP, and never sits still for a moment! He is what I would describe as 'ribby' and I'm a little worried about putting him in for desexing at a low-ish weight. I know I could hold off desexing him until he is a little older and possibly more settled, but we are moving house in 2 weeks time and feel our current home is probably a lot more suitable for recovery (in terms of keeping him clean etc)

Sandgrubber - I'm not a trainer so cannot give any advice, but I found my dog became a 'velcro' dog during the initial stages of training; it soon passed however once she realised what I was asking of her... but anytime she got confused again, she would return to her velcro spot right next to me.

Thanks for the info guys... and the PM'd info Rusky. I will check into it once we actually shift in May....

I don't know the area well, but Gosnells would probably be closest. I've got one dog at CCD level, and another that can't find his way out of Basic!

We're currently living NOR, and moving into Roleystone area - does anyone know of training clubs in the area (or somewhere nearby)?

My two are doing great on the Corpice... slight increase in poo patrol, but their coats are actually shinier than on the super premium.

I'm really please to report that after my experience with the flour moths in the Coprice, I rang Coprice and they have contacted the distributer... turns out that if you keep the Coprice with the RiceBran that they also sell, moths can and do flourish! Steps have been implemented to prevent this happening again, so supplies in Perth shouldn't have the problem again. Coprice have sent me a whole bag of dog food to try (minus moths!) - so big to the great customer service.

I was just thinking the same thing... yummo!!!

Coprice Family Dog Rice, rice bran, chicken & chicken by-products, animal fat, whole linseed, dicalcium phosphate, salt, vitamins A, D3, E, K, B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B6, B12, biotin, pantothenate, folic acid, niacin, choline, trace minerals (cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc), mixed tocopherols, rosemary plant extracts, citric acid, kelp, garlic, yucca schidigera extract Coprice Puppy Rice, chicken & chicken by-products, rice bran, beef & beef by-products, full fat soyabean meal, animal fat, whole linseed, chicken digest, bentonite, lucerne meal, salt, vitamins A, D3, E, K, B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B6, B12, biotin, calcium pantothenate, folic acid, niacin, cobalt carbonate, copper sulphate, potassium iodide, ferrous sulphate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, zinc oxide, choline chloride, mixed tocopherols, rosemary plant extracts, citric acid, kelp, garlic, yucca schidigera extract,lysine, methionine.