darlingdog

I have 4 dogs....my favourite is sooo laid back...but..he HATES my mother in law to the point if she is here we have to restrain him ! I know it's not a laughing matter...still....

I cannot even IMAGINE the heartbreak these poor people are feeling ....R.I.P Bear and Kooda

I get rescue pointers in from time to time....all of which have landed here skinny as...all ribs and backbone. I use fresh chicken wings,lamb flaps, yoghurt and Blackhawk kibble..supplemented throughout the day with satin balls given as treats. Very high calorie treats...they usually put on weight in no time even the fussy eaters.

I'm thinking of feeding my Pointer on Earthborn over winter. Going to head to Pet Stock tomorrow and have a look.

Find it very hard to keep weight on him over winter while on Black Hawk, happened last winter too. He lives outside so I can't have him much more skinny while it is so cold

My pointers all lose weight in winter on whatever food they on on.... I find if I increase quantity by not quite double just as we come into and throughout winter and then back it off as we come into spring. I feed lamb flaps in winter too rather than the chicken I feel at other times of the year. Mine are also inside at night which helps a lot.

He has a crate and blankets and two other dogs with him outside, so I'm not worried one bit. Gets lamb/beef bones a few times a week but I'm having to feed a sh*t load of his current food at the moment and I don't want to risk his health just to keep his bones covered.

So was thinking of just feeding a higher fat dry for a few months. Then back off when the weather changes.

He had jammies but he ate/chewed them the other day, silly boy, so I need to fix them up and back on they will go!

Sorry to go off topic :)

Mine are on Blackhawk with their fresh stuff.....how much is a sh%tload :) LOL!! mine get 2 cups in winter ( varies a little with each dog)....in summer they get one ( again variation for each but in general that is it )

Just done a search but can't find any posts that describe how you can tell if your dog has an anal gland problem. Are there specific signs?

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Yes...in our house as soon as he starts mining for diamonds down there we know it's time for off to the vet !! The constant licking is BAD LOL!!

I am no expert...but this is what my vet told me after he did a lot of research...he says in comparing products of similiar ingredients it's the absorbtion rate that matters. He rates as No.1, product Cosequin DS....2nd is Sacha's blend and third Joint Guard. Just his opinion. I have been using Cosequin with my 8 year old who has a totally buggered shoulder and he is doing well on it. Expensive though !

I'm thinking of feeding my Pointer on Earthborn over winter. Going to head to Pet Stock tomorrow and have a look.

Find it very hard to keep weight on him over winter while on Black Hawk, happened last winter too. He lives outside so I can't have him much more skinny while it is so cold

My pointers all lose weight in winter on whatever food they on on.... I find if I increase quantity by not quite double just as we come into and throughout winter and then back it off as we come into spring. I feed lamb flaps in winter too rather than the chicken I feel at other times of the year. Mine are also inside at night which helps a lot.

May I suggest a collar that cannot be backed out of ..... I have picked up each of my four dogs from the airport at various times and the one thing I have learnt is to take a martingale collar that cannot be backed out of if there is fear at some point with dog trying to run off. Good luck and all the best with the pick up.

Thank you both for the great advice.

I think right now my son is really concerned at the huge weight loss. My son is about to move into a new rental property Tuesday their time, so Alfie will be moving again.

I'll pass on the info about the lamb flaps and ox cheek and the higher calorie kibbles.

As always good advice from DOL'ers

I often have to fatten up skinny pointers and I use a satin ball recipe a friend gave me....this is not for meals, these are high calorie extras if you like....morning and afternoon treats that sort of thing. I use these in conjunction with the lamb flaps fresh chicken, high quality kibble that I feed in meals.

2kg full fat human grade beef mince

large block cream cheese ( philly)

cup or so of rolled oats soaked in some cream

1 cup wheatgerm

large jar peanut butter

12 eggs yolks only no whites

Mix it all together raw in a bowl. Make up in to small meatball size balls and freeze in batches.

I usually give a dog about 6 of these meat balls in total throughout the day as treats. Not suitable for a dog who has pancreatitis issues. I have never had a problem feeding these and they do the job of putting on the weight without fail and they love them ! A thin puppy farm bitch on good food and these treats looked great within 3 weeks. :)

Slightly off topic but whatever you all decide regards to the your heartworm prevention please discuss it in depth with your vet...only saying this as I have just been through heartworm TREATMENT with a rescue bitch I recently adopted from the Sydney area who came to me heartworm positive. She was quite sick and the treatment is not terribly pleasant for the dog...I would not wish any of your dogs to become infected.

Just a pet owner here who does breed rescue but I recently adopted a bitch ( rescue) from the Sydney area and she came to me in QLD...she was heartworm positive when she arrived so whatever the studies say I would still be using preventative even in areas where the incidence is low. The treatment not much fun. She is now ok after treatment.

We did - thank you. A group of 20 + people and about 10 dogs. It was lovely. The walk was a LOT longer than we had prepared for - but really good. Lots of organisation - lots of marshals along the way, lots of water stops. 10/10 for organisation.

We didn't get to the starting point in the oval as we had too many people to gather and just hooked on the tail end as the walk started, but those who wandered down said it was also really good.

Would recommend it to anyone who is over the mass hysteria and crowding of bigger ones like St Lucia or Southport.

Thanks for your advice!!

SO pleased you liked it and had a good day out. I LOVE the mountain and the community there...I still drive up to use the vet there.

Not sure if this answers your questions

http://www.discovertamborine.com.au/index.php/million-paws-walk/

Thank you - does get me closer. Would still like to talk to anyone that has been to this one before...........

Done it many times used to live there. The oval is on a lower level then there is the car park and park area above it..that is actually where they have it. Its a lovely day out....you walk down the village main street at the beginning and wherever they make the walk trail will be pretty. There is also a cafe in Main st called Spice of Life where you can have coffee outside on the deck or pavement with your dog. It's a lovely day out....very country atmosphere, cool mountain air and lovely gardens.I am sure you will enjoy the day out. They do usually have a big turnout.

THank you - perfect!!

Colliehound did you go on the mountain Million Paws and how did you find it ?

I think chicken wings, carcuses are cheaper than pal I get 10 bags full of carcuses for $12 from lenards I freeze them and 1. lasts rogue 2 days.. chicken wings you can buy for 2.99 a kilo sometimes the butcher has them for 1.50 a kg.. I freeze these also to last longer.. good luck

Gawd where are you buying your chicken wings please.....great price much cheaper than I can get them. I go through 9 a day so the cheaper I can get them the better ! Sorry this is OT .

I have athletic,energetic,lithe,fast balls of energy in my 4 pointers....I am NONE of that. I guess if I was to have a breed that suited it might be an overfed labrador of mature years with dodgy hips and eyesight

People get sick of it and that is why a lot end up in shelters in such a matted condition.

One of the arguments used by anti "designer dogs" is that designer dogs like "cavoodles" and "spoodles" etc. are bred in puppy farms. If a puppy farm is registered or if a puppy is sold through a pet shop i.e. domestic animal business they must be microchipped. Does anyone have any actual data or stats that support this theory

The 'theory' that they're bred in puppy farms?

The problem is that there's no universally accepted version of what a 'puppy farm' is. Some establishments that I would consider puppy farms are actually registered businesses that are licensed to do what they do - thus, they're not illegal. Being legal in my opinion doesn't make them okay, or something that I would ever consider supporting by buying a dog from them. Nobody advertises that they're a puppy farm, that would be marketing suicide. But a lot of registered establishments that are perfectly legal domestic animal businesses that microchip their pups and operate all above board, but are what I would consider puppy farms. A lot of similar establishment aren't registered though. I'd never support either kind, regardless of how legal and officially legitimate they are.

I'm not going to name establishments on here, but there are a number of "kennels" with nice sounding names like heatherview palace or blah blah fields, that type of thing, that you can order puppies from online. They're not going to put pictures of animals kept in cages and continually bred from. They have pictures that look like stock, getty images type photos of puppies running through fields etc.

Lots of crosses like cavoodles, spoodle etc, are bred by "backyard breeders" - you find them through ads in the paper, and someone's bred their pet or decided to start breeding dogs. Those aren't what I would consider puppy farms, but they're equally not something that I want to support.

Have a google, it won't take you long to find some pretty shocking things.

I agree with your definition of "puppy farm/factory". The term "puppy farm" conjures up different images into different people’s heads but normally its images of dogs in tiny cages in their own filth etc. These same images have been used by animal liberation type groups to get the publics attention but I came across a thread on the burkes backyard forum about a new "kennel" being built in Victoria. Some people have called it a "puppy farm" and although I don't support commercial breeders I was surprised to read that this breeder intends to build a "dog park" with sand pits and even an in ground swimming pool amongst other things. They have a website that goes over everything www.hepburnpark.com

Would you consider this place a "puppy farm"?

Yes I do consider it a puppy farm....large scale commercial breeder. Swimming pools and sand pits are just gilding the lilly in my opinion. It's still a lilly..so to speak. I sent an email to the gardener telling him in no uncertain terms what I think of his promotion of such places.

The more graphic the better would be my suggestion.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=puppy+farms&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:%7Breferrer:source?%7D&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=dvK2T5avHsWTiAfgqbGCCQ&ved=0CHUQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=643

Rozzie that is the perfect link to show the young lady....if that does not shock her into listening I dont know what will. This is not the time for softly softly....this young lady needs to be educated in just where her designer dog may come from.

Not sure if this answers your questions

http://www.discovertamborine.com.au/index.php/million-paws-walk/

Thank you - does get me closer. Would still like to talk to anyone that has been to this one before...........

Done it many times used to live there. The oval is on a lower level then there is the car park and park area above it..that is actually where they have it. Its a lovely day out....you walk down the village main street at the beginning and wherever they make the walk trail will be pretty. There is also a cafe in Main st called Spice of Life where you can have coffee outside on the deck or pavement with your dog. It's a lovely day out....very country atmosphere, cool mountain air and lovely gardens.I am sure you will enjoy the day out. They do usually have a big turnout.

Hi. My name is Cathy and i have a nearly 4 year old greatdane called Moose. At age 1.5 after many tests and bungled diagnosis Moose was eventually diagnosed with IBD. He has small and large intestine and colon. He has been on many drugs ,currently taking Budesonide ,and different foods but has never balanced out.He picks up a bit when on antibiotics but relapses about a week after withdrawn. About 6 months ago i found a dog naturopath and she helped Moose gain 5kg in 4 months but he still suffered ups and downs with the IBD and major skin problems. About six weeks ago Moose became very ill with IBD symptoms , lethargy and blood in urine. He was eventually diagnosed with prostate enlargement but didn't respond well to antibiotics and hormone implant. He has lost 5.5 kg in four weeks ! Last Thursday i had him desexed and he had 3 teeth removed which were found to be bad when he was under . A shock to me as he has dental checks and seems to spend half his life at a vet. Anyway the week before his surgery his mood increased and he started eating 3 times his usually food amount. Now after the surgery he is continually hungry no matter how much i feed him and is scrounging for food all the time even at the bins, but he is still loosing weight. I am concerned he is suffering some sort of malabsorption ? He is currently eating turkey mince, pumpkin, gold sweet potato and zucchini. He has multi vitamin, vitamin B complex, vitamin E, slippery elm, fish oil, glutamine, probiotics. I am about to start him on a digestive enzyme and L glutamine today. He was on ZD ultra but have weened him off it over the past 3 months and there has been a great improvement in his skin. I have tried other foods including Royal Canin digestive and California natural but Canin gives him diarrhea and Natural goes straight through without being properly digested. I'm really at my wits end how to help my Moose and am wondering if anyone has had any similar problems. His tests and medications and different foods are to long to list but he has tried many. Thanks.....

Hi Cathy I can't help out personally but I have a very good friend on FB who rescues special needs Danes and she has a wealth of knowledge about them and the various health issues they can be dealt with....are you on FB ?? If so I could connect you with her.....Robyne

So very sorry this happened ..poor dog. I witnessed something like this a couple of weeks ago...my neighbours large breed dog injured the other neighbours small terrier so badly it did not survive. It was so awful to witness and I will never forget it. I do not however blame the offending dog....the owners of the terrier knew that little dog could walk through their own fencing and he went into the fenced yard of the bigger dog...as he had done before. Those owners were at fault and should have made sure their fencing was secure for their own small dogs safety.

I use Cosequin DS for my dog...it's expensive but I get a good result with it. I have asked my vet about joint guard and Sasha's Blend and he told me he did considerable research into it and in his opinion he ranks them like this.....Best product is Cosequin DS...second best is Sasha's Blend and last is Joint Guard though he says there is not too much of a difference between the last two. He tells me it's the absorbtion rate that is important and what makes the difference between each product. Something for you to consider anyway.

Thanks so much for your replies....no ear issues at all, this is most likely caused from having the drugs for her heartworm...you know how we get thrush if we have a lot of medications...I'm thinking same type of scenario with her after her treatment. I will get some cider vinegar and give her that and also the tea wash sounds good too. I have been drying her feet with a dryer so I can do the tea wash twice a day with no problems about wet feet. She is fed a mix of raw and Blackhawk and I am happy with her diet she now looks great having arrived in a bit of a state. Thanks for all your replies. :) Cheers.

Hi all....Yeast infection on all four paws currently being treated with oral nizoral and topically with Malaseb. Eating natural yoghurt and yakult as well.

Some relevant history.....

Newly adopted rescue came heatworm positive. Treatment successful then a week later the yeast infection appeared.

Been living on concrete the past few years and now on natural ground.

Did have secondary bacterial infection in paws but been treated with antibiotics and now confirmed yeast only.

Treatment for paws now in third week.

Is there anything else I could be doing for her ? Thank you...

Not bloody likely!

Do you have tick in your area?

Is it paralysis tick?

I work in Pet Supplies so have a pretty god knowledge of flea/tick/worm etc products.

This lady knows this as she has come into work quite a few times and asked for my opinion/advice.

Well the customer is always right.

I know because I often buy stuff. :D

You could try reverse psychology and point out to her that 'Advocate Plus' also vaccinates your dogs for two years against all the known diseases. :D

My vet told me when I arrived here that fleas are immune to Frontline in this area.

So I find out that Big W sells Frontline at half the price.

It makes me wonder if the fleas are paid a commision from the vet. :D

Actually I don't think your vet was trying to misinform you....in the area where I live Frontline does NOT kill the fleas anymore and we have all had to move to another product. Perhaps this is the case in your area too.

We had an irish water spaniel come visit the other day...what a great dog ! I would strongly suggest your friend have a look at them. So much better than some sort of oodle!!