Polgara's Shadow

SIL's 7 month female Border Collie pup seems to be getting aggressive with men. I haven't seen the behavior myself, but SIL describes the little miss as going off when strange men come to the property. SIL is keen to get on top of it ASAP and friends have recommended bark busters to her which she was planning on contacting after the public holiday today. I said I'd ask on here for behaviorist recommendations as I'm pretty sure I recall a good one is nearby but can't remember. SIL lives on the Mornington Peninsula, Vic.

Most petshops on the Peninsula have raw mince/chunks and/or barf patties. You can try these on the way down - in Seaford: http://www.petfoodsdelivered.com.au/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=7 There three I regularly go to for mince & bones. I can't think of any closer to Sorrento than the one in Rye - but Rye Produce & Nursery always seem to have raw mice and chunks available. Rye Produce & Nursery Nepean Hwy Petstock Mornington in with the Home Maker Centre on Nepean Hwy PetBarn Mornington also off Nepean, just closer to Main St There's also a petshop in the Rosebud Industrial Estate, near Bunnings - I've found they often don't have raw stocked if I just drop in. Might be wise to call any petshop down here ahead to make sure they will keep some for you - given the massive increase in people down here over Chrissy. Have a fun Chrissy on the Peninsula :)

I'm no rescuer .. I'd be a bad rescuer I have been involved in euthing many puppies with problems ..and they don't know what they are about to give up ... it is much less stressful/painful than surgery /recuperation . there are more than enough puppies/dogs who DO have a chance at rehabilitation and living long and love filled lives as 'just' a dog - not an exhibit. I'd be a bad rescuer too - I'd take them all home to live with me to be honest, and it would break my heart every single time. I actually agree with you Pers 100% on your last post - I too believe quality of life is paramount. I'm no fan of prolonging life for the sake of it but my concern is that many posters in this thread were making a judgement that IN THIS CASE the pup should have been euthed - full stop no questions asked. If it were me making the decision I'd like to think I'd make it in the best interests of the animal and with compassion in mind. I don't feel I have enough information about the animal, its carers, or its prospects for life enjoyment to presume that death is the best outcome for this animal IN THIS CASE. Maybe you all have information beyond this thread that sheds more light in the situation? As Dyzney said - we are all entitled to our opinions. My opinion is that we shouldn't be so quick to judge about matters of life and death when we don't have all the facts at hand.

A fighting chance to enjoy life Pers! ... if even for a little while. Not living is so permanent, and life so fleeting. I'm not a rescuer - maybe I lack the jaded perspective of the rest of you? I admit to being saddened to find the decision whether to nurture a life or terminate at birth is so black and white for you all.

... because the pup had to have both legs amputated at a young age owing to the severity of it's deformities. Convalescing post surgery would have been very painful and restrictive. My opinion would be that that is unnecessary suffering/ cruelty. I think you are speculating about degree of suffering and convalescence in this case. Nobody here knows the circumstances to which this pup was born. I don't understand the prevailing thought in this thread of euth at birth - regardless of quality of life. Surely a good carer can determine whether a reasonable quality of life is possible for a time and worth the effort? They seem to me to be giving the pup everything it needs to thrive given its limitations - daily hydrotherapy, socialisation time with other dogs, exercise, good food and love. Why is everybody so black and white about this pup? As long as they are thinking about life quality versus pain and suffering and making decisions accordingly. I only have the info from this thread, but I don't have any problems with giving a pup a fighting chance for as long as it is compassionate to do so.

If the pup is likely to have a few good years..then why not let it have them? Sure looks like its loving life to me. I'm not one for unnecessary suffering at all - I would expect the carer to make a judgement call about when to euth based on quality of life. But I don't get why you wouldn't let the little one enjoy the time it has ?

I think Vulcan would love this and KCC Park on 9 June is doable for us. I'd love to bring him along and see if he will pull. Can I just turn up on the 9th of June and ask if we can try?

Hi there, OH and I have never been to Lake Eyre or Ayres Rock and we're planning a road trip this winter to go to see both and enjoy the east coast on the way back.. We'd love to take Vulcan along especially as well be gone quite a few weeks and figured if anyone had attempted this trip before with dogs they would be here on DOL. I've just got his vaccinations up to date and understand we will probably need to kennel him along the way while we go into national parks. Vulcan is a seasoned traveller and is terrific in the car and has stayed at numerous pet friendly hotels without incident but hes never stayed in a kennel before - we have lots of friends and family happy to care for him. Id love your advice on dog friendly places and camping spots to go to and good kennels to use. Im particularly interested in ideas on what to do with him while we visit Ayres Rock and Lake Eyre as they are both national parks. I know he will need tick treatment so advice about wich is best would also be appreciated.

Hi DD hes been on kangaroo and van complete mix for a week now. He also gets the van omega blend added and the odd egg. I dropped into a mornington pet shop yesterday and picked up some of the van skin and coat powder to add - when ive fed van before his coat hasnt been as lustrous as on Nutro chicken and rice so I'm hoping the powder will help with this. The pet shop also had some fresh kangaroo bones so he got one as a treat last night and ive frozan another for later in the week. Ironically since starting this thread penninsula supermarkets and pet stores have had plenty of kangaroo mince and bones available so I havent had to rely on D&Ds yet. My local supermarket had 3kg bags of pet mince during the week which claims to be beef and kangaroo so ive bought one to try - never seen this before. But I know the supermarket and pet store supply can be fickle and I want to add more beef for its higher fat content so Im sure I'll be needing them over the next few weeks. He is loving the change too. Hes jumping in the air and spinning around with excitement while I prepare his meals and doing 'speccies' off me while I take his filled bowl outside. Thanks for asking.

Vulcan (SBT) loves visitors - unexpected or not. Australia Post couriers regularly tell me they look forward to dropping things off at our house because they get such a friendly welcome. I don't know what he'd be like if someone turned up that meant us harm or were planning to steal - but I don't hold out any expectation that he would behave any differently. I've gone out of my way to raise him to be both dog and people friendly - I don't expect or want him to be my security.

Hi k9Katz..Diva is spot on. Because he doesn't react to chicken and it is readily available - he has been fed chicken and chicken based products nearly exclusively since he was about seven months old (now three and a half). He does beautifully on Nutro chicken and rice but I wanted to give his system a break from chicken for awhile. As already mentioned... although we haven't had him tested for environmental allergens when we avoid couch and kykuyu grass and feed him chicken, beef or kangaroo his reactions disappear completely - so it is really very manageable. Our property is planted with indigenous species so the grass isn't a massive problem (so glad we don't have lawn!) and living by the beach we have lots of grass free exercise opportunities. Yesterday I switched him over to kangaroo and VAN (never did hear back from any of the companies selling dry that I requested a sample from ) and I'll mix the kangaroo up with beef mince and beef and kangaroo bones - now that I have access to a reliable supplier . VAN is available at all the pet stores down this way so I don't need to be concerned about ever running out of that. I plan to keep him chicken free for about eight weeks (to late June)- this new supplier gives me confidence this is achievable . Thanks to everyone for their ideas so far - Vulcan and I really do appreciate it

Sas - I understood there are no particular 'tests' for food allergies? We did an elimination diet with him, under vet supervision, from when he was five months old. Trying to be a good puppy owner I'd changed his diet over from advance puppy kibble to raw by the time he was 3.5 months old. His raw diet consisted of a lot of lamb bones and sardines as they were readilly available and cheap The poor little thing was a mess of raw supperating and bleeding skin until we did the elimination diet and worked out the problem food. When re-introducing foods he reacted very strongly to lamb and to sardines. Beef, chicken and roo were all fine. When re-introducing other types of fish, pork and turkey there was a reaction but never enough for me to be 100% certain it was just the food - he's also allergic to kykuyu and couch grass (though I've never had him tested as with food management and avoiding grass as much as possible his reactions are manageable). I tend to avoid all fish, pork and turkey as precaution. I haven't come across Augustine Approved before - thank you for the lead I will definitly look into them too. Hockz - I know he reacts to those meats in kibble because I've done the elimination diet mentioned above feeding him the raw meat to test his reaction. If he has reacted to the raw meat - I avoid that in kibble.

Rascal - I just read the D&D website and they DELIVER FREE to my area once a week!!! I'm gobsmacked!!! I had no idea this company existed :dancingelephant: :dancingelephant: They seem to have plenty of raw beef and roo products so I could go back to mince and VAN with a few bones thrown in. Hopefully they area careful about cleaning the mincing equipment so we dont have a contamination problem again. You've made my April

Hi juice and river roo meat is not readilly acessible here. We are a holiday town an roo disspears from the supermarkets when the tourists arrive .i guess other meat sells better..though that said theyre mostly dissapearing now - the tourists that is. If theres a good stock of roo mince I might just try the roo and van thing for a while. Havent seen roo mince at the supermarket in so long I hadnt thought of this . Cheers for the suggestion - definitly a viable option once the roo turns up again :)

Another vote here for the jolly swagman in holbrook.it was great. Weve also stayed in a motel in central albury but cant remmber the name. We just look on stayz or the holidaying with dogs website and call first to make sure. Never had a problem. We even stayed with Vulcan in a hotel in Kirribili over Christmass :)

Just emailed natural balance too..theres a few prime stockists locally I'll be asking them for the kangaroo roll too. Thanks for your ideas everyone it really is very much appreciated!!

Thanks wm..unfortunatly im yet to find a good supplier of things hes not allergic to anywhere accessible. I have just asked ziwipeak for a venison sample so hopefully they come through and hes not allergic.. Will do some more googling based on other suggestions :)

Hi diva ill check out natural balance and ziwipeak. Hes never had venison so could be an option. Hes an sbt so not a'big' dog currently fed two cups a day. Ill have a look cheers.

Cheers alyosha just googled bonnie working dog and seems to have chicken in there...but will have a good look at the lable when next in the petshop. I have seen it there befor :)

Thats an option Pers but its 1.5 hrs away so wont be doung that very often. He is in wonderful condition..white teeth, gleaming coat, plenty of energy.. I just worry that one day he might become intolerant to chicken because his system has been saturated with it for so long..so always on the lookout for something that I could use for a few months that woukd give his system a break. Perhaps I'm being irational and it doesnt matter if he lives his whole live with chicken as his main food source?..

Just a normal freezer...we live near the end of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. It takes me about 50 mins to get to Frankston but i havent found anything suitable there either. I regret to sounding so defeatist..but its been so frustrating!

Ive never seen beef heart or tounge around here and dont know any rabbit hunters or ferreters. The butchers around here just dont seem to get whole beef or kangaroo carcasses in and ive asked. We do get plenty or lamb everything heart kindneys meat bones...but that is not suitable. He has thrown up turkey evreytime ive fed it to him and have never come across duck carcasses. We do buy beef blade steak with bone in when available. We make curry from the meat and give him the bone...but its not reliable and we often go a month or more when its not on the shelves. Lamb fish and chicken are the most reliable food souces but for the resons already mentioned i am wanting to avoid them. Id really like to find a reliable non chicken food source to give his system a break from the chicken for awhile. With commercial food I can get it delivered to us even if the supplier is not local.... As mentioned before I'd love to feed raw but given where we live and with his intolerances... it just doesnt work

Hi mm I'm having touble finding meat on the bone thst isnt chicken frames or lamb. Feeding raw would be my preference but its proving unviable. We live in a small coastal town if he coukd eat fish we'd be fine lol.

Hi Pers I llive in a coastal town and good quality affordable raw is hard to come by. I have not been able to find a butcher that debones its own meat so cant get beef bones. This would be my preferred option but it hasnt proved viable to date. Id like to avoid any chicken product of possible to give his system a break from it. Thanks heaps for the suggestion Diva! Natural balance seems to have a kangaroo based formula with duck. I remember previous duck trials have been inconclusive. ? Itchy but not excessivly so and not tested long enough so could have been environmental. Thanks for idea DD il try and get a sample. RASACAL we do get prime down here but havent seen that one maybe theyll get some in for me... that woukd be a good option..Cheers! Again sorry for crayy spellling and grammar posting from the tablet is not great

Lamb, fish, pork or chicken... This maybe an impossibe quest, but.... Vulcan is an allergy dog with strong reactions to lamb and fish of any type and a mild reaction to pork. He is now 3 and a half and has been fed a chicken based diet for most of his life. Hes currently fed Nutro chicken and rice formula (for both breakky and dinner every day) and also gets beef and kangaroo bones. He doesnt react to beef kangaroo or chicken. I fed him Vets all Natural with chicken mince for awhile untill he started reacting - I suspect some lamb ended up in the chicken mince I was buying - so dont trust mince anymore. Although hes in excellent condition I'd like to vary his diet so he isnt getting chicken all the time... but am not having much luck finding a commercial food without lamb fish pork or chicken in the ingredients. Theres always pork meal lamb or some sort of fish meal or oil. So... I thought id tap into all of your expertise hoping between you may know of something suitable we could try. Apologies for bad grammar and spellling...this is the first time ive tried to post on the tablet..its proving trickier than expected.