Kez

See if you can find out who the Greyhound vet is in your area (or who is used by any greyhound breeders) - Vaccination costs for us can be as little as $17 per pup, whereas going to "ordinary" dog vets they want to charge $54 per pup.

Just watch with the Osso Bucco bones - Mine get the occasional one, since my boyfriend cuts the meat off for his CAT and one of mine will get the bone (and marrow inside) for a recreational treat.... What to watch for, is the dog may get his/her bottom jaw through the center hole. The Osso Bucco bones aren't wholly digestible either. The lamb's neck "two to three times the size of a chicken neck" I was describing earlier (that my JRT's got).... Same length as a chicken neck, and a "quarter" cut lengthways so they're about double the "fatness" of a chicken neck. Does that make any sense?

Lamb necks don't last 10 minutes with Eden, Less than 15 with Debbie, and about half an hour for Gypsy. Even my JRT's used to be able to eat a lambs neck, bone and all - I just had the butcher cut them into smaller pieces (about two to three times the size of a chicken neck).

Twice a day is great as a minimum, as it reduces the likelyhood of stomach upset (from remaining empty too long, and getting an acid buildup). B.A.R.F. is advocated by a lot of dog owners, but has it's own downfalls if you don't pay good attention to the vitamin and mineral balances, protein, fat & fibre percentages. Supercoat is one of the better "supermarket" brands of dry foods - being a mastiff cross (heavy breed) I would steer clear of any "large breed puppy" branded dog foods, and try to keep your protein levels down. I've successfully reared Great Danes on Supercoat + raw meat etc. The "loaf" from the supermarket will depend on the brand - there are a couple that are very good, and some that are pretty bad. I don't feed them, so I can't say which is which Another to avoid is canned food. Raw meat mince, raw chicken (wings, necks etc) are a lot better.... The more you pay for a dry feed, as long as it is a Premium feed (some will say so, but you need to know your dog foods), are better than "supermarket" brands. The best dry food in my opinion is Eagle Pack - the meat sources are human grade, the meat sources are not treated with sodium metabisulphate before being turned into the meat meal, it contains 3 meat proteins, is wheat free, and has a well balanced range of vitamin and mineral levels. Congrats on your new "baby" - don't forget to put up some photos

Good luck getting the sticky bandage off - Two ways I've got that stuff "unstuck" from fur is: Baby oil (soaked "through" the bandage) and Apple Cider Vinegar (soaked through the bandage) Having been "speyed" myself (recently), I can almost relate to how the bitches must be feeling - Walking, stretching, and anything that uses any internal muscles (peeing, #2's and even passing wind ) are all rather frightening to try, let alone DO. Make sure she does move around, as not only will it make her recovery easier on her, it will help her "mindset" about it being painful or not.

The PetDeli prices look a bit inflated IMO - the Power isn't a bad price, but the others Is there any reason you're going to use the Power formula????? 30% protein and 20% fat seems more than what your dogs would require.... The Original Adult formula is still 25% protein & 15% fat - and is $10 a bag cheaper (if you buy the 15 kg bags).... The large and giant breed puppy food is 23% protein 12% fat - The maintenance formula is 20% protein 12% fat (and is nearly $20 a bag cheaper than the puppy for a 15 kg bag). Having had Great Danes, I can tell you we NEVER fed "puppy" foods (giant or otherwise) because of the protein levels.... Your best bet would be the Maintenance - and add extra fat to it if you want to "bump up" the fat content for your other dogs. It's only my opinion - but my RACING dogs are on the Power, they only get 2 cups of it at night (plus 200 grams beef mince, & 2 dog biscuits for breakfast)... and they race on that! Distributors listing Check here for where to get your Eagle Pack... The pricelist that Eagle Pack puts out, is the prices the distributors should be selling it at... not like the prices I saw on that Pet Deli site.

I feed Eagle Pack, but my second pick is Supercoat - I rank it higher than Eukanuba and Hills Science Diet, not for any other reason than my dogs do well (and look great) on it compared to the others.

I prefer the Eagle Pack personally as it has a better Calcium to phosphorus ratio. Rather than me type everything about it, take a look at their webpage: Eagle Pack Australia

I have got a new product arriving shortly from a homeopathic company, I don't know the name of it yet, it's a suppository that is for use with children who can't settle down (such as when they have a fever etc) - I will get more information when the product arrives of course.... Once I've trialled it for them I will be able to tell you if it works for "calming" dogs, If it does, you might be able to give it a try, Until then, when you travel your dog, put one of your own jumpers/t-shirt etc in with them - make sure you've worn the t-shirt/jumper for a few days & don't wash it (you mightn't like the smell but your dog will! )... Safe travelling

I know Acepromazine is still used for travel sickness, and it has a slight sedative effect also. I use "Ace" quite a bit (for different things) as it is cheap, safe (in terms of normal medicine safety, there's always the possibility of some side-effects, as with anything), and effective.

All I can say is that Gypsy came from a home where she'd never been "Alpha Rolled"... and she was kept apart from her littermates because she bossed them too much. She then went to a "rearer" to grow up with other pups at 7 months old... And now has 3 large scars because she hadn't learnt early enough that being aggressive wasn't acceptable. She came here at 9 months old, and Eden had to put her back in her box - Eden went so far as to pin her down to make Gypsy understand that aggression is not acceptable (Gypsy tried to steal a toy, and didn't succeed in the tug-o-war, so tried to attack Eden). Kanga arrived and Gypsy tried to steal his bone (by growling), and she got put back in her place by him also. All 3 of my dogs can be fed "together" and nobody argues about it... they will share from the one bowl because they understand that nobody is allowed to dominate (only Me!). She only tried biting me once, a loud "No" and "shove" (as she launched at me I shifted my weight so she didn't connect, but was I able to knock her down in the same movement, much as a dog does) - She has never tried it since, nor with anyone else (including my daughter). Dogs aren't "gentle" when they discipline - if a human scarred a dog in a dominance battle, they'd be prosecuted; There is no need to be cruel to a dog either. "Alpha Rolling" is not the method of choice when training out of "mouthing" - but if it was a dog that was doing the "education" (instead of a human), do you think they would yelp and then move the dog to a new place? Would they give the pup something else to chew on? Everyone has their own methods for training - like not all methods are the same, not all dogs are the same. Not everyone has the same amount of "dog sense" either, so the gentlest methods are the safest in "inexperienced" hands. Dogs in a pack situation will eventually try to "challenge" for supremacy if "strength" was used to establish it, so it should be avoided at all costs if possible.

Biotin (a B-complex vitamin) is required by dogs for the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein & fats, and for efficient gut synthesis... A biotin deficiency is not common with regular diets except where raw egg whites are fed, or long term antibiotic therapy is given. Egg yolks are the best source of biotin, whereas raw meat only contains about 3 micrograms biotin per 100 grams of meat. Raw egg whites contain avidin (an enzyme) which destroys biotin, hence why egg whites should be cooked to destroy the avidin. "Cooking" is as simple as separating the yolk from the white, and dropping the whites into a cup of boiling water & let sit until it cools enough to add to the dog's dry food for soaking - OR - you can strain the water off. Whole crushed eggs contain about 12% protein, 11% fat and 3.3% calcium. Raw egg Yolks contain 15% protein and up to 31% fat. No more than 4 cooked eggs per day as eggs release hydrogen sulphide gas into the bowel during digestion, but up to 6 egg yolks can be given as a protein boost if required. If whole eggs (shell and all) are being fed, the shell should be scrubbed thoroughly (with a brush and using detergent - Rinse THOROUGHLY) and then sterilised in boiling water to destroy bacteria such as Salmonella. Blended whole eggs (shell included) should never be stored as salmonella may multiply in the blend - only fresh blended eggs should be fed to dogs.

It sounds like your pup is "blowing his coat" - the change in the seasons usually causes it, plus getting older & changing coat as they grow out of the "puppy" stage. Gypsy & Eden are blowing their coats at the moment, Kanga isn't because he was in such dreadful condition when he arrived that he "blew" in his first month here... his coat looks great now (have to get the film developed to update his pic in my signature).... the photo of him in my sig was taken 10 days after he arrived, and it was a massive improvement on what he was like when I got him. This is him the morning after he got here (and after his first grooming):

If you're in NSW or Northern Victoria (or around the Geelong area in Victoria) you can blame some big racing Greyhound trainers for Frontline not being as effective. Some of the "really big" kennels found that "Banana spray" otherwise known as Regent (an insecticide) contained the same active ingredient as Frontline... Fipronil. Regent was a lot cheaper than paying for Frontline, which is why they used it. Unfortunately you can tell a dog that's had "banana spray" on it (if it's white like mine) - because it stains the hair. Used in massive doses (like what had happened to Kanga not long before he was transported to me) also causes them to break out in skin welts and their hair falls out. Misuse and "over/under" dosing has caused the fleas to become immune to the product in those areas where "banana spray" use has been popular. I've always used Advantage, and my dogs have to put up with being near "flea-ridden" greyhounds (when the vets don't "scratch" the dogs from racing like they're supposed to) - yet I have only had one problem with fleas... on a dog that came from the rearers (that used "banana spray"). A second dose of Advantage (Bayer sent me 3 replacement tubes, one for each dog, so that I wasn't out of pocket ) on that one dog fixed the problem. Continuous use of Advantage helps break the cycle of fleas, since it will also kill any fleas in the dog's bedding/sleeping areas. :D

Apple Cider Vinegar contains minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, copper, iron, silicon, fluorine. Apple Cider Vinegar's vitamin content includes Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Provitamin beta-carotene, Vitamin P (bioflavonoids). Warnings: Apple Cider Vinegar ruins tooth enamel! Never drink ACV straight.. always drink it well diluted with water. Some apple cider vinegar brands are extremely acidic, causing heartburn. It can also quickly cause a yeast infection in women. Certain brands of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar can stop a yeast infection, yet some brands are so acidic that they can actually cause a yeast infection. Thus start with a lower dose to see how your body responds to the vinegar. Uses (People): Acne - cures Blood Pressure - lowers Burns - heals quickly Bursitis - relief and better mobility Abdominal Adhesions - cures Relieve a cough - Mix one-half cup ACV, one-half cup water, one-teaspoon cayenne pepper, and four teaspoons honey. Take one tablespoon when cough acts up. Take another tablespoon at bedtime. Ear Infections - cures Halitosis / Bad Breath - cures High Cholesterol - lowers Hiccups - cures - Mix one teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup of warm water, and drink. Interstitial Cystitis / Bladder Condition - cures Hair - extraordinary conditioner! - Shampoo, then rinse hair with a mixture of one cup ACV and two cups water. ACV adds highlights to brunette hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes soap film and sebum oil. Severe Contact Dermatitis- stops itching, symptoms alleviated - Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with ACV straight from the bottle. Headaches & Migraines - cures Slows a strong menstruation Gall Bladder Problems -- heals Gout Sore Throat - cures Pimples (impending) - cures Arthritis - cures - Before each meal, drink a glass of water containing two teaspoons CV. Give this folk-remedy at least three weeks to start working. Cold or Flu symptoms - stops or alleviates - Mix one-quarter cup ACV with one-quarter cup honey. Take one tablespoon six to eight times daily. Nausea, Seasickness & Hangovers - cures - Drink two teaspoons ACV in one-cup water to soothe an upset stomach. Parasites - eliminates Shingles - cures Warts - Cures - Mix one part ACV to one part glycerine into a lotion and apply daily to warts until they dissolve. Uses (Dogs): Itchy skin The beginnings of a hot spot Itchy/tender feet Cloudy urine Smelly ears Sore joints or arthritis Facial twitching Picky Eaters Clear, watery discharge from the eyes Runny nose Coughs (liquid/not dry sound) Prevention of muscle weakness Prevention of cramps Reduce sensitivity to cold Prevent/cure calluses on elbows and hock joints Alleviate constipation Prevention of bruising too easily Cure for pimples Prevention and treatment of: Fleas Flies Ticks Bacteria External parasites Ring worm Fungus Staphylococcus Streptococcus Pneumococcus Mange MORE Uses: Kill bacteria in meats. Marinating meat in ACV kills bacteria and tenderises the meat. Use one-quarter cup ACV for a two to three pound roast, marinate overnight, and then cook without draining or rinsing the meat. Add herbs to the ACV when marinating as desired. Kill unwanted grass. Pour ACV in crevices and between bricks. Remove corns. Make a poultice of one crumbled piece of bread soaked in one-quarter cup ACV. Let poultice sit for one-half hour, then apply to the corn and tape in place overnight. If corn does not peel off by morning, reapply the poultice for several consecutive nights. Deodorize the air. ACV is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room. Prevent ice from forming on a car windshield overnight. Coat the window with a solution of three parts ACV to one part water. Need any more???

About the only concern to me over the food that contains honey.... Is Honey listed first (as you've typed)? Honey is a short-chain sugar that is quickly absorbed, causing the level of sugar in the blood to rise. This switches on the secretion of insulin which acts to limit excessive blood sugar levels; Often this response can "overshoot" and may depress blood sugar to a level lower than normal (and may make your dog lethargic when this happens). Honey contains 80% sugar and 20% water. The second ingredient you mentioned is "Real Meat"... What type of meat? Meat when listed as "meat" rather than "meat meal" is measured as the weight of meat with the water still included! Foods that list "real chicken/beef" or chicken/beef first include the water weight in this ingredient. Chicken/beef in this form consists of 70% water. The manufacturer counts the "water weight" of the meat, and lists meat first. With the water removed, your pet is getting 70% less "meat" than you were led to believe. Fish... Without further information, my guess would be generic "whitefish". Merriam-Webster dictionary (and the human and pet food industry) define Whitefish as "any of various market fishes with white flesh that is not oily". Brands using this less expensive, generic fish will not be consistent from bag-to-bag (even within the same brands). Whitefish is usually preserved with ethoxyquin. The meat filleted from the carcass goes into the human food chain...the head and carcass go into other brands of pet food. Ethoxyquin is regulated as a pesticide and cannot be added to human food, as it is known to have promoted kidney carcinogenesis. Also, it significantly increased incidence of stomach tumors and enhanced bladder carcinogesis. The product information on the website doesn't appear to have been updated since Pre-October 2003, as I could not find the "Meaty Muesli" there... It could be quite good, but I'm lacking the relevant information to make an informed judgement.

Have you looked to see if it might be tonsillitis rather than kennel cough? Depending on how much your dog tolerates this, open her mouth wide & look towards the back of her throat, on either side (in little crypts) is the tonsils. If you can't see them, they aren't inflamed. If you CAN see them, then there is a problem. For inflamed tonsils we give the dogs a tablespoon of glycerine over the tongue to help alleviate any irritation. Increasing the vitamin A intake to 20,000 iu per day will also help strengthen the dog's immune response (on top of the other suggestions already made). Cod Liver Oil is a very potent source of vitamin A.

It's more a "rarity" that greyhound trainers feed a cheap food. The "big" trainers that are in it for the numbers feed the cheapest way possible, but big trainers are a minority in the greyhound racing industry. The order of popularity for feeding racing greyhounds is: Hills Science Diet Eukanuba Winning Edge SuperCoat Eagle Pack is just starting to become popular with the "Power" formula, since it is equal in price comparison to Science Diet and Eukanuba, but is higher in vitamins, obtains meat proteins from human grade meat sources (instead of offal), and does not contain wheat or soy. Owners "paying" trainers to have their dogs trained on a $x per week basis is also a "rarity"... Most trainers will only charge "per week" until the dog starts racing, and the going rate is $50 per week (count 2 x trials @ $10 each, dog checked by chiro/physio once a week @ $10 - Training dogs that aren't racing is no way to make money). Once a dog is racing, the majority of trainers work on a 50/50 basis. The only money a trainer gets is the "travel rebate" + half of any prizemoney if the dog does well. This encourages the trainer to do their absolute best to get the dog to win - Feeding crap feed isn't part of getting a dog to win. I supplement for Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, B-group vitamins, Biotin, Choline, Vitamin C, Vitamin E.... as well as adding lean beef to balance the diet to the right levels. Feeding EP alone would require 500 grams per day just to satisfy the energy requirements of a 26 kg bitch, however: Iron would be over double the maximum daily recommended intake, Zinc would be 24 mg over the maximum daily recommended intake, Manganese would be 2 mg over the " " " ", Most other vitamins would be WELL ABOVE the daily R.D.I. However I would still need to supplement for: Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Vit B5, Vit C, Choline, Biotin. Does that help?

I don't know the first thing about "ordinary dogs" recommended requirements, as all my information relates to Greyhounds... specifically Racing greyhounds. I'm happy to "try" to help (using the "resting" greyhound data), but I wouldn't call it "advice" - more just "answering questions". The dog in the middle of my "signature" (Kanga) wasn't in the greatest of shape when I got him, and that photo was taken only 10 days after he got here (if you saw the "before" photo, there's actually a huge improvement just in 10 days). He looks even better now (5 weeks later), but I don't have a digi cam so the photo won't be updated until I get my film developed. As I said earlier, in most cases the "complete" feeds are adequate, but will still be lacking in some areas (I was on the phone all day yesterday trying to find a particular supplement or range of supplements to only cover the areas the feeds are 'lacking' & had no luck... so it's try again today!). Needless to say, I know a lot of the people at Virbac (Vetsearch) and NatureVet on a "first name" basis

If your dog is an "athlete" (ie: supreme performance), there is NO complete feed available. For the average dog, the super premium brands are complete "in general", but they are still lacking in some key areas (and "virtually" overdosing in others)... and it really depends on the dog. I feed a super premium feed (Eagle Pack), and have to add meat and some supplements, just to "customize" the feed to suit my dogs and their performance levels. If any qualified nutritionist wanted to ask me, I could tell them pretty much exactly how many mg/ug/iu of all the vitamins and minerals (not to mention Protein, Fat, Fibre & kcal ME) my dogs receive per day, and how many mg/ug/iu variance there is from the Recommended Daily Intake for a dog of that specific weight and performance level... and the exact weight of each of my dogs, and the exact weight of their meals. Needless to say my dog's don't have any more than a 200 gram weight variation from day to day or week to week (unless the weight gain or loss is intentional). I was asked the other day about my "skin-kid's" diet... and NO, it is no where near as "accurate"

Totally unrelated Aatainc The "lifespan" of the melanocytes is controlled by genetics, and it is the melanocytes that produce the melanin. Once they start "aging" & dying off, an air sac forms under the hair folicle, little or no melanin is produced (for that hair folicle), and that hair will end up "grey" (less melanin granules) or "white" (no melanin granules at all... technically the hair is "clear" or colourless). Melanin granules are spread out throughout the cortex of the hair. There are more of them near the outer edge of the cortex than towards the middle, and the darker the hair, the more melanin granules it contains. Eumelanin is the dark pigment which predominates in black and brunette hair. "White" hairs are only more noticeable because they are clear so they reflect from the colours around them. Blonde and Red hair is different (I think, but don't quote me, the melanin produced for red hair is called phaeomelanin) - it is a totally different pigment. The same genes that "control" what colour the hair will be (whether it's Eumelanin or phaeomlenanin produced by the melanocytes), also "control" the lifespan of the melanocytes.

Hills isn't the only one that says "adding anything to our food may *kill* your dog" (major exaggeration). Part of an email from Iams/Eukanuba: The trouble I have had with Iams/Eukanuba, is that their customer service people can't understand SIMPLE requests... I asked a "difficult" question & they gave me the answer (after a few days). The "simple" question was: - since the values they gave me had no quantitative measure!! The answer I got was: I was like.... DUH! Needless to say, the next answer I got (for the same question only really stretched out explanation of what I needed to know) was: Like, WTF? Anyhow, as with HSD, Eukanuba hasn't stacked up as being a "complete" feed for my dogs either (none has yet, but I go with the closest one that needs the least supplements - Eukanuba may pass if they give me the w/w measures, instead of just a number). :D

Yes it is genetics. As the dogs age, the amount of hair pigment (melanin) that they produce lessens, turning the hair clear or 'grey'. The age that this starts to happen (melanocytes start dying, so melanin production drops), is controlled by genes. It is not scientifically proven but large amounts of the vitamin PABA, found in health food stores, is said to slow down the process of going grey. Also the supplements taken to improve the strength and growth of hair can help (biotin, tyrosine, B vitamins, cystine, inositol, Vitamin A and choline).

I won't say which may be the safest to use, but this is the Safety Data for Citronella and Permoxin, so people can judge for themselves: Permoxin contains Permethrin - Both Citronella & Permethrin have the same Risk phrases: R36 Irritating to eyes. R37 Irritating to respiratory system. R38 Irritating to skin. Permethrin - Toxicology details: Skin and eye irritant. May be harmful if swallowed. Note: Toxicity depends on cis-trans ratio of the product. ORAL - RAT (Lethal Dose, 50% kill) : 430 - 4000 mg kg-1 ORAL - MOUSE (Lethal Dose, 50% kill) : 540 - 2700 mg kg-1 SKIN - RAT (Lethal Dose, 50% kill) : > 4000 mg kg-1 SKIN - RABBIT (Lethal Dose, 50% kill) : > 2000 mg kg-1 Personal protection Safety glasses. If used as a garden spray, avoid exposure to mist and liquid, wear gloves Citronella - Toxicology details: May be harmful if ingested in quantity. May act as a skin or eye irritant. SKIN - RABBIT (Lethal Dose, 50% kill) : 4700 mg kg-1 Personal protection Not believed to be a hazardous material in normal use. Obviously when used in manufactured dog specific products, permoxin/permethrin is perfectly safe. Permoxin is still listed as Unsafe for pregnant bitches, although there is testing being done at the moment for clinical safety results.

And Iams is Eukanuba I also think you're right, AFAIK Eagle Pack is still in original ownership, and still uses human grade meats for it's meat protein sources. Edited for spelling & grammar.