Yonjuro

My concern with mixing is one of balance. The questions I would consider are; Will adding raw to kibble make the meal more nutritious or less than a whole meal of either kibble or raw? Will raw meaty bones plus kibble result in too much calcium which can in some circumstances create crystals and UTIs? (this happened with my Schnauzer and I unfortunately had to remove bones from her diet of kibble) Some dogs have sensitive stomachs and a mix may not suit all. The more I research Raw and mixing the more more different opinions I hear/read, strangely there doesn't seem to be any real scientific evidence supporting either camp. I think there is merit to keeping things simple as long as the dog is getting the right nutrients and ratios. My view on different rates of digestion argument is that dogs often scarf their food, especially kibble, unlike most of us humans who chew our food. Kibble, ,meat and bones landing in the stomach will digest at different rates purely based on the fact that they are three different solids of varying density and composition and are not mixed well by chewing. I don't think this would be an issue with a dog that has a non-sensitive stomach. A dog with a sensitive stomach may have bouts of the squirts or constipation depending on the foods and bone content. As others have said there is no single diet that is suitable for all dogs. Mixing may be the ultimate for dog X and be terrible for dog Y.

I can't see any problem in using that as a one off, just make sure it is rinsed well. A lot of Husky owners use Johnsons no more tears baby shampoo - it is supposed to be excellent for sensitive skins and doesn't rob the skin of too much oil.

+ 1 for Vinegar and water If you are really keen you can make a really excellent DIY enzyme cleaner that is super easy and cheap way to make. This is perfect for doggy accidents and heaps of other cleaning uses. Basically you use citrus peels to make it with. It's quick and easy to make but it takes a little while to "ferment" into the cleaner. I am including a link so I don't need to retype all of the info. http://happyhomemake...urpose-cleaner/

... I wouldn't have thought Tibetan Mastiffs or Central Asian Shepherds would be very common either and certainly not a cheap dog for a yob????

Have a look into "Satin Balls" it is specifically used to put weight on. A quick google search will help you decide if it is right for you and your dog. I know many Husky people recommend these for dogs that really struggle to put on weight. Below is a cut and paste of a post I found for you to check out, I haven't gone through all of the ingredients in all of the recipes but I imagine there would be heaps of scope to modify to suite your needs. Here is a recipe for Satin Balls, that takes the best recipes from the internet and combines them with information shared in the Food and Nutrition Forum, along with a discussion of the ingredients. Satin Balls appear to have developed in the show community, as an uncooked, homemade dog food to improve coats and put weight on a skinny dog, quickly. Many recipe variations have proliferated on the internet, but a few are mentioned frequently. The dog rescue community also uses Satin Balls to put weight on underweight dogs. The following recipe combines the best elements of two of the most common recipes circulating on the internet. Satin Balls: 10 pounds raw ground beef, 70%-85% lean 18 ounces Total Multi-grain cereal (or other vitamin-fortified, unsweetened cereal 2 pounds oatmeal, uncooked regular or quick oats (not instant oats) 20 ounces wheat germ 1 ¼ cup canola oil 1 ¼ cup unsulfured molasses 10 hard-boiled eggs and shells, crushed and minced 10 envelopes unflavored gelatin ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon minced garlic Combine all ingredients and mix well. Divide into freezer bags in daily ration portions (some divide into 10 equal portions, others 14, and I divide it into one-pound packs). Flatten out the filled bags to expel air and completely fill the bags, and to reduce freezing/thawing times. Seal and place the bags in the freezer in a single layer. Once frozen, the bags can be stacked. For travel, the frozen bags can be placed in a cooler and used to chill other items until needed. Break thawed meat mixture into chunks or roll into meatballs. Feed raw as a meal or supplement. Yield: approx. 17 pounds @ 1275 calories/pound. About the Ingredients Beef: If the goal is to improve the coat, then use leaner ground beef. If the goal is to put weight on, quickly, then use ground beef with higher fat content. Cereal: The original recipe calls for Total cereal, but another fortified, unsweetened cereal could be used. Some competing recipes discourage the use of Total cereal “due to its high sugar content”, but since it is unsweetened, the sugar content is low. Total was chosen for the original recipe because of its vitamin content. Molasses: Some recipes criticize the use of sugar (molasses) in the recipe, however the molasses contributes minerals and calories. If the Satin Balls were being fed on a regular basis, long-term, then one might want to omit the molasses. Eggs: The original recipe for Satin Balls calls for 10 raw eggs. Apart from concerns about salmonella, raw egg white contains avitin which blocks the use of the B vitamin, biotin. While there is a lot of biotin in the egg yolk, to offset the avitin in the egg white, dogs do not digest raw eggs as well as they do cooked. Cooking neutralizes the avitin, allowing full use of the biotin. Cooked eggs are more nutritious and easier to digest, with more usable calories per egg, so our recipe calls for hard-boiled eggs. The shells are included for their calcium. Gelatin: Some recipes call for unflavored joint health supplement gelatin. Other Recipes Some of the competing recipes, variously called Satin Balls or Fat Balls, call for subsets of the main Satin Ball recipe, and often add cream cheese or peanut butter. The high dairy content of some of these recipes may cause digestive upset in some dogs. Here are some of the other, popular recipes for Satin/Fat Balls. Fat Balls #1: 10 pounds ground beef 10 ounces uncooked oatmeal 6 raw egg yolks 10 ounces wheat germ 10 ounces molasses Combine all ingredients and mix well. Roll into one-inch balls and freeze. Fat Balls #2: 1 pound ground beef (high fat content) 1 package cream cheese 1 jar all-natural peanut butter 12 raw egg yolks 1 cup rolled oats soaked in milk 1 jar wheat germ Combine all ingredients and mix well. Freeze into meal-sized bags and thaw as needed. Fat Balls #3: 1 half-pint container heavy cream 12 raw egg yolks 2 blocks cream cheese (at room temp) 5 pounds ground beef 1 small box Total cereal (crushed into crumbs) 1 cup wheat germ Mix dry ingredients, add heavy cream, add cream cheese, mix together. Add ground beef, and mix together. Roll into balls and freeze. Fat Balls #4: 2 cups dry dog food, crushed fine 2 packs cream cheese 1 ½ cups peanut butter ½ cup corn oil 1 cup cottage cheese 1 pound ground beef, browned (reserve some of the fat) additional crushed dry dog food, as needed “Combine all ingredients and mix well. Work to a doughy mixture, adding more crushed dry dog food meal as needed, if consistency is too thin. On wax paper spread some crushed dry dog food meal and roll out mixture into log shape. Refrigerate until firm and slice as needed. Feed them a slice or two several times during the day.”

Agree'd 100%! Regardless of what the child did ..if the kid needed hundreds of stitches then..."this was a mauling"... it wasnt just a quick snap to say stop standing on my Paw !! Kids can be pretty awful. I've often retold a story that a vet told me. Family comes in to pts the family Labrador cause it bit a kid. After the green dream is administered, they find several staples through the poor dog's ear. PTS may be appropriate, but it would be good to hear the full story before forming an opinion. Oh damn, I wish I didn't just read this - that is so bloody sad

delete

.deleted, as there is just too much sadness involved with the recent attacks to debate viewpoints

5 mins per month of age is recommended for Huskies while the dog is growing and reaching maturity. I would think this is a pretty good rule of thumb for most dogs if you wish to avoid joint and hip problems for as long as possible in later life. It is also recommended that the walking is preferably on grass rather than bitumen. Avoiding stairs and too much jumping up on laps, sofas etc will also help to avoid future problems. Many dogs unfortunately develop arthritis and other problems far earlier than they should and I believe that much of this can be avoided by being careful and moderate in walking/running during the growing period.

It is pretty strange for sure. Husky owners know or at least should be aware that off leash in a non confined or fenced area is almost always fraught with danger. This is one of the FIRST things told to potential owners. There are the rare 1% that will be okay off leash. It is not a maybe he will be okay off leash, it is almost considered a certain that he WONT be okay off leash. Either way it is a very sad situation for all concerned, I would be pretty confident in thinking that the breeder who has donated a puppy will have given thorough rules and advice on the care of their new furbaby.

Yeah, this is what I was thinking on both of your comments. here is a link of the vid, I haven't been seen any others but no doubt, when one of the tabloid style news programmes does a story then the other networks will also do their bit. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/video/watch/3d857d83-d98e-3f99-a7a3-cee62b12cd60/boy-hurt-in-dog-attack/

The article says Wooltana St.6 Wooltana St sold in May for $1.25M, 11 Wooltana St. Is listed for $1.59M. It's a short street near Manning Rd, the Canning Bridge, and various parks. Most of us couldn't afford to live there. Hmmm, that does surprise me. Can't say I know that particular street but I know the area, based on the prices you have found via google I certainly could not afford to live there, but I would not be surprised to see a big difference in prices from subdivided lots to housing estates.That side hard up against the freeway and manning road is not what I had thought of as the nice areas of Como, dunno to be honest.

For what its worth. Como is not an exclusively rich area. There are some expensive parts but there are also some low end. I believe that these houses are in the low socio-economic area of Como. 10K would be a big hit for the dog owner I would imagine. Regardless of the economics, a dog like this has no place in any home. Many dogs escape and go for a wander around the block, this is bad but seldom tragic, but when an escapee is so aggressive and innocent people playing in their own yard get attacked... well, we all know the results. It is another nail in the coffin for responsible people who wish to keep dogs such as this.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/18286738/boy-dad-mauled-in-dog-attack/ A man had his hand ripped apart as he tried to save his son from a vicious dog attack in Como yesterday. Jai Cooper was riding his scooter on the driveway of their Wooltana Street home when a neighbour’s dog jumped a fence from its yard. Step-mother Larissa Miller said the dog latched on to the nine-year-old’s arm. Her partner and Jai’s dad, David Cooper, tried to fight off the dog. The dog then started attacking Mr Cooper, ripping apart his hand. Doctors spent several hours today trying to save Mr Cooper’s thumb after he sustained serious hand and side wounds. Jai is recovering in Princess Margaret Hospital after surgery for arm injuries. Ms Miller said she was grateful to all the people who had helped them. She has called for the dog to be destroyed. Rangers seized the dog, believed to be an American bulldog, after the attack. City of South Perth chief executive Cliff Frewing said the council and police are investigating the incident. Under the WA Dog Act, owners of a dog that chases or attacks a person or animal can be prosecuted and if found liable, can face a $10,000 fine and the dog may be destroyed.

Wonderful, I just saw this on a Husky forum. I almost teared up watching this!

Never heard of Stay loyal, looks good from the ingredients. TOTW is the preferred kibble for many Husky owners who can't or don't wish to feed Raw. It seems like a very good kibble and works out about the same price as Hills, Euk and RC, taking into account that you feed less of TOTW due to its higher content of quality proteins and less fillers. If I could afford it or had a small dog that I wished to feed a commercial food to, I would go for the NZ made Ziwi Peak, not really a kibble though, it is more of a beef jerky like consistency. You don't add water to regenerate Ziwi Peak. You feed a much lower volume of this food so you can't compare bag weights when doing your budgets.

I love the pics of your Huskies in your avatar and sig, just checked out your website too, so many stunning huskies!!! I currently am on a waiting list in WA with Anna Mikosza - do you know her? This is indeed true, but some riders may not be spring-chickens, the extra long dip can also put strain on the knees for some people. A 6.5 inch pawtrekker dip will be much harder going for a shorter person than for a very tall person. Mine has a low 100mm clearance and believe me my glutes are aching after a long (dogless) scoot yesterday. :)

Whichever one you decide to get check out the ground clearance. Pawtrekker is around 6.5 inches, which means you need to bend your planted scooter leg by around the same distance in order to kick off. So think about doing a 6 inch, one legged squat for every push kick you do. My Kostka has a clearance of around 100mm which is plenty for off road and is far less fatiguing over distance. A higher step down is also less safe when you need to get off quickly.

I just bought a Kostka Mushing Pro , from all the research I did including Pawtrekker, Kickbike, Gravity and a few others I think the Kostka Mushing Pro is the best out there. There is a really good chap (Michal) in Sydney that imports them. Mine arrived last week and it is bloody awesome. There are less expensive options if you don't need the front shocks and hydraulic brakes. http://www.kickscootersydney.com.au/content/mushing-pro

... I stumbled across this link which might be worth having a read of http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/12/immunoglobulin-a-deficiency.aspx Some things sound similar to the OPs problems and is focussed on immunoglobulin deficiency. Interestingly they make mention of Coconut Oil as potentially being helpful. EDIT: Bugger, I just re-read the thread and the same article was already posted - woops :)

My mistake, I misread the quoted Choice extract. It is very interesting and will look forward to hearing more on this thread. PetPlan seems to be the one that most here recommend and many Petsecure policy holders seem to wish to change over or go with Petplan next time around?

It seems odd that Choice who are normally pretty good have made their recommendation based on accident only??? I will certainly be going with PetPlan when my new puppy arrives.

Great WSM, I am happy that you are getting somewhere and I wish you the very best of health for your dog :) ...and yourself of course :laugh:

Fair enough, you sound like a responsible and thoughtful owner. I am just glad that it turned out okay, albeit a bit stressy :)

Yeah, I have heard the same thing! ...another one my vet says is Paw Paw cream topically is awesome on scratches, bites and other skin conditions. I swear by this stuff!