Scrappi&Monty

Yes. Don't they recommend something like under 10% fat? Would you think feeding lamb (the leaner bits) would be ok? Her neighbour who has greyhounds feeds them lamb. By the sounds of it though I'm not sure if they feed any offal or bone though which is concerning... I'll definitely make sure my friend knows it needs to be balanced. Did you feed your mini raw or kibble/wet? If you fed yours any bones what would you reccomend?

True. I hadn't thought about that yet. The Big Dog BARF "Kanga" flavour is 16.5% protein, 4% fat. The others are around 13% protein and much higher levels of fat. The "Wellbeing" flavour is a much more normal/low 12.5% protein and a hopefully low enough 6% fat. Bugger, I just realised also my dogs are having a bit of kangaroo overload at the moment... oops! I just bought new kibble (trying savourlife kangaroo) and the Big Dog patties we have at the moment are kangaroo too

She isn't overweight, she isn't super super lean though. Hard to tell from the fluff and I haven't seen her in a while haha. Her owner's mother used to work as a vet nurse, and they are dog/horse "savvy" family. I'm assuming she did have an attack of pancreatitis once, I'll have to double check. Must've been when she was young because I've known her since she was probably 2yo, and I'm pretty sure she's had it since I've known her. I've made up a list for her of raw foods that should be ok; Big Dog BARF sells Kangaroo (4% fat) and "wellbeing" (6% fat) versions. The "wellbeing" one is aimed at dogs with pancreatitis and other illnesses like that. A lot of the different roo ones are fine since it's so low in fat.

Yes it wasn't aimed at those particular kids. Just general opinion.

Hmm okay, it seems like the ones we get around here must be different. Our woolies sells beef soup bones but they are all hard and sharp... thanks Karen

I was replying to dogsandthemob's comment. They said the kids could've been out hunting feral animals, and that people do allow their children to do that. I wasn't saying "I think these kids definitely had HUNTING knives and were DELIBERATELY killing things" That may or may not have been the case. Regardless if they were real weapons, or toy arrows & a butter knife... they were still armed... and still used it to stab a dog (whether it was before or after the dog attacked) I was simply saying that in my opinion, children (in general) shouldn't be a) Allowed to go hunt like that unsupervised. b) Have access to weapons w/out rules. Obviously the kids either weren't taught rules, or were and then broke them. An 11yo should know not to break into someone else's property or go near strange unattended dogs. It wasn't as though they accidentally walked onto an unfenced yard, or that they were retrieving a ball from over the fence. I respect the opinions of responsible hunters, the animals they hunt usually have a much better life than animals raised on a factory farm, as long as people are hunting enough meat to keep themselves fed and not over hunting or hunting endangered animals I think that's fine And what I was meaning before was that people who do hunt responsibly would teach their kids how to do it properly and safely, and have rules. Responsible people would teach the kids not to hunt unsupervised, not to play with the weapons, how to do it safely/humanely/properly, and wouldn't just let them go off on their own messing about on other people's properties with the weapons. And no, I've never actually had an ethically sourced organic latte in my life.

(Asking for a friend) One of my friends has been getting into eating raw/vegetarian etc, and she is thinking of putting her dogs on a raw diet too. (Her neighbour is a greyhound bloke who feeds raw, and so do I) She has 3 dogs. Two young males; a 25kg sighthound (adopted as a chi x whippet... he was the biggest at the whippet meetup apparently ), and a welsh terrier who has all kinds of mental health issues poor boy. Both rescues. And a middle aged Mini Schnauzer girl with pancreatitis. They have just been fed the usual kind of dry and tinned foods I suppose, trying to get the lowest fat versions for the schnauzer. My friend was saying though that they won't be able to feed bones to the schnauzer because they're too high in fat... But I was wondering how they could ensure a balanced diet? I know Big Dog raw sells kangaroo versions which have 4% fat, and a sort of "health" version which is 6% fat and suggested for dogs with pancreatitis. Although feeding purely these can get a little pricey. Any experiences of raw feeding dogs with pancreatitis, and what to avoid and what works, would be great, thank you

Might be a helpful video for those who want some cheaper backyard agility equipment. They also have videos for weaves, see-saws, jumps etc if I remember correctly. I made some jumps which can be converted into 3 weave poles each, using their video as a vague guideline and a bit of making it up with what Bunnings had. One day I want to get into agility, but we're a little too busy at the moment

Imagine if you built a time machine and got some modern British Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, Neo Mastiffs, Dachshunds, German Shepherds & Pugs and took them back in time to when those historical photos were taken, no one would recognise them! Maybe they'd be able to recognise the dachshund, but they'd think they look ridiculous! (Not bashing daschies! ) The pugs, Neos, and bulldogs are basically completely different breeds, nothing like the original. The bulldogs (both French and British) are so much more brachycephalic, wrinkly and barrel shaped now, they were much slimmer built then by the looks of it. The historical Frenchie just looked like some sort of terriery thing with a terrible underbite. The jaw/head shape is all different now, seems to have shortened majorly. Are proper Frenchies now supposed to have an underbite or a correct scissor bite? I can't remember, I know many do though.

Such sad news, I can't help sorry, but good luck with your girl. Cherish the time you have Spend the time having fun & cuddles.

Thankfully Scrappi has never had any issues with it, and vets have never mentioned anything about trying to fix it etc. Will probably get arthritis in the coming years, he's starting to get old Good luck with your dog!

Oh yes, some of them aren't as bad as others but most of them are awful Those ridiculous Neos! The extreme Basset hounds these days make me sad... at the Royal Easter I saw a basset who looked like she was melting into the table, and the poor thing's bottom and vulva and was all hanging out...! And those bracchy dogs on the video, especially some of those Pekingese, are so ridiculously flat faced with the tiny nostrils. Not to be mean to any peke breeders, but when they are so ridiculously fluffy like that, the ones with the black face and the lighter coloured coat look a bit like black pugs in a lion costume hehe... How do they even move properly though?!

Why oh why do people think it's ok to let kids kill things? Especially unsupervised... I know that some people who hunt teach their kids to but at least they're supervised. I still never would. Don't think it's terribly bright to instill killing things into your child's idea of having fun... When I was a kid I used to get cross on the other kids for ripping bark off trees & killing the trees haha.

What breed? I'm sure turned feet are probably something to see the vet about if you are concerned. This is my corgi x terrier rescue... he's always had crazy corgi "ballet" feet. I don't see many purebred corgis of either type with feet this extreme, which is probably a good thing. Funny though (funny weird, not funny haha) he has had issues with his back legs for years, but never have his front legs had issues touch wood.

Yeah, as Rascalmyshadow said, the boys were old enough to know exactly what they were doing, and that it was a very wrong thing to do. By that age you definitely know that breaking into a property is wrong, and you know that carrying knives and arrows is dangerous and illegal, or at least not something you should do. I doubt they would have known that committing a crime would give them a criminal record for the rest of their lives, and what the consequences for that would be. It's very sad that that boy was mauled so badly, that would be extremely painful and not nice the kid had to end up being airlifted to hospital. But yet again, what does it take for them to learn a lesson? He shouldn't have climbed two fences into a property that isn't his, with weapons, into a yard with a dog. He should've known by that age that you don't mess with strange dogs, and you definitely don't go into their yards. I would be extremely upset if the situation was the kid went to fetch a ball that went over a fence by accident and then got attacked, that would be devestating. But obviously they weren't thinking much, they deliberately did something extremely dangerous and stupid, what did they think was going to happen? Unless the boys say what happened, we won't know. I agree though, the kids definitely shouldn't have been named on the news, that was very wrong, the kid will probably suffer even more due to that. Naming the kid on social media/news is dangerous on the kid's behalf, and they don't deserve that. As someone mentioned above, you never know about the crazy adults on FB that may go to the boy's school or threaten to hurt him or something awful. That is just sick.

Yeah for putting on quick weight those satin balls are good as Thistle's mum said. We used some for Monty not long after we adopted him he went through a too skinny phase. I blitzed up kibble in the food processer so it turned to crumbs (or you can put it in a plastic bag and whack it with a rolling pin of course) Mixed that with cottage/cream cheese. Some mince (could use normal human grade mince, or maybe even some BARF mince for dogs) Some grated apple & carrot for extras, don't need them. mix it up, make into patties or meat balls & freeze. Grab one or a few from the freezer the day before & feed it with the normal food. What is she currently fed? If you feed her supermarket food it could be useful for her general health swapping her onto a more "natural (super) premium" food. Like black hawk, meals for mutts, holistic select, etc. In my personal opinion (based upon the opinion of vet nutritionists etc) foods like Hills, Royal Canin, Advance, etc are full of junk and are a bit of a waste of money, they are slightly better than supermarket brands imo. Monty was on Hills Science Diet at the RSPCA, when we adopted him we had to buy a bag obviously so he didn't get an upset tummy. It was so much more expensive than our usual food (black hawk) and I was tempted just to take a bunch of free samples to last the week But I bought it, opened the packet and there was so much corn in it that it smelled like Doritos... corn is really not good for dogs btw. And it was the first ingredient... When he was fed that, he had stinky breath with kibble grossness stuck in his teeth, his fur stank, he was oily & itchy, he was also a bit chubby (but then quickly lost too much weight soon after.) It also had sugar in which is totally unnecessary. Anyways. Sorry for rambling, Good luck with your girl

I'd never heard anything about it... Sad, regardless of how the story actually went. Kids had to go to hospital, a dog was terribly injured and traumatised and had to live a life in confinement then get pts. If those kids did stab that dog, that is absolutely disgusting and heartbreaking. Awful to think those children have that mindset, they are going to grow up into sick dangerous criminals unless a lot of work of teaching them morals gets done now! They better learn their lesson

The OP was a while ago but.... Yes it is real. There are no words for how disgusting/heart-breaking/upsetting it is. It happens every June I believe, and despite years of campaigns/petitions etc against it, it still goes on. And it's going to happen again fairly soon unless the Chinese government finally gets the hint and makes it illegal (unless it already is, I can't remember if it's an underground market ?) and the select few Chinese people who still eat dog meat get the message that it is not ok. Especially because the dogs eaten at the festival are either raised in cages in disgusting conditions, or are lost & stolen pets. They are tortured in front of one another to "raise their adrenaline" because apparently it "makes the meat taste nicer". (which goes against any other science and what is the case for any other meat... gross, but if the animal is tense and full of adrenaline when it is slaughtered, the meat will be much tougher) If you're brave enough, do more research... I've seen some horrific things online that I really wish I hadn't. There's a man on Instagram who posts pics and stories. He goes around undercover to dog meat farms and tries his hardest to save some animals if not somehow shut down the farm. It is interesting (?) and compelling/motivating (all the wrong words... but I don't know how to say what I'm meaning) in the sense that it makes you need to act now to stop it, but at the same time it is nightmarish. The man is absolutely not in a healthy way mentally, he is very very depressed and has trouble sleeping etc after what he has seen, but he has incredible motivation and has essentially metaphorically killed himself, ruined his mental health, and sacrificed his relationships with family/friends and has dedicated his entire life to trying to stop this absolutely cruel practice. The poor man is literally torturing himself.

What a disgusting human being, how can he call himself an animal lover!? Why would the magistrate let him off easy like that? A normal person would not be carrying a knife for starters, and it definitely shouldn't be instinctual to reach for a knife and stab a dog!! Why the hell would he be quiet? Would he not yell and kick or something?? Like if you were actually really worried, that isn't how you react. What if he reacted like that to a human? Just stabbed them without any warning because he felt intimidated? Disgusting.

I have been following Naomi Johns on Instagram for a while, she's had this little foster pup (named Greg) who suffers from heart breaking seizures, I found this article about him (I didn't know what had caused the seizures until I read this, but now I'm even sadder ) http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4720846/wollongong-dog-left-brain-damaged-after-eating-cannabis/ check her out on Instagram @naomi_johns_photography if you want to learn a little more.

I don't have much help, but that's so awful about your poor beagle Hoping the vet can help you out with Berry! I've never used it but as PK said, adaptil seems to be good. You can also get Rescue Remedy for dogs, my younger sister uses the human version for her anxiety and has done since she was a little girl, apparently it's really helpful for her! What is she fed at the moment btw? As PK said, there is probably an underlying cause for the weight loss which needs to be adressed though.

Just saw this article about more puppy farm issues in NSW, haven't had a proper read but thought I'd share it on here. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/dont-let-raids-on-puppy-farms-fool-you-cruelty-continues-in-nsw-20170609-gwoewq.html Don't let raids on puppy farms fool you; cruelty continues in NSW The recent raids on puppy farms in NSW, which resulted in about 100 dogs rescued last week and one puppy farmer pleading guilty to charges of animal cruelty the week prior, have been welcomed by many. They give the impression that something substantial is happening to address the problem, which is good news for the NSW government. The sad reality is these latest raids mean very little and have proven what a waste of time the parliamentary inquiry into puppy farms was. The fact is puppy farming is a flourishing business in NSW and ongoing cruelty is slipping through the cracks of the weakest legislation in Australia, with a state government that seems more interested in symbolism than solutions. In NSW puppy farmers do not have to worry about annual council inspection, annual renewal of their permit and annual dog registrations, nor do they have to worry about being inspected against the code of practice on a regular basis. All they are legally required to do is apply for a permit, but in many cases they don't even do that. NSW puppy farmers don't fear being exposed when they know the state laws allow them to continue regardless. This was evident in the case last week of the puppy farmer near Goulburn who was found guilty of cruelty. This farmer was operating without a council permit and had recently lodged an application to acquire a permit from Goulburn Mulwaree Council so she could carry on business as usual. The NSW government refuses to give the RSPCA powers that were given to the Victorian RSPCA some years ago. RELATED ARTICLE Labor shelves controversial puppy farm crackdown In 2015 Oscar's Law forced the government into action. It announced a parliamentary inquiry into puppy farms after we exposed a number of horrific puppy factories in central NSW. There was an air of excitement and determination that this inquiry would, unlike the previous one, bring about lasting change through stronger legislation. What we ended up with was a central microchip database and an advertising and revenue-raising campaign sponsored by the NSW government to "close puppy factories", something it has the power to do but refuses to. Some have described this public relations campaign as the biggest prank ever pulled on the pet-loving public. Recently, I visited the NSW puppy factories that triggered the parliamentary inquiry, nothing has changed and dogs are still living in their own filth. As I stood at one puppy factory looking at 200 dogs it angered me that the inquiry was such a waste of time and taxpayer funds, and that these dogs continue to suffer. ON The squalid scenes at an unlicensed puppy factory in Inverell triggered a NSW parliamentary inquiry. The Victorian government has proposed legislation to stamp out puppy farms. An amended bill is to be tabled after the winter recess, but is already having an impact on the industry, evidenced by Victorian puppy farmers relocating interstate, three to NSW and one to Queensland in the past 12 months. The Victorian government is proposing to bring in a cap on the number of female breeding dogsallowed to 10. This is to ensure best practice in line with registered ethical dog breeders, that puppies should be born and raised in a family home, not in a shed, a cage, or a dirt enclosure. The ban on the sale of animals in Victorian pet shops is also in line with registered dog breeders, as they don't sell their puppies to pet shops. The recently elected WA government is working on similar legislation. An advertising campaign will not close puppy factories in NSW, nor will a microchip register. The NSW government has so far held two parliamentary inquiries into the issue and yet NSW remains the favourite destination for interstate puppy factories feeling the heat from other state governments.TWITTER Dogs at a puppy farm in northern NSW. Photo: Oscars Law Two years after the second NSW government parliamentary inquiry, we are still waiting for a NSW MP with the courage and determination to take on this hideous industry and bring about real change. The commercial interest of a few shouldn't override the majority, and the majority of Australians want to see an end to the factory farming of companion animals. Until then we will continue to see thousands of dogs suffer on legal, government-sanctioned puppy factories throughout NSW. The public expect better from their elected officials.

That is nasty! Poor bloke & poor dog. What a low life for someone to not offer assistance and run off like that?!? Scary that it nearly turned into a fatal injury! Although I do disagree with what the man who was attacked said about "a dog that size shouldn't be allowed to be walked on the streets", a better phrasing would be "a dog that dangerous/aggressive shouldn't be allowed on the streets." Some small dogs can be mighty aggressive and many giant breed dogs are as gentle as anything. But of course all the DOLers would know that

Little Gifts; if you have a look on the website there is/was a fair amount of info regarding those points. (PDFs about puppy farms & pet shops, 'Adopt Don't Shop', being a responsible pet owner, desexing/registering etc, "The Responsible Puppy Buyer's Guide", avoiding puppy farms & BYB, how to report suspected puppy farms & BYB. Etc. ) They have been sending out things for educating the public on certain issues, or at least trying to... There was an email sent out a couple of months ago offering free Companion Animal First Aid booklets. I asked for one just to have handy, it was free so why not. I had to put in my phone number, then they called me a few days later for my address, the guy calling was on for a chat about everything RSPCA related Eventually I got this tiny little pocket First Aid booklet. It's a pretty good little booklet though, I already knew all of the information of course. But would be handy for the general public, the type that see their dog vomiting or limping or itching and shrug it off. As you said about the letters, I have got quite a few recently from various organisations, including a double up from the RSPCA. Long letters with full colour photos and all little extra bits & pieces, sending thousands of those out would cost a bomb in this day and age, tbh I would prefer they just save that money to use for the actual cause. Personally I will donate when I can regardless of the elaborate letters.

Hahaha that is hilarious. Might've hurt their little ears, or perhaps it was just a song to sing along to.