Erny

Glad things are looking on the improve. For what it's worth, the lentils I use are organic ones I buy in cans at Coles. I empty the cans into a sieve and then rinse them off. Not every coles store stocks the "organic" brand, I notice. Buying them in cans isn't the most ideal compared to fresh lentils, but it saves me a lot of time for not having to cook them.

I got mine from K9Magic.com.au but that was years ago. My dog has hardly made a dint in them and doesn't opt to chew on them very often. They are about 10" long. Have you tried sourcing them there?

Ain't that the truth. It is and will always be a continuous learning curve from one dog to another to another ...... That's what makes it fun or challenging :).

Thanks all. Will try for a happy snap. In fact, I went to take a quick video via my iPhone this morning, when he was being a doofus head and was doing short leap runs up and down the veranda length (his attempt at getting my attention to remind me he hadn't had his breakfast yet). His "kangaroo" imitation. As Murphy's law has it, my phone decided to throw a dummy spit and I missed the opportunity. I will post photos as soon as I can. Warning though - he is still lean and there are areas I'm not happy with (e.g. - hip bones/back end) but I do think this relates to a skeletal/muscle issue. I know that something's not right (have known for a long time, but no-one's been able to pin-point problem) as he's pulled up sore in a shoulder muscle a couple of times recently after a run/zoomie down at the park. I'm waiting for a poop to happen (he might have snuck one out when I wasn't looking) to make sure the bone content he ate has moved its way through ok. I'm not totally convinced yet that his system is able to properly digest/break-down bone. He was also a little bit restless for a short period last night, which could indicate there was a small amount of abdominal discomfort, but nothing major.

Isn't there a DOLer who sells them? Perhaps search in the "health" forum.

Add one thing at a time, and wait a little while. Otherwise, if there's a down-turn, you won't know what did what. But with what you've already done and doing, you probably already figured and planned that out :). Slowly, slowly, wins the race, as they say.

Came back here to give a small (milestone) update. For the first time in at least 2 years, Mandela accepted a lamb bone ..... and ATE IT!! That was this morning. Touch wood, no ill effects. In the past, if he accepted a lamb bone at all (he'd eagerly anticipate it, go to take it and then spit it out) he'd either bury it or most times leave it to the crows. This was after and since he went off all meat protein sources and before being on the AA diet all this time. If he had eaten any of the meat, even the smallest amount, he'd show with upset stomach by way of posture fairly quickly. But today he not only accepted the bone but chewed and ate the whole lot with flourish, all in one sitting. As I said ...... touch wood, touch wood, touch wood ..... In re-visiting this thread I've realised I'd forgotten all about the RHVC. Will look further into it. ETA: I've been working with and through Mandela's myriad of problematic symptoms since he was 10 months of age. At one stage we'd reached what I felt to be the end of our run in terms of what food I was going to be able to feed him, leaving me in doubt as to whether he'd make his 3rd birthday. Mandela has come a long way since then - he's still a doofus head and a pushy pants .... and is turning 6 years old in 5 days' time :D.

I would be inclined to include broccoli to that mix - it's rich in vitamins including vitamin C, Calcium, and fibre. Lentils are a good source of protein as well as providing some fibre to the diet. From my research, sweet potato is preferred to normal potato. Also whole eggs, if your dog can cope with those. My dog, who I swear is one of the most digestive sensitive dogs I've ever come across, seems to be ok with eggs and I've recently increased his egg intake. I began gently with cooked boiled eggs (no shell) and only one here and there, and then gradually increased (as my confidence and daring improved) to the point where I simply give him a whole raw egg from the carton a few times a week. He eats the whole lot, shell and all without any detrimental effect revealing itself. I vary the amount of roo mince a little bit. He has a minimum, but when I see his weight coming off a bit, I try to increase it for a while, but then balance it back out if I begin to see the smallest signs of discomfort or down turn. I believe this relates to the proportion ratio of the roo mince : veggie and supplement mix that he's on. My boy is also on the thin and lean side. Because I've become used to his weight loss/gain and the fact that it is very rare when I can get him to what I'd regard as optimum rib-cover without him then throwing a bout of digestive discomfort, I've come to accept and be happy with him simply being well, and not too worried about weight gain (although if it is achievable, that's good). As long as I know I'm trying to ensure that he is receiving as well-balanced diet as he can possibly cope with in terms of nutrition, the weight is now secondary. Must admit I can say this now, as only 2 or 3 years ago I felt he was too desperately thin and weight gain was a huge focal point. ETA: I also added dairy free probiotic powder to his diet and noticed a very sudden change to smaller stools, indicating he was absorbing more (and less of my money and food preparation effort was being wasted). Just my 2 cents and only based on what I do for my dog. Also to add : Where feasible, use a coat/jacket on your dog through the cooler weather.

Interesting, regards sweating : Many years ago, with my previous girl .... she was on the X-ray table for ages and ages (sedated). I stayed with her the whole time. By the time the Vets came back to help her off the table, she was wet with sweat where she had been laying. She had not urinated. Just musing here - I wonder if something relates to the exorcise of toxins from the body? Edited to Add : Or on second thoughts, perhaps in her case it was condensation moisture, from the warmth of her body being on the metal of the X-ray table for so long ???

Hugs and sorrow for your loss, Airedaler. You tried hard and gave it your all and best. No one can ask for more. And you were selfless all the way through.

Perhaps for some, JulesP - but in my instance, I switched to raw trying both VAN and BARF (at separate times) and unfortunately, whilst my boy did improve some, it didn't last and he suddenly imploded again with symptoms. VAN was the longest running diet without issues though (around 7 months or so), before AA.

Brilliant, PS !!! So glad it's working for Vulcan. :D My blender cost $800.00 (that was 2 years ago). I got the same looks, but with the time involved in the food preparation and the time it saves, well worth it :). I've been meaning to explore making smoothies and trying to give myself a healthy diet - haven't quite got to that point yet.

Maybe maintain the raw part of the diet (if I understand it correctly) and ditch the supplement for a few weeks. All I can say is that I've done this - not by intention, but because I'd forgotten to re-order and had none to include with the meat/veggie (raw) component. Stools very swiftly returned to sloppy tar and things slipped backwards. But by all means try it if you wish to - sometimes there's only one way to find out. Must admit, I've stuck with what works as I just so don't want to go back to how things were and have to work through to get back on top of it (as "on top" as is possible) again. I had tried the VAN supplement earlier (back way when). In general, I like and respect VAN products - fed them for my previous girl and she did VERY well on them. But the supplements didn't do anything to improve my current boy's symptoms, including sloppy stools and skin outbreaks. But every dog is different and maybe worth trying if you haven't before.

Julie you are an amazing woman who has such endless passion and enthusiasm for all that you do. The MDBA and the awards are a wonderful credit to you and your small group of helpers. :thumbsup:

Airdaler - In addition to the AA recommended diet and SuperBoost, I had my dog's hair-DNA tested. As a consequence of the results and analysis, one of the recommended substances I was *prescribed* was the use of Lugol's Solution. This can be taken orally, but didn't suit my dog. I used it instead to treat hives, boils and other skin ailments that still from time to time, occur. I have found Lugol's to be the best thing to use (way better than other iodine based treatments) and tends to help in settling and healing. I use it when Calendula Tea isn't quite enough by itself. Have no idea whether this would be good for your dog's instance, but wondering if I mentioned to you about hair-DNA testing before? What I liked about this was that it is completely non-invasive and in our instance doesn't involve taking your dog for more poking and prodding.

Whatever product you decide to use, make sure to aim for one which works to *balance* the immune system, not *boost* it. If there is a possible issue which relates to the immune system already being over-active, you don't want to make it more so.

I know that I was told "there's no point" once, but since heard and read that it was good and ok to feed pro-biotics and antibiotics simultaneously, and it is what I would do. A quick google search to double check my memory, and this : "Antibiotics are medications that destroy bacteria. Intended to treat bacterial infections, antibiotics are so effective in killing bacteria that they often wipe out healthy bacteria in the colon along with the harmful bacteria. Probiotics are fermented foods or dietary supplements that contain the healthy bacteria needed for optimal colon ecology. Probiotics are beneficial to both children and adults, especially during or following antibiotics treatment." From : Livestrong.com

Yes it is and should be (i.e. left on the coat/skin, to dry)

Just writing here to let you know I've seen this thread. Don't have time to write a lot at the moment (yep .... MDBA Awards and gearing up to ready for the party ) but I will tell you that yes, the AA recommended diet and the SuperBoost has done MUCH in terms of good for my boy. And when I did venture to try it, I was right at that 'end of tether' stage, where I felt that it was likely my dog would starve to death as I was unable to source any meat protein he was able to function comfortably on, or that he himself would continue with. He was skinny as, and even missing one day of meals was a big deal. Two or so plus years on and he's still eating it; enthusiasm returned to his previous "hoover it down" gusto that was before his health symptoms reared their ugly heads; vastly reduced symptom flair ups (i.e. not ANYWHERE as severe; not as frequent) and stools, which, without the SuperBoost always end up returning to the consistency of tar, are well formed and firm. Vet always tells me "he looks so good". His coat often attracts compliments. His energy levels are excellent. He's now rising 6 years old. At one stage I would not have believed he would make it this far. I'll write more when I get back to this - or use the search engine for my posts as I've written on it numerous times. In the meantime, I suggest it is certainly a diet worth putting your dog on. Not suggesting it is only in times of "desperate measures", but when you're facing "pts", I wouldn't hesitate to give this a go.

Don't think of washing your dog as the "cure". It will freshen your dog up for a while, but whilst the cause for the "yeasty-ness" you describe persists, it will keep coming back. Check diet. Simultaneously, and to get your dog (and yourself) through the "yeasty-ness", bath with Calendula Tea. The Calendula Tea is not astringent and therefore causes no harm to pH balance. Agree - contact DOL Member Steve and/or visit her website Shalarm. As the MDBA Annual Choice Awards Gala Event is on this weekend, Steve might not be able to respond to your enquiries until next week though.

Off Topic, but that's pretty generalised and no it's not "proof that scolding etc does not work". But it is proof that the method was wrong for this dog; possibly applied incorrectly; possibly wrong for the situation and potentially without other supportive method components. I could say (for example) that the dog next door has a barking issue and 'positive only' methods have been used, but the dog is still barking. Would that be proof that positive methods don't work? Shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater :). ETA: I'm not a fan of the "throwing chains/cans" practice that Bark Busters prescribe to.

There has to be some sort of international shipping service available. I know some people have used Aussie Post but I'm not sure what method. When I tried, they said "no" because it was animal serum (even though I had all the signs/notices saying it was for prognosis purposes and non-contiguous). Others haven't had an issue, so perhaps it was only my post office not being familiar with it. Perhaps the others didn't announce what it was? I'm not sure. As an aside - does your dog show this behaviour with anyone else?

The other thing to check for (although I assume this would have been done when you took your dog to the Vet) is for any soreness, including ears, teeth, etc. Edited to included teeth.

You're not being ignorant, Ringer. It's not that complicated, once you're used to the routine. First step is to go to Dr Jean Dodd's website - HEMOPET For a first thyroid test, I think "Thyroid Profile 5TM" is all you need, rather than the "Thyroid Profile 5TM PLUS" - but this would be worth double checking with Dr Jean (you can email her direct - she's fantastic with prompt responses). Scroll down the page to "TEST REQUEST" and read through so you have a heads-up on what information you will need to include. Go back to the page I gave you the link for and move your curser over the tab at the top, labelled "FORMS". Click on "SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS" in the drop-down box that appears. Scroll down a little until you see the heading "International Sample Shipping Instructions". This provides instructions to your Vet as to how much blood serum is needed, spinning down instructions, colour tubing required etc. It also tells you how to package etc. I always print this off and provide it to my Vet, even though we've done it many times over before. Having made an appointment for the purpose, I take my dog to my Vet, weigh my dog, and the blood is drawn. We wait for 30 minutes and then the blood is spun down to serum. The Vet puts the serum in the appropriate tubing (making sure the amount of serum accords with Hemopet's minimum requirements) and gives it to me. I pay my Vet's bill (lol). I return home, fill out the Hemopet On-Line Form and submit it with the appropriate payment. I package the serum according to directions and include a copy of the On-Line Form that I've printed out, with it. I then take the package to the nearest FedEx (International Courier) drop-off point. I don't seal the package down before I get there, in case they want to inspect it (sometimes they do), but once they've given the nod, I box it down and tape it up. FedEx will have forms for you to fill in as well. Pay FedEx for the courier fee, and it's done. Takes about 3-4 working days to arrive at destination and I tend to find I have results in 7-10 days total. The FedEx International Courier fee from Victoria is about $80.00. As to your Vet drawing the blood for this purpose? IMO, any Vet should agree to it, even if they do roll their eyes and think "thyroid" couldn't possibly be the problem. An earlier Vet (before my current one) gave me that attitude and I just calmly said "humour me". As it turns out, my boy was thyroidic. He was only 15mo at the time of the test and certainly would have been too young (the thyroid would not have degenerated sufficiently in such a short life-span) for our Aussie tests to pick this up. Hope that helps.

On the assumption that the aggression is inappropriate and inexplicable (which it seems it is), I would run a thyroid panel test. But I wouldn't bother with running it here in Australia - I'd run it via Dr Jean Dodds (Hemopet/Hemolife) in the USA. Their tests are more thorough/sensitive than the Aussie Laboratory tests, which tend to not pick up thyroid issues until later on, when the thyroid tissue is considerably more deteriorated (which means a "negative" result might not really be "negative"). Even in the absence of physical (i.e. clinical) signs, a thyroid imbalance symptom can be inexplicable aggression. I have picked up on a number of dogs out here with inappropriate and inexplicable aggression behaviour and where the USA thyroid tests conducted have shown sufficiently positive to suggest this could be the cause of the behaviour. That would be my first step and I'd definitely want this done before entertaining the idea of drugs such as prozac. Agree with consulting with Aidan.