Erny

Hhhhmmm ... that brings me to a difference in opinion as to whether pups should be kept "in" for the total period until two weeks after their final puppy vaccine. My opinion is that no, they shouldn't. I do advocate for keeping a puppy in and away from stress (learning and new experiences = stress, in varying degrees) for a period of 7-10 days beyond each vaccination. This allows the immune system, which has been activated (read : taxed) by the vaccination, to do its job and then recover. Then get back out there again. But it is a matter of using common sense with regards to where you go. For example, I'd not go to parks where unknown dogs from all sorts of life frequent. But I would take the time to lead up to experiences such as certain outdoor cafe's; train stations; airports; buses; sounds of the city - and so on and so forth .... the list is endless and limited only by imagination. Over vaccination is, IMO, a problem. The AVO have a statement release on this very matter, although many Vets are not observing it . But I love it when I hear of the Vets who are taking notice and acknowledging. If you google "Dr Jean Dodds vaccinations" she is a Vet very well versed, cited and respected in the industry and has published numerous articles about vaccination protocols. You might find them of some interest.

Hi Sherbet. C3 covers the 3 core diseases, these being Parvo, Hepatitis and Distemper C4 covers the 3 core diseases, these being Parvo, Hepatitis and Distemper, as well as one strain of Canine Cough C5 covers the 3 core diseases, these being Parvo, Hepatitis and Distemper, as well as two strains of Canine Cough So you see, in each of the above, the 3 core diseases are vaccinated against, the only difference being whether you have your pup vaccinated for canine cough and whether that be against one or two strains of the cough virus. So, it's first a matter of what you want your pup vaccinated against. It goes without saying that your pup be vaccinated against the 3 core diseases. Whether you chose to go the canine cough vaccination (ie C4 or C5) is your choice. For the record, I didn't. Ok - with that explanation in hand (hope it made sense) then it's a matter of working out whether your pup needs (at least) the C3 administered twice or three times. I admit I get a little lost at this point, because it has to do with the timing of the first vaccination (by comparison to the antibodies the pup would have had from the mother's milk) and also the age of the pup for the second vaccination (something for which I was informed should be after 14wo). I'd like to bow out at this point as there are others who are better able to explain it than I. But suffice to say there are times when 2 vaccinations are sufficient, sometimes when 3 are advised. But C3, C4, C5 etc has nothing to do with the order or number of vaccination administrations. I actually like that your Vet is not pushing for "the more vaccinations the merrier". It's a refreshing change. Whether she's right or not as far as timing is concerned, I have to leave that up to those who haven't gotten themselves confused by it all and who understand it more. I will say that due to circumstances I didn't go with the recommended 3 vaccination repeats, only the two. And each one of those two vaccinations were C3 cover only. I don't vaccinate against canine cough so consequently my boy has never received a C4 or a C5 vaccination. I had my boy titred one year on and this evidenced sufficient cover for the 3 core diseases so I recognised no need to re-vaccinate beyond that. Hope this helps a little.

Have PM'd you, VAN . Cheers Erny

Good luck Clyde. Sorry that I can be of no better use other than to be thinking of you and hoping that the mystery of missing Alvin is solved with him being found safe and sound. I presume your other dogs don't seem to be giving off any clues to Alvin's whereabouts? I'm sure that's a stupid question that you would have picked up on had this been the case.

Aahh ... ok, I getcha . It has sort of helped, to a degree only, at this stage. The thing is, the test is only new and consequently not all proteins/food types were tested for. My boy still has problems with foods - goes on them, off them, has good stools with some, bad with others. The Nutriscan test has clarified some things for me to an extent at least. For example, how come Mandela went gung ho on the Z/D for a good period of time, then suddenly (literally) went off it? I didn't understand that until I recognised that Z/D contains corn starch and soy, both of which Mandela has shown positive to in the food intolerance tests. So, I avoid where I can the foods he is proven intolerant to. The next lot of testing (new tests should be available about May this year, I think) will clarify others food sources for me and I think that will prove to be a bigger help. Oh .... sorry. My mistake, perhaps? In the other thread, the way you wrote it, it was as if there was something you knew that suggested we should be very very careful about the feeding of it to our dogs. I won't encumber this thread with it so I'll re-visit the other .

Thanks - I'd like to follow up this comment with you directly - would you mind if I did? It is not to challenge you, but to make sure I have understood something correctly. And thanks again. Just need to collect the ingredients .

I haven't used it nor know of it. But that doesn't mean anything. I just wish you (and your dog) good luck with it and hope that it proves successful. I have heard of drops (can't remember the name) that were invented for use on humans but as it turned out, had a greater success rate for dogs than for humans and so the product (apparently) was marketed for dogs. Those drops related to the reduction/cure of cateracts. Whilst I do not mean for this to hi-jack your thread Cowanbree, I'd be very interested in anyone knowing the effectiveness of that treatment, as well as having an interest in following the responses received in relation to your query as well. If that's ok with you? If not, please let me know and I'll delete this para.

As per Dancinbcs' post. The Calendula Tea brand I use is "Health Reflections" is organically grown and contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Only just noticed it is a product of egypt. .... prefer Aussie owned and grown stuff where possible, but I've had so much success with these now I'm unlikely to change.

This would be in part why Mandela can only handle a meal of VAN here and there .... I used the Dr Jean Dodds & Nutriscan Food Intolerance Saliva test and one of the ingredients he has proven to be intolerant to is soy. OT, can you link me to the thread where you spoke about these results? I don't know that I did, specifically, MEH. I'm sure I mentioned them in passing, as I've done here, but not so sure I spoke of them in detail or in a specific context. Why? And what results do you want to know, in particular? Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding what it is you really want to know ??? Oh - and OT, but I'd really like to know about the bad experience you've had with the use of Coconut Oil. That has me very interested. Feel free to PM me or to return to the other thread where that was discussed and asked, but I do genuinely wish to understand what negative/s you experienced.

My suggestions : Avoid shampoos Wet up with Calendula Tea - don't rinse. If the Calendula Tea works, you should see signs of improvement reasonably quickly (eg reduced itching; skin redness easing) - within 12 to 24 hours Using the Calendula Tea to sooth the itch and help prevent secondary skin infection is one thing. Finding the cause of the skin irritation is another. Think of what could be different : Have you changed foods? Has your dog been anywhere different (grass contact allergy)? Are there different weeds apparant in your lawn (again, exploring grass contact allergy), or a different plant you have introduced to your garden? If it is none of those things or anything else you can think of, then it might do well to explore the possibility that your dog has become intolerant to something within her diet. As to whether this is the case depends on your dog's age and how long she's been eating what you've been feeding her, as food intolerances can build over a period of time. However, let it be made clear I am not an expert in the field of allergies and food intolerances - I am only finding my own way with the troubles I have experienced with my own dog. I can well attest to Calendula Tea wash helping out a GREAT deal though and through being able to use this to ease the discomfort/pain of skin flare-ups, have been able to buy time to investigate cause and subsequently avoid the use of drug chemicals.

Hi Cornell. I don't have any value added info to give you. I can only tell you that my father's Golden of many moons ago had mini-seizures - we just didn't know enough to recognise them and when he had a Grand Mal, the Vet of the times told us we must let him go, there and then. I admit it was a huge long-lasting seizure and perhaps he was right, but I wished I knew enough back then to know that we could have investigated more. My previous girl Kal (bhcs) also ended up enduring Grand Mal seizures. Hers is a long story but to keep it short, there are reasons why the Vets and myself suspected brain tumour (she had a known tumour elsewhere). I kept her on palative care for a few months but the complications of the other (adrenal gland) tumour left me with little option than to let her go before she suffered from the rupture of the adrenal gland. I think each case is subject to its own journey to its own destiny and this is where we need the Vets, with their good knowledge and expertise to help us out (not to mention the trusted DOLers with their individual but excellent knowledge, which is why you're here, I know). I truly wish for you one that is not encumbered by too many rocky roads and where you find treatment grants Tia an extended stay with a smooth but pleasant and happy ride.

You might find the following page link interesting, although if you have things under control now, you may not need it. Nutriscan - Dog Food Sensitivity kit The FAQ page will provide the answers to most of the questions people reading would be interested in : FAQs: NutriScan Diagnostic Test for Food Sensitivity and Intolerance I am very much waiting for news of the Test being expanded - anticipated sometime early this year, I believe.

This would be in part why Mandela can only handle a meal of VAN here and there .... I used the Dr Jean Dodds & Nutriscan Food Intolerance Saliva test and one of the ingredients he has proven to be intolerant to is soy.

My previous girl "Kal" (bhcs - gosh I miss her) did very well on VAN. Her coat became darker, richer, shinier and she held her condition very well. She thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful and her plate was always cleaned to within an inch of its life. My current boy isn't keen on it and it doesn't necessarily do him well. But then, at the moment, nothing much does him well unless I keep every food type on an almost continuous rota. The food that produces the healthiest poop is Hills Science Z/D (taste aside), although VAN comes in second to that, provided I don't feed a lot of it. My point being - all dogs are different and some will do well on some things and not on others and vice versa. In my general experience and knowledge though, I know of many dogs who have done well and who have improved in condition on VAN. I think that if your dog does well on VAN, it is "up there" as a food in my books. I'm no dog-nutrionist though - it's just my opinion based on what I've seen and know. *As an aside, the funny thing is that my boy quite likes the pre-made allergy VAN (except that if I feed it too often he goes off it, but like I said, that's fairly typical for most if not all things in his case) and has the inclination to lick the plate clean. But when I make it myself by adding the meat and the Complete mix together, he does not.

I'm with you I'm not. If it becomes law that animals have rights, where do you expect the boundaries to be drawn, period?

Yes - it is a Health Food Store product. Let me know if you can't find any (although that would be unusual) and I'll do what I can to get some from down here and send it up to you. ETA: Sorry it's taken me a couple of days to re-visit you. How's the itching going? It's awful, isn't it, so see them so uncomfortable. I hope you get on to some Calendula Tea pretty quickly. It is such a natural and benign stuff to use, yet (generally speaking) so good in easing the itch and fairly quickly. You won't have to use it and wait an age to know whether it is working or not. You should see fairly clear signs of improvement inside 12 hours of use if not sooner (in my experience).

Do you think it possible that your dog copped a spider bite (this is your Vet's assumption as being the cause of the wound, isn't it .... or is it an established conclusion?) from poking his head into a bush either in the garden or whilst out on a walk? I expect that spraying of the home is unlikely to prevent that. But I do appreciate your concerns. Got a picture of the wound?

I avoid sprays as well and like Sheridan, I have quite a number of spiders around. I'm afraid the small ones that are wholly or partially black get squished. Huntsmen and DLL's survive. And Money Spiders. In fact, I was sweeping and doing a general clean up around the outside of my home and looked up to see a whole mass of cob webs on the veranda ceiling. Swept a good many of them away but couldn't bring myself to wreck the mass above the front and back doors. They had both caught a good many mosquito's and I thought to myself "good [Daddy Long Legs] spider" ..... so the webs were spared. On the odd occasion I've been compelled to use spray to get ants. I kept my dog away and after the job seemed to have had the desired effect, I then doused the area with water to wash as much of the spray away as possible. I don't like the thought of me living surrounded by poison, let alone my dog. It was bad enough that I used to be a smoker and that I am not religious about good eating habits.

By BH, Erny, I mean Black Hawk Holistic, but myself & others tend not to mention the full name, cause there are some people on these forums, who think we are advertising & some of us have been told not to mention it's name unless we are specifically on the Black Hawk post, so we try to abide by that. Any other brand of food can be mentioned, it seems, but not BH Oh. But thanks for answering. Hope you won't get into trouble for mentioning the full name. Gosh .

You know me .... I recommend using Calendula Tea as a skin wash to help soothe irritated skin and to steer away from secondary skin infections. If you've tried this though and found it not to work, something I've read (but haven't tried, so not attesting to it at this stage) is the use of Bicarb Soda. From the book I have ("Bicarbonate of Soda" by Diane Sutherland & ors) which relates to humans rather than dogs (so again, I can't attest to its suitability of use on dogs, but would think it would be ok .... my opinion needs checking though) it suggests using 400g/14oz/2 cups in a cool bath should be enough to relieve the symptoms (note, not a cure). It goes on to suggest that if that doesn't do the trick and/or there are particular areas of the body causing more intense discomfort, neat bicarbonate of soda can be rubbed into those areas for even more relief. Just for interest sake, it goes on to say that the same can be used to soothe skin that has become sunburnt. And whilst I'm at it, mixing the Bicarb into a paste with a little water can be used to relieve insect bites and stings. As I mentioned, I haven't tried this on my own nor any other dog but can't see the harm in trying it to see how it goes. If you think likewise and try it, please let me know the results.

Sheena ... I can't find what you've referenced as "BH" to know what it means. Maybe I'm having a blonde moment ??? (No offence to all the blondes out there )

I'm interested in knowing of your (by the sounds of it, not so good) experiences, MEH. Every dog is different and your experiences doesn't mean that others will be the same, but it is all good to know - the good and the bad. So I'd appreciate the additional knowledge the telling of your experience/s would provide, if you would?

I agree that one needs to be a bit careful when asserting something ... "In my [limited] experience ..." is an example of wording. But let's not go too over the top with criticism - and I mean this respectfully. There are dogs who have died or at the least become seriously ill as a result of having received a vaccination, but do the Vets inform every single client that this is a possibility before recommending and/or administering the vaccine? And the same with spot-ons? And administration of cortisone? When I read AA's post, I saw that she was pinning up something that she had read elsewhere. I didn't take it as AA's assertion that it would be ok. And if I wanted at the time to check into it further, I would have asked for a link to the article. A bit of common sense, I guess. I think of all places anyone is likely to think "I wonder if that is as correct as it sounds" is when they read it over the net. And generally they then seek opinions/experiences of others, as the OP has done/is doing here. I would not attest to (in this instance) Coconut Oil being suitable in all cases. But it is something that can be considered and checked out and weighed up. In my inexperienced opinion :D.

Hi Sheena. Not a replacement for milk (I drink black coffee anyway) - the coconut oil just seems to go okay taste-wise with coffee. I have coconut oil with hot chocolate milk drinks as well. The thought of coconut oil with a cup of tea doesn't turn me on (mentioned elsewhere). It is ok with orange juice too, however once the OJ has been in the fridge, it turns the Coconut Oil to a solid and I don't much like the texture of it, which is why I tend to stick with hot drinks. You could include coconut oil into hot cereal as well, if you like and also use it if/when you fry potato as I've read that potato absorbs a lot of fat when they are cooked. And yes, my dog loves the Coconut Oil as well and I use it in a variety of ways. To give examples: Sometimes to enhance a food that he otherwise might be being just a bit fussy about (for whatever the reason). As a treat for something he's done well. To get him to eat a supplement (eg. PlaqueOff) where he might not if included in his normal food.

I've been feeding it to Mandela in an attempt to improve/remedy his digestive issues. He's been on it for a while, but at a lower dose rate than should have been, just to get his system used to it. There are 3 things that I've been doing of late that are a bit different : 1. Took him to a chiropractor who adjusted his back (and a couple of other areas) 2. Have been frequently switching his protein sources. 3. Increased his coconut oil dosage to what it should be (in his case, 6 teaspoons - based on 35kg weight). It was around the time of the increase in the coconut oil dosage that his body condition seems to have improved, but this could be coincidental and/or it could be because of the other things I am doing that might also be contributing to the improvement I am seeing (will it last, though .... that's the burning question). Coat is good. Watching for improvement of what we believe to be Ear Margin Vestilosis (sp?) but nothing overtly noticeable at this point. Mandela loves the coconut (virgin; cold pressed; unrefined .... I use the "Melrose" brand. 900gram tin costs me $31.65. 1.8kg tin proves cheaper but can't remember by how much. Ears seem to be remaining fairly clean (whereas he used to produce blackish gunk - improved by "Ear Clear" but not completely, but clean now - attributed to coconut oil? Can't tell). I use the coconut oil as well. I use it to cook with and I put a good two teaspoon dollop in a cup of coffee and/or hot chocolate drink. Not bad (moisturises the lips as you drink, lol). I use it in place of lotion as well. I've been doing this for about a month. I think it has helped - especially if skin needs to heal. But I don't use it in place of sunscreen. Yes - you can use it on the dog's skin but it can attract dust/dirt until it has dried off/soaked in. I'm inclined to use Calendula Tea as a wash and let the dog ingest the Coconut Oil. I used to swim my previous girl on a regular basis and always rinsed the chlorinated pool water off with fresh water. I avoid shampoos now, of any description. IMO, I think the Coconut Oil is worth using/trying. But be prepared to give it a while to see if it does anything to help/improve. NOTE: My dog's skin and coat improved to a good degree once we'd diagnosed hypothyroidism (via Dr Jean Dodds in USA) and commenced with thyroid medication. It didn't fix everything and nothing in a big hurry. But I can't help believing that was a good part an underlying cause of some of his problems. I have managed to avoid the administration of chemicals in any shape or form, but it has taken a good deal of experimentation and patience.