Crysti_Lei

good on you for doing you research. i would suggest you look elsewhere and get a pedigree maltese or poodle as there are garantees that come with purebreds and qualified, moral breeders. or try rescue as there are thousands of dogs in dire need of a home. and while you are doing your research, look into the amount of dogs that are put to sleep every week simple because the exist and nobody wants them, the person who had bred you pups is only adding to this to make a quick buck and while you have two entire bitches you too are at great risk of adding to the problem. at least with pedigree dogs the breeders test their stock, only breed to improve the breed, offer health garantees, make little to no money from the sale of the puppies and in most cased will take the dog back is you can no longer look after it.

it is quite healthy to fast a dog once a week.

Calcium is quite stable when heated or frozen. The problem with cooking ground bone in mince is the way bones become quite brittle, almost like little shards of glass and could cause intestinal problems. raw bones crush, cooked bones splinter, very deadly

no. it wont do any harm in terms of an upset stomach, but it comes down to the calcuin:phospherous ratio. not enough calcium and too much phospherous in human grade mince. for the dog to correct the balance it will leach calcium from its bones! not a good idea. cooking meat also denatures a lot of the essential amino acids, therefore destoring a lot of the nutients. plus, why cook it when you can feed it raw? a lot of ppl worry about bacteria, this is not a problem with dogs, they have a higher stomack acidity then us and the majority of harmful bugs don't make it past. remember that dogs quite often bury bones to eat days leter, and they are naturally scavengers. if you are feeding cooked chicken mince as a significant portions of you dogs diet, slowly (over a week) change it over to raw chicken wings (they're cheeper too) or if you dog has a weight problem, chicken necks with a little added mince. (sorry Nellie, it isn't all to you or an asumption of you, its to every one who might need to know, using you quote as a example.)

i've started with Herbie the puglet, with both food and prey items, after a few leaps at it he sits back and looks at me like i'm a d!ck head. (and yes i am well aware of what i look like in my rainbow beanie) i even fasted him and tridd again with yummy bbQ sausages (i bought cabanossi, but after sneaking a bit my self i found out it had chilli in it. stoopid IGA) but no, i was still a looser spinning in the back yard with handfull of sausage and a pug too embarassed be seen with me... lol. i figure he is one of those low drive dogs that drive training doesn't work with.

a huge thanks and WOW to Steve, it was a facinating weekend!! awe instiring, really! thanks. and it was great to meet every one! Christie

a girl i went to tafe with had a dog with pancreatitis (sp??!) i just remember her saying that Greenies were the only treat it could have. so WHEN he gets better you may want to speak to the vet about the pros and cons of greenies.

E-Bay

it has been just over six months now... today i saw the vet that had worked with us to help you for the first time since she placed that final needle in you arm. the memories of that horrid day came flooding back. Even the vet remembered you and and said how special you were. i still cry, every other day, right now even. my heart still aches and feels empty with out you, my baby bear. i know what it is like to loose a child. i will be forever sorry for the final hours of your life. you asked for my help and i asked you to hold on. i am sorry you suffered. the day plays over and over again in my head, from when you woke us, when you got up on the bed, every word i said to you as we laid on the family room floor, to the moment i finally accepted that this was the end of our time together, when you could no longer stand, the momment you dad arrived home and you fell out the door, carring you in to the vet, the needle going in, the moment you were gone. i will always regret my silence as i watched you pass. i wanted you to go to a chorus of praise, but was to focused on my own greif. you know you are a good girl, and you always will be. Almost six months to the day of your passing we bought in a new puppy, Herbie: the Love Pug. you would like him, though he could never replace you. i will soon get another Saint, please send me a Saint Bernard puppy with your blessings. One day baby, one day i will see you again at the rianbow bridge, i is still a lifetime away, but i cannot wait. i love you, Brodie. Mummy XOXO

i typed a big post about vaccs the other day, i'll find it for you here we go:

StBernard $30/ week. Chicken wings, lamb necks, veggies and offal.

i don't have an answere to your question, but i thought i'd mention that wormers don't actually kill the worms, they sedate them so they can be passed. i live by the safe assuption that EVERY dog has worms.

... do we have toilet facilities at this local park??? ?????!!!!!

yeah and i'm quitting my job so i can go!! ...well just a week erlier then i was anyway :D

K9: lol, no... But have you seen our range of leashes? Best in the world! K9: yep great idea, but main items you will need are: - 1. Open mind 2. Sense of humour... I will be sending out an email by the end of this week to tell you all some more details.. 1. Open mind... check, Rolling the joint now (j/k) 2. Sense of humour... check, what did the fingers say to the face? *Slap!* leashes!? goodie, i cannot find a small leather leash anywhere for my pug pup, nothing else will compliment his studded collar.

should we bring a pen and paper??

pug pup is 13 weeks old now, so i am not sure when this thing is. in a month??? i just picked him up today!! Crysti

it's ok now!! i'll have my own Pug pup to take!!!! he arrives on Monday!!

it should be detectable. if you do a single blood test and it shows elevates liver enzymes it'd be a sure bet that there is a shunt.

i'm sorry to here of you loss, and so young too my MIL has a Chi X JRT that was dianosed 2 days after her 3rd birthday with a livershunt. she turns 4 tomorrow actually!! and she is still going with just a little brain damage. the sympoms were there all along but until she stared seizing, it wasn't anything noticable. Crysti

i'm stuck as to what dag to bring. i don't have one of my own but have a choice of three. the one that needs the most help is Roxy, i have so many questions about her, but her problems are also relatred to brain damage and she'd probably need to be muzzled most of the time. then there is rusty, he has a few little quirks, like he'll bite you if you grab his collar, but that is about it. and then there is jame, he has no formal training and lack basic manners but he is an absolute sweetheart and will be the least stress. what you you guys recon will be the best dog to bring to the thingy? i'll just add that i would love to take Roxy, but i feel that she is beyond help. Christe

and the second windiest!! second to Chicago!

i buy frozen bags of mixed veggies, that way the cellular structure is already partly broken down (freezing a cell is like freezing a bottle of water, causes it to rupture, as dogs cannot do that them selves) then i put them, still frozen, through the juicer (i probalbly should by a a quality proseccor for it but can't afford it just yet) and it comes out a a fine powder for maximum digestability! i mix this with about 1/5 chicken pet mince from lenards (for taste) and suspend the lot in a chicken (or beef) stock jelly. i fed this in equal parts with either chicken wings, lamb necks or a pork hock (all raw). also 5 out od 7 days i added some offal, like lambs fry, kindneys or brains to the mix.

nothing worst than unwanted puppies. if your not showing or breeding, desex, it's not worth the risk not too.

count me in Chicko, screw work, i'll get the day off for this!