Paptacular!

Hey borderpower, is this friend in Darwin? If so, what area? I don't want parvo (for the dogs)! :D

RIP Zac.

Danois, We've been using it as their nightly meal. It's gone within a matter of minutes, whereas sometimes they tend to pick and graze at other stuff we've given them.

We've found containers of Bush's diced beef and chicken mince in the pet food aisle of the supermarket, have bought one for the dogs to try and they absolutely love it! It doesn't look like it's been heavily processed, and I don't think the packaging descriptions indicate that either. Does anyone feed their dogs this? Is it good for them, or maybe not so good?

Thanks for that. So it's like haemophilia for puppies? Sounds nasty, and thanks for the info that it can affect papillons.

Is this the same as von Willebrand's disease? All I know is that it is a condition of the blood, but what actually happens to an affected dog? Can it occur in papillons, and how is it tested for?

Blaze now has shiny white teeth, but has been relieved of a few molars and an incisor. He didn't even look like he'd been under anesthetic, he recovered very well and wanted to start eating as soon as he got home to test out his 'new teeth'. Bought a few chicken necks and popped them in the freezer this arvo. Will give them a go in a few days when he's had a bit of time for his mouth to recover.

Is it ethically and morally right to demean a dog by feeding it cat food? I'm about to go pick him up from the vet now, apparently he's had to have some back molars removed... they looked bad enough for the vet to think he didn't get much use out of them at all! Looks like he is a very lazy chewer!

We've tried the toothbrush, with special chicken flavoured toothpaste from the vet. Once he licks the toothpaste off, the lips zip shut and he throws his head around so you can't get in there!

Hehehe. Yes, it is a papillon.

Blaze is going to the vets in the morning to have his teeth scaled and cleaned. He's not much of a toy player, or a chewie when it comes to things like pig's ears and denta-bones because Minka likes to steal them and have 2 at once! What I'm interested in is suggestions for foods/bones/treats that are the best for maintenance after his teeth clean. Usually if they get a treat or something, Minka will leave him alone because she's too busy eating hers to bother with stealing his. Are lamb flaps a good idea for this kind of thing?

Poodlefan, Photobucket won't show the photo! Good luck with your poodle redz! If I had the patience and steady-handedness for clipping, I would probably consider a mini poodle.

Another sad reminder that the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. RIP Dianne. Sincere condolences to your family and friends.

Pierre (RIP) used to do it after a poo. Blaze does it often at shows, for no good reason. I think it's just to spread a scent.

So sorry Sammy. RIP Fergy Pug

Blaze and Minka get either My Dog or Chunkers, with some kibble. And on occasion a chicken neck throughout the day.

Hi Wendy, I saw that wylie mentioned my name a page or so back in relation to diets. Honestly, we don't feed our dogs anything special (supermarket stuff, Chunkers and chicken necks) and Blaze doesn't have a skin condition. Minka has an atopic allergic reaction to grass, but I believe that's an inherited condition (correct me if I'm wrong). We don't have a grassed yard at the moment (pavers, with garden edging) so she's not having much of a problem with it at the moment. I feel sorry for both you and Andy... it must be so hard keeping on top of a nasty skin condition with a coat like that! Lillysmum, I don't think Top Pets sell puppies and kittens but they do sell fish, birds and maybe mice/rats. I'd rather go there than anywhere else. The Horse and Hound place you mentioned is Garrad's Horse and Hound, in Winellie. Don't remember which street, but across the road from the Liqourland/Wine Cellar place. Unfortunatley it's mostly horse and not so much hound stuff. Good luck Wendy and Andy!

OMG Cassie, only just saw this. Poor little Oakley, at least the short life he lived was filled with love. Run free Oakley...

RIP Ratty.

I watched that episode on the TV last week. Totally pissed myself laughing! Shhhhhhhhhh! Shhhhhhhh!

Wow, I've never seen a dog doing weight pulling before! You've got a big strong boy, well done Zach!!

Blaze gets a bath before every show, so every 2 weeks to a month. Minka is probably once a month. She tends to get 'dags' because her tail hair/pants are so long.

If a dog didn't have a regular bath, imagine how many germs/infections could be living within the fur? Once a month is usually enough, and if it's the hotspots the breeder is possibly concerned about, the breeder should be teaching the puppy buyer how to dry off and care for the coat properly after a bath.

Another vote for an allergy. Minka has atopic dermatisis, and you can get tablets from the vet. Minka likes to bite them, and when you tell her off she just starts licking them, as if to say "I wasn't biting my paws, honest, I was only licking!"

We actually used to wash Pierre with Wool Wash as well, because the eucalyptus had an effect on ticks and fleas. He never had any skin problems, but he wasn't washed with it his whole life.