Poodle wrangler

Whatever you decide, make sure to get the extra weight off your older girl. Losing weight is one of the best things you can do for arthritis. Cut her food in HALF until she reaches a healthy weight. Arthritic dogs can benefit from being leaner than normal weight as long as you provide plenty of cushioning on bedding/ mats. It may be a matter of trial and error with your weim. Many premium brands offer a money back guarantee if your dog doesn't like it.

A bit from the Bloat Study quoted earlier (studied many breeds, not just standard poodles)

Thanks. No, I should have said I'm not a groomer. It's for home use. I also DIY grooming, but pet trims only. The hand dryer under the chin isn't working for me any more on a wet 25kg dog

Calcium supplements USED to be recommended, but current thinking is it actually caused problems. So, no longer recommended. Giant and large breeds need to grow nice and slow and steady.

He's not on any medications is he? Some for arthritis can make dogs more prone to ulcers, which can bleed. Hope all's well.

I have 2 poodles- one a 25kg standard that loves mud- and want something to dry them after a walk in the rain or a bath. Other problem is RUST. We live in a coastal area and everything rusts badly e.g. golf clubs, kids bikes, even the aluminium blinds on the windows! A Liberty Stand Dryer looks great, but is about $700 new, if you add a hose attachment . I've emailed someone about a possible 2nd hand one at about $500 (delivered). Would a cheaper force dryer be OK? e.g. http://www.clipperworld.com.au/shop/index....p;productId=288 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/DOUBLE-K-CHALLENGEA...1QQcmdZViewItem Thanks for any advice

For our bigger dog- who likes to wold down food- I put his kibble all over the kitchen floor. Can't guzzle it that way. I was thinking perhaps a minor stroke in an oldie, affecting swallowing? (hope not). Glad to hear you're off to the vet to have her checked and hope she's OK.

My understanding is that the colour is caused by the growth of bacteria/ yeast/ fungi in a moist environment. Our apricot standard poodle had some eye staining which improved with more raw food added to his diet i.e. from 5% to about 30-40%. Improved the poo situation as well . My smaller, black poodle has minor grass allergy which cause his eyes to get a clear discharge from time to time. I just wipe each day with a wet tissue. Vet checked the tear ducts by using a dye. Blocked tear ducts would cause a similar problem. Has vet checked for eyelashes growing on the inside of eyelid etc.?

My smaller dog used to scoot on his bum. Vet emptied them a couple of times and taught me to do it. Also suggested more fibre (was on dry food) like Metamuscil (psyllium husks). vet also said the anal glands tended to be more of a problem in smaller dogs? I now gently try to express them when I bath him (only about once a month, sometimes longer). If not full, then not much comes out and I leave him alone.

Bloat is thought to be caused by a whole range of factors, not just food/ diet e.g. hereditary component, nervous temperament. Bloat study: http://www.poodlesinaustralia.com/health/health18.html I have a standard poodle and they can get bloat- 25kg dog with a deep chest (under all that fur ). I feed a mixture of dry food and raw foods e.g. brisket bones, chicken carcass, chicken wings. I don't usually feed both dry and raw at the same meal. Feed twice a day. Clean water always available, indoors and outdoors. Charlie tends to eat dry food very quickly, so I spread it out over the floor to slow him down. I always feed after exercise/ walk, not before. If your dog is a large breed, there are plenty of special puppy large and giant breed formulas available- too much fat and protein isn't advised as you want their growth to be nice and steady (growing bones), not too fast.

My submissive dog growls at the dominant one in play- has no effect on who's the boss.

For God's sake, don't try to "save" that $300 or so. No testing makes those vet bills costing many $thousands so much more likely . Also, suggest checking back here when you have those hip and elbow scores- they need to be GOOD scores! Best wishes with your new pup.

Dunno, but both companies were giving cashbacks a while ago, so you could try them out. You had to sign up on the websites. I tried Purina One and it seems to really agree with my dogs. From memory, the Optimum had a higher protein level, so wasn't best for a large breed dog. The 26kg poodle gets runny and/or huge poos on other foods like Supercoat, Coprice and Bonnie. He'll also turn his nose up at many dry foods (eating them only as a last resort) but seems to like the Purina One. I also feed brisket bones, chicken carcasses/ wings/ necks etc. Agree with others- read ingredients. You don't always get a much better product at a higher price e.g. raw foods are cheaper than superpremiums. I'm yet to be convinced that dry food that stays "fresh" in a bag for months on end is better than raw meats/offal etc.

Exercise in water is ideal, but don't be afraid to be ruthless in cutting down the amount of food given. I faffed around and felt sorry for my dog for a while, but cutting total food intake in 1/2- YES 1/2- worked! My dog is much happier and healthier with the extra weight off.

I find that a dry food + raw is easiest. Raw stuff I feed includes: chicken necks/wings/ carcass and brisket bones. Pet/ livestock suppliers are cheap. I use a dry supermarket food- Purina One- is about $30 for 7kg. Agrees with my dogs. My bigger dog can't eat just any dry food. The wrong one and he'll have huge and/or runny poos. My smaller dog was putting on weight. To lose it, I had to drop his food intake by HALF . No, I'm not joking! Plus extra exercise. Consider switching to feeing once a day if it means your Mum is less inclined to overfeed. Also, buy a smaller food bowl. Have a nice, big water bowl for water only.

Great. However, the more often the kneecap dislocates, the more arthritic changes there will be. The dog is scraping bone on bone . Was does the vet think about operating on the worse one sooner, rather than later? My standard has luxating patellas- virtually unheard of in the big guys. Not related to injury, either. It was on both sides , now only very rarely on the right side. The vet suggests no operation for now, Xrays done etc., but it may mean some hard decisions later on (ie. PTS before his time) so that he does not suffer once treatments fail to control pain. I've let his breeder know and he is desexed. Poodles can be very stoic dogs- he doesn't even whimper- just looks confused . I'd be very worried about the luxating patellas being in this line. It's not responsible breeding to continue this fault. It's now common in other breeds like Chi's and it's not good. Good info. here about the problem and breeding... http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...uxating+patella. Best wishes.

Wagging tails and the bouncing tell you it's play. The schnauzer could get under the table, but lets the little one take a break. I have a nearly 20kg weight difference between my mini and standard poodle, though the little one's the boss. They sound as if trying to kill each other at times, but it's all play. I separate dogs at mealtimes, so I know who's eating what. Our smaller (older) dog was stealing food and becoming overweight. Do a search about crate training- heaps of info here.

Same here. Is an antibacterial and antifungal shampoo. Has an ongoing effect, so you don't need to use it daily. Read somewhere that diluted 1:50 (with water) is as effective, with less irritation. I make it up somewhere between the 2

Poodles traditionally have shave paws, including between toes/ pads. Is very practical- much less mud, sand etc. when they come in the house.

Sorry, I can't offer much advice. Severe luxating patellas can be found by a vet when pup is still very young. Obviously it's not what you expect to find in a dog being sold as a stud . Sounds as though the breeder is doing the right thing in replacing your pup and you've done the right thing in desexing him. The injections are only treating the pain and inflammation, not the cause of the problem. Did the vet think the patellas are unsuitable to be operated on? Perhaps a poodle breeder can suggest a good vet for this problem in your area?

Sorry, haven't had a dog with the same injury, but about the weight .... I had trouble getting extra weight off my smaller dog (<10kg). What worked was cutting his food intake by HALF. I mean strictly HALF! No cheating! It looks like a tiny amount, but remember they're only very small dogs. You might feel mean, but it's for your dog's wellbeing, not to make you feel good. An overweight dog has only it's owner to blame. I added more walking, but that's not possible in your case. Best wishes. Whatever you do, get that weight off.

Good luck. I DIY groom 2 poodles and have a new appreciation of how hard it would be for professional groomers!

Your dog will get used to it. Do the head last if s/he likes it least. Make sure you brush in sections- i.e. part the hair, so you go from skin outwards. If you don't brush right down to the skin, dog will get knots+. Try doing a little at a time and make it fun for pup e.g. brush several strokes then treat. No fuss. Don't be too "soft" i.e. let pup get away with throwing a tantrum to avoid brushing- it will make grooming a nightmare from now on. It's part of a Bichon's life and the sooner they learn to accept it, the better .

Dogs are just not designed to have a vegetarian diet. Can't recommend a good vege diet for a dog as there is none. Humans can thrive on vegan diets, but not dogs. It's as bad as us eating nothing but meat. Dogs have those big canine teeth for tearing meat. Their digestive tracts are shorter than ours, too (designed for meat/offal etc. as primary diet). Chewing raw bones helps clean their teeth. Perhaps she should not have got a dog if she was not prepared to feed it anything with meat.

Depending on your area, grooming is usually about $50. Most groomers also charge extra if the dog comes in with lots of knots/ matts. You can DIY clipping at home, but clippers are $200+, then blades (you'll need at least 2 or 3) at about $40. I clip both poodles at home, but can't achieve that beautiful, soft, fluffy coat without a proper dog dryer (about $300+). Good news is that a purebred Bichon's won't shed any fur- makes them very easy to have around the house. Downside is the clipping every month or so. You need a SOFT slicker brush (e.g. Doggyman) and a medium-coarse "greyhound comb". Try http://www.petnetwork.com.au/ eta: Don't "save money" buying really cheap brushes- you will throw them out in disgust. They'll last years as long as you keep them away from chewing dogs.