Sheridan

My 11-year-old dog is no longer able to digest fresh bones or similar, such as pigs trotters or smoked roo necks. We have days of discomfort, diarrhoea, rumbling tummies, it's all very unpleasant. Unfortunately, he now has a bit of gingevitis. I've given him Nylabones, including the corn cob style ones, which he's interested in for the first chew but not after that. At $15-28 a pop, though, for him to chow down once and then lose interest is getting a bit prohibitive. Any suggestions as to what he could chew to help keep his teeth and gums healthy that won't cause yet another visit to the vet? He's not able to have chicken, beef or lamb. I've tried to get turkey necks but without luck.

I have an elderly dog and I used to feed him once a day but found he does much better health wise by splitting the meal. He only gets something small in the morning but it's much better than him vomiting up yellow bile.

Actually, it appears as though its mostly made in NZ? Perhaps the one with roo is made here. It also contains possum meat. Yuck... I don't have a problem with possum meat from NZ. They're not a protected species there and are considered pests in the same way feral cats and foxes are here.

Aren't there various Amish puppyfarms? Good quality control for crops but not for dogs.

This is true. My dog did very well for 10 and a half years on Supercoat. No problems at all until he moved states to be with me. The environment change between states meant that what did well for him in his old home didn't do well for him here. He's now on Eukanuba FP and is doing very well on that. My budget is not doing as well ... :p

I feed Eukanuba FP (with steamed turkey on top) with the Eagle Pack Holistic Anchovy for treats. He also gets various other treats. Loves his Ziwipeak. It's taken a month and a bit to go through one small packet of it. I'm also looking at the Pet Patisserie's bikkies when they eventually do a turkey one and salmon one.

I got the treats at a dog show at Erskine Park.

Sheridan, that is such a bittersweet story. It's amazing how they all have such individual personality traits that we become so attached to. It's so hard to have to put a dog to sleep, even though you know it's really the best for them. Hugs to you. Thanks. It was pretty funny, though. Laughter through the tears. He also barked madly at the vet when she arrived but jumped up on the couch as if to say, 'I'm ready now.' I wrote a long story about him afterwards and one of my friends wrote back to me and said that it was so typical of him to roll on a dead squid!

The day I had to put my last dog to sleep, I took him for a final walk and on it, he rolled on a dead squid. Just because he could. I started crying because he gave me that look, as he always did, that said, 'Look at me right now' and he fell onto his side and rolled.

My dog loves the treats. I'm going to suggest to the vet that he gets it in as an alternative to the other stuff.

Lovely, thanks Graciek9.

That banner ad hasn't come up for me since you posted this message. It's quite frustrating!

Graciek9, where did you get the Ziwipeak from? I have a bag of the venison and green lipped mussel treats and my dog adores them. I'd love to try the kibble for him.

I'm using Ilium Oticlean that I got from the vets. Seems to be okay, so far.

Peigirl, I fully understand where you're coming from. My dog is on the Eukanuba fish and potato and I presume the animal fat there is pork. Luckily, no reaction to it. I give him the EP anchovy/salmon one as treats and he loves it and again, no reaction. I wrote to Eukanuba Australia recently regarding the recalls in the States and found them less than helpful, so I intend to ring them and give them a blast. I asked where they source their ingredients and they simply didn't respond to that question. ETA: In the shuffle about pet foods in the states, quite a few people with wheatens are looking to making their own foods and recommended these people. You pay for the consult but people were very pleased with the results. The problem with doing your own food for a dog requiring a special diet, particularly IBD and the wheaten diseases (PLE/PLN) is getting the balance right. http://www.petdiets.com/

My doggy lurvs Ziwipeak so much that he knows the name and comes running when I say it.

I've discovered Ziwipeak, which is a NZ company. Same principle as Schmackos only smaller. I use the green mussels and venison ones. Ingredients are green mussels, venision, chicory syrup, hoki fish oil, lethicin (soy antioxidant) and mixed tocopherols (vitamin e). My dog loves them.

Chamois have chemicals, I understand, that shouldn't be used for dogs. The moisture magnet is dog specific.

I have a moisture magnet. I swear by these things. Wheatens take hours to dry and using a moisture magnet cuts that time by a half.

My dog had that and it eventuated into diarrhorea and the vet suggesting low grade IBD. I changed his diet. No more tummy rumbles!

Just wanted to reply to this bit, ReXy, as I get really weird looks when I go through the checkout with a trolly full of turkey mince! Sometimes I'll give the weirder looks, 'It's for my dog' and I get 'You feed your dog turkey??' At $4.99 per 500 grams it's not so cheap.

Has your dog's environment changed much from the breeder's? My dog came to me from interstate and after some severe scratching problems and lots of red skin after licking. I thought it was an outside influence but after a change of diet it has settled down very well. An alternative to roo is turkey. I steam mince turkey and give him Eukanuka FP. He's done very well on it.

It's people like this who give registered breeders a bad name and make people like the "gardener" rubbish purebred dogs. I'd be pointing that out to the VCA and suggesting that they probably wouldn't want their organisation's name in the mud, too.

Renal dysplasia perhaps? Absolutely call the breeder. If it is renal dysplasia then both parents will carry the fault and those dogs should not be bred again.

I used to use Epi-Soothe for my previous wheaten but I've not seen it anywhere recently.