alicat613

I would imagine that a big dog door would be a great deterrent for burglars! They also make dog doors that only open for the dog wearing a special collar that transmits an unlock signal.

Cesar dog foods are made by Pedigree. Neither are very high quality foods overall. The packages make it seem like a yummy thing but... Here (USA) the purple package is called "Filet mignon flavor in sauce" The ingredients are: "Sufficient Water for Processing, Beef By-Products, Meat By-Products, Liver, Poultry By-Products, Beef, Liquid Filet Mignon Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Caramel Coloring, Carrageenan, Dried Yam, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavors, Salt, Erythorbic Acid, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Nitrite (for color retention), Vitamin A, D3 and E Supplements, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)." I personally would not feed this to my pets. :)

I'm not quite sure I understand fully. Did the vets tell you what it was? How old is your dog, and what breed?

Your girl in your avatar? I wouldn't think Lab Pointer at all. I see more Greyhound or even one of the 'rarer' breeds like Pharoah Hound or even Saluki. In which case - be very careful! I know at least Greyhounds and I think others of that type have troubles with some meds. I know this from Dane people because Dane have greys in their history, and some Danes that aren't very typey can be more greyhoundy medically. Can you send me a few pics of her to [email]aaronnali@msn.com[/email] ? That's a different addy than I have signed up here, but it accepts bigger files. Or do you mind if I show others your photo album from your link? I know a few people that show and/or breed dogs of these types, I'd like to see what they think. :) Whatever she is, she is very beautiful!!

Oh lame. Sounds like your area is not the best for holistic vets... I can't believe that's all they suggested. I like holistics because they look at the whole animal and lifestyle when looking for problems. Well there are books. Dr Pitcairn's book is awesome. You can't really screw up homeopathic treatments in this case. How is she doing?

All the Dane people I know that do heartworm stuff use Interceptor for the reasons stated above. A lot of people are steering clear of the Ivermectin.

The shot is too risky IMO. If your dog has a reaction, he could die. 6 or 12 months of chemicals is a lot, and there have been a number of dogs who had bad reactions to it, even seizures and death. I don't use anything, we don't have heartworm here right now. I use natural methods to keep any mosquitoes down in our yard, and come summer if we do end up with a mosquito population (here we don't generally get them, the weather isn't right for them), I'll use black and green walnut hulls as a homeopathic treatment/preventative.

I've been very surprised at how many people are a little intimidated by my dog. I mean, he's a baby! And very sweet - he wouldn't hurt a fly! To me he is obviously a sweet puppy BUT he is big, and when he's out he is very slobbery and open-mouthed from the excitement, and very rambunctious and playful. He tends to lunge at people (we're working on that) and he shies away from hands. I just wouldn't trust a little tag to be something people would read! The collars are really nice. I like Irish Wolfhounds too - but too much hair for me! I'll stick with my Dane...maybe Danes someday!

Yeah...I'd probably read a Border Collie's collar tag too. I meant more for people with big dogs. I have a Great Dane puppy who already intimidates people, and he's really drooly and open mouthed when he's out and about (all that excitement). I really can't imagine if he ran off, a stranger managed to catch him and try to hold his head so you could read the tag. My dog would think it was a game and run and try to mouth the person. Would you fight a 120 lb dog to read its tag? :D

Here is a site that lists holistic/homeopathic vets in your state, and lists their specialties. Some may be better than others. I'd try to choose one that has NU (nutrition), some herbs, and IVAS (shows that they study this rather than dabble)[url]http://www.ahvma.org/states_and_directory/directory.html[/url] Generally they are higher priced for a visit (here $60-75 vs regular vets around $40), but the treatments are generally cheaper in the long run. Something like a large container of an herb may cost you $10-$20 but last months and months. Overall I've found this type of treatment to be very cheap. In Parker's lifetime (he's 7 mos) I would say we've spent about $150 tops on care, plus $200 for an emergency visit to another vet. What was it the vet diagnosed her as? I can't remember was it irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease? Do you have any specifics from the vet as to causes and tests they ran? What meds were given? It seems like the two conditions are pretty different, and the IBS has several types, depending on the cause and symptoms. How is Daisy today?

My dog's mommy was on Miracle Pets and some other things. She and some of their other critters do movie and tv work in Vancouver. And a Dane breeder we know will soon be on That's My Baby! I'm really excited to see that episode! You can send in a regular video tape through the mail to the show. They will pay you $100 for each clip they use!

Oh I'm so sorry she's not doing well. This must be especially hard after recently losing your other dog (? I wasn't here then but read in archives I thought). My thoughts are with you guys, Ali

You know, I haven't been able to find anything on dosages. I loaned out my only book with all that in it, but I emailed someone who might be able to help. As far as I know though, and from what I can find, there really isn't a set dosage. Its not toxic, and in fact supposedly during the Revolutionary War its what kept Washington and his soldiers alive. It's not only an herbal remedy but a nutritious food as well. Holisticat recommends for dogs doing 1/8 the human dosage on the bottle, but that would vary. I mean, my dog is as big as an adult human so I would probably give him a half dose twice a day. Many recommend adding honey and a bit of water to make the dog eat it, or you can put it in or on food depending on whether or not she is eating. From one site: The most specific dosage info is from Dr Pitcairn, a very trustworthy source: "

I don't put much faith in tags. One, they can come off, either on their own or with the whole collar. Also you really have to realize how small the writing is, and honestly think - if my dog is lost, is a stranger really going to get under my dog's head to read that dinky thing? My dog? No. There are really awesome wide nylon collars and leads that you can get embroidered with the dog's name and phone number so people don't have to try to read the dinky tags. Tattoos and chips are more for once they are in a shelter IMO, and tags or ID collars/leads are more for if they get loose and are found by people.

Where are you in BC? Our breeder does some work with juniors in the Vancouver area. She's in Surrey. I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to you if you give me your email.

Oh!! You cook the oatmeal! I get it! We all hate cooked oatmeal in this house so I always think of it as straight out of the package. Oatmeal is already cooked so you don't have to recook it to feed it, just to rehydrate it a little. I think I'll just melt pb and mix in oats and see what happens!

:lol: I feel like we should all get up and do a happy dance now! LOL

How do you melt the PB? Those sound pretty tasty...for me too! LOL Thanks for that idea! My dog loves peanut butter.

[quote name='Crested']alicat: could you tell me what you base your information on with saying that hypo allergic means "less likely" to cause allergic reactions?[/quote] LOL well I think you know now why! Because it IS the definition of the word!! From Merriam-Webster: "Main Entry: hy

Generally OFA is only for breeding - either for breeding stock or offspring so you can monitor results in the litters. OFA grades are Excellent, Good, Fair, and then the bad ones that I don't know so well! Your vet should be able to watch your dog's movement and see if there is a need for a test. OFA is not something the average owner does, because of the time, expense, stress etc. I do believe all dogs are sedated for the radiographs, although that may depend on size? You need to go to specialists and it is expensive. Penn-hipp can be done earlier, I believe as early as 6 months, while OFA isn't fully complete until 2 years of age. Are you concerned about your dog's hips? If you have a video camera, you could make some clips of his movement and show it to your vet, and maybe even some people familiar with those breeds so they can see how he moves. Keep in mind that many dogs that are rated dysplastic by OFA never really have any problems or symptoms. So you could be in for bad news that means nothing. Without any symptoms, if I were you I'd just talk to a vet and ask those in the know to watch him run. Watch other dogs, especially similar breeds run. OFA is very expensive and not very helpful to the average pet owner IMO.

Most of Eagle Packs' foods have corn and wheat in them. They are a decent food if you like the ingredients, although IMO there are better foods out there (more meat for your money) that are better priced. For you though... avoid ingredients that are common allergens: wheat soy corn dried egg product refined grains including white rice, white flour, flour Also avoid sugar! (not really an allergen so much as that it increases yeast growths) Some foods have sugar so your dog gets addicted to it. It may also be listed as corn syrup, etc. What foods has he eaten? Since he is on a beef now, I would go for chicken, fish, duck, or turkey instead, unless he had problems before on one of those. There are many great foods especially for allergy prone dogs. Wysong, California Natural, and Innova all have some very simple dog foods that really give you much more control over what you are feeding. Wellness and Natural Balance both have lines for allergies - Wellness Whitefish and Sweet Potato, Natural Balance Duck and Potato. Both of these lines are very good, and all their foods are free of common allergens as well. I would also give him a good quality oil. Some dogs do have problems with flax, but if your dog doesn't, it's a great source of Omega 3 and 6. Other choices are salmon oil, but it's expensive and harder to get. Cod liver oil is great too, easy to find, reasonably priced, and because it is a deep cold water fish, has less pollutants. The oils will help moisturize his skin inside out, reduce itching and promote healthy skin and hair growth. I would also feed a food or treats with real oatmeal in it. Oatmeal works from within as well as topically for itching and skin problems.

Ok, you must still not be reading the definition of hypoallergenic. [b]Hypoallergenic means [u]less likely[/u] to cause an allergic response. [/b] Poodles ARE hypoallergenic.

My mom's family owned a bobcat (full) back in the 60's. After it ate their monkey and the neighbor dog...they had to turn it in to the zoo. They were experienced animal people with good intentions but it just doesn't work, bringing a wild animal into human areas.

ROFL Oh my gosh...I thought you were blind AND nuts! I scrolled down and that boxer pic loaded first, and so I was reading your response and looking at the boxer!! LOL then I saw the other pic! I agree...it appears Sheperd (although what kind...?) and some sort of Basenji type. With mixes though it's really all a guessing game! I know a lady in rescue who makes up the greatest names for all her unknowns...like Tanzanian Tree Dog or Ukranian Duck Hound etc. Although hers are more creative!!

[quote name='RR'][quote]Sorry but Poodles ARE hypoallergenic. [/quote] I'd like to know where you've gotten this information. Is this anecdotal evidence or factual? There is no such thing as Hypoallergenic dogs. Unless there is a dog that doesn't produce oil and as mentioned saliva, urine, fur or hair and dander. Allergies are not breed specific but can be specific to a litter. People have different sensitivities, for instance, one person allergic to saliva is not necessarily allergic to fur. The sebaceous glands produce oil which they say is a leading cause of allergies. I have no doubt because of their fur type, poodles are one of the closest to being Hypoallergenic and cause the fewest or mildest reaction. This REDUCES the chance of being allergic for some, but hypoallergenic doesn't exist because ALL animals have sebaceous glands. It is also possible for people once allergic to tolerate their pet and are no longer allergic over time. If you read any consumer or medical reports this will be confirmed.[/quote] Read the definition of hypoallergenic please, as posted by DogPaddle. It's the same in my dictionary. Poodles ARE hypoallergenic - meaning they have low probability of causing an allergic reaction. Your post agrees with me, but you seem to have your own definition of hypoallergenic in mind, as being completely allergen free. This is not what the word means! Also, Poodles do not shed in the dog definition of the word, they shed like humans. They also do not have dander. For your reading pleasure: :) [url]http://www.poodlecam.com/links/faq_poodle.htm[/url] [url]http://www.dogbiz.com/faq-allergies.htm[/url] [url]http://partipoodle.homestead.com/AboutPoodles.html[/url] (read 'characteristics')