imported_Cassie

Thats all I do to keep my dogs teeth nice and sparkling white, I give them raw bones (I usually give beef bones) not only does it keep the teeth and gums healthy...it also keeps them busy.

[b]1. Do you just feed the raw meats/vegs or do you use a kibble as a base? [/b] [color=red]I feed only raw (I go easy on the organ meats), I give a variety of meats and Veggies..the veggies I put in my blender to puree, the meat I cut into bite size chunks. One day a week I feed canned sardines/salmon with cooked rice...I also feed a variety of fruits as treats or mixed with natural bio yoghurt... My dogs also get plenty of bones including recreational bones for their teeth. [b]2. Do you add any grain, (oats, rice, etc)? [/b] I grind up my own flax seeds and add to their food (some dogs cannot tolerate flax, my dogs do wonderful on it) I also feed oats once in awhile and I grow alfalfa greens for the dogs to nibble on[/color] [b]3. Do you supplement? [/b] Yes, one of my dogs has HD I add Yucca, Glucosamine/condri, MSM, for the other dogs I add Kelp and once a week I add a B-50 complex and a Vitamin E with mixed topherians etc...apple cider vinegar once in a while for my dogs, daily for my dog which had a yeast over growth [b]4. Do you fast you dogs? Why or why not? [/b] Yes, I kinda fast my dogs on Sunday...I usually use this for a detox day and give them milk thistle...works well for me especially since one of my dogs had a yeast over growth in her system and the detox has worked well for her...none of my dogs are tiny and one day of fasting will not hurt them...I do give them a little bit of yoghurt and berries.

I work for my Vet... :lol: therefore I am very happy. At the Vet clinic I work at I get to see first hand how the Vets treat their Customers and Patients...they are very freindly and explain treatments and disorders of the patient in language an average person can understand...they don't try to talk in technical terms and then get annoyed when a Customer doesnt understand (we non Vets are not all rocket sciencetists!) I used to have a Vet before I worked at this clinic who only talked in technical terms to me...I'd make a mental note then look it up in my Vet handbook to make sure I knew what was going on! :o We also have a very clean modern clinic which we are very proud to take customers for tours aroung...we also make sure our customers feel very welcome to come in and see their pet if they are in for an extended period of time due to surgery etc. we have a very nice boarding facility and we also work side by side with the local SPCA...the Vet who owns the facility does alot of charity work for animals in need and has saved many dogs, cats, birds, raccoons etc and she keeps them until they have found a good home (which she interviews personally) or she sets the wild animals free..we have a pigeon who still comes back for visits...she will not put any animals to sleep which she rescues and if a customer wants their animal PTS without there being a very big medical reason or bite reason she will not euthanize a healthy animal -which is her policy. [b]main concerns when looking for a vet are:[/b] Services: What types of services are available? Medical exams? Surgery, including orthopedic? Dentistry? Radiology (x-rays)? Ultrasonography? Endoscopy? Nutrition counseling? Behavior counseling? Laboratory testing? Are the veterinarians willing to refer pets to specialists? If so, whom? [b]Do they have auxiliary services such as [/b] Grooming? Boarding? Facilities: Is the practice clean and neat? Are there unpleasant odors? Are the grounds well kept? Is the facility in a good location and easy for you to get to? [b]Professional affiliations:[/b] Are the doctors members of professional associations? Is the hospital an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) associated hospital? Do the veterinarians regularly attend conferences and other continuing education programs? As part of your search, pay a visit to the facilities you are interested in and have a tour. Make appointments to meet the veterinarians. If your dog has ongoing medical or behavioral problems, find out if the veterinarian is comfortable in treating those problems. Hopefully, your pet will have a healthy life and never need a specialist, but if a specialist is needed, they are available. Some veterinarians will have a special interest in certain areas of medicine or surgery and specialize in it. If they are board-certified, it means that they have studied and have passed board-certification exams in that specialty. [b]Specialists [/b] The following is a partial list of specialties that have board-certification: Internal medicine: Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that involve the internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Surgery - orthopedic and soft tissue: Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that need surgery to repair such as back surgery, complicated fractures, or abdominal surgery. Dermatology: Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders including allergies. Behavior: Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral problems such as aggression, spraying, or scratching. Oncology: Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers. Radiology: Specializing in reading x-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds. Cardiology: Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases. Ophthalmology: Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. If a referral to a specialist is recommended by your veterinarian or you would like a second opinion from a specialist, ask your veterinarian to tell you who in your region is board-certified in the necessary specialty. A listing of the various veterinary boards are included in our Directory Section under Specialty Boards. Conclusion The relationship between you, your dog, and your veterinarian will hopefully last many years, so take time to find the right 'fit.' Since you will need to be able to discuss your dog's symptoms, test results, and treatment options with your veterinarian, good communication is of utmost importance. Find a clinic with veterinarians who you feel comfortable with and have good 'bedside manners.' Once you have found that veterinarian, schedule regular veterinary visits, or at the very least, annual physical exams

I currently live with a Rottweiler which was diagnosed with HD at 2 years of age...she was so bad some mornings she could not get up out of bed...but, with supplements such as Glucosamine and Chondroitan, MSM, Vitamin C and massage she is doing great..I have been able to avoid the surgery with her...I also give her Yucca for the pain (which she hasnt shown any signs of pain in the last year) I have never given her aspirin...so as you say DogPaddle it can be controlled. They now can correct HD with very young pups by doing an ultrasound they can tell if the pup will develop HD (the way the hip sockets are forming) they are fusing the femur into the hip socket so that it will grow properly. It has to be done at a very young age (starting at 8 weeks) and this is a new procedure, I doubt any Vets are actually doing this procedure.

Poor little daisy, I hope she starts feeling better soon. Thank you for the recipe alicat613, I will try it.

I thought I had included this site on my last post....whoops...here is a good site to review...this is for dogs and cats...just explains more about crystals in the urine etc....enjoy! :bigok: good luck and I hope every thing works out fine. [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1773&articleid=1188[/url]

No I havent....I have all the good intentions when I get these cook books and look through them...but havent made any of the recipes yet... :oops: I love the little commentary's he has through out the book. So, how is the ginger soy sake salmon....

alicat613, I love Dr. Weil also...I have gotten all his books including his new cook book...he is a wealth of information. The information on the Kaopectate is scary, especially since alot of people give this to their children as well as their dogs!!!!

[quote]Pssst Cassie, I have a feeling you might not like to recommend Kaopectate. The ones on the shelves now I believe still have toxic levels of lead in them[/quote] alicat613, Thanks for the info...kaopectate has been recommended to me by the Vets I work with and it is also recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil who is one of the leaders of holistic medicine....I'll post this on his web site...

One more thing... :o I don't know a whole lot about aromatherapy...but, I have heard that there are certain scents which will help a dog feel less tense in times of stress in their lives...I beleive there is one called rescue remedy which you can get at health food stores. I'll try to do some more research and perhaps some one on this board may know of some soothing scents to put in your home for your dogs....I have even heard of people using aromatherapy & theraputic touch for aggression problems as well.

Most wild animals do not go looking for fights, they are looking for easy prey..when they have a dog barking at them they do not use precious energy trying to fight with them...most times a bear or wolf etc will not even try to attack a flock of sheep when there is a yappy dog (even a border collie) around...why bother? they do not have excess energy to try and fight a dog for any thing. We are such a cruel race using our well fed domestic dog for such things...we certainly know how to disrupt the natural order of things.

I wanted to add that when my dog used to get frequent diarrhea I used to give her Kaopectate, this is an absorbent clay and is free of additives...Kaopectate is not a drug and works by simply absorbing and binding irratating material in the gut...I forgot to mention this to you... :oops: You could certainly try fish oil...I really perfer to give the canned sardines & Salmon (never feed raw fish) as they are getting all the goodness of the fish. Here is an article to read on fish oil supplements before making that decision: [quote]Are fish oil supplements safe? Do they contain heavy metals and other toxins? Today's Answer (Published 08/21/2002) I

Take Daisy off all food for 24 hours then wean her back on bland foods...I have always started my dogs back on natural bio yoghurt and steamed hamburg and white rice...this I have fed for about 3 days just to give my dogs digestive tract a rest....I never feed the yoghurt and Hamburg/rice together....give it a couple of hours between....the yoghurst will help to replenish the beneficial bacteria in the gut. You can even let daisy eat grass as long as there is no pesticides on it.... Sometimes a dogs system can become stressed and it needs a little break....some causes of stress are new foods, environmental triggers (stress in the environment-new changes in household routine etc) Good luck, taking my babies off food (never water) has always been the best thing for them and has worked wonders. Then you can follow up with a visit to your vet for a physical exam and perhaps blood work and fecal just to be sure there isnt some thing else wrong.

Hey, what about July 1....CANADA DAY! Happy Canada day to me....la la la

Homemade diet - Thats great. You'll need to be careful with supplements with things like the correct calcium/phosphorus ratio - pick up Dr Pitcairns Complete Guide To Natural Health for Dogs & Cats as a start to help you with a raw food diet for a dog with special needs. I think the easiest way to keep her urine on the acid side would be Vit C.

I have had bad experiences with BEER! I once found a cigarette butt in one bottle I had just opened...no one smokes in my home and it never left my hand...I also heard a story about some one finding a dead mouse in their bottle of beer and another story of some one finding a condom! YUK! :x I only drink beer in a glass now....

That is horrible, poor dog....it will be difficult to place the dog in another home... The animal shelter could have been held responisible if a bite had occured...they are supposed to give out that information...at least in my area that is how it goes....

What a shame, I hope it is some thing which can be treated. My thoughts are with your friend & her Shar pei hoping every thing goes well.

Perhaps you are trying to hard for your new dachshund to like you....we can some times give off body language which a dog may feel threatened by... -Try to get down to his level -hold out your hand for him to sniff (have your hand fisted with palm down) -do not try to pat the dogs head...always bring hand up from under the dog not down onto the dog...this can be a very threatening gesture to a new dog -try turning your head slightly to the side so you are exposing your check to him...this is thought to be a calming signal some body language that is meant to say, "look, I am not a threat to you." Some typical signs you may see include: Sniffing the ground: This is thought to be a signal from a fearful dog to calm another creature (human or animal) that may frighten him. Turning the head, head held to the side, or eyes flicking to the side for just an instant. Your dog may even do this when a child runs up to give him a hug! Sometimes, this takes place in such a short time you may not catch it. You can use this signal to greet a new dog that may be fearful by coming up to the dog at an angle, or by looking away. Remember to let children know never to approach a strange dog by staring at him. This indicates aggression in dog language. Better yet, never let a child approach any unknown dog without immediate adult supervision. Licking his own nose: Quick or slow, this also is thought to be a signal to calm strangers. Interestingly, black dogs use this signal more often than other dogs. This may be because their features are more difficult to see and a pink tongue stands out. Licking your face or another dog's face, although a typical canine greeting, may or may not also be a calming signal. Yawning: This is a common stress signal. We have noticed this in dogs during obedience training when their owners are expecting a lot of them, at dog shows, at the veterinarian, or when their owners are disciplining them. Try communicating with your dog in his own language. He may look at you strangely, but it may just work.

[url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1620&articleid=754[/url] [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1275&articleid=2654[/url] [url]http://health.yahoo.com/health/ate/drweil/alldaily/2003/04/103604[/url] Here are a few web pages to review regarding mosquitos (how to deter mosquitos in your area) and West nile disease.... I hope you like reading!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

billy g, [quote]Cassie I would agree with everything u said but i only said that when u try to prove alpha statis and he IF he tries to bite hold his mouth. like I tried to say before if u try everything else this is last resort. And as far as having a fearful dog this was obviously not the right tactic for your dog. [/quote] billy g, If this has worked for you, that is great. I have just had very bad experiences doing this in the past...and had a multiple bite from my dominant Rottie when I first got her by doing this. I got this dog as an adult (I rescued her) she was a very dominant assertive bitch and had attacked me a few times when I first took her in...she was actually stalking and running to attack...the more dominant and assertive I was with her the more it back fired on me...when I started attending aggression seminars and enlisted the help of an animal behaviorist the first time they saw me hold my dog on the ground they had a good stern talking to me...they showed me how to assert dominance in sutle ways & positive reinforcement...success builds confidence, removes confusion.. Any way blah blah on my part...I guess different methods work for different dogs...I did not mean to offend you billy g...I was just speaking of my experiences and the advice given to me by the animal behaviorist I have worked with...she is not my first dominant dog of course...but, she was the worst I have ever owned...attacking me was some thing I have trained out of her and now she is a very calm relaxed dog she is wonderful around other people now and I have been taking her for walks in busy people infested areas to get her used to being in crowds of people and she will sit and now she will actually fall down and roll on her back for a belly rub!!!! for strangers...I just find it amazing how positive training has worked wonders for this dog..she was very aggressive and was attacking me & others when I first got her...I almost gave up on her when I first got her...she had amazed me & the behaviorist which I worked with as they never thought she would turn out this good! time & patience and positive reinforcement worked for me.

One great thing about having well behaved adult dogs...they can help you train your puppy...I have always had a multie dog house hold...and always found the elder dogs to be essential in training. I havent had a puppy in a long time but when I did the elder dogs were very tolerant letting the pup get away with alot...but, they also taught the pup proper behavior & bite inhibation...my elder dogs when they got tired of the pup always nipping and playing rough would get up and walk away...some what a kind of time out, and at times they did give the pup little nips. Pups play rough, and learn alot through play. The neatest multi dog house hold I had was a Border Collie mix (spayed female), Shep/Husky mix (neutered male), 2 Newfoundland dogs (intact male & s/f), Great Pyrenees (s/f), Doberman Pinscher (s/p), German Shepherd (s/f)...the neatest thing I used to do was make them all sit before getting fed...and I would mix up the commands on different days..some days they had to lay down before getting fed...this really helps to keep control during feeding time! (and having them all line up in front of me doing the command was really neat, I have pictures...I wish I could post them... :cry: ) every thing given had to be earned...nothing was free in my house hold...the only mistake I made at that time is I would have them sit, then lay down, then back to a sit before meals...I did this for a couple of weeks...after that they thought the sit command was the whole ordeal..kinda funny actually! One last thing I want to add, be sure to socialize your new addition...get the new pup used to traffic, busy areas with lots of people, children other than your own, bicycles flying past...just thought I'd add this as lack of socialization causes the biggest problems later on...an unsocialized dog is very hard to deal. The advice you have received from courtnek and gooeydog was very good...you may not have to buy any reference books at all!!! :wink: [b]Don't follow this advice[/b] [quote]If he trys to bite hold him down and hold his mouth but not hard so he does not bite tonge . hold him for just a sec and let go causing him no harm. He just got himmed up for a sec. He know nows u can do this. but he also knows he didnt get harmed.[/quote] you will have a fearful dog in the end, and if your dog was directing it's aggression at another object and you happened to do this you would be badly biten... I've lived to learn the wrong of that deed...don't confuse your pup...an unpredictable owner will create an unpredictable dog.... if your dog is directing its aggression on another dog etc, redirect the dogs attention to you, reward the dog/pup as soon as he looks at you only call a dog/pup once, never keep saying it over and over...buddy, come...if the dog/pup does not respond go get the dog/pup and put a leash on and do recalls One last thing I really have to add...in the 20 years I have worked directly with dogs its amazing how they can take on the personality of their owners...happy go lucky people with out going happy dogs...angry people with angry dogs....etc...not that this is a rule, but it does happen...have a happy home and you'll have happy dogs. :lol:

When I take my Rottie out on the weekends to meet her non Newf buddies she gets extremely excited and foams at the mouth...she plays harder with these dogs than she does with my Newf's...I would be concerned if she were to become lethargic or acting abnormally... Here is a good article to copy and put up on your fridge... When to call the Vet: [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1677&articleid=2895[/url]

I hope an appointment with another vet will help you reslove this problem....keep us updated on how every thing goes. Good luck, your little girl is very lucky to have such a caring mom. :angel:

I'm glad your pup is better..nothing worse than the fright of a fall.... Your pup is very lucky to have such a caring parent! Good luck, and I can hardly wait till you post some pictures of your Pup :angel: