Many counties/states permit a dog to go unvaccinated if the vet signs a certificate that the vaccine could cause harm to the animal.

This is the case with Pearl. The vet has a note in her records.

She will die soon from congestive heart failure... but not from rabies, unless there's an issue with Mrs. Bunnieworth that I'm not aware of.

dog food link removed by mod

Behold! The Prophecy! It comes true!

Ohhhh Gods. Fucking Raw Feeding fanatics. They get everywhere where pics or posts of dogs exist. They're the fundies of the dog world.

They get right on my tits. Apparently if you don't want to feed your dog on raw carcasses ('oh, I know there's blood and bone but we just have a couple of towels ready to clean it up, and only feed them in the kitchen....but oh you should see their little faces when I give them half a rabbit') and don't want to take the risk of bone fragments ripping up your dog's insides, you just don't love your dog.

Diz is currently having minced chicken necks for his tea.
I promise I'm not a fundie though.

Oh a lot of the arguments for raw feeding are compelling. It's the attitude that seems to go with it that puts my back up.

Even if I support something I am suspicious of ranters.
I think one of the reasons I like it here so much is that the message doesn't always get swallowed in the rhetoric.

With some exceptions that prove the rule of course...

Re BARF, I do think there should be an overhaul of the cat food industry, removing completely unnecessary and unnatural ingredients. But guess who eats Whiskas when funds are low? Yes, me. Because I would rather starve than make my cat eat that.

No, sorry, I do mean Diz of course :)

Like the dietary choices people make for themselves and their children, no one gets to say a damned thing about it until they have lived that life themselves. Everyone does what they can and everyone's choices are different. I try to feed him BARF when I can, but mostly I try to love him big time.

I looked into it for Carrotchops, but there were just too many complicating factors. Might be different if I had room for a family size fridge freezer and could just fill the freezer up with raw foods. bearing in mind Carrot's size relative to Dizcat you can imagine the sheer quantity of raw food I'd need to keep him fed.

But there's also the bone fragments issue. Even though uncooked bones are 'safe' there are cases of dogs ending up having to have surgery because fragments have lodged in various parts of the gut. Also there are occasional instances of food poisoning through raw feeding.

Mostly though, it's the ball-ache aspect :p And the nutritional balance. I'm not confident enough with it. I suspect it's easier with cats.

When I went looking there were all sorts of disagreement as to which style of raw feeding was best. Those who say you really need to include a few veg and those who are adamant a dog doesn't need veg. Etc.

I agree that the processed food is often very bad. But they're not all awful. And they can be supplemented with fresh foods. Carrot has his Royal Canin dry food (which is the stuff he was on at the breeders) and then a couple of times a week he'll get a chicken and veg broth, or a little stewed lamb.

Grains are the biggest problem from what I've seen. Look at the can/bag.
Its usually the number one or two ingredient.
Evo, Innova, Wellness, Merrick, Taste of the wild .... There are many that are good.
The cost is the issue though.

This is a good link to check out
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

Nirvana!!! Please weigh in, I'd like your opinion.

I've been feeding Turbo and Pico food that doesnt have much grain in it. (And spending out teh *ss to do it, too. Although, I do buy in bulk with coupons and such) But Pico was suffering from major itching and a lot of vomiting/reflux until I switched his food, so Im a convert. I switch back and forth between Natural Balance and Wellness depending on the sale.

My Vet told me it was a waste of time...but he sells Science Diet in his office, so I think he is biased. But when it comes down to it, prices have seemed to even out for most brands with the exceptions of the grocery store brands, of course.

Well, I'm pretty well settled with Royal Canin for now. When I move him onto adult food at 1 year old, I'll re-examine. Might change him over to one of the sensitive types (James Well-beloved for instance), as beardies aren't known for their iron stomachs :p

I've been through that site (and others) a few times over the past few months. One main problem with them is that they tend to be American and whilst some of the major brands are there, some of the brands available in britain aren't there and a lot of what's there isn't available here.

The grain issue is a complicated one. It has it's place as a filler. Literally to give the dog a full feeling, and act as a carrier for the other ingredients. It can be particularly useful for dogs with digestive issues, for whom a more protein based meal would be difficult to digest. What grain is used and where it sits on the ingredient list is important.

So sorry to hear about Pearl. Remember when we were kids and our dogs got one set of shots as a puppy and they did not die from these diseases that are only seen in puppies? ;)

Any hoo appropo of nothing but I have dogs [ a few ;)] and I will only give the 3 year rabies vaccination. If it is legal in your state you ask your vet for that. If they hem haw around show them the state code. Info on PA { http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/00...chapCtoc.html] It is the same exact shot as the one year but $10-$20 more and its a 3 year ;) Vets like to bully patients as vaccinations are their bread and butter.

Old dogs Chihuahuas[ over 10] at my house that do not go any where NEVER get shots. {arrest me]They make them ill. Most of my dogs live to be 14-16yrs.

Always keep benedryl children's liquid on hand to give orally.


Tractor Supply sells a fabulous grain free dog food, " 4 Health" cheap. My show dogs eat it. They also eat Purina Dog chow.

I should say I have fed the gamut of dog foods including barf and I do feed raw hamburger and raw eggs both home raised, to my show dogs. I have fed expensive dog foods that give my dogs diarrhea off and on. Hate that! I hate the food dye in Purina Dog Chow but my dogs like it they look good and I don't go to the vet often for problems. I think Science Diet is the debil's dog food. ;)

Pilau got his puppy shots and his one year booster then nothing after that.

Most of the shots give much longer immunity, and often lifelong immunity.
One of the reasons vets used to advise for one year is because the drug companies only test to one year. So they can only 'guarantee' a year. I think they may have started testing to three years now. A lot of vets now advise three year boosters.

In reality it is considered likely that for things like Parvo immunity will last 10 years and quite likely offer lifelong protection. Not sure about rabies, but we have very little rabies in this country even amongst the local wildlife. Also I think lepto is only short term immunity also.

I don't yet know what I'll do with Carrot. He'll get his 1 year booster. We may then do three yearly. Have to be a bit careful, as auto-immune conditions are a bit of a problem with his breed. So the risks of over vaccinating come into play more than with some other breeds.


[eta] Science diet is the pits. Most of those really top of the line vet foods are awful. But...the tinned variety of Royal Canin sensitive veterinary food is awesome when your dog has the dire rears. Was like magic.