As you may or may not know, Conker has Luxating Patella. I've known about it since he was about 8 months old or so, and I have tried a couple joint things and was generally pleased with them.
Well, the joint slippage has been just an occasional thing for a while, but when I started testing out various kibbles I stopped giving Conker "therapeutic" doses of fish oil (sometimes completely cutting it out) and instead just giving a "maintenance" dose, and I cut any joint things I was giving him at the time as well. With the exception of when he was being stupid about food, Conker has remained a pretty active dog.
So, what's the purpose of this writing?
I have noticed an increase in Conker's knee slippage, especially the right knee. It's bugging me with how frequently they slip, and how they don't go back in right away on their own. I have also noticed him biting at his knees, usually after one of them has slipped. I'm not exactly glad to see this, and I asked around about it, so I am going to restart the joint supplements and increase his fish oil. I will also be doing a few back leg strengthening exercise things to build the muscles up a bit more.
A trend I have noticed is that when Conker is on lower protein foods, he loses muscle mass and gains fat. So, I will either cut out all lower protein (below 30%) foods from the trials or mix meats and eggs into them to boost the protein. I am less concerned about how Conker does on the food (without mixins) and more concerned about his joint health, so I will be "sacrificing" some results because of that.
Which is a bit funny, since I'd feed the food with mixins if he were on it long-term anyways so... Yeah.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Like usual, nothing of interest is going on
So I have a video of Conker derping around in the yard for you to enjoy.
We do this 2 or 3 or 5 or 20 times a day, depending on what else we might have done/will be doing that day.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Money spent in September
August's total is over here.
I once again misplaced my list of stuff I bought (it's on the computer, you'd think I can't lose something on the computer but yes, it's possible) but I've got a pretty good idea of what I spent this month.
September 2012
So... Here goes the breakdown.
Food.
I bought several things, most of which were completely unexpected. I got a bag of EVO Red Meat for cheaper than normal, a can of EVO Beef, some trials (Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon and some Canidae canned fish thing), and some samples of various things like The Honest Kitchen stuff, Zuke's, and Fromm.
I also got some ground beef, beef ribs (Which Sasha broke another tooth on, so no more beef ribs for the dogs), some turkey misc, and a lamb neck.
Vet/Medical.
Conker hasn't been "properly" wormed since I got him, if you don't count heartworm meds, and I wanted to do that just to be sure he wasn't carrying anything that Heartguard doesn't kill.
Treats/Chews.
Conker got a small bully stick for passing the CGC and some treats from the Farmer's Market.
Etc.
I bought a freezer, and a timer thing for it.
I once again misplaced my list of stuff I bought (it's on the computer, you'd think I can't lose something on the computer but yes, it's possible) but I've got a pretty good idea of what I spent this month.
September 2012
- Food: $84.60
- Vet/Medical: $10
- Treats/Chews: $2.50
- Etc.: $50
So... Here goes the breakdown.
Food.
I bought several things, most of which were completely unexpected. I got a bag of EVO Red Meat for cheaper than normal, a can of EVO Beef, some trials (Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon and some Canidae canned fish thing), and some samples of various things like The Honest Kitchen stuff, Zuke's, and Fromm.
I also got some ground beef, beef ribs (Which Sasha broke another tooth on, so no more beef ribs for the dogs), some turkey misc, and a lamb neck.
Vet/Medical.
Conker hasn't been "properly" wormed since I got him, if you don't count heartworm meds, and I wanted to do that just to be sure he wasn't carrying anything that Heartguard doesn't kill.
Treats/Chews.
Conker got a small bully stick for passing the CGC and some treats from the Farmer's Market.
Etc.
I bought a freezer, and a timer thing for it.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Taste of the Wild
The Girls have been eating Taste of the Wild for over a year now. The company that owns/manufactures the brand isn't really the best out there (that recent recall dealt a big blow to Diamond and associates) but for a relatively high-quality food for a good price, I can't really not feed them Taste of the Wild just because I may not like the owner/manufacturer or some such business. The family Matriarch doesn't want to spend more than $40 for a 30 pound bag, and since she's the one dishing out the cash, she makes the rules. So Taste of the Wild it is, except when I can find another high-quality brand on sale.
Anywho, I figured now was a good enough time to write up a review of this food.
High Prairie
Ingredients:
Bison, lamb meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, roasted bison, roasted venison, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product,dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 32% Minimum, Fat: 18% Minimum
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,719 kcal/kg (370 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
I like the protein level and ingredients in this formula. I like how there are several named meat sources before any plant ones. I don't really care about the "exotic" meats, and fortunately that is not reflected in the price of these foods as it is with some other brands.
I started the Girls on Taste of the Wild in early May of last year. Right off the bat I began to notice differences when I switched the Girls off Pedicrap. Within two weeks their goats began to de-grease, they didn't stink or shed as much, and their breath got a little better. Poops shrank considerably and became almost odorless. Even their teeth looked slightly better.
Pacific Stream
Ingredients:
Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canola oil, salmon meal, smoked salmon, potato fiber, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.9%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.1%, as-fed
Calories: 3,600 kcal/kg (360 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
The protein of this formula is a bit less than I'd like. However, I like the ingredients. I prefer sweet potatoes over regular potatoes, and the sweets come before the regular, and they are followed by (canola oil) fish meals which are a concentrated source of protein. Note the probiotics. This is generally seen as a good thing to be included in pet foods, but I tend to think they are somewhat useless and do not really consider them to be a plus. I add in my own probiotics if I feel they are needed anyways.
I was not as satisfied with this formula as I was the High Prairie. The Girls are a bit less active, The muscle tone isn't as good, but their coats are very sleek and shiny. Poops are bigger and softer and a bit smellier than the higher protein formulas. The Girls really liked this formula, probably because of the strong fish smell.
Seirra Mountain
Ingredients:
Lamb, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, canola oil, pea protein, roasted lamb, tomato pomace, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative and source of vitamin E), dried chicory root, taurine, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.6%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.0%, as-fed
Calories: 3,611 kcal/kg (338 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
This formula is basically all lamb and potatoes with a few extra items. Not bad, but I generally like to see a bit more meat in a food. The protein level is again a bit low, as are the kcals per cup (lowest of the line.
The Girls has slightly lesser coat quality and their energy was lower (due to the lower kcals per cup) but this food has the best poop quality, oddly enough. You'd think a formula with less plant (fiber) sources over one with more would have smaller shits, but I guess that's not always the case.
Wetlands
Ingredients:
Duck, duck meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, roasted quail, roasted duck, smoked turkey, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product,dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 32% Minimum, Fat: 18% Minimum
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,750 kcal/kg (375 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Since Conker has never tried Taste of the Wild, I was not opposed to feeding these foods due to the chicken content in three of the formulas. (I'll test that soon, I think he's been lying to me about the cooked chicken thing.) I like the ingredients in this formula a lot. Plenty of protein sources before a plant, which is again sweet potatoes. There are some funny things like roasted quail and smoked turkey, and natural flavor generally turns me off, but I gave the food a shot anyways.
The results are very similar to the High Prairie. I like this formula a lot, I think the Girls actually do best on this one. Coat remained shiny and mostly odor-free, poop is pretty good, They seemed to like this one a lot too.
In general, I am very satisfied with the Taste of the Wild line. I have not tried any of their canned foods, I do not feed canned often and that's usually only when Conker is being an asshat. Again, I am not a big fan of Diamond, but with me, the bottom line is: Do the dogs do good on the food, do they like it, and can I afford it? And the answer to all three of those questions are yes. Diamond may not be the greatest company in the world, but I am quite satisfied with Taste of the Wild. I think too many people get hung up on Diamond's less-than-stellar track record and ignore the fact that this is a pretty great dog food, especially for the quality and price.
Anywho, the Girls do really good on this food. Taste of the Wild helped Sasha drop 20 pounds, and Juneau got an A+ from the Vet in the "I thought you were two years old, not six!" department. (Basically, she's in really great health.) It's affordable, easily available, and the dogs love it.
Coming soon!
Southwest Canyon
Taste of the Wild is coming out with a new formula this upcoming month, this time potato-free. The ingredients really don't look as good as the others, there are two plants sources after the first meat, and one meat meal after those then a mish-mash of other ingredients, so I do not think it's going to be as good as the other formulas. However, I am going to try it anyways and see how it compares to the others.
I was able to get a trial (5lb) bag from Petflow for $2 which will arrive in a few days. Conker will be the first one to try it, and it will be his first trial of a Taste of the Wild food. I dunno when exactly I will be trying it, I do have quite a list of foods to trial, but I may bump it up after I finish this bag of EVO and the bag of Fromm I started to try but quit for various reasons. (Going to give it one more shot before I give it an F.)
Since the Girls have two 30lb bags of Nutrisource to test out, it'll be at least two months before they get to try the new formula, if there's even a place that carries it here in GP. We tend to be on the slow-side as far as getting new products in goes, so I don't know if I'll be seeing it in October or next year or never.
Anywho, I figured now was a good enough time to write up a review of this food.
Ingredients:
Bison, lamb meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, roasted bison, roasted venison, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product,dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 32% Minimum, Fat: 18% Minimum
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,719 kcal/kg (370 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
I like the protein level and ingredients in this formula. I like how there are several named meat sources before any plant ones. I don't really care about the "exotic" meats, and fortunately that is not reflected in the price of these foods as it is with some other brands.
I started the Girls on Taste of the Wild in early May of last year. Right off the bat I began to notice differences when I switched the Girls off Pedicrap. Within two weeks their goats began to de-grease, they didn't stink or shed as much, and their breath got a little better. Poops shrank considerably and became almost odorless. Even their teeth looked slightly better.
Ingredients:
Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canola oil, salmon meal, smoked salmon, potato fiber, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.9%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.1%, as-fed
Calories: 3,600 kcal/kg (360 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
The protein of this formula is a bit less than I'd like. However, I like the ingredients. I prefer sweet potatoes over regular potatoes, and the sweets come before the regular, and they are followed by (canola oil) fish meals which are a concentrated source of protein. Note the probiotics. This is generally seen as a good thing to be included in pet foods, but I tend to think they are somewhat useless and do not really consider them to be a plus. I add in my own probiotics if I feel they are needed anyways.
I was not as satisfied with this formula as I was the High Prairie. The Girls are a bit less active, The muscle tone isn't as good, but their coats are very sleek and shiny. Poops are bigger and softer and a bit smellier than the higher protein formulas. The Girls really liked this formula, probably because of the strong fish smell.
Ingredients:
Lamb, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, canola oil, pea protein, roasted lamb, tomato pomace, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative and source of vitamin E), dried chicory root, taurine, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.6%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.0%, as-fed
Calories: 3,611 kcal/kg (338 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
This formula is basically all lamb and potatoes with a few extra items. Not bad, but I generally like to see a bit more meat in a food. The protein level is again a bit low, as are the kcals per cup (lowest of the line.
The Girls has slightly lesser coat quality and their energy was lower (due to the lower kcals per cup) but this food has the best poop quality, oddly enough. You'd think a formula with less plant (fiber) sources over one with more would have smaller shits, but I guess that's not always the case.
Ingredients:
Duck, duck meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, roasted quail, roasted duck, smoked turkey, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product,dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 32% Minimum, Fat: 18% Minimum
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,750 kcal/kg (375 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Since Conker has never tried Taste of the Wild, I was not opposed to feeding these foods due to the chicken content in three of the formulas. (I'll test that soon, I think he's been lying to me about the cooked chicken thing.) I like the ingredients in this formula a lot. Plenty of protein sources before a plant, which is again sweet potatoes. There are some funny things like roasted quail and smoked turkey, and natural flavor generally turns me off, but I gave the food a shot anyways.
The results are very similar to the High Prairie. I like this formula a lot, I think the Girls actually do best on this one. Coat remained shiny and mostly odor-free, poop is pretty good, They seemed to like this one a lot too.
In general, I am very satisfied with the Taste of the Wild line. I have not tried any of their canned foods, I do not feed canned often and that's usually only when Conker is being an asshat. Again, I am not a big fan of Diamond, but with me, the bottom line is: Do the dogs do good on the food, do they like it, and can I afford it? And the answer to all three of those questions are yes. Diamond may not be the greatest company in the world, but I am quite satisfied with Taste of the Wild. I think too many people get hung up on Diamond's less-than-stellar track record and ignore the fact that this is a pretty great dog food, especially for the quality and price.
Anywho, the Girls do really good on this food. Taste of the Wild helped Sasha drop 20 pounds, and Juneau got an A+ from the Vet in the "I thought you were two years old, not six!" department. (Basically, she's in really great health.) It's affordable, easily available, and the dogs love it.
Coming soon!
Southwest Canyon
Taste of the Wild is coming out with a new formula this upcoming month, this time potato-free. The ingredients really don't look as good as the others, there are two plants sources after the first meat, and one meat meal after those then a mish-mash of other ingredients, so I do not think it's going to be as good as the other formulas. However, I am going to try it anyways and see how it compares to the others.
I was able to get a trial (5lb) bag from Petflow for $2 which will arrive in a few days. Conker will be the first one to try it, and it will be his first trial of a Taste of the Wild food. I dunno when exactly I will be trying it, I do have quite a list of foods to trial, but I may bump it up after I finish this bag of EVO and the bag of Fromm I started to try but quit for various reasons. (Going to give it one more shot before I give it an F.)
Since the Girls have two 30lb bags of Nutrisource to test out, it'll be at least two months before they get to try the new formula, if there's even a place that carries it here in GP. We tend to be on the slow-side as far as getting new products in goes, so I don't know if I'll be seeing it in October or next year or never.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Hardware Store
I took Conker to the Home Depot today. This was his first time ever going into a hardware store. I thought he was going to utterly hate it, he's not fond of buildings in general, let alone buildings that are usually noisy, but I gave it a shot anyways.
I first walked by the door and read the signs posted on it, one of which said "No Pets!" yet another said "Dogs must be on leash." So I was confuzed if dogs were or weren't allowed inside. I asked the greeter and he said that dogs were allowed, as long as they were leashed and didn't cause any issues. So I went back to the Jeep and retrieved Conker.
He was not exactly thrilled to be there, but he did a lot better than I expected. His tail only dropped when a supertall employee walked past and said hello to him, but he was generally curious, cautious, but curious, about the store. That's good, usually he shows no interest in anything but the door.
So Conker and I walked around Home Depot for a bit, picked up an electrical timer device, bought it (no treats at the register, they were out) then went back home.
The device is for the freezer. The thing runs constantly, it doesn't turn off even when it reaches the desired temperature, so I did a few experiments with unplugging it for certain periods of time and monitoring the internal temperature. I am going to try setting it to run for 30 minutes every hour and a half and see how well that maintains the temperature. If it needs more time running, or less, I'll adjust from there. But from what I gathered from my initial experiments, I think this will work fine. (And save money too.)
In other news...
All the dogs are digesting their food fine now with no signs of whatever the problems were. They are being transitioned back to their kibbles and will be fully transitioned tomorrow. I will hold off on add-ins for a few days, then test a couple items one at a time to see what could have been the trigger. Right now I am thinking it was the eggs, so I will test those first.
I first walked by the door and read the signs posted on it, one of which said "No Pets!" yet another said "Dogs must be on leash." So I was confuzed if dogs were or weren't allowed inside. I asked the greeter and he said that dogs were allowed, as long as they were leashed and didn't cause any issues. So I went back to the Jeep and retrieved Conker.
So Conker and I walked around Home Depot for a bit, picked up an electrical timer device, bought it (no treats at the register, they were out) then went back home.
The device is for the freezer. The thing runs constantly, it doesn't turn off even when it reaches the desired temperature, so I did a few experiments with unplugging it for certain periods of time and monitoring the internal temperature. I am going to try setting it to run for 30 minutes every hour and a half and see how well that maintains the temperature. If it needs more time running, or less, I'll adjust from there. But from what I gathered from my initial experiments, I think this will work fine. (And save money too.)
In other news...
All the dogs are digesting their food fine now with no signs of whatever the problems were. They are being transitioned back to their kibbles and will be fully transitioned tomorrow. I will hold off on add-ins for a few days, then test a couple items one at a time to see what could have been the trigger. Right now I am thinking it was the eggs, so I will test those first.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Blarghiest
Sorry for the lack of anything even remotely interesting as of late.
Two of the dogs (guess who's one of them?) have had some digestive issues that I have not been able to find the cause of, Blogger finally updated my interface and I hate it, and nothing has really been going on that is worth writing about so... Yeah.
Once I get this problem with Conker and Sasha all sorted out, I'll probably be a bit more active on the blog. It just annoys the crap out of me and I don't feel like writing anything when two out of three dogs are leaving nasty messes in the backyard for a week. (Actually, Conker's only just started so that is slightly incorrect.)
Anywho, the weather suddenly got cooler, which is kinda nice.
EDIT: Okay well, Juneau had a slight issue as well, so add her to the list. Juneau's and Conker's problems look exactly alike, so that means that their problem(s) are one of these since they each got some of them yesterday:
A: EVO Red Meat, B: Raw egg, C: Beef roast chunk, D: Something else
I hope it's not D for simplicity's sake.
Two of the dogs (guess who's one of them?) have had some digestive issues that I have not been able to find the cause of, Blogger finally updated my interface and I hate it, and nothing has really been going on that is worth writing about so... Yeah.
Once I get this problem with Conker and Sasha all sorted out, I'll probably be a bit more active on the blog. It just annoys the crap out of me and I don't feel like writing anything when two out of three dogs are leaving nasty messes in the backyard for a week. (Actually, Conker's only just started so that is slightly incorrect.)
Anywho, the weather suddenly got cooler, which is kinda nice.
EDIT: Okay well, Juneau had a slight issue as well, so add her to the list. Juneau's and Conker's problems look exactly alike, so that means that their problem(s) are one of these since they each got some of them yesterday:
A: EVO Red Meat, B: Raw egg, C: Beef roast chunk, D: Something else
I hope it's not D for simplicity's sake.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Reading List
Since I finally finished and returned the library books I borrowed a while ago, I can break into the small stock of books I have purchased in the past few weeks. I have recently discovered a used book store that I previously had never noticed that sells books for a really dang good deal. So I hop in there and pick myself up a few. I also bought one at another bookstore (new and used) a while ago, as well as some that I got for $1 at a yard sale. Oh, and a pair from a regular thrift store.
So, on my shelf of books to read are:
Hunting Dogs, by F.Philip Rice and John I.Dahl, first and second editions ($5 for both)
Hiking with Dogs, by Linda B. Mullally ($1)
Wolves, A Wildlife Handbook, by Kim Long ($2)
Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat ($2)
Your Dog, The Owner's Manual, by Dr. Marty Becker ($10? Can't remember exactly)
The Dog Whisperer, by Paul Owens with Norma Eckoate ($3)
A Good Dog, by Jon Katz (1 of 3 for $1)
Cesar's Way, by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier (2 of 3 for $1)
Dog Tricks, by Captain Arthur J Haggetry and Carol Lea Benjamin (3 of 3 for $1)
Note that one book titled The Dog Whisperer. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Cesar Millan butthead. The Dog Whisperer is a positive reinforcement training book, and I am looking forwards to reading it.
The only reason why a Cesar book is on my list is because it was basically free and I have never actually read any crap written by the egotistical bastard. I'm kinda curious to see what he says in it, but not at the same time.
So, on my shelf of books to read are:
Hunting Dogs, by F.Philip Rice and John I.Dahl, first and second editions ($5 for both)
Hiking with Dogs, by Linda B. Mullally ($1)
Wolves, A Wildlife Handbook, by Kim Long ($2)
Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat ($2)
Your Dog, The Owner's Manual, by Dr. Marty Becker ($10? Can't remember exactly)
The Dog Whisperer, by Paul Owens with Norma Eckoate ($3)
A Good Dog, by Jon Katz (1 of 3 for $1)
Cesar's Way, by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier (2 of 3 for $1)
Dog Tricks, by Captain Arthur J Haggetry and Carol Lea Benjamin (3 of 3 for $1)
Note that one book titled The Dog Whisperer. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Cesar Millan butthead. The Dog Whisperer is a positive reinforcement training book, and I am looking forwards to reading it.
The only reason why a Cesar book is on my list is because it was basically free and I have never actually read any crap written by the egotistical bastard. I'm kinda curious to see what he says in it, but not at the same time.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Somehow, this thing passed the CGC
 |
| 'Ey |
I never really talked (on the blog) about just how bad Conker was when I got him. Think Shiba Inu puppy, that is four months old, with absolutely NO bite inhibition, terribly food aggressive towards anything that moves, not house-trained, has no manners, and is afraid of everyone but me... Basically, he was part-feral (I truly mean that), and he was a big project right from the get-go.
The worst bit was the stranger fear. It is still an ongoing process, but Conker has made some pretty big improvements in the last few months. Conker had gotten to the point that he was good enough around strange people, where as long as they didn't bother him, that he was fine with them being close to him. As in standing right beside him. That was HUGE for Conker, and I took that as a sign that he might be ready for CGC.
He was not overly fond of the training classes we took, but by the end he would accept two of the trainers with no issue, and one of the others with only a small amount of shying away. (One of the trainers and several handlers he still would not allow to pet or groom.) Conker was even okay with being left alone for 3 minutes with some nice elderly ladies, one of whom just adored Shibas.
Anyways, I'm glad that Conker was able to pass this thing. I still have a few things I need to work on him with but I really did not think that he would be able to pass the CGC this soon. It's been just shy of two years that I've had him, and in that time he's gone from being a wild, snapping, biting, fearful, maniac to what the AKC conciders to be a good citizen.
I don't think he'd have passed if they saw how he can be at home though... He's still got a bit of that feral side in him.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
CGC class week 4
Today was the last day of CGC classes. Conker did good again, still was a bit nervous with the friendly stranger thing, but the trainer thinks he will pass. We'll see how he does this Saturday.
Not much else going on today. We didn't hike because of the class, and my sister and her fiancee are in town.
Not much else going on today. We didn't hike because of the class, and my sister and her fiancee are in town.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)