Conker has again refused his food. He did his normal act all super excited, attack the Girls, whine and bark thing while I was preparing it but as soon as I put it down? No interest whatsoever. Putting pieces in his mouth only got him to spit them out. He didn't even lick at the food! Just picked around and didn't eat anything.
So he's not going to eat at all today. No more offerings of food, no treats, no chews... and nothing tomorrow either. If he still won't eat after that then I'll wait another couple days to see if he really won't eat or is just being an ass, then off to the vet he goes.
As far as everything else, he is perfectly normal. Just as annoying, just as active, still drinking water, no change with anything but food habits.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
What just happened
Me: *takes a tupperware of oat mix out of the fridge*
Conker: Oh, is that for me? *sits perfectly* See? I'm sitting, you should give me those oats now.
Me: I don't think you want these.
Conker: Why not? I'm sitting, isn't that what you want?
Me: They are cold.
Conker: I don't care! Can't you see I'm sitting? I thought you liked it when I sit?
Me: Okay fine, you can have the oats. *puts the tupperware on the ground*
Conker: FINALLY! *rushes forwards to eat the oats*
A minute and a half later...
Conker: *burps* Ahh, that was good.
Me: You done already? There's still like, two thirds of that left.
Conker: Well, they are old, and I prefer my oats fresh. Besides, I'm full.
Me: Liar. You love oats, you always finish your oats.
Conker: True, but I don't love these oats.
Me: *points to the tupperware* Eat your damn oats.
Conker: No. *walks away*
Another minute later...
Me: *microwaves oats for 20 seconds*
Conker: They still aren't fresh.
Me: But they're warm. You like warm food.
Conker: I don't care of they're warm old oats, I want fresh oats.
Me: Well too bad, you don't get any fresh oats.
Conker: *sits with his back to the oats*
Me: Juneau! Come over here and eat Conker's oats!
Juneau: Okay. *slurps up the oats*
Conker: What, what are you doing?
Me: That's what happens when you don't eat your food. Juneau gets it.
Juneau: Thank you!
Conker: I really hate you right now.
Conker: Oh, is that for me? *sits perfectly* See? I'm sitting, you should give me those oats now.
Me: I don't think you want these.
Conker: Why not? I'm sitting, isn't that what you want?
Me: They are cold.
Conker: I don't care! Can't you see I'm sitting? I thought you liked it when I sit?
Me: Okay fine, you can have the oats. *puts the tupperware on the ground*
Conker: FINALLY! *rushes forwards to eat the oats*
A minute and a half later...
Conker: *burps* Ahh, that was good.
Me: You done already? There's still like, two thirds of that left.
Conker: Well, they are old, and I prefer my oats fresh. Besides, I'm full.
Me: Liar. You love oats, you always finish your oats.
Conker: True, but I don't love these oats.
Me: *points to the tupperware* Eat your damn oats.
Conker: No. *walks away*
Another minute later...
Me: *microwaves oats for 20 seconds*
Conker: They still aren't fresh.
Me: But they're warm. You like warm food.
Conker: I don't care of they're warm old oats, I want fresh oats.
Me: Well too bad, you don't get any fresh oats.
Conker: *sits with his back to the oats*
Me: Juneau! Come over here and eat Conker's oats!
Juneau: Okay. *slurps up the oats*
Conker: What, what are you doing?
Me: That's what happens when you don't eat your food. Juneau gets it.
Juneau: Thank you!
Conker: I really hate you right now.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Some Pictures of the Hike
Okay so photobucket lied. Yesterday it said I'd reached the picture upload max and today it says I'm good.
Some bigass military helicopter just flew by...
This is what the rim trail looked like. Many of the trees in the area had been burned and killed by a fire that came through in 2002. Despite this the place was still quite green, and the dead trees actually looked really neat.
Here is a Sunday morning view of the rouge River-Siskiyou National Forest from Babyfoot Lake trailhead.
And here is the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Looks kinda devoid of trees and quite brown, but I think it's very beautiful.
Lastly we have Conker, sitting on a log, in front of the National Forest.
I took some what I think will be good pictures with my Mintola Maxxum but I have yet to use up the rest of that film roll so I won't know until it's developed.
Most of the pictures I took with my digital didn't come out good. As thumbnails they look fine, but when viewed bigger you can see they are horribly out of focus. That stupid point-and-shoot is actually dying now. On the trail it decided to not work and I had to force it shut to get it to restart. I really need to get a new digital, preferably a SLR that can actually take decent photos.
In other news...
Conker still doesn't like chicken for some reason. I had to convince him to eat his chicken last night, and today he hasn't touched it. For some reason he prefers oats over chicken meat... I don't get it.
Some bigass military helicopter just flew by...
I took some what I think will be good pictures with my Mintola Maxxum but I have yet to use up the rest of that film roll so I won't know until it's developed.
Most of the pictures I took with my digital didn't come out good. As thumbnails they look fine, but when viewed bigger you can see they are horribly out of focus. That stupid point-and-shoot is actually dying now. On the trail it decided to not work and I had to force it shut to get it to restart. I really need to get a new digital, preferably a SLR that can actually take decent photos.
In other news...
Conker still doesn't like chicken for some reason. I had to convince him to eat his chicken last night, and today he hasn't touched it. For some reason he prefers oats over chicken meat... I don't get it.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Babyfoot Lake
So my plans to hike part of the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail kinda failed. We parked at the Babyfoot Lake trailhead and meant to take a connecting trail but missed it (found it later) and ended up at Babyfoot Lake. I am more out of shape than I'd originally thought and decided to camp at the mini lake and go find the trail I wanted to hike and do a bit of it without a 50 pound backpack.
Babyfoot Lake is barely within the border of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. You basically find a metal sign stating the land behind it is a wilderness blah blah blah, then come to the lake. The lake is only about 9 feet deep, has a few trout in it and has many really big, old trees that have fallen into it over the years. A nice little place to visit.
I dropped off my pack, hoisted any food and smelly items into a tree then grabbed my day-pack and took off to find my trail. At first we tried to find where the #1224A (which is the Babyfoot Lake trail) connected to the #1224 (Kalmiopsis Wilderness Rim Trail) on the northwestern side of the lake. He found bits and pieces of it but it looked like that particular section hadn't been used in years since there was so much stuff grown over it. The underbrush made it very difficult to navigate and I didn't want to get lost so we turned around and headed back down the Babyfoot Lake trail to find the split.
We did find the split, trail #1126 which connected to the #1124 up about three miles. I figured we could do that but I didn't know we'd have to climb a killersteep ridge to get up to it first. We did get to the top of the ridge and hiked out about 1 1/2 - 2 miles along it then stopped for lunch. We could see Babyfoot Lake down below us from up there. In the picture above, look at the rim. Find the highest spot. That's where we were. A good 700 feet higher than Babyfoot, all climbed within that short mile and a half.
Conker decided that he didn't want to be clean anymore and rolled on the trail during lunch. He also decided he wanted to decorate himself with tree sap which was a bad idea since it drove him nuts for the rest of the trip.
The rocks up there on the rim were funny, if you poured water on them they hisses really loudly. I thought there was a snake nearby when I spilled a bit of water and the rocks began to hiss.
After lunch we headed back down to Babyfoot Lake. We discovered that the trees that had fallen into the lake were very stable so I walked out onto one. Conker didn't really want to go with me but followed anyways. I jumped in the lake (Conker stayed on the log) and found it to be quite nice. I figured it'd be cold.
For the next couple hours I let Conker wander around the camp and surrounding section of the lake. I read while he explored and some menacing looking clouds built up above us. I knew what the clouds meant, and when thunder began to roll through the valleys I pitched the tent. I waited until it was actually raining before calling Conker over and introducing him to it. After the first minute he was fine with it and tried to sleep as rain and eventually hail pelted down on my little orange tent.
Conker decided, before and after the storm, that exploring just the lakeside wasn't good enough. Wile I was making some tea I looked out at the lake a spotted something on one of the big logs. It was Conker. He'd gotten up on the log all on his own, walked out a bit then looked at me. He kept looking back as he walked out to the very end then walked back. He turned this into something he did about every 20 minutes. After a bit of exploring, he would go walk out into the lake on a log.
The bugs got a git unbearable as the sun was setting so after dinner we retreated to the tent. We napped, er, Conker napped while I read, then slowly dozed off as the night fell.
I was suddenly reminded why I don't like camping in the woods when I woke to a crashing sound near the tent and Conker's low growl. I don't know what kind of animal it was but it sounded big. Not as big as a bear, maybe a deer, and it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The rest of the night was filled with more crashing, snapping and shrieking as the animals of the wilderness paid their nightly visits to the lake. Conker didn't bark, only growled quietly. I knew none of these visitors were bears, I've heard a bear outside my tent before and these were different sounds.
Deer, raccoons, skunks and what I found out later to be foxes were the main visitors. But one of the last to come definitely was a bear. Heavy yet soft footsteps, snuffing every little scent, scraping it's long claws on random fallen logs as it navigated the area around my tent. This was the only animal Conker barked at, but it was a very restrained bark.
Surprisingly everything up until then scared me. The foxes (which make freaky screaming sounds) were the scariest when I first heard them shrieking and crashing about. Two even got into a fight. The only protection I'd brought with me was that big knife and it stayed right beside me. I'd picked up the knife when the foxes began to fight, and right that after the bear came. For some reason holding the knife made me feel better, and the bear either lost interest in the lake and our camp or Conker scared it off when he barked. It left rather quickly. Not many other animals visited after that, and the big knife spent the rest of the night inside my sleeping bag.
So! That was out little adventure to Babyfoot Lake. I knew already that camping next to a lake, in the wilderness, probably wasn't the greatest idea and paid for it with my sleep, but it was a fun trip anyways and Conker really enjoyed exploring the lake and walking out on the logs. Next time I go out there it will either be just a daytrip or I'll camp somewhere along the trail I originally wanted to and just stop in at Babyfoot Lake on the way in or out.
Sorry for lack of pictures, my photobucket upload limit has been reached.
I dropped off my pack, hoisted any food and smelly items into a tree then grabbed my day-pack and took off to find my trail. At first we tried to find where the #1224A (which is the Babyfoot Lake trail) connected to the #1224 (Kalmiopsis Wilderness Rim Trail) on the northwestern side of the lake. He found bits and pieces of it but it looked like that particular section hadn't been used in years since there was so much stuff grown over it. The underbrush made it very difficult to navigate and I didn't want to get lost so we turned around and headed back down the Babyfoot Lake trail to find the split.
We did find the split, trail #1126 which connected to the #1124 up about three miles. I figured we could do that but I didn't know we'd have to climb a killersteep ridge to get up to it first. We did get to the top of the ridge and hiked out about 1 1/2 - 2 miles along it then stopped for lunch. We could see Babyfoot Lake down below us from up there. In the picture above, look at the rim. Find the highest spot. That's where we were. A good 700 feet higher than Babyfoot, all climbed within that short mile and a half.
The rocks up there on the rim were funny, if you poured water on them they hisses really loudly. I thought there was a snake nearby when I spilled a bit of water and the rocks began to hiss.
After lunch we headed back down to Babyfoot Lake. We discovered that the trees that had fallen into the lake were very stable so I walked out onto one. Conker didn't really want to go with me but followed anyways. I jumped in the lake (Conker stayed on the log) and found it to be quite nice. I figured it'd be cold.
For the next couple hours I let Conker wander around the camp and surrounding section of the lake. I read while he explored and some menacing looking clouds built up above us. I knew what the clouds meant, and when thunder began to roll through the valleys I pitched the tent. I waited until it was actually raining before calling Conker over and introducing him to it. After the first minute he was fine with it and tried to sleep as rain and eventually hail pelted down on my little orange tent.
The bugs got a git unbearable as the sun was setting so after dinner we retreated to the tent. We napped, er, Conker napped while I read, then slowly dozed off as the night fell.
I was suddenly reminded why I don't like camping in the woods when I woke to a crashing sound near the tent and Conker's low growl. I don't know what kind of animal it was but it sounded big. Not as big as a bear, maybe a deer, and it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The rest of the night was filled with more crashing, snapping and shrieking as the animals of the wilderness paid their nightly visits to the lake. Conker didn't bark, only growled quietly. I knew none of these visitors were bears, I've heard a bear outside my tent before and these were different sounds.
Deer, raccoons, skunks and what I found out later to be foxes were the main visitors. But one of the last to come definitely was a bear. Heavy yet soft footsteps, snuffing every little scent, scraping it's long claws on random fallen logs as it navigated the area around my tent. This was the only animal Conker barked at, but it was a very restrained bark.
Surprisingly everything up until then scared me. The foxes (which make freaky screaming sounds) were the scariest when I first heard them shrieking and crashing about. Two even got into a fight. The only protection I'd brought with me was that big knife and it stayed right beside me. I'd picked up the knife when the foxes began to fight, and right that after the bear came. For some reason holding the knife made me feel better, and the bear either lost interest in the lake and our camp or Conker scared it off when he barked. It left rather quickly. Not many other animals visited after that, and the big knife spent the rest of the night inside my sleeping bag.
So! That was out little adventure to Babyfoot Lake. I knew already that camping next to a lake, in the wilderness, probably wasn't the greatest idea and paid for it with my sleep, but it was a fun trip anyways and Conker really enjoyed exploring the lake and walking out on the logs. Next time I go out there it will either be just a daytrip or I'll camp somewhere along the trail I originally wanted to and just stop in at Babyfoot Lake on the way in or out.
Sorry for lack of pictures, my photobucket upload limit has been reached.
Zuke's Superfood Biscuits: Mean Greenz
I stumbled upon yet another treat made by Zuke's but I normally keep a ton of these around and didn't need more. If it weren't for the price tag of just $5.50 a box, I wouldn't have gotten them.
Here we have the Mean Greenz, the veggie variety of Zuke's Superfood Biscuits line. Normally these go for something like $8.29 per 14 ounce box so don't take my good price as the norm.
Ingredients: Organic Ground Oats, Organic Ground Barley, Spinach, Green Beans, Potatoes, Oat Fiber, Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Oil Blend (sunflower, olive and canola), Broccoli, Peas, Cabbage, Kelp, Asparagus, Kale, Natural Vegetable Flavors, Chlorophyll.
There isn't anything wrong with these really. They do contain grains so you grain-free people should steer clear of these. Some say molasses shouldn't be used but in treats I think it's fine. Other than that the ingredients are good.
Guaranteed Analysis:
The thing I dislike most about these treats is the lack of resealable closure thing. When opened you have to cut or tear the bag. I remedy this by tying them shut with a rubber band so the treats don't go everywhere if one of my dogs knocks them off the shelf. I also stick a variety of treats in a tupperware for easy assess.
As far as taste goes, Conker prefers the Very Berryz and over these. I guess that's because he's not too fond of veggies and there are no fruit or meat sources in these treats. But if you'd like to give your dog a healthy veggie treat then these will work fine. Plus they are organic if you're into that.
Like all baked Zuke's treats these can be busted in half for smaller dogs or training. I normally break them in half, use one piece and stick the other into my pocket. When not broken they hold up well and don't make a lot of crumbs in my pocket. When broken they produce a few but the pocket stays relatively clean. These treats are good for walking or hiking since they hold together and don't crumble easily.
Ingredients: Organic Ground Oats, Organic Ground Barley, Spinach, Green Beans, Potatoes, Oat Fiber, Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Oil Blend (sunflower, olive and canola), Broccoli, Peas, Cabbage, Kelp, Asparagus, Kale, Natural Vegetable Flavors, Chlorophyll.
There isn't anything wrong with these really. They do contain grains so you grain-free people should steer clear of these. Some say molasses shouldn't be used but in treats I think it's fine. Other than that the ingredients are good.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Protein | not less than 10% |
| Fat | not less than 11% |
| Fiber | not more than 10% |
| Moisture | not more than 10% |
| Calories | Approximately 9 per piece |
As far as taste goes, Conker prefers the Very Berryz and over these. I guess that's because he's not too fond of veggies and there are no fruit or meat sources in these treats. But if you'd like to give your dog a healthy veggie treat then these will work fine. Plus they are organic if you're into that.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Sasha's Teeth 3
It's been 4 weeks since I began adding the PlaqueOff to Juneau and Sasha's food. If you compare Sasha's teeth at the beginning to now, there is a conciderable difference in buildup.
Anyways, you can see that the upper carnassial teeth have almost no buildup left! I can't give PlaqueOff all the credit since I have given the Girls some beef ribs, but before I began the PlaqueOff even the ribs couldn't get some of that nasty crap off. So I guess it helped to soften the plaque, and the ribs scraped it off.
The only teeth that still have a lot of buildup left are the canines. I think I'm probably going to have to scrape that off for her.
Juneau's teeth are amazing looking, and as usual, no pictures of hers. Even her canines have greatly reduced amounts of plaque.
The pictures are lame since Sasha didn't want me messing with her mouth.
Anyways, you can see that the upper carnassial teeth have almost no buildup left! I can't give PlaqueOff all the credit since I have given the Girls some beef ribs, but before I began the PlaqueOff even the ribs couldn't get some of that nasty crap off. So I guess it helped to soften the plaque, and the ribs scraped it off.
The only teeth that still have a lot of buildup left are the canines. I think I'm probably going to have to scrape that off for her.
Juneau's teeth are amazing looking, and as usual, no pictures of hers. Even her canines have greatly reduced amounts of plaque.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Picky Picky Picky
Conker is turning into a picky eater. He doesn't play favorites, and his item of rejection changes daily. Yesterday it was the chicken neck. Today it was the rice. In the past he's refused liver, turkey neck, chicken meat and a random assortment of other items.
I don't have patience for that. If the dog isn't going to eat it, they are either going to have it shoved down their throat or they aren't going to eat anything for the rest of that day and the next. Today Conker got real pissed at me when I was pointing to the rice in his bowl so he got it force-fed to him.
Yeah, that's kinda mean, and I can be a Nazi at times when it comes to this, but like I said, I have no patience for that sort of thing coming from a healthy dog. I don't do the put it down now, eat a bit, put in the fridge and give later shit. You eat when you're fed or you don't eat at all. Peroid.
Yesterday he ate his rice fine, he really wanted it while I was making it today but now? No rice, I don't want that.
I think it would be neat if I could find a way to dehydrate everything, chop it up superfine then scoop it into the bowl, add water, wait then give to the stupid dog. That way he wouldn't be able to differentiate one item from the other and would have no choice but to friggin eat it or go hungry.
Why the attitude about this? Conker's meals are going to be consisting of very few items during the hike. Oats, sardines, eggs (yes, eggs will be fine without refrigeration) and treats. If he refuses any one of those he'll go hungry and not have enough energy. Plus I'll have this food that I won't want to eat due to yucky ingredients that will stink up my camp and attract critters. Like bears. Can't have that.
I don't have patience for that. If the dog isn't going to eat it, they are either going to have it shoved down their throat or they aren't going to eat anything for the rest of that day and the next. Today Conker got real pissed at me when I was pointing to the rice in his bowl so he got it force-fed to him.
Yeah, that's kinda mean, and I can be a Nazi at times when it comes to this, but like I said, I have no patience for that sort of thing coming from a healthy dog. I don't do the put it down now, eat a bit, put in the fridge and give later shit. You eat when you're fed or you don't eat at all. Peroid.
Yesterday he ate his rice fine, he really wanted it while I was making it today but now? No rice, I don't want that.
I think it would be neat if I could find a way to dehydrate everything, chop it up superfine then scoop it into the bowl, add water, wait then give to the stupid dog. That way he wouldn't be able to differentiate one item from the other and would have no choice but to friggin eat it or go hungry.
Why the attitude about this? Conker's meals are going to be consisting of very few items during the hike. Oats, sardines, eggs (yes, eggs will be fine without refrigeration) and treats. If he refuses any one of those he'll go hungry and not have enough energy. Plus I'll have this food that I won't want to eat due to yucky ingredients that will stink up my camp and attract critters. Like bears. Can't have that.
Liquid Health: K-9 Glucosamine
Since the discovery of Conker's Luxating Patella I have done a lot of reading on the subject and how joint health could play a role in the ordeal. While giving a joint supplement is not a cure for LP, it could possibly help by keeping the joints lubricated so when the patella does slip out of place it is less likely to cause damage that will turn into arthritis further down the road.
I looked into many different supplements, some a combo of sorts, others with only one joint-health ingredient. In the end I decided upon K-9 Glucosamine, a liquid supplement made by a company who also makes stuff for people and horses.
There are three varieties of the dog supplement. I got the regular kind, but there is also a concentrated and vegetarian variety. I avoided the veggie kind since it uses corn as a source for the glucosamine. It comes in 8, 32 and 128 ounce bottles. There is also a formula for small dogs.
Active Ingredients per fluid ounce:
Glucosamine Hcl (shellfish): 1600mg
Chondroitin Sulfate (beef and/or porcine): 1200mg
MSM (Methyl-sulfonylmethane 99.9%) : 1000mg
Manganese Chelate: 7mg
Hyaluronic Acid (as Sodium Hyaluronate): 10mg
Inactive Ingredients: 100% Pure Aloe Vera Juice, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Purified Water, Sodium Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin.
After opening this product needs to be refrigerated. The people in my household have gotten used to a plastic box sitting on the bottom shelf in the fridge that holds Conker's supplements and food just in case something spills. The bottle also says to shake well before giving to your dog since it can settle/seperate if it sits for long enough.
Directions on the bottle say the dosage is:
Under 10 lbs: 1 teaspoon (1/6th oz)
10-24lbs: 2 teaspoons (1/3rd oz)
25-49lbs: 3 teaspoons, 2 in AM 1 in PM
50-100lbs: 4 teaspoons, 2 in AM 2 in PM
Over 100lbs: 6 teaspoons (1/2 oz), 3 in AM 3 in PM
In order to get the supplement out you have to squeeze the bottle and it will squirt some liquid into a small container that's got 1/2 ounce and 1 ounce measuring lines on one side and 1, 3 and 6 teaspoon lines on the other. Conker gets 2 teaspoons which is about half a cap-full so I don't bother with measuring it out exact every day.
It might just be the increase in exercise (muscle building to help hold the patellas in place) since I found out Conker has LP, or the supplement really is helping in some way. Conker's patellas went from slipping once or more times a day to once a week then finally only about twice a month since I began giving him this. I haven't yet tried to see if it really is helping by not giving it to him. Mainly because I don't want the patellas to slip and have the joint get damaged by the loss of lubrication or something.
Anyways, I bought the 32 ounce bottle for $24.99 and it has lasted quite a while since I only give it to Conker, and I think it is well worth the price. I don't know what the shelf-life is once you open it, but it appears to still be working after having it for more than three months. My bottle is due to run out soon and if I don't test the effectiveness by putting off on buying another one for a bit, I'm going to grab another.
I am a weirdo and tasted this since I'm curious about what my dog's stuff tastes like and frankly I found it to be completely disgusting. Conker though, he loves it and will lick it up as quickly as possible. Due to the odd taste picky dogs may not take to it like Conker did but you can always mix it in with a broth or food. The instructions do say to give it with or after food to avoid digestive upset (Conker hasn't experienced this even when given it without food.)
All in all I find this supplement to be a great product and highly recommend it to anyone with dog who is arthritic, has joint problems, is very active (working/sports) or jog on hard surfaces. Even dogs with LP, like Conker, could benefit from this supplement.
Edit: It's been a couple weeks since I ran out of this and there has been a change in Conker, and not a good one. After he'd been on the supplement for a while his right knee would only go out about once a month, the left hardly ever. Now that he's been off it his right knee goes out more often. He is also less quick to start a game or run. So, my overall conclusion is that this thing definitely works, and I'll be getting Conker back on it or something similar as soon as possible.
I looked into many different supplements, some a combo of sorts, others with only one joint-health ingredient. In the end I decided upon K-9 Glucosamine, a liquid supplement made by a company who also makes stuff for people and horses.
There are three varieties of the dog supplement. I got the regular kind, but there is also a concentrated and vegetarian variety. I avoided the veggie kind since it uses corn as a source for the glucosamine. It comes in 8, 32 and 128 ounce bottles. There is also a formula for small dogs.
Active Ingredients per fluid ounce:
Glucosamine Hcl (shellfish): 1600mg
Chondroitin Sulfate (beef and/or porcine): 1200mg
MSM (Methyl-sulfonylmethane 99.9%) : 1000mg
Manganese Chelate: 7mg
Hyaluronic Acid (as Sodium Hyaluronate): 10mg
Inactive Ingredients: 100% Pure Aloe Vera Juice, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Purified Water, Sodium Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin.
After opening this product needs to be refrigerated. The people in my household have gotten used to a plastic box sitting on the bottom shelf in the fridge that holds Conker's supplements and food just in case something spills. The bottle also says to shake well before giving to your dog since it can settle/seperate if it sits for long enough.
Directions on the bottle say the dosage is:
Under 10 lbs: 1 teaspoon (1/6th oz)
10-24lbs: 2 teaspoons (1/3rd oz)
25-49lbs: 3 teaspoons, 2 in AM 1 in PM
50-100lbs: 4 teaspoons, 2 in AM 2 in PM
Over 100lbs: 6 teaspoons (1/2 oz), 3 in AM 3 in PM
In order to get the supplement out you have to squeeze the bottle and it will squirt some liquid into a small container that's got 1/2 ounce and 1 ounce measuring lines on one side and 1, 3 and 6 teaspoon lines on the other. Conker gets 2 teaspoons which is about half a cap-full so I don't bother with measuring it out exact every day.
It might just be the increase in exercise (muscle building to help hold the patellas in place) since I found out Conker has LP, or the supplement really is helping in some way. Conker's patellas went from slipping once or more times a day to once a week then finally only about twice a month since I began giving him this. I haven't yet tried to see if it really is helping by not giving it to him. Mainly because I don't want the patellas to slip and have the joint get damaged by the loss of lubrication or something.
Anyways, I bought the 32 ounce bottle for $24.99 and it has lasted quite a while since I only give it to Conker, and I think it is well worth the price. I don't know what the shelf-life is once you open it, but it appears to still be working after having it for more than three months. My bottle is due to run out soon and if I don't test the effectiveness by putting off on buying another one for a bit, I'm going to grab another.
I am a weirdo and tasted this since I'm curious about what my dog's stuff tastes like and frankly I found it to be completely disgusting. Conker though, he loves it and will lick it up as quickly as possible. Due to the odd taste picky dogs may not take to it like Conker did but you can always mix it in with a broth or food. The instructions do say to give it with or after food to avoid digestive upset (Conker hasn't experienced this even when given it without food.)
All in all I find this supplement to be a great product and highly recommend it to anyone with dog who is arthritic, has joint problems, is very active (working/sports) or jog on hard surfaces. Even dogs with LP, like Conker, could benefit from this supplement.
Edit: It's been a couple weeks since I ran out of this and there has been a change in Conker, and not a good one. After he'd been on the supplement for a while his right knee would only go out about once a month, the left hardly ever. Now that he's been off it his right knee goes out more often. He is also less quick to start a game or run. So, my overall conclusion is that this thing definitely works, and I'll be getting Conker back on it or something similar as soon as possible.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
CGC Training: Week 1
My local Kennel Club is holding Canine Good Citizen training at the Riverside Park each Wednesday for four weeks. It's free and open to anyone, so I decided to take Sasha down there and give the training a shot. The test can be taken at a dog even the weekend after the training is done.
I want Conker to get his CGC more than Sasha, but he still has stranger issues while on-leash and I'd like to know what needs to be done in to get the CGC, so I figured I'd take Sasha since she's the most mellow of my three.
There was a good assortment of dogs there, most of them common breeds. Labs, Golden Retrievers, a German Shepherd and a couple mixes, Rottweilers, Dobermans, too many to count Poodle-oodles, some Doxens... And a couple lesser seen breeds, like the Ridgeback I'd met before, a pair of gorgeous Afghans, a long-haired Corgi, a Newfoundland... It was neat seeing all those dogs there in one place.
The class is taught my some really nice older people, the group I was in anyways. They used a combination of negative and positive reinforcement. Meaning, if you dog isn't heeling, give a "pop" so they do, but praise and treat if they listen. If they don't sit, pull up on the collar or lure into a sit with a treat and praise well afterward. I don't have a problem with this kind of training, it's actually almost the same as what I already do with Sasha.
They do want you to use a prong or choke chain until your dog is good, but they let me use Sasha's chain martingale without a problem.
We basically learned what to expect from a CGC test, what they will do with the dogs then learned how to get the dogs to heel, sit and stay. I guess we'll be learning longer stays, long come and laying down next week.
Sasha did great with everything but when I had to tell her to sit. See, whenever I'd get her to move so she would stand she's sit before I even told her to, so I was walking around trying to say "sit!" before she did. The teacher lady laughed and said Sasha was fine, and it was good that she kept sitting automatically this soon in the class.
Anywho, that's all for now. I'm going to work on Sasha's stay and get her to learn "down" before next week so I'm ready for it. Next update on the CGC training will be Wednesday the 31st.
I want Conker to get his CGC more than Sasha, but he still has stranger issues while on-leash and I'd like to know what needs to be done in to get the CGC, so I figured I'd take Sasha since she's the most mellow of my three.
There was a good assortment of dogs there, most of them common breeds. Labs, Golden Retrievers, a German Shepherd and a couple mixes, Rottweilers, Dobermans, too many to count Poodle-oodles, some Doxens... And a couple lesser seen breeds, like the Ridgeback I'd met before, a pair of gorgeous Afghans, a long-haired Corgi, a Newfoundland... It was neat seeing all those dogs there in one place.
The class is taught my some really nice older people, the group I was in anyways. They used a combination of negative and positive reinforcement. Meaning, if you dog isn't heeling, give a "pop" so they do, but praise and treat if they listen. If they don't sit, pull up on the collar or lure into a sit with a treat and praise well afterward. I don't have a problem with this kind of training, it's actually almost the same as what I already do with Sasha.
They do want you to use a prong or choke chain until your dog is good, but they let me use Sasha's chain martingale without a problem.
We basically learned what to expect from a CGC test, what they will do with the dogs then learned how to get the dogs to heel, sit and stay. I guess we'll be learning longer stays, long come and laying down next week.
Sasha did great with everything but when I had to tell her to sit. See, whenever I'd get her to move so she would stand she's sit before I even told her to, so I was walking around trying to say "sit!" before she did. The teacher lady laughed and said Sasha was fine, and it was good that she kept sitting automatically this soon in the class.
Anywho, that's all for now. I'm going to work on Sasha's stay and get her to learn "down" before next week so I'm ready for it. Next update on the CGC training will be Wednesday the 31st.
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