Rosebud

UC Davis, Colorado, A&M, Oregen and Washington all have feeding kitchens that field calls from vets and owners. That is what they are set up to do. I am not as familiar with the schools on the East coast. I should have been more clear not to call the general number but hunt down the feeding kitchen.

While I agree with frequent brushing and proper nutrition, why would you take advice from a random website on your pets nutritional needs? Websites like this one give people enough info to get them into trouble and not enough info to get out of it. You really want good nutrition advice? Contact a vet school. Not some unknown, unnamed website where they don't even say who they are and what their qualifications are to be giving advice on canine and feline nutrition. To the original poster, as others have said, the Furminator is great for longer hair. I have a boxer and that little short hair gets everywhere! If your pup has a short coat, I suggest getting a curry comb from a tack store.

FYI: Unless you pay the extra fee per month ASPCA will not cover a condition when you renew. It is now considered a preexisting condition. My Pup has been insured since day one and I wouldn't go a day without it unless I had a substantial amount of money that I could go without. Yes it is a cost, but it provides piece of mind that I can provide her the best medical treatment available (Including genetic and hereditary problems such as hip dysplasia or a PTLO)

So he ran a business and logged his jumps. That is what sets him up on a pedestal of the 'Greatest Contributor to Skydiving?' What has he done for skydiving as an industry and not for personal gain or record keeping?

While I am out here in CA, I have a client that runs NorCal Bulldog Rescue. Every time I am in there they are trying to give me one! I wont try and talk you out of getting a Bully! It sounds as though you are fully aware of what comes along with one as far as health. I can give you all of their contact info and who would be the best people to contact if you want. Like I said, they are out here but I would vouch for them 200%. Besides, it is run out of a veterinary practice...

The AWA and licensing only applies to commercial kennels that are selling wholesale dogs. While some counties may have a requirement for keeping 3 bitches in one house, it is so low on the problem list they could careless. The poor dog had parvo but any unvaccinated (or vaccinated dog!) can contract parvo. It is extremely resistant and frequently mutates. Your dog could come in contact with it at a dog park, a fire hydrant, of the tree that s/he pees on every morning. Turning them into the AKC would be like complaining to the school that your kid got swine flu. Unfortunate? yes. Preventable? Well, we can do our best but nothing is 100%

"if you don't turn them in to the local athorities you are screwing other buyers, ALL their dogs are infected...and will be in the future, ,YOU have to take a stand! DON'T LET THIS SLIDE! " ________ Who do you expect him to report it to? AKC? Animal Control? ASPCA? Humane Society? There is no regulatory body to turn them into.

Eventually most breeders (the other 90%, per Rosebud) will stop breeding if they are no longer making money. _______ I think backyard breeding will always exist. There are the people that will stop because of money but you will never eliminate the people that want to breed their dog because "it is their nature", they want their kids to experience the puppies birth, they want offspring of their dog because they like him/her. These people drive me loopy and up the flipping wall!!!!! At this point, I am just ranting because they make me mad.

This term "reputable breeder" is used often in these threads. What defines a "reputable breeder" as opposed to the backyard breeder or any other and what percentage of breeders do_you_believe fall into the "reputable" category? _____________ I am very sad to say that I think less than 10% of breeders out there right now are what I would call reputable. My gut thinks it is closer to 5%. I work in the animal health industry and in a week I talk to about 10-15 breeders. I also work with the SPCA, humane societies, local shelters, breed specific rescue and county animal control. As for a definition, it really isn't that hard. These are people who are actively influencing their breed in the show ring or politicly. Rarely, will they make money on a litter. After Echo, OFA testing, Thyroid tests, PennHip Cert. ARVC tests these people are not going to make much, if anything. Sure, it is a tax write off but that is about it. I absolutely agree that there are too many unwanted pets out there. Some counties in CA are charging a yearly $500 license fee for an intact male. I am in full support of that!!! That being said, if you are looking for particular traits, attitudes, appearances in a pet and you want a purebred just purchase from a "Reputable" (and I don't take that term lightly) breeder. There are way to many points of difference between real breeders and the other ones. _________________ "Reputable" breeder or not, there is plenty of information out there supporting rescue/adoption as the best means to reduce pet overpopulation and the status quo of homeless & unwanted pets being euthanized and/or inhumanely killed. Edit: From those in favor of purchasing pets from a store or breeder: A. Is pet overpopulation a concern of yours? B. If so, what strategy do you support to reduce the status quo of homeless and unwanted pets being euthanized and/or inhumanely killed? It would be silly for me to take the time to debate rescue vs. purchase with A. Someone who is not concerned, nor likely to be or B. Someone who does not have a valid alternative strategy to support. ____________ A. Of course it is a concern! B. Some of the current guidelines for adopting out pets is insane. I will probably be under fire for saying this but there are times that I blame the institution. For example: One of my customers is a very large SPCA. They can comfortably house about 400 dogs at a time and have an awesome cattery. A few years ago, there was a (very unfortunate) paper mix up and a dog that was supposed to go home with a family that week was mistaken for a distemper dog and put down. They acknowledged their mistake and apologized profusely but after it is said and done you cant bring that dog back. The family went to the press, the press had a field day, total re org of the SPCA in less that 3 months and it was turned into a no-kill SPCA. Now, they aren't even allowed to transfer dogs to particular organizations. So where did this leave the SPCA in a housing market that was crashing like crazy? Within a year they were over 800% capacity with a decline in donations. The awesome catterys they had were absolutely over run with cats to the point that there were dead cats just sitting there. Im not sure if they were unnoticed or just didn't have time to deal with it. They were understaffed, underfunded, and over populated. 5 dogs in runs designed for 2. It turned my stomach. But they were also asking $300 for a dog! Another Story, a vet I know went to a Humane Society to volunteer his services. He found an English Bulldog with numerous health problems. The vet already worked with a local bulldog rescue and has 2 at home, one with similar issues. The HS told him the dog was unadoptable and put the dog down instead of letting the vet adopt her. I have plenty more stories but will spare you. I think we have more problems in the system that need to be addressed than people realize. It is a serious problem that I don't know how to fix. Any and all ideas are welcome.... I also am SO in favor of very high license fee for intact pets. My 2 Cents for what its worth.... P.S. My apologies to the OP for the thread hijack. Yea, Sorry!!! Cant wait to meet her at the DZ though!!!

Reputable breeders don't breed more than their demand. A good breeder will have a wait list for their puppies that has more people than an average litter. Moreover, they will also have a list of people waiting for older dogs that are returned for one reason or another. Also, While I agree the breeder has an ethical responsibility for the dog, her legal obligation is going to come down the the specifics of the contract.

There's an easy antidote to it though. Ethyl Glycol binds to Alcohol Dehydrogenase (the enzyme that works to break down alcohol) The ethyl glycol and alcohol will compete for spaces on the enzyme, so the antidote is to take up as many spaces with alcohol as you can. The elthyl glycol itself is not dangerous, its the metabolised byproducts that are toxic. So if you can stop the glycol being metabolised, it will pass through the system uneventfully. Also keep glycol up and away from the ground, it's a pretty colour and looks like cordial to little kids. Quickest way to know if there is glycol poisoning in a vet hospital is a cheap bottle of vodka. Shove that down them in a reasonable amount of time and hope for the best!

Only if you have a level 3 or 4 plan. I asked for a quote on my nine year old cat and got the following with the continuing care option checked. All options have a $100 deductible with 20% co-insurance. I had the "continuing care" option checked. The max per-incident benefit for Level 2 (accident and illness) was $1500, with a cost of $230/year. The max per-incident benefit for Level 3 is $3500, with a cost of $394/year. Level 4 is $5000 and $743. The last time I looked at pet insurance from VPI and another provider there were laundry lists of injuries/illnesses and what they'd pay for each one with the most expensive problems capped at $1500. I figured that with only one such problem every five years I'd be coming out ahead if I self-insured. I have a level 4 plan. I didn't go with VPI exactly for the reason you listed: the laundry list of illnesses and caps. What ASPCA does is they actually survey vets in your area and pay 80% of average. In my experience, this truly is 80% of average, because my vet is one of the more expensive (and also one of the best, which is why we go there...it's a veterinary trauma center), and they usually pay right around 80%. There's no laundry list, and everything my vet has recommended has been covered, and we've had a few emergencies over the past three years, both with the cat and the dog. My vet actually stopped advertising VPI because so many people were unhappy with it. I've been extremely pleased with ASPCA. They even covered lyme and rattlesnake vaccines for my dog when I took him up to Lost Prairie. VPI has stepped up their game since there are so many pet insurance companies out there now. ASPCA's way of doing business is sketchy to me. You could have a pet with them for years and if they are diagnosed with something long term (diabetes) they don't cover it in the renewal policy because it is a pre-existing condition. It is really only financially worth it to get your pets insured when they are younger but with insurance all you are doing is buying peace of mind.

You said it yourself. Dogs are Omnivores. They are not vegans or Vegataians. Omnivores are not made to eat and digest with exclusivity. Their is nothing wrong with commercial pet foods. It is possible for Bones and Raw Food(BARF diets) to be the core of a complete and balanced diet. However, there is much more room for home made diets to have nutritional deficiencies and imbalances. Allowing your dog to ONLY get a meat based protein from critters she catches opens you up to bones splintering in the throat, intestinal perforations and obstructions, E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, and parasites. Many of the contaminating microorganisms have zoonotic potential which can make them a public hazard. There is no concern that commercal pet foods create problems for dogs and cats. I can bring you some great studies on Dogs and cats being feed BARF and vegartarian diets from major Universities. I don't post but couldn't let this one slide by....

Ahem.... what about the general love and support from people at the dz? Phil, I am hurt... deep down... : ( OK, i'm not but did I make you feel guilty for a second?