Just a heads up:
Jerky treats recall: FDA seeks help in mystery deaths of 580 dogs and cats - CSMonitor.com
'Jerky treats recall: A recall in January has reduced reports of pet deaths, but the FDA is still trying to find out why 3,600 dogs and 10 cats have become ill from...'

We suspect that we just went through this with our 11 month old girl.

Manufacture of course claims that there is no possible way that their product could be tainted but my $1200.00 in vet bills says otherwise.

Nothing in her diet changed except the one chew bone we gave her that was chicken and sweet potato blend....

3 weeks of close monitoring, special food and care and she is out of the woods......

I simple don't buy ANYTHING from CHINA for my boys..
folks were making a stink at the local Pet-mart.

Deer and Elk antlers are good..

Rika

Neither do we but I simply made the mistake of not looking at the package well enough to see it.... my fault and I let Maddie know how sorry I was. The kicker is she never acted sick, just couldn't hold down food. Energy level never changed, we still hungry and drinking fine. It was very strange.

I hope those jerky treats kills my neighbors Pitbulls.

Antlers are super pricey but last for days/week.
The unflavored rawhide's usually last 1hr tops and have tripled in price.

(I'm definitely in the wrong business)

Not to sound like a commercial, but in bulk these become affordable:bully sticks store
Made from a bull's.....something
Not sure where they are located, or source their product.

I go to meat department at the local grocery. They sell cut up beef marrow bones by the pound. Boil them for ten minutes and hand to dog. Has to be healthier than packaged treats and cheaper too.

^ this, have been doing for years. Dogs love bones, just ask them.....

In the news: Dogs communicate different feelings with right or leftward tail wagging | Science | theguardian.com
"Dogs can tell how other dogs are feeling from the way their tails are wagging, according to researchers who monitored the animals' heart rate as they watched canine movies.

The Italian team found that dogs had higher heart rates and became more anxious when they saw others wag their tails more to the left, but not when they wagged more to the right, or failed to wag at all."

Taught the Boxers to drink from the fountain at the park. Apparently, some folks were not impressed :)

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Had to scan this one in.

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The Rott was the sweetest dog, Jake was his name. My brothers and I adopted him, actually we stole him from an abusive friend of ours. The friend didn't own the dog, but was "taking care of him" while a third party (the owner) left him behind for the summer. He was subjected to harsh environments, ie. locked in a hot garage, and beaten. When we first got him, he was a basket case. He didn't trust people, and it took time to even get him to come up to us. With a little love, he would, but would piss on the floor the whole way. Eventually that habit subsided and he was as normal as a dog could be. For a Rottweiler he was very docile. He went through some tough times though. After numerous trip to the vet, and cortisone shots to control his constant itching, we enlisted another vet. She didn't want to take him in because of her policy of not treating breeds notoriously associated with being aggressive. After some persuasion, the vet relented and arrived at the house. She spotted his ailment as as soon as she saw him, he was hypoallegenic. After a few tests, she told us to stay away from a diet with beef tallow. Problem solved. The vet changed her policy and loved to come see Jake, he was one of her favorites. Sadly he had to be put down in 2004, by the same vet. Had 10 good years with him, and was estimated to be 13-14 years old.

The lab, Haley couldn't have been but 3-4 month old in the picture. Another great dog. My brother and I picked her out of litter when she was about a week old, and then waited until she could eat on her own, that's about 5 weeks old. I pretty much raised her for the first 7 years of her life. Although not my dog financially, I named her and cared for her until my brother and I moved in separate ways. Three years later we would reunite, although not living together, I spent nearly every day around Haley. A few days ago, my brother calls, mentioned that she was not well, and that if I wanted, I might stop by to visit. As soon as I walked in the door, she started wagging her tail, something she hadn't done in a few days. She couldn't walk anymore, lost her appetite and was confined to a doggie bed. The same aforementioned vet came out the following day, gave her opinion, but said she might be wrong. The next day, I take her to another vet recommend by the first (one I have had miracles with in the past, but that's another story), it was cancer in her rear leg and had spread.

Yesterday, Thursday October 31, the vet came back to the house and put her down. She was 14, born September 5, 1999. I knew she was going to be put down and was literally sick to my stomach all day. I didn't go to see her pass. I couldn't do it.

Luckily, Haley will live on through my dog, her daughter.

Sorry for the long rant, I haven't had the chance to mourn, and am balling my eyes out as I type.

RIP Jake and Haley. I have missed and will miss you dearly.

real sorry ..
you did good not once ..
but often..
being there is the hard part..
and sadly I believe you not being able too..
will bother you for some time..

Rika

With Jake, I didn't know, Haley I knew but couldn't stop throwing up all day. I went by last night after the fact.

When Jake was put down, I came home from work to my brothers sitting in the garage shooting the bull. I asked how he was and they said he's chilling. As I was about to walk in the house, they told me he's literally chilling, as in the freezer. We buried him the next weekend in the back yard.

Haley was already in the dirt last night.

It bothers me regardless of being there or not. When we picked out Haley, we also picked another in the litter for my parents, Jezabel. The first month and a half, I stayed at home with them both as I was in between employment at the time. Fond memories playing with them, tripping over the St. Augustine grass, etc...

I spent 3 years quality years with Jezabel later on when I went back to school. We had great times, she was a damned fine squirrel hunter. Sadly, she passed just before Christmas last year. I balled my eyes out then too.

The one thing I am fortunate to have is my dog being in good health. She's almost 11, during her life she has had the opportunity to spend formative years growing up with Haley and Jake, and live with Jezabel. Through her, I can see all three. Gone, but never forgotten.

Sorry for your loss, Matt. Celebrate their lives and remember them for all they were - best friends.

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Priceless work of Aussie sheep dogs

TODAY - Video Index

DOG: How to Test a Dog's Intelligence

Think your dog is a genius? Or maybe Spot seems a little slow. You can test your dog to find out for sure if she's is a smarty paws or a dunce. Here is a simple quiz to help you determine your dog's intelligence (or lack of).

Tell your dog to sit and then place a treat on the floor about three feet away from him. Place a can, cup or bowl over the treat and start timing for the first part of this intelligence test. Encourage your dog to get the treat. Make a note of how long it takes your dog to get the treat from under the can.

Make your dog sit down again and this time, throw a towel over her head, covering her eyes. Start timing and note how long it takes for your dog to remove the towel from her head. Give your dog a treat when she gets out.

Set up the barricade and place your dog on one side and the treat on the other for this part of the test. The slit should be small enough that the dog can't reach through it or see the treat on the other side. Start your timer and encourage him to find the treat. Write down how long it takes for your dog to go around the barricade to get to the treat.

Grab your time sheet and find out if you have a K-9 genius. If your dog completed each test in under five seconds, give her another treat because she's a genius. Ten seconds and Fido is a smarty, 20 and she's about average, 30 seconds to 50 seconds means she's a little slow. More than 50 seconds means your dog is probably the slowest in the park.

Tips & Warnings

Be sure your dog is at least a year old, free from distractions, well-rested and calm before you begin the test.

Many factors determine dog intelligence, so don't be too upset or too elated after you see your canine intelligence test results. Maybe your dog didn't like those treats or is too smart to fall for the old, "towel-on-the-head" trick.

How to Test a Dog's Intelligence | eHow

Dave (the tortoise) and Smokey (the Schnauzer) :cool:

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