Quote: rick miller

 Quote: sarah morris

Then my Lab must be a fashion model in disguise...he always seems to be teetering on the edge of an eating disorder

Poor guy...what's that, Bella?

Bella says, "I'll have his! "

Shannon, I know the kibble companies spray the kibble with animal fats to make the stuff taste really good to dogs, perhaps there is something in the canned food that is similar. So, it may just take a few missed meals before the raw meat sounds good to your dog, but once the dog figures it out, wow, do they love it!

Also, you should consider salmon oil. This adds a funk to the food that may be irresistable to your dog. I use the capsules, so I am not sure if the smell actually wafts out into the room from the salmon oil, but with the tripe it is a sure thing. In the words of James Brown:

Too Funky
Give me some air
Too Funky
Give me some air--open up the window man!

Too Funky, Too Funky
Funky in here
Say it again
Funkity-Funk!!

Sorry, I just get that song in my head when I think of tripe...

Just be sure that when you add the salmon oil, you give a dose of Vitamin E along with it. (The dog uses it's Vit E proccessing the Salmon oil. This will make the dog's coat luxurious. I was very impressed with the Salmon oil...

I have a dog who absolutely refused to touch any raw stuff. He was determined to starve himself to death (not very bright). Out of desperation I finally force fed him some ground turkey, it only took one time, and now he eats his raw meat and bones with gusto.
When I have a dog that I'm transitioning to raw I fast them for a day before I offer the raw. They usually dive right in and eat it.
Shannon, as big as your dog is he can play around with the idea of eating the raw without doing any damage to himself.

 Quote: Debbie Bruce

...some ground turkey, it only took one time, and now he eats his raw meat and bones with gusto.

Good suggestion.

I'm usually switching an adult (or senior) adoptee who has never had real food.

I ALWAYS start with ground poultry, which is available at any meat counter.

Once the ground poultry gets the idea across to a suspicious dog, the texture issues with the actual pieces of poultry disappear.

 Quote: rick miller

 Quote: sarah morris

Then my Lab must be a fashion model in disguise...he always seems to be teetering on the edge of an eating disorder

Poor guy...what's that, Bella?

Bella says, "I'll have his! "

Shannon, I know the kibble companies spray the kibble with animal fats to make the stuff taste really good to dogs, perhaps there is something in the canned food that is similar. So, it may just take a few missed meals before the raw meat sounds good to your dog, but once the dog figures it out, wow, do they love it!

Also, you should consider salmon oil. This adds a funk to the food that may be irresistable to your dog. I use the capsules, so I am not sure if the smell actually wafts out into the room from the salmon oil, but with the tripe it is a sure thing. In the words of James Brown:

Just be sure that when you add the salmon oil, you give a dose of Vitamin E along with it. (The dog uses it's Vit E proccessing the Salmon oil. This will make the dog's coat luxurious. I was very impressed with the Salmon oil...

TELL BELLA SHE JUST MAY BE OUT OF LUCK ~~~~

Hi Everyone & sorry for not responding to your post. My son was in the emergency room on Wednesday - He ended up having Pneumonia. And then my poor little Hershey ended up in the emergency room yesterday.

I want to thank everyone for responding and tell you that I loved you ideas. When I left on Wednesday, I had fed Hershey turkey necks on Tuesday night, he picked at them and then turned his nose and walked away. I covered his bowl up and put in the frig. By the time, I got home on Wednesday from the hospital with my son, it had been almost 24 hours since Hershey was last fed. He ate all his turkey necks and was looking around for some more.....
Yesterday , I went back to the chopped chicken quarters and he dug right in NO PROBLEMS....

Ok now to the new issue, Hershey developed a bit of an eye infection this week. I took him to the vet to get him checked out and they told me that he was due for some vaccinations.
This is what they gave him :
Corona Virus Vacc
Distemper Parvo HA
Leptospirosis 4-way Vacc
Giardia
Lyme Disease Vacc
Canine Bordetella Vacc

I left the vet with heart worm meds & medicine for pink eye.
I made a few stops and went home. When I walked in the door Hershey ran to his water bowl and started drinking like crazy. He jumped up on the couch and jumped down. I went upstairs to lay down and he wouldn't come with me ( which is VERY unusual ) so I took him by the collar and led him up. He was just scratching like crazy..
I called him over to pet him & calm him down and when I pet his back he had bumps all over his body. I called the vet and told them I was on my way. On the way to the vet his whole mouth swole up and he was breathing very fast. They took him back and gave him a shot of diphenhydramine (benedryl) and a shot of dexamethasone ( I believe this is like an EPIPEN for people)...

Hershey has had all these vaccinations before and has never reacted. I think they game him too many at once. He had his last physical a year ago and was at the vet for a limp last April 2007. I don't understand why he was so backed up on shots.. Anyway they kept him for a 4 hours and he was fine after that.

What a scare that was....

I purchased the Vitamin E Capsules. I could not find salmon oil but I did purchase fish oil with omega 3 & 6. The digestive enzymes, are these human form pill ? And since I can not find chicken necks/backs, I think that I read I need to buy and additional calcium supplement.

By the way - The vet asked about his diet, I told him that I had just switched to RAW. He said that his only concern would be balance.

 Quote: Shannon Ebron

Ok now to the new issue, Hershey developed a bit of an eye infection this week. I took him to the vet to get him checked out and they told me that he was due for some vaccinations.
This is what they gave him :
Corona Virus Vacc
Distemper Parvo HA
Leptospirosis 4-way Vacc
Giardia
Lyme Disease Vacc
Canine Bordetella Vacc

I left the vet with heart worm meds & medicine for pink eye.
I made a few stops and went home. When I walked in the door Hershey ran to his water bowl and started drinking like crazy. He jumped up on the couch and jumped down. I went upstairs to lay down and he wouldn't come with me ( which is VERY unusual ) so I took him by the collar and led him up. He was just scratching like crazy..
I called him over to pet him & calm him down and when I pet his back he had bumps all over his body. I called the vet and told them I was on my way. On the way to the vet his whole mouth swole up and he was breathing very fast. They took him back and gave him a shot of diphenhydramine (benedryl) and a shot of dexamethasone ( I believe this is like an EPIPEN for people)...

Hershey has had all these vaccinations before and has never reacted. I think they game him too many at once. He had his last physical a year ago and was at the vet for a limp last April 2007. I don't understand why he was so backed up on shots.. Anyway they kept him for a 4 hours and he was fine after that.

What a scare that was....

Glad to hear that the raw feeding is going well...

Shannon, others will be chiming in soon, but the simple answer to your question 'why so many shots at once?' is $$$. This is how vets make a large percentage of their money...

Many people on this site do not vaccinate because there is evidence that vaccinations may be harmful to your dog.

Also, other than the distemper, none of those vaccines have much benefit in preventing illness. And your dog probably has immunity to distemper from his first distemper shot that he got.

Read this article and you can google 'vaccinosis' for more info to decide whether to vaccinate again or not. If it were me, especially since your pup has had a severe allergic reaction, I would not vaccinate again.

http://leerburg.com/vaccinosis.htm

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

 Quote: Shannon Ebron

Ok now to the new issue, Hershey developed a bit of an eye infection this week. I took him to the vet to get him checked out and they told me that he was due for some vaccinations.
This is what they gave him :
Corona Virus Vacc
Distemper Parvo HA
Leptospirosis 4-way Vacc
Giardia
Lyme Disease Vacc
Canine Bordetella Vacc

I left the vet with heart worm meds & medicine for pink eye.
I made a few stops and went home. When I walked in the door Hershey ran to his water bowl and started drinking like crazy. He jumped up on the couch and jumped down. I went upstairs to lay down and he wouldn't come with me ( which is VERY unusual ) so I took him by the collar and led him up. He was just scratching like crazy..
I called him over to pet him & calm him down and when I pet his back he had bumps all over his body. I called the vet and told them I was on my way. On the way to the vet his whole mouth swole up and he was breathing very fast. They took him back and gave him a shot of diphenhydramine (benedryl) and a shot of dexamethasone ( I believe this is like an EPIPEN for people)...

Hershey has had all these vaccinations before and has never reacted. I think they game him too many at once. He had his last physical a year ago and was at the vet for a limp last April 2007. I don't understand why he was so backed up on shots.. Anyway they kept him for a 4 hours and he was fine after that.

What a scare that was....

Glad to hear that the raw feeding is going well...

Shannon, others will be chiming in soon, but the simple answer to your question 'why so many shots at once?' is $$$. This is how vets make a large percentage of their money...

Many people on this site do not vaccinate because there is evidence that vaccinations may be harmful to your dog.

Also, other than the distemper, none of those vaccines have much benefit in preventing illness. And your dog probably has immunity to distemper from his first distemper shot that he got.

http://leerburg.com/vaccinosis.htm

I'm going to look into this. I talked to the vet last night and he said from now on he will have to get a shot of benedryl before being vaccinated.
My mom said that same thing. Hershey is 98% an inside dog and doesn't need all of those vaccinations. I didn't even think to question he vet b/c HE'S THE VET ~ Obviously I was wrong on that assumption...
I just can't tell you how swollen my poor baby was -
OH and his fever went up to 104

 Quote: Shannon Ebron

I'm going to look into this. I talked to the vet last night and he said form now on he will have to get a shot of benedryl before being vaccinated.
My mom said that same thing. Hershey is 98% an inside dog and doesn't need all of those vaccinations. I didn't even think to question he vet b/c HE'S THE VET ~ Obviously I was wrong on that assumption...
I just can't tell you how swollen my poor baby was -
OH and his fever went up to 104

Shannon, you need to get a new vet! About the benadryl, that is one of the dumbest a$$ things I've ever heard. There is no guarantee that a shot of benadryl beforehand would eliminate the allergic reaction. Why take another chance?

If you can find a 'holistic' vet in your area, they will be much more receptive to a minimal or no vaccine schedule for your dog.

Hope your pup is feeling better...you saved his life by getting him back to the vet so quickly.

Thanks Lynn, I will check into it. My Hershey is my baby and I would just be devistated if something would have happened to him.

AND they vaccinated him when he had an infection?!

Even if you did choose to vaccinate (all those non-core vaccines), sick dogs are not supposed to be vaccinated.

It's incredible how many times we see posts here about a dog who goes to the vet because s/he's sick, and gets vaccinated.

Even the vaccine inserts say not to use them on a sick dog.

JMO: I would be looking for a new vet, and I'd be telling the old one why.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

AND they vaccinated him when he had an infection?!

Even if you did choose to vaccinate (all those non-core vaccines), sick dogs are not supposed to be vaccinated.

It's incredible how many times we see posts here about a dog who goes to the vet because s/he's sick, and gets vaccinated.

Even the vaccine inserts say not to use them on a sick dog.

JMO: I would be looking for a new vet, and I'd be telling the old one why.

You know Connie, I don't know WHY in the WORLD I didn't think about that. I feel kind of stupid now for not thinking of it. When your child is sick, they don;t get their - You have to wait until they are better. Why would a dog be any different. Their immunities are down >>>
Hershey has been given ALL these vaccinations in the past and never had a problems. That really could have been the reason he had a terrible reaction.... Between the infection and the ALL the vaccinations - it was too much...

The vet that I go to is a chain; I think that I am going to write a letter to corporate in addition to calling. The vet that we saw wasn't his regular vet. I didn't want to wait b/c of the eye infection. That still is not an excuse.