BRDispatch05..
First, the good news: it's fantastic to see an Aussie with a tail - they are usually docked to prevent damage from cattle treading on them. It's lovely to see Kora as she is meant to look.
Now the bad news: I won't tell you when I'll be making a dognapping in your area...
Now, the serious bad news: these are the ingredients in the dog food you're feeding:
Ingredients
Whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), corn gluten meal, meat and bone meal, brewers rice, soybean meal, barley, whole grain wheat, animal digest, calcium carbonate, salt, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6), DL-Methionine, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, copper proteinate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.
Let's have a look at these colourings first.
Red 40:Otherwise known as Allura Red or E129. Allura Red AC may cause an adverse reaction in the small number of people with an aspirin intolerance or allergy, manifesting itself as a skin rash (urticaria) and/or nausea.
In some people, even those with no other known allergies, Allura Red AC can cause severe urticaria, difficulty breathing, and even anaphylaxis (shock).
In Europe, Allura Red AC is not recommended for consumption by children. It is banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and Austria. The European Union approves Allura Red AC as a food colorant, but EU countries' local laws banning food colorants are preserved. In Norway it was banned between 1978 and 2001, a period in which azo dyes were only legally used in alcoholic beverages and some fish products
Yellow 2:Otherwise known as Tartrazine - E102. A trial on 76 children diagnosed as hyperactive, showed that tartrazine provoked abnormal behaviour patterns in 79% of them.
Blue 2:Otherwise known as E132 - Can cause skin sensitivity, a rash similar to nettle rash, itching, nausea, high blood pressure and breathing problems. One of the colours that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
Prohibited in Norway.
Yellow 6Otherwise known as E110 - Sunset Yellow (E110) has been found to damage kidneys and adrenals when fed to laboratory rats. It has also been found to be carcinogenic when fed to animals.
On 6 September 2007, the British Food Standards Agency revised advice on certain artificial food additives.
Professor Jim Stevenson from Southampton University, and author of the report, said: "This has been a major study investigating an important area of research. The results suggest that consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colours and sodium benzoate preservative are associated with increases in hyperactive behaviour in children.
I think you see where I'm going with this....?
And that's just FOUR of the FORTY ONE ingredients listed on the pack.
So the first thing is to get hold of a good quality
natural food with no nonsense in it. I definitely wouldn't feed that food to any dog with those colourings in it. Purina is owned by Nestle over here.. I assume it's the same in the States?
Ashy9, not heard of 'popping the follicles' before. To be honest, I'd see another vet at another surgery for advice. Alternatively, you can ring the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and ask them for advice - they will tell you whether it sounds right or not. I've called them before and they are very helpful.
Another beautiful dog joins this thread!