I have not fed Scottie that brand before...but then I did notice that his breath was really bad when he was on kibble. After I switched him to raw, his breath was never as smelly as his kibble time. Have you thought of feeding Rose a raw diet? If you're planning to stick with kibble, perhaps you could give Rose some chewies to let her do some workout for her teeth. Kibble is not exactly a good teeth cleaner, if I may say so.

If Rose's breath is very bad, you might want to check her mouth to see if there are any rotten teeth? Too much buildup on the teeth can cause rotten teeth --> gum problems, bad breath and more complications. If so, a trip to the vet might be needed.

Another thing that my vet recommended was to brush their teeth...which I tried with Scottie when he was on kibble. The toothpaste was not cheap though...about RM30 plus per tube. It's not like our human toothpaste though...it's edible, and we don't have to rinse off like the human toothpaste. I used to brush Scottie's teeth twice a week (when I give him a bath), but the vet recommended to brush everyday like us humans. After switching to raw, I didn't need to brush Scottie's teeth now...

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Added on March 18, 2009, 3:09 pm
I did register for Scottie last year...haven't done it for this year though. Probably should, but I'm not so free these days...

What I did was go to the DBKL branch nearest to my place, and ask for a form to fill in. You will have to fill in your particulars, and your dog's as well...then if I remember correctly, you would need to provide a photocopy of your IC and also your water / electricity bill for your address thingy. Charge was RM10 per dog...not sure if it's raised or not.

I don't like the licence that DBKL gives out though...so ugly! >.<" The ones in Penang were so nice (a friend of mine showed me once...it was bone-shaped one! So cute!), or even like the ones in MPSJ, where it's smaller and round...not square and huge like the ones we get. Didn't really get any use from it though...I have never had a problem with officers coming up to me and asking for Scottie's licence, even though I take him training every Sunday to Ampang, and sometimes I bring him out as well.



This post has been edited by Rayne: Mar 18 2009, 03:10 PM

Dunno...last time I filled in the form, they wrote in the form need IC or something like that.
Only 1 per house eh? Weird...I thought we were allowed the maximum of 2 dogs per house? Probably changed their 'rules' again...

Raw food and canned food are two different things... Canned food can't be 'raw' fully, since they would need to process the food and add in preservatives to get it to keep longer in the can. I feed actual raw meat (chicken, beef, lamb, pork, etc) I think you would be more familiar with the term BARF? I feed a similar model of that diet...they have a BARF thread here too: http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/856663
You can read about it and the benefits there...if you are interested in the Prey Model (which I'm currently feeding Scottie), you can go to the last few pages of that thread to read on how to start

Comparison to kibble...hmm. Well, to me it wasn't that much of a difference actually. To elaborate, when I was feeding Scottie kibble, I spend about RM70 plus per month for the Schnauzer Royal Canin food. That was the last brand of kibble I put Scottie on. Previously, he was on Acana Salmon & Potato, NutriEdge Chicken, and another lamb and rice brand which I forgot. Those prices range from RM40 plus to RM50 plus per pack which lasts about one month as well.

Now that I'm feeding Scottie raw, I spend about RM50 (give or take RM10 or so) every month for Scottie...sometimes if there are good bargains or sales, RM50 can get me more than a month's worth of meat (it can go up to almost 7 weeks' worth of food). Granted, if I can't find any cheaper meat, the cost could go up to also RM70, but still, I've expected that.

This post has been edited by Rayne: Mar 18 2009, 05:17 PM

Eep...maybe they changed the ruling again. So hard to keep track of their things la. For a while, it was something else, then suddenly out of nowhere change again wan But I don't think it's such a big deal actually with the licence thing...we're just doing it just in case I have a lot of friends who have multiple dogs at home who don't apply for licences for many years and they've not gotten into any trouble at all

Actually, according to the law, we would need to apply licence for our dogs, regardless of where we live...but like I said, not really a big deal coz as long as we don't let our dogs simply roam around the roads and all, it doesn't matter if we have licence or not

Hi inotqiqi Well, the Min. Schnauzer has many different 'prices'....LOL! Depends on where you look I guess. If you buy from pet stores, they could easily go for more than RM1500, especially if they have MKA certs. If you get them from breeders, it could be cheaper, but also depends on the quality of the pup, as I'm guessing some breeders have a better gauge on which pup(s) are of show quality or pet quality. There are also pups for sale without the MKA certs, and they could go for less than RM1000 if you know where to look

Would the medicated shampoo be called 'Malaseb' or something like that? If so, I remember my vet telling me not to use it so frequently...after the problem has gone away, we should switch back to a normal shampoo. Scottie had skin problems too when he was small (he had more of the ears having redness and spots in the ears like pimples), but usually the vet would recommend creams for him. The medicated shampoo was for Kenji when he had problems with the fur...it was a fungal infection, so the vet asked us to bathe Scottie with it too sometimes in case he would get it from Kenji. After the problem was gone, we switched back to a normal shampoo, and now they're okay.

There was one time also when Scottie had a rash like pimples on the neck...some look like got pus inside some more. >.<" That one was an allergic reaction to the de-worming medicine that my vet gave one time. I use a cream that I bought previously from my vet...no brand, but my vet calls it a 'N-cream'. It went away after 1 - 2 weeks.

Perhaps it's best you check with your vet first about the rash, limgp1976...there could be a lot of factors that can cause it. Maybe allergy to something, or bacterial infections, that sort of thing.

No, the Malaseb shampoo is not for killing fleas/ticks...it's mostly for bacterial / fungal infections on the fur or body

Drontal Plus is a de-worming pill...

MKA stands for Malaysian Kennel Association...they are the official national registrar of purebred dogs in Malaysia. You can go to their website here to read more about them: http://mka.com.my/

An MKA certificate would actually trace the lineage of the puppy, meaning you would be able to see who are the pup's parents, grandparents, so on and so forth. Something like a birth certificate, if you may. To get this, the family tree would all need to be registered under MKA or other countries' recognized Kennel Associations. The certificate would only be important if you intend to send your pup for a confirmation show (kind of like a beauty pageant for dogs). If you are looking for a pup just as a pet, a certificate would not be that important.

Usually, pet shops would sell pups with certs with a higher price, claiming it has better qualities or something along the lines....not exactly true. A pet quality dog would also have a certificate if the breeder registers it with MKA. A purebreed dog without any certs just can't compete in confirmation shows...even if they have show qualities.

Hope that helps a little...

This post has been edited by Rayne: Mar 20 2009, 04:57 PM

Elmo is adorable! I think he's a bit too young to be released for sale though...usually puppies are released after 8 weeks old. Did you purchase Elmo from a breeder? Just curious

I don't really know any benefits from ear cropping since I didn't crop Scottie's ears, but I have to say it is not so advisable if we're not 100% sure on how to take care of the pup after the surgery. Things like infection, keeping the ears upright and possibility of the ears coming down again after surgery are just some of the things to look into. I personally feel that it's quite cruel to do so to a pup, but I guess to each his/her own right?

Taken from http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0+1770&aid=1104

A rumor has been going around that high protein diets cause kidney disease. This rumor is false. High protein pet foods are NOT harmful to a normal animal's kidneys. As an animal's body digests and metabolizes protein, nitrogen is released as a by-product. The excess nitrogen is excreted by the kidneys. A high protein diet produces more nitrogen by-products and the kidneys simply excrete the nitrogen in the urine. While you may think this would 'overwork' the kidneys and lead to possible kidney damage, this is not true. The kidney's filtering capabilities are so great that even one kidney is sufficient to sustain a normal life. There are many pets - and humans - living perfectly healthy lives with just one kidney.

The myth that high protein diets are harmful to kidneys probably started because, in the past, patients with kidney disease were commonly placed on low protein (and thus low nitrogen) diets. Now, we often put them on a diet that is not necessarily very low in protein, but contains protein that is more digestible so there are fewer nitrogen by-products. These diet changes are made merely because damaged kidneys may not be able to handle the excess nitrogen efficiently. In pets with existing kidney problems, nitrogen can become too high in the bloodstream, which can harm other tissues.

Unless your veterinarian has told you your pet has a kidney problem and it is severe enough to adjust the protein intake, you can feed your pet a high protein diet without worrying about 'damaging' or 'stressing' your pet's kidneys. Also, you are not 'saving' your pet's kidneys by feeding a low protein diet.

Oic...I'm surprised that there are breeders who release their pups so young!

Puppies that are quite young needs a lot of attention, so monitor him closely for his weight and all that so he's growing up good (which I am sure that's what you're doing, coz he seems fine from the photos! )

Hehe..no advice la. Just my opinion. I DID think about cropping Scottie's ears when I first got him, but thinking about it again and again, I decided not to...

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Added on March 24, 2009, 1:15 pmNo problem... Just did a bit of digging in my group for some info..what I got the gist of from the reading was that it's the QUALITY of the protein that we should consider instead of the quantity. Meaning like, for our dogs since they are carnivores, meat proteins are the ideal form of protein for their consumption. Plant proteins like soy / corn / grains are towards the low quality proteins. Which is why we should check the labels in the food to ensure that the main ingredients used are more towards the high quality proteins. Hope that helps!

This post has been edited by Rayne: Mar 24 2009, 01:15 PM

Well, it's more like the 'look' of the Schnauzer....technically, in confirmation shows,we're not supposed to shave the fur on the back. Instead, we're supposed to hand-strip the fur (a very tedious, might be painful for the dog, and cannot be done in one day procedure). Since we are mostly NOT showing our dogs, we would send to the groomers for clipping (shave with electric shaver). It gives somewhat the same look as hand stripping, but it's not accepted in the show rings as hand stripped coats will be harsher and wiry compared to clipped coats which are softer in comparison.

To compare, this photo is what a hand stripped coat will look like:


And this is what a clipped coat will look like (I use Scottie as an example):



No, they won't get cold at all...in fact, I think Scottie enjoys it more after he's groomed...he hates the heat.

Well, I've read that it's not really that painful if the dog is used to it...apparently it's just like us getting our hair cut by the stylists using the tool where they give the hair volume? (don't know what's the proper term for that tool though) It's almost exclusively used for show dogs though, and I've read that it's the proper way to groom the Schnauzer coz they have double coats. Stripping would give the coats better definition and the colors will be maintained compared to clipping which would make the colors lighter.

But I have NO idea on how to do it myself...heck, even clipping I have problems doing it! (I let my Mom do it for me! hehe!) I did inquire with the groomers that I sent Scottie too, and they said it's VERY expensive compared to a normal clipping, because it takes a lot of time and we need to span out the grooming in stages that sort of thing...they charge about RM200 per session for stripping (last I checked!) compared to a RM80 per session of clipping. Naturally, you know where I lean towards...

Hehe...thanks! Yeah, I love the way the groomers do Scottie's fur...he always comes back looking so adorable after his grooming sessions!

Yeah, it's really expensive, unless we do it ourselves, but we would also need to know HOW to do it first...not many people would know this unless they go for shows. I keep reading about asking the breeders to teach you how to hand strip, but how many breeders in Malaysia send their Min. Schnauzers for show? Sadly, not many...I've been to one or two confirmation shows here. VERY few Min. Schnauzers compete, and yes...their coats are all hand stripped.

It's okay to ask, no worries... Not many people know about the hand stripping too, I guess...I've only known about this after I got Scottie and started reading about the breed standards and all that. Good to ask if we're not sure of anything...

This post has been edited by Rayne: Mar 24 2009, 05:10 PM

Well, I am currently training Scottie with Puppy.com at Ampang. You can click on the link there to see the FAQs and the exact location on where they hold classes there...

Besides training there, there are also other centers which you can go to for training if you're in the PJ area. As far as I know, MKA holds their training classes at Central Park, 1 Utama. Pet-n-You also have training classes, but I'm not too sure where they have classes...possibly at PJ / Damansara area too. Another one would be at the Ikano Pet Safari, where they have classes indoors. All these classes allow us to socialize our dogs as well because it's in a group, and we train with 'distractions' (meaning we have other things going on besides just classes). Alternatively, you can get a personal trainer, but that would be very costly compared to these group classes.

If you just want to socialize your dogs, Central Park is always open...it's pet-friendly and lots of people bring their pets there for walks and stuff, but of course we would need to be responsible owners as well and bring poo bags to clean up after them.

Well, socializing wouldn't be a problem. There's always doggie gatherings being organized every now and then... Also, there's bound to be doggie events being organized a few times each year...I know Puppy.com does events quite a bit every year. You can bring your pup there as well...

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Added on March 24, 2009, 5:30 pmLOL! Yeah...that one was because of the leaves and twigs stuck to his fur. He is very fussy about that and doesn't want to walk. Because it was a competition, I can't just stop, so I had to literally 'drag' him along a bit until he walks properly. *sigh*

This post has been edited by Rayne: Mar 24 2009, 05:30 PM

Here's the date for the next gathering! 5h1rl3y, you might also consider bringing your pup together for socialization...

Yeah, I guess so...but I have not seen it done first hand myself, and the procedure that I see online LOOKS a bit painful or at least uncomfortable to the dog. I think if Scottie had to go through it, he will complain coz his pain threshold is not high. haha!

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Added on March 25, 2009, 6:37 pmThanks for the info...but sadly, I am Chinese illiterate. I have seen quite a few sites on hand stripping and how they actually do it, but I am quite hesitant on doing it myself. haha! I'm no good with fur-cuts and all those, so I think it's best to leave it to the professionals. Also, since I'm not showing Scottie, I probably wouldn't want to put him through it....plus, I like his fur a bit soft. heh!

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Added on March 25, 2009, 6:50 pmNot sure if it's every month, but yeah, there will be future gatherings for sure... Try and join la if you free.


Do you know how to get to 1 Utama? If you can get to 1 Utama, you're set. It's just next to the new wing's parking. It's a big field and you can see lots of people walking there with their pets during the mornings...

This post has been edited by Rayne: Mar 25 2009, 06:50 PM