Stitch

Firstly, you need to be sure that the pup doesn't have a urinary infection which is causing this problem. It isn't that common but you still need to be aware that it could be a possibility. Secondly, you need to restrict his access to areas you don't want soiled. If they have unfettered access to all areas inside the house and you can't watch them all the time then they learn that it is OK to soil inside and they will continue to do so as you are sending mixed messages on where is OK to pee. Having said that, some puppies do tend to do this kind of spot peeing more than others. It is probably that they are just not fully developed in receiving messages from the bladder, etc. and 10 weeks is still very young. If you know he is like this then you may need to take him outside more frequently or walk around outside with him a bit more waiting for the extra pees. Diet can also add to existing problems. Feeding dry food I have found tends to make this kind of problem worse - I have had better results feeding raw (BARF).

I agree it is an interesting problem. One of my dogs had always had what I would call a "sensitive stomach". She used to vomit every now and then, and had bouts of diahorrea and also a hard, bloated stomach and all this gradually got worse the older she got. Initially it was diagnosed by the vet as just being something she had eaten or a stomach bug. However, she was diagnosed by the vet as having colitis about 6 mths ago after going through a very bad period and had bloods done but no other problems were evident. I have been feeding her on Eukanuba I/D Low Residue diet for some time now and she has had no problems with vomiting or diahorrea whilst she is on that. It certainly does keep all the obvious symptoms at bay but I still have a sneaking suspicion that she sometimes gets stomach cramps. I know if I give her a chicken neck or anything else other than bland food, she will have a stomach upset. She has always been a good eater and inclined to put on weight quite easily, something I thought may have made her problems worse over the years. I am now considering trying her on Dr. B's BARF Kangaroo diet as they say this is suitable for dogs with pancreatitis. Personally whilst I found the vets opinion helpful in pointing me in the right direction, I think that it is still a matter of trial an error on my part to find what suits my dog best and what she can tolerate!

Good for you for starting your puppy on the right path. IMO puppy preschool is a good start - you are learning things already. Formal dog training classes will teach you and your dog more - keep up the good work!!

For the whole pregnancy Rysup?

Treatment for simple Diahorrea Dog should fast for 24 hours. During that time make up & give dog some Lectaide or similar electrolyte replacement drink so that the dog does not get dehydrated. Prepare chicken and rice by boiling cut up chicken breast and rice together for about 1/2 hr. Feed only this chicken & rice mix to the dog for approx. 4 days - no chews or treats. Mixture can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and should be given to the dog in small meals approx. 3 times daily. If dog tolerates this well and no more diahorrea is evident then continue to feed this for approx. 4 days then gradually introduce normal diet. No bones until the dog is 100% better and back on normal diet. Remember - If dog is lethargic, has an elevated temperature or is not drinking then take it to the vet ASAP.

You do not want to feed piggy ears to a dog with pancreatitis as they have a very very high fat content - if it isn't 100% fat then it is almost! For pancreatitis you have to stick to a set low residue low fat diet so all of the fatty chews are definitely out!!

Thanks for that. I have given Raspberry leaf in the form of capsules before but never given folic acid. Can you tell me what dose do you give of Raspberry leaf - do you give it the whole time or just for the second & third trimester? and where do you get folic acid?

Over the years I have attended many preschool classes with pups that I have bred and am running on. I always take my older pups (over 12wks) to preschool whether I am keeping them or not as I feel it really helps their development. Personally I dislike puppy preschool classes that don't separate the little dogs from the bigger dogs. I feel it is not fair to the dogs or the owners. I have noticed that there IS a BIG difference from a pup that has been consistent and attended as many classes as he/she can. At first you see pups that are shy, timid, aggressive, etc. but with work and practice their behaviour greatly improves. It may not seem as though you are making progress, but if it is a good class with an experienced teacher you will make progress. So, is it a good class with an experienced teacher?? If you don't agree with something, you can always ask the teacher why it is done that way and they should be able to give you a good answer. (If you are not happy with the class you can always hunt around for a better one.) Even though the preschool will have some free play it is not to be confused with playtime. You should use preshool as an opportunity to see the areas your pup has problems with so you can work on them. The usual areas that need work are probably going to be getting the pup to do as you want with all the distractions around, not what he/she wants. Barking etc. is to be discouraged and usually you do this by distraction, the same way as you distract a small child. You use food rewards to reinforce good behaviour like sitting quietly beside you. As I said you get better the more you practice it. Daily practice at home helps to achieve better behaviour in the class. There is no magic cure, just repetition and positive rewards for the pup showing the behaviour you want and doing the exercises correctly.

She may have an intolerance to fat or have colitis or pancreatitis. I notice that what you are feeding is fairly fatty (chicken bones, cheese) and/or rich. I have an old girl who simply can't have anything else except the I/D Low Residue diet or else she vomits and gets pains in her tummy. She definitely can't have any chicken necks or any fat at all in her diet.

Thanks for your replies. Of course there are many ways of feeding raw - there is feeding BARF and there is feeding a prey diet and there is feeding VAN, etc. Can you give me an example of what you actually feed successfully to pregnant bitches?

Cavandra, what exactly would you feed 1 bitch per day?

I use forceps. That way I can get inside the ear low down without hurting the dog. Certainly don't use scissors inside the ear.

It would seem that some vets come by some very strange information - and I don't know where they get it from. I doubt it is from personal experience! I have been plucking my dogs ears, and they get very hairy, for just on 30 years and the ones that I have plucked have NEVER had an ear infection. I did have one that I forgot to pluck and it developed an ear infection - so that does it for me!!! Mine all stand still for their ears to be done. In winter it is just plucking, in summer it is plucking and ear wash.

Yes Persephone I am inclined to agree. What do you feed to pregnant bitches - do you change their diet? Large, medium or small dogs?

I agree with what everyone has said. He sees himself as pack leader and you have been relegated to follower and this is something you have inadvertantly allowed to happen. For a start, he should not be allowed on furniture or the bed (presuming you have been allowing this) and stopped from say, walking through the door before you, or forging ahead, as these are all priviledges accorded to the pack leader (in a dogs mind). Also, he should be stopped from coming in contact with children or made to sit away from them and not interact - and this must be enforced. He should be taken to dog training classes so that he learns to follow and not lead and you can get some help. This problem if not addressed will only escalate - time for some serious tough love - not cruelty, but you need to teach him his correct place in your family and the correct behaviour you expect from him!! You say you feel that he has total control and by the sound of it he does - but you can just as easily take control back from him and the thing is, he will be a happier dog if you do. Leader Up!!!!

It has been suggested to me by a vet that a BARF or raw all natural diet is not really suitable for bitches in whelp due to the inability to accurately ascertain the calcium to phosphorus ratio which is critical in this situation therefore causing calcium deficiency and subsequent whelping difficulties. In this situation the vet felt that it was better to feed a balanced dry dogfood. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has experience with this. It makes you wonder though how dogs/wolves managed to breed when they didn't have anyone to tell them what they should be eating.

First step would be to take the dog to the vet to get a skin scraping so as to eliminate mites, infections, etc. If there are no underlining problems then often switching the dog over onto a BARF diet will work wonders along with Fish Oil capsules at the rate of 1 capsule for every 10kg of dog.

Yes, I would certainly contact the pound and tell them the story and see what they suggest. If they don't get told about these kind of stuff ups then they will never know what is happening with the vet they are using. I guess there comes a time when you have to forget about what happened in the past and start afresh with a new and competent vet that you can put your trust in to solve the health issues you are now confronted with. You will have to tell them the history and hope they can resolve the issues your dog now has.

I would need to know more about the vet in question and what they did and didn't do. Without giving too many details can you say which state you are in? I would have thought that the pound that you adopted from would have made sure that the correct vaccinations were done prior to adoption. As a matter of interest there are a few forms of kennel cough and not all can be vaccinated against.

You have only had her for 2 weeks so she is only just settling in. Sometimes it is the excitement/stress that causes them to eliminate in the crate in the car and they usually grow out of it. Just ensure that she toilets outside all the time, regardless of how long she hold on between times and doesn't learn that it is OK to do it inside. Some have better control than others. I know with mine that some have different toilet habits than others. Some won't pee or poo anywhere else but their own backyard and others can't wait to mark & expand their territory. Keep up the socialisation, making sure she has new experiences on a regular basis and she will become more confident. Also take her amongst other dogs at dog training, etc.

Welcome to DOL! Firstly, I don't recommend you changing what the puppy is being fed for a few weeks once you get her. That way you don't have to deal with a new puppy that has gut problems because of new food. Wait for her to settle in before you change the diet. I recommend Dr. Billinghursts BARF diet which is raw all natural without any artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives. You would supplement with the dry food but I recommend you have a look at the site www.dogfoodproject.com and read all about it first. Crate training is great and I totally recommend it but it has to be a happy experience for the dog, not a punishment!

The first thing I would do would be to buy a puppy play pen and put newspaper down inside it along with the dogs bed etc. At least you will be able to restrict it to the newpapers, which is a good start. The next step would be to take it outside frequently - before the next wee is due. That way you can teach it that outside is the place to do it.

I found Busy Buddy toys recently - and they proved to be very popular with some of my older puppies. There are some in the range, shaped like dumbells that you can put kibble in each side and the dog spends ages trying to chew the toy to get the kibble out. Mine even like them without the kibble - the rubber seems to be very desireable in itself and they are tough too, which is a bonus around my lot. They are imported by Pet Pacific P/L in Penrith NSW so that may help to locate them near you.

Low residue means little fibre, cellulose and filler in the dogs food. The body can then utilise the majority of the food so there isn't much faecal residue. It is a vet line usually, I used the Eukanuba one and it was good however I believe Hills has a good one too. I should think that it would also aide in putting on weight too as the body could use most of the ingredients. I would add that I don't feed anything else other than a little chicken stock that I make up myself by boiling chicken legs and taking the meat off the bone. (Toss the bones out of course). It is beneficial to add water/stock to dry food as it doesn't put as much strain on the body to rehydrate the food. That's something told to me by Eukanuba themselves.

I have had great success recently with putting weight back onto a dog that had been really sick and had eaten very little for about 9 days. I tried everything, all the bland diets etc, and the dog would only pick. I started feeding small amounts of Dr.Billinghursts Rabbit BARF about 4 times daily and the appetite improved dramatically along with the weight and condition. She has now dropped back to 3 times a day and will soon be on just 2 feeds daily for maintenance. It was all she would eat - I guess she knew exactly what it was she needed!