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New Staffy Puppy This Weekend


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Yep find out what it's currently eating then slowly add your food in bit by bit until a fortnight-month later is all your own food.

Human mince is not great but chicken necks and pet mince (I get my butcher to put through all the offcuts including gristle through the mincer and buy tit by the bag) That way it includes calcium and other nutrients that mince meat for human consumption lacks.

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thanks so much for all the replies guys

i have a bad feeling this wont go down well here but i have been advised by the breeder that they have been feeding the puppy weetbix and milk in the mornings and puppy pal for other meals during the day!

ive read here that this is a big no no and loooked down upon however im committed to this puppy now so i need to make do i guess

would you guys recommend starting with this food to keep the 'shock' to a minimum but weaning over to better food asap?

I'm not going to go on and on about something you say you're committed to so...

I'd start integrating the Proplan into the diet after the first few days (slowly), don't feed the weet bix at all (IMO) instead of that you could offer a small amount of Proplan (if the pup won't eat it completely dry, you can semi-soak it).

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Wow..just out of interest have you seen the parents yet? Do they seem healthy?

Yeah remove weetbix, and substitute with puppy milk and soaked pro plan. i'm imagining his bowels aren't too healthy on this food any way so the proplan may be an improvement

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yep i was thinking along the same lines

cut out the weetbix and ill feed some soaked pro plan as a substitute

ill start with the puppy pal and slowly swap that for chicken wings and necks too

its a bit disappointing that our breeder clearly isnt as knowledgable as they should be however once i get the puppy eating well there will be no looking back!

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When I brought my 8 week old mini schnauzer home he was on cooked chicken and rice together with soaked Optium puppy chicken and rice. He only gets the dry food at his lunch meal and even then, only a small hand full. It only took me a couple of days before I introduced him to raw mince and then slowly just kept adding different meats. I took him off the cooked and now he is completely on raw, and from a 3kg. bag of Optium, I still have more than a quarter left. He's been with us now for 12 weeks. He is on chicken frames, chicken wings and chicken necks for one of his meals and meat for his other two feeds. As he gets his permanent teeth, I will introduce 'harder' bones that he can eat. A friend of mine was looking into buying a pup and the breeder was feeding the litter Science Diet. Personally, I wouldn't touch it.

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I've tried to write a reply a couple of times but have deleted for fear of offending the OP. If I come across as harsh, please try and see through it to the meaning.

To be completely blunt, the fact that a breeder still chooses to feed weetbix and milk to growing babies in their formative weeks speaks volumes. Unfortunately not in a good way. Whilst the rest of this post may seem completely off topic and probably a huge assumption on my part, I just think it needs to be said and the intention is to educate where needed.

Please make sure that you have seen at least the mother of these babes and that she is in good condition, good health and good spirits and that her living area is clean and not smelly. Make sure you have seen the ANKC registration papers and that they state that the bitch is on the main register (in NSW this is a blue certificate) and owned by the breeder. I hope that you have asked about health testing for at least L2-HGA and HC. If the breeder has health tested and the bitch is a carrier of either condition then please ask to see the sire's health clearance certificate. If your breeder has not said anything about this before, I would suggest getting a good puppy wormer and start immediately. Make sure your pup is chipped and vaccinated too.

Re food, you've got ProPlan, which is a damn sight better than bloody weetbix, which does absolutely nothing for the pup except provide consistent stools and I would take her off it immediately. Expect a possible runny tummy whilst she transitions over to the better food. Most puppy kibble is complete, which means it provides a balanced food and the correct ratio of calcium:phosphorus and also fat:protein balance. Most good puppy foods will be the same. Personally, I would NOT feed Pal, disgusting stuff, you will only be adding to problems there. If you want to add to the dry food, then things like sardines/mackeral/tuna in oil (cheap as chips from Aldi/Coles and Woolies), lamb flaps, chicken wings and necks, raw or boiled eggs (with shell). That is better than any tinned stuff and severely lessens the risk of allergies down the track.

Crate train. Essential in my opinion. Take it from someone who had to rebuild a laundry after our special needs Stafford decided he couldn't hack being in there one day; and another Stafford who decided he'd had enough of staying at the vets and wrecked their crate for them :rolleyes: It's not to be used or viewed as a punishment, it's a saving grace, especially when they come to view the crate as their little safe haven, their little den. They will go happily to their crate in this way.

Hope this helps. Good luck with her.

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As they other have said, don't even bother feeding weetbix to her at all :eek: want a waste of weetbix and poor lil' thing gets nothing from it :( As for the puppy kibble, if I was you I'd start mixing the proplan you have with the pal kibble 25%proplan/75%pal then 50/50% then 75/25% to help her lil' tummy adjust. I don't know about others but with my stafford at 8 weeks I didn't bother soaking the kibble anymore. If you think she needs it do it but she definately wouldn't need it soaked after 9-10 weeks. Her eating it hard is also good for her teeth :)

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thanks for the great reply SoL and i dont take your comments in anyway harsh or upsetting.

in fact i really appreciate all the advice and assistance everyone here offers

i did actually see the mother when we visited the puppies. she looked in fine health and was happy and i couldnt really say a bad thing about her. i guess thats one thing to take out of it

i know that the pups are all being vaccinated and chipped and i will ask about L2-HGA and HC however i have no idea what these are??

weve already booked in to see our local vet during our first week and so i will be seeking their advice on all those type of things too

im hunter valley based too SoL, nice to meet you!

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Just remember that a vet visit isn't the same as a health test. Dogs can get an all clear from a vet visit and have serious genetic health issues that only certain tests can pick up.

IT is all up to you but don't ever feel that you are committed and can't back away because she isn't yours yet. Remember your dog will be in your life for about 12+ years, so you want things to be right.

Does she have pedigree papers? I have seen a few quotes out of NSW pollies talking about following Vic's dog laws. If that is the case, bull breed dogs without papers are in danger.

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I've tried to write a reply a couple of times but have deleted for fear of offending the OP. If I come across as harsh, please try and see through it to the meaning.

To be completely blunt, the fact that a breeder still chooses to feed weetbix and milk to growing babies in their formative weeks speaks volumes. Unfortunately not in a good way. Whilst the rest of this post may seem completely off topic and probably a huge assumption on my part, I just think it needs to be said and the intention is to educate where needed.

Please make sure that you have seen at least the mother of these babes and that she is in good condition, good health and good spirits and that her living area is clean and not smelly. Make sure you have seen the ANKC registration papers and that they state that the bitch is on the main register (in NSW this is a blue certificate) and owned by the breeder. I hope that you have asked about health testing for at least L2-HGA and HC. If the breeder has health tested and the bitch is a carrier of either condition then please ask to see the sire's health clearance certificate. If your breeder has not said anything about this before, I would suggest getting a good puppy wormer and start immediately. Make sure your pup is chipped and vaccinated too.

Re food, you've got ProPlan, which is a damn sight better than bloody weetbix, which does absolutely nothing for the pup except provide consistent stools and I would take her off it immediately. Expect a possible runny tummy whilst she transitions over to the better food. Most puppy kibble is complete, which means it provides a balanced food and the correct ratio of calcium:phosphorus and also fat:protein balance. Most good puppy foods will be the same. Personally, I would NOT feed Pal, disgusting stuff, you will only be adding to problems there. If you want to add to the dry food, then things like sardines/mackeral/tuna in oil (cheap as chips from Aldi/Coles and Woolies), lamb flaps, chicken wings and necks, raw or boiled eggs (with shell). That is better than any tinned stuff and severely lessens the risk of allergies down the track.

Crate train. Essential in my opinion. Take it from someone who had to rebuild a laundry after our special needs Stafford decided he couldn't hack being in there one day; and another Stafford who decided he'd had enough of staying at the vets and wrecked their crate for them :rolleyes: It's not to be used or viewed as a punishment, it's a saving grace, especially when they come to view the crate as their little safe haven, their little den. They will go happily to their crate in this way.

Hope this helps. Good luck with her.

I agree with everything that Sol has written above. I know absolutely nothing about Staffies, only what has been discussed on DOL & there has been a fair amount of discussion lately particularly about blue Staffies & their associated health problems. So if it is a blue pup you are getting it may be a good idea to just search DOL forums to see what has been discussed. Regardless of colour or breed, the only bit of advise I can add, is to make sure you read the Purchase Contract (there should be one) & pay particular attention to the clause that states the breeder is willing to take the puppy back with a full refund if the pup turns out to be unhealthy. It is also very important to get a receipt for all monies paid for the pup. It is a very exciting time getting a new pup, so I hope your little one is lovely & healthy & brings you lots of joy :)

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and i will ask about L2-HGA and HC however i have no idea what these are??

..hopefully the breeder does.

:thumbsup: to SoL's post.

tread carefully , and please make sure you are getting absolutely every question answered before you sign anything .

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Two of my pedigree dogs were from registered breeders who raised them on milk, pal and weetbix. Provided the breeder ticks all the other boxes it is not the end of the world. Both my pups were kept on this for the first few days to minimize any stress etc and I slowly introduced my preferred food. Both dogs are now adults, and very fit and healthy.

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I have to say i am worried too, please say its not a blue pup?

Don't feel you have to commit till you are sure this breeder has done all the health checks, what looks like a cute healthy pup now could turn into a health nighmare and cost you alot of money and heartbreak. :(

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