PennyM Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Hi everyone, I've been reading the forum boards for some time now but this is my first post! My family & I recently added a new furbaby to our family, a black female Labrador :) A friend of mine purchased another female puppy from the same litter. Issues: 1 - Over the first week that the puppies were with us in their new homes we both found that our pups had "softer" bowel movements than we would like ... my friends pup was also very "quiet and uninterested" Mine however was very active, just soft poos and drinking LOTS of water ... At the end of the first week my friend takes her pup to the vet and after doing a floating stool test the pup was diagnosed with Giardia. I contacted the vet (we have the same vet) and based on my pup being very active, eating and playing etc was told to just keep an eye on her.... Fast forward to today (3 days later) my pup has super soft stools bordering on diarrhea. I take my pup and a stool sample to the vet and they tell me that there is no sign of Giardia however there is evidence of Campylobacter. My pup has been put on a course of antibiotics and told to basically see how you go ... 2 - Now to further this, the breeder was feeding the puppies a puppy kibble and raw beef mince. My vet advised for me to no longer give the mince as it wasn't needed if on a good quality kibble (personally I'd prefer to have her on a home cooked diet but was advised against this as being a Labrador she is at risk of joint issues if not fed the right diet during her growing years) .... So since stopping the mince and just having my pup on the kibble the breeder had her on she has been scratching like crazy (like she has fleas however we can't find any evidence of fleas/dirt etc) and in the past 3/4 days she has all of a sudden got super dry skin with little while flecks all over her (very noticeable on her black fur) .... your thoughts on this? diet related? Thanks in advance :) Cheers, Penny x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 (edited) Welcome to posting. :) I agree with the vets advice regarding her diet while she is maturing and growing. It is for this reason only that I would agree to remain with the kibble. Unless you know what you are doing, the kibble is a safe bet. However, in having said that, there is nothing wrong with adding mince if the main diet is the kibble. Also, there is good quality kibble and not so good quality kibble. You need to ensure you are feeding the best diet for your dog and sometimes this takes a little time trying different diets. Before you do anything too different though, ensure you keep in mind the particular needs of your breed and the age of your dog. The super dry skin may be the diet or it may not. The diet could be helping or hindering the condition. How old is your pup? We have a many very knowledgable Lab breeders and lovers here, including a multiple award winning Labrador breeder. Hopefully one of them will see this post and offer some ideas. Edited October 4, 2013 by ~Anne~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 What dry food brand are you feeding? What dry food brand was she on at the breeders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 The dry skin and dandruff may be from the medication. My last dog was a lab, and he would get bouts of dry itchy skin on his stomach in particular from different medications. We found a good quality oatmeal based shampoo would help, and we were also given a recipe from the vets for a homemade "oatmeal mask" (like a facemask) to put on his belly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 (edited) Buy a copy of "Give A Dog A Bone", which is a complete guide to feeding a dog raw food. It is too difficult and time consuming for the vet to explain how to feed a balanced diet, and I think you should read the book, and follow what it says rather than go by what is said here. If you google Dr Ian Billinghurst (author) you will find his website and how to order the book - Around $25 I think. If the dog already has skin issues with dry food and you want to feed raw anyhow, go for it. If you are feeding mince and kibble, the diet is not balanced. Balanced is good, but so is the quality of the food, and you do not know how good the kibble is, because you do not know what is in it. Good luck. I also think you should tell the breeder about the giardia and the Campylobacter. The latter is not a common problem with pups, and therefore the conditions at the breeder's property would concern me. Edited October 6, 2013 by Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 (edited) Oops. It wasn't good enough to put up twice!! Apologies Edited October 6, 2013 by Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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