Dog chat!

[Better Than Rubies]

I have a dog named Remington (aka Remy). She's supposed to be a Miniature Australian Shepherd, Beagle, and Boston Terrier cross. Thankfully, she doesn't take after the Boston Terrier in looks! She's supposed to be temporary, though.

Oops; don't look at the first picture...it's not supposed to be there (it's my neighbor's chicken!), but I didn't mean to put it there, and I was trying to delete it, but I guess I can't now?
Sorry about that; I'm new and still trying to figure things out; especially regarding posting pictures in threads.

 

[barn206]

Well I brought home my heeler yesterday! The Breeder told me that he had a slight heart murmur #1. I have an appointment on Monday with my vet to have him checked out. Heart murmur or not I took him home!
Last night was interesting.. I crated him next to my bed and was up every 3 hours to let him out! We had no accidents he's a great dog and my other dog is looking a bit confused( feeing bad but I'm giving her the same attention) . Today 2 small accidents in the kitchen( no big deal he's only 8 weeks old) but he was out with us all day and had a good 3 hour nap in his crate. He's eating great and his stool looks good. I hope I can get a sample of his urine and stool for the vet. He's a very healthy pup. He has a funny personality similar to a bull terrier ! Anyway all is working out so far. I just put him to bed at 9 pm. I stopped his food and water at 630 pm.. any thoughts about taking away the water at that time? He has fresh water all day long. I bought the food the Breeder was giving him" 4 health chicken n rice dog food ( not puppy food) " I mixed it half with Origen. Eventually I want to put him on the same food as my other dog who has a poultry allergy ( bites her feet after eating chicken. I really like this Origen and I switch it up from beef to fish ..never had a problem and my dog is 7 yo and has the energy of a 2 yo. She's in perfect shape . Well anyway so far so good!
Meanwhile my chickens seem to be the least of my worries. First year and they are settled. Even the eggs are getting bigger. Any feedback is welcome.

 

[1cock2hens]

I love special needs dogs. I got my english bulldog for free because her breathing was so bad and she's deaf, I was told she would be lucky to hit 2 years old, well she just turned 3 and is in great shape, I put her on a diet and now her breathing is perfect.. she runs non stop and she can literally jump over the backs of my pitbulls

 

[barn206]

I love special needs dogs. I got my english bulldog for free because her breathing was so bad and she's deaf, I was told she would be lucky to hit 2 years old, well she just turned 3 and is in great shape, I put her on a diet and now her breathing is perfect.. she runs non stop and she can literally jump over the backs of my pitbulls

I agree. Considering the way some dogs are cared for... I know I can make a better life for a special needs dog. What do you think about giving a puppy -dog food as opposed to puppy food? Just curious. Would an adult dog food be too rich?

 

[1cock2hens]

I prefer special needs dogs, two of my four dogs are deaf.

puppy foods are formulated to have what a dog needs to grow properly, so i do tend to give dogs age appropriate food. I noticed a huge difference when i went from normal food to senior food in my 12yo pit-bull. /// If my understanding is correct it's not that its too rich it's just easier for a puppy to digest the puppy food, If a puppy is eating adult food it will be passing a lot of the nutrients in it's waste.

 

[barn206]

I prefer special needs dogs, two of my four dogs are deaf.

puppy foods are formulated to have what a dog needs to grow properly, so i do tend to give dogs age appropriate food. I noticed a huge difference when i went from normal food to senior food in my 12yo pit-bull. /// If my understanding is correct it's not that its too rich it's just easier for a puppy to digest the puppy food, If a puppy is eating adult food it will be passing a lot of the nutrients in it's waste.

That makes sense ..Thank you

 

[TalkALittle]

The difference between puppy food and adult food isn't about digestibility really. Many puppy foods have the exact same ingredients as their adult versions. It's more that puppy formulas tend to have different ratios if the ingredients. Oftentimes puppy food will be higher in protein and fat than adult food. That makes sense because pups are growing muscle and tissue at a much higher rate than adults and they have a higher metabolism so they need the extra energy fats provide. Additionally, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus (which is key for proper bone growth) is typically different than that in adult foods. Lastly, some brands add things like DHL and DHP to promote healthy eyes and nervous system development. Again, because puppies are growing everything vs. adult dogs who are just maintaining.

Sometimes you see puppy food with ingredients that are "gentler" on the digestive system, but the primary reason for them being different from adult formulas is to provide a different nutrient profile marketed toward pups growing bodies.

 

[Jacquie Button]

My Marsha and her pups

 

[barn206]

The difference between puppy food and adult food isn't about digestibility really. Many puppy foods have the exact same ingredients as their adult versions. It's more that puppy formulas tend to have different ratios if the ingredients. Oftentimes puppy food will be higher in protein and fat than adult food. That makes sense because pups are growing muscle and tissue at a much higher rate than adults and they have a higher metabolism so they need the extra energy fats provide. Additionally, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus (which is key for proper bone growth) is typically different than that in adult foods. Lastly, some brands add things like DHL and DHP to promote healthy eyes and nervous system development. Again, because puppies are growing everything vs. adult dogs who are just maintaining.

Sometimes you see puppy food with ingredients that are "gentler" on the digestive system, but the primary reason for them being different from adult formulas is to provide a different nutrient profile marketed toward pups growing bodies.

Thank you talkalittle, I appreciate the information. Today I purchased a good bag of puppy food.im going to introduce it to him slowly and keep it going Until the vet thinks I can change. I have an appointment with the vet in another 3 weeks. Today my vet thought the murmur was more of a 2 than a 1. He may outgrow it but we are going to monitor it. Other than than he's a real healthy pup. Thanks again.

 

[tastyacres]

Ma boy turned 4.

And not officially yet but we may be adding a puppy to the family.... Still conversing with the owners to see if it is a fit and going to work. Praying it is tho.