Text 3946, 221 rader
Skriven 2008-03-17 18:20:54 av Janis Kracht (1:261/38)
   Kommentar till text 3897 av Carol Shenkenberger (9878.cooks)
Ärende: Dogs and food
=====================
Hi Carol!

> Grin, doggie recipes!

Hehe.. I'll try to get you that pile of recipes I promised in email soon :)
Just have to dig up the message I wrote to my NC for his doggie recently (grin)

>> Oh yeah, most dogs I've seen LOVE wet dog food.. so he's not going to mind y
>> mixing that in ..

> Thats what we are doing.  Also, the foster parents said they swapped food
> types (all dry) on a regular basis so he's not set on one type.  He actually
> probably perfers a bit of variety?  His wet food varies as well.  One day
> it's chicken, another is beef, etc.

Well, I think what they meant was they switched flavors of the same kind of dog
food all the time.. like if they bought Purina Adult Dog Food, it comes in
Chicken, Beef, Lamb, etc.  Switching between the different flavors won't
matter.. switching to another brand is different :)

In other words, don't give him Eukenuba Dry Beef dog food one day, and Purina
Dog Chow Dry Beef dog food the next day.. (which I don't think you're doing
(g)). Different companies makes the difference..  or all Dry dog food one day,
and all Wet dog food the next day.. no problem if you mix dry and wet with each
meal though. You just want to be consistent.  His tummy will appreciate it :)
(g).


> Naw, problem solved. He needed more wet in the food.  The rice, was a filler
> that didnt seem to cause anything one way or the other.  I just knew it was
> safe for him.

Yes, normally it would be. When I run out of dog food, I give the labs here a
couple of cups of rice with a couple of lbs. of whatever meat I have that I'm
willing to part with :) :)  Sometimes I just throw in eggs and leftovers.. boy
they love that one.. especially if it's got meatballs in it haha

>> > We weighed him 'home style' by weighing Don, then Don holding Cash.  33.5
>> > lbs.  I checked this at the vet center on their scale and came same. >>
>> hehe.. he's a hefty boy :) :) You have to send me some pics :)


> Gotta find my digital camera!

Ah :)  Ok, I can wait :) :)

>> > I can feel his spine, but this is a 'wide' dog so it doesnt stand out much
>> > I seem to feel muscle all along that side area.
>>
>> That's good then.  You can feel it, that's the point.  He's no where near
>> "overweight", and it's not sticking out like he's lost a lot of weight eithe

> No, and since then, we have signed up for some classes.  Trainer seemed a
> good sort and careful.  Concurred with us that he seems *slightly*
> underweight but not enough to matter and might just be some mixed breed
> traits going on there.

Glad you found a good trainer :)  That's fantastic.  I hope that works out well
for all of you -  Let me know how it goes :)

>> >> Olive oil, or a good vegetable oil on their food is good for their coats
>> >> Whites are good for dogs too, if Charlotte leaves them around :) :) Dashi
>> >> seaweed broth can't be bad for him if he likes to slurp :)

> He *loved* the Dashi.  He's nominal about chicken broth.  Likes beef broth
> but I have little of that in salt free.

That's better for them I'd think..

>> > Hehe it's low salt.  I can add a little veggie oil too.  His coat is very
>> > healthy looking to me.
>>
>> That's neat :)

> If anything, as we warm up, there might be a minor coat problem.  He's got
> the 'double layer' of a beagle and seems to overheat easily.

Don't forget he's got his winter coat most likely now, that probably has
started to shed already... getting ready for spring and warmer temps... he
might enjoy you brushing him a bit to help get that extra fur off :)  Even my
labs like that, as short-haired as labs look they still shed a lot of hair (g).

> The first week, we wondered if he knew how to bark.  Now we've learned when
> he feels 'cause' he can be very vocal indeedee <g>.

Lol, I can just imagine :) :)

> THere's this one dog
> nearby who's always in a backyard when we see him.  He seems 'mean' in a
> overtly property protective way.  Cash first time shyed away. Next time,
> sttod right there then  started this amazing baying hunting sequence right at
> him as slowly approaching.  It was funny to watch the shepard mix go to the
> far side of the yard then in his dog house..

"WHO IS THAT BAYING HUNTER!!!!" hehehe :)

> What was also amusing was the area has other beagles (or like it enough scent
> hounds) and they all joined in.  I swear, it almost sounded like they had
> triangulated on a prey with Cash as lead dog for a few moments.

That is too funny!!!!  Wish I coulda heard it, but I can just imagine.. We have
some "bayer's" in the neighborhood and we hear them take off now and again :)
:)

> Dont worry, he stopped after about 30 seconds and was waggey tail the whole
> time.

Oh I bet :)

> The biggest problem with Cash is he wants to make friends with all the dogs
> and until we have a clear from the vet on his heartworms, we do not allow
> that.  Once cleared though the neighbor's dog Technic and he will be fast
> friends <g..

Yeah, I bet they sure will :)

>> Yes, when he was sick with heartworms, that probably would have made it wors
>> if they pushed that kind of thing :(  These people knew what they were doing

> So it seems to me.  You wouldnt believe the nitwits in the usenet newsgroup
> though over that.  Supremely opinionated and completely ignorant while
> blaming me for being a new dog keeper and so nothing I looked up on the web
> mattered as to Cash's health and instead I was to ignore it all and do as
> they 'personally found was true for all dogs and breed is irrelevant'.

Oh for gawd's sake.. what jerks.. but we knew that already, huh...

> The so called 'expert' is the worst of the lot.  Said to feed Cash no more
> than 1/4 cup in morning, 1/4 cup at night and no more than 1 dog biscuit a

Oh man.. just starve the dog, why don't ya... I mean, when did she feed him any
more than that?  god,  I cannot believe that one.

> day.  Oh, and it didnt matter that Cash could *eat* a rawbone in 20 mins, but
> to give 2 a day.  Good lord!  There's a reason why I watch the web pages of
> the more reputable ones for my info! You excepted, most of the other info has
> been pretty bad stuff.

Your best bet is your vet, and a good book if he can recommend one, or if not
one that someone who you trust recommends..  someone who's at least raised a
few dogs and knows the ins and outs of it all.. these people in the newsgroups
sound like a bunch of wannabee's.. how sad.

> Want the worst?  Lady with 7 week old farm puppy that was raised in the worst
> way to sleep in his own mess.  She has to leave him alone 5 hours a day for
> work.  I recommended either puppy pads or newspaper in the room he is left in
> for that 5 hours as his bladder just cant hold it, then work outside training
> the rest of the time.


Exactly what I would have done.. newspaper for when the dog couldn't hold it,
and back to training when I was around.. if a dog door was around with a gated
property, that's even better but if not, you deal with the newspaper ..

>  Got blasted.  So called 'expert' said he can easily
> hold 5 hours at 7 weeks....

Oh right.. what a lark :)  Well, wait.. if you don't leave the dog and food or
water while you're gone, maybe the dog COULD hold it for 7 hours.. haha.. but
who is going to leave their dog for 7 hours with NO WATER??.. I couldn't do
that to any of my animals..

> and she should just concentrate on outdoor
> training.  Rude 'expert' too.  Called me a moron for using the SPCA and other
> reputable sites for how to work with that.

Tell him to get a life (g). Bah.. you probably told him better than I could
have haha :)

>> > He's now getting about roughly 2 miles a day and even if that's walking
>> > speed, thats more than he has had.  The minimal weight drop I seem to
>> > percieve, may actually be muscling back up.
>>
>> Yeah, that does make sense..

> Fat down just a bit, not that he had much.  Muscles in chest slightly bulding
> out a bit more.  Hence, more estimate of 'bulldog' someplace in past.

hehehe.. that is so neat.. :)

> He remains first fast glance:  beagle.  Second glance, bigger, muscle bound
> especially in chest.

Wow.. bruiser :) :) :)  He really sounds so neat.. I can't wait to see some
pics :)

>> >> > I do need to learn better leash training skills.  Meantime, if I
>> >> > get 'serious toned' he listens and will stop pulling for a moment.

>> >> See if you can find this book at your library.. "Good Dog, Bad Dog: Dog
>> >> Training made easy"  by Mordecai Siegal.  It's a common sense book that t
>> >> the "two" of you through the steps you need to go through :) I used that
>> >> my Shepherd and, boy, I was shocked.. I didn't always follow everything h
>> >> said, but took what worked for us :)
>>
>> > Cool tip!  I'll check amazon.com <g>.
>>
>> It worked for me.. There's another good one from England that I've been tryi
>> to remember the name of :(  Hopefully it will hit and I can let you know :)

> OK thanks!  Meantime, all well.  Daisy now making simple forays out to the
> house in the daytime.  Just pokes her nose out then runs to the back of the
> sofa and settles for a few minutes.  Seems to be checking the house out for a
> bit.

Kitties are smart :)  They know when it's safe to invade the dog's territory :)
and when to steal the doggie's pillow, that kind of thing (grin).. we have this
one cat that likes to sit right in the middle of the hallway on the rug where
she KNOWS the dogs have to walk to go anywhere in the house.. to water, to
food, to go out... just to make the dogs miserable.. she sits there and
twitches her tail.. like, "come on over here.. just for a second..." hahaha

Toby comes over to me and moans and moans like, "MOM!!!  She won't let me go
out!!" hahaha.. I have to yell at the cat to move :) :) But Toby is really a
chicken when it comes to cats (g).

Take care,
Janis

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