Sicky Puppy

[Borgan]

Hey all,

Has anyone seen these symptoms in their pup:
- runny/snotty nose, snorting when sleeping (more than usual)
- diareah
- goopy eyes

Luna is still drinking and eating, but I am taking her to the vet later tonight anyway...just thought I'd ask if anyone has seen this/knows how to comfort their dog or knows of any good remedies. I also don't completely trust the vet (looking for a new one - very difficult!!) and I am assuming she will prescribe antibiotics - any thoughts on that?

Thanks muchly,
Brooke.

ps. Put broth in dog's water so she will drink more (to stay hydrated). Good idea or bad?

[Pattie]

Brooke:
I do think that Luna probably does need to see the vet. Please keep us posted. I hope that Luna will be well soon.

[MyRocky]

It sounds like Kennel Cough which is the equivalent of the average cold in a human. Is the discharge from the nose clear or does it have a green or yellow tint to it?

As long as it is just a little bit of broth in the water that is fine, just watch not to give too much as premade broth has lots of sodium. You could also make ice cubes and see if she will eat those, some dogs think they are like treats. :)

You can also feed some boiled chicken with rice. This is bland that it won't upset the tummy and can help with the runny stools. Oatmeal is also good. :)


Andie

[Borgan]

Thanks, everyone, I will keep you posted.

Andie - Nose stuff is clear, but sometimes thick. She has started coughing, too. However, still drinking and eating lots. She was vaccinated for Kennel Cough awile ago...woud she be able to get it anyway? As for the diet, would like to switch her to something unprocessed. It could be the bagged dry food that is upsetting her (even though it's "hormone-free" and organic). Do you have a "sample diet' for every day that you would recommend?

[MyRocky]

The discharge being clear is a good thing! If it were green or yellow that would mean there is an infection and she would need meds. If she is coughing then I'm almost positive she has KC. There is a vaccine for KC however being that KC is like the common cold it is impossible to vaccinate against it because there are so many strains of the virus (does that make sense?). Most people don't even bother getting that vaccine unless they have to board their dog because it is usually required for boarding. Vets push it though because they get the money for it. ;)

With KC the coughing is usually the worst at night, right when they wake up, and if they are playing. You can give some honey to help her throat and the cough. I would guess about 2 tsp (I'm used to boxers so I'm trying to think on a smaller scale. :p ).

I feed my dog an all natural diet made up of meats, bones, and veggies. Right now since Luna is a little under the weather I would do the chicken/rice thing. You can throw in some mild veggies if you like, such as carrots and celery. Those need to be mashed up good before serving so that Luna will be able to digest them.

If you go to www.boxerworld.com and look in the BARF forum there is good info there are all natural diets. If you use the search button and type in "home cooked" you will find lots of info on natural diets as well. Do that first and let me know what you think, then if you want I can give you some more links. :)

If you are looking for a holistic vet try this link (http://www.ahvma.org/referral/index.html) . It will help you locate one close to you.

Get better soon Luna! :D

[Borgan]

Andie - thanks for the raw food idea. I've been thinking about switching for some time now, and your links were very helpful. Could you recommend the "best" book to buy?

Also, I went to the butcher yesterday and bought chicken parts - gave luna a couple of backs and she LOVED them. No apparent stomach problems and poo was normal again. However, I did watch her while she was eating and she almost choked on a chunk that wasn't chewed enough (very excited to eat). The second thing was that she tried to drag the chicken pieces on the floor to get better grasp and take them around the house with her:) I understand why she would do that, but I don't think it's very sanitary to have raw chicken being dragged around the house (too cold & rainy to feed outside). Any suggestions?

Roosje - I'm assuming that the syrup you gave Dot only had natural medicinal element...is there any danger in giving them human cough syrup? How much would you give?

Thanks again!!!!!!

[MyRocky]

When Rocky had KC I gave him human cough syrup. This was before I was into the all natural stuff. I gave him Children's cough syrup *without* expectorant. You have to make sure it is without, I don't know the specifics of why on that though. Try the honey first, if that doesn't work I would move on to the human. I would stick with the 2 teaspoon amount.

I feed Rocky his food on a towel in my kitchen. I just dump his chicken on it and he eats it there. When Luna starts to take the chicken off the towel you can say "ah ah" and then redirect her back to the towel. She will pick that up in no time. Then I just throw the towel in with my bleach stuff when I do laundry. You can also feed out of a bowl, some people do that as well.

I recommend all of Dr. Billinghurst's books on raw. However there is one that is awesome for newbies as it is easy to read and simple to understand. It is called Switching to Raw (http://www.switchingtoraw.com/) . It is a very good book and should ship to you quickly.

[Carolyn]

A friend of mine who is switching her Frenchie and two cats to raw diet shared with me a book about raw diets. It's kind of a "raw for dummies" kind of book. It is:

The Ultimate Diet by Kymythy Schultz

Hope this is helpful. And I hope your pup is better by now. Keep us posted. Carolyn

[Borgan]

Hi All,

Luna's cold has disappeared! Yay! Started feeding her the raw (BARF) diet and it helped...

however...her poo was solid for about a day (the first day of the new food), and then last night and this morning, it was not solid at all:( Infact, it's worse than before.

I have a book by Ian Billinghurst I'm trying to follow, but I'm finding it confusing when it comes to amounts and types of meat to feed - I might have given her too much/the wrong kind of meat, but I'm not sure (fed 2 chicken necks, 1 thigh and ground beef yesterday, plus kelp and omega 3 oil). Could it be that she's adjusting or detoxing? Andie, what would you give a 17lb, active dog in a day? How do I know what are the best meats to feed? The book recommends to vary the types of meat daily, but not being a meat eater myself, I'm not sure what's available...

Thanks so much, everybody.

~ Brooke.

[MyRocky]

Was the stool just liquid or was it covered in mucous?

Dr. B's book is hard to follow and is very dry reading. Try the "Switching to Raw" book by Sue Johnson, it is excellent!

Here is a link that has a BARF calculator that will tell you how much you should be feeding.

http://haretoday.tripod.com/rawinfo.html

It will take about a month or so and you will notice either Luna gaining weight, losing weight, or staying the same. If she gains, adjust the amounts to less, if she loses you'll have to give a little more.

The key is variety over time, so you don't have to give different meats every day. Rocky only gets chicken wings as his RMBs because that is all I can get. I vary his veggies and do give him red meat.

Start out slow, feeding the necks for a few weeks (1-2 weeks) then add in some mild veggies such as carrots/celery/lettuce. Then once the adjustment has gone smoothly you can start branching out. Right now I would stick with the necks as they are easier to get used to, whereas the thigh bones can be a little rougher. :) Make sure the bones are room temp, cold bones (straight from the fridge) are a little tougher and can cause the jaw to be a little sore.

That was a lot of meat for one day so it could be why she has the runs. If the runs are really liquid and not mucus, you can try feeding the necks for one meal (1 chicken neck is about 1/8 of a pound, so 2 necks is 1/4 pound) and then some oatmeal for the second meal. About one serving. :)

If you send me a PM with your email addy, I can send you some links for raw groups and links with BARF information. :)

[Borgan]

Musta been the beef. Luna is fine now - and in good spirits;)
Think I will stick with the chicken parts.

Again, thanks for all your help!

- Brooke.

ps. Took Luna to my Nana's old people's place and they thought she was
a cat, even after I insisted otherwise. My dog comes to "Here kitty kitty!", apparently.