106
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Mystery dog breed
« on: September 26, 2007, 12:37:14 pm »
oh, sorry, I meant the one in the pictures below! and you're right, that is a bernese- he's my puppy Sammy!
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107
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Mystery dog breed
« on: September 26, 2007, 12:34:10 pm »
oh, and he had a docked tail.
108
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Mystery dog breed
« on: September 26, 2007, 12:32:49 pm »
Does anyone know what kind of pup this is? He was at our puppy class, but I didn't get a chance to ask his owner about him. He's black all over with brown flecks throughout, and pretty tall and slim but I thought perhaps not a dane pup. But I don't really know!
109
Treatment & Preventative Meds / Re: Leptospirosis
« on: September 24, 2007, 07:16:53 pm »
do you mean not recommended in the sense that I should actively try to avoid this vaccine? because they do encourage it in france, as it's evidently a problem here. But is there something bad about this vaccine?
110
Food Discussion & Information / Re: Butter almost stops gaining weight@8mo
« on: September 24, 2007, 04:40:31 pm »
My puppy was having yellowish eye discharge too, and it seems to have improved with eyedrops the vet gave us to treat conjunctivitis . Not sure if your pup has the same thing, but the eyedrops were pretty easy to come by, so it might be worth a shot if the discharge isn't clearing up on its own.
I don't know about the weight thing, though. Good luck!
I don't know about the weight thing, though. Good luck!
111
Monthly Photo Contests / Re: VOTE HERE for the September Photo Contest
« on: September 24, 2007, 04:35:26 pm »
I LOVE the pic of Cirra at Sea Dog!! I went to Bowdoin, and have definitely spent some quality time at the Sea Dog! And I really think that Maine is the thing I miss the most while I'm over here in France. And maybe my parents, hmm, I should say that!
Do you live in the Brunswick/Topsham area? Or just visiting?
Do you live in the Brunswick/Topsham area? Or just visiting?
112
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Could it be allergies?
« on: September 24, 2007, 03:36:00 pm »
little update: I just got a good look at Sammy's eyes, as he's tired and being a little less ornery than usual about me poking around at his eyes. It's not really the whites that are red, but that membrane (the second lid thing?)that is red. Maybe this is supposed to be red, I'm not sure, but it's covering up all the whites of his eyes, so it's making them look red. Should I be able to see this much of this membrane?
113
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Could it be allergies?
« on: September 23, 2007, 07:33:07 pm »
Sammy has had red eyes for five days or so now. At first, he was getting a lot of yucky crud in his eyes too, kind of greenish/yellowish and thick, and I took him to the vet, who checked his eyes out for scratches or anything to the cornea (no, thank goodness) and said he has conjunctivitis, and gave me drops to put in. The drops might have helped a bit- there's no crud anymore, but the eyes are still pretty red, and he's rubbing them some, and then today he's been sneezing all day. Do you think he could just have allergies? If so, can I treat that somehow? I'd like to avoid another vet visit if I can!
114
Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions / Re: Welcome Sammy, my new puppy!
« on: September 16, 2007, 06:17:58 pm »
here's a few more pics, from puppy class!
115
Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions / Re: Second question- puppy food
« on: September 16, 2007, 06:11:50 pm »
I've looked at those posts in the food forum, and sadly, don't think I have access to many of those. The ones that seem to have a happy following- solid gold, california naturals (which a friend with a Berner uses and loves), canidae, wysong-- all of these are as far as I can tell not available in this part of France.
The "best" foods I've seen in my searching are definitely these Nutro Choice ones- I don't know if that is the same as the Nutro Natural kibble I saw discussed in the food forum. Other brands I can get here include Royal Canin, various Pedigree types, ProPlan and Hills Science Plan. Interesting thing I've noticed is that even brands that you can get here as well as in the States don't necessarily have the same names here, or the same ingredients! mysterious.
The "best" foods I've seen in my searching are definitely these Nutro Choice ones- I don't know if that is the same as the Nutro Natural kibble I saw discussed in the food forum. Other brands I can get here include Royal Canin, various Pedigree types, ProPlan and Hills Science Plan. Interesting thing I've noticed is that even brands that you can get here as well as in the States don't necessarily have the same names here, or the same ingredients! mysterious.
116
Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions / Re: Welcome Sammy, my new puppy!
« on: September 16, 2007, 05:49:01 pm »
Thank you for all the advice! Even just after two weeks at his new home, I see a major change in Sammy's willingness to go out for walks. He still doesn't want to go out all morning or anything, but he's much less hesitant to leave the house, and he really enjoys being out in the streets- so much to smell! So many people who love him! So many nasty little things to try to eat if Sadie stops looking for even a second!
As for the stairs, I am definitely planning to carry him for as long as I possibly can. Unfortunately, this may only be a few more months, but perhaps I'll get stronger as I continue to carry an ever-heavier pup! It's like a weight program that grows with me as I get stronger!
As for the stairs, I am definitely planning to carry him for as long as I possibly can. Unfortunately, this may only be a few more months, but perhaps I'll get stronger as I continue to carry an ever-heavier pup! It's like a weight program that grows with me as I get stronger!
117
Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions / Re: Second question- puppy food
« on: September 16, 2007, 05:41:35 pm »
This is interesting, I didn't know that about the lamb. I have to admit, in addition to the puppy food, we've made up a little tupperware full of cooked beef and carrots- just ground beef and carrots cooked together, nothing fancy- and I've been giving Sammy a couple spoonfuls of this along with his puppy food. I was under the mistaken impression that the more meat, the better!
So now we have two things- on the plus side, he's not actually only eating lamb as his protein source. On the down side, his protein intake is even higher that you'd think from the amount in his puppy food, which probably means he's getting too much, then. Hmm. I may try the large-breed formula next bag, but I was really turned off by the amount of corn-product sounding things in there, and just cereals and grains in general. Am I wrong in thinking I don't like the sound of a food that lists cereals high on the ingredient list? Would you all say you prefer chicken-based foods? beef-based? some combination thereof?
Thanks!
So now we have two things- on the plus side, he's not actually only eating lamb as his protein source. On the down side, his protein intake is even higher that you'd think from the amount in his puppy food, which probably means he's getting too much, then. Hmm. I may try the large-breed formula next bag, but I was really turned off by the amount of corn-product sounding things in there, and just cereals and grains in general. Am I wrong in thinking I don't like the sound of a food that lists cereals high on the ingredient list? Would you all say you prefer chicken-based foods? beef-based? some combination thereof?
Thanks!
118
Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions / Second question- puppy food
« on: September 16, 2007, 06:54:52 pm »
before we got him, I tried hard to find a good quality food for Sam. I considered going straight to adult food after someone recommended that to me to slow growth, but ended up settling on a puppy food Nutro Choice Puppy Lamb and Rice. I chose this one because it has relatively few bad-sounding ingredients, and also because it doesn't have any corn products, which I had read are mainly used as cheap filler, and not that great for dogs. The ingredients are:
Dried Lamb Meat (min. 27%), Ground Rice (min. 26%), Rice Bran, Rice Gluten, Rice Flour, Beet Pulp, Poultry fat, Sunflower oil, Potassium Chloride, Dried Kelp, Dried Egg Product.
So my concern is, this not being a large-puppy formula, should I actually be feeding him something lower in protein? I chose this one because I LIKED the sound of high-protein, high-rice, not-a-lot-of-anything-else food. But any advice is appreciated!
Dried Lamb Meat (min. 27%), Ground Rice (min. 26%), Rice Bran, Rice Gluten, Rice Flour, Beet Pulp, Poultry fat, Sunflower oil, Potassium Chloride, Dried Kelp, Dried Egg Product.
So my concern is, this not being a large-puppy formula, should I actually be feeding him something lower in protein? I chose this one because I LIKED the sound of high-protein, high-rice, not-a-lot-of-anything-else food. But any advice is appreciated!
119
Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions / First of two questions: umbilical hernia?
« on: September 16, 2007, 06:26:26 pm »
Uhoh, I have self-diagnosed Sammy, who is ten weeks old, with an umbilical hernia. I was playing with his feet while he rested, and noticed a little lump on his belly- not even as big in diameter as a dime, and soft, under the skin. It's not discolored or anything, and a little research has me thinking it's a hernia. As far as I know, this is its first appearance, but I'm reading that can happen as the pup gains weight.
So, do you think I'm right? I put him on his back and massaged the bump some, and it mostly went away- I think whatever fluid had gotten out went back in. But should I have it repaired at this point, or wait to see what happens? The vet didn't notice this when we were in before, and I think it's a new development. It's definitely a soft bump, not hard or scar tissue-y at all, so does that mean it needs to be fixed before it gets worse?
Thanks!
So, do you think I'm right? I put him on his back and massaged the bump some, and it mostly went away- I think whatever fluid had gotten out went back in. But should I have it repaired at this point, or wait to see what happens? The vet didn't notice this when we were in before, and I think it's a new development. It's definitely a soft bump, not hard or scar tissue-y at all, so does that mean it needs to be fixed before it gets worse?
Thanks!
120
Bernese Mountain Dog Discussions / Re: Heavy Panting
« on: September 08, 2007, 11:48:01 am »
everything I have read has stressed that it is NOT a good idea to shave your dog. This article is specifically about goldens, but I'm sure it applies to others as well... The article is from Golden Retriever rescue of mid-Florida. http://www.grrmf.org/care/grooming.html.
Thinking About Shaving Your Golden Retriever?
In A Word--Don't!
Some people mistakenly believe that shaving or severely clipping their golden is a wonderful way to keep the dog cool and comfortable in warm weather. What they don't realize is that they're actually putting the dog at greater risk of health problems like skin cancer. Here's why:
A golden's coat is made up of two parts -- the long and smooth outercoat and the soft and fuzzy undercoat. These two layers work together to protect the skin from sun, heat, cold and moisture. The fur acts as an insulator BOTH against the heat and cold.
When you shave your golden, you remove all of that natural protection that he or she was born with, thereby exposing the dog to the sun's harmful rays, a risk of overheating in the summer, and more. Because they were bred to retrieve water fowl, the goldens coat also acts as a water repellant and is designed so that dirt and debris brush off easily.
We've also had applicants think that shaving their golden would help protect it against fleas and ticks, would reduce shedding and eliminate hot spots – ALL UNTRUE! The golden will still shed, fleas and ticks are better controlled with a spot-on preventive such as FrontLine, and hot spots can be controlled with a premium diet and supplements. Simply put, there is NO good reason to shave your golden on a regular basis, and you are actually harming your dog if you do so.
Thinking About Shaving Your Golden Retriever?
In A Word--Don't!
Some people mistakenly believe that shaving or severely clipping their golden is a wonderful way to keep the dog cool and comfortable in warm weather. What they don't realize is that they're actually putting the dog at greater risk of health problems like skin cancer. Here's why:
A golden's coat is made up of two parts -- the long and smooth outercoat and the soft and fuzzy undercoat. These two layers work together to protect the skin from sun, heat, cold and moisture. The fur acts as an insulator BOTH against the heat and cold.
When you shave your golden, you remove all of that natural protection that he or she was born with, thereby exposing the dog to the sun's harmful rays, a risk of overheating in the summer, and more. Because they were bred to retrieve water fowl, the goldens coat also acts as a water repellant and is designed so that dirt and debris brush off easily.
We've also had applicants think that shaving their golden would help protect it against fleas and ticks, would reduce shedding and eliminate hot spots – ALL UNTRUE! The golden will still shed, fleas and ticks are better controlled with a spot-on preventive such as FrontLine, and hot spots can be controlled with a premium diet and supplements. Simply put, there is NO good reason to shave your golden on a regular basis, and you are actually harming your dog if you do so.