Help!!

He has had trainig about dog nutriton in his 6 years of college classes.

 He reccomends this dog food because it has worked VERY WELL with his previous client's chi's.

 Thanks!

I know. I plan on having friends over, going for walks, going to the vets, and taking Possum public places to socialize her.

I dont think I will change food unless it proves to be a problem with Possum.

McDonalds is NOTHING like SD. Have you been trained by a top vet? Im sorry. I know youre trying to help but I am getting tired of people begging me to change dog food. I know you have Possum's best interests at heart and I appreciate that. But please drop the subject.

I will definetly crate train. I have the crate completly ready and set up in my living room already. She will have her puppy toys in there.

My dog wont go the bank but otherwise a lot of other places. Like to the pestore( and yes I will put her on the ground), for walks, and to the local school to play with the kiddies. lol When she is 1 yr old I will start taking her to the SMALL DOG section of the park. I would be much too scared to take her out there with all those big doggies.

Thanks!

Knee x-rays were done and they came back perfect. Eye exams and heart exams are both fine as well.

Lou the daddy is 4 yrs old and Tidbit the mommy is 3 yrs old.

No common ancestors.

Thanks!

I have no objections its just I dont think I'll have trouble.

Mechanical Angel

McDonalds is NOTHING like SD. Have you been trained by a top vet?

You don't need to be trained by a top vet to read.  All you need to do is read the list of ingredients to see that the brand you've picked is over priced and poor quality.  No one is begging you to use a different food.  They are just offering you sound advice.  What is the puppy being fed at the breeders home?  Whatever you end up feeding her, feed her what she is used to to start with, to help her settle in and avoid tummy upsets. 

Mechanical Angel

I have no objections its just I dont think I'll have trouble.

Mechanical Angel, it is hard to figure out what you are referring to when you don't quote from the post to which you are responding.

When you do a reply, the original post is in the top gray box.  At the bottom of that box, is a button marked "Quote".  I used that button to produce the initial portion of this post.

If you just click on "Quote", the entire original post will be copied into your reply.  Please avoid doing that unless the original post is very short.

If you highlight a portion of the original post and then click on "Quote", just that portion of the original post will be copied into your reply.

Mechanical Angel

No common ancestors.

Fantastic!!  How far back were the breeders able to get medical info?

Mechanical Angel

McDonalds is NOTHING like SD. Have you been trained by a top vet?

Actually, yes I have been. Several excellent vets, not just one. I have also done a ton of research on this subject, both for my dog and for my foster pups. Vets are trained in medicine - not nutrition. Why do people go to a nutritionist to find out what they need to change in their diet - not their regular doctor? Just as people have 'special' doctors, pets do too. People are trianed in different aspects of animal life - and you should really consult the experts on the topics before making brash dicisions and writing everyone off. Ask your vet what dog nutrition classes he took at vet school? I can tell you the answer - NONE. Please, check out the links that have been provided to you. Just read them over, all of them, and then make your decisions. I'm not 'begging' you to change your food - but I am 'begging' you to at least look into what you will be feeding your dog.

The reason I do not put my foster pups on the ground in the petstore is fear of them catching something. Their immune systems are not strong enough to combat the things that are on the floor at petsmart. That floor is probably one of the dirtiest places around. And I'm not one to be too picky about those types of things - but I am when it comes to my pups and petstores. My adult dog stays on the floor - as do my older pups that have had their last set of vaccines. Until then - they are off the floor.

Have you looked into getting her a kong? My pups love those - they get one (when they are older) in their crate everytime I leave for work. There are a ton of really good recipies out there in regards to what you can put in there. I feed my pups an entire meal out of their kongs.

I wouldn't take a small chi into the big dog section - but the small dog section is just fine! You don't have to wait until she's a year to go - after she gets her final set of shots (and rabies) she is set to go. Make sure you keep her on a wormer though, as the parks are filled with ickies. I have my dog on interceptor - as it does all internal parasites as well as heartworms. Flea prevention is also a must in the dog parks, some poeple even spray a bit of skin so soft on their dogs before going when the fleas are really bad.

Mechanical Angel -- "food" is always the hottest topic on ANY dogboard ... not just this one.  Asking people to 'drop' the subject -- Mechanical Angel, do you *really* want to be responsible for a whole messageboard full of people passing out from oxygen deprivation??  *grin* Trust me -- they'd have better luck NOT BREATHING than not talking about food!! 

Don't take it personally -- truly not.  It's simply because so many people have found it the key to having their dog be healthier is all.  Use what you want but do some looking around.  Your vet has *experience* - but not much nutrition from college.  They get 'used' to a food because Hills (Science Diet) and Waltham financially sponsor most of the grants and studies that vet schools participate in. 

Shoot for a chi it's easy -- I home cook for 3 dogs (totalling about 70 pounds of dog) ... and a chi would be E ... Z.  But then -- for me it's easier to tailor it to my particular dogs' needs.  Come to your own conclusions because ... YOU have made the decision, not because you feel pressured. 

 However -- do really read up on chi health issues.  It's been a somewhat abused 'breed'.  (not your breeder -- I'm talking the breed generally) -- because of the Taco Bell dog and movies where chi's were "accessories" and cutsie.  So they became over  popular and everyone let their dogs have puppies ... that means a lot of pups were born badly bred and then nice folks like you pay the price. 

Most of us do rescue in one form or another -- and after picking up after other people's mistakes you tend to get a bit vocal .... but thanks for giving us more information.  it makes it easier to help you by far!

Mechanical Angel

I know youre trying to help but I am getting tired of people begging me to change dog food.

I have nothing more to say on this subject except to ask you to bookmark the site of Monica Segal (http://www.monicasegal.com/) for possible future use.  She is a canine nutritionist and she has a page specifically on Chihuahua's.

Mechanical Angel

I have the crate completly ready and set up in my living room already.

You may find that (at least initially) Possum will sleep better when she is close to you at eye level.  Lots of forum members have said that this has really helped them to get some sleep.    Will the breeder have Possum sleeping alone in a crate before she comes to your home?

A small towel that the mother and littermates have slept on will also help Possum to sleep.  If you put the towel in a mesh bag and hang it from the side of Possum's crate, the towel will stay cleaner.

A SnugglePuppie (stuffed animal) would also help by providing a heartbeat sound.  Most stores are out-of-stock right now, but the manufacturer's site (http://www.snugglepuppie.com/) says that they should be restocked in May.  SitStay is one of the sites that carries them.

The SnugglePuppie uses 20-hour disposable heater packs to provide warmth, so personally I would rather provide heat using a Snuggle Safe Microwave Heatpad (a disc) which can be used repeatedly.  Dog.com is one of the sites that carries it.  Take a look at the reviews there.  One Chihuahua breeder says she uses them for her adults, too.

Of course, one could also go with a ticking clock and a hot water bottle.

Mechanical Angel

My dog wont go the bank but otherwise a lot of other places. Like to the pestore( and yes I will put her on the ground), for walks, and to the local school to play with the kiddies.

Frankly, I am absolutely paranoid about Parvo.  It can survive in homes up to a year and in soil up to two years.  It takes a 1:10 bleach solution to kill it.  Clothes from a home with Parvo can carry it since Parvo is not killed by detergent.  The dirt on shoes and paws can carry Parvo. 

All vet clinics should be considered contaminated with Parvo.  They try hard, but it is just about impossible to remove every bit of Parvo from the clinic if they have even one sick pup per year.  The hands, feet, and clothes of the owners can spread Parvo in the clinic.

Until after Possum completed her puppy shots (if she were mine),

• Her feet would not touch soil that I wasn't sure of.
• She would touch nothing at the vet's office, except a towel (bleached afterwards) I brought from home and the vet's hands.
• I would touch as little as possible at the vets (doors, chairs, counters, etc.) and the soles of my shoes would be bleached before I entered my home.
• Walks would be largely confined to concrete.
• Petstore floors would be off limits (too much f*e*c*e*s and urine - fresh and in corners).
• Everyone would have to wash their hands before handling the pup.

The puppy shots do not gradually give immunity.  All of the shots are useless except for the first shot after the mother's immunity wears off.

janet_rose

A SnugglePuppie (stuffed animal) would also help by providing a heartbeat sound. 

I use one of the old-fashion ticking alarm clocks for my pups. I put it under a large teddy bear that I have - in the back corner of the crate. Puppies snuggle up to it immediatly - and sooths the crying and whining. A towel from the mother is an excellent idea as well. I also find that puppies like YOUR sent as well- mine always sleep in the pile of dirty clothes in the corner - and for the first night or two I put in a shirt that I wore in the crate, next to their bear. This stuff can work magic on little pups.

janet_rose

A SnugglePuppie (stuffed animal) would also help by providing a heartbeat sound. 

I use one of the old-fashion ticking alarm clocks for my pups. I put it under a large teddy bear that I have - in the back corner of the crate. Puppies snuggle up to it immediatly - and sooths the crying and whining. A towel from the mother is an excellent idea as well. I also find that puppies like YOUR sent as well- mine always sleep in the pile of dirty clothes in the corner - and for the first night or two I put in a shirt that I wore in the crate, next to their bear. This stuff can work magic on little pups.

erica1989

janet_rose

A SnugglePuppie (stuffed animal) would also help by providing a heartbeat sound. 

I use one of the old-fashion ticking alarm clocks for my pups. I put it under a large teddy bear that I have - in the back corner of the crate. Puppies snuggle up to it immediatly - and sooths the crying and whining. A towel from the mother is an excellent idea as well. I also find that puppies like YOUR sent as well- mine always sleep in the pile of dirty clothes in the corner - and for the first night or two I put in a shirt that I wore in the crate, next to their bear. This stuff can work magic on little pups.

This is virtually the same as what I do - a worn shirt of mine, bedding from the breeder, a warm water bottle, wquiet ticking clock and teddy bear and I let the pup sleep in the crate near to me at first.  I never have sleepless nights.  I strogly believe in giving the pup this kind of reassurance when you bring them home - to ignore a crying pup is not in me and I think it borders on cruelty to be honest.