Smitten4Kim

Thanks Allie!! What helpful suggestions! I agree...better off with natural things. The wet wash rag helped a bit. Will do the things you listed. Thanks again!

Thanks Julie. We have lots of teething toys for her, but I was thinking along the lines of Tylenol, aspirin, etc...I couldn't remember which was ok'd for dogs. Poor lil thing is just miserable & I thought maybe something in the way of an analgesic might help her to feel better. She is enjoying having her gums massaged, and I',m putting a wet wash cloth in the freezer now.

Hi all. Does anyone have any 'safe' suggestions for teething discomfort? Kim is now 4 1/2 mths old, has begun losing her baby teeth, and is just miserable today. Thanks!!

Ok, I may be naive hee, but how do you know when you dog has a UTI? I am nurse and know when people do, but am clueless about dogs as they can't tell me it burns. Kim, 12 wks now, seems to go frequently (like most puppies)...but doesn't always seem to empty her bladder fully the first time and goes again maybe 5 min later. Is this normal, or something I should watch? When she goes on her pad in the night I have not noted an odor. Thanks...

Hope all turns out well, deafbat! When my dog was just 3 mths old, she did the same thing. I thought she was able to handle the vigorous 'play' she was indulging in but apparently not. Came in the house with back right leg limping. I palpated every aspect of her tiny body and could find nothing wrong, and never got anything more than licks. Ugh! Bad mom. What guilt. Off to the vet immediatly as I was sure I had killed her but didn't know how! My vet is fabulous...gave her a complete thorough body massage, focusing on the injured leg and said it was a pulled ligament, probably groin which ran down into the affected leg, and it would heal with time and rest. We didn't get xrays as I trusted his diagnosis. He was right...time and rest cured the gimp. And funny, my 8 wk old BC, did the very same thing last wk (3rd day with me!) chasing the 1 yr old. I did the massage myself, which she loved, and made her 'chill' for awhile. I believe she is cured as well. Sure does scare you tho. Prayers are with you and your pup for a speedy recovery!

Hi all. I discussed this topic with my vet about a yr ago when my older dog showed an interest in them. Told they were non-digestable, sit in the stomach when finally swallowed whole, and produce increased stomach acid. I tried them anyways and found she indeed swallowed them, many times wayyy too big which scared me cause she choked, and usually threw them up. Some dogs do fine with them, but not mine. pig hoofs are better I am told, and of course nyla bones. karyn

Hi all. I just wanted to share my experience over the past 2 days with you...with off-leash practice...because your information has proved to be so valuable. My 1 yr old (not a BC, sorry!) has been learning off-leash in a fenced in Jr High football field close to my house. She has been doing 'ok' but I just didn't trust her to bolt off when she saw another dog, a kid (she just loves kids), squirrel, etc. I realized, after reading your inputs above, I was not her 'play thing'...I was not her 'oh gosh, I want to be with you, mommy' focus. Over the past 2 days, we have spent hours in the field playing the games you all mentioned. They ALL work. Every one of them. I now see the 'I just love you so much...stop running & hiding' look in her little eyes. It is an amazing transformation. I even got her to 'stay' as a student walked by which has been very difficult for her. Maybe she just wasn't ready to fully absorb the commands or understand the importance so she is safe. She has taught me so much about patience and persistence. I wanted her to be 'ready' for when we get our new BC puppy (hopefully) in a couple of weeks. I'm not opposed to training 2 lil kids at the same time but would be a titch easier if 1 had a clue already. Thank you soooo much for the suggestions. Karyn

I fed my previous dog (who died at 15) cooked food pretty much all of his life, and of course he loved it and looked terrific. I'm not sure why this time around I went the store-bought dog food route. I really enjoyed cooking for my dog (and me). I may need to revisit this endeavor. Thank you for the info on the pups, MrSnappy. If Kim and Foster Mum like me, maybe I'll be able to pick up some of the food while I am up there. I'm assuming you can take Canadian dog food across the border?! Do they limit the amount like alcohol? (kidding) Thanks all! Karyn

Thak you all for the valuable information. SoloRiver...what do you mean by 'when you feed kibble'? I have come across that phrase several times now on this 'board' and don't have any idea what it means. Does it mean in between meals? I'm a little naive here I guess. Natural Balance seems to be a perfect fit for my lil girl I currently have. I will check out all the sites indicated above..thanx. Karyn

Wow. This is all great information I just read! I have a 1 yr old Tibetan Spaniel mix who just recently switched to Natural Balance (not puppy). I am getting a 8 wk old BC puppy in a couple weeks. Is the Innova recommended by you 'expert' BC owners? I want to do right for both of them (my 1 yr old is about 16 lbs). Thanks.