New puppy

[Rockdiamond]

We need to arrange a play date. Bunny would be crazy for him. You don't mind coming to Texas, do you?

We’ll be there with bells on!!! Hehehe
I totally get it to. Cole does like to follow me around at times

 

[Rockdiamond]

Your dose of Cole

 

[lyra]

He looks so chill. Is he? Or is he boundless energy?

 

[Rockdiamond]

He looks so chill. Is he? Or is he boundless energy?

Let’s see…. 12:02 sleepy puppy. 12:04 puppy bounces off the walls!!!!!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi Puppy lovers…
I’m stressed. Cole is still itching a lot. The vet can’t conclusively say it’s mites. We gave him Advanix and today the vet gave covertrus and Revolution.
Live and learn…. It turns out the place we got him- the breeder- is a puppy mill.
We feel so bad for the little guy. His belly is a mess.
The breeder says washing him with Dawn dish soap will work.
I’m dubious. The vet said it won’t hurt him but doubts it will help a lot.
Any thoughts?

 

[Garnetgirl]

I thought Dawn dish soap was for cleaning diamonds

Seriously, though, I hope you can get to the root of Cole’s itching soon. Good luck with your adorable pup @Rockdiamond

 

[LightBright]

Yes, we are... it's a dry food (embarrassed I don't remember the name... yellow bag... Purina puppy?)
About the local vet....once one starts doing even a little research, the negative reviews abound...I had posted a question on Facebook... my buddy let me know that the Vet has people posting positive stuff to counter all the true reviews.
The place we ended up going with was just wonderful.
The Vet and techs were gentle, and compassionate. The upfront payment is only for new patients.
We learned a lot.
She felt around and counted...One, two...... That's two balls- he's got'em both!
First thing we learned, you can't neuter a pup Cole's age.
Neutering is not a small deal....between $850-$1200...not that the money is the main issue....I just hate to think of my little guy getting cut.
We'll also have to microchip him ( $122)

They gave us meds for potential mites ( the Vet could not find one, but they're fast)
He'll need a series of shots...it's all good.....not complaining in any way.
I'm hoping we don;t have to do the doggie dermatologist- I really don't love giving him meds....

Regarding neutering, there are studies done on what’s the best time to neuter certain breeds of dogs. Apparently some breeds have fewer health issues if neutered at a certain time, etc. This study was done at a reputable vet school.

Frontiers | Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence

Neutering (including spaying) of male and female dogs in the first year after birth has become routine in the U.S. and much of Europe, but recent research re...

www.frontiersin.org

 

[LightBright]

Regarding mites, apparently Dawn Ultra works for mites, and olive oil does too. Get proper application advice. This link below recommends mayonnaise and diluted apple cider vinegar. Smothering the lice, combing them out or killing them is key.

Dog Mange (Less Popular)

Demodectic mange is normally cured by your dog's immune system, but sarcoptic mange is highly contagious. Stop the itching and get a cure for mange in dogs!

www.earthclinic.com

Combing through all the hair regularly with a special comb along with treatments reduces the infestation.

Google has some remedies, but check with your vet before doing anything. Note some dog breeds are allergic to ivermectin they can’t metabolize it, and that is used in some mite treatments. So Please be sure it’s safe for your dog before applying anything topically. Always Consult vet.

I wonder if a local groomer can help you? If you Google “natural product dog groomer” maybe you could get some help on this. Maybe the groomer can do the “first pass”.

Good luck. He’s a beautiful puppy!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thank you so much @LightBright
The visit today at the vet...
She recommended a pet shampoo with oatmeal. When I asked about brushing, she was like, sure, why not. He applied Covetrus
I guess knowledge is not necessarily always in one spot.....she's compassionate- but maybe I need a broader base of advice.
But you mentioning Dawn Ultra kind of validates what the breeder said- so maybe it's not all that off the wall. I can't thank you enough for sharing

This has been a real learning experience.
Trying to adopt a young pup in NY State has gotten very difficult- NY State outlawed the sale of puppies and kittens late last year.
That's why we started looking online.
The site on which we found Cole seemed so nice- all the puppies were photographed on the grass.
When we got there, after a 4 hour drive...it was indeed a lovely farm.
But the puppies are in a garage with a cement floor, fenced in kennels.
Cole and his three siblings in one pen- and probably another 10 puppies on other pens..
When you're looking that little guy in the eye....I could not leave without Cole. My boys would never have forgiven me.
Now I'm trying to decide how to deal with the breeder.
He has all positive Google reviews.
Who needs negativity, but posting my experience might warn away others.....


Most of all we want our baby to be ok!!!
Seeing him so itchy and uncomfortable hurts all of us.....

 

[Lookinagain]

Seeing him so itchy and uncomfortable hurts all of us.....

Have you tried changing his food? I really would try that that first. I know you are giving him the same as the breeder, but if he's from a puppy mill type of place, the breeder may just give the puppies something that isn't expensive. You have to transition food slowly. Mixing some with the old for a few days. Since beef, chicken and dairy are the most common foods that cause allergies, perhaps try a salmon based food of high quality. There are also prescription foods (my dog is on one for tummy issues) but you may not need to go that route. Making food yourself is an option, but time consuming, and if you don't know if what is bothering him is a food allergy, you wouldn't know what to avoid anyway. I'd start with a high quality kibble or canned food that is salmon based, or try turkey. If the first doesn't work, try the other. If changing the food doesn't work, then yes, go to a doggie dermatologist and they can probably do some testing. No recommendations for dealing with the breeder. I'm sure you don't want to give him back (at least I hope that you don't). But you could certainly ask if any of the other puppies are itchy. Good luck and I hope you can figure this out quickly. It is so hard seeing our babies uncomfortable.

 

[Rockdiamond]

You guys are a- freaking mazing. Thank you!!! Definitely NOT bringing Cole back to that “farm”
The breeder gave us a new bag of iam’s puppy chicken
Once a day Blue for Puppy mixed with the dry food.
He went from 9 pounds up to 12.5 in two weeks- that’s good….

 

[Lookinagain]

You guys are a- freaking mazing. Thank you!!! Definitely NOT bringing Cole back to that “farm”
The breeder gave us a new bag of iam’s puppy chicken
Once a day Blue for Puppy mixed with the dry food.
He went from 9 pounds up to 12.5 in two weeks- that’s good….

He may like the food, but he could still be allergic to one of the ingredients. My dog will eat anything, but he can't because then he has "gastro" problems. So I stick with the prescription food. Try the salmon first and see what happens. Turkey and lamb does bother some dogs which is why I'm saying to try the fish first. Maybe even one that says it's "limited ingredients" so there's not a lot of fillers. I think they make salmon and sweet potato foods. That would be my suggestion.

 

[lyra]

Well, we're having a major issue with food too. Might have to take Bear to the vet for the 5th time. Takes quite a while to get a pup's gut biome set up properly. We had to do a week of just rice and chicken. That went fine. Transitioned him back to his puppy food slowly but suddenly it was a real bad day yesterday! Has your puppy had his dewormer? Ours is called Interceptor. Bear also had his June Advantix--you have to do it every month.

About shampoo, I prefer Burt's Bee 2 in 1. Very gentle. But our puppy also blew his undercoat, which also had him itching a lot. BTW, back in our show dog days what everyone used was dish detergent and a bit of vinegar. So it's fine to use that. Edit: brushing really helped the itching (although he does get bathed too every 1-2 weeks). It pulled out the undercoat which seemed to be an issue. Now he looks naked but his actual adult hair is growing in fine.

 

[Calliecake]

@Rockdiamonds, Our maltipoo had many months of stomach issues when she was a puppy. Chicken and rice was all her stomach would tolerate. The vet said she definitely had food allergies. After months of trying food, Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D for Food Sensitivities is the only food that worked for her. I buy it at the vet. She’s been eating it for over 14 years now. Her only treats are raw carrots.

You might want to give Hill Prescription Diet Z/D a try for Cole.

 

[lyra]

At the vet today, we were given a dual biotiic liquid to help aid Bear's stomach issues, plus royal canin digestive dry dog food. As for the itching the vet wasn't concerned. She said growing. puppies have growing skin (stretching) so it happens. Plus all the coat changes puppies go through. Hope that helps. Edit: she also mentioned that all the vaccines and dewormer can give upset stomachs. Bear is at the vet on average once a week! He cuddles the vet now.

 

[Rockdiamond]

From a digestive standpoint we seem to be ok. He gained 20% body weight in two weeks and his poop seems to be the way it should ( no diarrhea)
Sometimes he doesn’t show much interest in the dry food. But when we add some canned, he eats it up.
Of course if it’s allergies then this all might be irrelevant

 

[Rockdiamond]

Bear is at the vet on average once a week!

Wow....I hope you have insurance
Yesterday the vet gave him Revolution K9
Then told us something kinda weird....we should not touch his back....for 3 days.
I had stepped out of the room for a moment ( he also got a shot, could not bear to watch that)
But I could tell she'd applied something to his back
I could understand a few hours- but 3 days?
How do you NOT touch the back of a puppy for 3 days????

 

[Rebel Rebel]

Congrats on your new pup. I've only been able to read here & there.

FWIW, I suggest you speak with your veterinarian about slow transition to a healthy kibble. Our new pup was started with Royal Canin puppy size, and we transitioned into medium size. It's a good quality food. That said, there are others, too.

For insurance, I went with my breeder's recommendation and signed up for fetchpet.com (not personally involved with this company).

There are many insurance companies, but I've been happy with my choice so far. It's all online, and they are responsive.

I also recommend Symparico Trio. It's prescription, but Chewy will contact your vet and ship to your home. Hope this helps!

 

[lyra]

We don't have insurance, lol. If Revolution is like Advantiix, they just want it to fully dry into his skin. It can take up to 3 days. Bear is small, so he had the same amt. but put in. 3 places. Yeah, it was tough. We do it every month.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I'm trying our Blue - a salmon-based puppy size kibble.....started mixing it in with the IAMs today.....

I've heard that Blue is a recommended brand....argh so many choices...
Diamonds are so easy....

 

[SparklieBug]

Diamonds are so easy....

Laughing with you...Even if you're not laughing just yet.

 

[Lookinagain]

I can't imagine not touching my dogs back for 3 days. And this happens every month? Aren't there other options? I give my dog pills. One for heartworm, one for fleas, ticks, etc. So far so good for all the dogs that I've had.

 

[lyra]

I don't know about the US but Canada will have the. pill soon. There probably is a pill there. We have to be extra careful because I have a bird although one of the pesticides used iis also used for bird mites. My youngest daughter works for the company that makes certain OTC pet meds and vet meds.