Re: Re: Re: [pyrnet] Senior Dogs

[kdbooth@mindspring.com]

Hi Judith,

Daisy did have whip worms, which made her quite ill, but we managed to clear that up and she was tested weekly for several weeks.  She's also on Interceptor now to ward off reinfestation.  She's also been tested for giardia.  Even so, she was treated with fenbendazole for the whips, which is supposed to be effective for giardia. Finally, she had a complete health profile which included function of the pancreas and a load of other things that I don't recall just now.  Everything was normal.  The next step would be more invasive and we're holding off on that until the need arises.  So far, the flagyl seems to be working.  She started out taking it twice a day for a week and we've slowly backed off on the dosage, fine tuning it for just what she needs to prevent intestinal distress.  I know what you mean about paying so much attention to poop; we have what we call our daily poop report.  Whoever walks the dogs reports to the other the amount and consistency (soup, mashed potatoes!
!
, rocks), and if it's anything other than rocks, we analyze what the dogs have eaten in the past 24 hours!

Right now I get Red Barn from a local pet store that specializes in natural products but I plan to start ordering it by the case.  Here's their web site: http://www.redbarndogfood.com/introduction.htm.  It's rather expensive.  The lamb and rice recipe only comes in the smaller size and costs $5.99 a roll (at one shop) to $7.00 (at another).  My dogs eat one roll a day, supplemented by the California Natural.

I'll try the yogurt and pumpkin with Daisy.  She's a rather picky eater but if she thinks Badger's getting something that she isn't, she'll eat it anyhow, even if she doesn't seem to like it!  Badger will eat anything.  He's swiped Altoids mints off the kitchen table, stole NECCO wafers out of my purse, and ate the candy canes off a decoration my daughter made at school.

Kim
 
pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org wrote:
> 

On 4 Oct 00, at 9:00, kdbooth wrote:

> Canine nutrition ... one of my favorite topics.  I tried Hund 'N Flocken
> and found that it just passed right through my pyrs ... several times a
> day in huge quantities.  Now I feed California Natural but I've also
> started a product called Red Barn.  It comes in a roll, like a bologna,
> completely natural and no fillers.  

One thing to be aware of when starting any Solid Gold Dog Food is it 
cleans out the bowel and you will see mucousy loose stools for a 
period of time.  We see this at the boarding kennels where I work.  
Usually once the bowel has been cleaned out all the dogs do well on 
it.  Depending on what food a boarder has been eating this can take a 
week or more and we see some strange things in the stool.  Golly 
never in my life did I think I'd pay so much attention to poop 
. But at a boarding kennel we are checking for critters in the 
stool also.  Where do you get the Red Barn, I have seen it at dog 
shows but not in the general market.  With your girl with the 
irritable bowel syndrome, has she been checked for parasites and 
giardia? The only problem with the stool tests are many times the 
result is a false negative and you have to keep testing.  I find a 
series of Probiotics many times helps with irritable bowel.  Also 
feeding yogurt and pumpkin can help.






Judith
jsmiller@newmex.com
Taos, New Mexico
http://home.flash.net/~pyrs/judy/judy.htm


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