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Is it okay??

8 replies

thesunshinesbrightly · 13/01/2010 19:41

Is it ok to cut my new pup's nail's? they are long and keep getting caught on clothers and blanket's it's doesnt bother me but thought it may be uncomfortable for her,
as i keep having to rescue her when she get's stuck.

Also after she has been to the toilet she rubs her bum on the floor, she has being wormed and i have just wormed her again but is that a sign of worms? or is she just so clever she know's to wipe her bum after

Thankyou for any advice.

OP posts:
MrsL123 · 13/01/2010 19:52

It's good to get the pup used to getting her nails trimmed as soon as possible, as it makes things easier when they get older. I trimmed ours almost straight after we got them - they're like little needles otherwise! Just make sure to only trim a small amount off to avoid hitting the quick and making them bleed. You should only need to take the little sharp tips off though.

With regard to the bum rubbing - this could be due to blocked anal glands. Have her poos been ok? She may need a bit more fiber in her diet to bulk out her poos a bit (this helps the anal glands to empty on their own). Maybe worth a quick trip to the vet to get their opinion (they can check her glands while she's there and empty them if need be - an icky experience for all involved!).

thesunshinesbrightly · 13/01/2010 19:57

Oh that's great too hear Thankyou.

Her poo's are normal but she is going maybe twice to four time's a day, i am feeding her pedigree loaf, is there anything better i can feed her?

Thankyou for quick reply

OP posts:
MrsL123 · 13/01/2010 20:21

What age is she? They'll poo loads for the first few months - on waking and after every feed (depending on her age this will be 3 or 4 times) and at various points in between, if she's anything like ours! Our pup is 8 months now, and she has great poos but still got blocked anal glands a few months back, just a freak thing. It's never reoccured though, touch wood.

Food wise, I have to admit I don't like pedigree. After lots of trial and error (one of our dogs has a very sensitive stomach)we tried Wainwrights from pets at home and we've never looked back. It's very high quality (the wet food has at least 60% real meat - in comparison some of the pedigree stuff is only 4!) and the rest is made up of all-natural ingredients - there's no fillers like corn or wheat and nothing to cause allergies. As well as being gentle on their stomachs, it's also very concentrated. This means that you can feed less. The feeding guide says our 26kg labs should be on one tray per day, which is the same amount of food that's in just one tin of pedigree (which we'd need 4 of apparently!). So instead of 4 tins of pedigree at 50p each, they get one tray of wainwrights at 72p. The wainwrights dried food is also excellent quality. Ours would be starving if we only fed them one tray per day, so they get a bowl of the dried stuff in the morning and a tray of wet food at night (we used to split it into 4 feeds for the pup). It's important not to feed them too much as a puppy, but each puppy is different so I tend to go by eye - at the moment ours are on the perfect amount IMO (contrary to the feeding guide which says it should be halved), as they're nice and slim.

If you can, try to get her exclusively onto dried food. It's easier to do this whilst they're at that 'eat everything' stage, as they'll wolf down anything. Dried food is so much better for them than wet (you'll really see a difference in her coat and it's good for her teeth). Apart from that, it's cheaper and much easier to store! You can feel guilty at first only giving them dried food, but as long as you give them some variety they're fine. Ours have currently got four flavours of dried food in the cupboard, and they get a different one each morning. We'd like to stop giving them the wet food at night, but it's too late for us now, they would NOT be happy if we cut them off after all this time, lol!

I know people will say there are lots of foods out there even better than wainwrights, but I found them to be expensive or hard to get hold of. Wainwrights isn't the cheapest, but it's not too expensive either. And everyone's got a PAH nearby so it's easy to stock up.

HTH

Ps with the nail clipping - make sure you get the scissor type clippers or just use normal human nail clippers - the guillotine ones can trap their claws and rip them. Doggy nail files are also good if you're scared of the clippers!

thesunshinesbrightly · 13/01/2010 20:42

Yes i will try that, not a lover of ped either but that is what the breeder was feeding her.I will stock up and start weaning her onto wainrights.
She is 8 weeks old so haven't had her long and she is so tiny and eats little amount's 4 times a day, morning, afternoon, teatime and just before bed.

Yes you right about the clipper's but thought i would have to get over the fear, never thought of a nail file, good idea.

Tomorrow i will book a appointment for her at the vet's.

Thank you for your help and advice

OP posts:
MrsL123 · 13/01/2010 20:52

No problem, glad I could help

Once our dogs got a bit older and able to go out on walks, we were able to stop trimming their nails altogether. They tend to wear themselves down when they walk on the pavements (the only exception being their dew claws, which we still need to trim once in a while). So hopefully you won't need to do them too many times! If you're nervous about doing it, ask the vet to do it when you take her in. They're always happy to do it, it takes them two seconds, and it means you can see how much to take off and how to hold her

Piffle · 13/01/2010 20:55

Ask the vet nurse to show you how to clip. It is easy and once you see someone do it it is less daunting
do her toenails click on a hard floor? This means they are too long.
Dew claws def need doing regularly
I'd recommend wainwrights/burns/jameswellbeloved type biscuits.
For our girls we mix with a little naturesdiet meat and warm eater then stir the bikkies around it.

Also you can buy frozen "prize choice" meat from pet shops and this is well receieved by most dogs.

The bum wiping can be from loose stools sticking and irritating their bums
most pups that young are used to mum licking them clean still.

CountryGirl2007 · 13/01/2010 23:11

Will she be walked on concrete mainly or grass when she is older? If she goes for regular walks on concrete it should keep her nails down, but best to get her used to the clippers now anyway.

As for the food, pedigree chum is terrible quality, you'd be better off switching to a natural dried food. Orijen is the best but hills, royal canin etc. are also free from additives, it's just that they don't have a high a meat content as Orijen does.

SlartyBartFast · 13/01/2010 23:23

you can probably You tube instructions on how to.
as i did with clipping rabbits claws..

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