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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

We just got our new lab pup!

66 replies

maxybrown · 12/12/2010 10:38

Just wanted to say Hello as we are so excited!

He is being such a good boy and already a very welcome addition to the family Smile

He is 9 weeks and we've called him Casper

Pics on profile (in a minute!)

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daisydotandgertie · 13/12/2010 23:38

The Iams website says 210g per day as a guide for your pup.

I'd divide it into three or four small meals a day and see how he grows. Puppies do almost inhale their food, but as long as you get a good rate of growth - our current lab puppy is putting on about a kg a week - and their poos remain firm you are feeding about the right amount.

Each food is different and has different quantities of protein etc, so check the website of whichever you choose to feed, they all have good clear information on.

maxybrown · 13/12/2010 23:57

His poo has been a bit looser today i noticed? Hmm.

Ok why am I beng thick and can't find that on Iams? Thanks though! I searched and searched on there yesterday

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maxybrown · 13/12/2010 23:58

and first ingredient, Maize - not good really?

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maxybrown · 13/12/2010 23:58

Thanks for that link!

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daisydotandgertie · 14/12/2010 07:49

Well to be honest, I wouldn't feed Iams to anything. Not only do I disagree with their research methods (barbaric, horrible and cruel), I don't think the food is very good quality. I also don't agree that a specialised 'puppy' food is necessarily a good thing.

I feed our girls (3 labs - 10yrs, 5yrs and 5 months) on Burns food - it's expensive, but good quality without lots of cheap, hard to digest filler and additives. There are lots of other good quality foods out there too - James Wellbeloved, Pets at Home do a brand called Wainwrights which has good reviews - see here for more.

Dedicated puppy food has very high levels of protein and fat in it - some with protein as high as 30% - which are there to promote growth. And that growth can be very fast with that much food going in.

I have chosen to feed a lower rate food to my girls so they grow at what I think is a more natural rate (puppy food is a new, new thing - and def doesn't exist in the wild), giving them chance to build up supporting muscle around their delicate bones and joints. I worry a lot about fast and sudden growth and the longterm effect on joints and as I work my dogs healthy joints are very important indeed!

I know not everyone will agree with my views, but I am a bit -sad-- evangelical about the food I put into my girls.

Your gorgeous new puppy will probably have Mr Whippy Poo for a week or so as he adjusts to the mammoth change he's had - but keep an eye on it after that and it'll give you a good idea about how easy he's finding it to digest the food.

Also - does he really honk? That can also result from poor quality food - I can smell a dog that eats Bakers Complete from miles away! A soothing bath with gentle dog shampoo in a couple of days time won't hurt.

Hope you got some sleep last night!

maxybrown · 14/12/2010 10:09

Thank you so much - my gut instinct over Iams has been no to be honest.

My local nice pet shop man gave me some James Wellbeloved samples - and I have to say the ingredients looked better on the back!

He is selling better, but got mild puppy shampoo.

He is good as gold atm. really really good overnight. No crying or anything.

Thanks for your help. Would it be ok to change his food over again? Need to buy something today as Iams almost gone that they gave us and would rather not continue with it tbh

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daisydotandgertie · 14/12/2010 10:56

Well. The advice is always to change food slowly - mixing a bit of the old and new together in varying proportions until it is all new food but I've never actually followed the advice Grin.

I'd change it without a second thought - none of my girls could care less what sort of food they eat.

I am envious of your peaceful night - Lily cried every time she needed a wee. And she needed many, many wees in the night.

maxybrown · 14/12/2010 13:05

ok! Heard that too!

Mixed it just now with a bit of Iams - but used bag of wellbeloved and wil buy that then as I can also get that very easily too.

Well, maybe it was better she cried when she needed a wee? He has had one wee and 2 little poos overnight. sleeping well in his box at the minute Xmas Grin

Thank you so much for your help. At the vets tomorrow evening!

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daisydotandgertie · 14/12/2010 19:37

It was fabulous she cried when she needed a wee - but I am v glad it was the summer when she was tiny. I wouldn't fancy standing outside in my wellies and nightie in this weather Grin.

I've put some photos of my girlies on my profile - Lily has grown so much in such a short time. Savour every minute with Casper - it'll pass so fast.

I hope the change in food doesn't upset him!

maxybrown · 14/12/2010 19:40

yeah wellies are always at the ready in this house now!

Ooh will take a peak now! He's seeming a bit more satisifed since I upped the amount too!

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maxybrown · 14/12/2010 19:41

awwwwwwwwwww gorgeous!

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jonicomelately · 14/12/2010 19:46

My I chip in and recommend a brand called 'Health Paws.' It's very natural and the ingredients list is excellent. The pet shop man said it's the best stuff he's ever sold and has had reports of dogs with behavoural problems improving. As I said, it isn't universally available but if you see it I'd recommend you use it.

maxybrown · 14/12/2010 19:53

of course - thank you will take a look Xmas Smile

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sb6699 · 14/12/2010 21:24

I use Healthy Paws for my lab as well. The quality of the food seems far superior to others.

My dog has the most beautiful coat you have ever seen and I'm sure its due to his food.

maxybrown · 14/12/2010 21:38

well can't bloomin decide now! Depends what we can get easily too I guess Hmm

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minimu1 · 15/12/2010 08:32

On the IAMS puppy food they say for a 9 week old puppy weighing up to 4kg 210grams spread over 4 meals.

maxybrown · 15/12/2010 09:09

hi yes thanks have seen that now! Interesting as on burns it is 50 - 100g for same dog! Big difference that

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daisydotandgertie · 15/12/2010 18:26

Burns are light on food - I have had to overfeed mine a bit to keep the weight on them, probably not helped by them being really active (they've all spent a lot of today running behind a quad although the puppy does get a fair bit of riding onboard too!)

Lily does get more food than they recommend too - not by much, but a little more than the top end of their scale. For puppy food, they recommend 20g per kg of dog and I've probably upped that to by a few grammes per kilo.

It's really down to eye and feel - and to how the dog copes with the food. Burns have got a really useful information page here which has plenty of information about dogs and their food and how it affects them. Both of my grown up girls are different too - one needs a lot more food than the other to keep weight on. At this time of year, I aim for making sure that when I feel their ribs, it feels a bit like there's a thin blanket between my fingers and their bones.

How's he doing with the change in food? No runny bum I hope. I expect he's beginning to adjust to his new home now - any glimmer of mischief yet?!

maxybrown · 15/12/2010 19:14

He just has the same Mr Whippy poo Grin but nothing any wirse certainly. Have bought some James wellbeloved as that is what I can. Vet seemed happy with that - said it was certainly a step up form Iams anyway! he said about roayl canine (is that right?)

Thanks for all your help - you have proven my most useful source out of anyone Xmas Grin

He is gorgeous - a really good boy and mischief setting in Xmas Grin

But my only child is very happy. he has very severe speech delay and it is encuraging him to have a try at saying some tricky words for him by talking to Casper. he is also so happy at the company and Casper loves to chase him too

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daisydotandgertie · 16/12/2010 18:49

Hope he's still going with Mr Whippy - it sounds as though the change of food hasn't caused him any trouble. And JWB is a good quality food, so if you can get hold of it easily and it doesn't upset him, it sounds like a brilliant food to me!

Royal Canin is a no from me - it's parent company is Mars who also make pedigree chum etc and have done a great deal of testing food on animals (dogs for dog food). I so strongly disagree with their cruel practices, I wouldn't touch it. I am also not convinced of it's quality. It's priced and sold as a premium food but I'd not rate it as that - more of a mediocre food. Vets seem to rate it because they get commission on the sales - and there's such a wide variety of types of it (breed specific, age specific, weight specific) that they must sell masses.

I am sure it would do no dog any harm to eat it - but the way they research their food production is why I'd not entertain buying it.

I'm so moved by your child's reaction to the puppy. How very fabulous. I never cease to be amazed by what dogs (specially labs) can do to and for us. They are incredible creatures. And they ask for so little in return.

It's a small miracle I only have 3 labradaughters!

maxybrown · 20/12/2010 22:13

awww thank you daisy - my son has been amazing since we had Casper, he is trying so so hard to talk and he is really really happy to have him.

He is not himself tonight though (Casper) - brought his food back up today (breakfast and lunch) and seems very hot at the minute Hmm inbeween though he has been bright and breezy but we are a bit Sad as he is obviously not quite right

Sorry bothering you for advice again!

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lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 21/12/2010 11:23

our labradoddle could not get on with dry meals at all :( he had weeks of diahorra and sickness as soon as he went back to dry food). He is now on Naturediet and been great and wind has settled a lot too Grin

He was on James well beloved too. Vet said its just one of those things.

I noticed your camper on profile, were you at Longthorns in aug?? Wink

3cutedarlings · 21/12/2010 11:27

hi maxy,

we have just got a black lad pup too Grin they same weekend as you actually, he will be 10 weeks on friday. He's our second lab although sadly my dear old girl died last may.

Hows Casper doing today has he kept his food down?

daisydotandgertie · 21/12/2010 14:28

How is he today Maxy? Sorry I didn't stop your post yesterday.

Has he kept any food down and how's his bum?

daisydotandgertie · 21/12/2010 14:34

stop?

Spot. Blush.