Puppy Survival thread part 4

[GooodMythicalMorning]

Puppy's getting bigger!: continuation of Bitey's thread. If anyone wants to join feel free.

I think my DH used to have that issue at first when I used to leave for work. I don’t think we did anything special for that as he eventually got used to me leaving and then would settle down with DH.

What you could do is ask them to leave the house for a few mins at a time and then just come back in without much of a fuss so he gets used to them leaving and coming back?

Feeling like a dreadful puppy owner. We have a huge ( really huge, 100lbs + of fruit huge) grape vine in the front garden. First trip out the front door and Elpup grabs a fallen grape on the doormat and downs it before I even realised what he was doing

Another first then - emergency phone call to vet followed by instant emergency appointment and poor pup is throwing up his lunch on the vets floor along with the offending grape. Seeing him so miserable was awful. He's a little quiet now but rapidly returning to -naughty- normal

He's going to have to be carried out of the front door for the next few weeks until all the fruit has gone

Elphame bloody grapes are a pain given their toxicity I am battling acorns at the moment. BiteyDog likes to grab them but so far we haven’t had any issues.

We have a huge oak tree in the back - I've been keeping him on a lead to try and stop him sampling stuff but he is a holy terror. I've picked all the deadly nightshade berries but no way can I get all the grapes - can't reach most of them and as for the acorns.

If the pup survives the autumn it'll be a miracle

Elphame BiteyDog used to eat all of the decorative stones in the garden. We cordoned off a piece of grass and the little sod used to dig up the grass to get to the stones in the soil. It’s as if they see something that could injure and harm them and think yum

PizzaPup eats everything in sight. No wonder she gets the shits. Luckily we don't have the climate for grapes

Mine eats through actual trees!
Ear issue may be treat related. Um I've ordered a dehydrator! Now to figure out how the hell to dehydrate chunks of liver for training!

Until we got Fillypup it never occurred to me that having 2 massive yew trees laden with berries overhanging our back garden might be an issue...

We spent the first two weeks terrified he was going to eat the berries (which are also super sweet and sticky) and then drop dead on the spot. Googled it loads. Bought a bloody useless leaf blower to try and clear them up. Raked a shitload. Panicked every time he went near the back of the garden. Dealt with kids panicking every time he was chewing something outside....

Eventually realised there was naff all we could do (keeping him inside or fencing off garden both not an option) so we would have to hope and pray. So far, we are ok, but I'll be glad when berry season is over for this year.

Just a few more grey hairs meanwhile

Overall he's doing great though, although brushing and cleaning him takes bloody hours every day. Even so, I love it when he's all fluffy. Dh still hates having a dog but can see how much the rest of us love it so is coping (just...!). He was even quiet in his crate for an hour this afternoon in an empty house

Happy birthday Wolfie - hope you're feeling better soon! And well done Pizzapup 😀

And welcome all new pups! We've got a harness which is great as I don't feel like I'm choking Fillypup when I tug him away from "interesting" stuff on our walks!

I had no idea acorns were poisonous Oak trees aren't as common in Australia so hopefully not much of an issue.

Wolfie you might as well start up your own dog trat business with the effort you're making

I can relate to the worry and grey hairs. Picked up Bluepuppy from daycare last night and he seemed fine. After tea he was limping and holding his back leg up. Of course my mind went to worst case scenario of cruciate ligament damage and visions of huge vet bills ( yes I need to get insurance) and weeks of crate rest. He seems pretty much back to normal this morning

Glad your pup is okay Elphame.

Wolfie. I dehydrated in the oven as it was quicker. I have a dehydrator and used it a few years ago for jerky etc and it took a good 10 hours to dry and if I put liver in there for 10 hours then pizzapup would probably eat my whole dehydrator. Do they think it's additives in treats?

We had a bad night as I felt I needed to keep checking on him in case he started showing symptoms. He's fine this morning though so I think all will be well. I could have done without the cat throwing up all over my duvet at 4am though so I'm short of sleep and patience this morning.

I also have yew in the garden - I'm not too worried about the berries as they are edible other than the seed in the middle which you should remove before eating.. Providing the seed isn't crushed it just passes through harmlessly and pups do tend to gulp their food. I'd still far rather he doesn't try them though.

I have plenty of plants that do worry me - I can't see myself letting him out off lead for a couple of months. I've been looking for a comprehensive list of plants that are dangerous for dogs but all the ones I've found on the internet contain such basic mistakes that I don't trust them to be accurate.

Elphame - don't feel too bad about the grape incident, we have a 7 month old Welshie who managed to barge through a baby gate and closed bedroom door to wolf down a box of chocs (dark & cocoa dusted, apparently the worst kind...). After copious induced vomming and two forcefeeds of charcoal at the vets my nerves were shredded. The ddog didn't actually seem that bothered and still lusts after chocs. This is only one of numerous disasters we've had, it's the Welshie Way of keeping us on our toes

That grape things a myth. They are not toxic to dog. Some dogs will react badly to them. My dog ate a load when he was a pup. He was fine. My vet said he's got a 15% chance of reacting so I should bring him in for observations. I said I'll save my money and observe him at home.

Vets make alot of it up to make money. I wouldnt feed my dog grapes but if he eats one by accident he's unlikely to get ill

Afternooncatnap sweeping generalisation there. My vets always try and save me money when I would happily pay because they have to run as a business to be viable.

You are right though not all dogs will react to grapes or other stuff in the same way. But I would feel awful if I just did a wait and see rather than take my vets advice and my dog died to save a few pounds.

The vet we see absolutely doesn't make things up to make money!
He's vets are a business but they would have to be pretty rubbish ones not to put animal welfare first. If you don't trust your vet then maybe find another one.

I know of a poor little dog recently that ate some grapes and nearly died! So i don't think it is worth not taking them to the vet. My vet is lovely and recently waited for us to get to ger after a vomit incident. It was her lunch break. She didn't charge us any extra. I think it is like anything in life, we all react differently.
Elphame i was exactly the same with foddy pup when he had a bout of vomiting. I just couldn't settle. The poor cat too! I hope you manage to get a bit of sleep tonight.

I think it's like a lot of things that they say are deadly to dogs it will depend on the dog. Like they say chocolate is toxic but some dogs die and some dogs don't. I think it's best to err on the side of caution and it's wise for them to saw that the likes of grapes are toxic so people are aware and are very cautious.

I am pretty sure most vets become vets to help the animals, not to make tonnes of money.

The grape thing is absolutely not a myth and it's dangerous to suggest it is. There are plenty of studies available online documenting many cases of acute renal failure developing in dogs after ingesting sometimes very small amounts of grapes/raisins/etc.

Exactly what causes the reaction, why some dogs react whilst others don't and why the severity of the reaction is not dependant upon the amount of grapes/raisins consumed isn't understood but it's very clear that they can be extremely dangerous.

Given the outcome for a lot of dogs who do develop symptoms after ingesting grapes I think paying for a consultation, even an emergency one, and inducing vomiting in a dog who has eaten some is vastly preferable to taking a chance and hoping they're going to be one of the lucky ones who doesn't have a problem.

Afternooncatnap if you have so little faith in your vets I'd suggest finding a new one.

Cornflake I sometimes wonder if you're my vet!
I wouldn't play Russian roulette with my dog and a potential poison. And I wouldn't want to try and transport a REALLY sick dog to the vets and hope I made it in time.

Cautiously joining. We pick up our pup on Saturday.

Has anyone ever used a snugglepuppy? They're so pricey.

Hi passme don't be cautious. All lovely and supportive here.
I didn't and wouldn't use one. My pup would've eaten it! I slept near her and we used vet fleece as a warm bed. Easily washable.
What puppy are you getting?

My pup would rip one of those snugglepuppies to shreds! He's already made a hole in his bed after 3 nights.

I don't know what to think about the grape thing. I've been looking on the net and I'm struggling to find anything that isn't just anecdotal. I'm sort of wondering that the grapes are a bit of a red herring and the real problem is a dog finding a dropped paracetamol tablet or similar and the grape just being a coincidence. That there is no apparent correlation between dosage, dog size age and breed and no toxin found in grapes that should have this effect just does not make sense.

On balance though I'd still rush him to the vet as I'd never forgive myself if I didnt and he was poisoned

Had new carpet laid ready for baby arrival in November. Puppy chewed the bottom step so I Sat on the floor and cried lmao

So my 4mo doesn't really chew stuff. He will have a good go at a chew stick or sometimes a toy but nothing else. He is teething so I was expecting more.

Should I breathe a sigh of relief or is there still a chance he will become a chew monster?

I think some breeds are chewier than others! What is he? I have a terrier and they are notorious so I was expecting it.

Favourite at the moment is my fitbit strap and my howlite bead bracelet - much more popular than all his lovely chew toys!