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by MaggieMae on 11 May 2009 - 13:05
Well, I'm totally confused about proper feeding / vitamin supplements. My puppy is 11 weeks' old and his ears are not standing. When I got him at 8 weeks they were totally flat against the sides of his head. Now they are out further from the sides of the head and the tips are somewhat turning upward ??
Anyway, I am conflicted about adding Vit C to his diet. I am feeding Orijen Puppy; the regular Puppy - not Large Breed Puppy. A Breeder told me that people think of a German Shepherd as a Large Breed, but they are not - they are a Medium Breed dog. Great Danes / St. Bernards etc., are Large Breed dogs.
I feed him 1 cup of Orijen mixed with some cottage cheese in the morning; 1 cup mixed with a raw egg yolk for lunch; 1 cup mixed with some ground beef (approx meatball size), along with a teaspoon of Salmon Oil at dinner. I don't know if I am doing the correct feeding or not - especially after reading so many articles. Does his diet sound OK ?
Anyway, I am conflicted about adding Vit C to his diet. I am feeding Orijen Puppy; the regular Puppy - not Large Breed Puppy. A Breeder told me that people think of a German Shepherd as a Large Breed, but they are not - they are a Medium Breed dog. Great Danes / St. Bernards etc., are Large Breed dogs.
I feed him 1 cup of Orijen mixed with some cottage cheese in the morning; 1 cup mixed with a raw egg yolk for lunch; 1 cup mixed with some ground beef (approx meatball size), along with a teaspoon of Salmon Oil at dinner. I don't know if I am doing the correct feeding or not - especially after reading so many articles. Does his diet sound OK ?
by Vom Mager on 11 May 2009 - 17:05
I had the same problem and kept checking with everyone for advice. I finally got on the web site and found a great article. I used the large pink foam rollers (remove the hard plastic from inside) and applied glue(fake eyelash glue as it would not irritate the ears) to 3/4 of one side of the roller. I would place it inside toward the bottom to supply support. Then wrap the ear with surgical tape. I used the easy on/off type to keep from pulling on the ear hairs. After you get them taped you can then wrap the ears to each forming a "T" between them. Good luck. It worked for me.
by MVF on 12 May 2009 - 17:05
Wake up Maggie, I think I've got something to say to you.
You are steering away from large breed puppy food -- but the reason people do is to avoid excessive early growth and accumulation of calcium in joints -- what is left over after calcium is used for bone growth.
But your supplements, lovingly intended (lucky puppy!), are going to promote a lot of growth, anyway. And the calcium the pup is getting in the cottage cheese is more than supplanting the calcium the pup is not getting in the large breed puppy food. So you have fully counteracted the point of using regular puppy food -- although I don't agree with your vet in the first place, so I am not worried.
All that great food cannot really be bad for the puppy (although you will have dogs like mine who expect gourmet food for life). But there are two biggies you need to watch out for -- (1) an imbalance of Ca and P AND (2) diarrhea.
This website should help you with the first. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2&aid=652
You can see that Ca:P should be almost equal (6 parts Calcium to 5 parts Phosphorous.)
People who add meat only are adding too much P relative to Ca. People who had cottage cheese only are adding too much Ca relative to P.
I think you should not dollop out the cottage cheese in the AM and the red meat in the PM, but serve them both, and in smaller servings, at both meals, for balance. At 11 weeks he should weigh between 19-26 pounds -- less, add some, more, cut back! If he is having loose stool -- add white rice and cut back on everything else, pronto!
What is your goal with the salmon oil? Omega 3? Check too see that there is not much omega 6 in there.
And a little bit of Vitamin C in the form of say Ester C would be a good thing.
Good luck.
PS I used to play and sing that Rod Stewart song. Memories...
You are steering away from large breed puppy food -- but the reason people do is to avoid excessive early growth and accumulation of calcium in joints -- what is left over after calcium is used for bone growth.
But your supplements, lovingly intended (lucky puppy!), are going to promote a lot of growth, anyway. And the calcium the pup is getting in the cottage cheese is more than supplanting the calcium the pup is not getting in the large breed puppy food. So you have fully counteracted the point of using regular puppy food -- although I don't agree with your vet in the first place, so I am not worried.
All that great food cannot really be bad for the puppy (although you will have dogs like mine who expect gourmet food for life). But there are two biggies you need to watch out for -- (1) an imbalance of Ca and P AND (2) diarrhea.
This website should help you with the first. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2&aid=652
You can see that Ca:P should be almost equal (6 parts Calcium to 5 parts Phosphorous.)
People who add meat only are adding too much P relative to Ca. People who had cottage cheese only are adding too much Ca relative to P.
I think you should not dollop out the cottage cheese in the AM and the red meat in the PM, but serve them both, and in smaller servings, at both meals, for balance. At 11 weeks he should weigh between 19-26 pounds -- less, add some, more, cut back! If he is having loose stool -- add white rice and cut back on everything else, pronto!
What is your goal with the salmon oil? Omega 3? Check too see that there is not much omega 6 in there.
And a little bit of Vitamin C in the form of say Ester C would be a good thing.
Good luck.
PS I used to play and sing that Rod Stewart song. Memories...
by MVF on 12 May 2009 - 17:05
No fussing with ears before six months!
by MaggieMae on 13 May 2009 - 00:05
Thanks MVF for the info. I was trying to give him some variety because he doesn't seem to have a big appetite. I was concerned that I wasn't feeding correctly. I believe he weighs about 24-25 pounds now. He isn't crazy about the cottage cheese anyway, so I think I will eliminate it. Is string cheese OK? How much Vit C (mg) do you recommend?
He is so full of himself and the "biting" is driving me up a wall. I now "clomp" around the house in high top rubber boots to save my ankles/feet from those sharp teeth; however, my arms and hands have numerous marks -- I look like I have been in a cat fight!! I hope this is just a phase and will stop when the teething is completed. If not, I am going to have to find some Serious Obediance training for him.
Yep, "Maggie Mae" -- I loved that song by RS.
He is so full of himself and the "biting" is driving me up a wall. I now "clomp" around the house in high top rubber boots to save my ankles/feet from those sharp teeth; however, my arms and hands have numerous marks -- I look like I have been in a cat fight!! I hope this is just a phase and will stop when the teething is completed. If not, I am going to have to find some Serious Obediance training for him.
Yep, "Maggie Mae" -- I loved that song by RS.
by MVF on 13 May 2009 - 04:05
You're welcome.
On days when he is looking terrific, only 100 mg. On days when he is worn out or not feeling well, more -- but I never go over 500 mg. Remember, not ascorbic acid (regular vitamin C) but a buffered C like Ester C or calcium ascorbate. If the latter, check the Ca content and reduce dairy by that amount.
String cheese, cottage cheese -- still high calcium. If you eliminate it, reduce meat as well, or phosphorous gets too high. Remember they have to balance.
I let my pups chew me up as long as I can stand it, too.
On days when he is looking terrific, only 100 mg. On days when he is worn out or not feeling well, more -- but I never go over 500 mg. Remember, not ascorbic acid (regular vitamin C) but a buffered C like Ester C or calcium ascorbate. If the latter, check the Ca content and reduce dairy by that amount.
String cheese, cottage cheese -- still high calcium. If you eliminate it, reduce meat as well, or phosphorous gets too high. Remember they have to balance.
I let my pups chew me up as long as I can stand it, too.
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