gsdog2

I've had my 3mth old GSD puppy home for 3 wks now and fingers crossed, with the help of her crate, we have not had one toilet mistake. I also have a 7yrs old GSD and a 3yr old Goldie. She is an outside dog, however at night I crate her. I have a smaller crate (no room for her to toilet) which I keep next to my side of the bed and I put an old shirt of mine inside for her to sleep on, as well as a chew toy to help keep her busy when she wakes up. I toilet her and then give her a drink of water immediately before I put her in the crate for the night (no water in the crate as she'll only knock it over). She has not had one "toilet" mistake and in 3 weeks I got up once on the first two nights. If she became restless through the night I put my fingers through the crate and she lay her head up against them and went back to sleep . She is awake by 6.00 and I carry her outside as I know there's no way she'd make it if she had to walk. Last night I put her in a large crate with the same bedding she had in the previous crate, and put her crate next to my Goldies crate (in the garage) and she slept all night again without a mistake and without crying. I have been attending two different puppy classes and I don't want to pat my own back but the method I have used certainly had the most success. I can't recommend a crate enough - to me it gave my pup a feeling of security (like a den in the wild), and with me sleeping beside her gave her comfort when she woke up through the night.

Thanks everyone for your replies - you have put my mind at ease . She's such a special little pup I worry at the thought of her being at all unwell. BL I looked at that sight too and I'm hoping that's all we're looking at.

Ok, went to the vet and she has been diagnosed with "Puppy Pyoderma". Am I correct in guessing this is just another term for Puppy Strangles? Puppy Strangles gets it's name because the glands in the neck swell up so much they cause the pup to choke. He has prescribed Rilexine 300mg 1/2 tablet twice daily for 10 days. I have read about prednisolone being used to treat this condition, however this was not mentioned by my vet (who I have a lot of faith in). I'm very confused as I have read about the damage this condition can cause to the immune system, however I have also read it can disappear on it own, and with the use of antibiotics it's relatively easy to treat. To me, she doesn't appear to be a sick/unhealthy puppy (a little sleepy maybe) and I am finding it hard to grasp she could have anything more sinister than a doggy version of teenage acne, which is how my vet described it. Has anyone else had a pup with the same condition (particularly the rash to the BELLY), and what was the outcome?

This is a definate possibility as I've noticed grass seeds (my husband has now mowed) sticking to her wet belly (we've had a lot of rain) and wondered if that caused the rash. Would she also have swollen glands though?

She's only had her six week vaccination which was a month ago now, and she's just developed the rash. I'm guessing it's a reaction to something - although the glands being swollen concerns me. I feed her Eukanuba with about 10ml of puppy milk (just for the taste), three times a day. She also has a chicken neck every couple of days. I haven't given her anything else to eat ie. table scraps. It's not flea's as we don't have a flea problem here. As I said I am taking her to the vet tomorrow, but I'm curious about the swollen glands and if there's a connection with the rash or is that just a coincidence

I haven't seen puppy acne, but it doesn't seem to fit the description. It's evenly spread on the bare skin of her belly, and seems to look worse in the more humid/hotter part of the day. The rash looks a lot like chickenpox.

My 10wk old GSD girl has developed a rash on her belly that's almost blister-like. It hasn't affected her appetite and although she seems to appreciate us giving her belly a light rub, she doesn't lick or scratch it at all. I've also just noticed the glands in her neck are swollen. I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow, but I'm wondering if anyone can suggest what it might be?

Ahhh yes, but mine is really really clever

Finally she has arrived and she has been an absolute pleasure :cool: All that worry for nothing - or so far anyway ;)

Name: Indi (papers haven't arrived yet) Sex: female Age: 10 wks Colour: black & tan Breed: German Shepherd Loves: playing with our male GSD and Golden (and the feeling is mutual ) Her ear is a little green still from her tatoo

Do you really need to ask the question

:rolleyes: Finally remembered the name of the disorder. It's called "Prader-Willi syndrome" which is a persistent hunger, feelings of starvation, all while the person may eat 20,000 calories a day. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5...c_disorder.html Nekhbet, this was the disorder I was thinking of when I said "medical" Pica

That's the one (is that what they call the condition in humans). I was wondering if it could be medical Pica and not behavioural Pica?

I would agree with everyone and say this dog needs more stimulation EXCEPT I remember when working as a vet nurse a daschund came in with a similar problem. This dog was owned by an elderly spinster lady who adored it (as well as the other two she owned) and lavished it with attention. However, it had surgery on a regular basis to remove all sorts of objects found (and eaten) around the home. The item that stands out the most in my memory was the poor lady's underwear - you know, the ones that went up to her armpits - not once, but twice (different pairs of course!). There is a condition similar to this in humans (where they are continually eating) and I wonder if this is the same. Having said that, I have shepherds and a golden retriever and they've never been destructive. It may have something to do with the sandpit they get to dig in, the paddle pool they can play in, the large number of toys always available and regular obedience training. Then again, I'm about to get a new pup next month so I'm not pointing the finger at anyone :rolleyes:

So much for promoting the breed. To me this is also about obedience people as the shepherd owners I've spoken to are all in obedience, and I've always found obedience people to be very supportive and always encouraging. That's one of the reasons I like the sport so much and also why I was taken aback by this persons reaction. If she felt there was going to be a problem (which obviously she did) why not warn me before I pick up my new pup

Thanks for that - my family are saying the same thing. I'll have to focus on the training and socialising I'll do with her when she comes home ( brings a to my face just thinking about it)

Yeah but what about the Malinois owners - don't they get their knickers in a knot as well?

Yeah I know, but this person isn't even a breeder. It's just disappointing when you think you've got everything sorted and someone says that! It keeps playing in the back of my mind and I'm wondering what the problem is.

Just when you think everything's on track someone has to throw a spanner in the works. While talking to another GSD owner yesterday I happened to mention I was getting a new pup. When I told this person who the breeder is their face just dropped :D (like there was no disguising it). When I asked what was wrong this person refused to elaborate. When I pointed out that obviously there was a problem, this person refused to say anymore. Prior to this conversation I have had only positive feedback - so where am I supposed to go with this now

Awwwwwww........ I'm very tempted But I know shepherds so I think I better stick to what I know best

Thanks for the advice. I've been doing exactly that as recently as this morning! (I've been a member for the past 12 years)

Thanks Lablover - I'm trying to make sure I dot all the i's and cross all the t's, although in the end there are no guarantee's. I lost one of my GSD's to severe arthritis so I did my homework with my next girl and she died of cancer (it happened so quickly it took me completely by surprise ). My youngest son has just finished school so I am now ready for a bit of "Me-Time" , therefore more weekends free to enter more trials. My first step is to hopefully choose the right pup for my situation.

Did I miss something :rolleyes:

Nekhbet and K9 Force you are both right. I have had GSD's for nearly 20 years and trialed on and off for that period, BUT I would still class myself as inexperienced. Therefore, I don't think a dog "high" in drive is going to be suitable (I just want a dog that I can take into a trial ring that's going to be reliable - not nervous or aggressive ). And yes, it's also got to fit in with my family - no small children, but able to mix with teenagers and go to work with me. This is one of the reasons I have decided on a female.

Totally agree - that's why I went for this particular kennel.