moosepup

Thanks badboyz but don't be fooled, he is a cheeky bugger!! ;) I showed him how to use the dog door just once and now he runs inside as soon as I put him outside! He thinks he's so clever. I don't think he's actually gone out the door (maybe he thinks it's 1 way???) so this will be tomorrows task to learn. Maybe then he will go out when he pleases to poop. The frustrating thing atm is that he will do 1 big poop outside (lots of praise and playing from me) and then will come inside and do a couple of pebbles in the house haha. He has been pretty good this weekend though, I have been watching him like a hawk (1 sniff or semi-crouch and he's outside lol). I guess the hard thing is that when we're at work during the week he has free run of the lounge/dining/kitchen area (all tiled) so has to poop inside. I tried penning him but he HATES it and doesn't like being away from the other dog. Oh well, I'm confident we will get there.

I feed my dogs a mix, sometimes they get the pre-made BARF patties (I find them pretty cheap cos a $22 box lasts me over a month with my 2) which they seem to love, sometimes sardines (although I tend to need to steer clear of their breath for awhile after eating these!!), RMB's 3 -5 times a week (mostly necks and wings, occasional lamb) and also treats for training. I would like to make my own BARF "mix" but just don't have the time at the moment. Has to be better than dog roll though right?? Puppy also still gets some Advance Puppy kibble in the morning as he was eating this at his breeders. I dunno if I'm doing it right but they seem happy and healthy enough.

I've had my Chihuahua puppy, Moose, for nearly a week now (13wks old) and he seems to have got the peeing outside under control but I still can't get him to poop out there! He seems to poop HOURS after eating so I have no idea when he's going to do it. This morning I stood out there for 1.5 hours (during which time he had breakfast) and no action. He sniffs and sniffs and sniffs but nothing! Our older dog Zoe even did a poop right in front of him but he still didn't get the idea lol. Is there anything I can do to "encourage" him to poop? PS. When he does poop (inside) they are firmish and healthy so I know he's not constipated. Just had to include this pic cos he's so cute! :rolleyes:

I can't find much info but I did just find a website that says they are non toxic to animals. Will keep looking for dog specific info.

Sorry I can't provide any info on whether they are safe to eat or not, however, I thought I'd share that our old dog used to love picking these berries up, putting them down on a patch of grass and rolling around on them. I think she liked giving herself a massage.

Apologies for my ignorance but how do bones/offcuts cause pancreatitis?

Hey SteveBa, You should get Dr Billinghurst's book "Give A Dog A Bone" from the library/bookshop/website (www.barfaustralia.com) and have a read. I found that he is a little fanatical about things but it's a very interesting read, especially if you are going to start your dog on a BARF diet. Personally I only just started my dog on the BARF diet and have been giving her a mix of Dr B's BARF patties and raw meaty bones (chicken wings, chicken necks, lamb forequarters, etc). I worry that I'm not doing it right as well so you aren't alone!! Good luck.

Hi poochmad I'm not sure I would be walking him as if he has ruptured his cruciate ligament then I imagine it will be quite painful. Casual backyard exercise at his own pace may be better? I did post about my experience in the other thread but I can't offer much advice in the way of care as our pup pretty much had the surgery straight after diagnosis. Hope it all turns out okay for Henschke!

Thanks Huski, you always know what to say to make me feel better. She will be getting chicken more often than forequarters and she pretty much eats those whole so you're right, I think she'll be fine. She also has Dr B's Patties that have ground up bone in them. I know this way of feeding will be so easy once I get used to it!!

Again, thanks for all the suggestions! I think I will stick with just the wings and necks in regards to chicken like you Huski. Frames scare me a bit with such a small dog lol. Hi puggy - I will look out for lamb flaps next shopping trip. She really hoed into the forequarter, I think she thought it was Christmas! This probably sounds like a dumb question but when she ate the forequarter there was a lot of bone left over (obviously cos it was huge compared to her) but is she still getting the right nutrients out of the bone? Is just chewing it enough? I realise that meat to bone ratio is important for health so just curious.

Helloooo, I'm back again with more questions, sorry! Huski - thanks for the suggestion of lamb forequarters - just picked some up in Woolies, so cheap!! Also picked up a bag of frames and a bag of necks, all for $15!! And should last for ages. She also tried her BARF for the first time this morning and seemed to love it. Hope it sticks!! Now my question is in regards to the frames... I cut them up into approx. 4 pieces (down the middle then each half into 2 pieces). Some of the bones seemed really quite small (especially the ribs) and sharp. Should I be concerned that these will cause a problem in her throat or tummy? Am I just worrying too much???? I might need to just stick with the wings and necks for all the angst it's causing me lol. PS. Huski - your Cherry is so adorable!

Yeah I am thinking now that the supermarket is the way to go. The woolies near us always has heaps of fresh chicken necks and small wings which she loves. I've never actually looked for anything else so will go there tomorrow and check out the lamb necks etc. Thanks heaps for all the suggestions. I've been driving everyone nuts talking about the BARF diet and bones etc so good to talk to other dog lovers!

Okay, thanks Ravyk, I will go check the supermarket tomorrow. Got some BARF patties today, Zoe seemed VERY interested which is good. Excited to give her one in the morning lol.

Thanks for all the suggestions. In my head I was picturing throwing her something like a whole lamb chop lol. So if I just go to my local butcher and ask for some brisket and lamb offcuts for my dog I shouldn't get too many odd looks??? I think they might be good to start with by the sounds of it. She does tend to put on weight quite quickly so maybe if they are too fatty I can just trim them up. The breeder currently feeds the pup a mix of chicken (pet mince) patties mixed with veg, dry biscuits and Tuckertime... is it okay for me to start him on barf and bones straight away when I get him or ease him onto it?

We currently have a 10 year old Maltese X Chihuahua who loves her chicken necks & wings. We alternate these with a commercial pet food (so shameful!!). I want to move her over to a BARF diet so that when the puppy arrives in 3 weeks they will both be eating BARF. I'm going to get some BARF patties today to try her on them before attempting to make my own. Anyway I digress... Can you please suggest other types of RMB (non-chicken) that I should try her on? I've been reading but never having any other dog fed RAW I get a bit confused about what kinds of bones to ask the butcher for, how much meat they should have on them etc etc. I'm new to all this so worry that I'll give her something harmful. It's doing my head in lol. Also, should add that I will be giving the same RMB to the new chihuahua so suggestions suitable for him as well would be great.