sandgrubber

They're all different, but especially with a large litter, be prepared to up the quantity in the last weeks of pregnancy, and after a week or two post partum, as the pups are drinking a lot and not yet taking solids. I have Labs, all good eaters who will happily go to obese. I usually try to prevent weight gain...that relaxes during pregnancy. I specially like chicken frames due to high bone content. At other times I try to avoid fatty raw foods (and a lot of stuff sold as raw is very fatty). Not with a heavily nursing bitch. Dog milk is very high fat, and a nursing bitch can do with fatty foods. Some girls loose their appetite as the day draws near. But I've had girls eat a frame or two between pups while they're delivering. I had one girl who favored the wild approach to puppy feeding...she ate extra and then puked it up for her brood.

I recently moved to NZ from the US with my three dogs. The rules for Italy are the same as this for the US. Meaning it's a big pain...lots of blood work. The pace is set by the need to have a clear rabies titre test at least three months before travel. DO NOT ASSUME A DOG WILL PASS THE TITRE TEST IF THEY HAD A 3 YEAR VACCINATION TWO YEARS AGO. One of mine failed, and she had her jabs 18 mo before being titred. There only a handful of Labs authorized to do the testing. Basic advice... find a pet transport company that knows the ropes for New Zealand, and be prepared to do a lot of fussing with vets. If you're wanting to import a dog, be sure the person exporting knows what they're getting into.

Elections coming up in NZ and posters are appearing on fences about town. My girls ignored the Labor posters, but had a serious growl at the National candidate :-)

I normally burn prawn tails, etc cause they stink if I put them in the trash. My dogs (Labradors) would love to help dispose of them. Is it ok to give them to the dogs?

Agreed. Have a look at snopes.com. They rate the Bravecto danger as "unproven". I've been very satisfied with Bravecto, as have a large number of people.

I lived downstairs from a lady with a mature male dobe when I had my first Lab (young female). We shared the yard. There were a few problems sorting things out at first, and one torn ear (not a serious tear, but quite bloody). But after that, they became good mates, and played together a lot.

I have a human friend with that problem. The treatment was to have blood drawn. In his case it is genetic/hereditary.

Good to hear they're fine, and you're past the sloppy poo problem. Not long to they go to new homes.

Dogs evolved to eat human refuse. This probably included bones and less desirable parts of an animal...also spoiled meat. But it's pretty clear, from the genetic differences between dogs and wolves, that dogs evolved to eat starches as well as meat. Most dogs love bones, and I'm not saying don't feed them. But scientific evidence doesn't support BARF diet assertions, and no one should be feel inferior for feeding kibble.

I've been warned by a vet (who isn't anti bones in general) to avoid chicken until 4 months of age. A healthy, mature dog's immune system can handle Salmonella but it can kill a baby pup. Many people have fed raw chicken to pups, including me, and had no problems. But you should know there's a risk, and it's a good idea to be very fussy about the quality of any raw meat you feed a pup... especially chicken. I'd say this is one more reason to use a ready made BARF product.

I'd recommend emailing the authorities in NZ. When I moved to NZ from the US with three dogs, I got very confused by the regulations about flea control. I was surprised at how quickly they responded, and how helpful they were. The practice was more reasonable than what was on paper.

Facebook is a waste of time, or worse. Don't bother.

If the bitch is in good health and parvo isn't going around, I wouldn't worry much about disinfection. Normal cleanliness is quite adequate. Just be prepared to wash a bunch of whatever you put in the whelping box, and clean up after spills, in case she does some out of the box whelping. Nature is good at keeping infections away from pups. Far more pups are squished to death by their mothers than killed by infections.

Another thought. Try the jewelry section of a crafts store. You might find a heavy ring that's open at the bottom and bendable. You will surely find beads and elastic thread or fixed string and class from which you could make a tiny weighted bracelet.

Guessing. Maybe vet wrap around something heavy... like the lead sinkers fishermen use.

Round tummies at six weeks is not abnormal. I've often wished poos would firm up sooner, but squishy with occasional runny isn't unusual. I don't worry if it's not liquid. The antibiotics may be part of the problem...it may have killed off gut flora. Pumpkin tends to stabilize the GI tract. Canned is fine, or you can cook a natural one. If you do raw chicken anything, make sure it's very clean, human grade. Salmonella is often found on raw chicken, and it can kill pups whose immune systems aren't fully developed. As for necks, I'd say they are a bigger risk than whole carcass because the pups may be able to get the whole thing into their mouths. How big are these guys?

Awfully pointy for a Lab, and the set of the shoulder blade is wrong. Looks more like a greyhound to me. But really...breed identification is not easy for probable mutts, and with a photo like that, it's impossible. Maybe they should just say 'large dog' and show what they have for a picture.

If he's weighing in at 35 kg, maybe his body is telling him to eat less. The amounts recommended on the bag are often on the high side. My adult Labs eat less than 450g dry food a day...they get some veggies, occasional eggs, a pinch of fish meal, and opportunities to 'lick the bowl' when I'm cooking. But the dry is by far the mainstay of their diets. If you do supplement, feed less dry food. You don't want to end up with a 45 kg dog. I agree with ish, 'boring' is a non issue. If a dog likes it's food it is happy to eat it every day. Variety is a human concept. On the other hand, 'treat' is a concept many dogs appreciate from the bottom of their hearts.

Jarrah turns 13 today. Apart from being deaf and night blind, she's in pretty good nick. Still goes three to five k on morning slow run. Still plays with the other dogs, though not for more than a few minutes. No lameness. She's still able to jump up on the bed and into the car, thought it takes a little encouragement to get her to do it. And, of course, she sleeps a lot.

But the news reports mention liver damage if taken over a long period of time. Not good...or perhaps other animals metabolize it differently?

Curious. Can anyone explain why there's such a big fuss about fipronil being found in eggs when it's been permitted in flea meds for years. If it's that dangerous, why is it allowed in routinely used pet meds?

Please put location in heading. It helps people figure out whether or not to look at your post.

I'd go with a good kibble and avoid rolls. No point paying for water, and dry food doesn't clutter up the fridge and keeps for months. Personally, I don't think it matters much what brand, though I tend to avoid the cheapest stuff with grain as first ingredient and mystery meat.