Zorro_007

Good on you for taking this puppy on board. I am so glad that she is doing well. Looking forwards to some photos. WIll you be keeping her?

spoilt lab lives here I have one of those too People always say to me "oh he looks great" and even at dog training there is one instructor who will always tell an owner if their dog is getitng on the chunky side, he regularly does little talks about the importance of keeping your dog trim. Especially the labs, he uses Ramses as an example of what a lab should look like :D We feel special! Is your lab white or is it just the photo? he looks magnificent.

Jaybeece, your dog is so handsome and he would look even more awesome if he did have 2 or 3 extra kgs, it's hard to make out from those photos but he looks just a little thin, not too bad though. shmoo, are the owners just as overweight? just wondering...

Your boy looks good; if his ribs are showing then he could be considered skinny but I doubt that is the case with your dog; show us a photo of his profile. Shmoo, that is shocking...that poor dog; how can anyone allow a dog to become so f*****g fat? Did you say something to the owners? I would have had to say something since they're too stupid to see it on their own!!

This is terribly sad and infuriating at the same time. Why would they bring a litter of puppies into the world when they cannot afford veterinary treatment? no need to answer that! Are the breeders friends of yours? They sound like they would be as I cannot imagine strangers ringing you up and asking you to take one of the pups to the vet for them. This is very strange. What breed are these pups? If you take the pup to the vet will you be allowed to keep it? would you want to keep it if they agreed to it? What is wrong with the pup? diarrhea, vomiting, coughing? etc etc

Sardines are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids; it is a nutritious meal for a growing pup especially. I prefer to give my dogs a fish oil capsule (human variety) as it would take quite a few tins of sardines for a 1000mg ratio which is the amount that is recommended for a large dog the size of a german shepherd or golden retriever. Studies have been conducted in which puppies that have been on an Omega 3 rich diet have superior intelligence and are far more trainable as a result. Seems like Nutro is winning the race here and to think I hadn't even heard of this product before starting this thread. I will never forget the stink from the dogs when I fed them SUpercoat; as soon as I hear that brand name I can still smell the stink, pooo!

Debarking is a last resort and preferable to having a dog put down. I adore dogs but expecting people to put up with a barking dog 24/7 is unreasonable. The occasional barking here and there is one thing but when a dog barks non-stop then that is quite another. I do think that other options should be looked into before considering debarking but sometimes nothing seems to work and although it does have its risks I believe it supercedes having to abandon a dog. I don't have any dogs that are debarked but would certainly consider it if absolutely necessary.

Pandi, how do you find pro plan? does their poo stink? I have a very sensitive nose and having tried supercoat not long ago I am apprehensive about trying kibble again. I have tried just about every dry food on the market but that was ages ago and I wasn't paying attention to certain 'things' back then.

Oh tashnchief, I have to go with the chin but especially the japanese spitz; I have one and yes they are totally adorable, I love my Josh with his beautifully made up eyes, black eyeliner and all, uh too beautiful.

It is so damn sad that there are such money hungry grubs around that would rather sit on their laurels all day and make money out of these unfortunate animals and obviously these grubs have no idea on animal husbandry and nor do they care to learn. Kayden, don't take offence even though you may feel we have come down hard on you, our heart is with the welfare of dogs and I guess we have all heard so many stories of neglect and cruelty that there comes a point when we can no longer sit back and take it in our stride. Breeders like the one you have dealt with are a dime a dozen unfortunately and it's becoming increasingly frustrating and short of educating the public there is very little else that can be done, meanwhile these breeders are sprouting from every nook and cranny. I hope you won't take anything said here on a personal level and we would really love to hear how your pup is doing. Hope all is great.

I would have to agree with Jed; if a breeder feeds her dogs crappy food then you just have to wonder how much care has gone into her dogs, she sounds like a tightwad to me and doesn't seem to have her dogs' best interest at heart. Glad you found what appears to be a decent breeder but ask her all kinds of questions and especially what she recommends you should feed a pup and what she feeds her dogs...that should give you a good indication as to whether she believes in doing what is best for her dogs. A ginger poodle would be either a dark apricot or a red but I would presume you are talking about an apricot, great choice. Is she carrying out the necessary health checks as poodles are prone to eye problems? Here is a link that explains what ailments poodles are prone to; this isn't to say that all poodles are prone to these problems but it pays to be knowledgeable on these possibilities so that you can then ask the breeder if she has carried out tests to ensure that the puppies are not going to be victims of these genetic problems. http://www.napoleon.org.uk/health/poodlehealth.htm edited to add the link.

That is why I suggested that you wait a few days and then make a discreet call to the RPSCA and tell them that you believe that this dog is a case of serious neglect, the RPSCA is bound by privacy laws so they cannot divulge who is responsible for reporting them; something has got to be done, you can't just ignore this situation. There's no point speculating what kind of health problem this poor dog may be harbouring, that is not doing him any good and the owners are either oblivious that there is a problem or simply don't want to go to the vet otherwise they would have gone by now...I'm afraid to say that his life is in your hands Staffshi and you can do so without getting yourself or the grooming salon in any kind of strife.

Kayden, it is impossible for anyone of us to give you a diagnosis over a monitor, not even a vet would hazard a guess without seeing the pup first. There could be a number of reasons why a pup would react in such a way but whatever the case things sound serious especially considering that she is so young; even at 6 weeks it is too young to sell a pup and an ethical and caring breeder would never do such a thing, she really should be ashamed of herself and as you said there may be a distinct possibility that she may be even younger than 6 weeks. She could have had a fit due to low blood sugar, she may have a digestive problem, she may have had a petit mal seizure, she could be harboring a bacterial infection or a virus, a tummy bug...maybe she ate something that didn't agree with her....I could go on and on but this isn't helping your little girl...as others have said you should get her to a vet NOW. Keep in touch and let us know how things progress. Puppies should never be sold until they are AT LEAST 8 weeks old; I never let my cavalier puppies go until they are 12 weeks of age and by then they are totally independent of their mum, have been weaned slowly but surely without being rushed and have had 2 shots so I can rest assured that they don't run the risk of catching parvo amongst other things. Breeders like the one you have dealt with should not be allowed to own any pets let alone breed them, shame on them!!!!!!!!!!!! PS - I meant to ask you what country you are from? doesn't sound like you are situated in australia.

I think this is a serious case of neglect and the owners deserve a warning from the RSPCA. How could they not notice, the smell alone would give it away! I would try to drill it into them that this dog is very ill and needs veterinary attention as a matter of urgency...I would also try to obtain their address (make it seem like it's just business protocol) and phone number and wait a day or two and then report them to the RPSCA. You can't turn a blind eye to cases like these. People make me sick. They probably don't mind spending money on themselves but when it comes to ensuring that their pets obtain the proper care they sooner look the other way...I guess the reason they have taken it in to be groomed is just so as to make it look like it is well looked after as they may have visitors now that it's the festive season.

UP - just read the info on the link you provided and it's true that some people have lost pups due to vaccinating and some have blamed the Protech vaccine for being responsible but if you read other people's comments on that page you will find that others have also had negative experiences with other vaccines and I have read of people losing dogs or litters of pups when vaccinating them with all kinds of different brands of vaccines, I wouldn't say that it's any vaccine in particular that is more risky than others. Some puppies can go into anaphylactic shock and if an antihistamine shot is not given as soon as symptoms are observed then of course the puppies or dogs will die hence that is why it is wise to ask the vet for an antihistamine injection or a few in case of a litter to take home with you just in case the dogs do have an allergic reaction. All vaccines carry an element of risk and that is why I do not believe in yearly boosters but puppy shots and a booster 12-18 months later is a must and if certain particulars are adhered to then you can be sure that your dog will never run the risk of catching parvo and I have mentioned what the particulars are in my other posts in this thread.