HOUSEKEEPING

[Ray]

Wow - Thats really neat. I had heard of that when I had my Malamute but never knew anyone who actually went to all the work.

Hey Dallas, I bet there is a joke there somewhere?

[shezonit]

My big question:
"Does it smell like a wet dog when it rains?"

That is a cool hat and I'd bet Papillon hats are pretty rare.

[shilohdad]

No, the hat does NOT smell like wet dog in the rain. Not even wet papillon. The yarn was thoroughly washed before knitting the hat, so that got rid of any residual canine smell.

[shezonit]

Thoroughly washed... Of course.
In fact, Emmett does NOT smell like dog, even when wet. I attributed this to his mostly raw diet, though. Sometimes in Arizona, he gets dusty and needs a bath, but in Montana, I only have to brush him and he stays clean.

My only experience with other Papillons was at his breeder- there were 10 adults and about 10 puppies, all in the living room (!) they were crate trained and when she clapped her hands they all ran into their crates and got a chewy. I don't remember there being any doggy smell, so maybe Papillons don't smell?

[Nancy]

RAW rocks!!

[shezonit]

Yes, it's true. I got my first Papillon when he was 6+ years old. He had black and brown plaque on his teeth and had been fed generic kibble his whole life. I read online about raw bones and within 6 months, his teeth were spotless and he had no doggie odor, just giving him raw bones 3x a week. Now he's nearly 10 and has a Hollywood smile.

[Nancy]

We almost lost our Katie (black lab) in the very first dog food recall about 7-8 years ago. She wouldn't eat the food and I was putting gravy and anything else I could find on it to make her eat. 2 weeks later recall that dogs were dying on her food!! Fast forward....I changed her to RAW and every single HUGE fatty tumor was gone...my vet could not believe it. Then we adopted Bailey (yellow lab) that came with so many health issues...put him on RAW immediately and all his issues cleared up (all except the HW of course). Tyson (GSD) and Augie (black lab) are on RAW and I've had ZERO health problems with either of them. It might cost more in food but I am surely saving on vet bills not paying for ear infections, allergies or a whole list of other things.

[shezonit]

WOW! You are the testimonial. That is so scary about your dog not eating the food, and then you find out it would have killed her. I read the labels of every single thing I would give my dog. NO corn or wheat. No made in China treats.
I've read that not only is raw so much better, but variety... I feed my dogs a grain free organic kibble, but I put on it a variety of raw meats- gizzards, sardines, a chicken thigh, pork riblet or neck bones, etc. (Not all at once) also they'll eat broccoli and cabbage while I'm chopping for a salad. And leftover Chinese food? They love it! A spoonful mixed into the kibble. Actually leftover almost anything human food... . In small quantities.

[shilohdad]

We also feed our 3 a commercial raw product that is muscle meat, organ meat, ground bone and a bit of veggies to simulate prey stomach contents (sorry if this grosses some people out). They do like it. However, it has not helped Shiloh with his teeth. He still needs regular dentals. I think it is part luck of the draw and part how small the jaw is. Shiloh's jaw is quite small and the teeth quite crowded, leading to tartar buildup. I can commiserate, as I have the same problem!

However, we are still very happy to feed a diet free of fillers and gosh only knows what! My dad cooks for his rescue pap because he was spooked by the recalls several years ago.

And, our 2 eldest are 14.5 and 12 years old. Not bad. Although papillons are supposed to live to 16. We hope to get both to that age.

[shezonit]

Try giving Shiloh raw bones. Those dentals are tough on them.
Give him a chicken leg bone or if you can get them, a thinly cut pork neck bone. You will be amazed. Emmett can eat an entire chicken thigh (raw, meat and all) in 30 minutes. He actually chews up the bone to get at the marrow. All that's left is that knob at the end. It's pretty funny to watch him ripping and shredding.
Raw bones don't splinter. But every other day or two is enough. I once gave Emmett bones 3 meals in a row and, uh, had to go buy some baby suppositories..... (Speaking of gross) :-p

OR if the idea of bloody bones is too much, get the twisty "bully stick". I get them from www bully stick dot com and they are much cheaper than at the pet store and made in USA. I buy the longer ones and cut them in half. One of those will keep Emmett chewing for days. Emmett is a small Papillon, with tiny teeth and all are clean.

Don't give them greenies or dentastix or any of that. It's just starch.

[shilohdad]

Been there, done that. Both raw chicken bones (necks and wings) and bully sticks. Doesn't help Shiloh. He still tartars up. It seems to depend on the luck of the draw. We have friends who have two paps. One has good teeth, one doesn't, regardless of what they do.

Same thing happens with humans. I do haphazard routine maintenance and have great teeth (lost only one tooth to weird circumstance and have few fillings), Lucinda does a lot more maintenance and has lousy teeth. Go figure.

[Dallas Baillio]

I feed my mixed breed, Maya, Blue Buffalo Wilderness with boiled chicken thigh mixed in.

I have been hesitant to feed her raw meat as I fear damage to her intestines from bone splinters. When one loves their dog as I do a reluctance to "experiment" sets in.

Let me be sure I understand what I have read. I can feed Maya a raw chicken thigh? She can chew and swallow the bone fragments without harm? Will her digestive system be upset initially?

[Nancy]

RAW is the key word...cooked chicken bones splinter and can and will pierce their intestines. The bones are calcium and if you don't pick up after they go to the bathroom it turns to ash. They poop less, it doesn't smell (like with commercial foods). The food stays with them longer so they are not hungry all the time. With commercial foods the fillers go right thru them. I scour the supermarkets for marked down sales, reduced for quick sale, last date to sell. Saves me a bit of money since my 2 are big. They get salmon and sardines on Sundays so I know they are getting the oils too. I add a scoop of yogurt to their bowls too. Beef heart, kidney, GREEN tripe, chicken legs, thighs, quarters, necks. You name it they probably get it. NO SMOKED MEATS though.

[shezonit]

All right Nancy! You are the raw pro! Since I just have the one tiny dog, the expense isn't much.
Dallas, your big dog would probably gulp a chicken leg in 5 seconds. Then her stomach acids will take care of it.
Try one raw chicken leg, and work up from there. I got a shelter dog last year, who obviously had only had cheap kibble. When I gave him some quality kibble with a sardine mixed in, he couldn't eat it fast enough. And yes he was a bit loose for a couple of days..... Any dietary change will cause that. What Nancy says is true, dogs are pet wolves- they are meant to eat the entire animal. And with quality food, they do poop much less and it is very dense instead of huge logs full of corn and wheat husks... (Which I see at the dog park...)
With your big dog, get some big pork neck bones- very cheap and kinda porous- even my tiny dog can chew these to a sort of bone sawdust. Or if you want to really keep her busy, get a big marrow bone. She will go crazy digging out the marrow and chew for hours. It is so good for their teeth. Plus they LOVE the ripping and shredding....