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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Health, Foood, & Vet Recommendations at 8 weeeks

General Health
Weight: 6 lb 13 oz
Health: Excellent
>Eats his food
>Is lively after napping, playing, very awake
>Coat has no bald spots, no shedding
>Sleeps in crate

Any Health Issues?
No, but here are some things that scared me at first until I learned they were normal:
1) He gets "eye boogers" in the morning and after napping.  They clear and very minimal, I just wipe them off with my finger.  They looks like one tear drop smeared beneath each eye Vet and breeder say it's normal and is caused by slight allergies and/or dust in his eye.  So long as the boogers are not excessive and not dark green or yellow it's fine.

2) He gets red, bloodshot eyes when he is very tired (so three times per day).  But, after napping his eyes are white again so that's how to you know it's not Colitis or anything serious....think about ourselves after sitting in from of the computer all day!

3) Farting.  Yes, he gets gasy.  It smells.  It's pretty normal, has a lot to do with digestion, eating too much, and perhaps playing right after eating.  It's normal anyhow...it stinks, but it's normal.  At this age they are adjusting to eating solid food so it will take a while to normalize, plus I'm changing his food so it could be due to that as well.

4) Soft yellow/brown poo.  Yep, his poo is quite soft and mushy, sort of yellowish more than deep brown.  Does not come out in perfect logs.  This is typical for a such a young puppy who is just transitioning to solid food and also dealing with the stress of acclimating to a new home.

Food & Feeding
Food Type: Mix of PurinaOne Salmon Sensitive Stomachs (from breeder) and Merrick Classic Lamb and Brown Rice.  I am trying to switch AWAY from the Purina due to low quality ingredients (such as Brewers Rice).
Amount of Food per Day: 1 cup (75%-25% blend Purina:Merrick) given 1/3 cup increments 3x per day.  Once at 6 am, once between 1-2pm, and around 5pm.

Veterinary 
First Vet Visit: 12/21/12 (two days after I picked him up from breeder)
Age at first visit: 8 weeks old
Goal: General health check up, stool sample to check for parasites, ask vet questions, get vaccination schedule.
    >Cost:
1) Health Check Up & Stool Sample --$49.00

Vet Advice/Recommendations from First Visit (My vet is both Holistic and Classically trained)
1.  Ears, Toe Nails--She said to make sure and always touch his ears, including gently touching your finger into the ear hole, and also his paws to make sure the dog gets used to it.  For now she told me not to worry about clipping nails because if he's active they will wear down naturally (we'll see about that one).

2.  Bathing--Vet said not to bathe the dog because that will upset the good flora and oils on his coat.  Now, this furry little Aussie pup gets pee all over his belly and hind legs.  Then it dries and gets a little matted.  Vet recommends just using a damp cloth (NO SOAP!) to wipe up or a quick rinse in the sink under water and perhaps a few dabs of calendula extract as a natural antibacterial. 

3.  Where to take Dog-- Pretty obvious: no communal dog areas such as parks, dog beach, or even your neighborhood if there a lot of unknown dogs.  Parvo survives in warm, humid areas so if it's cold where you are and not many dogs, you can probably take puppy outside to play.  I do!

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