Tips for Caring for your New Puppy

A species appropriate raw diet is the very best diet that you can feed your puppy for lifelong health.  If you can't/won't feed a raw diet, freeze dried food is the next best, because it maintains all of the nutrients, enzymes, amino acids, etc. as raw food.  The next best food is dehydrated, which contains most of the same nutrientsthe best food for your puppy is the food that works best for them. What does this mean? If you have been feeding a specific brand of food for more than 6 months, and your pet has no adverse reactions, the food is working well for your pet. Adverse reactions are symptoms that can develop due to a sensitivity towards an ingredient, and can include but are not limited to: itching, yeast infection (ears, skin, paws, etc.), constipation, diarrhea, foul odor, watery eyes or nose, limping, shaking of the head, and any other symptom that should not be there. Keep in mind that kibble (hard puppy or dog food) is not a complete nutritional source, despite what the bag may claim. Optimal health will require supplementation (see below for information).

Feed the best quality food that you can afford, at least until the puppy has matured. Large breeds do not fully mature (brain, bones, etc.) until they are at least 18 months old, often closer to 24 months. A quality food will have DHA and EPA, Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, needed for brain development (memory and learning ability). Also, Goldens can be prone to skin conditions such as itching, often a result of vaccination. Fatty acids provided in the correct ratio and in the correct proportion help to decrease the inflammation that can lead to itching. The higher quality foods may cost a little more but your puppy will eat much less, and more of the food is digested which results in less feces. We are currently feeding a raw blend and our Goldens are doing fabulous!  They have become lean and trim with amazing muscle definition.  They love their meals!  We purchase our raw food from a co-op, and are paying about the same that we were paying to feed kibble.  Ask us if you're interested in learning more...

Our holistic vet suggests supplementing a kibble diet with 2 raw eggs to be given every other day; and whole fat, unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt (watch for the presence of xylitol, often found in yogurt and peanut butter, which can cause kidney failure in dogs) on the other days. Raw organ meats such as liver or kidney, a few times per week are a great treat that boosts nutrition. Organs are like a multi vitamin for your pets.  The purpose of feeding raw:  enzymes and amino acids that are destroyed with cooking.  

We are also using Missing Link Professional Strength Veterinary Formula Canine Blend, a Natural Dietary Supplement made of whole food and food concentrates and a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber as well as essential fatty acids (Omega-3, 6, and 9). Kibble should be covered with water to increase hydration, and a tablespoon of Braggs raw, organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar which is beneficial to their body in many ways. Kibble is not a complete source of nutrition for our pets, so many of these other methods can assist with reaching the pet's optimal health because many of the nutrients are destroyed during the processing. A recent study (posted in our Facebook group) demonstrated that feeding a 20% raw diet (with 80% kibble) will keep a pet's health from deteriorating.  

Goldens love to chew on things, just like babies and toddlers. If you do not offer them something to chew on when they get bored, they will chew on your furniture, woodwork, etc. Kong toys are great. In our outside kennel, we offer our Goldens chunks of wood (not treated, of course). They love to chew on branches in the yard.  There have been many stories about dogs eating things that they shouldn't, such as kitchen towels or socks. Many require surgery to remove a blockage due to this. Fortunately, none of our puppies have ever had this happen (we have been breeding Goldens since 2009). You may want to keep a close eye on your new puppy, JUST IN CASE.  Also, chewing excessively can be an adverse reaction to the rabies vaccine.  It is highly recommended to detoxify your puppy after any vaccine, but the rabies vaccine is the worst for causing adverse reactions.

A tired puppy is a well-behaved puppy. Always exercise your puppy before settling down for the night. If you cannot go for a walk or play fetch due to weather, mental stimulation will work to tire out your puppy just as well as physical exercise...try teaching a new trick or 2.  Snuffle mats work well too!

Puppies will go through growth spurts a lot like toddlers. If your fur baby does not seem to have an appetite, it may be because it is not growing at the time and just does not need additional nutrients. When they do go through growth spurts, the puppy will eat a ton, so do not think that a period of less eating is a bad thing as long as the puppy is acting fine, is drinking, has normal stools, and is not losing weight. 

Regarding stools, there is an article in the Weaver Dairy Goldens Facebook page files about diarrhea in puppies, what it means, and whether it may require a trip to the vet. If your puppy does get loose stools, you may be feeding it too much. With rich foods, it can be irritating to the intestinal tract if it has constant or frequent contact with the food. It is suggested to only feed the puppy 2-3 times a day. Start with 3 times a day until it gets a little older and then go to twice a day. Make sure you measure the food and feed according to the recommendations made by the brand of puppy food that you choose because you do not want your puppy to grow too fast or to become overweight, both of which can lead to the development of hip dysplasia. The information on the bag is only a guideline. You need to watch your puppy/dog to see how much food they truly need. If the pet begins to eat non-food items, like grass or rocks or furniture, it may be hungry and need more food for a while. The amount of food needed will depend upon how much activity your pet gets daily, how many calories per cup of food, the quality of food, whether your puppy is in a growth spurt, and other factors. 

Hip Dysplasia is only 20% genetic, and 80% epigenetic. The genes required to allow the development of dysplasia have not been identified. The evidence is leading more towards a multi-factorial cause than simply genetics or environmental factors. A puppy fed a species appropriate diet and kept at a healthy weight, only minimally vaccinated (if at all), without chemical and toxic exposures, and provided appropriate exercise for their age will be much less likely to develop dysplasia.

Growing too fast is one of the conditions that can lead to development of dysplasia. Also, make sure your puppy does not become overweight because the added stress on the joints can also lead to dysplasia. You should be able to see the ribs, but still feel a thin layer of flesh over them. If there is a layer of "padding" over the ribs, your puppy may be a little overweight. Talk to your vet to determine a healthy weight for your pet for their life stage. Also, if the puppy slips while walking, it can stress the hip joints and lead to increased likelihood of developing dysplasia, especially during the first 6 months. Always be sure to keep the fur between your puppy's paw pads trimmed to reduce the chance of slipping while walking indoors.

If your puppy decides it wants to eat feces (a common behavior in puppies and dogs), it could be due to a lack of something in the diet. Our Goldens occasionally picked up this habit before we switched food. We began to give some full fat, plain unsweetened Greek Yogurt (make sure there is no xylitol in it), and it quickly stopped the behavior. We no longer need to give the yogurt, but they love it, and it has live bacterial cultures which act as probiotics, so we continue it as a treat a few times a week. We also use homemade kefir, which has even more types of beneficial bacteria.  If yogurt does not work, feeding pineapple will work. The bromelain in the pineapple causes the feces to lose its attraction. We also give a fish oil tablet in the yogurt, which helps their coat, reduces constipation, and is heart healthy. They also love coconut oil, which has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, so it's good for them. If they get a rash on their skin, coconut oil will help to keep the area moist to speed healing, and keep infection from developing as well. Our holistic vet recommends giving 2 raw eggs to each Golden, every other day (on days they do not get yogurt). The eggs provide health benefits, but these are lost if the eggs are cooked. 

Try to brush your puppy at least 2-3 times a week, even if only for 3-5 minutes per session. Your puppy will learn to enjoy grooming. Brushing distributes the natural oils throughout the coat to keep it healthy. Brushing also removes dander and dust so it isn't brought into the house from outside. Expect 2 large shedding sessions during the year. These periods are known as "blowing the coat". During early Spring, the heavy winter coat is blown in favor of a lighter Summer coat. In Fall, the light summer coat is blown to grow the warmer Winter coat. When you start to notice chunks of hair puffing out of the coat, plan to spend a good 30-60 minutes with a coat rake that will grab the undercoat. This session may need to be repeated about a week later, but won't take as long. DO NOT use the Furminator. We learned that is has a surgical blade that actually cuts the hair follicles and makes it fray, causing split ends. The coat will look and feel terrible. 

Baths should be done every 3-4 weeks for puppies, or more if visibly dirty. Adult Goldens don't need to be bathed as often.  We love 4-Legger shampoo in Lemongrass scent.  It goes a really long way, and rinses clean quickly.  The scent helps repel bugs.  Be sure to brush well before the bath; any tangles not removed before the bath will need to be cut out, as the water will tighten the knots. The bath will also loosen any undercoat that is ready to be shed. Plan to brush for a few minutes each day for several days following a bath. 

Try to make it a habit to play with your puppy's paws and ears every day. These are sensitive areas, and if they get used to having them touched, you will have less trouble trimming their nails and the fur between the paw pads, and cleaning their ears when needed. We do this every day when the puppies are in our care, as part of the Early Neurological Stimulation. 

If you do not want to have to spend tons of money having dental cleanings done at the vet every few years, we suggest regular preventative care. We noticed that the buildup on our Goldens' teeth reduced significantly when we started covering their kibble with water and adding a tablespoon of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Our holistic vet also recommends making a paste of hydrogen peroxide and aluminum free baking soda. Rub the paste along the teeth once a day to keep plaque and tartar from building. Now that we feed only raw, the plaque on their teeth has nearly disappeared.  A raw diet keeps the pH of the mouth alkaline, whereas a kibble diet keeps the pH acidic.  Acid leads to disease and plaque buildup.  Raw turkey necks work well to scrub the teeth clean if given regularly.

Vaccines given to our pets can cause an accumulation of toxic substances (i.e., Mercury, Aluminum, Polysorbate 80, etc.) in the body, which can result in many adverse reactions such as allergies, digestive upset, behavior problems like excessive chewing, joint pain, chronic yeast infections, and most anti-inflammatory autoimmune conditions. Anti-Vaccinosis spray by Adored Beast contains homeopathic ingredients Thuja and Silicea which allow the pet to detoxify to reduce unwanted symptoms. The spray can be used immediately following a vaccine, and twice daily for 2 days. The treatment can be repeated as necessary for: puppies who were vaccinated in the past; a dog who develops symptoms weeks or even months post-vaccine (ear infection, bladder infection, hot spot, lameness), or a diagnosis of any autoimmune disease in any dog that has been vaccinated at any time in his life. If symptoms improve after using the spray, but then begin to return, the spray can be used again, twice a day for 2 days.

Often the toxic substances are deposited in the adipose tissue or in the organs because the body knows that they do not belong so it attempts to remove the toxins from circulation. When the weight of the pet changes, and the adipose tissue breaks down, the toxins are released back into the body, and re-treatment may be required periodically. Toxins are also introduced through the environment, through pet foods, and some water supplies.