Puppy questions

[lalipupper]

Hi everyone, I have a few specific questions about French Bulldog puppies that I haven't found a clear answer on. My husband and I will be new dog owners so I apologize that I'm a total newbie here.

• Is starting out with a 'slow feeder' (like https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00L3O3UPE...lid=1R5MUGKP4WWOD&coliid=I3PTNSIOHFGQE1&psc=1) okay for a puppy, or will it be too difficult for her to eat from?
• Are "puppy sized" nylabones okay? I've read that I should get larger ones, but I'm unsure. I will also be getting antler chews. I want to make sure she has many chewing options.
• Is there a big difference between 'puppy' and 'dog' food? Is it important to feed puppy food to start? I was defaulting to this, but then thought if I could switch foods less often it might be better? I am looking at Taste of the Wild Pacific Salmon formula. I also read somewhere that salmon will make their breath stinky... Anyone ever heard of that?
• The breeder will be sending her home with a harness and leash... Is it ok if I get a collar? I've read articles saying "no collars ever!" but I see so many photos of pups with collars. Are nylon collars with plastic buckle clips ok?
• Are knotted rope toys a bad idea? Can they be chewed on or are they just for tugging? I do not want her to learn tugging when she's young so may avoid this and get a different toy instead.

Also... if anyone in Canada has a good recommendation for ordering antler chews online please let me know. If seems like most on Amazon come from the States and get hefty import fees tacked on.

Thanks so much!

 

[antbkny]

Hold off on the slow feeder unless it's needed.
Puppy size nylabones are fine.
Feed a high quality puppy food. Puppy food is more nutrient and calorie dense per serving. And usually smaller kibble.
Harness is better but I use a collar. Mainly because my pup hates harnesses.
I use knotted ropes without issue.

 

[Cbrugs]

Dogfoodadvisor.com is a good place to go to look at the different ratings for all of the foods out there.

You can still get a collar but when you go for walks, a harness would be best. Jax doesn't wear anything while in the house. If he is in the front or backyard, he has his collar on but if we go for a walk he wears his harness.

I used to buy rope toys but then I saw a tragedy where 2 dogs had died because they were swallowing the strings to the rope and they got all wrapped up around some organs or something so now I don't do rope toys.

 

[Cbrugs]

Okay, I literally just went to the English Bulldog forum and there was a thread about the dangers of rope toys. Exactly what I had said above happened:

This was posted on my FB page today. So very sad and a warning to us all.

"We lost our beautiful Titan today. My heart is broken in a million pieces. He was only 10 months old. I dropped him off at the vet yesterday because He was acting sick and wasn't eating. They kept him over night to hydrate him. This morning, after doung an xray and seeing objects in stomach and small intestine, they decided to do surgery ( after my approval). Apparently he chewed on and swallowed something ( appears to be a string of some kind) that destroyed his small intestine. There was nothing they could do for him. He was an amazing dog and he was also my son's therapy dog for autism. Only reason i am posting is to bring awareness because i never thought a piece a string could take our babies life".

 

[lalipupper]

Hey guys! Thanks so much for the responses. [MENTION=188]Cbrugs[/MENTION] - That is totally what I was worried about! Our cat actually had something similar happen. She got ahold of yarn and ate it - it ended up wrapping around her stomach and inside her intestines. We got incredibly lucky because she coughed and a piece came out. Took her right to the vet and $2k later of life saving surgery she made it through. I will definitely not be bringing rope toys into the house!

 

[Honeys Owners]

I would stick to a puppy food, most people here recommend Orijen puppy ( since you're in Canada ). I have mixed feelings about antlers, some people say it's ok, some people say it can crack teeth. Try the nylabone puppy keys kept in freezer to soothe the gums. Kong rubber toys are great too. I'm sure at what age you can feed the puppy marrow bones, maybe someone can pipe in.

 

[Alice Kable]

Hold off on the slow feeder unless it's needed.
Puppy size nylabones are fine.
Feed a high quality puppy food. Puppy food is more nutrient and calorie dense per serving. And usually smaller kibble.
Harness is better but I use a collar. Mainly because my pup hates harnesses.
I use knotted ropes without issue.

We don't use puppy size nylabones because they outgrow them and I worry about one getting "lost" under furniture, etc. and then finding it when it is too small. We always get the large dog size.
A "no pull" harness is better, regular harnesses enable pulling.
We don't use knotted ropes because they shred them.

 

[Honeys Owners]

I've read that hard nylabones can crack teeth. I have to watch my dogs like a hawk with the softer nylabones since they can quickly bite off pieces and swallow them since my dogs are older. Supposedly planet dog toys are good, come with a lifetime warranty. You can buy them from a local pet shop and return them when your dog destroys them . http://www.planetdog.com/Shop/Puppies-and-Seniors/Puppy-Toys .

 

[Honeys Owners]

The most popular bulldog harness seems to be the Julius-K9 from what I've seen of people posting.

 

[Jakeyjake]

Good questions! Check out West Paw Design for good strong rubber chew toys. Jake is a pretty aggressive chewer and these are lasting so well. I gave him a Benebone at Christmas and sure enough he got a slab fracture on his tooth, so I don't really like antlers, or nylabones any longer. We don't use rope toys either because of the danger involved. To keep your pup occupied you could smear a bit of cream cheese or peanut butter in a kong, otherwise mine have no interest in them. Sometimes I will buy some canned food and stuff a kong and freeze it. In my opinion I think puppies should be on a puppy food. Growing puppies are not the same as adult dogs. I use a harness on Stella and a collar on Jake. Jake does not pull on his walks so I feel it is safe for him. Stella will bolt after birds, trucks, etc and she needs to be in a harness or I think she would crush her trachea! I feed salmon and it doesn't make their breath stinky.

 

[lalipupper]

Hey thanks everyone for the answers. I read more about deer antlers and have removed them from my shopping list. I found an article where a vet talks about acute diarrhea in puppies from deer antlers. No idea if there's any basis to it, but that alone (and the thought of causing harm to her teeth) has convinced me. I have Kongs, West Paw Design chew bones, and Planet Dog Orbee tough bones on the list.

 

[davidh]

[MENTION=2466]lalipupper[/MENTION] I would get a regular stainless steel bowl for food and water. If she is going to be in a crate get a lick bottle to hang from the side so she can have water in her crate and they can't dump it over. We always get large Nylabones for our pups. Get a good puppy food and feed three times a day until about 6 months of age, then switch to twice a day, and at 7 months you can switch to adult food. If you are crate training, get the wire crates, not the plastic ones, they can get too hot in the summer in the plastic. A collar is fine, but a harness is a little better, but they do fine on either one. We only use collars for ours, just don't keep either one on them when they are in the house or not supervised, as they can get caught on something and choke to death, especially in a crate. Also watch for power cords, try to hide them so she won't chew on them. Plus no rope toys, someone here in Houston just lost their English Bulldog because of a rope toy. They tried emergency surgery but it was too late. Also absolutely no rawhide, pig ears, or anything like that, they are bad, bad, bad.

 

[lalipupper]

[MENTION=2466]lalipupper[/MENTION] I would get a regular stainless steel bowl for food and water. If she is going to be in a crate get a lick bottle to hang from the side so she can have water in her crate and they can't dump it over. We always get large Nylabones for our pups. Get a good puppy food and feed three times a day until about 6 months of age, then switch to twice a day, and at 7 months you can switch to adult food. If you are crate training, get the wire crates, not the plastic ones, they can get too hot in the summer in the plastic. A collar is fine, but a harness is a little better, but they do fine on either one. We only use collars for ours, just don't keep either one on them when they are in the house or not supervised, as they can get caught on something and choke to death, especially in a crate. Also watch for power cords, try to hide them so she won't chew on them. Plus no rope toys, someone here in Houston just lost their English Bulldog because of a rope toy. They tried emergency surgery but it was too late. Also absolutely no rawhide, pig ears, or anything like that, they are bad, bad, bad.

Hi Davidh,

Thanks so much for your responses!

I found stainless steel bowls with no slip rubber bottoms for food and water. She'll be crate trained however she'll only be in there at night for sleeping. I've picked out the 'iCrate' wire crate available through Amazon. She'll also have a 'playpen'.

Thanks for the specifics re: feeding. I really appreciate it. I think I'll put together some kind of schedule for the food. We're planning on trying Orijen (after suggestion in this thread).

No rope toys - check! And yes, I've read a lot about toys and rawhide etc. was off the list.

Thanks again!

 

[kwb]

French Bulldogs like to swallow things and chew to a minimum. Be carful of small objects laying around. Also No Greenies bones - it breaks into rock sized pieces and lodges in their digestive track! No rawhide - it unravels and they swallow it whole. Collar is for decoration - best to use a harness for walks. Check out Ruffwear Dog Harnesses | Comfortable & safe collar alternative for all your outdoor adventures

For bowls, I like Pyrex. It's glass and I can see what's in it and if its' dirty.

I hope to get my new baby home soon (the litter is 2 weeks old now, so I am getting ready). : )

All the best.

PS: Post some pics of your new baby!

 

[Mavis]

We use puppy nylabones, however, they are flexible (but indestructible). They don't get sharp like regular Nylabones can. Bambi is five, however, she still loves to chew them. They aren't too small for them to swallow.

 

[Honeys Owners]

You should start stocking some first aid supplies like Braggs apple cider vinegar and witch hazel for ear cleaning, Curaseb or Malaseb or Ketohex shampoo, Vetricyn eye gel, Vetricyn or Banex or Equisilver spray,Desitin ointment and optionally some Duoxo or Malacetic wipes.

So far I've been giving my dogs Starwest Botanical organic kelp powder, about 1/8 tsp daily to help prevent plaque, but you may want to start using something like Virbac C.E.T. toothpaste to get your dog used to having his teeth brushed. Zoomgroom brush is essential for brushing dog regularly as well as scrubbing during a bath. Not sure best shampoo to have in addition to an antibacterial and fungal shampoo,since I get my dog groomed, maybe someone else can pipe in. I would definitely keep a medicated shampoolike mentioned in first paragraph in the house even if you get a non medicated shampoo, since it's useful for cleaning wrinkles and tail pockets and washing dog who has yeast problems or hot spots.

 

[Honeys Owners]

Also might be helpful to have a doggie probiotic in the house in case your dog needs antibiotics, eg. Proviable DC, Vetriscience Mega Probiotic, Herbsmith Microflora Plus. If you don't want to spring for that you could use kefir, low fat probiotic yoghurt like Kirkland greek yoghurt, sauerkraut from the fridge section etc.