[theAnarchyHippy]

okay, we moved our 8 week old pup onto bakers puppy food, and she basically ate the lot right away, her belly got HUGE, so i thought she was just full, she'd go to the toilet and get rid of it.
and she hasnt.. she has a 2 hour nap, her belly hasnt gone down, and she hasnt had a poo.. so i think shes constipated
earlier today she has diarrhea too..

if it helps, we've been giving her bits of hotdog for treats with toilet training.

HELP PLEASE! WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE HER BETTER?

 

[Cassy]

How many times a day does she normally poo??

You might what to post this in the health section also.

 

[catflwrs185]

Instead of using hot dogs as a reward, freeze whole canned pumpkin in ice cube trays. My guy loves those and since it's a good source of fiber it will help her go to the bathroom.

 

[Sarah W]

Poor lil' pup. Hopefully she's OK now. What was she eating before? My advice is to do a bit more research on a good food for her as she doesn't seem to react well to Bakers. Have a look at these reviews:

Bakers Complete Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food | Review Centre
Pet Food Review -- Best dog food, cat food and small animal food reviews

I'd look to get her something like James Wellbeloved or Burns if you're going to feed her kibble. It may be more expensive in the short term but I believe a good diet is cheaper in the long run because it hopefully means a lot fewer trips to the vets!

PS - I feed my puppy raw but that's a whole other field of research and controversy.

 

[theAnarchyHippy]

well, before, we had canned meat and some kibble we got from the breeder, she usually has all the meat, then picks at the kibble through the day
but when she went for the bakers she just ate it all, so, to me that means she loves the taste doesnt it?

she usually goes for a poo atleast 3-4 times a day, basically an hourish after every meal.
but she has been during the night, and this morning she was really straining, but i think shes relieved her constipation, she's just feeling a bit sad from it.. so she's cuddling up with everyone, while of course will allow
im sure shes going to be fine, she's slowed down her eating this morning and hasnt eaten as much (but still a reasonable amount) i think it just got excited by the new food and dived in, she's learnt from that quick

one thing i am conserned about, is that we've got gravel and stones in the back garden, and shes getting a habit of crunching them (which because shes a baby, everything goes in the mouth), we obviously get them out her mouth when we see her get them, but she does end up swallowing some, i dont know if this can be a cause? will swallowing them damage her health?

 

[Sarah W]

but when she went for the bakers she just ate it all, so, to me that means she loves the taste doesnt it?

Well yes, she loves the taste - but that doesn't mean it's any good for her. Plenty of people love the taste of things that aren't good for them so I'm sure that's true of dogs too!

With regard to her eating stones, from what I understand can be the result of dietary deficiencies (e.g. iron, phosphorus or certain enzymes) or it can be a behavioural thing. Both are fixable through diet or training. I don't really know a lot about this issue so hopefully someone else will chime in here.

 

[Tess]

How is she feeling? Is she her usual active self, or is she feeling poorly?
If she is in distress, and you suspect a blockage, you need to get her to the vet.

 

[esc4p3]

she usually has all the meat, then picks at the kibble through the day

Agree with what the others have said. Also your above statement indicates that you leave food down all day? Sorry if I have assumed wrongly, but you shouldn't leave food down all day. Feed at a regular time, and when the dog has finished pick it up. Amongst other things this gives you a good idea of exactly how much food the dog has eaten at any one time.

 

[Tess]

The trouble with kibble is it swells in the tummy after they eat.
It can actually cause a life threatening condition called "bloat" (like colic in a horse.)
If the pup is used to canned meat, eating kibble will be very different for her.
Try feeding her 3 or 4 times a day.

Hope she is feeling better by now.

 

[theAnarchyHippy]

oh we dont leave it down all day anymore, the breeder recommended it because he owned working dogs, we take it up after 40mins-1hour
we saw the vet today, she had ver first jab, she seems fine now

 

[Esme]

I'm happy to hear she is doing well, but I do want to caution you to make sure she doesn't eat the stones or gravel, they can get stuck in her digestive track and she will need surgery to remove them. It's better to break that habit sooner than later.