# Best food for my new puppy?



## Sunfires79 (Aug 20, 2011)

I just brought my adorable Cockapoo puppy home today! She is 7 weeks old and seems to be settling well.
She has been weaned on Purina Beta chicken for puppies and seems healthy enough, with a fat tummy!!!
She has been home 9 hours now, and has 3 or 4 fairly loose bowel movements. Is this normal? 
The breeder said to soak the food, but the websites say to give dry for their teeth as they are teething!
Do puppies have loose stools for a while?
Just thought id ask.
Ill see the vet next week for her jabs but as she's my first puppy (ive had 2 dogs before) i just thought id ask for any advice going!

Thanks


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

some puppies can be a bit off forn the first couple of days, with all the moving about new things going on. 

i am a raw feeder, and have rased 2 puppies on raw meat and bones. i would never go back to a cerial based food. 

however is doesnt sute every body, but i would get her off Beta as its not one of the best foods, try burns or JWB some on her also recomend origen. 

stay away from the popular brands like bakers, pedigree etc they are full of rubish.


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## Sunfires79 (Aug 20, 2011)

Also, as she's so small & i dont think has ever been outside...Ive put down a few puppy pads & she's going there most of the time. Is this right or should i be going into the garden?
I figured id start by training her to use the pads, then progress to outside as she gets a little more settled!
Is this all right?


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

she may be loose as she is unsettled but you are right to ask for advice and if it continues a quick trip to vet will give her a good check over... she is very young... any signs of blood or loose toilet with sickness could indicate she has picked up ... puppy are very vulnerable so if it continues please go to your vet xxx

We would love to see pick of your new cockapoo, what colour is she? and her name ...


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## Blossomgirl (Jul 21, 2011)

ahh congratulations on your lovely little puppy. What is her name, colour? We would love to see piccies. I bring my little puppy home next Saturday. I have read almost every post on this forum and I think you have one of two choices about feeding - BARF (raw meat & bones) or dry food. From what I have read the better dry foods include Origen, Applaws (Pets at home) and Barking Heads.
As for toilet training, it is again a matter of choice, trial & error. I am going to try and not use puppy pads as apparently they can start to think it is ok to mess on mats, rugs, carpets etc. If you would liek her to go toilet outdoors, try taking her just outside your back door on her lead and take her out every hour to the same spot (creatures of habbit and all that!). Sorry I can not give you personal experience, only research. Good luck and looking forward to hearing more from you.xxx


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Sunfires79 said:


> Also, as she's so small & i dont think has ever been outside...Ive put down a few puppy pads & she's going there most of the time. Is this right or should i be going into the garden?
> I figured id start by training her to use the pads, then progress to outside as she gets a little more settled!
> Is this all right?


Hi personally i would get her used to going in the garden asap shes fine to go out there just to do her business before shes had all her jabs,you may find it harder to house train her using pads in the house,id use them in her crate if shes crate trained .

Food wise my puppy is on orijen and its a dry food but must admit his poop is sometimes loose someone suggested giving a little natural yogurt which ive tried but it hasnt helped really (dont think eating rabbit poo etc which all pups do helps!)


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## Otto (May 13, 2011)

Hi there - We've had Cocoa for 6 days now - her stools were loose for the first 2 or 3 days. Vet questioned the feed that the breeder had supplied which was a Field & Trials working puppy mix, so quite calorific. Started mixing in and gradually increasing proportions of a good quality dry food recommended, still mixed with a little warm water plus a blob of natural yoghurt as recommended on this forum. Don't know if coincidental but very soon after, stools improved - so much easier to scoop!
Rain doesn't help, but would definitely recommend training her to "go" outside - Cocoa saw puppy pads as a chewing toy!
Best of luck, but don't worry, she'll get there - we were very worried about her loose poo but it soon passed.


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## Sunfires79 (Aug 20, 2011)

Thankyou for your advice!
Her name is Tinkerbell (Belle) and she is apricot & white.
Last night was her first night with us and she was good as gold. No crying through the night, and all 'spillages' on the puppy pads! Result.
Slightly concerning was a little blood & Mucous in her stools (barely visible) but as a nurse we are obsessed with stools!! ha ha.
She's very well & playful in herself. She has been used to soaked beta, but wont really entertain this at all, prefering to eat the kibbles dry.
She has her first vets appointment on friday, and i am concerned that she's scratching a fair bit & dragging her bottom. From what ive seen, she's a little young for flea & worm treatment? I forgot to ask her actual birthday (can you believe it?) but i am lead to believe she is 7wks, 1 day.
I shall try & add a pic.....dont know how!!


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Hello, welcome and congratulations on your new pup! Would love to see a photo or two of her!

Puppies are often a bit loose for the first day or two. A spoonful of live natural yoghurt may help. People have given some good advice already .....just keep an eye on her and if you are at all worried then get her along to the vet. 

I have always been an advocate of training pups to use the garden from the word go but it really depends on your circumstances. Having spent last year working very hard on my small garden, digging a pond, sowing a new lawn, creating flower beds etc I was very reluctant to let our new pup Basil go and wreck it by digging and creating brown 'wee' patches! It's my little bit of paradise and I love it. 

Having seen Basil use a bark corner at Jukee Doodles to do his business, I got my husband Gareth to build a puppy litter tray on the patio and fill it with bark! It has been very successful but then when we got heavy rain he was reluctant to use it as it was so soggy. I guess having it on the patio there was nowhere for the water to drain away. Basil would stand outside for a bit, then slink in and pee on the carpet!!

I have started to put puppy training pads down and have had huge success with them. He goes outside 80% of the time (when I am on the ball and watching him!) and uses the pad the rest of the time ......usually when it is raining or when he has been playing furiously with my other Cockapoo Rufus and is 'cut short' so to speak! I bought a training pad holder from Pets at Home (a plastic frame) which stops the dogs playing with it.

As puppies mature their capacity to hold on improves so I really don't think I'm creating problems for the future. Since having the pads he has not once peed or pooped on the carpet which is great. A benefit of feeding BARF is that Basil's poops are nice and dry with a low aroma. 

The funniest moment was when Basil first used the puppy pad. I walked into the room and the expression on my other two dogs faces will live with me for some time! They were horrified and definitely look to me to see what I would say/do!

I've rambled. Sorry. Do whatever you think will work for you. She'll get there eventually whichever way. 

Karen xx


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## Blossomgirl (Jul 21, 2011)

Quote me if I am wrong anybody but I think the breeder should start worming / fleaing from about 4wks and then every 2wks thereafter. I would problably google the bottom shuffling as I read that a majority of pups are actually born with worms?! and if no treatment has been given from the breeder it might be wise to investigate. There is a thread on here about posting photos via photo bucket and copying the IMG. If not you could try using the attachment icon when you send a new post. Good luck to you and Tinkerbell.xxx


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## Otto (May 13, 2011)

Cocoa had small amounts of blood and mucous in her loose stools too - nothing to worry about per the vet (and nurse in a separate visit) - v.normal in the event of an upset tummy.


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## doodlebug (Jul 16, 2011)

Sunfires79 said:


> Thankyou for your advice!
> Her name is Tinkerbell (Belle) and she is apricot & white.
> Last night was her first night with us and she was good as gold. No crying through the night, and all 'spillages' on the puppy pads! Result.
> Slightly concerning was a little blood & Mucous in her stools (barely visible) but as a nurse we are obsessed with stools!! ha ha.
> ...


Didn't the breeder give you a record of when she'd been wormed? because depending on which one was used, worming should have began at around 2weeks old, if shes not been wormed then her big belly could be down to worms and worms are extremely dangerous in a young puppy.

Flea treatment should only be used when a dog or a puppy has fleas imo.

The blood and the mucousy stools certainly need looking in to, it could be something and nothing, but it could also be something like giardia


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## lola24 (Aug 14, 2011)

Be aware some blood and mucous with straining to pass faeces can be a sign of colitis which is common after a bout of the squits. Also the bum scooting may be that her anals glands are bothering her as they are usually emptied whilst passing a firm poo. Try reduced amounts of food- more little and often and it may give his intestines time to settle. Any worries pop her to your vet a little earlier than planned but im sure she will be fine!


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## Sunfires79 (Aug 20, 2011)

Lol.....funny!
What exactly do you feed dogs on a BARF diet?! x


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Dont worry about poo fetish there are loads of posts and threads about bowel motions on here .If you look in the section... I would imagine cockapoo health you'll see quite a few threads on Barf and you might be interested in reading the ones about NI or Natural Instinct a very popular commercial food, ready made Barf by a family firm and delivered ,unless you lucky enough to have a local stockist . Hope all is well with Tinkerbelle x


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## Sunfires79 (Aug 20, 2011)

Thankyou everyone. Good advice x


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## Sunfires79 (Aug 20, 2011)

Just spoke to the breeder. he said she'd been flea treated since 2 wks of age. He said you cant worm until 6 months???
I thought it was just a one of litter for them, but on subsequent visits, they seem to be quite into breeding so im surprised they didnt write things down for me.
They say she cant be KC reg because she is a cross breed, but if i ever breed from her, i wont have any documentation? mum was there working cocker, dad a stud poodle.


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

Hello - Beau was wormed by the breeder and when we collected her at 8 weeks we continued to worm with Advocate every four weeks so the breeder is definitely incorrect about the worming side of things!


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## doodlebug (Jul 16, 2011)

Sunfires79 said:


> Just spoke to the breeder. he said she'd been flea treated since 2 wks of age. He said you cant worm until 6 months???
> I thought it was just a one of litter for them, but on subsequent visits, they seem to be quite into breeding so im surprised they didnt write things down for me.
> They say she cant be KC reg because she is a cross breed, but if i ever breed from her, i wont have any documentation? mum was there working cocker, dad a stud poodle.


OMG thats shocking, all puppies must be wormed regularly from a couple of weeks old 



Crosses cant be kc registered but she should have a pedigree with both the sire and the dams family history on it?, I dont suppose the parents had any health tests done did they?

I'm sorry but the breeder sounds a terrible one, please get her wormed with a decent wormer straight away, worm overload can kill puppies and if she has never been wormed she will certainly have them


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## curt3007 (May 28, 2011)

Where did you get her from? Love her colouring by the way


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## Lulu-belle (Aug 26, 2011)

She needs worming a.s.a.p. Shocked to hear that the breeder was totally clueless about worming regime!

Also as a crossbreed it cannot be registered with KC -nor any pups. ( apart from agility register)


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

Sunfires79 said:


> Just spoke to the breeder. he said she'd been flea treated since 2 wks of age. He said you cant worm until 6 months???
> I thought it was just a one of litter for them, but on subsequent visits, they seem to be quite into breeding so im surprised they didnt write things down for me.
> They say she cant be KC reg because she is a cross breed, but if i ever breed from her, i wont have any documentation? mum was there working cocker, dad a stud poodle.


Hi Sunfires79,

You're little puppy was very young to leave the litter at 7 weeks old. All puppies should be wormed every 2 weeks from 2 weeks old to 8 weeks old. Puppies can only be treated topically with Frontline Spray (which is very expensive but effective) before 6 weeks old and the Stronghold spot on from 6 weeks old. From what you have told us I would get her to the vet first thing on Tuesday because if she has got a worm infestation every day will be damaging to her.

True that she is a cross bred but if you wish to breed from her at any time you will need to know the parentage of her mother and the stud dog to avoid any inbreeding. Ask the breeder at least for a copy of the parents papers. Also copies of any health tests that have been done. If they have none then you may wish to have her tested yourself before considering breeding in the future.

Julia x


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## Sunfires79 (Aug 20, 2011)

Well, it seems i got the wrong end of the stick. She had been wormed, what he said was she wont need doing again until 6mths. Ill discuss this with the vet again next time. She had her jabs today, and another dose of wormer & flea treatment & a clean bill of health from the vet....so all good.


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

That's good news! Now you can get on and enjoy your puppy without worrying! Do keep us updated with progress and photos. 

Karen x


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