[Dailydrool] Food & Buppies

[Jane Hay]

Wow! One and a half cups per meal! My Houndettes would think they'd died
and gone to heaven if I fed them that much. The Houndettes get three
quarters cup of grain free kibble morning and night with about a quarter
cup of low fat vanilla yogurt (yes, they insist on vanilla!), a hand full
of low sodium green beans and a few baby carrots. Well, that's for the
three who weigh about 60 pounds. Shadow is a small houndie who weighs about
42 pounds so she only gets about a half cup of grain free kibble AM and PM
supplemented with whatever it takes that particular week to get her to
actually eat. I didn't start Sydney, our foster girl, on a grain free diet
because I don't know what her future new family will eventually feed her
but she actually needed to lose a few pounds when she came to us so she's
on a good quality kibble and only gets two thirds cup of kibble along with
some yogurt. I tried the green beans with her too but she really doesn't
like them. Of course, they all get a couple of cookies midday but we never
give them people food or left overs from the table. Even though we've got
their diet pretty well under control, Jersey, Ginger and Suzy could
probably lose a pound or two. It's so bad for their backs and joints to be
overweight so we really try to keep all of their weight reasonable.
Actually, I should control my weight as well as I do the Houndettes!

I treat young hounds the same way I would a two year old two legger. I
would never leave a toddler unsupervised and I don't leave a young hound
unsupervised unless they're in a crate or confined in a safe space with a
baby gate. It is remarkable what a young hound finds attractive and will
chew on. I have become a firm believer in crates over the years. If it's
used properly, most hounds love their crates and very willingly go into it.
Ginger will be six this year and is still crated when I'm not here because
she's a wild woman in a basset suit and gets into everything when she's
left alone. She has become scared of thunder and lightening and I will very
often see her head for her crate when the weather is getting bad. I know
she feels safe there. Once it really starts thundering, she's under my legs
or on my lap but I usually know a storm is coming by her behavior. On the
other hand, there is such a thing as crate abuse. Our Suzy came to us at
five months old after having been left in a crate 20+ hours a day with a
bark collar on because the young woman who had her lived in an apartment
complex and shouldn't have had a dog to begin with. Judicious crating is a
wonderful way to keep a busy young hound safe and a good way for you to
keep your sanity. Have a treat filled Kong ready so the buppy isn't bored
and certainly don't over use the crate but, personally, I wouldn't have a
puppy without having a crate now.

Suzy still had her puppy teeth when she came to us and would grab our hands
and arms with those damn little piranha teeth. I used to try and get her
lip in between her teeth and my skin so she bit herself when she did that.
I don't know if that's what stopped her or if she just grew out of it but
you need to stop that behavior immediately. About the time the pup is
playing and grabs the wrong person, the puppy is the one who will pay the
price and be labeled a biter. If you can't get him to stop, get the name of
a good trainer who can help you. I can't stress the importance of making
him stop that particular behavior.

We are headed for our wonderful vet today. Shadow was scheduled for a check
up and shots but Suzy is having a terrible time with her feet. She has
chewed her two front feet raw and now is having trouble walking. I noticed
her licking her feet a lot earlier in the week but didn't take a good look
till she started limping (I'm a bad, bad momperson!). I don't know if it
started out as a bug bite or what happened but she has a couple of hot
spots on her feet and legs. I have the medication that I've used with the
other hounds for hot spots but she's just not acting like herself so we'll
go and just make sure there isn't anything else going on.

Dale, I'm glad to hear your hounds are doing ok. It's always amazing how
the dynamics shift when there is a loss in the family. The dynamics have
shifted here even when we've had cats go to the kitty bridge.

Heart healing and get well drool is being slung to all in need.

Jane & the Houndettes
Jersey, Shadow, Suzy & Ginger
with foster girl Sydney
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