A bunch of puppy-related questions...
 

I have been wondering about a few things, so I thought that I'd ask you ever so helpful people.

1. Missy's ears are perky, but I'm wondering if I should continue to keep the top 1/3rd trimmed, or is that only something you do if they are drooping?

2. Missy's second set of vaccinations is coming on Dec 8th. For her first series @ 7 weeks she had Parainfluenza, CAV2-Hepatitis, Parvovirus, and Distemper. The vet has recommended I give her the same series for her next round but add Bordetella. Then another 4 weeks after that, just a Distemper, and shortly after that the Rabies vaccine. Do you all agree with this? I want her vaccinated properly, but I also don't want to overdo it.

3. When can I take her out and about with me? I really can't wait to take her out and about in her new Pet Fly Carrier. Also, I want her to have the opportunity to meet new people and experience new situations.

4. Treats! I think that I'd like to stick to fruits, veggies, cheerios..things like that. When can I start using these types of things for training. Any other suggestions for treats?

5. Feeding. Up until now I've been wetting down her dry kibble, mashing it up with a fork, and then mixing in a bit of canned (All Go Natural products). The last few days though, she seems to be prefering just the dry kibble, which I always leave out. Should I stop giving her the canned mixed with mashed, moistened kibble?

6. Nutracal. She still seems to need it, but not as much. How long do you normally give this to puppies for? It's been 2 weeks now, and I've decreased the amount from 2-3 peasize amount 3 times a day, to 1 peasize amount twice per day. I tried cutting it out completely a couple of days ago, and she seemed very tired and blah. Suggestions?

7. Can she have bullysticks this young? She has alot of nylabones and other toys, but I wanted to offer something a little more flavourful.

8. Grooming, how do you wash and rinse your Yorkies face? What type of brush do you use? I have a little puppy type brush with super soft nylon type bristles. I'm wondering what the next step is after this. I plan on growing her coat long.

9. Sleeping arrangements. Last night was the first night that Missy woke me up a gazillion times. She has slept the night through since I got her, only waking up for a quick pee or poop on her pads. Last night she whined for me almost every hour. I tried ignoring her, and that didn't work at all. I'd go and get her, cuddle her to sleep, then slip her back in her crate inside her ex-pen, sometimes this worked for a little while. I also tried bringing her crate into my room and setting it on my night table, that didn't help either. Even with my fingers dangling in her door and my face RIGHT there. She was still unhappy. I do eventually want her to sleep in my bed with me, but 9 weeks is far too young isn't it? I don't want anything to happen to her, and can't think of a safe way to have her in our bed now.

Thanks a MILLION! I know this is alot of questions to ask, but I kinda wanted to put them all together in one post so that I didn't clutter the messageboard.

:rose:

cute missy
 

:) wow what a lot of questions :animal36 she is still an adorable little sweetie though :animal-pa hope you get some good answers :thumbup:

OOoops! I forgot to add, she is 9.5 weeks old.

Thanks, I hope that I get some answers too. :)

missys questions
 

:D poppy sleeps in bed with us now but when she was missys age she slept in her basket at my side of the bed . when we knew she could jump on and off safely thats when she came in with us . and now she wont sleep anywhere else :aimeeyork but i love that way :thumbup:

I love it that way too! All of our fur babies have always slept with us. Same with our children when they were babies. Occasionally the kiddos still come to our room and hop in. I'm afraid that Missy won't ever be able to jump on and off of our bed though. It is quite high. I may have to invest in a ramp or stairs when she is old enough for it.

snuggly poppy
 

:aimeeyork poppy actually puts her head on my pillow and when its time to get up we sometimes have to lift her out of bed :) she really does like her comfort ;)

Awwwww! She sounds like a sweetheart :love:

Shaving the top third of the ear is the standard look for Yorkies; if they are droopy you shave the entire ear. I personally don't believe that you should take her out until she's had all her shots. Going to someone's home who doesn't have a dog might be safe, don't let children ever hold her. I don't believe in giving Nutical as a preventative, it can actually cause low blood sugar, it should only be given when signs of hypoglycemia are present. Just being "very tired and blah" isn't a sign. Most common clinical signs of hypoglycemia are drowsiness, shivering, collapsing, disorientation, seizures, listlessness, depression, muscle weakness and tremors, of course they don't have to display all signs, but try giving food first, and remember puppies sleep a lot. Yes, you can give bullysticks when they are young. They are teething and love to chew, they should always have something appropriate to chew on, it's much easier to teach them not to bite and chew if you can give them an adequate substitute. I suggest you visit our other forums for more detailed answers to you question, also the search feature is great.

Thanks Nancy! I appreciate your responses. I have been searching these forums since a few days before I got Missy. I am a research-aholic. So I'm not being lazy by posting these questions. I just wanted more specific answers to my questions, if anyone was willing. :)

I keep getting mixed answers to the Nutracal, some say to use it as a preventative measure, some don't. I've asked both the vets that I use, and got two different answers. Not sure what to do!

1. Missy's ears are perky, but I'm wondering if I should continue to keep the top 1/3rd trimmed, or is that only something you do if they are drooping?

The ears are usually kept tipped...meaning the edges and shave 1/3 way front and back...this includes yorkies kept in coat.

2. Missy's second set of vaccinations is coming on Dec 8th. For her first series @ 7 weeks she had Parainfluenza, CAV2-Hepatitis, Parvovirus, and Distemper. The vet has recommended I give her the same series for her next round but add Bordetella. Then another 4 weeks after that, just a Distemper, and shortly after that the Rabies vaccine. Do you all agree with this? I want her vaccinated properly, but I also don't want to overdo it.

Unless you plan on boarding her...skip the bordetella. It's for kennel cough and many puppies get sick from it. The schedule you mentioned is fine. Mine all got a rabies shoot a week after the last set.

3. When can I take her out and about with me? I really can't wait to take her out and about in her new Pet Fly Carrier. Also, I want her to have the opportunity to meet new people and experience new situations.

After she has completed her vaccinations...unless you are very sure of what animals have been wherever you take her. If you have a yard...it's fine to go out there.

4. Treats! I think that I'd like to stick to fruits, veggies, cheerios..things like that. When can I start using these types of things for training. Any other suggestions for treats?

You can use treats for training now. What you mentioned is fine. It's easy to go overboard on treats...and can add unnecessary weight

5. Feeding. Up until now I've been wetting down her dry kibble, mashing it up with a fork, and then mixing in a bit of canned (All Go Natural products). The last few days though, she seems to be prefering just the dry kibble, which I always leave out. Should I stop giving her the canned mixed with mashed, moistened kibble?

If you want to stop the canned...do so...especially since she's shown a preference to the kibble. Usually it's the other way around...wants canned and ignores kibble

6. Nutracal. She still seems to need it, but not as much. How long do you normally give this to puppies for? It's been 2 weeks now, and I've decreased the amount from 2-3 peasize amount 3 times a day, to 1 peasize amount twice per day. I tried cutting it out completely a couple of days ago, and she seemed very tired and blah. Suggestions?

What does she weigh? Puppies outgrow the threat of hypo episodes...so she may not need this any more.

7. Can she have bullysticks this young? She has alot of nylabones and other toys, but I wanted to offer something a little more flavourful.

You can try giving her bully sticks...sometimes puppies get diarrhea from them though. I have two who never had a problem with them...as puppies....and one that did. Now they can all eat bullies with no issues.

8. Grooming, how do you wash and rinse your Yorkies face? What type of brush do you use? I have a little puppy type brush with super soft nylon type bristles. I'm wondering what the next step is after this. I plan on growing her coat long.

Daily cleaning....I use a baby wipe. Bath wise...I use a cup to wet their beards and heads to avoid getting water in their eyes. I use a pin brush to brush them. You need to get a pin brush...it will eliminate matting and that soft brush probably isn't strong enough. Brush her EVERY day....if not brushed regularly....puppy fur will mat...sometimes bad enough the dog has to be shaved.

9. Sleeping arrangements. Last night was the first night that Missy woke me up a gazillion times. She has slept the night through since I got her, only waking up for a quick pee or poop on her pads. Last night she whined for me almost every hour. I tried ignoring her, and that didn't work at all. I'd go and get her, cuddle her to sleep, then slip her back in her crate inside her ex-pen, sometimes this worked for a little while. I also tried bringing her crate into my room and setting it on my night table, that didn't help either. Even with my fingers dangling in her door and my face RIGHT there. She was still unhappy. I do eventually want her to sleep in my bed with me, but 9 weeks is far too young isn't it? I don't want anything to happen to her, and can't think of a safe way to have her in our bed now.

Can't help you there....all of mine sleep with us....cause I couldn't take the crying. I am old and need my sleep.

Enjoy!

Her picture in your avatar is darling!!

Sorry, I didn't mean to make you sound lazy; you're efficient! :D Some people don't really know about the search feature, so that's why I mentioned it. I'm not against Nutric-cal, but you have to remember it's corn syrup which is just sugar, and while it can save their lives if given when needed it can also be harmful. It's really important to know the symptoms.


Bchgirl what a wonderful reply!!!

You were being very helpful Nancy. I just wanted to point out that I have been researching already, so that hopefully people are more willing to help. One of my personal pet peeves is when people expect everyone else to do their work for them. :)

Now, as far as the Nutracal....do you think that I should kind of wean her from it? Or just discontinue using it immediately. When I didn't give it to her (about 3 days ago) at all is when I started to notice her not doing so great.

She's still a tiny miss. I would probably give her the nutrical at bedtime...it's a long time from dinner to breakfast and you don't want her sugar dropping.

The main thing is she should be eating regularly...that will prevent any hypo episodes.

Don't be alarmed if she sleeps quite a bit...she is still very much a baby and that's what they do...sleep.

You're welcome...

thanks mom. LOL...

That sounds like a great idea. I will just give her a little at night for the next while. It wasn't really the sleeping that alarmed me, it was the way she was acting. It was like she was weak, and she wouldn't eat or anything. Normally her eating is fine. Thanks again!

I didn't realize she was that tiny, Joey was two pounds when I got him and he really never had an episode, but I know with the tinies you have to be extra careful, it sounds like you are doing a good job, I think I would try offering the food first, and make sure she was eating often. Sometimes they loose the appetite during a full-blown episode, so you have to give the nutri-cal which makes the appetite return, in a few minutes. From what I've read, protein should always be offered after the Nutri-cal or you will get another attack of low blood sugar.

You can call my granny!

Yep, that's exactly what was happening since the 2nd day that I got her. She'd start to get weak and then not eat. I'd give her the Nutrical and within 15-20 mins she'd start eating again. It does seem like she's needing it less and less. Hopefully she grows out of it soon. Otherwise she's a very active, hungry puppy. She obviously should have stayed with her Mom longer, we are coping though.

1. Missy's ears are perky, but I'm wondering if I should continue to keep the top 1/3rd trimmed, or is that only something you do if they are drooping?

I think if they're already perky, you should be good to go. I would still trim the edges a bit just to be sure, but from what I've read, once they go up, they usually either stay up or come back up after a brief period during teething.

2. Missy's second set of vaccinations is coming on Dec 8th. For her first series @ 7 weeks she had Parainfluenza, CAV2-[COLOR=green! important][COLOR=green! important]Hepatitis[/COLOR][/COLOR], Parvovirus, and Distemper. The vet has recommended I give her the same series for her next round but add Bordetella. Then another 4 weeks after that, just a Distemper, and shortly after that the Rabies vaccine. Do you all agree with this? I want her vaccinated properly, but I also don't want to overdo it.

I do recommend you get the Bordetella vaccine, simply because it's usually a requirement to put your dog in training classes or board them somewhere if you go on vacation. I would probably do as the vet recommends. I wouldn't skimp on puppy vaccines simply because I've seen puppies die of distemper and parvo and it's not pretty.

3. When can I take her out and about with me? I really can't wait to take her out and about in her new Pet Fly Carrier. Also, I want her to have the opportunity to meet new people and experience new situations.

I take mine out with me after the first two rounds of vaccinations.

4. Treats! I think that I'd like to stick to fruits, veggies, cheerios..things like that. When can I start using these types of things for training. Any other suggestions for treats?

I've heard good things about Cheerios...lots of dogs love cheese too (in moderation...)

5. Feeding. Up until now I've been wetting down her dry kibble, mashing it up with a fork, and then mixing in a bit of canned (All Go [COLOR=green! important][COLOR=green! important]Natural [COLOR=green! important]products[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]). The last few days though, she seems to be prefering just the dry kibble, which I always leave out. Should I stop giving her the canned mixed with mashed, moistened kibble?

Personally, I would go with dry kibble if that's what she prefers. It's better on their teeth. My pup is on dry kibble now.

6. Nutracal. She still seems to need it, but not as much. How long do you normally give this to puppies for? It's been 2 weeks now, and I've decreased the amount from 2-3 peasize amount 3 times a day, to 1 peasize amount twice per day. I tried cutting it out completely a couple of days ago, and she seemed very tired and blah. Suggestions?

I dunno, my 8 week old pup came to me at 4 pounds 6 ounces, so he didn't need any Nutracal. I'll have to let a "teacup" owner answer this one...

7. Can she have bullysticks this young? She has alot of nylabones and other toys, but I wanted to offer something a little more flavourful.

I don't see why not.

8. Grooming, how do you wash and rinse your Yorkies face? What type of brush do you use? I have a little puppy type brush with super soft nylon type bristles. I'm wondering what the next step is after this. I plan on growing her coat long.

I use a nylon bristle brush because my pup's fur is too thin to handle a wire brush (I don't want to scratch him). You'll probably need a comb at some point too. I try to wet a rag tip in warm water to clear away the eye gummies at least every other day, otherwise they're a pain to work out when he gets his weekly bath.

9. [COLOR=green! important][COLOR=green! important]Sleeping[/COLOR][/COLOR] arrangements. Last night was the first night that Missy woke me up a gazillion times. She has slept the night through since I got her, only waking up for a quick pee or poop on her pads. Last night she whined for me almost every hour. I tried ignoring her, and that didn't work at all. I'd go and get her, cuddle her to [COLOR=green! important][COLOR=green! important]sleep[/COLOR][/COLOR], then slip her back in her crate inside her ex-pen, sometimes this worked for a little while. I also tried bringing her crate into my room and setting it on my [COLOR=green! important][COLOR=green! important]night [COLOR=green! important]table[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], that didn't help either. Even with my fingers dangling in her door and my face RIGHT there. She was still unhappy. I do eventually want her to sleep in my [COLOR=green! important][COLOR=green! important]bed[/COLOR][/COLOR] with me, but 9 weeks is far too young isn't it? I don't want anything to happen to her, and can't think of a safe way to have her in our bed now.

She's crying because she knows she'll get attention from you now because you went and cuddled her on the hour before. I would not keep her in bed with you at this age because I personally don't think it's safe. Try putting a blanket over her crate to reduce stimulation and invest in some ear plugs for a few nights.

You need to completely ignore her if she is attention crying and not crying to go potty. Any attention you give her for whining is positive reinforcement for whining. If you want it to stop, she needs to elicit absolutely no response from you unless she needs to go out. If she cries and you take her out to pee and she doesn't pee, put her back in the crate and proceed to ignore her.

*whimper* It's so hard to ignore a crying baby. I'm a wuss. I did manage for awhile, but she wouldn't stop. I also want her to know that I am here for her, but without over spoiling her. Plus, I know in a few months she will sleep in my bed. She's just too small right now to do so safely.

also, about not getting bordatella, it is highly recommened you do because there have been some bad outbreaks of it this year, so says my aunt the veternarian

Let's see....
Ramsey - I attempted making her sleep alone in her crate...a solid week...before sleep deprivation set in and I caved.

Reese - I had a play pen...he was used to play pens and he slept there 2 nights...after that he learned to climb out of play pen...so I tried the crate. Okay he whimpered...hmmmm....5 minutes before I put him in bed. See...I distinctly remembered the sleep deprivation with Ramsey...

Reggie...I had an x pen. Again two nights...no problem. The third night...he cried...crying which no one else in this house could hear apparently....after 2 hours I went and got him....and promised him I would never make him cry like that again.

There are three dogs in my bed and usually at least one cat.

Unless she's boarding her...it's not necessary.

Btw, an outbreak in North Carolina...probably has little effect in Canada. :)

If you decide to get the bordatella (it's kennel cough)...do not get the one applied in their nose. The dogs get kennel cough from this vaccine.

My vet also recommended it, BUT Missy will NEVER be boarded and I have no intentions of taking her to puppy classes. The only dogs I ever plan on really having her around is my pug dog and my Mom's fully vaccinated dog. I don't think that I'll ever really trust other dogs around Missy because she is so tiny. I will discuss this vaccine further with both of my vets to find out if it truly is necessary. I would rather not give it to her if I don't have to.

i was just trying to help u didnt have to reply so rudely...

How in the heck is that rude? She has been so helpful, on this thread, it didn't occur to me until she mentioned it, that the location of the outbreak is important information, also warning us not to get the bordatella that's applied to the nose, as it actually gives them kennel cough, is information that I and others probably weren't aware. She was just adding to your post, not trivializing it. I think some people are just starting to look for rudeness, and it's really getting tiring.

I just want to add, that posts like yours keep some of our my knowledgeable members from posting.

Heather, how else can the vaccine be done if not through the nose.

Thanks, you ARE a help, and I appreciate it.

it can be injected as a shot. It is not necessary, but when I asked if she reccomended it even thought I told her there was no way I was boarding my baby she said yes because it is not a harsh shot like rabies so she would better be safe than sorry...