What should I feed my Petite Pup?

  Here are three helpful hints for bringing your new Petite Pup home:

1.  Give your new Pup a teaspoonful of plain yogurt (not diet) per day for the first few weeks.  This will help with digestion and prevent some illnessess.  See intestinal health FAQ on my links page for more info.

2.  Buy a tube of Nutri-Cal at the pet store before bringing home your new Pup.  Give the Pup a dollop of this every day to prevent puppy hypoglycemia (see my links page FAQ) and give your Pup a little boost of vitamins too!  Vitamin supplements are not recommended for dogs, so discontinue use after your Pup is around 6 lbs.

3.  I will give you one more dose of deworming medicine in your Pup gift pack.  Use it on the date I have indicated.  If your Pup is not adjusting well or becomes stressed, then give the Pup 1 - 2 more doses.  You should not need to give anymore for quite some time.  I think some breeders and vets go overboard on preventative treatment of worms.  All dogs tend to have them and are not bothered by them. They will occasionally pick up more from their daily walks and the neighborhood cats.  If you follow the steps above and your dog has an episode of diarrhea that doesn't resolve, or drags its butt on your carpet (lol!), then try the yogurt and deworming treatments.  Otherwise, don't go overboard and continually treat your dog with harsh chemicals for something that is bound to happen anyway.  IMAO.  :)

Satin Balls

  I have found a recipe online for 'putting weight on dogs' called 'satin balls'.  The Miniature Poodle part in our Pups may make your dog tend to be on the skinny side, so satin balls is a healthy way to fatten them up!  It is a complete meal, I have been giving it to my dogs instead of hot dogs, which is the standard treat several times a day around here.  It should help a sick dog too.  The recipes I have found online make a huge amount, and probably will last forever with our little dogs!  Plus, I don't like to give my dogs raw meat and eggs, there are just too many virulent bacteria in meat and eggs nowadays.  And I don't like salmonella kisses!  I have made this variation to the standard recipe, try it on your Peite Pup!  All ingredients are readily available at your grocery store:

5 lbs. high fat hamburger                        7.5 c. Total Cereal (1 lb. box)

5 hard boiled eggs                                  2 c. Wheat Germ (15oz. jar)

1.5 c. Chicken broth or 2/3 c. oil             5 packs unflavored gelatin

2/3 c. unsulfured molasses (12 oz.)          7.5 c. oatmeal (uncooked)

                              1.5 c. sour cream or plain yogurt    

  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Cook hamburger and dice eggs.  Fold in eggs, hamburger, molasses.  Add chicken broth or oil to moisten.  Fold in sour cream or yogurt.  Shape into balls and freeze.  This recipe makes 3 ziplock (1 gal.) bags full.  You could make them in ice cube trays, adding a spray oil to the trays, but you would need alot of trays!  Give them to your dogs frozen or thawed.      

Choosing a Good Dog Food

  Many dog breeders and researchers have posted a 'dog food rating system' online.  Check out my links page for Linda Zimmerman's nutrition info and a nice poodle website too!  Her nutrition page will show you how to grade ingredients starting with 100 points, then add or subtract points for certain ingredients and preservatives.

  I will list a few of the dog food brands that are sold in our area to make your shopping a bit easier.  Here at Paula's Petite Pups, the puppies start on a variety of soft puppy foods just to get them weaned.  I will give you a sample of their current favorite in your gift bag when you pick up your Pup.  We try to move them into water softened Kirkland and they just love gnawing on the Natural Balance logs.  You will have to do your part and get your Pup on a healthy diet.  Here are some ratings:

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium                         score 122  A+

Wellness Just For Puppy                                                             score 117  A+

Natural Balance Duck and Potato                                                score 114 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, Vegetable                                score 110 A+

Kirkland Signature Puppy Chick, Rice, Veg                                   score 110 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato                                              score 106 A+

ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley                                                 score 103 A+

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice                                                score  97 A

Eukanuba Natural Lamb & Rice                                                  score  87 B

Nutrisource Lamb & Rice                                                           score   87 B

Nutro Chicken, Rice & Oatmeal                                                  score  85 C

Bil-Jac Select                                                                            score  68 F

Pro-Plan All Breed                                                                      score 68 F

Purina Dog                                                                                score 62 F

Science Diet Chicken Adult Maint.                                              score 63 F

Pedigree Complete Nu                                                               score 42 F 

Pet Gold Adult Lamb & Rice                                                       score 23 F

Purina Beneful                                                                          score  17 F

Purina Come and Get It                                                            score 16 F

Pedigree Adult Complete                                                          score 14 F

  Old Roy                                                                                 score  9 F