Weve had some interesting feedback this week - information given to our clients from well-meaning veterinarians. A few examples: - feed as much high fat puppy food as shell eat - you cant overfeed your puppy - Crate your puppy all the time until 4-6 months. Take him out for brief potty breaks during the day and then back in the crate. - Your puppy should be pooping 6 times a day Can I debunk some myths? - You can absolutely overfeed your dog. Puppies grow in spurts so be patient and unless they are severely underweight, feed according to the package directions and increase the amount as they grow. Overfeeding a puppy will likely cause obesity. Common sense confirms this. - Please dont crate your puppy all the time. Crate train and potty train properly (ask us how!) and only crate them 1 hour per month in age +1 (3 months old? crate time max is 4 hours). Otherwise sign up in advance for Behaviour Modification with us for severe separation anxiety, and other related issues. - 6 times a day? Who poops 6 times a day? How much are you eating? Which brings us back to the first point. Maybe youre overfeeding. These well-meaning vets need to perhaps do a little more scientific research and also bring a certified trainer on board for assistance with behaviour matters before giving out such information. If something your pet professional (myself included) says to you doesnt make sense or sounds strange, or makes you uncomfortable, please SPEAK UP. Were all professionals, we all make mistakes, we all mean well...but no one knows your dog better than you do. Be your dogs advocate. Question everything. If youre not sure, please ask me. Ill give you a list of vets that I would trust in an instant. We are spoiled in Toronto with some pretty great ones.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 23:47:58 +0000