Needing help with Jake's transition

[jenn D]

Ok I've decided to start this thread because there are a lot of issues we will need to address with help Jake adjust to a new life. I'm just going to post here with questions. I've got obedience stuff down I can handle that. But there is alot of other stuff. I'll just post here any maybe one of you wise doodle lovers can help. I can try to post in food, and grooming but so any things are interrelated so I'm going to use this thread as a catch all and if mods want me to separate I can. :)

Issue first and foremost, the diet. We feed one of the foods recommended on here. Jakes current diet (what the owners been feeding him) is dry purina puppy food, and equal parts peas, corn, rice, cooked ground beef and water all mixed together. Okayyyyyyyyy. Iknow how to move a dog from 1 food to another slowly but how in the world do i handle this? Poor Jake has terrible runs! I'm taking him to the vet early this week to check for uti, stool, blood work etc. but how do I begin the transition to my food with all these other ingredients?

Thanks,I'll tackle other issues as we go along. I fear grooming wise he will need a shave. His belly, ears, and legs are horribly matted.

Thanks everyone.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

PureBites would be your best bet, either the chicken or turkey formula. Just freeze-dried poultry, nothing else so easily tolerated, widely available, very portable and most of the pieces are tiny. http://www.purebites.com/

I'm so glad the water consumption is lessening. Hopefully he is starting to understand that water is now readily available whenever he's thirsty and he doesn't need to "stock up".

[F, Calla & Luca]

That's interesting cause the liver treats are not tiny. Zukes has very little training treats too but they have more ingredients so until things settle down they may not be the best.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've been so puzzled by your having mentioned breaking the Pure Bites into smaller pieces, because the chicken treats are teeny tiny. The pieces do vary, but none are large enough to break. In fact, some are nothing more than crumbs. So the other day I looked at the different varieties at the store; the liver treats are much bigger than the chicken or turkey treats. The different varieties all vary in size.

[F, Calla & Luca]

And the variability in the liver treats themselves is large too, from very thin to thick pieces that are hard to break. But the dogs adore them. Calla trained herself to take EPO just for that. It's funny, if I haven't taken the treats out of the bag, and she hasn't smelled the liver on my fingers, she needs to be encouraged to take the capsules. I may order some chicken for other times when tiny would be handy.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And I found myself wishing that JD could have the liver treats, because I get annoyed by all the tiny crumbs in the bottom of the bags of chicken treats. I go through all the bags at the store trying to find the ones that seem the least crushed/crumbled. I think it must be that the chicken and turkey treats are softer and crush or crumble more easily.  

[F, Calla & Luca]

Is he not allowed beef?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nope. No red meat at all except for "exotics" like rabbit or elk. Things he had not been exposed to prior to the IBD diagnosis. :(

It's possible that he might tolerate some of them just fine, but there's no way to know that. We suspect that beef and pork are the worst choices, though, based on his history. 

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Jenn, if he is in the same cage he used at old owners, it probably has urine smellin it and that will make him continue to go in their. His own private potty spot. Can you replace it? Or try a deep deep cleaning of the cage?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Good thinking, Sue.

[jenn D]

Good thinking yes. But I do not use his old crate. I use one of mine. But I thin its either conditioning or a uti or bladder issue.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Wonderful news about the water problem. That really speaks to conditioning, and you can change that.

[Gail and Bailey]

Awesome news about the water!  I think Jake will soon learn he can hold it and not pee in his crate. He will see that he is not going to be in there for hours on end!  So glad you are seeing small bits of progress!  He just looks like the sweetest boy!