# Ack!! Diahrea!(Sp?)



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Tucker has the poops!  What could this mean? We've been trying to switch him over to a healthier food, could this be it? Is there something I can do to help him? He goes to the vet on Friday at 10am for his first shots ( I know, I'm late getting him those..)


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

I know this is off topic and I aplogize for that in advance lol

Are these the first shots ever? If so, that's really weird that the breeder didn't get them done already.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Yeah, these would be his first shots ever. She didn't get them because she said they get their shots at 8, 12, and 16 weeks. When I got him he was 7.

Puppies have their own immune system they get from their moms but nobody knows when it wears off. That's why they get so many shots instead of just doing it once. So if you get them at lets say, 6 weeks, chances are they're ineffective because your puppy still has his own immunity from momma.

I wanted to get them at 8 weeks, but the vet couldn't see me until last Friday but I had to work when she had the only time available so I had to put it off until this Friday.


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Makes sense. 

It just struck me as weird because every breeder I had talked to said they come home with first shots.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Yes, most puppies do come with their first shots, but most puppies are also already 8 weeks old by the time they let them go 

I guess it all depends on the breeder. My breeder has 14 dogs, and she had 3 litters at one time, and she has BIG litters, Tuckers litter was 12, so I imagine it would cost her a lot of money to give vaccines to about 30 puppies all in one month.


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

It could be from the change in food, but because he hasn't had any shots, I would call the vet ASAP. You don't want to take any chances. How is he feeling otherwise?


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

He's fine, eating, drinking, we went for a long walk/run for like 45 minutes, very playful... so, I dunno...??


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

I would just be wary of parvo. If you are taking him for walks outside of your yard and he has not been immunized, he is at risk. That's a tricky one. The vet shouldn't charge for a phone call, so it might still be worth the call.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Yes shes right. I was always told be very careful of Parvo...and I was always told never take the dog out til he/she has their second set of shots. We have neighbourhood cats that sneak under our fence and I dont have a clue if their infected with anything. I wish you luck! I really hope your VET can help him.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

You've been taking an unvaccinated puppy out for walks? We weren't allowed to take Augie out for walks until he was fully immunized--he was almost 17 weeks by the time he got his last vaccines. Call the vet--parvo can kill a puppy very quickly.

As for the breeder, if she couldn't afford to get 30 puppies vaccinated, then perhaps she shouldn't be breeding hordes of puppies in the first place.


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Yeah, second set of shots before walks at least I think. That's something I've been wanting to read up on and that's what they all say... especially until they the rabies one. 

About the breeder who can't afford to do the shots for the pups, that's why she was probably charging less than those who do the vaccinations. I think you did get a great pup but I don't know about the breeder; I think she made some very questionable decisions.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

No one ever told me not to take him out of the yard, we go on long walks everyday all over the place. What are some symptons I should be looking for? Besides having runny poops (not constantly pooping though, just runny when he does go) he seems fine.


I just took him outside and he had a solid poop.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

What about heartworm meds? Is he protected against that at least? Or has he never been to the vet's at all?


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

I know he's been dewormed twice, so he has been to the vet with her. So I'm guessing he hasn't had heartworm meds. Would that be that frontline stuff or Revolution or something?


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

No, the frontline is for fleas. The heartworm meds are oral--Augie gets a chewable one monthly. I strongly suggest you stop taking this puppy out of your yard as he is totally unprotected against disease and parasites.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Well, he's not totally unprotected if he still has his immune system from his mom, but that's the risk, you never know when it wears off. The girl at the pet store said about 12 weeks. I'll keep him in the yard though. I'll just have to really make sure he doesn't fall in the pond, as he has now discovered it. 

Any tips on how to keep your dog out of the garden? He 100% doesn't listen to anything, I have to physically go in and get him out. I dont want him eating the plants or falling in the water. I swear, sometimes I think he's deaf lol.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

LaurJen said:


> No, the frontline is for fleas. The heartworm meds are oral--Augie gets a chewable one monthly. I strongly suggest you stop taking this puppy out of your yard as he is totally unprotected against disease and parasites.


This might sound stupid..but...I am still learning here LOL

Do puppies require heartworm meds every month or just if they have heartworms? Thanxs !!!


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Don't worry Katie, I was wondering the same thing 

I'm also new to this, new to dogs in general, so I know NOTHING! Well, except how to groom them I went to school for that lol.

I think though, they need it monthly. It's just a chewable tablet I think. 

I think there's a med called Revolution that takes care of both fleas and heartworm ??


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Well its all new to me way over my head lol. I will def make sure to ask our vet. We are switching vets. a co-worker my husband works with told us about a vet that comes right into your home and looks after your dogs shots and all. I love this idea cause then I wont be worried sick at night if she might have caught something or not. 

I just love this board....everyone is VERY helpful


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

I'm also glad I found this place  I've never had a vet before lol because I've never had an animal that needed anything. Hamsters and fish and turtles dont really require a lot of anything except food, water and love...

Oh, and my bunnies, well...bunny now... 

I'm both excited and a little scared, to learn everything. I know its going to be a lot of work, but in the end when he grows up to be a strapping young gentleman lol it'll be lots of fun I'm sure!


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Katiesmommy said:


> This might sound stupid..but...I am still learning here LOL
> Do puppies require heartworm meds every month or just if they have heartworms? Thanxs !!!


It's a heartworm _preventative_... so that they don't catch heartworms  Adult dogs take it too.

The flea preventative that we use is applied between the shoulderblades.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

yeah I've heard of the ones you put on their backs. But dont those wash away if its like raining outside??


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

So is this medication over the counter? Or do I need a prescription from my vet?

------------------------------------
GoldenLover84:

I know what you mean. I am really looking forward to bringing Katie home. My husband and I had a pure-breed Cocker-Spaniel like 6 years ago. He was such a doll but at the time my husband was working tons of hours and I was still in school and we had to give him to another home. 

We have wanted a Golden for a few years now. The work hours are much better and I am now at home lots so we are really looking forward to Katie. My husband and I are trying to set up a GR group here in Sarnia for owners and dogs to get together.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> yeah I've heard of the ones you put on their backs. But dont those wash away if its like raining outside??


No I think that medication is just like Advantage we give to our cats. It obsorbs right into the skin and it works for so long til you need to apply another application to the cat/dog. For flea medication I havent decided if we will buy Advantage again or try a store brand shelf product.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Well the only 3 i've heard of so far are Frontline, Advantage and Revolution.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> yeah I've heard of the ones you put on their backs. But dont those wash away if its like raining outside??


Nope  But it does need to be reapplied every 1-3 months.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Katiesmommy said:


> So is this medication over the counter? Or do I need a prescription from my vet?
> ------------------------------------
> .


The heartworm meds are prescription, but you can get the flea meds OTC. At least that's the way it is here. Just ask your future vet


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## MarleyLove (Sep 2, 2006)

Be careful with otc flea products, often times they are toxic pesticides. Cats in particular can die if they get too much of certain otc flea products. Advantage is awesome for flea/tick prevention because it is absorbed into the bloodstream, so they can still get wet. Heartworm is a monthly prevention thing. Tucker's mom: is he still having diarrhea? If so, you really need to get him to the vet. One puppy I fostered almost died of parvo, it is a nasty, nasty disease. And just an fyi: puppies can begin shots at 6 weeks and should always be fully immunized before they are exposed to other dogs outside your home. The ground can contain parvo, giardia and a host of other organisms that could harm your dog if an infected dog has defecated there. A lot of breeders who are less than responsible will do their de wormings at home, so it's really possible that Tucker has never seen a vet. If it is a worst case scenario like Parvo, early intervention could save his life, not to mention a whole ton of vet bills (the later Parvo is caught and treated, the more risky and expensive it is to treat.) Good luck, let us know how the little guy is feeling.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Hey Marley, thanks for the info, I really had no idea! His poops are back to normal now. My mom has been feeding him lately (I worked all week) and she always puts water in his food to make it soft and when I gave him lunch I left it kinda soft but pretty crunchy and his poop after lunch was normal again. 

I'll make sure not to take him out for walks anymore. I really had no idea he could get it from just the ground, I thought maybe he had to physically like eat someones poop or sniff it. 

I also didn't know about deworming at home either. I'm really starting to wonder about who I got Tucker from. I mean she's a really nice lady, and she calls to check in on him, but maybe I should have looked around a little longer.

Are there any other symptons besides the poop that would indicate he's sick? Like I mentioned, he's completely normal otherwise, and even now his poops are back to normal.


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## ID_Hannah (Jun 8, 2006)

*Parvo, Flea/Tick Preventative*

Parvo is definitely a concern. I personally wait after 2 sets of shots before I take my puppies for walks. And even then I avoid dog areas, like pet stores, parks with lots of dogs, etc until the shots are completed. 

Here's a link with parvo information. http://www.workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm Be prompt on following up with Tucker's shots so that he gets all of them done. I can't say for sure, but if he's acting healthy and his stools are back to normal, you probably dodged the bullet, but parvo is a scary thing... you don't want to mess around it if you think he is starting to display any of the other symptoms.

I personally don't use a flea/tick product like Revolution or Frontline. These products are kind of an oily substance that you put on the skin on the back of your dog's neck and it absorbs through their pores/glands to give them complete protection. It has to be re-applied every 1-3 months. You don't want to wash your dog right before you put it on or immediately afterward, or at least that's what I've heard. We're lucky enough in Idaho to not have a flea problem. Thank god, they do not sound fun. I have used one of these products at times when I felt my dogs needed tick protection. I would talk to other pet owners and your vet and see if fleas/ticks affect your area.


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## ID_Hannah (Jun 8, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> Any tips on how to keep your dog out of the garden? He 100% doesn't listen to anything, I have to physically go in and get him out. I dont want him eating the plants or falling in the water. I swear, sometimes I think he's deaf lol.


I'd get Tucker a long line type leash. 20-30 feet. That was you can call him back to you and reel him in and reward him for coming. You can also steer him away from trouble spots, like the pond, while still letting him have some freedom to run around. At Tucker's age I don't let my puppies have much freedom in the yard to get into trouble. In fact, I still don't let Boone out for extended periods all by his lonesome, because he STILL likes to eat everything! Good luck with Tucker and the pond... I hope he continues to stay healthy!


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

I was going to suggest a long line leash as well. 

Good luck with Tucker! I think its great that you are concerned about training him properly now so he'll grow up to be the perfect golden. I bet the first puppy is hard... I know it's going to be very hard for me... but I hope it will get easier as time goes on!


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

I'm not happy with Tinkerbell's breeder ( I refuse to call her mine) but she gave Tinkerbell her first set of shots in front of me at 6 weeks when I picked her up. First heartworm preventative at 7 weeks. First flea preventative at 8 weeks 2nd set of shots at 9 weeks.

Also Tinkerbell was dewormed 2 times also but had never been to the vet the breeder did it. My understanding is most of them do it themselves.

My next concern would be your vet. I have taken Tinkerbell to 2 different clinics. I really preferred the second one so that is where we stayed after that. Both of them were able to fit Tinkerbell in the day I called them. My boss uses the first vet I went to and she is always able to get in the day she calls even though they are a very busy practice. My current vet takes appointemnts but is also a walk in clinic. I myself wouldn't use a vet that can't get me in for a week. Especially with a new puppy.


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## MarleyLove (Sep 2, 2006)

I'm glad he's back to normal.  Marley had diarrhea for several days a few weeks ago and the vet was never able to find anything that was causing it, so I guess sometimes it's just a "bug" like we would get. Glad Tucker's feeling better!


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Well the runny poops came back this morning. I booked him for Friday because that's when I get paid again, right now I only have $5 in my wallet, and that won't cover it. 

Can someone please tell me other symptons I should look for, so I know if he is actually sick or not?


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Ok, so I looked up the symptons and so far, he only has the poops.

What's lethargy(SP?)? And how do you know if a dog has a fever...i'm guessing you just can't feel his forehead...

The other symptom was loss of apetite. He's still eating (though not licking the bowl clean like he did when we first got him), and drinking lots.

Is there anything else that can make him have runny poops?


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

It could be something he ate--I know even at 8 weeks Julie liked to play lumber jack with my banana trees--

I have been around dogs with Parvo years ago--and there was a lot of vomiting. 

He could also have worms making his tummy not feel good. 

Could be lots of things. 

I will warn you that for some reason with a Golden--vet care seems to be very expensive. Not that they are not healthy dogs---they just get expensive. I guess all dogs do if well cared for--There have been times when it cost me so much I swore it was a conspiracy! I just pay the bill. This is the only puppy I have ever purchased in my life (all my others have been from shelters or rescues) and you don't go buy a pure breed dog and skimp on the vet care...

If your dog like to go into the water--use Frontline for fleas--it is water proof. When the puppy is bigger and a stable weight you can buy it from a pet or feed store. 

All dogs need a heartworm preventative. Especially in warm climates--look up photos of heartworms on the internet. It is certain death. 

My vet uses Iverheart--it also prevents hookworms and other worms-- 

Good luck


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

This mornings poop was really gross, started off brown, then he pooped out a bunch of orange triangles (no idea what the heck that was!) then it turned into like green mucus looking...

I'm so mad at my brother, he's so dumb. I keep telling him not to let Tucker out at night and only when supervised...this morning I wake up, he's not home and Tucker is out running around freely downstairs and peed on the carpet...

And you'd think from a guy who is 25 years old he would know better...


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> This mornings poop was really gross, started off brown, then he pooped out a bunch of orange triangles (no idea what the heck that was!) then it turned into like green mucus looking...
> 
> ..


C'mon now, how long are you going to let this go on before you take that poor puppy to the vet's? I know you said you don't have the money right now, but borrow some if you have to. And if you can't afford medical care for your pup, do you really think you should have one? I know, it's your "right" to have a puppy blah blah blah. I apologize for not being nicer, but the dog hasn't gotten any shots, hasn't seen a vet, been taken on walks all over the place, and has had diarrhea for days that you don't do anything about. You need to be more responsible. You say your brother should know better? What about you? You're not 12.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

He's going to the vet on Friday at 10am. He's not puking or acting sick besides the occasional runny poop so I'm pretty sure he'll be okay until then, its only a couple of more days. And I have lots of money to spend on him, I just don't get it until Friday. It's not like I have bills to pay besides things for him.

You can call me irresponsible when I'm homeless and can't afford food and toys and vet bills at all and we live out on the street or something...


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

I am going to use my Mom voice here:

Puppies/dogs are EXPENSIVE to care for-we all want your baby to have a good home as do you. 

You might consider setting aside money (as in a savings account) every time you get paid to pay for vet care. If you have no bills--there is no reason you cannot do this. My golden is 6 months old and I bet I have spent 3500 dollars on vet care since I got her. 

Getting a puppy is a wonderful experience, but it is also a huge responsiblity--even more if they have health issues. 

What is going to happen to this dog if it gets hit by a car? You are going to have to be able to pay for VERY expensive care. I spent $900 once for a dog that escaped and got hit by a car at one of those animal 9-11 clinics--and that was just for over night IV's, pain meds and X rays. 

Green poop can mean bile from the liver--if you are living pay check to pay check how are you going to pay for that? I am not saying that IS what it is...

Borrow some money and get this dog to the vet. I know he is supposed to go Friday---but considering he has the runs--I honestly think he needs to go soon.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Well even if I can find the money from somewhere, which I can't because everyone is broke, the vet is only in on Mondays and Fridays anyway which is why I am going on Friday in the first place.


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

My gosh are you like in the middle of nowhere? Like you cant get there from here--you have to go someplace else and start over?


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## MarleyLove (Sep 2, 2006)

Lethargy means no energy, acting really tired etc. That's a biggy with Parvo, as is the vomiting and diarrhea. Were the "orange triangles" like blood, or were they some sort of toy/object he'd eaten? Is there any way you could put Tucker's crate in your room so your brother couldn't let him out? It's so dangerous to let a little puppy have run of the house. Marley is going to be 6 months old this month and I still don't let him out unsupervised. They're just like babies, they put everything in their mouth. Only they have teeth, so they can swallow and eat it. If your vet is just open on Monday and Friday you're kind of limited, but do realize that just a few days can be a big, big deal in dog time. They can get super dehydrated. While you're waiting you might try keeping him on a bland diet, like boiled chicken, white rice and a bit of cottage cheese.

A couple weeks ago Marley went through a period of diarrhea. The vet couldn't find anything, stool/blood etc were all negative. He ended up on flagyl and immodium along with the above described diet for a week and has done fine since, so hopefully it's just a bug he'll get rid of. :crossfing


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

I just find it odd that a vet is only open 2 days a week-- I would want a vet who is open more if one was available. 

One of my fosters started throwing up non stop within 24 hours of picking her up from the pound---3 pm Friday--the local vets were all gone to a conference of some sort--we really feared parvo! I did find a vet tech who was willing to sedate her etc and keep her till the rescue could get her to take her 100 miles away to a vet that would seem them on a Saturday. 

Turned out is was not parvo but what the vet called 'the most extreme whip worm infection he had ever seen' -he doubted she would have lived through the weekend at the pound without vet help. I named her "Destiny" because I just happened to find her--my point is that having access to timely vet care can be critical for animals. Just a few days can make a huge difference.


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

You might want to rethink the vet that is only open on Mondays and Fridays. It seems like my dogs always needed the vet when they aren't there and they are open Monday, Tuesday, half day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and half day Saturday. You might want to check on an emergency vet in the area, even if you don't plan on using it now. If your dog swallowed something or was really sick (like my golden that had cancer). What if it was a real emergency? I know that my 22 year old has a credit card for emergencies. I hope you do too. If not, it is something to think about.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

The credit card was my life-saver when Lucky got smashed by a chair. Though it didn't cost much as he didn't have broken bones...it could have easily have gotten over a thousand. There is a real peace of mind knowing you can give your pup the help when she or he needs. Of course those things need to be paid off as quick as possible or they aren't much of a tool.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Not unlike kids, dogs usually will get sick on a Sunday night or whenever the office is closed! Our first dog rushed in to gobble up an ice cream bar that my daughter had dropped--stick and all--on none other than a Sunday night. We had to take her to an emergency vet's. By the way, that little misadventure cost us $1100 to fish the stick out of her stomach


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Yeah I also found it odd that she was only in Mondays and Fridays. And I don't drive so its hard for me to get around most times without my mom driving me. 

The orange things were some sort of object, and I'm going to keep Tucker in my room at night from now on because I've had enough of people taking him out when I tell them not to. 

What does white rice and chicken do? Does it absorb or something? I have lots of rice I think but not cottage cheese.. no one in the family likes that nasty stuff lol. 

I'll keep monitoring his poops too, because they're not all soft.

He's still very active, and running around...he decided his kennel door is his new playmate, he barks at it and paws at it, and when it moves it scares him, then he runs away and comes back and starts barking at it again...lol. Weird puppy... so I don't think he has Parvo, I stopped taking him out of the yard, he goes no where now until he's had all his shots.

I have 2 credit cards but they're both maxed out right now or else I definitely would have him at the vet a long time ago. Going to school took a lot of loans and credit card usage so I'm working on paying those off.

If there is something wrong with him I'm prepared to pay for all medications and such. I know having a dog can be very expensive when something bad happens. 

My friends dog got attacked by a cat and had his eye pop out (Boston Terrier) and it cost them $3,000 for eye surgery, he's lucky he can still see out of it.

I'm making sure Tucker is getting lots of extra water.


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

I do think that he would be a lot sicker if he had parvo, but I am no expert. It could be the change in his food, especially since he is still little and you have changed a couple of times. Puppies have sensitive stomaches. Boiled chicken and rice is very easy to digest for dogs. The vets suggest that whenever they get sick or sometimes when they have surgery. If and when you can, pay off one of your credit cards because you never know when you will need it in an emergency. I always taught my 22 year old that even with school loans, he needs an emergency fund and/or mostly empty credit card. He doesn't live with us, but has had emergencies where he needed his car fixed and he can't take the bus to work.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Yeah I've been working on getting it paid off but it seems everytime I put money on it something comes up and I end up using it again. Sometimes I wish I never had them.
We've been switching the food so much because everytime we buy something someone else always has to say its bad. Pet store people are so annoying, why can't they just KNOW what they're talking about.
One person says buy this, another one says its bad so buy this instead....
I think I'll have to just stick with what we had him on, even if it isn't as good as the pet store people think it should be... because I really hate seeing him have the poops like that just because we dont know what he should be eating.
Oh, and after examing the poop, I came to the conclusion he ate some of the halloween pumpkin...


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## MarleyLove (Sep 2, 2006)

I may be thinking about someone else, but I think you said that you have Tucker on Natural Balance? I think that's an awesome food. Just find a food you're comfortable with and stick with it. Marley eats Natural Balance. I couldn't give him food that performs what I consider to be cruel animal testing and I didn't want to give him anything with fillers so I settled on Natural Balance. Hope his tummy feels better.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Yep, he's working his way to being on Natural Balance right now. I'm just mixing the two but eventually that will be his food.


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