Introductions?

[matsikay]

Well, Im not sure how this all works. It looks as though the last updates or postings were last month...but somewhere I saw I had to post here first. I rescued a beagle/pitt mix from a rescue and he is about 5.5 months old. He's lost all of his baby teeth and he's teething pretty good right now. Poor thing must be in pain - he's sleeping a lot and not eating his food. His name is Patch and he's a gem. Bit of a digger (did I say 'BIT'....maybe more than that), but other than that, a very good boy. I live in PA - Chester County. I've had several dogs, this is my first Pitt mix

[Marinepits]

Welcome to the forum! Why did you choose to adopt?

[madremissy]

Hello and Welcome, can't wait to see pictures. We love pictures.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Welcome!

[Patch O' Pits]

Hi and welcome.

I've never had issues with any of mine not eating due to loss of baby teeth, but it certainly is possible. Are you sure everything else is OK?

If so try just added a little water to the food to soften it up.

[matsikay]

:wave2: Welcome to the forum! Why did you choose to adopt?

Well, I had two dogs, married....then I was not only NOT single anymore, I had a husband, three children and another dog! Unfortunately, in January, we lost my husbands shep to a stroke and had to put her down. This was my youngest dogs bestest friend. My youngest is Miska, she's a collie/husky/shep mix and just turned ten in March. Anyway - Midnight died and Miska was beside her self. Didn't matter that her buddy Kringle, my oldest dog that was a border collie/retriever mix, was still around. Miska didn't eat for days. Kringle was 18 years old, and along with his age, he didn't see so well anymore, or hear that well....and he well, you know - he was old but he was still my baby. Nine days after Midnight, I came home to find Kringle laying in the garage, trying desperately to get up to greet me. He had been in that spot for quite some time and only managed to sping himself around. I know this because he wore down the nails on his paws trying to get up, down to the quick. I knew then it was time and although I screamed and cried the whole way to the vet, I knew what I had to do. I was now down two dogs in less than two week. Heck, I even lost one of my big fish 5 days after that. So after all the devastation - and my poor lonely Miska looking for her friend still, I decided to foster. She didn't care a whole lot for the retriever we had first, but she didn't bother much with him, either. He was gone in a week and the rescue needed someone to take a puppy that was emaciated and sick. I could do that! So I took him in....and although I had no intention of getting another dog just yet....Miska took right to him within the first 24 hours....and within a few days, I knew I couldn't give him up either. So, we nursed him to good health and Miska found a new friend. I was filled once again with the love and happiness of a puppy! So we named him Patch, after several other names came and went...and it fits him. He is the cutest little guy ever! I was going to upload a pic on the original post, but it was too big. I have to scale sme down for you...but just wait till I do!

As for his food, he's done this before. I mixed in some canned food with his regular food and he started eating again. That lasted almost a week. Then he started not wanting it again. I bought a different kind of can food to put in with his kibble (Merrick) and he didn't seem to like that one too much. Today, I gave him an aspirin and then we went out to the pet store to find some more chewy sort of toys he could chew on and look at what other foods I might want to try that I found on the internet. I bought him some bully sticks and a couple marrow bones. When we got home, I game he and Miska the marrow bones - and he was fine from then on! They chewed on them for a couple hours. Anyway (sorry for the novel) I fed him dinner and he ate it all. It was a different kind of Merricks food (Puppy Plate). He doesn't seem to like the 'special' one I bought (working dogs stew) and won't eat that. He's been a lazy, lazy pup today. =) We went for our evening walk and he's crashed right now next to me. Sometimes he tries to type, but he's not very good at it yet!

I'm fairly certain it's just his teeth. I worry a lot, notice every single little thing that's out of sorts. His back molars are bleeding. I'm pretty sure that's what's causing his slow down this weekend. If it keeps up and he's still like that Monday, I'll call the vet and see what he says. My vet is wonderful... Patch did get a little Mange, so he's being treated for that. We go back to the Vet in a couple weeks for his second Lymes booster. The first one left a pretty big lump on his rump - and that lasted almost two weeks. I'm hoping the second one doesn't do the same.

So how's that? Too much information? I'll work on the pictures in just a moment. brb.

[airwalk]

Never too much info and thank you for fostering and rescuing.

[Marinepits]

[matsikay]

I can't seem to get the pictures small enough...in the mean time, you can watch videos of him at http://www.youtube.com/matsikay. I haven't read all the rules, so I hope this is not a no-no

[matsikay]

:wave2: Hello and Welcome, can't wait to see pictures. We love pictures.

We'll see how well this turned out. I used the Shrink Pictures site....hopefully NOW it's finally small enough!

OK, that will do for now. It's not the best, but I have SO many to choose from!

[gayrghts]

Awe.... he's got long ears..... any idea what he's mixed with?

nice video's .... Miska is really good with patch....

who's older patch or caeli ?

[madremissy]

OMG
that video is too cute. I love the face on that little boy.

[Jenn]

Precious, hello and welcome

[matsikay]

Awe.... he's got long ears..... any idea what he's mixed with?

nice video's .... Miska is really good with patch....

who's older patch or caeli ?

Yes, he has long ears =) They told us Beagle and Australian Cattle dog (HA!) and so we think he might be, possibly, Beagle....all we can say for sure is that he's a hound dog. A hunting dog - but he doesn't chase after anything.....a pointer, because he's good and that cool dog stance they rave about in the dog shows, and his tail will go straight out.......we really don't have a clue.

Caeli is a week younger than Patch. Keep in mind Patch's birthday is a guess. We were supposed to have a play date today (with Caeli) and we missed out - too many other things going on. We'll go for a long walk in a little while to make up for it, and hopefully the standard poodle at the end of the street will be out and he can play with her....or the new retriever puppy the neighbors just brought home that's the same age as Patch.....or maybe even the toy poodle that lives behind us. Patch LOVES to play and he's great with all dogs.

I'm going to post on the other board about this, but in the mean time - I mentioned Patch was really tired and not eating. He has been fine today, like it never happened. However, we were at my mothers house and he ate one of my mom's dogs bones (Miska's sister, Bailey). It's all natural, made in the USA....and shortly after eating it - playing and doing a few tricks for the neighbor, he got sick a few times and everything he consumd while we were there, came back up. This happened four times, although the majority came up the first time. By the last it was just bile. Poor baby. Just weird stuff the last couple of days...and once again this evening, he is not interested in his food. What foods do you guys give your dogs? As puppies? Maybe there is something else I need to do. He's on Innova right now, and I have bought some stuff by Merrick (BG - Before Grain) and I just purchased Timberwolf Organics....which I'll try when the other stuff is gone (I know to mix etc).

Any suggestions or thoughts?

[matsikay]

Thank you all. I think he's really cute too - but then again, I'm his mother...so I am a little biased!

Now, to find out why my avatar isn't coming up....

[katiek0417]

Hi There,

Welcome to the board...Patch is simply adorable!!!

Keep in mind that changing food too many times may be part of the problem...you're creating the habit that "if you don't like your food, I'll get you something else." He won't starve himself...

[airwalk]

My lab can't eat bones or rawhide or bully sticks...he vomits them all up. Some dogs do!

[matsikay]

Hi There,

Welcome to the board...Patch is simply adorable!!!

Keep in mind that changing food too many times may be part of the problem...you're creating the habit that "if you don't like your food, I'll get you something else." He won't starve himself...

Thanks Katrina

I do know that. I have had him on the same food since I got him. He's had the same thing - I only changed the canned dog food (smae maker, different flavor) and he began to eat. I'm slowly trying to introduce another food to see how he likes it..... He did finally eat his dinner tonight, and he didn't have anything mixed in it at all. He has been his lil spunky self tonight, too. YAY! I hope the baby aspirin helped. It might all just be his teething. The blood in his stomach from the teeth coming in, I don't know. He's done well with most bones we've given him - they are the edible ones, and I take them away if they piece gets too small. I'm a worrier.

[matsikay]

My lab can't eat bones or rawhide or bully sticks...he vomits them all up. Some dogs do!

that's kinda sad....poor puppydog - no bones only toys. How does he do with that? What did you do when he was teething? Patch has a mix of toys....he loves his stuffed animals. I switch them out every two weeks so they are like new to him. That works great...and I have so many toys from my 20 years of dog owning =)

[katiek0417]

My dogs don't get toys for the most part (they destroy everything), but they do get bones, and they get indestructible toys...but one of the best things for a teething dog: man's sock tied in a knot, soaked in water, then frozen...