More info. on my neighbor's little dogs

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
like a babysitter, you are in charge while you are the sitter, put the
food down while you are there then take it away when you leave, on one
hand you can't fix this issue, on the other you, bening a good human can't
ever put yourself in the position of contributing, so even though you
can't buy expensive food, you can control the amount on offer, and there
are usually instructions on the bag to feed by weight, cut it by twenty
percent for the fat one, Lee


At present, there is one "free-feeding" container that the two little dogs
share. If it appears that my neighbor will be away for more than two or
three days, I will buy two small bowls for them so I can watch what each one
is eating. Thanks.

MaryL

I never thought about the amount of food on the bag being too much not
considering sedentary/ my bad, but i think you are on the right track, also
something i thought of is that maybe the fat one eats because he is orally
oriented so something you might try is rwhide or nylabone so he has
something to chew on, this is especailly relevant if he is only eating out
of boredom, Lee
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
like a babysitter, you are in charge while you are the sitter, put the
food down while you are there then take it away when you leave, on one
hand you can't fix this issue, on the other you, bening a good human
can't ever put yourself in the position of contributing, so even though
you can't buy expensive food, you can control the amount on offer, and
there are usually instructions on the bag to feed by weight, cut it by
twenty percent for the fat one, Lee


At present, there is one "free-feeding" container that the two little dogs
share. If it appears that my neighbor will be away for more than two or
three days, I will buy two small bowls for them so I can watch what each
one is eating. Thanks.

MaryL

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
I never thought about the amount of food on the bag being too much not
considering sedentary/ my bad, but i think you are on the right track, also
something i thought of is that maybe the fat one eats because he is orally
oriented so something you might try is rwhide or nylabone so he has
something to chew on, this is especailly relevant if he is only eating out
of boredom, Lee

Good suggestion about the chew toys. I got some "pull" toys last time and a
couple of balls, as was suggested on here (cshenk). I'm planning to get
more if my neighbor is gone for more than a couple of days and if I can't
find the original group. Thanks.

These little dogs are definitely not sedentary when I am around--they are
hyperactive. However, I had not considered whether they might be couch
potatoes when they are alone. Incidentally, one of the little dogs is
"trim" and one is "fat." That makes it even more difficult for a caretaker
to monitor because I won't be around all the time to watch them and observe
any differences in eating patterns, behavior, etc.

MaryL

you will be able to tell a lot if you get the two seperate bowls, fat one
might bolt the food, trim one might be a slower eater or fat one may
bully/guard food also if trim one is a slow eater this may be a mouth/tooth
issue... bet this is more info than you thought you wanted to know about
dogs, lol, Lee
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
I never thought about the amount of food on the bag being too much not
considering sedentary/ my bad, but i think you are on the right track,
also something i thought of is that maybe the fat one eats because he is
orally oriented so something you might try is rwhide or nylabone so he has
something to chew on, this is especailly relevant if he is only eating out
of boredom, Lee

Good suggestion about the chew toys. I got some "pull" toys last time and
a couple of balls, as was suggested on here (cshenk). I'm planning to get
more if my neighbor is gone for more than a couple of days and if I can't
find the original group. Thanks.

These little dogs are definitely not sedentary when I am around--they are
hyperactive. However, I had not considered whether they might be couch
potatoes when they are alone. Incidentally, one of the little dogs is
"trim" and one is "fat." That makes it even more difficult for a
caretaker to monitor because I won't be around all the time to watch them
and observe any differences in eating patterns, behavior, etc.

MaryL

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
you will be able to tell a lot if you get the two seperate bowls, fat one
might bolt the food, trim one might be a slower eater or fat one may
bully/guard food also if trim one is a slow eater this may be a
mouth/tooth issue... bet this is more info than you thought you wanted to
know about dogs, lol, Lee

Good information. I'm used to watching eating habits and behavior for Holly
and Duffy, but it will be more difficult when I am only at the neighbor's
house for short periods of time. It's possible the the little dogs will
want to play when I'm there and may not really "show me" their eating
habits...but I hope I will be able to pick up on the type of eating you
described.

MaryL

it will be very apparent about the third day when they figure out food time
is limited, its just like watching cats only in fast forward for little
dogs, lol, Lee
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
you will be able to tell a lot if you get the two seperate bowls, fat one
might bolt the food, trim one might be a slower eater or fat one may
bully/guard food also if trim one is a slow eater this may be a
mouth/tooth issue... bet this is more info than you thought you wanted to
know about dogs, lol, Lee

Good information. I'm used to watching eating habits and behavior for
Holly and Duffy, but it will be more difficult when I am only at the
neighbor's house for short periods of time. It's possible the the little
dogs will want to play when I'm there and may not really "show me" their
eating habits...but I hope I will be able to pick up on the type of eating
you described.

MaryL

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
like a babysitter, you are in charge while you are the sitter, put the
food down while you are there then take it away when you leave, on one
hand you can't fix this issue, on the other you, bening a good human
can't ever put yourself in the position of contributing, so even though
you can't buy expensive food, you can control the amount on offer, and
there are usually instructions on the bag to feed by weight, cut it by
twenty percent for the fat one, Lee


At present, there is one "free-feeding" container that the two little dogs
share. If it appears that my neighbor will be away for more than two or
three days, I will buy two small bowls for them so I can watch what each
one is eating. Thanks.


It's not usually possible to free feed dogs like you can cats. Dogs will
almost always eat themselves to obesity that way and this is what has
happened.

I've go slightly further than Lee, and cut the fat one's food by 30%
according to the amount suggested on the bag for his proper weight. Small
dogs need feeding twice a day as their stomachs are so small, but let them
polish up their daily ration and then take the bowl up until the next
feeding time.

Dogs don't get hepatic lipidosis (sp) if they are obese and then go on
restricted food, like cats can, they just lose weight. This would be a nice
thing to do for that dog.
If they are over-eating on high protein dry food, it's no wonder they are
nervous, they can't use the energy it produces with the lifestyle they have,
it will make them jittery.
So then they get fat and cannot exercise the weight off and so it goes on.
If I were in your position, I'd try to find out the weight tea-cup poodles
should ideally be. I have to admit that is not a phrase I've heard. Are
they smaller than the toy poodles we have here?
We have 3 sizes: Standard, miniature & toy
http://www.kennels.co.uk/Utility/ToyPoodle.html

that was the only site I found with a quick look that defined the difference
in size.
It's not easy to look after someone else's pet and not follow instructions
over feeding but in this situation I'd do it.
A dog that is very overweight is not a happy one. If I had a toy poodle
that could not get out of a cat door I would be very concerned.
That's my 2p worth.
Tweed

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
like a babysitter, you are in charge while you are the sitter, put the
food down while you are there then take it away when you leave, on one
hand you can't fix this issue, on the other you, bening a good human
can't ever put yourself in the position of contributing, so even though
you can't buy expensive food, you can control the amount on offer, and
there are usually instructions on the bag to feed by weight, cut it by
twenty percent for the fat one, Lee


At present, there is one "free-feeding" container that the two little
dogs share. If it appears that my neighbor will be away for more than
two or three days, I will buy two small bowls for them so I can watch
what each one is eating. Thanks.


It's not usually possible to free feed dogs like you can cats. Dogs will
almost always eat themselves to obesity that way and this is what has
happened.

I've go slightly further than Lee, and cut the fat one's food by 30%
according to the amount suggested on the bag for his proper weight. Small
dogs need feeding twice a day as their stomachs are so small, but let them
polish up their daily ration and then take the bowl up until the next
feeding time.

Dogs don't get hepatic lipidosis (sp) if they are obese and then go on
restricted food, like cats can, they just lose weight. This would be a
nice thing to do for that dog.
If they are over-eating on high protein dry food, it's no wonder they are
nervous, they can't use the energy it produces with the lifestyle they
have, it will make them jittery.
So then they get fat and cannot exercise the weight off and so it goes on.
If I were in your position, I'd try to find out the weight tea-cup poodles
should ideally be. I have to admit that is not a phrase I've heard. Are
they smaller than the toy poodles we have here?
We have 3 sizes: Standard, miniature & toy
http://www.kennels.co.uk/Utility/ToyPoodle.html

that was the only site I found with a quick look that defined the
difference in size.
It's not easy to look after someone else's pet and not follow instructions
over feeding but in this situation I'd do it.
A dog that is very overweight is not a happy one. If I had a toy poodle
that could not get out of a cat door I would be very concerned.
That's my 2p worth.
Tweed



Thanks! This is very helpful information.

The AKC recognizes the same three sizes as you listed. Teacup poodles seem
to be a very small type of toy poodle, and they are not recognized as such
by the AKC ("unofficial"). I found this description online:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/t/teacuppoodle.htm

I was glad to see your statement about dogs not getting hepatic lipidosis.
I am also not sure about the quality of food they get. They get "Kibbles 'n
Bits," but I am not familiar with dog food. The last time I had a dog of my
own was when I was in high school! I got my first cat when I went to
graduate school, and I have had cats ever since. So, I really like dogs and
get along well with them, but I have to admit that I know next-to-nothing
about their care.

MaryL

On 2010-09-27 3:19 PM, MaryL wrote:

"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Storrmmee" wrote in message
...
like a babysitter, you are in charge while you are the sitter, put
the food down while you are there then take it away when you leave,
on one hand you can't fix this issue, on the other you, bening a
good human can't ever put yourself in the position of contributing,
so even though you can't buy expensive food, you can control the
amount on offer, and there are usually instructions on the bag to
feed by weight, cut it by twenty percent for the fat one, Lee


At present, there is one "free-feeding" container that the two little
dogs share. If it appears that my neighbor will be away for more than
two or three days, I will buy two small bowls for them so I can watch
what each one is eating. Thanks.


It's not usually possible to free feed dogs like you can cats. Dogs
will almost always eat themselves to obesity that way and this is what
has happened.

I've go slightly further than Lee, and cut the fat one's food by 30%
according to the amount suggested on the bag for his proper weight.
Small dogs need feeding twice a day as their stomachs are so small,
but let them polish up their daily ration and then take the bowl up
until the next feeding time.

Dogs don't get hepatic lipidosis (sp) if they are obese and then go on
restricted food, like cats can, they just lose weight. This would be a
nice thing to do for that dog.
If they are over-eating on high protein dry food, it's no wonder they
are nervous, they can't use the energy it produces with the lifestyle
they have, it will make them jittery.
So then they get fat and cannot exercise the weight off and so it goes
on.
If I were in your position, I'd try to find out the weight tea-cup
poodles should ideally be. I have to admit that is not a phrase I've
heard. Are they smaller than the toy poodles we have here?
We have 3 sizes: Standard, miniature & toy
http://www.kennels.co.uk/Utility/ToyPoodle.html

that was the only site I found with a quick look that defined the
difference in size.
It's not easy to look after someone else's pet and not follow
instructions over feeding but in this situation I'd do it.
A dog that is very overweight is not a happy one. If I had a toy
poodle that could not get out of a cat door I would be very concerned.
That's my 2p worth.
Tweed



Thanks! This is very helpful information.

The AKC recognizes the same three sizes as you listed. Teacup poodles
seem to be a very small type of toy poodle, and they are not recognized
as such by the AKC ("unofficial"). I found this description online:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/t/teacuppoodle.htm

I was glad to see your statement about dogs not getting hepatic
lipidosis. I am also not sure about the quality of food they get. They
get "Kibbles 'n Bits," but I am not familiar with dog food. The last
time I had a dog of my own was when I was in high school! I got my first
cat when I went to graduate school, and I have had cats ever since. So,
I really like dogs and get along well with them, but I have to admit
that I know next-to-nothing about their care.

MaryL

I found this:

http://www.poodlesincanada.com/Whatisateacup.htm

http://www.poodlesincanada.com/teacupcarevaccinbath.htm

It sounds like they need small amounts of very high quality food at
regular intervals.

--
Cheryl P.

"MaryL" wrote
"Christina Websell" wrote

If they are over-eating on high protein dry food, it's no wonder they are
nervous, they can't use the energy it produces with the lifestyle they
have, it will make them jittery.

I am also not sure about the quality of food they get. They get "Kibbles
'n Bits," but I am not familiar with dog food.

Roughly the equal of dry meow mix for cats?

Ingredients: corn, soybean meal, beef and bone meal, ground wheat flour,
animal fat (bha used as preservative), corn syrup, wheat middlings, water
sufficient for processing, animal digest (source of chicken flavor),
propylene glycol, salt, hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, caramel
color, sorbic acid (used as a preservative), sodium carbonate, minerals
(ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium
iodate, sodium selenite), choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement,
vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin
supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3
supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), calcium sulfate,
titanium dioxide, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 40, BHA (used as a preservative),
dl methionine.

Basically it tastes good and will cause weight gain easily. Also the top 3
allergins for dogs are corn, soy, and wheat. If they seem itchy or have
recurrant ear problems, they might have an allergy.

Feeding guide on the kibbles and bits. 2-10lb dogs (Teacups about 5) 1/2-1
cup. *too much*.

Suggestion since there is a free feeder? Empty it (spare container) then
measure amount. Jot that down. Next day, do same and see what the
difference is. Now you know how much they together eat in a normal day with
no controls. It's not perfect, but you can get an idea. 1/2 that times 2
is too much per dog and probably less than the fat one is getting (grin).

Just for contrast since you didn't know about dog foods, here is Blue
Wilderness ingredients (standard BTW, not the 100% grain free. One of the
top brands for dogs below is a mid-level for them):

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Peas, Whole Ground Barley, Chicken
Fat (preserved naturally with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Egg, Natural Chicken
Flavor, Whole Potatoes, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Fish Oil
(natural source of DHA-Docosahexaneoic Acid), Flaxseed (natural source of
Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Dicalcium Phosphate, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet
Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Garlic,
Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine,
Turmeric, Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Calcium
Carbonate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1),
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate
(Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7),
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source
of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid
Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino
Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt,
Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium.

Serving size per day for teacup size, 1/4-1/2 cup.

No, I don't expect you to swap brands (wouldn't be right with a temp watch
anyways) but it shows the difference. Cash and now Sammy are on the grain
free upscale versions of the blue wilderness. I figure if it's cheaper in
the long run to feed a quality food for cats (longevity, vet bills etc) then
it's gotta be the same for dogs.