Paddy finished his six week course of anti-biotics two weeks ago on Thursday. Within two days, we had diarrhoea. Within a further two days, we had mucus. By one week - we had bad breath beginning, flatulence beginning (been a wind-free pup for two months), blood in his pooh and skin scurf.
I read the raw feeding books and realised I was in danger of "paralysis by analysis". After meeting Petra at the Wag & Bone show and talking about raw feeding, I just did it last Friday, because I can't think of anything else to try and the books were reassuring and persuasive. Final conviction was seeing the scurf on Paddy - he didn't want to be stroked over his hind quarters because the skin had dried out so much. Went to the butchers, got a load of minced lamb, minced turkey, chicken wings, chicken backs and oxtail (two vertebrae long for the thick top end, three vertebrae long for the skinny end).
Went to get Paddy from the pet sitter - told her husband to bin the remaining half tin of Chappie and took Paddy home.
Three chicken wings and some pureed broccoli and carrots, with Dorwest's Tree Barks powder and Keepers' Mix powder (kelp and various odds & sods for minerals and vitamins and fibre) mixed in. Paddy looked at me as if I was insane, although this was partly because OH and I were hovering like anxious parents over his head to see what his reaction was. Totally agree with Claire's post on another thread: he scowled at me like "what the bloody hell do you think you're doing, missus? Eh?"
Started to ignore him, didn't work. Then put chicken wings in his bowl (nice one courtesy of ClaireP...) - wings swiped as fast as he could move, out to the lawn and set to work. It was so lovely to see him taking time to eat instead of inhaling his food in a manic sort of desperation....tail wagging nineteen to the dozen the whole time.
So, four days in: skin almost cleared up already, poohs are firm but not hard, lighter in colour, no mucus in them, no blood, much less volume produced. Breath is clear again, no wind and Paddy is enjoying his food so much. Only "not a chance, luv" reaction since the first night was a rainbow trout fillet: thought he'd go mad for it (it smelled fishy) but no, didn't like it. So gave him a tin of Penel's recommended sardines in tomato sauce.
Chicken backs seem ace - little bits of organs still attached, meat and skin as well as the bone. Do you think I need to buy some heart/liver/kidney anyway? I'd planned to feed some once a week in addition.
I spent an hour on Friday night dividing up all the food into portion sizes in freezer bags and had to rejig freezer to accommodate it. Am now feeding mince with Keeper's Mix and Tree Barks powder plus pureed veg in the mornings - saves time as I have to get Pads out the door by 6.45/7am latest. Evenings - meaty bones.
What would you recommend as a recreational marrow bone for chewing and getting to the marrow?
Any other tips/gaps you can recommend?
Yippeee....here's hoping it sorts Paddy out: if he stabilises I won't need to go to see Penel's vet, if not...then I've got his number.
Denise
PS - eyes have stopped running again, too...
