Archive for the tag 'pup'

Ask the French Bulldog Vet - Struvite Crystals in Frenchie Pup’s Urine

lorihuntdvm July 8th, 2008

I came across the “Ask the Frenchie Experts” while researching the following situation:

A weekend ago, our 13 week old Frenchie suddenly started having lots of small pee-ings (as opposed to going regularly or having a normal “accident”). So my wife thought he might have a bladder infection. She got a urine sample to the vet that day, who saw — I assume under a microscope because I wasn’t there — traces of blood in his urine. So the vet put the puppy on an oral antibiotic.

This last weekend, my wife took him back to the same vet, who saw the same results. So the vet sent the most recent urine sample to a lab, which returned a result of 7.5 pH and moderate crystals in the urine (as well as an elevated white cell count…). The vet wrote a prescription for Hill’s c/d, as well as to keep the puppy on antibiotics for another week.

Concerned about the growing nutritional needs of the puppy, and to get a second opinion, today I asked the puppy’s normal/local vet what to do. He looked at the faxed lab results, and suggested that we put the puppy back on normal canned food and bottled water, and to stop the antibiotics since it’s been 10 days already.

I would like to go with the second opinion because feeding a low calcium, non-puppy food like Hill’s c/d to a growing puppy seems like a bad idea. But having struvite stones form is equally bad (never mind the return of the uncontrolled small voidings).

The one thing I failed to mention is that the water at the weekend location has a lot of water softener in it because my wife’s father adds it. Thus I am hoping that could be the culprit here. (Although our 7 year old Frenchie living with him is fine)

Any advice in general would help, and maybe a tip on the most nutritious canned puppy food to get would be great.

Dr. Lori writes -

This is a puzzling situation, but I do agree with you that c/d is not an ideal diet for a growing puppy.  I am reading all these results, and while I see mention of blood and white blood cells, I don’t actually see any evidence of bacteria or cultures being done?

I would suggest starting there to see if there actually IS an infection.  If so, a culture would be in order.  I agree with your second opinion and at this point would stop all antibiotics and go to normal food for a while.  If the problem still exists in a few weeks, I would do a culture and sensitivity at that point, and take it from there.

Crystals can be somewhat normal in male dogs especially and probably have to do more with pH than anything.  I would encourage him to drink lots of water, even if it means “flavoring” it to get him to drink more, adding chicken broth to water will do wonders to attract their interest, or ice cubs can be a fun toy as well as help hydrate them.

Give an update when you can and good luck with your little boy

Lori Hunt, DVM

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Ask the French Bulldog Trainer - The Little Frenchie that wouldn’t walk

admin July 7th, 2008

I wonder if you can help, I have a ten and a half week old French bulldog pup. Its not that I have a problem with him, my vet gives him a good rating for his first check, he has to go back in 2 weeks for next jabs. My issue is when I take him out to walk, i get the bulldogedness, no he wont walk, I have a small collar on him (with plenty room) and if I want him to walk i practically have to drag him. I have a lot more experience with boxers, so haven’t encountered this before, he also seem to prefer to poop indoors than out. I realise all this is probably quite normal, however how long can I expect it to last?

We are not doing crate training, he has a open bed, during work hours he is in a large tiled hallway and has plenty space to play with his toys, he is not free fed. A perfect example is today I was at home for lunch for 2 hours as I am every day (we are starting the separation training hence why half a day I am back in the office), I feed him when I got in, 2 hours later despite attempting a walk and playing in his outdoor yard for over an hour he wont poop, however I come back to work for an hour, he’ll poop almost straight away, I don’t punish him for pooping as he’s only a baby and don’t believe in punishment anyway, I am just looking for frenchie specific goals that can be achieved.

In summation, I was hoping to have this under control by the 3rd or 4th month, is this an unreasonable expectation? Also, will he grow into walking and enjoying a walk?

Hope writes -

I’ll certainly try to help - we want to get your little guy off to a good start!

You may not have realized it but you have two entirely separate questions here:
How do I get my puppy to walk on a leash? and
How do I housebreak my puppy?

The second question first: if you’re not crate training, you have a long and miserable task ahead of you. Your puppy will rule your schedule, and you’ll spend a lot of time outside, standing around, waiting until the inevitable finally happens.

I’m not sure why some people are resistant to crate-training. Dogs are, by nature, den animals - most wild canids seek secure shelter in a small space. A crate or cage isn’t a punishment, it’s your puppy’s “room” - someplace to be safe, comfortable and happy. By using a crate, you’re allowing your puppy to be “good” all the time - he has no opporunity to get into mischief. Please rethink your reluctance to try crate training.

Your first question about walking on a leash is actually fairly simple to train. When the puppy is not in its crate (never, ever leave a collar or harness on a dog in a crate), put on its collar or harness. For short periods of time, while you’re paying attention, tie a short string on the collar and play with your puppy, letting it run around with the string trailing. Distract him with a toy or other game if he wants to chew on the string. In time, replace the string with a leash until he’s comfortable and happy with something “hanging” from his collar or harness.

When you go outside with the puppy on collar and leash, let the puppy sit if he wants to. Have the leash very loose - the best way to get a dog to stay where he is is to pull on him to get him to move. As soon as he gets up and moves around, tell him he’s a good boy and give him a treat. You can lure him to you with a treat if you like - praise him whenever he’s in motion. It may take some patience, but he will figure out that it’s fun to go with you. Please don’t drag him along - the more unpleasant the experience, the less he’ll want to go for a walk.

Your puppy is still very, very young. Most puppies have a “fear period” from about eight to 12 weeks. Make sure your little guy has positive experiences during this time and in the future. French Bulldogs may not be the easiest dogs to train, but they certainly are trainable. The more “work” you put in now, the happier you’ll both be in the long run.

-Hope

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Ask the French Bulldog Veterinarian - Frenchie pup with hemis?

admin July 2nd, 2008

Hello. I’m considering purchasing a 5 month old Frenchie boy from a very reputable breeder.

He was just xrayed and he has 2 hemis. The vet says it is no problem and he has no signs of problems.

Should I be concerned? Thank you.

Dr. Lori writes -

No, 2 hemis does not concern me at all. In fact in my book, that is an excellent frenchie spine! The OFA study of frenchie spines shows little evidence to support that hemis have anything to do with the back problems that frenchies can experience, i.e. Intervertebral disk disease.

A better question might be to ask if any familt members have had any back problems.

Good Luck with your puppy and how nice that you have found a breeder who will X-ray pups before they leave!

Lori Hunt, DVM

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Ask the French Bulldog Trainer - Sneaky Piddling Frenchie

admin June 20th, 2008

Dear Hope,

My husband surprised my boys and I with a French bulldog puppy we had
all been looking at for about a week back on December 27th. He has
been a wonderful dog for our family. He is sweet, smart, fun and my
boys absolutely adore him! My husband and I do as well except for 1
little thing… he is a piddler (our term for just randomly urinating
all over our house..) I do not believe that it is a medical problem
because he has been going all night without messing his crate since
January/February. He knows to go to the door if he needs to go
outside and does it. We have noticed that his “piddling” increases
whenever he is not being played with or loved on. I think his
“piddling” is his reaction when he is not the center of attention.

What are your thoughts and recommendations on how to get him to stop?
Thanks for your help!

Hope writes -

Dogs aren’t people! Dogs are not spiteful, sneaky, sulky or secretive. If a dog wants attention, he comes up to you and barks, jumps, wiggles, brings a toy, tugs on you, or other direct means of drawing your attention. He doesn’t go off and piddle somewhere just to “show you” he’s neglected.

The reason he piddles when you’re not paying attention is because - you weren’t paying attention and missed his signals he had to go out! He truly isn’t securely housebroken - he doesn’t know the rules yet.

Go back to the beginning. If no one is actively watching him - he’s in his crate. When he earns a bit of trust, put on his harness and leash and attach him to your belt loop while you’re going about your daily life. As soon as he starts sniffing around, indicating a need to go - take him out and praise him when he “does his business.”

Your pup just needs reinforcement of his training. He’s not being headstrong or willful - he’s letting you know he’s not sure of the rules.

-Hope

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Ask the French Bulldog Trainer - Hyperactive Frenchie Puppy

admin June 19th, 2008

We are having some issues with our French Bull pup we got last month.

We admit we didn’t do the best research in buying her from a pet store but
as soon as we saw her little face in the window we were smitten. I just
couldn’t leave her sitting there.

Leticia has had some issues since we adopted her. She is very, very hyper
active. We walk her in the morning, then our pet sitter comes in mid morning
and mid afternoon. We walk her twice more in the evening. You would think
this would be enough but no! She runs around the house like a mad dog
all evening between walks. She rarely sits still. As well she has chewed up
several items including a carpet, a chair and some shoes. She is very clean
in the house however, which is a surprise as we were told Frenchies can be
dirty. We did not expect the chewing but I guess its better than peeing on
everything.

We have been told that Leticia’s problems are likely being caused by her
food, in much the same way that some children become hyperactive from
diet. We switched her from soft canned food to a very good organic kibble.
This didn’t change anything. We have now put her on a grain free diet.

Would putting her on raw help, do you think? I think raw meaty bones
would give her something safe to chew on. My partner says the idea of
her carrying raw bones all over the place is repulsive. I think better
repulsive than chewed up furniture. Help!

Also we think that she had some trauma before she arrived at the pet
store. How do we find that out for sure?

Hope writes:
Congratulations on the new puppy! It sounds like you have a dynamic bundle of fun in your life - one that needs a little focus for her energy! Although it may be a food issue, it sounds more like a very normal, active puppy!
Puppies are very time-intensive, as you’ve discovered. They are selfish creatures, wanting all of your time and attention. Most puppy training involves teaching them appropriate behavior, the rules of the house, and emotional control.
In addition to walks, Leticia needs playtime! Walking is excellent for socialization and exercise, but she needs to interact directly with both of you. Set a timer for about 10 minutes, pull out a “special” toy she sees only during this time, and play tug, play fetch, wrestle with her - have fun! When the timer goes off, say “that’s all” happily, put the toy back up on a shelf. Let her get a drink of water and take her for a “potty” break.
When you come back inside, it’s time to “chill.” The exercise is called “Sit and Accept Praise” and describes it exactly. Tell Leticia it’s time to “relax” or “chill” - use any word you want. Sit with her on the couch (or on the floor if she’s not allowed on the furniture). She should be at your side, sitting or lying down. If she doesn’t want to stay, tuck her between your arm and your body and keep her in place. Talk to her calmly, pet her, and give her an occasional treat when she’s quiet. Do this for at least a couple of minutes and build up the time. She has to learn to sit quietly with her family and relax.
At first she may fuss - trying to escape or chew on your fingers. Just say “eh” and keep her in place. She gets lots of praise for even a momentary lull in the activity.
A couple of “chilling” sessions a day aren’t too much to ask of her. Letitia needs to learn how to control herself - this will help.
As for chewing - it’s the number one lesson people have to learn. If you’re not actively watching your puppy, she should be in the crate. She should have no opportunity for inappropriate chewing because you are there watching her. When she reaches for something you don’t want her to chew on - trade her for a dog-appropriate chewie.
The key to puppy training is to be in control. Dogs don’t get into trouble when they’re being watched, or safe in their crates.
-Hope

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