Bringing home our B 3/9/2012

[Alleycat]

No particular reason other than it was what i picked up at the store before I got him. Going to petco today to pick up some more supplies so I'll see about picking up another small bag of something else so that i can test the food theory out.

[eeeefarm]

Usually it is best at first to stick with what they have been eating. Did the breeder tell you what that was?

[tanza]

Yes, food will cause itching… is it grain free? Many dogs of all breeds have grain allergies, especially any with corn. What was the breeder feeding?

[Alleycat]

@tanza:

Yes, food will cause itching… is it grain free? Many dogs of all breeds have grain allergies, especially any with corn. What was the breeder feeding?

royal canin was what he was being fed.

I picked up a bag of beneful which is what my lab puppy ate when she was younger. she never itched from it, and since it was a brand she used I figured it would be okay..

suggestions for dog food brands?

[stash]

Just a thought maybe it's whatever you bathed him with, or it wasn't rinsed out enough or it has dried his skin. My boy is now 8 months and hasn't yet needed a bath I have wiped him down after walks due to a possible contact allergy and brush him to freshen him up. It's a hard one to find out why they are itchty. We started a list and ticked off as we went through the possiblities, sounds like food is the starting point, good luck.

Jolanda and Kaiser

[eeeefarm]

@Alleycat:

royal canin was what he was being fed.

I picked up a bag of beneful which is what my lab puppy ate when she was younger. she never itched from it, and since it was a brand she used I figured it would be okay..

suggestions for dog food brands?

Personally I wouldn't use either of those brands, but everyone has an opinion on food. I like NRG dehydrated, as I am not a fan of dry foods, but like convenience. There have been a lot of threads on here in the past about food.

I agree, the bath could have caused itching if the rinse was not complete or for that matter if it dried out his skin. Also, he could be allergic to something in your house…...e.g. bedding or what it was washed in. Unfortunately the possibilities are endless! I think I would start with the food.....

[tanza]

I know for sure Beneful has corn/wheat… and is not a very good food. You should go back to what the breeder was feeding, but even that brand has corn but it is further down on the list of ingredients then Beneful. Here is the beginning of the ingredient list for one of the Beneful products: Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, AND they claim that the use real chicken... NOT by-product meal is not real chicken. In fact every one of their dry foods start with the above items. Corn is a filler, it is of no use other than to fill them up for a dog. Also, it (IMO) raises their body temperature. Consider that farms have fed corn for years in the winter for cattle and for horses to generate body heat. We used to do that for our horses, dry corn on the cob in the winter, but never in the summer months.

I use Evo Chicken and Turkey, grain free and I switch off or mix with Fromms Surf and Turf or Natural Balance Potato and Duck.

And while I would certainly recommend that you feed a better quality food, keep in mind that when with littermates they bite when playing with each other, so could have little scabs from playing that are healing and itchy.

[Chealsie508]

I use Fromms…but recently places like petco (for convenience for you) started varying Innova which I consider a good quality food. A good quality food is important...also, have you put a collar on her? New pups find collars irritating...and almost all pups itch because its unfamiliar to them...just a thought!?

[lisastewart]

I like Fromm, Origen, Taste of the wild, Innova, Red Barn meat rolls, I would not feed anything with corn as a main ingredient. Most of the foods you would be finding at a feed store or smaller pet store, as petco and petsmart tend to sell the garbage foods. Its good to hear they now carry innova. Be prepared that good pet food runs upwards of $30 for a 15 lb bag.

[Alleycat]

I went to petco yesterday, and looked at the different foods. I think I will be getting him taste of the wild.

And yes he does have a collar on him. I noticed he was pretty darn cold this morning when it was about 50 so I'm looking to get him a litt coat. The BF laughed at me and said I'm being an overly worried momma! haha

[Chealsie508]

I commend you on a good choice…a lot of time people don't want to listen to the importance of a good quality food...and as for the collar, that could be making the pup itch because its unfamiliar..or I've heard sometimes nylon causes an allergic reaction in dogs. So if the itching is towards the neck and upper back I'd consider the collar as just something she needs to get used to...and as for the food, I think if it's good related that should clear it up...I wouldn't bathe the pup until you get everything sorted with the itching, best to be safe

[Chealsie508]

I will mention, if cost is concerning then the Innova puppy might be less expensive and has been subject to fewer recall issues inthe past…just food for thought. I am very glad to see a few good choices now being carried at Petco...

[tanza]

My personal opinion is that people bathe their Basenjis way to much. Unless they are rolling in "nasty" stuff, they really don't need to be bathe. They are pretty "self" cleaning dogs….

If it were not for shows, my Basenjis would maybe get a bath 2x's a year. Possible more if they are in a heavy shed (blowing coat) as a nice warm bath and a good curry comb is great for getting out dead hair. Even in the winter during rainy season here in California when the girls are doing the B500 around the yard and get mud baths, I just use a wet towel to clean off any wet mud....

[Chealsie508]

Agreed, Oakley rarely gets a "tubby"…mainly when he's blowin his coat or if he happens to be particularly stinky...but it's never more than 4x a year...I don't count the numerous times he's fallen into my shower tying to lick my legs..lmao

[curlytails]

Yeah, I think Bowpi has gotten 2.5 baths in the three years she's been with us. The half bath was a foot soak after stepping in something nasty…

And TotW is leaps and bounds better than Beneful. I think it's a good, economical choice for kibble. But honestly, the $5 ~ $20 difference a month to feed better quality, corn-free food is TOTALLY worth it. Check out dogfoodadvisor.com as a place to start learning about how to evaluate good dog food. I don't take that site as the end-all-be-all. For example, just because the site says some kibble is rated five stars doesn't mean it's universally great for every Basenji. You still have to adjust according to your own dog's needs. But there are lots of good articles on that site that will give you a good crash course on how to feed your new bubs... who's totally adorable, by the way.

[eeeefarm]

The last time my Basenji had a bath was when he got skunked a couple of years ago.

[Alleycat]

Oh with food I give him about a cup of food in the morning.. and he doesn't eat it all at once. He eats until he is full then walks off. nibbles at it through the morning. I also know that we shouldn't bathe him too often. Like I said.. the only reason he got a bath was because he got explosive doodoo all over himself. lol!

Any ideas on what chew toys to get him. so far we have a tennis ball, a fluffy doggy that doesn't squeak, a puppy kong and a long "stick" with a squeaker in it. His favorite seems to be the ball. I was surprised he didn't like the kong all that much

[krunzer]

Anything with a squeaky goes around here, especially the 'lamb' furred ones. Tennis balls aren't the best for them because dirt gets trapped in it and can wear down their teeth. I buy the Chuck-it balls without the fur on them though I haven't found one that squeaks yet. Kongs were never my guys favorites either, unless of course they were stuffed with Cheese Whiz. Bully sticks are good for chewing, as are Moozles or Snozzles (if you can find them) and dried Trachea.

[Chealsie508]

Oakley never liked his kong, still doesn't- even stuffed with peanut butter. He lives fluffy babies with squeakers, tiny kong squeaky tennis balls..and he loves antlers..doesn't matter if they are elk,moose or deer. They last a long while and puppies seem to love them. What I love about them- it keeps Oakley self entertained for more than two minutes at a time ( a big feat by by means)

[tanza]

@Alleycat:

Oh with food I give him about a cup of food in the morning.. and he doesn't eat it all at once. He eats until he is full then walks off. nibbles at it through the morning. I also know that we shouldn't bathe him too often. Like I said.. the only reason he got a bath was because he got explosive doodoo all over himself. lol!

Any ideas on what chew toys to get him. so far we have a tennis ball, a fluffy doggy that doesn't squeak, a puppy kong and a long "stick" with a squeaker in it. His favorite seems to be the ball. I was surprised he didn't like the kong all that much

IMO a cup of food is too much…. a puppy his age should be eating about 3 times a day.. and a cup is a lot of food for a puppy?... My puppies at that age eat 1/4 cup 3x's a day. And they get a certain amount of time to eat, if they leave any it is taken away. By leaving it down for them to pick at is setting them up for poor eating habits.