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Proheart 6 – USA Today Editorial

Basenji Talk

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  • Spencer is 14 today!

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    P
    A few days late but Happy 14th Birthday, Spencer.
  • Went to see the puppies today

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    How exciting for you Chealsie508. I would like to comment on the old wives tale about calcium. Supplementing a puppies diet with extra calcium in the hope that it will build up the ear cartilage is not scientifically or biochemically valid. Adding calcium above the usual balance of that mineral in the diet has actually been shown to cause growth problems in some dogs. Do not add calcium to the diet in the misguided hope that it will strengthen the cartilage. EVERY PUPPY IS DIFFERENT. For example, the two extremes of my native imported pups were my boy's ears were standing straight up when he was ~10 weeks old; and one of my females had one ear flopping until she was ~5 months old. But, it did go up on its own and stayed up. So, look at your pups pedigree and don't sweat it. As I have come to understand, the general rule is that if the ears are standing or have been standing by between 3-5 months (the time teething starts), they will come back up after the adult teeth are in. Yes, calcium is one of the building blocks of cartilage growth. The body uses calcium as needed and when teeth and bone growth are developing, the calcium isn't being used for nonessentials like the cartilage at the base of the ear frame. Supplementing calcium is NOT a good idea and can actually be harmful. Be forewarned that most over-the-counter calcium supplements are NOT absorbed by the body and are a waste of money and time. With calcium that is absorbed, too much is given. Calcium will settle in joints when there is too much in the body, setting your pup up for bone spurs, hip problems, arthritis and other problems when they are older. If you really feel that you need to do something, provide natural calcium found in bones. I would strongly advise that you talk this over with your veterinarian. To be fair, you really need to give your dog until the age of 8-9 month range before you even think about the ears.
  • Look who I saw today!

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    @smharr4: I wonder who this Wheat-coloured nose belongs to… [image: IMG_20100807_114011.jpg] it reminds me of our Wingco when he was young….........i used to laugh and say` to him boy, i hope you grow into those ears hahaha:p he did .
  • Basenji on the Today Show!

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    Ninabeana26N
    That is a great story! The basenji is certainly a beautiful one! Thanks for sharing :)
  • Chamis 2 today!!

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    luzmery928L
    yuck..seems messy..lol..thanks for the great info
  • My Basenji was "that dog" today

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    basenjiprinceB
    I used to say my dog was aggressive until I read this thread… Now I say it is more of a defensive mechanism for Buddi. Buddi doesn't like anyone or anything to approach him. He wants to smell and get to know them or it first. If someone new comes into the house I tell them not to acknowledge Buddi at first and then once he has finished getting to know them he will walk away. After that he is fine. But if someone walks in and puts their hand towards him he instantly turns into a very loud and shows aggressive behavior like he is going to attack. The theory has worked very well to date. With dogs it is a little different. He also doesnt like small dogs. The ones close to his size or larger we have never had a problem. Should I handle the situations in a different manner? Also he doesnt go to a doggie spa or day care so we make sure to go to the park and keep him socialized with dogs there and ones that he knows. We also have friends with young kids and he loves them. Has never growled or snipped at them. He LOVES to play!!!!