Vitamins Food Supplement GSD 4 Month Old

[johnhenry]

Hello.

I have a 4-month old GSD... I just got her from Cartimar yesterday... she's very skinny (you can feel her bones when you rub her ribs :-s)

Aside from feeding her 3x a day with Eukanuba, I'm giving her Tiki-Tiki (1 teaspoon) plus Calcebone vitamins.

If these vitamins are not good... what would you recommend?

any feedback on this would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[ChubbyCheek]

You are giving your dog human vitamins, which will not give the same effect as vitamins specially made for pets.
I would recommend any multivitamin for pets, like LCVit, Raffavit, INdiet, Pet Tabs, etc.

You are also giving calcium to a large breed dog, which can cause deformation of the joints, and leg bones.

Your pup is from a pet store in Cartimar. Which means, you do not really know the history behind where it came from.

So, first thing to do is get a "wellness check up" from a trusted vet. Have a stool sample done to check for worms. Because if the dog is thin, and is a pup then more than likely it is suffering from a worm infestation.
No matter what food you give, they will not gain weight as long as they are not dewormed properly first.

If you change your pet to a high quality puppy food specially formulated for large breed puppies, then there will be no need to supplement with vitamins.
If you plan to keep them on Eukanuba, then I would recommend you putting them on a pet vitamin for sure.

[johnhenry]

Thanks CC for all your advise -- I really appreciate it!

I'm afraid you're right regarding the worm infestation... although before getting her from Cartimar, I did have her checked by the Vet in Cartimar (but I don't think I can not use the word "trusted" (not yet anyway) as I did have checked only to make sure that she's ok. The Vet checked her i.e. listened to her heart, checked her temp... all in about 3-5 minutes then charged me300 bucks... sheesh!

Anyway, any suggestions on good, reputable Vet clinics?

Regarding her history, I was not really interested on having "papers"... but please let me know what are the possible consequences -- I assume this would be genetic diseases from her family line?

Regarding quality puppy food, what would your recommendation be for large breed puppies? I hope you can recommend that not too painful for a family man like myself :wink1:

Thanks in advance for your help.

[ChubbyCheek]

You are welcome. :D That price sounds like a consultation fee only...does not sound like he charged you for the examination. I guess he felt his examine was very minimal, so he gave you a break. Or he just liked you or the dog. :D

We have a vet listing thread here, but I can not vouch for all of them. If I knew your area, maybe I could recommend a vet if I know of one.

Yes, the papers are very important in being able to track the ancestry of your dog. It kinda leaves a paper trail to knowing life span in your dogs line, health problems, hip dysplasia problems (common in the breed), and temperament issues.

For the worms, it is the most common problem with puppies, and is a constant fight until adulthood.
Usually pups are dewormed regularly, meaning once a month until 6 months of age...then going on to a 3 month treatment to keep them under control.

I would recommend Eagle Pack Puppy Large Breed, Orijen Puppy Large Breed, or Acana Puppy Large Breed.
As mid range priced, high quality food for large breed puppies.

For the higher quality foods...safe bets are ProPlan Large Breed Puppy, Science Diet Large Breed Puppy, and Royal Canin Maxi Jr.

[johnhenry]

Thanks again CC! :thanks:

I'm from Manila... near UST. I hope you can recommend a nice Vet clinic in this area.

I'll take note of the brands of food you've recommended (as well as the vitamins in your earlier reply).

All the best.

[ChubbyCheek]

No problem. I would recommend Dr. Chua aka animal wonders on this site. You can see his multiply site by clicking on the image at the top of the index page under PPH Affiliates.....
He is in SpamSpam city. It is a little drive, but basically a straight shot on Roxas Blvd.
He is an excellent vet, and prices are reasonable. For just the Manila area, I don't know the vets there.

[johnhenry]

Thanks CC!

I'll definitely visit Dr. Chua.

I guess this puts closure to this topic... hats off to CC, Moonraven and Philippine Pet Haven! All your prompt replies will really help me a lot! x-)

I hope that there'll be others who will find the exchanges here helpful as much as I did!

All the best!