Boosting/improving immune system.(vitamins?)
Hey all, so I've had Juno for 4.5/6.5months of his life. Since the time I've had him he's already had a cold twice which in my POV is too much. He'll start with puking a week before for one day then a week after that one day he'll start sneezing and making this weird noise and then he has to be on antibiotics. He also doesn't seem to put on much weight he was 11lbs 2months ago and at 6.5month of age now he's 14.2lbs. so he gained about 1.5lbs/month which I believe is little for a growing puppy(he's eating TOTW). He eats about 1cup or 1.25cups a day and more during training days. I asked the vet and she said he appears healthy, smart, & normal so I shouldn't worry and that he may just be a tinnier corgi and maybe the runt of the litter. Despite the cuteness, comments, and joy everyone has with his size...it is def. concerning to me. As for colds, he had all his shots as a puppy including bordetella & lepto. so it's concerning that his immune system isn't so great.
With that said, I'm wondering if anyone has or knows about using vitamins and just giving that immune system and extra boost health wise. I'm not sure what I can or should give him. Any suggestions would be great!
He's also been sheeding a lot more this past 1.5weeks compared to before(see picture below; clump of fur from brushing today) I know corgies shed a lot but I've never brushed this mass amount of fur off him before and i brush almost everyday. Is there anything I can do or feed him to help with coat or shedding? His TOTW kibble is already salmon and has those fatty acids so I'm not sure if fish oil should be added.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Throneberry on
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I have always added fish oil even if it is salmon. If it isn't giving him diahria then it can only help. My vet straight told me that vitamins really don't help at all. My dog milo threw up every once a week and has a runny nose and watery eyes. I have hanged his food and it really helped. Allergies to food can really cause a lot of these symptoms. Maybe you should change vets and get a different opinion.
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi Juno's mom, when you met Juno's parents, did you ask how much they weight? How was he compare to his siblings? Plain yoghurt can promote healthy gut flora, 1.25 cup of food a day is too little for a growing pup in my opinion, I will not worry about over eating until age 2 or close to upper 20s lb range, he needs food to grow.
Shedding is healthy normal way of life, embrace it. You really have seen nothing yet, check this out :) Corgis don't fill out until the age of 2.
To control shedding, you need to take into consideration of food, indoor HVAC system, humidity and outdoor elements + season. Add a teaspoon of oil will give the skin extra moisture / shiny coat, indoor AC / heat drys out the skin, you'll need a humidifier to put some moisture in the air. Avoid bathing, it strips the body's natural oil, maybe 2-3 times a year.
Vitamin E promotes healthy skin / hair, DO NOT FEED AVOCADO. Wheat germ, sunflower seed, almond are okay.
I'm not a fan of extra supplements, it is not an FDA regulated industry, the quality and purity varies, if you can get the nutrient straight from a whole food source with no food labels? do it. Hope this answer your question.
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Permalink Reply by Juno on
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Mom looked pretty good and not fat. Dads owner says he weighs about 28. He was just as chubby as his siblings when i got him. I've started to up his food. I fed the amount i fed because I was advised by the lady cuz she said she tried to feed them three meals a day and it didn't work. So i just stuck to what she did.
What kind of oil do i add? fishoil? if so, what brand and how much?
thanks!
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Hi Juno's mom, any oil except for grape seed and avocado oil. Flaxseed oil maybe too potent for him, fresh ground would be a better choice. If you do choose an omega 3 rich oil like fish oil, drizzle it on top of his food just before meal time, it's light / heat sensitive, so it'll oxidize fast. 1 teaspoon / day is plenty.
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Permalink Reply by Pamela on
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my goodness. I have never seen a lot of hairs from ur dog . Now I have to buy a rug like that red round one later on. How old should I use fumingator on Thor? How often? If its later age, what do I use on Thor til older with fumingator? What about nail trimmer? What to use ? Humidifier - warm or cool mist?
Thanks for ur answers.
Pam
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Hi Pam, corgis fill out around the age of 2, after that you can use the furminator once a week, read the instruction, lift up at the end of every stroke, do not press down. You introduce Thor re: trimmer / groom tool at an early age, "fake" brush" "trim" him, associate the tools with treat, make it a pleasant experience, then they will always allow you to do handle their feet at will. Either type of humidifier is fine. Good luck!
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hi Sam
Thanks. I didnt understand "fill out" at first. Good idea of intruding fake brush to Thor and to use treat. What kind of treats? What about nail clipping? Age? What kind ?
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Hi Pam, treats can be anything from cheerios, carrots to real meat, depending on what gets Thor's attention most. We use this type of clipper, and here's the general instruction. Start fake clipping / grooming asap. good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Jack had 1.5 cups of food a day til he was around a year old. I've heard of other Corgi pups who need 2 cups a day. Puppies need more food than adults, just like teenagers eat way more than adult humans. I would definitely up his food.
I would not add vitamins; they are in the food. Food is nutritionally complete. Sometimes when animals are very sick or have had surgery, the vet will recommend a vitamin supplement (due to poor absorption). Other than that, I would not use them.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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I would up his food as others have said. Franklin got 2 cups up until he was almost 2 years old. He didn't really start filling out until 1 1/2 to 2 years old and stayed around 18 pounds until at least 1 1/2. I couldn't get weight on him and the vets always said he was too skinny. Then all of a sudden he filled out and gained and is now 30 pounds. Corgis are like large breed dogs and will take a lot longer to mature than a typical small breed.
Fish oil is excellent for all body systems, it supports the heart, skin, brain, etc so it can only help. I feed TOTW as well but have noticed a huge change in Frank's coat after adding fish oil and he seems to move better too, no more hind leg problems (he used to have a limp occassionally in the right hind but that has gone away completely now).
Does Juno go to dog parks or daycare? If he has a lot of exposure to other dogs he will be getting sick more often than your average dog. Vaccines are not all that effective against the upper respiratory diseases dogs get, just like flu shots in humans may or may not work at any given season. Here in Sacramento we have had a weird outbreak of a sneezing cold with our doggie daycares and animal control dogs that vaccines do nothing for and antibiotics do little to help. Vaccinated dogs are getting this and it seems to pass after about 1 week. Higher exposure to other dogs will mean more risk, just like a little kid going to school or daycare will frequently bring home a cold. If he has very limited exposure to other dogs then I may try to find an immune booster but would only get something recommended by your vet because, as sam said, the vitamin/supplement industry is not a very regulated industry so unless getting it from a known and tested source, you never are sure what you are getting.
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Thanks. I didn't know I fed too little. I just continued what the previous person did since she said doing three meals a day didn't work. So i've up'd his food and his poop has up'd as well...haha
What kind of fish oil & how much?
Juno goes to puppy socials, corgi meet ups and the park for training.
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For Franklin I just use any brand of human fish oil and give him 1 capsule once a day. Your vet likely sells a fish oil product as well, but the vets at my work just say buy it over the counter. Most of the time it comes in 1000mg capsules. I puncture the capsule and squirt it on Frank's food. You can also get it in a pump container or as a liquid, those ones are usually stored at pet stores.
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