PLEASE HELP!!!!

Question
QUESTION: I have a nine month year old female English bulldog.  While she has an absolutely wonderful personality, her hygiene traits are not that great.  She is STILL not potty trained, but seems like she only goes inside when we are sleeping or away from work.  She pees on any blanket, towel, bed, etc. that we give her to lay on.  We feed her one drinking cup amount twice a day.  She poops AT LEAST 4 times a day!  Not to mention she pees probably 15-25 times a day.  On top of all this, she also will eat her poop majority of the time!  I am currently 8 months pregnant and fear things are going to get worse before they get better!  Any advice???

ANSWER: Oh Boy! I think your English girl may have some medical problems besides the behavior.  I am sure that is not what you want to hear at 8 months pregnant!!!  
We can take one thing at a time:  
First off, can someone bring this girl into the vet for a check???  I think she may have a urinary infection for starters.
Also, I would have some blood work done on her is you can afford the expense at this time:?

Rule out medical and then we can deal with the behavior....
Also, you may need to make a food change because she should not poop more than 2 x per day.  I would like to talk about changing her to an adult food that is grain free.  What are you feeding her now?

Also, you can add some cooked zucchini, to her dog food each day - 2-3 teaspoons mixed into her food MAY help the POOP eating problem.

Please get back to me with the brand of food and flavor she is eating? Any table foods or junk????
Snacks.....???


Talk to you soon!

Marie Peppers LPN MA

Ask the Pet Nurse
mtnmom@gci.net


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She is currently regularly seeing a vet for skin issues that are now cleared!!!  YIPPIE!!!!  Its so crazy...I don't know if she just pees a little and gets distracted...but she defiantly will go outside and squat to pee at least two or three times.  Not to mention in the house at least once or twice while we are away at work.  
The food she is on is "the goodlife recipe"  for all ages and the flavor is beef, brown rice, and vegetables with natural ingredients.  
She eats her dog food and snack dog bones ONLY!!!  THATS IT!!!  
I sometimes think that she is just EXTREMELY OVERLY attention needy!  We crated her for the first 6 months, but that was a disaster going nowhere.  She DOES NOT like to be confined to one area.

ANSWER: Hi - One of the main problems is the food - The GoodLIFE dog food is very poor : I can help you make some changes in food and add a good vitamin ...
LOOK at this review:
Total Score Dog Food Ratings = Total Score = 3/10
( she said " TRACES of goodstuff in goodlife")

Ask Susan Peters Comments:


There are traces of the "good stuff". Traces in dust form of DRIED CARROTS, DRIED SPINACH, DRIED TOMATOES the rest is fillers and junk.

The bag clearly states there are no fillers added. Corn and grains are certainly fillers. I'm waiting on a answer from the company about what they think fillers are. I've sent an email to them but haven't heard back.

This is a new brand of dog food with a full line of pet foods for both dogs and cats. I hope they realize that all the corn and grains and junk in this food is not what the public is looking for.

UPDATE: The company asked me to visit their web site to find the answers to my questions about their products contents. The web site gives the chart shown below but does not give any ingredient listings. After visiting their web site I do NOT feel like an informed consumer.

Corn, wheat and soy are responsible for fever, ear aches, ear infections, bad bread, dental disease, hair loss, dry and itchy skin, bloat, tumors, warts, moles, abnormal nail growth, arthritis, deafness, blindness, digestive problems, inflamed liver, inflamed kidneys, bladder problems, heart problems, and death. Oh yeah, for the good effects of corn, soy, and wheat - reduces the cost of pet food production. This does not sound wholesome to me!

Beet pulp is another cheap filler used by pet food companies. "Beet Pulp" sounds good, doesn't it? Well it's not. Just because Grandma told us we had to eat our beets as kids doesn't mean it is good for our dogs. Grandma didn't take the nutrients out of the beet and leave us just the dried fiber to eat, did she? Beet pulp is junk!

Chicken by-product meal. By-products are floor sweepings collected from a rendering plant. Anything that hits the floor and is not fit for human consumption is by-product. By-products can't have "added" feathers but the ones included in the mess are just fine. Meal means the floor sweepings have had the water removed and the feathers, poultry poo, whatever has hit the floor is now concentrated.

Natural Flavor. I always like the way pet food companies hide the use of

manure in the ingredients. Natural flavor is made from the manure of the

animal the pet food company wants the pet food to taste like. Yep, this

company's Chicken flavor is flavored with chicken manure.

I**Update** A Class Action has been filed against The Goodlife Recipe company for using deceptive advertising.

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Ok, if we get your gal onto a better - grain free ??? food and the NuVET supplement - we may be able to help...
here is the NuVET info:
http://www.apluspetcare.com/untitled4.html


Let me know if you want to slowly change over her food??


Marie Peppers lPN MA
mtnmom@gci.net
Contact me at the above private e-mail

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I defiantly want to change her food up!!!!!!!  Any recommendations?

Answer
Yes, let's slowly get her off the GoodLIFE dog food and onto a Grain free formula : Look at your local pet store and let me know if they have Merrick Grain free food, Innova Evo or Wellness Core.... Get back to me on this and we will switch her slowly doing a 50/50 mix of old and new foods.  Call a few local pet stores and ask if they carry the brands.

Next, I would love to start her on a Probiotic and also a digestive supplement.  I am sure your gal will be pooping just 2 x per day once we get her balanced.  Also, good food and supplement should help with the urinary problems and skin problems.

Here is a link to the Probiotic / To reduce the excess Yeast in the gut:  Give 1 per day for at least 30 days and then reduce to 1 every other day for 30 more days.  Let your vet know that your dog is taking supplements.

Probiotic : Flora Force:
http://www.mynsp.com/nuvetpetnurse/products/guide.aspx?stockNum=4080

NuVET Plus will sure help the digestion and also the skin problems.  NuVET has also been known to be helpful with urinary infections.  NuVET helps to support the Immune system.
http://www.apluspetcare.com/untitled4.html
Give her 2 per day for 10 days and then 1 per day  - LONG term...
NuVET is a wafer treat and a supplement all in one.
Tell them Marie sent you.... Marie Peppers ...



OK, so let me know what the Store says they have in stock and get back to me.
Talk to you soon...

Marie Peppers LPN MA
Ask the pet nurse
mtnmom@gci.net