dry skin/saliva

Question
QUESTION: Rescued a 5 yo std poodle 6 weeks ago.

For his dry skin I am giving MSM pill and cream.  Any other suggestions?

He drips saliva particularly when agitated but many times there is a wet spot on the floor where his mouth was when he gets up.
Is this normal or not.  If not, should I take him to a vet.

We are dealing with separation anxiety from my husband.  After his 5th day with us. he totally attached to my husband.  We are working on gradually separating but the dog is agitated when I take him for a walk (wants to go back home) and when my husband leaves. This week he started barking when we are both gone.

When we first brought the dog home he was fed kibble.  The second week he got diarrhea, which could have been from changing kibble brand. He has had continual bouts of diarrhea which I get under control with rice & turkey or cottage cheese & yogurt & pumpkin for several days.
Then when I add a handful of kibble the diarrhea comes back.
Could this be attributed to the anxiety. Should he be seen by a vet?

What do you suggest for bad breath? The pet store suggested "greenie" but he had the first bout of diarrhea after eating one.

In general he is very mellow, quiet, lovable and loves to be cuddled, as long as my husband is around.  Where ever my husband is, the dog is at his feet.

Thank you so much for your time.
Judy

ANSWER: Hello Judy,
Here is a diet that you might try with your dog.  It is healthy and has vitamins and minerals that are good for your dogs skin and coat.

1 Lamb or Turkey Burger (as its more sensitive on a dogs stomach)
1 can Sardines in Olive Oil
1 cup Spinach blended with a little water
1 egg scrambled
1 1/2 cup Special K or Total Cereal
1 Apple Blended (or you can use 1/2 cup of Applesauce)
1/8 tsp Garlic powder
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked using broth (either a meat or Veggie variety) for better flavor

This recipe is for a large dog, but if you think this is more than you would use in a week, it freezes nicely.  I would give him about 3/4 of this mixture and about a 1/4 portion of his food then gradually add more of his dry food.  I would suggest a dog food such as Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro Max, Bil-Jac food, or Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers soul.  If you can get the food with Lamb and rice, do so because its easier on a dogs stomach than chicken or beef.    
Give it a chance for about a week or two, and if he continues to have diarrhea you can treat it with about 5-6 cc of Pepto Bismol or Kao Pectate.

For his bad breath, you can buy a product called Breath Drops from a company called Pet Kiss Co.  They specialize in products to help keep a dogs teeth and breath fresh.  They have Breath products, products that help keep the tartar off the dogs teeth and they also have products for  arthritis and hip problems and they offer neat treats and toys.  Find them at:  http://www.petkiss.com/Products.html

As for his drooling, this is not normal, but I can't tell you why he is doing this without examining him.  It IS most likely nerves, but if its continuous you might check with a Vet.  

With his seperation anxiety towards your husband, you are going to need to start taking over the dogs care.  When you walk him, take treats with you and give him some when he walks good with you.  Don't give him free reign of the leash at first, but instead make him walk behind you until he realizes that you are the "Boss".  Feed him, play with him and pet him alot so that he sees you as a friend like he sees your husband.  You might also enroll him in an Obedience class.  Poodles love Obedience, it helps them expend some of their energy, and most of the time the owners also find it enjoyable.  

Give this a try and let me know how it works for you,(if it doesn't work, let me know and we can try something else) and if you have other questions or concerns for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim

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

QUESTION: Thank you so much for all the info.
The poodle is about 50-55 lbs
Food: Sounds good enough to eat myself!
  I am using white rice and turkey but could switch to brown rice.
  Is the spinach raw/cooked/shredded/a whole head?
  Egg raw or cooked (I have been feeding a hard boiled egg occasionally)
  How many cups total of mixture per day for my dog
I have the Natural Choice, which the rescue place suggested, but chicken/rice/oatmeal.  It said for sensitive stomachs.

Attachment:I walk him without my husband and he is very good on the leash....heeling, sitting, staying  I praise him a lot for doing the commands.  I am the one that feeds him, cuddle him a lot, brush him.  When he hears me in the kitchen, he will leave my husband and come to see if I am getting food for him. Then leaves when realizes that is not happening. Also I give him milk bones as a treat.  My husband is trying gradual withdrawal by being away for brief periods of time; started with 1-2 minutes and is up to 7 without the dog barking, eventually working up to one hour.  According to info I found, at this point the dog should be ok all day.  We'll see.

Again, thanks and I await your reply

ANSWER: Hello again,
The brown rice is more healthy than the white rice.  White rice doesn't contain much nutritional value.  I like to use raw spinach because by cooking it, you remove some of the vitamins and minerals that make it so healthy.  One cup should be enough, but since Spinach cooks down, you can use 1 1/2 cups if you want.  With the egg, be sure to cook it (I like to scramble the eggs, then add them to the meat mixture and mix them in good), because raw egg contains bacteria that isn't good for a dogs stomach.    
I would give your dog a majority of the diet and about a handful of his dry kibble until he is better able to stomach it, then you can go 1/2 and 1/2.  As he does better with the dry kibble, you can cut the mix back to just a couple of tablespoons per meal (I would continue the 1/2 and 1/2 once a week or so so that he is getting the good vitamins and minerals the diet contains).  

You might see if the Natural Choice has a Lamb and Rice and Oatmeal.  Although Chicken, Rice and Oatmeal are more sensitive on a dogs stomach, dogs can become allergic to chicken more easily than to Lamb or Turkey.  

Your husband is doing good leaving him for longer periods of time, but make sure that he doesn't return to the dog unless he is totally quiet and settled down before he gives the dog attention.  

One thing that might help you bond with your dog is the Dog Exam Position.  
You start with the dog in your lap on the floor with his head towards your stomach.  At first, just pet him and get him to relax.  Once he will relax for you, you can start the exam part.  To do this, start at his head and look in his eyes, ears, and mouth.  You are checking for anything un-normal, (ie; cuts/bites, fleas/ticks, unusual swelling or bruising).  Next, move to his middle.  Check his hair and skin and look at his front legs all the way down to his toes.  If he has issues with his feet and toes, then start to work with his feet.  Play in-between his toes, tap on his toenails and gently pinch his toes.  This will help him get used to his feet being handled so that if he needs his feet worked on, he will be ok with it.  Lastly, go over his back legs and tail.  If you do this every evening, he will get used to it and it will help you build a bond with him.  It shows him that you are boss because your head is over his, but in a non-threating way.  Eventually he should come to enjoy these sessions with you and will learn to respect you also.  

I hope this is more helpful to you and if you have other questions, please just ask.

Thanks again,
Kim


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

QUESTION: Kim - I really appreciate your taking the time to answer me.  Is the recipe for one day of food?  Or several days (55# dog)?

Many, many thanks.
Judy  

Answer
No Problem, its good to know that my expertise is helping someone make themselves a better dog parent.  
Depending on how much of the recipe you use, it should last around a week or so in a sealed container (like Tupperware, Glad-Ware, Rubbermaid, etc).  Like I said above, it freezes well, so you can even double it and take some out as you need it.

Later,
Kim