Dog Stamps

I recently purchased three dog stamps from Vintage Dog A Day.  They arrived in the mail this afternoon.

The first is a Korean Poongsan, a type of hunting Spitz. The middle is an Akita. The last is a Belgian Sheepdog (Groenendael).

They look a lot cooler in person, I really like the Groenendael.

Conker's current supplements

Several people have asked about this lately, so here goes.

6 of 8 supplements, 2 not pictured

Conker gets an assortment of supplements for various reasons. Some are diet related, others for specific reasons. Several are important to him in some way or another, there is a noticeable change (negatively) when he goes not get some of them.


Fish Oil (large golden soft gels)
Conker gets fish oils for many reasons. The main reason he gets fish oil is that they are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids which are very important for the living body. Commercially raised meats are very low in O3's, so I supplement with fish oil to replenish them. I also give fish oil since it is good for the skin and coat and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Conker will readily eat these on his own. He likes to pop them.

Vitamin E (not pictured, liquid form)
Vitamin E is also something that is low in factory farmed meats. Omega 3's can deplete the vitamin E in the body, so Conker gets vitamin E since he gets a large amount of fish oils for his size. Vitamin E is an important anti-oxidant so I supplement it to ensure he gets proper levels.

Probiotics (small white capsule)
Conker gets this to ensure he digests his food properly. He does a lot better when he gets probiotics more often than less. Sometimes I do not give him any for a day or two. Probiotics are also good for the immune system.

Chicory Root (not pictured, brown powder)
A type of prebiotic that contains inulin, food for probiotic bacteria. I have noticed an increase in good digestion when Conker gets this. Like the probiotics, he does not always get it daily.

MSM (large white capsule)
Conker gets this due to his Luxating Patella. It is supposedly good for ligaments.

Glucosamine/Chondroitin (brown tablet)
Conker also gets this one due to the LP. Both of these are given as a preventive measure.

Kelp (tiny bit in the center, recently added)
I just started using kelp so I have not noticed anything good yet. I use kelp to supplement iodine. Conker gets 1/4 of a tablet, supplementing about half of his daily requirement.

Green Lipped Mussel (greenish capsule, recently added)
Scientific studies have suggested that this particular critter has beneficial properties, namely joint protection and whatnot. (They also suggest that glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM does relatively little, while GLP is noticeably more effective.) I am experimenting with it to see if it does anything or not. It is relatively inexpensive, and Conker loves the powder.


Two more things I consider (whole food) supplements are canned oysters and clams. I need very small amounts to meet Conker's needs of the nutrients they supply, so it is inexpensive to use them.

Oysters
I give these for their high zinc content, which is pretty low in most meats, even red meats. Conker's coat and nails are in much better condition when he gets oysters.
I could just use a zinc supplement, but Conker really likes his canned oysters.

Clams
Clams are high in iron and also have some copper. I use clams when I feed Conker a lot of poultry and less red meat/hearts. I do not always use them.
I could also get an iron supplement, but I prefer to use whole foods when possible.

I also pull the membranes out of eggshells since I have read that it could be good for the joints.


Gee that's a lot for one dog. But he's a problematic dog. I have no issue with spending a bit more to than usual keep him healthy.



If you would like scientific studies pertaining to specific supplements and their usage, feel free to drop me a comment and I'll post link(s) for you.

Bright Spring Hike

Conker and I stopped at the hardware store to pick up a work apron (to use during training) before our hike.

 He was not exactly pleased, but was calm and generally behaved well.

Today's hike was around 5 or so miles, not exactly sure since I was not keeping track. I was too preoccupied with the intensity of the colors around me to care. Within the next few weeks the grass will start to get thicker and everything will get really green.

Money spent in March

Okay, so, like normal, I broke my "no food" rule. I'll have to do it again this month to at least get beef liver, and, hopefully, that will be all I need. My freezer is jam-packed so it's not like I can actually put anything else in there anyways...

So!


March 2013

• Food: $38
• Treats: $5.50

Total: $43.50


Food
I bought 3 10 pound packages of chicken quarters for $0.59 a pound, which is a KILLER deal around here. I also got a couple pork roasts for... $1.29, I think? Both of those both totaled around $18 each. I also got some beef liver for $2.

Treats
I do not usually buy treats these days, since cheese and pieces of meat are what I mostly use. Anywho, I bought a pound of "jerky" strips to use on walks, and I also got some beef treats and a slice of pig ear for Juneau when I took her to the petshop.

Thunderstorms are fun!

Conker has always loved storms. I don't know exactly why, but they seem to energize him. The more wild and violent the storm is, the crazier Conker gets. This is way different than the typical dog reaction of fear when they hear thunder.
So what do we do when a storm is on the horizon, threatening to dump it's fury down upon us? We go out and play in it, of course!

Tug is one of Conker's favorite games. When combined with fetch, it is his favorite. I try to find toys that we are able to both tug and play fetch with effectively. This particular toy, around 6 feet of soft rope (formerly a horse lead), is very fun to use.

Here Conker plays with my younger sister.

Spring is in the air...

One of the cherry trees (that was not hacked to bits by an overzealous moron) out front is blooming full force! Looks like we are going to have a TON of cherries this year.

Conker is getting slightly chubbish (for him anyways). So I have been taking him on more walks, and will be cutting his food back slightly. I don't like to do that with him...

We often cross the creek in several places, but most of the time it's too steep for Conker to go for a dip. This is the same creek that he visits near the dogpark.

We always stop to let him sniff around and explore the area around the top of the creekside.

He tried to go down, but the leash prevented him from doing that. He was not happy about that. Not at all. He thought the upper 70's was too hot and really wanted to go for a swim. I got a Shiba lecture for my refusal to let him do as he wanted.

Mince Mix #2

Today I mixed up another batch of mince for Conker. (Sorry, no pictures this time.)  It was relatively the same so I wouldn't be re-introducing too many "new" things at once.
I used two very large chicken quarters, about two pounds of pork meat, some turkey gizzards, hearts, a dash of liver, half a can of baby clams, half a can of pink salmon, and a tin of sardines. I did not have quite enough beef liver so I added in what I had and will put a small chunk in each meal when I get more.

Conker really loves canned fish, particularly mackerel and salmon. He likes sardines a lot, but not as much as the other two fish, which is why I added a bit more than"normal". I wanted him to like this mix.
I sometimes add a spoonful or two of plain whole-milk yogurt, and he always gets an egg and his various supplements (fish oils, vitamin E, joint stuff, digestion stuff...) added in when I feed him.
He scarfed today's mix down much faster than the previous one, so I'm guessing he really liked the addition of canned fish!

I will be gradually re-introducing oatmeal to his meals, starting with 1/4 cup and increasing from there. In the past Conker has done fine with oatmeal, and I'd like to include it again, but I'll find something else if he (for some random reason) cannot tolerate it well.


The next mix will include beef instead of pork. We'll see what he thinks when he's done with this batch.

Sasha at the Vet

Today Sasha went to the vet. She's been having some incontinence issues off and on for the past couple moths. It's always when she's been asleep, and she is otherwise peeing normal amounts normal times a day. Last night she peed twice (while sleeping) in my room, so I booked an apointment to get her checked out.

The vet looked at her busted carnassials while we were there. He is not concerned about them and told me to continue brushing them every night and just keep a close eye on them and the gums surrounding them for anything suspicious.

They got some urine from Sasha and did an analysis to rule out an infection. It was pretty normal, so they figure that's not the cause of her incontinence. The next thing on the list is something called spay incontinence that happens (frequently) in spayed females, generally when they get a little older. It's an estrogen thing, and since there is no ueterus or ovaries in a spayed dog...

So we came home with a bottle of 60 50mg Proin pills to try and see if that helps. Right now Sasha will get one half a pill twice a day, and we'll decide what to do next if it helps or not.


In other news...

Conker finished all the mince mix without refusing any! I will be making more tomorrow. He appears to be digesting it a lot better than whole raw pieces, which I am glad to see. He also hasn't had any deathfarts (yet) so I am going to keep it up for as long as he'll eat it.

Slavonic Tail Dance

I was bored.

Antonin Dvorak, Slavonic dance Op. 46, No. 1 - George Szell 1947

You know you live in a small town when...

This story is on the front page.
Yes, Conker and I attended. I actually lent Conker out (again) to an Irish lady and her grandson, while I handled Juneau (who was a buttface about pulling and trying to eat the smallest dogs) and Sasha. You can see me briefly in the video. I'm the only one wearing a baja and fedora.
The lady in the video is my next-door neighbor. I do stuff for her sometimes.


Anywho...

Conker and I went on a short 3 mile hike today.

 It started out sunny, then partly cloudy, and ended as cloudy. Gotta love Oregon's weather.

The flowers are still coming up. There were large patches of these red ones, and purple flowers too. But it's still pretty brown out there, so spring isn't quite here yet. You know spring is in full swing when everything is uber green.