Rescue Dog

[IrishIroamed]

So happy to read that Bindi is doing so well Sandi. Ah - the love of a fur-mom works wonders.

[monik7]

I gave Bindi a bath in the kitchen sink today. Let's just say this was probably her first experience. I had to wipe down the kitchen window and counters from all the splashes. She did settle down after awhile. I think we turned a corner with Abby today. I was a little concerned because she's been unusually quiet since Bindi came. But today, she started doing what she used to do with Krissi when I told them we were going "to do something special" - that being a walk. She got all excited like before and went over to Bindi to get her excited too. Bindi even stayed in the house alone yesterday while I took Abby to get her heart worm test and medication. SUCCESS all around. Even Amy cat has accepted Bindi. We are a family!

Pretty girl after her bath. Waiting for her hair to grow out.


She seems relaxed don't you think?

Sandi

[MandysMom]

Got a good chuckle out of that cutie hanging her head cover the side of the bed. Sweet dreams little Bindie.
Velda

[IrishIroamed]

aww - yea Abby, Amy & Bindi. I think your little family is perfect for each other.

"She seems relaxed don't you think?" um - yea I think.

[avalen]

So happy for your family Sandi, makes me smile, and Bindi is such a cutie.

[Acadianmom]

Bindi is very cute. My friend has a dog named Bindi but she is the size of a small horse. She's a Giant Schnauzer.

Martha

[WickedLady]

Glad everything has worked out well for your family.

[snowball]

so glad that Bindi is settling in and you have all bonded
she is a cutie and relaxed might be to mild of a word
sheila

[retiredhappy]

See it really didn't take that long for her to fit right in. Looks like her and Abby are going to be great buddies.

[dragonflyer14]

I figured this should be my first order of business upon joining the forum because Bindi is the reason I finally took the plunge. So glad that she is settling in nicely and getting beyond her health issues. I have a maltipoo also (Dory) who is now 6 yrs old. I rescued her when she was about 8 weeks old and she came to me with a few health issues of her own. She is now thriving and it could be argued that she is the one who rescued us (me and my other fur-baby, Disney). The first year was really challenging but I wouldn't trade it or her for anything in the world.
Sandi-
Just wanted to extend my congratulations and wish u well in this new endeavor. One thing I did want to pass on and the reason I finally joined the forum...up to 20% of Maltese doggies suffer allergies. Dory is very allergic to soy products and can be sensitive to different foods as well. I try to watch carefully what I give her (how she reacts) and have a fairly strict rule that no one gives her anything without my approval. Also, she loves to eat and we struggle to keep her weight down even though she came to me quite malnourished. I think Beth is right when she said the weight will come back naturally.
Well that's it for me and my two cents worth....wish you all the best and I am sure you will really enjoy her...dory has become our comedian as well as self-appointed ambassador, keeping both Disney and I on our toes!
Have fun,
Christina (everyone calls me Chris...just didnt want you all to think i am a guy )

[monik7]

Thanks for your input Chris. I'm so happy Dory has fit right into your family. Bindi has definitely assumed her place in our family in just 2 weeks. I have had some doubts Bindi is a Maltipoo and the vet seems to share the same doubts. They've put "poodle mix" on her record at the clinic. It will be interesting to see how she looks when her hair grows out. With it short she does look more poodle, but that may change. In the picture of her when she was rescued she looks very different from now. Whatever she is, she's a cutie and a keeper.

I'm curious as to what reaction Dory has to the foods you think she's allergic to. I'm having a very hard time finding dry food both Abby and Bindi like. Bindi ate very little last night and Abby almost finished hers. I bought some wet food to add into the dry, but it's way too expensive to keep that up. I had bought some canned food at Walmart, but I suspect that may have caused Abby's diarrhea. So the search goes on. Both definitely will not eat plain kibble, so I've got to figure something out. I just know I can't keep spending $1.45 per day for a small container of wet food. In addition, Bindi did not seem to like it last night anyway.

So congratulations to you, Chris, on your rescue of Dory and providing her a forever home. And welcome to the forum. Jump in and post anywhere.
Sandi

[dragonflyer14]

Dory's response to soy is very much like an anaphelactic shock kind of response...heavy panting as if she can't breath, rubbing herself on the carpeting as if she itches, licking the carpet excessively...she is just not herself. I haven't had to rush her to the vet because when I realized what was happening i quickly analyzed her food ingredients and narrowed it down to soy in one of their treats...meaning she didn't get enough of it to create a big problem. I treated her right away with plain yogurt and water and then stayed up with her through the night and she seemed to get past it...i did talk to her vet the morning after to touch base and confirm what i was doing was on the right track. She got soy another time and had the same response...it's a bit scary so now I just don't let her have anything with soy and really don't let people feed her anything (i have a well-intentioned roommate who is no longer allowed to give her anything without asking).
My vet is a wonderful guy... i met him while i was doing chemo and my dogs would both get sick every three weeks when i had my treatment....i would have a treatment and then they would start having bloody diarrhea the next day. We got them through that and they really haven't been sick since...i felt so bad that they were so in tune with me that they got sick too. Dory was only 8 months old when i got diagnosed, so we were still working out her fitting into the family, and it took a while for me to figure out their food. Disney, my little guy, has always been a picky eater and i really didn't want them on two different types of food. we have tried royal canin and other high-end foods but have settled for Halo small breed chicken spots stew as a baseline for them both. They both seem to do well on it and I can then tailor each of their meals to suit their individual needs...Disney needs higher calories and is a senior at 10 so he gets a different blend of halo mixed into his called vigor...it has venison and salmon and the picky boy really likes the flavor. Dory needs lower calories and various supplements for her anal glands and weight management, so she gets pumpkin mixed in with hers which gives her extra fiber and aids in keeping her weight under control. halo also makes a small breed turkey duck and pheasant flavor that they can both have as their base food...my dogs do well on poultry and that helps with dory's weight. Halo also has a variety of supplements which really help my dogs with their joints as both of them have leg issues. They also have a chicken protein powder that i can use to beef up Disney's food as needed.
I will say that having dory around has made him a better eater...competition helps, i guess, although mealtime is something that i have to take timeout for or he would let her bully him into giving up his dinner. Dory is not picky at all...i could put gravy on cardboard and she would act like its gourmet.
What really helped me was finding a base food that they could both have and then tweaking it for each of their needs. When i had to figure all this out i had cancer so i couldn't cope with different foods all the time for them...it drove me nuts to be honest. The Halo line worked out for us and is available in most petco stores and i try to get it on a big sale a few times a year to save money. It is vacuum sealed and living in MI I like to keep extra food on hand in case we are really snowed in. I like that it has never been recalled...i know i sound like an advertiser but this line of food and supplements really saved us here. I am not rich but with good sales and planning i can do this and their last blood work came back excellent so I feel pretty good about what i am doing. Whatever you decide about food, try to keep it simple for you and affordable...i like that i can easily get this food whether i am at home or traveling too.
wow...long post...hopefully that answers your questions and gives you a little food for thought, so to speak
have a nice day

[monik7]

So is the Halo a dry, kibble-like food and then you add to it? Sorry, I'm just getting tired of buying food at least one or both don't like. One recommended at PetSmart turned into a mud-like consistency when anything liquid was added. It congealed like adobe on the bottom of their bowls and they couldn't get it off. I had to scrub the bowls to get it off. . Makes me wonder what it would turn into in their stomachs.
Sandi

[OregonLuvr]

We have an independent pet store here in Medford that is run by two fellas that are very knowledgeable about food and holistic cures. They are buddies with the holistic vet in Jacksonville and when my dog was having all her allergy issues they recommended grain free and no chicken. Seems like chicken can cause a lot of things. I buy Walmart cheap wet food Cesar's as I only use a teaspoon full and a dab of water to mix with the kibble. My dog did not like the expensive stuff at all (lol good dog). Her allergies are much better now and she can tolerate small doses of chicken and I like to change up the food once in a while so she is now on Diamond Naturals for small breeds. She had 6 of her teeth pulled last year but they were not her chewing ones and she eats just dandy. I buy the lamb and rice and the chicken and rice formulas and she is doing very well. I don't know if it was the food or what as I also use Nutri Source grain free as an alternate. She will not eat the kibble unless it has some wet in it so teaspoon of wet, little bit of water, and she thinks it is all good LOL All these foods were rated well on dogadvisor.com Well not the Cesar but she doesnt get that much so will continue.

karen

[dragonflyer14]

Yes the halo food is dry kibble...but i do put some pumpkin and water into dory's kibble at night...it doesn't turn into mud or anything like that...of course she doesn't let it sit around long! Disney wont eat anything gravy or wet food related so i had to find a kibble that was good for them both and that he would eat. Finally tried Halo Spot's Stew for small breeds and settled on that...they have a couple of flavors...we do mostly chicken.
I had tried many, many different high-end kibbles that didn't really work for one reason or another and at first I kinda felt like a failure to both of them...whatever you settle on, I am sure you will make a great choice because you aware and you are observant of your pets, which really is half the battle. It can be frustrating at first, introducing a new dog into the mix, trying to do the right thing for all of them and not knowing enough about Bindi yet. I have no doubt that you will get over this food hurdle...find the right base kibble for them both, then tweak it as needed for each of them. That is what I came up with as a compromise for two dogs with very different needs... and to save my sanity!
Oh and by the way...she sure is a cutie!!