# Enjoying pup..enjoying forum but get scared....



## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

Sometimes it's really hard not to go on the difficult topics...you know the "scary" ones. How do you not sit around and just worry yourself sick with the "what ifs"....what if my GSD is the one who gets that horrible cancer, what if my GSD is the one who gets bad hips...what if my GSD gets bloat...

how do you manage to sit around and enjoy your dog without fussing and fretting over EVERYTHING?

Elevated bowl or not, run or not, too much / too little exercise, what causes cancer, are her hips right?, is her stomach making the right noises? 

I have had cats all my life and have never spent the majority of my time..checking consistency of poops...watching hips..watching stomach size...researching for hours the benefits of foods/ bowls/...etc and so on.

HELP! I'm beginning to be a nervous wreck :help:


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## Haastility (Jul 12, 2013)

No elevated bowls unless its medically necessary... I suggest a brake-fast.net medium or large sized bowl and an hour rest before and after eating!

run on grass (limit the amount of time depending on age), if you're on pavement/concrete only walk and not for too long (10-45 minutes depending on age), hiking is good too but again keep the dogs age in mind, swimming is probably the best thing for them and can help build muscle in the hips, limit jumping

You will know if your pup is getting too little exercise, try nose games like tossing a treat and having her "find it", training outside, or anything that makes them think can help wear them out without putting too much stress on the joints.

feed good quality grain free food, raw, or make your own if you know what you are doing.. check sites like chewy.com for prices they are sometimes lower than in store.

add in supplements (do your research), coconut oil, green tripe (raw is best but tripett brand is good alternative)

add pumpkin (lots of Vitamin A so watch amount given), yogurt, or some other probiotic (have used FortiFlora [amazon] with good results) for poops

stay away from rawhide's, try split large elk antlers, bully sticks, and trachea's as an alternative (bestbullysticks.com)

never feed anything from china, for treats its best to make your own (Category: Homemade Treats - K9 Instinct - Dog Nutritionist in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. K9 Instinct Blog! Dog Nutrition consultations online!)

for allergies try raw (unheated) local honey (watch amount given and if the pup is young), and/or Quercetin (vitacost)

most importantly IMO would be to research more about the vaccine's the vets push on you and determine if you really need it, and unfortunately you are probably required by law to get rabies vaccination but here is some good info


Note: I am no expert and these are just my opinions and thoughts, enjoy your pup and dont worry too much!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

"add pumpkin (lots of Vitamin A so watch amount given"
but this is not Vitamin A it is PRO vitamin A which is water soluble and gets converted , needed amount used the rest eliminated.

oil (cod liver oil) fat soluble Vitamin A is stored in fat and liver and can be toxic.

pumpkin nothing to worry about


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I have to say, I think it's like having kids, we freak out about every little thing with the first pup, then the next we are calmer, and by the 3rd we don't even remember to take pictures and fill out their 'baby book' 

I know I do worry more when I get a new puppy to figure out the 'normal' with THIS puppy. 

Just by going thru it, we get calmer and better at enjoying all the good times! 

PLUS, reading thru all ---> Welcome to the GSD/FAQ's for the first time owner - German Shepherd Dog Forums is great prep


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## Haastility (Jul 12, 2013)

I cant edit my post anymore.. I forgot to mention that some people have seen enamel wear and broken teeth from elk antlers so do over do it on those but every now and then is OK I think (tennis balls can also round teeth so don't let them chew on them), RAW bones (good for dental hygiene) are also a good alternative to rawhide's

you can also use coconut oil as a toothpaste


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## Haastility (Jul 12, 2013)

carmspack said:


> "add pumpkin (lots of Vitamin A so watch amount given"
> but this is not Vitamin A it is PRO vitamin A which is water soluble and gets converted , needed amount used the rest eliminated.
> 
> oil (cod liver oil) fat soluble Vitamin A is stored in fat and liver and can be toxic.
> ...


interesting, thanks for the feedback!

I was actually on your website yesterday looking at Feed-Sentials, do you sell it?


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## honeysdad (Oct 12, 2013)

lyssa62, Try not to worry. Dogs are very adaptable creatures, and they have a way of telling you when things are not right. I'm sure Roxy's main concern at the moment is you and your nerves. You don't need to be a vet or a naturapath to have a healthy happy dog. Have faith that you will know how to respond if the time ever comes. Even the most loved and cared-for dogs have succumbed to the fickle finger of fate. The life-span of a dog is far too short and we will all need to endure the heartbreak at some point in time, so make the most of it while you can ... and STOP WORRYING.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Yes, try and relax. The dog knows something is amiss even if he doesn't know what.

Don't worry about what you cannot control, and manage those you can without becoming a worry-wart.

It's no fun for the dog living with a nervous nelly.


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## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

play more, worry less.


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## SDG (Jul 30, 2013)

Try not to stress about all of the details that you cannot control, it will lessen your enjoyment of your pup. We lost 2 GSD's to cancer at the age of 7 and 8...it was awful, but I would not trade our time with them for anything. We then got a Kuvasz because I wanted to see if another less popular breed might have more robust health. She lived for 13 years, stubborn as a mule, but adored by my husband who is still in mourning for her more than a year after her passing.I guess he likes strong willed females!! 

We now have a wonderful 5 month old GSD pup, who is probably the best dog we've ever had in more than 35 years of dog companionship. (Thanks Marsha and Lee!). I look at her and all the things that you mentioned go through my mind, and I want to do everything that I can to protect her, but I know that beyond the basics that people here have wisely outlined, there are some things that are just out of my hands. So, I'm endeavoring to love her and appreciate my time with her, day by day. Take a deep breath and enjoy your baby.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

My last two dogs, a lab and malamute mix both lived 14+ years and I broke so many of the rules that you'll read here. Feeding followed by play or vice versa, never had a problem, but now that I know, I wait at least an hour before and after. I thought IAMs was a good food, never bothered checking. I let them swim in openings in the ice cause they wanted to, just so many dumb things on my part. You'll be fine, doing your research/learning about the breed, you are a much better 1st time dog owner than I ever was.


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

I think I worried more about my dog getting HD than now, when I know he actually has it. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and turn it off for a day or two.. be aware but not a helicopter mom. Enjoy your dog and let her enjoy being a puppy.

Like Nigel said your a way better first time dog owner than I was.


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## Jaythethird (Jul 1, 2013)

I've gotten to the point where I only worry if he pisses in the house or jumps outta the back of the truck lol. Working on both.... 

Other things are out of my control and we will just have to deal with it as it comes if it does... 

Good luck! 

Oliver Kahn 8/3/13


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## brightspot (Apr 18, 2013)

SERIOUSLY?!  The back of a pickup?! :angryfire: I hope the truck doesn't work.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The time to worry about the health of the dog is before you agree to purchase out of a particular litter, that is when you can hopefully stack the deck in your favor. No guaranties though. Even dogs with good hips all the way back throw puppies with HD now and again. 

Once you have a dog, it is what it is. Yes, by feeding good food, and not over-doing it, you might improve your dog's chances of not being as effected by the things they genetically prone to getting. And who knows what actually causes cancer. No point in giving yourself stress-related heart disease worrying about getting cancer. 

Our dogs have a lifespan, could be 12-14 years in lines with excellent longevity, and could be 10-12 years on average, and that means some die younger than ten from natural causes. That's hard. 

We own a living creature with a lifespan that is considerably less than ours. Which means, we will face losing them. We should not reduce the quality of the time we have with them by worrying about what may be. 

And, all in all, I think that having had GSDs and having lost GSDs, it is still far greater to experience the joy of sharing that life, than having never had a GSD, and thus having never lost one.


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## Jaythethird (Jul 1, 2013)

brightspot said:


> SERIOUSLY?!  The back of a pickup?! :angryfire: I hope the truck doesn't work.


Lol... 
Yeah the truck works... Not sure why one would own a truck that doesn't work... But anyways.. 
He gets his fair share of the Co pilot spot.. 

Oliver Kahn 8/3/13


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## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

thanks all. Roxy is the perfect dog. I can't even imagine life right now without her...but you are right. I can't sit around and do the "what if's.." that won't be any fun. 

I am doing all I can. Routine vet visits...I look at her carefully so that I would notice any changes in appearance. I did take down the elevated food bowl...I do have a slow feeder bowl that she uses and on rainy icky days I get out the magic mushroom toy for feeding. Also just ordered something like the buster cube as a change up. We do take short walks ..and long hikes. There is NO playing 1 hour before or 1 hour after eating..and I feed blue buffalo large breed puppy food. 
I think I am doing all I can as preventative. Now I just sit back and enjoy having the perfect dog 

thank you again for taking the time to reassure me!!!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

routine vet visits....oh my! Don't over do the vaccinations. lol Preventatives can be risky


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

If you're so busy stressing over the what if's, you're forgetting to truly enjoy the time you have with your dog and THAT is what counts. Its good to know about some of the more possible problems but stressing out over the possibility of something that may or may not happen is only going to damage your relationship with your dog because you will have trouble focusing on what you really should be focusing on. 

Enjoy your dog. Teach your dog and bond with your dog. One day at a time for all things. When all is said and done, do you really want to look back a have memories of the fun things you did together, the fond memories or do you want that all clouded over with the worries you let get in the way?


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