Caring for Lizzie

To those of us who love animals, our furry friends are family and as I started this journey with my puppy I wasn’t sure who well I would do as a puppy mom, after all I never had a pet. Well, briefly did have a cat, but it hated my mom so she wasn’t around long and yet I did cat sit and dog sit for other people’s furry babies, but not the same.

First of all I have a maltese puppy and they need grooming, but what I found was that regular dog brushes are uncomfortable, so what does one do? Well, doll comp and very soft bristle tooth brush will do the trick. It wont hurt them and if you comb and toothbrush them every day, well they can be groomed without a lot of discomfort. Teeth brushing is well an adventure, especially if you have a squirmy little puppy like mine is. What do you do? You can get dog toothbrushes you put on your finger and put the toothpaste with some pet vitamin get that they like on that and then put in on your finger for them to chew on, or put it on a baby pacifier that has ridges and make it a game. Toothbrush biscuits for puppies are also an option, but you may have to try a few samples of different ones to see which they like. If you have to give them meds you can put the drops on the doggie finger toothbrush, add a bit of maple syrup, mix it up on the toothbrush, so they get their meds and you don’t have a big battle. In regards to meds I prefer liquid drops to pills because it’s hard to get most dogs to take pills. Bath time can be a mess, but I am lucky that Lizzie doesn’t kick up a fuss. One thing I do is always wipe her off after she does her business, including the paws. I also have a pink bassinet I use to bath her and I put on relaxing music and I have dog melatonin and hemp oil drops if I absolutely need them, if she is really hyper etc.. to take a bath or sleep. I use charcol shampoo and a shampoo for dogs that have white hair or fur to keep it white.

In terms of play and an area to do her business, I have a set up with a fence, white plastic fence a crate that she loves to sleep in at night because it’s cozy and on the other I have pee pee pads that I mark with a spray for that purpose, and the rest of the fenced in area is her play area. I set it up so it’s right in front of my recliner so she can always have me close by, but if I have to do stuff I can close it and she can still see me, so she doesn’t feel anxious. As for food, getting her on a schedule has not been easy mainly because puppies sleep a lot, and what she tends to do is to play, exhaust herself, eat a bit, so her business then sleep. That’s her pattern, so I have some dry food out at all times and clean water, cool, clean water. Sometimes if the kibble is too dry the puppies or even older dogs with trachea issues might find it hard to swallow. What I do is not fill the dog bowl, but rather put a little it in at a time with a bit of pedialite to moisten it, not soggy, slightly moist, or even broth. Puppies need electrolytes, so pedialite in their water, in their food, along with a bit of pure maple syrup is a good idea. As for food, what I found is that she tend to like kibble mixed in with some vegan cheese, or a few bits of kibble mixed in with roasted plain chicken, or turkey or tender beef. I also mix baby rice cereal, with farina, or natural puffed rice cereal and a raspberry, again adding a bit of pedialite. Also, puppies, cats, dogs in general can be prone to parasites, stomach parasites etc…, so regular vet visits are important, and to keep the house and their area very clean. Also limit exposure to people and other dogs until the puppy has all his or her shots. Both the puppy and people are vulnerable until they do have all their shots. One food that is a preventative is pumpkin, so pumpkin seeds or pumpkin power for dogs added to farina, oatmeal (not the instant though, never instant) with a bit of maple syrup or pedialite can help with that. Also diaper rash cream, have that on hand.

Toys are important, toys that stimulate the mind are important. I went on amazon and i purchased interactive baby toys for 0-6 months that she could play with and that I could also engage in play with her. I got her the crawling crab interactive toy with lights and music, soft toy block with wooden rings for teething and a three in one wonderama cat toy that can keep her quite entertained for quite a while. It is preferable to buy baby toys as pet toys are not necessarily regulated and can be toxic unless you specifically look for non toxic, made in USA pet toys. I also find that if the weather is decent putting her in the quality stroller I got and taking her for a fifteen or twenty minute walk help stimulate her appetite. Let’s face it do you like being stuff at home all day for days? I would think not.

These are my puppy mommy tips and I hope that you will love your pets, treat them with care, dignity and respect.

Namaste.