Watch a puppy grow...

[Dana]

Your own Dr. Sara Fox Chapman did a fabulous job breeding, whelping, and raising this litter of 10 Bernese Mountain Dog pups.
Sara also gave us all detailed weekly updates. It is my intention to try to continue updates on 1 of these pups so we can all watch a puppy grow...

Murphy came home to Greenwich, CT on Mothers Day, May 12. He was 1 day shy of 9 weeks old.
Just to catch you up... @ birth on 3/11/19 Murphy weighed 0.88 lbs, on 5/9 - 14.2 lbs, on 5/14 - 18.1 lbs, on 5/23 - 20.4 lbs.

BEAM...
Behavior: Very mellow most of the time. Murphy is cautious with new people and situations. Given coaxing and time, he becomes playful and loving with everyone. Attentive during training and seems to understand easily.
Energy: As with most puppies, Murphy's energy comes in bursts. He takes a long nap in the morning and another in the afternoon with additional short naps after romps. Bed time is around 9 and he is up at 6:15.
Appetite: Exuberant! I have never seen a dog that loves his meals so much. He is eating 8.5 oz of Oma's Pride frozen RAW 3X/day = 1.6 lbs per day... He LOVES all the varieties; chicken, turkey, beef & rabbit. + Fish oil @ breakfast, pumpkin @ dinner time.
Mood: Seems happy most of the time. He is timid but that seems to be improving as he builds his confidence.

Symptoms: The only symptom at this point is that Murphy gets the hiccups after eating. We have tried to feed him in a larger bowl to slow him down.

5/12/2019 going home to Greenwich, CT


5/13/2019 9 weeks old


5/20/2019 10 weeks old meeting our yoga instructor


5/26/2019 11 weeks old (almost)

 

[Dr. Sara]

The phrenic nerve that leads to the diaphragm is not completely mature in puppies, kittens, and human babies. This is one reason why immature animals are more likely to get hiccups. Eating too fast can be another reason, though even when they eat slowly, the little ones can have 'exploding' bouts!

 

[Dana]

Week 12: LOVE this pup!!
Weighing in at 25 lbs. Murphy is becoming quite the social animal. He now loves meeting new people and dogs... The timidity seems to have passed.


BEAM...
Behavior: Murphy is learning quickly... he knows sit, down, stand, stay, come, touch and we are working on "wipe your feet". We cant seem to understand the bells on the door yet. He is still a placid boy who enjoys company and his playpen.
Energy: I would not say he is high energy but he does have his moments. He is still taking 2 long naps per day and goes to bed around 8:30.
Appetite: Murphy loves his food! This week we had a chicken wing which was very tasty! so much so that I decided to put 2 wings (the single bone) in his lunch and before I knew what happened, they were gone. We had a bit of diarrhea that afternoon . We also got a raw bone, broccoli bones and he enjoys the base of a head of celery as I am drinking the celery juice.
Mood: Murphy is a happy guy.

 

[Dana]

Week 13:
Murphy is growing up fast... he is now 28 lbs
BEAM...
Behavior: Murphy is happy to go anywhere... yoga, the high school, out to dinner, the fire house... he correctly believes that almost every new person that he meets will give him a treat. Murphy gained a new level of confidence when he followed a fellow Berner into the water.
Energy: remains the same
Appetite: he still seems ravenous even though we upped the amount of food to 10.2 oz of RAW food 3X per day = almost 2 lbs per day!! This is in addition to his treats. We introduced him to corn on the cob this week.
Mood: Happy guy (still not sure how "Mood" differs from "Behavior"?)

Symptoms: tiny bits of dark brown sleepies in the corner of his eyes in the morning.

 

[Dana]

Week 15:
I figured you did not need an update EVERY week
Weighing in at 33.4 lbs

We have been participating in 2 different puppy classes every week. The first is at PetCo where we thought we would get to play with other puppies... as it turns out it is just Murphy and his sister Siren but we are getting ver good at sit, down, stand, come, stay and touch in a controlled environment. The second class is with a wonderful trainer, Sarah Hodgson. She works more on socializing skills. This week we were at the Apple store with Siren, Zeus (a 13 week old BMD) and Finley (a labradoodle who is staying with us for 3 weeks while my son in in Italy). We worked on "under" to have the dogs sit quietly under the counter.
BEAM...
Behavior: Murphy is eager to please and a perfect angel.
Energy: naps are becoming shorter and his stamina is growing.... but when he is done, he is DONE!
Appetite: Murphy BOUNCES at meal time. While his weight has gone up, I cut to 10oz of RAW per meal 3X per day. The recommended amount for his weight is between 7.125 & 14.24oz per meal. @ 10.2oz I thought he was getting a little chunky and he does get quite a lot of treats. He now has a nice waist line.
Mood: Happy puppy!

Symptoms: nothing to report

 

[cindypinera]

Such a fun post. I love the pictures.

 

[kristen_acri]

Me too!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes, thanks for sharing these adorable pics Dana.?

We'd all love to see more Murphy pics!

You can keep all together by posting them in a media gallery album.

 

[Dana]

Happy 4 month Birthday Murphy!

Weighing in at 39.4 lbs

We graduated puppy class at PetCo this week... see picture below. It has been a bit of a rough few weeks for training... Finley, my son's dog was with us and I also had my 2.3 year old grandson with us all last week so needless to say, my attention was elsewhere. I did not realize how much my telling the child "NO!" (which happened A LOT) would effect Murphy. He regressed a bit as far a house braking and the fear issues I mentioned in an earlier update came back. This week we are back to a more regular schedule and on track.

BEAM...
Behavior: Murphy is frightened of some inanimate objects... the white compost pale, the bells on the door which he is supposed to ring to go out, the "smart toy" that he should use his nose to open and get treats.... We are working on "touch" with the hope that he will eventually touch all of the offensive things and move on. Murphy love to give hugs. It is really cute but I am not sure how well it will be received when he is 100 pounds.
Energy: Murphy has more energy now. He enjoys zoomies in the morning and has just discovered the sprinkler which is a BLAST!
Appetite: His lust for food has not changed. We are feeding 10oz of Oma's Pride, alternating between chicken, turkey, beef and rabbit with the occasional chicken wing and/or organ thrown in 3X per day. I have been juicing celery for myself and Murphy loves the base of the celery stalk. He also enjoys carrots and broccoli bones (the stems).
Mood: Cautious but getting braver.

Symptoms: The occasional eye boogie. Murphy has an itchy neck quite often... I look for ticks, burrs or any other irritant but have found only 1 tick.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Congratulations on your graduation Murphy!

I bet you were the cutest in your class.

Yup, you're right Dana. 100 lb. hugs are not so cute.

Continue the great socializing and training.

Pups go through temporary fear periods, but with love and continued exposure to new places, sights and sounds, over time (probably well before he reaches 100#!) he will be fine.

Keep an eye on his eye discharge and neck itchiness. With his great Vitality, these too should resolve over time.

Keep us posted.

 

[Dana]

quick not: not sure why but Murphy peed and pooped in his play pen last night... the poop was a green (very similar in color to the banner on this web site but darker ) some of it was formed and some was pudding. His morning outside walk produced another pudding pile. I gave him 60c Arsenicum album... waiting to see what the afternoon poop looks like.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Dana-

Was his BEAM altered in any way?

Any dietary changes (including new treats) or emotional stressors in the past few days?

Also, an awe-some palliative for diarrhea is:

About Natural Pet RX — D'Arcy Wellness

www.naturalpetrx.com

 

[Dr. Sara]

Sounds like somebody was enjoying eating your garden a bit TOO much! Both Murphy's mum and grandmum will eat too much foliage and get green stools. As long as they feel well otherwise, a dos of Ars alb after the loose stool will generally sort them out. I also increase prebiotics / probiotics / soothing herbs by giving Aunt Jeni's Digestive Aid in addition to their raw yogurt, to replace the good bugs that have flushed out with the loose stools.
I like the herbal Dr. Jeff has posted above, as well. That would be excellent along with increased probiotics.

 

[Dana]

all normal again... ? I will order some of the Dia-Assist now....

 

[Dana]

5 Months young today!

Weighing in at 49.8 lbs

LOVE THIS PUPPY! He is so snuggley and eager to please. This evening he ran through his entire repertoire for our neighbors ... sit, down, stand, stay, come, touch, heal... run at a heal, stop short and sit..... and I did NOT have any treats.
We have been very social... starting with the Holistic Actions Seminar in the end of July.... Murphy was a VERY good boy!

We have been going to friends houses for dinner and visiting Old Lyme for a weekend.
We are doing a bit of back-yard agility and her really likes the tunnel.


Wading in a stream is fun, swimming in a pool - not so much.
We have had a few poop mistakes in the play pen at night. He is so tired on his last walk that he does not want to take care of business... I also think maybe I have been giving him too many veggies at dinner... I will try cutting back.
I am a bit worried that Murphy may have contracted Kennel Cough. He woke this morning a sounded like he was trying to clear his throat 3 or 4 times... then all was well. It happened again several times throughout the day.

BEAM...
Behavior: We tried the flower essence, Larch this week.... 2 drops on a spoon. It seemed to help his timidness. We had puppy class and he was no longer shy of anything.
Energy: I would not call Murphy a High Energy pup. but he does seem very happy.
Appetite: Murphy is still a very eager eater... I have added more veggies to his diet... carrot/apple/ginger pulp from my juicer, raw broccoli stems, raw zucchini, roasted sweet potato, raw shredded kale & Swiss chard. Can you overdue the veggies???
Mood: Happy, Happy, Happy!

Symptoms: Continues to shake his head vigorously in the mornings and as of this morning, a cough that sounds like he is trying to clear his throat.
-- gave a teaspoon of coconut oil on a spoon and 2 pellets 30c Aconitum
(hope this is correct???)


more pics:

 

[Deena]

Happy 5 month birthday Murphy! I so enjoyed meeting you and your mom at the seminar. Here is my "opinion" of your questions.

1. Is it Kennel Cough? That noise and pattern does sound like kennel cough to me. Mine sound like they have a bone stuck in their throat they are trying to clear. They sometimes cough up a little bit of white foam. It gets worse with exercise. If it IS KC, it is very contagious to other dogs. Reach out to Sara for her thoughts. Unless my dogs BEAM is tanking, I let Kennel Cough run its course. If the cough gets bad, where it is messing with his or your quaLity sleep, then I will give some raw honey to palliate the cough and perhaps some Gypsy Cold Care tea. If my pack is healthy, I'll try to expose the others so they get, and build immunity, to that particular strain. I've never had KC last more than a few days, but I know other dogs who it has lasted 3 weeks. Again....vitality makes the difference in how they react to a pathogen.

2. Can you give too many veggies? In my book...yes. I try to limit my veggies to less than 10% of their total diet, in a form they can digest. Dogs do not have the ability to break down cellulose, so you need to do it for them. Pulp from your juicer is great. Slightly cooked or pulverized is also great. Whole raw carrots and broccoli stems are more for recreation than nutrition. They provide a good chew, but digestibility is minimal.

Keep up the great work with him....Deena

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Wow, what awe-some pics!

Thanks so much for sharing them and for bringing Murphy to the July seminar.

I look forward to seeing you both again this week.

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dana, I am so happy to see how happy Murphy is, and how well you are socializing him!

Kennel Cough (KC) is a name for a contagious form of tracheobronchitis. Tracheobronchitis is an inflammation of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchii (big tubes between the trachea and the lungs). Infectious tracheobronchitis is called kennel cough because dogs that are in close quarters in kennels can easily spread the disease. It is relatively rare for a dog to get KC without close contact with an infected dog.

Irritation tracheobronchitis is another matter! It can cause change in the voice and a gagging or honking cough quite similar to KC. I had some tracheobronchitis yesterday morning after enjoying myself at a noisy wedding on Saturday night. Irritation tracheobronchitis can be caused by overuse of the voice, chewing on irritating plants, excess exposure to irritants like pollens or dust, taking in too much water during a swim - anything that could irritate those upper airways. Irritation tracheobronchitis responds quickly to soothing drinks. I will use Throat Coat tea, as it has soothing demulcents, or raw local honey, or coconut oil. It is most likely that Murphy had irritation tracheobronchitis, and your treatment was fine.

Infectious tracheobronchitis (kennel cough or KC) tends to last longer because there is an infectious agent perpetuating the irritation. The KC organism, whether bacterial or viral, has the goal of the causing the host to cough to enhance the spread of the organism. The KC organism, like most efficient parasites, doesn't have the goal of making the animal feel horrible, as that would decrease the spread of the organism. That is why most animals with infectious KC are pretty normal except for the hacking cough. If an animal has low vitality, they may feel quite ill, but that is the exception. Most animals with KC feel pretty good, but cough for two weeks.

I have had a number of patients develop KC after boarding - the typical deep, honking cough which persists throughout the day. All of them responded within a few days to soothing local treatment and appropriate homeopathic prescribing. I have used Aconite, Spongia, Rumex, and KC nosode, depending on the signs.

Regarding the morning head shaking, take a look in Murph's ears. At some point, baby Berners start to sprout hair in their ear canals, which I assume feels a bit strange. I gently comb the hair down with my fingers so it doesn't poke up against the side of the ear canal. I continue this with my big girls, and the hair curls down, away from the inside of the canal. You don't want to cut it, as it doesn't get long enough to block anything, and if you cut it the ends are bristly.

Pups that are teething may also head shake, because the inflammation caused by the erupting teeth causes congestion in the sinuses. This feels weird, and the dog shakes the head. It does not seem to be a lasting sensation, fortunately!

I limit supplemental veggies to 10% of the diet. Overnight accidents in the pen are not likely to be related to veggie intake unless the stools are overly soft (too much veg, can't hold the soft stool) or like rocks (too little veg, stool finally got to the rectum and now it must come out). Cooked pumpkin has a good blend of soluble and insoluble fibers that can help with irregularity from overly soft or hard stools. Per meal, a small dog or cat would get a teaspoon, medium to large size a tablespoon, large 1-2 tablespoons.

I think you are correct that Murphy is just too tired to empty out at night at his last potty trip. A few things that can help are:
Gently clean his rectal area before going out, to stimulate defecation
Leave a small stool in the area where you want him to eliminate to 'remind' him.
Gently press up on his abdomen by linking your hands together under his abdomen, right in front of his back legs, and lift up until his back toes are just off the ground for a second. This also reminds dogs if they have to urinate!

Thank you for the update; you are doing a great job with the sweetheart!
Sara

 

[Dana]

WOW!! thank you all for your fantastic comments... 1 more question... Is Aconite the same as Aconitum napellus? Whole Foods does not stock Aconite and the internet is not clear but my guess is they are the same?

 

[Dr. Sara]

Aconitum napellus is the full 'proper' name for Aconite!