Right Food for the Right Size: Lucas the Labrador Retriever

We have a pet named Lucas, a Labrador Retriever. He’s not a usual dog in a house yard here in the Philippines. We commonly have “azkals” a mixed breed of beagle, mutt, tyke etcetera. Those dogs are small in size unlike our Lucas a Labrador retriever is somewhat huge! And unlike our other dogs named Chixi a maltese-pomeranian and Thupsi a Pomeranian-spitz they’re small and easy to feed.

We usually feed them with our leftover foods. This Labrador retriever is an exceptional. At first we feed him with our left over foods but we’re having problem with his satisfaction. Naturally in his size, he has to eat rice mixed with fish in a basin size. But as he is growing older, his hunger would not be sufficed with what we offer. We’ll feed him 7pm, then he’ll bark 2am ‘til morning asking for food. It’s really a trouble. We worry that our neighbors will complain.

So my husband ask advises from experts in petting a Labrador retriever. They said that it’s wrong to feed a Labrador retriever with human food. The nutrients they get from human food are not enough. That is why there are dog foods consist with the nutrients a dog needs.

It’s hard to switch food immediately since he’s not used to the taste of dog food. So one night, the first thing we do is to mix the human food with dog food. It’s a great relief when he doesn’t bark asking for food ‘til 8am in the morning. We planned to feed him dog food in the future so we’ll feed him with a small amount of human food with dog food and eventually, just the dog food.

 

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Thupsi Bade Farewell

She’s 1 year and a half when she got pregnant. We’re hesitant at first because she’s a fat Pomeranian spitz. But when her tummy grew after 3mos then it’s official. A big brown azkal mated her. That’s what they told me, I wasn’t always around that time so I haven’t watched her having a period and being in heat ready to mate. I should have warned my siblings that in her type of breed, they cannot mate with azkals or bigger than her size. She should be mated in her kind. Pomeranian spitz can bear one or two puppies only during their first pregnancy. I was worried about her health. I helped her deliver her six puppies one evening and those puppies were big and weren’t fully developed. She delivered her puppies because her body doesn’t have enough space for them to nourish and grow.

Her puppies died one a time then after three days, she bid farewell to the world. And I wasn’t even there. I was tending my grandmother at the hospital who was sick. And when I got home, my brother didn’t touch or bury her yet to wait for me. I can still feel the pang of pain that time I saw her eye opened, they say that she’s waiting for her guardian and still doesn’t want to go. My brother was worried about me because I was 4mos pregnant that. I cried a lot. I held her in my arms wishing that she can breathe, she’s still warmed but nothing happened. I kissed her and I saw her face dislocate and I cried again. I cannot believe she’s taken away from me. My mom was mourning too, she doesn’t have the courage to stay at home for days.

I mourned for days. I cannot help it. My mother-in-law warned me that it will affect my baby’s development inside my womb. My husband decided to give me another pet so that I can have a diversion. She’s a maltese-pomeranian named Chixi. They both have same mother, ChaCha a Pomeranian.

Still tears streams down my face while writing this blog even after a couple of years passed by. I can clearly remember my Thupsi, the time I spent with pampering her,  chased her on the street, fed her, slept together with her up on the top of my belly, ate apple with her.

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Maybe if she’s still alive, she can play with my little daughter. So sad that it lasted forever but ended so soon.

 

My Thupsi-kun a Pomeranian Spitz (2009-2010)

Thupsi was the first pet I ever loved as long as I can remember. We had pets in our house but I didn’t paid much attention. Thupsi was a Pomeranian spitz. My boyfriend (husband) gave me a two month old pomeranian spitz as a gift on my graduation. It was the first time that we have a high breed pet since we usually have azkals given to us by our neighbors and family friends. My parents didn’t bother to buy for a high breed cutie puppies as it’s really expensive.

Thupsi was loved by everyone, my mother bought her foods and shampoos. She loves to take a bath and loved to be pampered and groomed, one of pomeranian’s favorites I guess. My siblings liked to play with her. She’s a smart puppy, a territorial one and would not easily be frightened by anything. She knows where to poop or to pee so we don’t worry much about her waste.

We’d given her a vaccination, immunization and anti-rabies injection. One time, she’d been sick so I rushed her to city veterinarian for free drugs. Injected her with a penicillin-based anti-biotic. But only to found her getting worse, her gums and lips turned violet so I really panicked. I don’t understand why the city vet cannot explain to me what’s wrong with my pet. I heard that there were many incidents that the city vet is really not in good help with that matter. Their dogs die and there’s nothing they can do about it. There were many complains but nobody dare to file for a legal complain.

Then we rushed her to the nearest veterinarian private clinic without a minute waste. We learned that a Pomeranian spits has a severe allergic reaction to a penicillin-based drugs and allergic to chocolates, which leads to indigestion. He prescribed the right drugs, antibiotics and she gets well again.

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Thupsi Bade Farewell