Have I told you about our dogs? Well let me tell you all about our dogs lols……….
Our foundation dogs are all champion pedigreed. Some by us and some by others that were so kind to share their lines with us. In our new website we do plan to display pedigrees with profiles of our foundation dogs. Will take some work getting photos and putting it all together portfolio them all and it’s in works as I speak.
Meanwhile, I’d like to share with you some information about our dogs general health conditions and some of the animal husbandry we use in our program. Because they are living beings, this is a forever learning curve. Just about the time we think we have enough knowledge something new crops up. Not to mention I have learned a great deal from my vet and staff as well as other breeders. Will always be a work in progress….
OUR DAMS PARTICIPATION IN OUR PROGRAM
In the meanwhile for you to know a bit more about how our dogs participate in our program we can begin by sharing info on our females. Our females sizes range from 12 lbs to 18lbs as all of our Boston Terriers are small to medium.
Our dams require c-sections to have their litters delivered by a trusted veterinarian. Thankfully we have been very blessed to have one of the best vets around. The entire staff there also make all the difference in the world as to why you would want to ensure your pregnant dams are entrusted to their service at Poplarville Animal Clinic. We try to breed our dams between the ages of 2-4 and allow them to have only 1-3 litters to continue lines that we wish to keep going for future generations. Then we have them spayed and placed into select loving pet homes.
For security reasons for our retired dams we do not publicly advertise this and there is an interview with references; adoption fee and contract involved for approved pet homes. Once the dam is to be spayed she goes to our vet for spay, teeth cleaning, health certificate and update on vaccines. On occasion at no additional adoption fee charges we may let the dam go home with one of her puppies on the last litter or to a home that has one her previous puppies. Mommies never forget their puppies!!!! (Links with information will be provided here).
Our moms stay in the house with us and are crate trained. They are escorted out to their own private play yard each morning to catch a ray of sun, stretch legs, cool off in wading pools, and socialize with their own best buddies. When its time for them to get to the vet for c-section their whelping beds are all ready for their new puppies arrival. We bring moms and pups home and first ensure pups are safely snuggled into a warm cozy bed. Then attend the mom with calcium and iron supplements. We allow the moms to rest and relax a few hours and then introduce them to their puppies. We are up every three hours tending to moms/puppies for first two weeks. Then we taper off allowing mom to tend to them in her own time more.
At age 5 weeks puppies have developed teeth and it can be very painful on moms to be nursed. We then introduce baby cereal with goats milk to puppies to help the mom wean puppies. By age of 6 weeks the mom just comes in for short visits with pups to keep them from nursing. At this time our moms begin to recover from mother hood.
FEEDING ADULTS
For the best nutrition for all our dogs we ensure they are fed quality dog kibble along with a semi-holistic diet. We do prefer Purina dog foods! We have tried so many different brands but come back to Purina every time as we simply get best results.
In addition to dog food, we supply our dogs with a large array of holistic real foods. We’ve had very good luck with this as it seems to provide what dog foods cannot always provide. I will list a few along with benefits here:
Apples – Pectin good for gut; cleans teeth and freshens breath and provides fiber.
Raw Chicken Leg Quarters – Skinned and rinsed in red vinegar water and leg removed from thigh. I give only one piece to each dog. The meat provides protein and the bone provides calcium and iron in the marrow. The other benefit is they have to chew and tear and grind the bone down with the teeth. It helps clean teeth and it also provides bulk into their intestines to help cleanse them which reduces chance of anal gland issues. NOTE: Raw chicken bone is flexible and pliable and safe for dogs while cooked chicken bones are hard and brittle and very dangerous for dogs.
Turkey Necks (Raw) – I buy these and rinse in cool vinegar water to ensure they are cleaned well. My dogs will be busy for hours chewing away to remove the meat and then to chew down the bone segments. Same nutrients as chicken mentioned above but very aggressive on teeth usage and cleaning.
Water Melon and Cantaloupe – these make the best treats for my dogs. Especially on a hot day they love eating cooled melons. Believe it or not there are nutrients in melons that is good for all that will eat them.
Whole Plain Yogurt – This is great for the gut, adds calcium into diet and is a form of probiotics.
Blue Berries – My dogs love them and they are rich in antioxidants.
Fried/Drained Lean Crumbled Hamburger Meat – I love having this available to mix a little into dry kibble. It’s good source of real protein and also helps firm up loose stools for both adult and puppies.
RAW EGGS (IN SHELL) – I limit these to only two per dog per week as too many will dull their beautiful coats. Only two a week though gives them a healthy dose of protein, BComplex with Folic Acid in the yolk and calcium with roughage in the shell. Yes, mine eat the shell.
Pumpkin or Sweet Potatoes (with skin on) – Both of these provide good nutrients and fiber into the body that help firm up loose stools and keep anal glands healthy. My dogs LOVE baked sweet potato slices with the skin on!
Fresh Spinach – I add a few leaves into dry kibble and they love it. It is rich in iron and provides good fiber for the digestion. I have grown it for mine and also find it in bulk on sale at SamsClub at times.
Fresh Veggies – Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower are some times added to kibble and our dogs very much enjoy it as an extra. Fiber and the Carrots are supposed to help remove internal parasites.
Green Beans Canned – rinsed and drained, I sometimes add these to dry kibble to help reduce the amount of calories for dogs I am trying to help lose a little weight. They seem to enjoy them and this way their tummy is filled and they do not suffer hunger from cutting back feeding amounts.
HEALTH
JHC & PATELLAS – We have our dogs tested via DNA to ensure they are free and clear of JHC (Juvenile Hereditary Cataracts) so this genetic health issue is not passed down to puppies. Along with this our foundation dogs patellas are clear and in good condition as that is also another health problem that can be genetic. Patellas may also become a problem if a puppy/dog jumps up and down repeatedly inside a playpen pounding on those knees. Also jumping from high places can bear an extreme impact on the knees. This being said, I had a vet explain to me that if both parents have clear patellas then if a puppy develops bad patellas it is most likely environmental hazards verses congenital causes.
BAER – We have our foundation Boston Terriers tested at LSU Vet in Baton Rouge LA. We can take any ones puppy there for testing but there is a non-refundable fee which will be due in advance of appointment. We use dog sounds to test response of our puppies here before they leave us to ensure they have good hearing.
In addition we have been educated by our vets that what condition the foundation dogs we are using in our breeding program are in, is generally what the puppies will become. This in mind we are very careful in our selection for our foundation.
I would like to share a few health/care notes with you below regarding known health concerns and the condition of our precious Boston Terriers along with notes about care we provide.
Nares – Our foundation dogs all have open nares and easy breathing. We have never had to have nares surgically opened by vets on any of our dogs past or present. We would not use a dog with stenotic nare issues in our program.
A bit more on this, stenotic nares are a known common problem that can occur with any brachycephalic breed. Often times when puppies are growing up their body will grow upwards and then outwards and during this lanky growing stage the nares may become stenotic for a short time due to the way the head is growing.
In such a case if this should happen to any of our puppies during their growth period then we ask you to please allow them to fully mature before considering surgery to open them.
Females generally are fully mature by one year of age but males can continue to grow all the way to 18 months of age before they are considered fully mature. This surgery is minor not very expensive but if it is done too early before the puppy stops growing then it can cause their nose to have large gaping open holes. This advice was given to me per our very own ethical vets.
Skin/Coat – We experience very minimal skin issues with our lines. However just like humans dogs can develop allergies. Our dogs have successfully used Bravecto for many years now to keep fleas, ticks and mites off them.
We also bath them every two weeks with a gentle oatmeal shampoo and add red vinegar to their rinse water. This is gentle on their coat and it repels insects and keeps outdoor fungi off of them which is excellent down here in the very deep south where the climate conditions present fungus.
I also give my Bostons a dimes worth of virgin coconut oil, salmon oil or olive oil once in a while helps keep coat moisturized and shiny.
Nails – Keeping nails trimmed is very important. When nails get too long it causes foot pain and foot health problems. Some dogs hate getting their nails trimmed. For what ever reason, maybe the snip-snap noise from clippers, or maybe a nail was cut too short and hurt (they do not forget these things). The electric grinder noise may frighten them.
I have learned through the years to begin holding puppies paws and play with the paws while you have things in your hands. I even kiss my puppies paws lols. Doing this gets them used to being handled and if you have a treat ready to give your puppy after nail trims that also gives them something to look forward to. If you have a dog that just become terrorized at nail trimming then you can work on building trust by handling the dog at same time of nail tools used. Put a tad of peanut butter on clippers and let them lick it off. You can even try giving calming treats but if none of this works and your dog is still terrorized at the notion of a nail trim then it would be good if you could get them to a groomer or vet at least every three weeks for a good trim.
Ears – I use 50/50 water and red vinegar to clean my dogs ears. I put it in spray bottle and mist it into their ears and using soft paper towels gently clean. The vinegar kills mites and fights fungus. We clean ears once monthly. If you should ever detect a foul odor coming from your puppy/dog ear then get them to the vet asap for treatment.
Eyes – It’s important to keep Boston Terriers eyes clean. Because their eyes are so large and buggy things have a way of finding them. Pollen in the spring here in the deep south plays havoc on my dogs eyes. I have found that keeping a bottle of Pet Silver Eye Wash on hand for cleaning their eyes is the best thing ever. I buy it at Amazon.
Other problems that can arise is during play when you have more than one Boston or other puppies, they can accidentally spar a toe nail into an eye. This can cause a very nasty ulcer. Our vet spins blood and creates plasma drops that rapidly heal these types of wounds in record time. If this happens then get your precious Boston into your vet for treatment asap as this type of wound can cause the eye to cloud up fast.
Digestion – If we have a dog or puppy that gets diarrhea we treat first with holistic foods such as canned pumpkin with plain whole yogurt, or lean fried/dried/crumbled ground beef, boiled skinless/boneless chicken with rice. If this does not clear it up then it’s best to get to the vet for fecal check to see what could be going wrong. Abrupt change in dog foods, and internal parasites and over eating and simple anxiety can cause runny stools and irritable bowel syndrome. If a dog/puppy picks up coccidia or giardia the vet will need to prescribe them a treatment. It is not life threatening but can become that way if left untreated.
De-Wormer – We use Panacur for puppies less than 12 weeks of age. We use Sentry for Small to Medium dogs once a month for our adults. In addition we randomly sprinkle pumpkin seed mill onto dog food as it kills internal parasites. Another additive we do on occasion is shred carrots and sprinkle in their dog kibble as that is thought to remove internal parasites as well.
Heartworm Preventative – We give Ivermectin to all of our dogs every 25 days. Heartworms in the deep south are terrible since Katrina according to my vets. You can get a prescribed Heartwormer treatment from your local vet.
Teeth – We use dog tooth paste and the finger brushes to clean our dogs teeth. Boston Terriers tend to get tarter build up on teeth fast due to the structure of their jowls according to my vet.
In addition to this I add a product that seems to be very effective VETRISCIENCE Perio Support Teeth Cleaning Powder for Cats and Dogs purchased from Amazon. All foods and water is served in stainless steel bowls as it is the cleanest containers. And of course an annual teeth cleaning and check up at the vet is advisable as a tooth gone bad can cause all sorts of serious health problems.
Climate Hazards – Brachycephalic breeds are easy to over heat which can be very life threatening situation! Even in the winter months in the deep south we cannot leave our babies in our vehicles without cool air turned on.
Because there is not much bridge on the nose of these dogs to heat or cool the intake of air they breath, extreme cold and extreme hot can cause serious problems. Its best to be cautious and protective of your beloved Boston Terrier during these periods in the weather.
Down here in the deep south our mild winters are a comfort to their vigorous outdoor play. The horrid steamy summers on the other hand are to be dealt with and we provide shade, wading pools and sprinklers for our Boston Terriers on their outdoor playtime experience.
In the case your Boston Terrier gets over heated, the quickest way to get it cooled down is to pat rubbing alcohol onto the pads of its feet according to our vet.
Anxiety – I have one dog, our eldest that is now 14 years old which is fearful of thunderstorms. That poor girl will crawl under furniture trembling in fear until it’s over. I discovered that spraying her blanket with Adaptil Calming Spray works wonders in calming her down. I buy this at Amazon but have seen it available in pet stores also. I have also used it to spray puppy blankets to keep them calm for their first trip out of the house and ride in the car to ensure they do not get overly nervous or frightened and it seems to work wonderfully so far.
Declaws – We do not remove them! My dad a long time life breeder taught us that the declaws are useful to the dog in balance. There are many articles available today written by vets that make the same claims. To date – I have not ever had a problem with any of my dogs having declaws. When I trim my dogs nails I simply reach for the dew claw and trim it just as fast as any other of the nails.
Anal Glands – To date I have never had to bring any of my dogs into the vet for anal gland expressing. It’s a simple thing to prevent by ensuring that your dog gets fiber and roughage in their diet. This is why a semi-holistic diet for dogs is very very important. Raw veggies, egg shells and raw bones will help keep a dogs intestines clean and healthy.
Seizures – To date I have never had a dog have a seizure. Not while they were my pets nor while they were part of my breeding program. I have to say I have never even witnessed a dog going through this. I have learned through the years that Boston Terriers can be prone to have them.
One of our pups though recently that went to live with their forever family in Virginia began to have them at 2 years of age. Very alarming for us and our hearts are wrapped around this puppy and family. First we were told that the specialists in the area claimed that it was a growing problem with all breeds localized in that specific area and was believed to be environmental causes. I know that the parents, past litters and current litter mates none, not ever experienced seizures.
It’s a neurological issue from what I have been told and in my own research have found that all sorts of things can trigger seizures. Salt, human prepared and seasoned table foods, house hold cleansers, human medications, ext. The lady that has this puppy said that they believe vaccines could have triggered it. Very heart breaking and very expensive to treat. We offered her another puppy but she’s very busy with this one for now and our prayers go up for this situation to heal. I will be updating this section as she keeps me updated………..
Allergies – Many things can trigger an allergy for Boston Terriers. Bug bites and stings as well as pollen and even plants. My first Boston Terrier Frodee was allergic to the grass species that was growing on a golf course. Every time we visited there he broke out in hives. Per our vets advice we give our dogs either Benadryl or Zyrtec. One half a pill is good enough.
I advise all pet owners to have a pet health insurance for their babies. With the rising cost of living, our veterinarians are going to be forced to increase cost of services to stay in operation for us. Going forward, we will be registering all our puppies online and setting up a paperless registration process which the AKC registry will offer each person a month free health insurance for trial. Whether our puppy buyers use AKC or not, we do advice everyone to latch onto a good policy for your fur babies.
Per my promise to all my puppy families we are always here for life time support of your puppy until they are into their golden years. We love to hear from you. We will update this page as time and topics permit. Stay tuned………..