[ | mood |
| | worried | ] | ok. i apologize in advance.. because this may be really long. but i need some serious advice/help. and, some of you may remember, that i posted here many times before asking tons of questions. and some of these are repeat questions..... i'm still just *really* nervous.
now..where to begin? (side note: i'm a tech at a vet clinic.. and a lot of this has to do with problems i've had at work)
Bones/Salmonella: a couple of weeks ago, i took Chance (60 lb border collie X) in to take a picture of his hips. when looking at the film, one of the Dr.s said "hmm. what's this? it looks like he's got some really hard stuff in his bowel.. what are you feeding him? is that BONE??!" i, hesitantly, admitted that it was chicken RMBs. and she gave me a ton of crap about salmonella. i told her i didn't want to argue about it. she went and told everyone else in the clinic. the lab tech came and attacked me because of the bones. "that shit rips you up inside. it cuts your ass on the way out! what are you thinking??" i tried to tell her that *raw* bones are ok.. but the more people attacked me for it....the more i started to doubt it. in fact, that Dr. hasn't been friendly to me since then. bitch :( . so..i guess i just want someone to reassure me? about salmonella and bones. bones ARE ok so long as they're raw, right? and.. why don't i have to worry about salmonella again..?
and then. i'm sure i'm just paranoid. but i fed him that Tues. night. and Wed. we took the xray. we had to sedate him, so i didn't feed him at all on Wed. and he didn't pass any stool until Thurs. night. is that normal? it's not getting all stuck up in there is it?? :(
Feeding Schedule: can somebody please just *tell* me what to do? i don't feel safe "winging" it. i'm paranoid i'm not feeding enough mix, RMBs, extras, etc. how often should i feed: boneless meat/veggie/xtra mixes (any good recipes, also?), offal, and RMBs? is mix in the morning, RMBs in the evening too much of one or the other? i don't feel comfortable leaving it up to my judgment. :\
Thawing/Feeding RMBs: so.. can someone basically tell me step by step what they do with RMBs? starting from getting home from the grocery store? for some reason, i'm having a difficult time getting a logical routine down. if you buy a bag of RMBs, do you open it up and separate it into servings? what do you store it in..ziploc bags? i feel like i'm making it *much* more of a pain in the ass than it should be. where do you store it? do you just put it in the fridge to thaw it?
i know someone just asked about this- but i'm also trying to find a logical place to feed the RMBs. he takes them into the living room once i give 'em to him..and eats them on the carpet. he likes to stand as he eats them.. so it'd be a bit crowded in his crate. the kitchen is that fake wood.. but it's hard to make him stay in there. i have a porch.. but it's kinda nasty :P suggestions?
Choosing RMBs: i've been bad. i've been giving him mostly chicken RMBs. i don't know if i'm looking over them.. but i don't see many other choices? i guess i just need to try and find a meat market? can someone list the basics that you rotate between?
Treats and Chews: so.. rawhide is bad, yes? Chance LOVES having chews to keep him busy. is there anything other than raw beef knuckle bones? (do they sell those at the pet stores.. Petco, etc?). what about treats? do y'all make homemade treats..? he's in training..and i had just been using kibble to train him. i don't know what to use instead?
Teeth: Chance's teeth are already looking fabulous :D ..but before i switch over my 8 yr old cat, who has a good bit of tartar build up, i was wondering if she should have a dental.. kinda start with a clean slate? or just let the RMBs take care of it? and.. maybe a dumb question.... but do RMBs wear down the teeth? break any of them? i'm just concerned since she's getting up there in age.
and i really just don't know what to do about work. i considered switching back just to get them off of my case. i think they are actually *judging* me, now. should i recommend some books or websites? or just ignore them? :\
thanks a lot everyone :) |