# Too much Pork Skin



## Leo's Teddy (Jan 26, 2013)

Dear all,

I have a 6 months old female miniature poodle name teddy. She is 4 pounds or about 1.8 kilograms. 

Teddy is being toiled-trained now and is being confined in the crate most of the time. She whines a lot whenever she sees me walk pass. Recently i discovered that giving her cooked pork skin helps to reduce her whining as she enjoys munching on the pork skin. 

I am wondering how much pork skin is too much for her. I cut the cooked pork skin into size 1.5' x 1.0' approximately and gave her about 3-4 pieces a day to get her into whining less.

Is that too much? I worry that i might overfeed her with too much pork skin but it seems that this is thus far an effective way to stop her whining. She seems fine so far and is energetic during our daily walk. No abnormalities in her stool either.

Any thoughts on how much pork skin is too much for a 6-month-old mpoo?


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I would worry about pancreatitis giving such rich treats. It is hard to say what your dog can tolerate but I do feel there are healthier treat options. I am sure you are just treating when she doesn't whine in her crate. It sounds like she is crated a lot. Would tethering her to you while she is being potty trained an option?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would also feel a bit worried about so much very high fat food. More time out of the crate playing and running may help - have you tried alternative chews, such as some of her food in unsalted broth frozen in a kong, or good quality bullysticks? Pups need to chew, but pork rinds are very high in both fat and calories.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

On Easter Sunday five or six years ago, my husband gave our Lab some Easter ham with fat on it. Shortly after that, not know that my husband had already treated the dog, I gave him another dose of high-fat ham. We spent the next couple of weeks visiting the vet, cleaning up vomit, stewing chicken and cooking rice, as Luke recovered from a virulent attack of pancreatitis. He was SOOO sick. I've been VERY careful about fatty foods since then. No pork skins here.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I avoid pork like crazy here! Not allowed to the dogs ever again! Man that was the worst smelling vomit and diarrhea I've ever smelled in my life. All over them. All over their crates. Carpet. Omg. It was terrible.

Try bully sticks.


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

My toys eat dried pigs ears as chewies without any side effects. My vets said there was no nutritional value in the ears and the dogs are certainly not over weight. I am however looking for some other chewy that they would like as yes these are rather smelly. I have never crated a pup except for night time sleeping. When you are at home can't you take your pup out for pee at regular times otherwise leave it with you in the the house?


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## Leo's Teddy (Jan 26, 2013)

Dear all,

Thank you for your replies. I will stop feeding teddy with pork skin from now on. Getting pancreatitis is the last thing I want for my puppy. I am also feeding her salmon oil one tea spoon per day. Will salmon oil cause pancreatitis?

I think teddy is changing teeth now. Are bully sticks too hard for her?

My puppy is not very keen for kong though. I think it is because of the strong rubbery/plastic smell.

Teddy has quite a few chew toys and flavored dental chew that she can munch on. But she seems to like variety so I always look out for new toy/food for her to exercise her jaw. I think she gets bored chewing the same thing for more than a week.

The puppy gets half an hour walk in the morning before I go to work and an hour walk in the evening when I came back from work on weekdays. During weekends, she gets one hour morning walk and one and a half hour evening walk. I can't really let her roam around the house freely because (1) she likes to pick up things and chew (2) we have lots of vases at home and she might knock over one of them and hurt herself (3) house furniture are expensive wood that she fancies chewing (4) she just isn't consistent to poo and wee at the right place. Will these walks compensate for the time she stays in the crate?


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I have a variety of chews I give my toy. Bullies, trachea, antlers and raw bones. I do think that is too long to be crated but I agree your puppy should not be able to wreck havoc on your house. Unfortunately if the dog is always crated except on walks it will never learn proper behavior. Tether the dog to you. Just tie the leash on to you. If you dog tries to chew furniture a firm no and the giving him an appropriate chew like a bully will show him chewing is OK only on approved items. It will also help with potty training. Bully sticks are not to hard. I don't give my dog anything plastic to chew either. I bet the whining will be less of an issue if your dogs gets more exercise with you around the house. The tether technique will also help you form a strong bond with your puppy.

I think the salmon oil is probably OK. One teaspoon of a healthy fat is far different
and a lot less fat than she is getting from 3-4 servings of pork rinds. I do think it is always best to check items like this with a vet. My advice is well meaning but not based on medical training.

Best of luck with your puppy training.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I too, think your puppy is in a crate too much of the day! It is not good both mentally or physically. Puppies need to run and play and have a lot of contact with its 'people'. Training and exercise is more than 2 walks a day! If you are worried about your furniture and your vases Etc being ruined, isn't there an area in your home you can gate(with a baby gate)so your pup can have some freedom? Much like a small child, your puppy needs to learn what is right & wrong and like when you have children you also put things away that can be broken until they are taught to be careful. Your puppy should out of the crate from the time you get home from work until the time you go to bed. Training and playing & exercise should be done everyday! There are many good tips on training and exercise in this forum in past threads.


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## Pluto (Jul 8, 2012)

Leo's Teddy said:


> Dear all,
> I am also feeding her salmon oil one tea spoon per day. Will salmon oil cause pancreatitis?


Yes, it can, and due to her very small size I would be very cautious about how much oil you give her.

If your 4 lb dog is getting 1 teaspoon of oil a day that is the equivalent ratio of me feeding my 50 lb dog 12.5 teaspoons, or just over 1/4 cup of oil a day. That is a lot of oil for the size of animal. I do not know what is appropriate, but I think you are definitely asking the right questions to be concerned about how much of what type of food goes into her tiny body.


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## msminnamouse (Nov 4, 2010)

You can try lamb ears and other natural chews that are lower in fat. Pork skin and ears have a lot of fat. I buy it from the international store to make treats and I always have to melt away the fat and even then, the treats are pretty greasy.


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## Lene (Jan 18, 2013)

I don't have any solutions for you, but I think your poodle is a toy, rather than a mini...


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I'd measure the salmon oil in drops rather than teaspoons - it's one of those things where too much can be worse than too little! And I agree that a puppy pen or puppy proofed room would be much better than leaving her in a crate all day long. She needs to be spending lots of time exploring and testing and learning, just like a young child, and too much time bored and snoozing in her crate is not going to help her develop into a well rounded adult. I'd set her up a safe play area, with different toys each day and somewhere secluded to pee and poo, and spend as much time as possible playing with her, walking her, and teaching her in the evenings and at weekends.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I thought you had a mini but as she is 4 pounds at 6 months you may have a toy and I would actually hold off on the salmon oil unless they have a recommended dose for a dog your size. The vet can let you know a safe dosage or advise if you should be giving her this at all. As FJM suggests it is better to err on the side of caution.


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## Leo's Teddy (Jan 26, 2013)

Dear all,

thanks for the advice.

i was told that teddy is a miniature poodle. puppies from the same litter have grown much bigger in size. teddy remains small. i am not sure why but she is very healthy and active so i have not thought much about it. she has recently put on weight and looks chubby but her frame is still about the same. most people said it's good that teddy remains small because it's cuter that way and also easier to handle.

anyway, when i applied for permit, there isn't a distinction between mini or toy and both are in the same category.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Yes, she must be from mini lines but have a toy size. I just mentioned it because minis weigh more so a little fish oil would not be as big a deal as it is for a dog her size. That is a great size (my Swizzle is 7 pounds) and she sounds healthy and energetic which is all that really matters.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I will second or third the idea of tethering your puppy to you as you go about your housework, cooking, etc. That was there won't be any running around getting into things, and there will be plenty of stimulation. I would think this would stop the whining. You asked about chews. My Spoo doesn't like kongs either, or anything else that smells like them. Have you tried antlers? They are natural and for me they have never splintered.


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