The most frequently asked question by new  owners of Pixiedust Papillon puppies, after housetraining, is "how do I feed the puppy’?" Just like all the new research on housetraining, there is much still to be learned about proper feeding by the general public. The following article is my opinion based on what I have read, studied and actually practice at home

First, and what I believe to be most important, NO Papillon DOG SHOULD BE FED ONLY ONCE A DAY! All animals will usually eat only what they need if it is available all day long. Just like humans, the stomach is only so big and needs to be refilled on a regular basis throughout the day. Could you do well only eating lunch everyday, no breakfast or supper? No snacks between meals? How much harder for  Papillon puppies, whose energy needs are very high, because of all the growth and development going on in it’s body! If you must have regular feeding times, feed a Papillons at least 4 times a day till one year old, then 3 times a day till 2 years old, then a minimum of 2 times a day for the rest of it’s life. Hypoglycemia is the result of papillon puppies not getting enough food at times of stress or high energy use, and only feeding once a day can contribute to this easily avoided condition.

Young Papillon  puppies who are only fed once a day may have digestive upsets, as they try to eat as much as they can at one time because they are so hungry the rest of the day. This hunger can make them restless, as they search for something to chew or eat. It can make them not sleep well at night, because of the need to search for something to fill their empty tummy! Hunger can even affect the temperament of a growing  Papillon puppy!!

Dry food does not have all the nutrients needed for good health, in spite of the claims. It may contain too much sodium as a preservative, causing an excessive thirst and the need for more potty trips. Contrary to popular opinion, feeding only hard food does NOT keep the teeth clean and avoid the need for dental care. The processing required for dry food kills many beneficial enzymes needed for good health and long life.

So how do I recommend a new buyer should feed their papillons? Please mix at least 1/2 canned high quality with the dry ,a lamb and rice preferred. Mix a little extra fat (grease drained from hamburger, and such) or oil with the food. A papillon dog does not digest the same as humans and the fat is necessary for good coat and skin, as well as extra energy. I recommend this because many buyers cannot buy the same brand or they do not have the time to cook all the things that I do for my own papillons. Raw meats are not advised, as the chance for bacterial problems exist in the raw meat and environmental contamination may become a problem.

At Pixiedust Papillons. we cook some liver, chicken and hamburger to add extra fresh protein our papillons diet. The chicken is the same that you buy at your local grocer--we pressure cook the chicken and use a food processor to make a paste of the whole thing--skin, bones and meat--to give our papillon puppies the most nutrition possible. When you cook your own meals, bits of fresh vegetables are welcome as treats. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, are good sources of vitamins for papillons, both dogs and puppies. Some papillons  enjoy bits of fruit, apples or avocados especially. All Papillon puppies  personal likes and dislikes in this area. Fresh food replaces the enzymes lost in the processing of regular dog food. Soup bones, cooked in a pressure cooker, give calcium and do help clean the teeth. Warm broth over the dry dog food is a welcome meal in the winter. (would you always want to eat cold food?). Still, to prevent an unbalanced diet, we do feed a quality dry food to our papillons. The dry is mixed with the meat paste daily as well as just leaving plain dry out if they want something to crunch.

Some have asked what I shampoo with in order to have the wonderful coats on Pixiedust Papillons show dogs. It is not shampoo, it is the way I feed. I even give milk to the pregnant and nursing Papillon  females to help insure proper nutrition to the infant puppies. Papillon  Breeders breed for health and temperament, but the owner must take responsibility to carry on where the breeder left off, and provide proper feeding and training for the Papillon puppies they own.

Things You should never feed your Dog
Author: A.M. Wilmont
Unfortunately, there are a number of household items which we
tend to take for granted that are potentially very dangerous to
your dog's health. It is especially important to be aware of
this because as you know, dogs are essentially scavengers and
will often eat just about anything they can sink their fangs
into. I would say that may own dog is more like a mobile garbage
disposal. It is also very important to be aware of these items
since their sense of smell is so well developed that your pooch
will be able to find what you may think is well hidden.
 One
of these dangerous household items, it turns out, is simple
chocolate. While chocolate has been reported recently to be high
in human-friendly antioxidants, it appears to be potentially
lethal for our pets, and particularly for our dogs. Cats are
mostly unaffected since they do not care for the taste of
chocolate, but dogs tend to be crazy about it. Certain breeds of
dogs react indifferently to chocolate. The root of the problem
is that chocolate contains various chemicals which are called
methylxanthine alkaloids(sometypes have more of these chemicals
than others) Sadly, relatively miniscule amounts of these
chemicals are capable of causing such serious problems as
constriction of the arteries and an increased heart rate. Large
amounts may cause even more dire symptoms and a pound of milk
chocolate could possibly kill a sixteen pound dog. If you find
that your dog has eaten chocolate then by all means take note of
the it's type and try to estimate the amount eaten. Then get on
the phone with a veternarian or an emergency facility. Be sure
that your children know how important it is to keep chocolate
out of your dog's reach. If you are not aware that your dog has
consumed chocolate, the consequences could be severe. If
consumption is not found within 4 to 6 hours without the right
treatment, cardiac failure, seizures, coma and death could
result, according to veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks.
 In
addition to seemingly innocent chocolate, there are a number of
other common household items that may seem safe for our dogs but
that can be downright dangerous.

Some mushrooms, for example, can produce abdominal pain, liver
andd kidney damage and amenia. So be aware of wild mushrooms
when you are out walking your dog in wooded areas. Garlic may
seem benign but can cause vomiting, liver damage, anemia and
diarrhea so do not give your pet baby food since it can contain
garlic. Anti-freeze can shut down your dog's kidney and they
tend to love the taste. Miscletoe can cause vomiting, abdominal
pain and depression. Onions can causeliver damage, anemia and
diarrhea. Onion can also sometimes be found in baby food. Cats
are actually somewhat more sensitive to this one so keep out of
the reach of both. Coffee, like cocoa, is especially dangerous,
and may cause heart rate increase, diarrhea, seizures, coma,
death. Caffeine just does not have the same effect in dogs. When
outside be careful around apple and cherry trees. While the
fruit is safe, the leaves and roots are not. And be very careful
about Moth Balls. it's primary chemical naphthalene is extremely
toxic to dogs and can result in tremors and seizures.

Concerning dog food, you should be looking for dyes and other
chemicals, according to Dr. Jane BHA, for instance, which is one
of the main synthetic antioxidant preservatives used to prevent
food discoloration, has been observed to cause cancer in
laboratory rats at certain doses. Small doses are as yet unclear
but since dog food is eaten every day caution is advised. Many
conventional dog food brands have large quantities of sodium to
make them palatable, and this can be quite harmful to a dog.
Other ingredients to wary of are dairy, by-products, chemical
preservatives and artificial colors. For more information go to
<A HREF="http://www.dog-food-nutrition.com/"
STYLE="text-decoration:none">Dog Food Nutrition from Life's
Abundance</A>
About the author:
Aaron Wilmont is an author and researcher in the fields of human
and pet health. For more info. go to <A
HREF="http://www.dog-food-nutrition.info/"
STYLE="text-decoration:none">Dog Supplements and Vitamins from
Life's Abundance</A>

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