12 week old on raw meat diet, digging and licking dirt? Deficient some mineral?

[Mooch]

LOL - so how would one turn a gooseneck into an ark??
Glad to hear you're all safe tho, I honestly always feel for the livestock and the horses, often they just can't get out - it was heartbreaking last year watching those horses on the news swim round and round the house, trying to rest their heads on the roof

30 acred would be nice, I only have 5 acres at the moment but it's enough for my 2 horses
How many horses do you have?

[lone Ranger]

Hello Mooch,

A couple of days of hard work after the floods, and another day or two reinforcing fences, compared to others I will not complain and feel fortunate.

As to the property, I am waaaay over my own needs... I have 18 paddocks and stables, because I supported the RDA Riding for the Disabled for six years. I even built a 40 x 42 Meter indoor arena. Anyway, they needed professional help they could not raise funds for, and to get the donations from Jupitors Casino and the Government they had to own the property. Despite my willingness to sell it to them for what I had in it, and write off the 8 years building it, they could not raise finance. They are now sitting on a poor block (should move back but pride will not allow it) and I am drowning in too much property..

I have three NRHA horses of my own, my Daughters horse will move west soon, plus one retired NRHA horse that carried her to about a dozen State and National Titles... Those and three GSDs. My Caretaker in another house has four horses, so much of the property is under utilized. I have a lot of mowing to do, and kms of fence lines to spray A tame herd of breeding cattle for my new Raw Diet that serve as lawnmowers.. heh he..

Anyway, 30 acres of horse paddocks is too much. Five like you might be a bit short for me, but I could be happy with about eight I think.. Nevermind... With the North Maroochy River and Browns Creek and the highway as borders, it is very private and good for security and the Shepherds.. I just have to learn not to be fussy and let the paddocks go a bit wilder.. heh he

[GSD13]

Originally Posted by lone Ranger

Simple, my Breeder has produced some wonderful temperament and very fit dogs, and She recommends lactose free milk in his early stages of extreme growth..

I've read several articles where they say giving additional calcium to large breed pups is actually detrimental to their health causing rapid growth that can quickly lead to skeletal abnormalities & osteochondrosis.

[lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by GSD13

I've read several articles where they say giving additional calcium to large breed pups is actually detrimental to their health causing rapid growth that can quickly lead to skeletal abnormalities & osteochondrosis.

I probably did the wrong thing, and added calcium to my the diet of my first GSD pup, now ten. No abnormalities, and he did grow 50 mm taller than his Show Breed... I do not know if it contributed to his current elbow displaysia, I suspect not. I added the two to one mix we use on horses for grazing on calcium depleating oxalate grasses, dicalcium phosphate two to one to calcium chloride. I did it once or twice a week with a little added to his food. I would not do it again...but at the time I thought I was doing the right thing.... I believe his displaysia is genetic and the fact that I let him go on too long of trips with me and the horses.

This current new puppy only got a little lactose free milk for a couple of weeks. It was only recommended to about 12-14 weeks, I guess to help with the transition to raw food from mom.. The cartiledge and bone in the raw food is plenty, good for teeth, gums, and calcium... I am researching all I can to do it right with number three. Number Four is coming, probably, going to see an expensive female pup from a Working Dog bloodline next Sunday that has been recommended to breed with my male pup about 2 years from now. That will be GSD number four, again I want to get it right..

Kind regards, hope a help... lone Ranger out "Dancing with Wolves" with horses and GSDs on the land in Australia...

PS: (Just a city slicker, hobby farmer with a smaller herd breeding so called Organic beef, and NRHA horses.. Not a real Cowboy out in the remote parts of Australia)

Kind regards, lone Ranger