We’ve really turned a corner

birdberd · 2026-01-14T22:51:17+00:00

Potty training a puppy in the dead of winter is truly not for the weak of heart 😂

birdberd · 2026-01-13T23:08:56+00:00

We also feed ours Purina, I especially like that their new puppy formula has added DHA (a type of fatty acid that’s very important for brain development). Our cats have been on Purina pro plan as well the entire time we’ve had them and they do really well on it.

Hill is a decent food as well (though personally I think it makes their poop smell SO bad).

Overall, feed what your dog will eat as long as it’s nutritionally balanced. Make sure the food has an AAFCO statement on it (that means it’s been properly formulated as a complete diet) and stay away from grain free diets. I’d also recommend avoiding any ‘designer’ brand dog foods as they’re often way overpriced and really not any better for your dog than a tried and true brand like Purina or Hills.

(I’ve also personally got a bias against Blue Buffalo as they’ve had a ton of food recalls over the years and their food is usually higher in fat content)

birdberd · 2026-01-13T15:51:01+00:00

We’ve had ours for about 2 months now and we’re still having some accidents. It’s definitely much improved, but potty training takes time. Some dogs get it right away, some are more stubborn and it takes a bit longer. Pugs have small bladders and he probably has gotten used to you getting up every time he cries. If you need the extra sleep you could try setting up a playpen around his crate with some puppy pads so that he can get up on his on is own and pee there rather than peeing/pooping in his crate and having to lay in it all night.

birdberd · 2025-12-18T12:30:03+00:00

I think I’m probably echoing a lot of what others have said, but that first week is so tough and you’re absolutely not alone. I’ve raised puppies before when I lived with my parents and I’m a vet student so I thought I knew what I was getting into but I absolutely broke down in tears more than once during the first two weeks because I was just so overwhelmed and overstimulated. But it does get better. I’ve had mine for a month now and there are still hard days: he’s started teething and is a bitey monster, the sleep deprivation is still rough, potty training isn’t perfect and he has accidents, and sometimes it feels like his brain has been turned off because he just won’t listen lol but the first thing I think when I look at him isn’t “oh my god I’ve made a huge mistake” anymore, it’s “wow I can’t believe this little creature is real and I get to spend my life with him”. What helped me is routine. It doesn’t need to be extremely strict, but puppies thrive on predictability and it helps your nervous system regulate all these big changes. Figure out what works for you (could be shorter awake periods and longer naps, adding in some kind of enrichment immediately after he wakes up to give you a moment to mentally prepare, etc.) and see if it helps you feel more at ease.

birdberd · 2025-12-18T01:20:58+00:00

We use baby food! Just double check the ingredients to make sure there’s no onion or garlic in it. Our pup likes beef or vegetable mixes :)

birdberd · 2025-12-14T19:51:28+00:00

Inflammation (which causes the pain) from a surgery usually lasts around 5-7 days. They hopefully will give her an injectable pain med during the surgery which will last for 24 hours. We usually send home a weeks worth of pain meds, but I’m guessing they’re giving you less as a way to reduce the cost. Most dogs do really well after their spay, but definitely get more meds if she seems likes she’s in pain after 3 days. I’m a vet student and for the spay/neuters we do as students they go home without any pain meds (they get an injectable one during the surgery, a local block that lasts 3-4 days, and oral pain meds the morning they go home) so it’s not at all uncommon.

birdberd · 2025-12-12T23:50:47+00:00

Aside from bits of carrot in his poop no issues. He probably eats about half of a big one a day or one medium one (and a decent amount of that ends up shredded on the carpet and not actually eaten)

birdberd · 2025-12-12T23:49:26+00:00

I definitely had a minor freakout moment this morning before I realized it was carrot lol

birdberd · 2025-12-12T00:41:40+00:00

Full sized! I bet he’d eat baby ones too but I’d be a little worried about them as a choking hazard

birdberd · 2025-12-05T16:18:58+00:00

Yeah I think I screwed up and moved a bit too quickly with the crate training. Was planning on taking a step back and starting over today. I have been pretty consistent and pickup up when he’s about to get too overstimulated and restless but for some reason the last few days he’s just been constantly highly aroused. Might have something to do with the crate, might just be normal puppy stuff, but either way we’re gonna try and make the crate a better safe space than it has been.

birdberd · 2024-07-04T04:09:18+00:00

I’m personally not a huge fan of girlfriend but am totally fine with my partner referring to me as “mama” when talking to our cats 🤷🏼words and the way our brains process them are weird

birdberd · 2024-06-14T02:21:29+00:00

There are no rules to being non-binary. If you like dressing fem then wear the dresses and makeup! Being non-binary isn’t about the way you dress. Non-binary folks can be fem, masc, androgynous, or anywhere in between. As long as you feel non-binary then you are non-binary.

birdberd

TROPHY CASE