Question:
I have two English Springer Spaniels. My older female, Cassidy, is 4 1/2 and has a very very dry nose. About a year ago a car door was slammed on her nose accidentally. It bled a little. We had exrays taken to make sure that none of the roots of her teeth had been affected. The vets always assure us that everything is fine and that we should apply vaseline. But one year later her nose is still very dry and periodically it will crack on one corner and bleed. I know it makes her uncomfortable because she growls at other dogs when they sniff her nose and will yelp if it is bumped too hard while she is playing. I feel so bad for her and want her moist nose back. What should I do??

My other Springer, Penny, is a 5 month old female. She is basicallly doing well but is so skinny. She is cleared for worms but I can see most of her ribs and she wolfs down her food. I have increased her food intake to about 2 cups/day which is a lot more than my other dog! (She eats Pro Plan for puppies). I don't know what to do. People in the park always comment on how skinny she is but she does feel heavy and she is about 22lbs already. What could be going on?

Thanks!
Amanda

Answer:
2 cups a day may be a lot for one dog, but nothing for another. I am currently fostering a pit bull who cannot hold weight very well, her ribs only stopped showing after eatting 3 litres of food a day. She ate a litre per feeding. Her weight has finally stablized however to keep her at a healthy weight I have to feed her 2 litres a day, and she's only a 40 pound 8 month old pup.
My 2 year old 80 pound pitty however eats 1 litre a day.
And my 5 year old 30 pound Chow Chow eats a litre and a half each day.

All recieving the same exercise and play time. Just like humans, some have fast metabolism and some have slow.

Answer:
Hi there : )
Your pup may need a more nutrient dense food, and one that contains no soy (many dogs don't absorb the protein well). My dad's shepherd/lab cross was always way too skinny and he wolfed down about 5 cups of Purina Dog Chow a day.
Now his weight is stable and he looks great, he's eating Eaglepack Power Pack (I think that's the name, it's in the orange bag) And now he only goes through 2 cups of food a day instead of 5, which is good on the wallet and the pooper scooper. It's about 30% protein and is recommended for dogs that are very active, as well as puppies and nursing mothers.
Other brands with a similar amount of protein and fat are Eukanuba small breed puppy food (31%)and Wellness Puppy food(28%).
Also, sprinkling digestive enzymes on her food will enhance absorption of all nutrients, and you'll use less food in the long run : ) ( I use Udo's Enzymes sold for people, just sprinkle one cap per day on top of the food)
Pepper

Answer: