WOW! Thanks to Janneke, Pat, Daniel, Chellie, Robin, Humanoid, Renault, Andrew, Steffie, Elena & Schouiffy (and anyone I missed) for your heartwarming welcomes! For some reason I couldn’t get the forum site to load yesterday afternoon or evening, but I was shocked to see all the kind responses this morning.
Holy cow, I haven’t had so many requests for pics since I posted that personals profile claiming to be a 6’4” blonde, blue-eyed weightlifter who enjoys moonlit strolls on the beach with a special someone. At least this time I won’t have to fake the photos! I’m hoping to get my digital camera batteries charged for the weekend so I can get some shots of Tiger… he really is a beautiful dog. You’ve just got to love those expressive Basenji faces.
As someone who has some significant food allergies of his own… that was the first thing to come to mind when I saw how bad Tiger’s dandruff was. I don’t know what food he was on before the Longmont Shelter picked him up and sent him to Colorado Basenji Rescue (By the way, Peggy is AWESOME… and extremely rigorous in her match making). Peggy had him on Canidae for the past couple weeks, but with all the sudden changes in his life, it’s hard to know whether Canidae, or Longmont Shelter food, previous owner food, or just plain stress is the culprit. However, in order to make a smooth transition, I picked up a bag of Canidae and a bag of Timberwolf Ocean (a more or less single source protein/grain-free food) and am feeding him a mix… slowly switching him from the former to the latter. I also put a squirt of salmon oil on there - having heard that that can help. I’ll check out the allergy threads later today or tonight to see what other recommendations there are.
Upon your suggestions I’ll probably try alternating the salmon oil with olive or flax for variety’s sake (not that Tiger will care… he doesn’t seem to have met ANYTHING that doesn’t merit being eaten.) I’m actually a vegan and eat a lot of sweet potatoes, so I may mash a little sweet potato up next time I bake one and see how he likes that (Steffie, I’ve also got Kombu [seaweed] on hand and may try and sneak some of that into his diet too from time to time.) Oh, and Elena, I’ll definitely ask about any possibility of a skin infection when I find a good vet in my area – any suggestions from the Denverites?
A note for the Denver locals: We’re in Northeast Denver kind of near York and E. 36th (sort of a rough neighborhood). Tiger goes to Mile High Mutts doggy daycare and definitely has a good time there (although, I sometimes worry for the other dogs).
Oh yeah, and it’s nice to know that I’m not the only dog owner whose canine companion views him or herself as a serious contender for the welterweight division championship. I just feel a little sheepish when I’m in the park and someone else’s dog tentatively comes up to Tiger (who is frothing at the mouth as he flails about to get nose to nose) only to be brusquely smacked upside the head.
Thanks again for the warm welcome. It’s nice to find such a friendly place for myself and my furry little friend.
Take care,
–jerremie
