You'd think I'd have learned my lesson too!

[tanza]

If you have Susan Coe's book, The Basenji there is a picture in there of B pups and the mess they made of everything in the room including the plants. The pups belonged to Bushbabies Basenjis here in California…

[Basenjimamma]

That's true, I have heard horror stories of dogs with obstructions. Our neighbors dog once ate a pecan and it lodge itself in her intestines and she had it there for weeks before they even knew anything was wrong. By the time she was vomiting her own poop they figured it out and over $4000 later they have a healthy dog again..It is scary, for their lives and for your wallet.

[Kananga]

@tanza:

Be a bit careful with things like towels… if they shred/eat them the strings from terry cloth can cause blockages in the gut... and can even wrap around strangling the intestines....

I've watched him before with the towel. He likes to simply shred them to small pieces. He doesn't eat any. Believe me, the only thing he will eat is his food. No treats, no pills, nothing. He just likes to turn one toy into many. There are small pieces of towel allover my living room right now. When I'm home he seems to find the small pieces as toys and throws them around. Whatever entertains him I guess… :rolleyes:

[Patty]

In my many years of fostering and owning Basenjis I have never had a blockage although they have swallowed many things. The Basenji of a friend has eaten two leather collars - plastic buckles and all. I advised her to wait and indeed eventually all pieces were passed through!

Perhaps I have just been lucky?

[Basenjimamma]

True, My vet told me that the most common thing dogs get obstructed with is leftover. i.e cooked bones. My dogs get raw bones but I am still leary. Our dachshund Gus will actually swallow chicken and turkey necks whole, all 3+ inches of it and freak me out, especially when he starts making this really weird whiny sound.. pop him on the back and down the shute it goes…FYI, now Gus gets his necks in nice bite sized pieces..I am not having a heartattack every day when he eats..

[Quercus]

@Basenjimamma:

True, My vet told me that the most common thing dogs get obstructed with is leftover. i.e cooked bones. My dogs get raw bones but I am still leary. Our dachshund Gus will actually swallow chicken and turkey necks whole, all 3+ inches of it and freak me out, especially when he starts making this really weird whiny sound.. pop him on the back and down the shute it goes…FYI, now Gus gets his necks in nice bite sized pieces..I am not having a heartattack every day when he eats..

I know…it is scary....the first time one of the dogs swallowed a rib whole I about died....

[Basenjimamma]

Andrea,
my Westie Bogus did that one time, and I managed to get it out of his throat, only to watch him do that again..I let him alone after that..and never gave them left overs again..only raw. I actually think my dogs eat better than we do, I today bought a huge brisket, cut all the fat off and cut the meat into chunks so I can freeze it into individual packages..I don't spend this much time making dinner for my humans…I might just very well have my priorities(sp?) wrong...might.

[Quercus]

@Basenjimamma:

Andrea,
my Westie Bogus did that one time, and I managed to get it out of his throat, only to watch him do that again..I let him alone after that..and never gave them left overs again..only raw. I actually think my dogs eat better than we do, I today bought a huge brisket, cut all the fat off and cut the meat into chunks so I can freeze it into individual packages..I don't spend this much time making dinner for my humans…I might just very well have my priorities(sp?) wrong...might.

Just FTR, these were raw bones And I still couldn't believe that they went right down the gullet and disappeared!

I used to put a lot more effort into feeding the dogs….now it's just food out of the bag

[Basenjimamma]

I

Just FTR, these were raw bones

I know, I just happen to back in the day, break the law and give my two boys leftover cooked bones, never after that incident though..

[basenjimama]

This is very ironic story. I am literally reading the comments how b's have destroyed property. My dog was just walking around and looking at the backyard. I was enjoying reading and noticed she wanted to go outside. When I got up, I noticed ripped toilet paper all over the floor! I just laughed to myself as I know toilet paper is no comparison to the above however my basenji is always up to something.

[Patty]

Just shows that one needs to keep a frequent eye on them - I'm afraid I get so engrossed on this d…. forum that I often lose track of mine!!!!

[Shaye's Mom]

Y'know, everyone tells me my puppy will be better if I get her a companion - are these dogs "singles" like mine? Does that really work to have more than one? So far her damage is relatively simple - venetian blinds, which I've learned to keep up, couch pillows, not really torn up but scratched up - the fuzz off her dog beds - a couple DVD cases. But she's "on the move" constantly, demanding attention - normal for a puppy, I know, and that's when people say she should have another dog - what do you guys think about this subject?

[BART]

Yikes! I actually feel lucky, never thought I would. My first B was crated for 9 years, so no problems. I came home one day and he met me at the door!! He had escaped from a wire cage! To this day, don't know exactly how! But, to my surprise, no destruction in the apartment. He didn't even get into the trashcan! From that day forward I left him out with no problems. He went to the Bridge and, not knowing new guy, I crated him for a while as well. Same thing, he escaped from the plastic cage, twice. I figured out how and fixed it and then my house got broken into. For the second time in 14 months. Just glad that, whoever it was didn't decide to "have fun" with my baby. Ever since then he's been out while I've been gone and I have had no issues. (I have, of course, Basenji-proofed as much as possible)

[RedVelvetLynx]

@Shaye's:

Y'know, everyone tells me my puppy will be better if I get her a companion - are these dogs "singles" like mine? Does that really work to have more than one? So far her damage is relatively simple - venetian blinds, which I've learned to keep up, couch pillows, not really torn up but scratched up - the fuzz off her dog beds - a couple DVD cases. But she's "on the move" constantly, demanding attention - normal for a puppy, I know, and that's when people say she should have another dog - what do you guys think about this subject?

I think 2 is better than one - but that may depend on what personality type you end up with. Our female is very active & the breeder of our boy did a fantastic job in selecting the most laid back pup of her bitch's litter to go home with us. He likes to sit around & chew on Nylabones. I would have him out all day & night in a minute, but our female is nowhere near that type of trust. I would come home to an absolute mess! In any case, I opted for 2 because I felt obligated to entertain Trinity all of the time & felt guilty if I didn't - now at least she has Denver to pick on! If I had ended up with 2 Trinitys…shudder

[Shaye's Mom]

Holly:

Gotta admit that is one thing keeping me from getting a second B - what if I wound up with another Shaye! Thinking of another kind of dog maybe, with a milder personality.

[Kona]

Shaye's Mom -

That's what I was worried about too with getting a second one, but since we got to do a trial run with Keoki I was able to calm my fears. He is so calm and trustworthy, but he is also 6 years old.

[Nemo]

@tanza:

Be a bit careful with things like towels… if they shred/eat them the strings from terry cloth can cause blockages in the gut... and can even wrap around strangling the intestines....

+1 Nemo ate a portion of a bath towel and had to have it surgically removed. I'm not sure what the weave is called (maybe terry cloth), but when ripped it is became very stringy and mananged to form this mass that was connected from his stomach into his intestines (I had the pleasure of getting to see it after it was removed). Luckily they were able to remove it by pulling it out through an incision in his stomach versus the intestines. So, watch out if it is that type of towel. I haven't had as much problem with fabrics that rip up into discrete pieces.

[sharronhurlbut]

Oh, you can get a second basenji…just make sure its settled and a good house dog.
We have plenty of them looking for good homes at the BRAT website.

[Shaye's Mom]

@Kona:

Shaye's Mom -

That's what I was worried about too with getting a second one, but since we got to do a trial run with Keoki I was able to calm my fears. He is so calm and trustworthy, but he is also 6 years old.

Yes, I understand Keoki and Kona are doing really well - wish I'd been at West Park the day you went over - unfortunately, Shaye had been spayed the Friday before, so we missed you, and them. We have been talking with a woman who has a 7 year old Jack Russell female - of course we were going to get her dog almost a year ago, before we got Shaye, and it fell through because she changed her mind, so, who knows, but Shaye really really needs another dog, I think - older, more calm.:rolleyes: