Vroni's Puppies

Madame Mimi (top)+ Magic Mousse (bottom) @ 8 weeks

Mousse will be leaving us for Minnesota next week.

Weight Gain Diet & Tips for Papillons and other small Toy Dogs

Small dogs have smaller stomachs and small appetites. You will need to make sure your dog gets the proper nutrition in his small meals. Feed more often (3x per day or more) and provide high- calorie diet, with sufficient nutrition.


Small dogs need more calories to maintain their body heat: they produce less heat than big dogs, and radiate more of their surface (skin).

Small dogs tend to be more pampered and some of them are less active than big dogs. Therefore they can be overfed easily and hence; will gain too much weight.





There are plenty of Papillons and other small dogs, who are active, playful, and where food is not so interesting to them than other things, hence their calorie output exceeds the intake.

You can feed your dog more often, and more of the “goodies”, but there comes the point, where you would create an upset stomach in your dog, and with that, the dog having diarrhea, you may have achieved the opposite of the spectrum: weight-loss, de-hydration, and possible hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).



Here are some ideas for a higher calorie, higher fat diet than regular dog food.

I would recommend following supplements to add to your good quality dog kibbles:



High fat hamburger meat

Oats

Molasses

Wheat germ

Eggs- the yolks carry all the fat!!

High fat cottage cheese

High fat Cream Cheese

All Natural Crunchy Peanut butter

Corn Oil, or any other vegetable oil, or olive oil



Of course, sprinkle these ingredients ever so lightly over your kibbles. Very small amounts, especially in the beginning, then build up.

There are some dogs, who just don’t want to eat, including treats, or any other goodies.

Here are some things you can try to tempt his taste buds:

Small amounts from chicken-, tuna-, and sardine cans.

Eggs, slightly scrambled with extra cream cheese, little veggie oil.

Chicken liver (cooked) sautéed in butter

Just hard boiled eggs over their kibbles

Whole wheat noodles with cheese and minced beef, or hamburger



If you have a dog recovering from any kind of sickness, or whelping, purred baby food, containing meat,(comes in glass jars), is a good source of food.

Keep these jars and “Nutri Cal”( is a high –calorie dietary supplement for dogs + puppies) handy at all times. They are life savers!!

Coming soon......

We are expecting Matti's Babes very soon.....

Walzing Mathilda vom Cavalierchen

Silenzio's Brolle

Nanu's Puppies

Mom with her 2 little babes on the first morning.

Nanu's Puppies

Our Puppie (Nanu Nana von den Kolibris) gifted us with 2 sweet little babies just a few hours ago.

They are very small but, so far,so good...more details later.

The Dad is INT.Multi CH Tiger Man vom Cavalierchen

Silenzio's Brolle

Our Brolle is now 13 months old.
Brolle now + then.

Reverse Sneezing

It sounds like gagging +-coughing in a combination.
Reverse sneezing (hurfing) does happen in Papillon puppies as well as in adults quite often.
It can happen at any time, but often, when exited, playing,  on a walk,or  stepping out  from a warm house into a cold winter day.
You may can help to stop the condition by massaging the Papillons throat, offering a treat,  so the dog will swallow, or by blowing gently into the nostrils.
Make sure that your Papillon has no other respiratory condition,such as a kennel cough, or a collapsing trachea (tracheal malacia).

Papillon Characteristics

The Papillon is a problem solving dog.

• Loves to learn- and enjoy a challenge.
• Has been competing in obedience trials nearly 50 years in the US.
• Makes a good Service Dog (helps wheel chair users by picking up a variety of things of the floor, by pulling the laundry out of the dryer, bring the phone, opening and closing cabinets, doors….)
• May leap up to 4 feet straight from the ground into the air (be aware how tall your yard fence is!)
• May reflect a laid-back personality, a few minute chase of a toy in your living room is sufficient, then will cuddle with you for a long period.Or!
•  Is more likely a miniature Border Collie, demanding a couple of hours of interactive play every day.
• Small Dog; can thrive in a small place.. (15 minutes of a living room fetch can be a real good aerobic workout for him.
•  (Excellent condo, or apartment dog)

• Thrive in country living, loves to romp out side, do farm chores.
• A sensitive soul. Consider that this breed had a thousand years of a developing relationship to humans; they have been bred to be companion dogs.
• Maybe is a high- strung dog, or a shy dog. (If shy: ask if you can provide him with a more quiet, calm, structured household to thrive and be happy in.Keep these two tendencies in mind, when you make your selection.
• May  cuddle, may  not. (Many Papis love to sit on your lap to cuddle, but there are more out there who would prefer to lie nearby you napping peacefully, or look at you in adoration)

Whether you have one Papillon or a whole flock of Butterfly dogs; it will change your life. These intelligent, thinking active little dogs are so unique and a source of constant joy.

Vroni's Puppies

Mousse will be going to Minnesota soon to his new family..

We are sorry to see him leave but are glad that he found such wonderful family to be with..

Vroni's Puppies

@ 7.5 weeks

Show Time.

This weekend, our Tiger Man received his International Championship (UCICB) in Ridgefield/Washington
@ the International Dog Shows.
It was a great weekend for Tiger and us. He finshed this Sunday with Best of Breed (BOB) at the 3rd show.

Madam Mimi + Magic Mousse

We are growing up....(6.5 Weeks)

Vroni's Puppies

Mom says:

I can now relax more often!!!

Patella Luxation in Papillons

Patella luxation is thought to be a genetic orthopedic condition, more seen in the Papillon breed than any other condition.
The dog has a shallow groove in the fibular that lets the ligament, which holds the patella (knee- cap) in position, slip out to either one of the sides.
The severity of the condition is graded from one to four.
Lameness in both or one hind leg are a symptom of patella luxation.Less severe grades can be treated by exercise restrictions and anti-inflammatory medications. Surgery may be an option depending on the severity of the condition.

CH Tiger Man vom Cavalierchen

I am getting fixed up to go to the Show tomorrow....
I am miserable.....help!!

Papillons TV Time

Road's End Autumns Greetings

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Road's End Magic Mousse

Our little boy 'Mousse" is looking for a new home in November 09.

Mousse is here 5.5 weeks old.

Anesthesia & Papillons

All toy breeds are susceptible to anesthetics.
It is very important to use safe products. Isoflurane and Sevoflurane are prefered gas anesthetics.
Consult with  your veterinarian.

Bad Breath - Halitosis

Bad Breath is a common  complaint in dogs and cats; especially in Toy Breeds.
Oral, periodontal disease  is the most common cause, where plaque, unhealthy tissues, decomposing food particles retained delivers the sour milk odor.
Small breeds are more prone to oral disease because the teeth are closer together, the smaller animals live longer, and their owners are more prone to feed softer food.
Older age more predisposed.
In most cases there are no clinical signs other than the malodor. Daily home care (brushing) aids in the removal of plaque, helps control dental disease and odor.    

Advise on Papillons Teeth.

Papillons, like all other Toy Breeds should get their teeth cleaned once per year.They have a full set of teeth in a tiny muzzle, the buildup of bacteria happens fast and, besides possible bad breath,  leads to teeth  loss, and can lead to liver, kidney and heart problems.
A built up of tarter is normal and it happens relatively fast. An annual dental clean is a must at the veterinarian.You could teach your Pap to accept to get his teeth cleaned by you with a small children tooth brush a couple of times / week.
Papillon puppies loose their canine baby teeth when they are about 5-7 months.Look at your dogs teeth frequently at this time. You will see the adult teeth coming in next to the baby canines. Make sure that the baby teeth are loose, or have them checked by a vet, who may remove them if necessary.It could cause a development of an incorrect bite if they are not removed.At this time it is suggested to give your pap plenty of "teething" toys.

Papillon +Puppy Visit

We had a Papillon/Puppy visit on Sunday

Vroni's Puppies

Madame Mimi (below)+ Magic Mousse (above)

@ 5 Weeks

The Papillon and Marie Antoinette.

Sofonisba Anguissola

Italian Painter 1532-1625

It is thought that both Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour helped the Papillon become fashionable and they both admired and owned this breed.   Madame de Pompadour was the mistress of King Louis XIV, and owned Inez and Mimi which were her two pet Papillons.  Marie Antoinette had a Sevres porcelain model of a Phalene (Papillon with drop ears) in her room that was only found after her death.  She was beheaded at the guillotine and her two pet Papillons were looked after by the inhabitants of the house until they died. Her house in Paris, France is known today as ‘The House of the Papillon’.In France, the City of Lyon in the late 16th century was known for breeding these miniature dogs.Until the French revolution, Papillon dogs were the most popular breed of dog in the courts in France. In Italy, the Bologna region probably had the largest trade in Papillons, as they sold many of the dogs to the court of Louis XIV.  It was said that they were transported on the back of mules through Spain.

Papillon/Phalene History

The Phalène is the earliest form of the Papillon; the appearance of the erect-eared variety was not documented until the 16th century, by which time the Phalène had been portrayed in numerous paintings, particularly in portraits of the wealthy by Old Masters and their students. Belgium, France, Spain, and Italy have all been credited with the creation or development of Butterfly Dogs. The Papillon gained popularity after the turn of the nineteenth century.By the middle of the 20th century, the Papillon’s popularity had far outstripped that of the Phalène, which sank low enough into obscurity to become endangered. Fortunately, the breed had its fanciers and did not slip into extinction. At some point the variety was named phalène, or ‘moth’

Gator_Aid

Papillon Ears:Ears Erect

Wonder when those ears come up in your Papillon puppy?

Hard to say.

But anywhere between 6 weeks and 4- 6 months.

In that time, those ears can come up and go down, or one is up and the other one is down. Papillon puppies can have “good ear days”, and “bad ear days”.

It depends on their heritage as far as ear cartilage goes.

The size of their ears in relation to their skull, muscles, and again: cartilage.

Diet: you may consider giving your puppy a little bit of cottage cheese with their kibbles to give it extra calcium.
Click on the image to see a gallery of "Tiny Puppies" to get an idea about their ear development.

Vroni's Puppies

We are growing up (@ 4.5 weeks)

Bathing your Papillon

The amount of baths your Papillon needs depends on your life style.
Some pet dogs are very seldom bathed, but if they are brushed at a regular time, they can stay very clean.
A sink, tub with a shower attachment and a non slip surface to stand on , is all you need.
Avoid getting water in the ear canal.
(I do blow dry the their hair after bathing , brush them, and let them wear a   sweater for a while, to keep them from getting chilled.)

Always brush your dog before bathing.Mats, not combed out, will only harden and tighten to the point where cutting them is the only solution.