Have you ever wondered if a dog snack could save you money at the vet? This was indeed the case with Alfie. Read the good story here, which we received from dog mother Lisbeth.

Rabbit’s ears, sheep’s snouts, pig’s intestines and fish scales. It doesn’t sound like the most inviting thing to eat. But if you ask our Alfie, they’re all world-class delicacies!

Our Bichon Havanaise, Alfie, is very close to being a year old now. We got her as a little puppy of 8 weeks. The world’s cutest little dog, according to us, but also a bundle of energy. As a puppy, Alfie was often hard to calm down. Especially in the evening. She dug around on the couch and snatched at anything she could get her hands on. Not aggressively. But we soon sensed that her teeth were itchy and gave her trouble relaxing. We didn’t quite know how to help her.

STIMULATION WITH NATURAL SNACKS

We signed her up for a course at the vet – “puppy socialisation course”, it was called. We learned how to better stimulate Alfie with play and with treats. At the vet there was a wide selection of Q-Pet products, and the first thing Alfie tasted was a sheep’s paw paw!

I remember that I had to get used to the naturalness of Alfie sucking on one of these with great pleasure. I immediately thought it was less appetizing to have lying on the living room floor. But when I noticed how Alfie was calming down, I had to bring home a small selection of the different products. Since then we have always had these chewing gums in stock. It turned out it wasn’t just peace of mind for Alfie that we achieved with them.

DENTAL PROBLEMS

When Alfie was six months old she went to the vet for a health check. The vet examined Alfie’s teeth and discovered that she had what is called a double tooth in her upper mouth. A new canine had grown out without the old one being lost. In fact, the old one fit so well next to the new one that the vet decided it needed surgery. This meant that Alfie would also have to go under anaesthetic, which we weren’t too keen on. Then there would be a hefty vet bill. There was not much to do. The double tooth would eventually cause Alfie to have problems with his bite. I made an appointment for surgery.

Alfie was due for surgery on a Friday morning at 8am in January. During this time, she had fallen in love with Q-pet’s ox energy bars. What “energy bars” cover, I will leave to the individual to google! It’s not nice – but Alfie and every other dog we’ve introduced them to thinks so. The bars have kept Alfie active for hours and have helped keep Alfie’s teeth clean and strong.

ENERGY BAR FROM TIKKI

The vet asked us to make sure Alfie came fasting for the operation the next day, but before food and treats were removed from her, she went all out with another energy bar. As we approached Lent, I wanted to show my children why Alfie really needed surgery. I opened Alfie’s jaw to demonstrate how the double duck sat in the upper mouth on the left side. But where the old tooth used to be, there was now a small red mark. The old tooth had just fallen out.