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| All of this info is available here on forum.oes.org | I can say that my dogs don't have any gas:) I also do not feed commercial dog food, They eat a natural diet consisting of meats, vegetables and some vitamin supplements. I also find that my dogs have clean teeth, no bad breath and are not overweight. I know this is not for everybody(feeding natural) but maybe the problem is the lack of variety? Could an ingredient in the food may be causing this? There are some great nutrition books for dogs
maybe check this out. | |
| Just read Ron's reply in the chit chat section.
Get this Myelopathy usually hits at about 9.6 years. It is known to be caused by vitamin B12 and Vitamin E deficiency. High fiber diets tend to cause food to pass through so fast that these vitamins are not absorbed by the pet.
And the symptoms can mimic hip dysplasia.
Contrary book says it is mainly found in German Shepards and then goes on to list Syberian huskies, collies, collie mixes, Labadores, Kerry blue terriers, .....
This disease can last 4-14 years. It is a slow, degenerative nerve damage --- hence no pain. Owners usually suspect arthritis or hip dysplasia when they bring their dogs in .....
This is sounding like you should look inot it.
Treatment is combination of diet, exercise, and vitamin supplements. There is a treatment, but it is an on-going med that works in only 50% or less of the test subjects.
You should check this out. It may save you even considering other costly treatments, such as surgery.
Hang in there.
Carol | Try looking and comparing Solid Gold, Nutro for Large breeds, Nutro Lite, and there's a couple of more that are mentioned here all of the time. Iams is fine, but tends to fatten dogs. You can always give glucosamine/MSM supplements to you dog along with a good well balanced dog food.
Don't let a dog with hip dysplasia get fat. Exercise regular, but not lengthy sessions. Give the dog a mat or something to lay on to cushion its bones.
Ask the doctor about giving him a baby aspirin or pain killer when he seems to stiff to move, but be very careful. Don't want hemorraging or ulcers.
Use our search feature and look over others advice on food and hip dysplasia. There has been some very good posts here. Hip dysplasia is a muscle type disease that gets worse with age, weight, and lack of movement. It can be held at bay with Glucosamine, MSM, a good diet, and even a type of vitamin C I believe. Please hit the search button up in the header and put in some of these words along with SEARCH the POSTS.
An OES shouldn't be eating a puppy chow after 9 months, I don't think. Excessive amounts of protein, fat, and calcium can aggravate the condition-- I THINK. I am just typing this from memory. Hopefully you will get better advice from the others here.
Good luck! | Rickets. Now that's something I haven't thought about in a while. Calves, chicks, children, and even pups can get it. Giving calcium supplements does not sound like the correct treatment though. Let me go look that one up. Calcium and vitamin D shots are usually given together. If the dog is digesting fats correctly, an is eating a well rounded puppy chow, just a vitamin D shot should take care of it. And let the dog out in the sun some. Maybe this pup was weaned too early?
It leads to weak bones that give out under the animals. When the vitamin D absorbed then the Calcium uptake is resumed. Giving excessive amounts of calcium would not be called for usually.
They add vitamin D to our milk to make sure children don't get rickets, now that we skim most of the fat off of our milk. Sources of vitamin D, besides from your local vitamin shelf in a store near you, would be in high fat milk, cream, and milk broducts, fish oils, and various fish and animal fats.
Actually the pup itself could/should produce it own vitamin D after the intial shot is given to correct the deficiency, unless it is having trouble absorbng fats or the food you are feeding is being proccessed at too high a temp. Switching foods to a large breed puppy chow may be a wise course of action also.
Our bodies actually produce the vitamin once sunlight hits our skin and turns varius vitamin B's and protiens into vitamin D which is then used by our system to help build bones.
I hope the Rotweiller is feeling better? | | PLEASE TALK TO YOUR VET ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS .tHEY WILL SEND YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND IF THEY ARE GOOD VETS THEY WILL LOOK INTO THIS PRODUCT FOR YOU.YOUR VET CAN BE YOU BEST FRIEND IF YOU FIND THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG. | When females age their hair thins, just not as much as mens'. As Abbi has been getting older her hair on her head seems thinner too.
I have heard of soy products helping, as well as hormone supplements, but I guess I never worried much about it, because it is easier to brush and seems to stay out of her eyes better.
Be careful is you try adding tofu, soy flour to her food, or any soy product to her food as it will make them gaseous for the first week or two and some dogs can develop allergies to soy products ... although Abbi loves my soy meal pancakes! | I posted two days ago for the first time to inquire about this breed of dog. As fate would have it, I got the pleasure of receiving one that very same night. A couple that lives about an hour from me wanted to get rid of him because he was too big and they had just bought a condo. They gave me his registration papers and he seems to be up to date on his shots(he just went in May). He is really BIG ( I didn't realize this breed got this size). He also seems to have a bit of arthritis which I'm sure is normal for a dog his age. My main concern is nutrition. I'm not familiar with older dogs and I'm sure he has special needs. They gave me his bag of food and it seems to be a very cheap kind. I'm worried about this. Should I change his food or provide supplements? Should I just let him stay with this same brand since he's 9 years old and this is what he's used to? Any advice in this area would be very helpful. Thanks  | Are you in Canada or the US? I don't know if you have Omega brand egss, but they are from grain fed only chickens, and are higher in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Our old golden retriever, Sam, got dry skin and hot spots, and we used to just give him an egg in his food bowl one a week or so. My parents gave it to him raw, and I think a lot of people do, but you have to be careful of salmonella wih that. Scrambled, in the microwave is a quick way to cook it without adding extra grease or fat. You just use a coffee mug, crack an egg in it, stir it up with a fork and about a teaspoon of water and nuke it for 30-50 seconds depending on yor microwave.
Some people also use a little oil in their food occasionally, but that would add a lot of fat to your dogs diet that you don't want if she is overweight. There are also supplements you can buy. | | Thanks! I'll see about the eggs, we're in the US, by the way. My husband has been suggesting oil on her food, but right now I think her weight problem is more pressing than the dry skin. She is one of the laziest dogs I've seen! BUT.... we are picking up a playmate for her this weekend, and I'm hoping he will get her up and moving more! We are getting Cooper from Bill (Dogs in Trouble), and Bill tells me he is very energetic. If that doesn't work, I will check into the supplements. I thought there probably were supplements for that. | Willowsprite,
They need to find another Vet! A cyst that large should be dealt with. They can't determine what it is interfering with - and/or what the type of tumor/cyst it is without investigating - and at least draining it! The cyst needs to be taken care of immediately. Even fatty tumors need to be removed if they are causing problems (location, etc.). My sister's dog, Zoe, had what the Vet said was a "fatty tumor" - and when it started to grow - my sister demanded it be removed and it turned out to be cancerous! They can't always tell what they are dealing with - until they operate (or do a needle biopsy at least).
I would recommend xrays as well. 6 is young to start having symptoms of arthritis! I would also recommend lab work - Thyroid (through Dr. Jean Dodds) as well as testing for some of the illnesses that may cause lameness (lymes disease for one).
This is serious - it should not be "let go" and passed off as "aging"! Even if it is found to be arthritis related - then they need to do something about it - (pain relief, supplements such as chondroitin/glucosamine, weight loss, exercise, etc.) and the Vet should be advising them.
Good Luck!
Kristen | Hello Jill,
I would look at the food ingredients. Corn is a big culprit in food and skin alergies. I recently took Tyler off corn based foods, and the difference is wonderful. Every year at this time we have had the worst hot spots to deal with. I had tried years ago to change his food, but he vomited new food up so I left him on the old food. This time I took him off of the corn based foods and supplemented him with whole cooked grains like barley, rice, brown rice and such. I would cook up big pots of grains, mix them up and use a cup of the mixture with his wet food instead of kibble I did this for about a month, then two weeks in, I would give him a little of the kibble I was going to switch him to, (Nutro, with OES on the bag) mixed in, all the while increasing the kibble and decreasing the grains. As time went on, he was changed over to the new kibble and no bouts of vomit or anything else...
The other thing to think about is food supplements. Tyler tends to be dry skin and his BM's tend to be dry. While he is a big water drinker he needed some oils in his diet. I supplement his diet with, Omega 3 capsule, Vit E capsule, and 2 Brewers Yeast pills. I just put them in to his morning food and he eats them down with everything else. My vet thinks that they are excellent supplements to give a dog and I just buy them at Walmart or where ever they have a two for sale. I use human grade, I don't buy animal grade.
Also, a few times a week, I put about a half table spoon of canola or olive oil on his food in the evening, which is about a cup of kibble. I will also sometimes put a raw egg on his evening food. Good for the coat and slows them down eating.
These are just a couple of things I found, I hope you find them helpful. I will admit my husband thinks I am a bit round the bend, but I love my furry kids and want the best for them. | you might try a medicated shampoo or tea tree oil. All my dogs get bathed once a week and I don't have any problems. I use tea tree oil shampoo.
also, is he on a good diet? something with flax seed oil or sunflower or safflower oil, or fish oil would be great... or you could start him on skin and coat supplements. Diet has a WHOLE lot to do with dry skin (although some dogs just get dry skin!).
Does he have flea dermatitis? That too will make the dog really itchy. My Blossom has it, and even though she is on a flea program, still has to have prednisone (steroid) to stay sane (me too!).
just a couple ideas  | I guess I'm somewhat confused - is this something new or have they always shed like this?  They aren't typically shedding dogs - but they do loose their coat (it requires brushing to get it out usually). What I don't understand is why this would just be happening to them now - and you hadn't noticed this before. That's something I would look into further to see if this change in their coat is typical - or if this is resulting from something else (food changes, supplements, weather differences, etc.). Are they scratching themselves (possibly due to an allergy or fleas) where they are removing the clumps of hair ???
It's been a rough day - sorry if this doesn't make sense! 
Kristen | With skin problems, my experience is that it can come from many areas.
Shampoo can be a problem. It must be diluted at the very least by 50% with water. I use either baby shampoo, diluted or dog shampoo for sensitive skin also diluted.
Food can be a problem too. We learned that Tylers hot spots (slow learners) were caused by the corn products in his food. We changed him over to a high quality with NO CORN in it and no hot spots this year at all.
Fleas can also cause a serious problem as someone already mentioned they can be alergic to them.
Dogs can also just have environmental alergies too.
I have also heard that there is some horrible skin disorder that sheepies and other breeds can get that stinks something awful and from what I have read there is no cure for it.
So in short, I would check the food. If it has any corn products in it, change it. When you bathe your dog or have it done, make sure you or the groomer rinses well. Also clip the hair and keep him in a puppy cut shorter in the summer and longer in the winter, I never let mine get over 4 inches in length.
I give mine Vitamin E, Omega 3 and brewers yeast as food supplements and also they get several raw eggs per week.
This is the first year since we adopted Tyler that he didn't get a hot spot and I have to say as slow at learning as I am, the corn based foods were the culprit for us. I am sure that others may have more ideas of where the cause may be. Check it all out. I hope for your sake it is not the skin ailment I have heard about.
Luck and best wishes | Paula ~ Belle is a rescue and she's got horrible arthritis in her hips along with an enlarged, failing heart. The heart issue is due to poor nutrition in the past. She's put on 15 pounds in the 6 weeks I've had her and she's getting good food, vitamins, supplements and meds. The cardiologist says there is hope that the damage can be reversed, but since he doesn't know how long the heart has been damaged, it's just wait and see right now. He'll see her again in January. Oh, and she's just getting over a urinary tract infection and she's in heat; she can't be spayed because of the heart.
Belle is a very mellow dog, as you can imagine, and she's had her up days and her down days. This picture is definitely an up day!
Jil | | There are also fish oil supplements you can buy for dogs at the pet store and you can just put them in their food. I've gotten them for both cats & dogs and the dander seems to go away. This time of year too, don't forget, the heater comes on which dries out the skin pretty easily too. | I go to Walmart and buy the Omega 3, Vitamin E and Brewers Yeast and put them in with their food every morning. Tyler has been on this combo for nearly 8 years and the Vet said it was a good combination of supplements. They will aid in the use of some medications when they have to take them, like antibiotics. This is directly from my Vet. Tyler is now 11 1/2 years of age and other than a slight cataract and some stiffness from arthritis, he looks like a much younger pup and seems to be doing pretty well. He has never had dandruff or flaky skin issues. He did get hot spots in the late summer early fall. But since we changed to a high quality food it is now a thing of the past. Also, anytime I have tuna or canned fish of any kind, I save the oil or even water from the water packed and put it on the dogs kibble. They love it.
Oh yeah, I started this post to say that you can get less expensive supplements at Walmart or by buying human grade supplements. If you can’t find the brewers yeast try a feed store or GNC, granules or tablets. I use the tablets, I put two in their food every morning. Also good, when I have to give a med to Tyler, Kiera thinks she has to have a med too, so I give her another brewers yeast and she just eats it right down. If he gets ear drops, she thinks she has to have them too. Just like a little sister. I tell you they are just like having kids.
Good luck with the flaky skin, remember it will take awhile for you to notice a difference and it may only be because we are now heating our homes. That will cause dry skin for us as well, so you can imagine what it is for them. | One thing I wanted to add...I learned of a really good supplement called Nupro, which I now mix into his food. It's got sea kelp, bee pollen, dried liver, probiotics, and other yummy, healthy goodies it in. It makes a really yummy gravy on top his kibble.
http://www.nuprosupplements.com/dog.htm | | Some of you might remember all the trouble I had with Pisco`s food...he started on Pro Plan...but he was born with a lack of a digestive ensyma....so his stool was always loose....after a while the vet recomended Prescription Science Diet...he was on that for a while and it worked well but here it is SO expensive and it only comes in the small package....one day someone gave me a sample of Dog Chow from Purina and I tried it and guess what he liked it and didin`t do anything to his tummy...I changed his Prescription to Dog chow and never had any problem....he even started to gain a little weight and is very healthy and active, I do give him calcium and vitamin supplements since I know it`s not a premium food...but for Pisco it`s the one that workes. | I'm not sure if you've read any other posts on this topic but I am having a lot of problems in this department with Frank as well.
Dramamine is fine, just make sure you follow directions on how long to give to hime before his trip. Personally, I did not have success with it. The bad thing about motion sickness, is once it is experienced, the dog will develop anxieties about it which will equally make them sick.
As far as herbal supplements there is "Rescue Remedy" and my vet just gave me a homeopathic medicine called "Anxiety" put out by HomeoPet. My breeder tells me to give Frank Ginger Snap cookies but I haven't tried that yet.
There are also prescription meds but they didn't put a dent in Frank's problem either so you may want to try everything else first.
Also, if Pooh is crate trained, I understand that if you crate them in the car this will actually settle them down a little. If he's not crate-trained it is not recommended to do this as it may cause more anxiety. Also, try not to feed your dog before the trip (less to puke).
Good luck and if you find a "cure" please post about it!! |
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