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I just want to say....
@jaredmillerdvm
@Kerch71
You guys are awesome

 

Prednisone is only given as needed. Usually during stressful times, or as we're getting closer to the next percorten shot. He's got terrible anxiety, so now he's also on something new ("traxidone" or something) to help calm him down. I'm not sure exactly what they are monitoring, but we went in for his annual checkup and they did look at some of his levels to make sure he was getting the right dosage of percorten.

 

Gracias!

 

@Kerch71 @jaredmillerdvm

My turn for a question. We have a 6 year old mutt. As a pup, we thought he was a Malinois. But he grew into something else.

Pup:






Anyways, not knowing his breed we've been unsure what is a healthy weight. He shot up to 82lbs a few years ago. We worked him down to 72lbs this summer. I weighed him last night at 62lbs. I'm concerned we're underfeeding him now. We give him 1 cup in the morning and 1 at night. We use an actual measuring cup. 4 health, "healthy weight formula" He looks better and has a lot of energy but always seems starving. Inhales the food.


Current state. I realize it may be hard to tell from pictures. Really appreciate this thread and your help.

 

I would say based on those pics he is pretty good body condition, not under fed. 2 cups a day does sound a bit low for a 62lbs dog. I would bump him up to 1.5 cups twice a day and see if his weight increases. I think 62 lbs is a good weight for him.

 

Beautiful dog! His face looks Akita to me.

 

Hey, docs! I have an 8.5 lbs Chi mix that requires insulin shots 2x a day. Been so since earlier this year and lately, not sure how I'm doing it different, but she's wincing in pain when I give her the shot, currently in the area at the top of her neck, behind her head.
Is there a surefire way to give her insulin that won't give her any discomfort? Thanks!

 

It may be because it's cold. Let it warm up for a few minutes before giving it. My old coonhound was diabetic and he started doing the same thing. I would also alternate shots to different areas of the body.

 

Yes, I do take the insulin right from the fridge. What other parts of her body can I use?

 

@FirstGenVol I would like to mention that you should take a look at the bag of food you feed your pup and see how many Kcal there are per cup. You can then go to https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/ enter your pups weight and activity level and it will tell you how much to feed.

They will all vary based on how many Kcal are per cup. For example if you fed Orijen Original it has 449 Kcal per cup compared to Iams Pro Active health food at 353 Kcal per cup. So if you were feeding Orijen it would take less food to achieve the recommended calories.

So using those two foods to keep your pup at 62 pounds it would take
Orijen 3 cups a day
Iams 3.8 cups per day.

 

I would typically put it right under the skin above each leg in an alternating pattern. You can put it anywhere you can pinch up the skin.

 

Thanks doc! Lady Gaga also thanks you!

 

Very cute! She looks like a pop star!

 

She lives a Diva life!

 

Thanks, that was my concern as well. It doesn't seem to end his appetite.

I'm pretty sure he will start the weight gain back with that much(based on earlier results). I probably need to get him more exercise. I may start with 1.5 cups in the morning and 1 in the evening and see what happens. Thanks for your feedback.

 

Matt, insulin shots have been so much more smooth!! Thanks again!

 

OK. Trying to do an update. We have cut our GSD off of all table food and snacks except Sam’s Yams. No chicken. Bought her Royal Canin Rabbit dry. No chicken fillers or biproducts. No junk in it. She wouldn’t touch it by itself. Ordered Royal Canin Rabbit in cans. (with Vet Prescripton) ($174.00 for two cases) She seems to be clearing up! Still nibbles a little bit. We ran out of the cans so we cook up a potato and lightly mash it with the RC dry. We have to crunch up the dry or she won’t eat it. So sweet potato and regular potato with the RC Rabbit dry kibble seems to be doing the trick. If allergens in the environment are high (Austin Texas area) we give her some Zyrtec to help her with allergy itching.

 

@jaredmillerdvm @Kerch71

Just want your guys opinions on grain free dog food. I've read multiple stories lately about possible links between heart attacks and grain free food, so much that the FDA launched an investigation into multiple big name brands. My dogs have been on it for years and never an issue but curious? Any thoughts are much appreciated!

 

The jury is still out, but there appears to be a strong link between the rise in grain free diets and the current rise in cases of dilative cardiomyopathy, or DCM. This is a type of heart disease that used to be somewhat common, then it became uncommon after companies began adding certain amino acids to commercial food, and now it has become an issue again. There is a definite correlation between grain free diets and cardiac disease, it just not clear what is causing it. I do not recommend a grain free diet. There is no scientific reason to feed a dog a grain free diet. It comes from people thinking dogs would benefit from it. There is no benefit, and it might even prove to be a serious health issue for dogs long term.

I ask all my clients this question: Why are you feeding a grain free diet? Most people respond that they read about it somewhere online, or their friends told them to feed it, or the teenager working at PetSmart told them they should, or they think it's good for allergies (which it isn't). I have never gotten a response stating that a veterinarian told them to feed it.

 

No way, she’s not backing down!! She was sniffin her next snack!

 

@Kerch71

What do you recommend for a quality ingredient dog food, I have a 3 1/2 year old Boxer?

 

I usually recommend Purina One or Purina Pro Plan (Pro Plan is a prescription diet), Iams, Royal Canin maintenance diet, or Science Diet maintenance. All are great quality diets formulated after years and years of research.

 

AGREE 100%. There are very few cases in which grains are the actual cause of allergies. I strongly encourage my clients to switch from grain free diets unless a grain allergy was diagnosed by a board certified veterinary dermatologist. Not all dogs will develop DCM while on a grain free diet but why keep them on it and risk it?

 

I am a Purina Pro Plan man. I have fed all of my pets PPP lamb and rice shredded blend and never had any issues. I currently have a 7 month old German Shorthair Pointer who is on PPP large breed puppy but will likely switch him to the Sport after he is 12 months old. I will again agree with @Kerch71 PPP, Science Diet, Royal Canin or Iams.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Yep, both of my dogs are on Purina Pro Plan Focus Weight Mgmt Formula. They're couch potatoes that need minimal calories.

 

So we are still having problems with his ears. He had the 14 day Oserna treatment and he was on Enrofloxacin flavored tablets for 21 days. The infection has not gotten any better. The vet did a treatment of TrizEDTA with Enrofloxacin solution and sent it home with us. The problem is that he is smart and won't let anyone muzzle him. He was on the Acepromazine prior to his appt and still put up a struggle at the vet. She gave us a script of Gabapentin to make him loopy at home so we can muzzle him. She said that she can go up to 300mg if needed. We started the first day at 100mg and it didn't phase him. The next day we tried 200mg with the same result. She said worse case would be to remove the ear canals if he won't let us treat him at home. Should we try 300mg to see if it does anything? We are at a total loss on what to do. He just won't let us muzzle him and we don't want to get bitten.