Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Karen is right Teena, we have been told to keep Lilly nice and slim. You wouldn't know she had her hip problem (except she is a bit growly if you get too close and disturb her on her bed). The main thing we notice is she "bunny hops" a bit when running in that she keeps both back legs in line when running - difficult to describe really. Its really good news that your vet thinks she doesn't need surgery. xx
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking So sorry to hear about this diagnosis, Teena Ann. I can't give you any advice about medications or the like as I haven't had experience with this. I think the advice everyone is giving about the food is good - I too would be worried about adding stuff to his kibble and potentially making him even more fussy. But perhaps a change in the kibble itself would help. Hope you can get it sorted out soon!
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Hi all nd thank u so much for ur support nd encouragement Cooper is active and healthy and sends all of u big hugs and licks ;D ;D..The tablet tat my vet suggested is "pet joint" he should be on this for 3 months nd helps to ease pain if any and also to strength his joints nd ligaments as for his food i tried changing 4 brands of food (pedigree, drools,royal canin and science diet) nothing worked although he loved science diet so i stopped buying kibble and im giving him bread with scrambled eggs and a glass of milk not always i change it alternatively and im a little worried abt feeding him fish like salmon nd sardines bcoz i heard its bad for dogs but if its gud can u tell me the food brand tat contains it so i can get it for Coop Secondly he behaves as if he doesn't have any pain in his joints runs, jumps, bumps, plays which most dogs wont do so im happy abt it and gonna stop worrying and help him wid the support tat you guys are giving me and me Coop are going to over come it Regards, Teena and Cooper
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Hip displaysia ranges from mild to severe and if it's only mild he may never show much of a problem (except perhaps when he is old). Hopefully he will continue to be active and happy and you won't even notice a problem Teena, I'm just wondering why you stopped giving him the kibble? You said that it wasn't 'working' but what did you mean by that? What did you expect it to do? Unfortunately, milk, egg and bread is not a suitable diet for a dog - he will not do well on that over the longer term. My advice would be to go back to the kibble food - if he prefers the Science Diet then go with that. That way he will be getting proper nutrition, which is so important.
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Yes Rachel i knw abt it and i think its mild for him now as for the kibble wat i meant was tat i stopped it altogether bocz he is not eating it including science diet which he once loved i switched 4 brands of food as i mentioned in my earlier post nd i don knw wat alternative to use instead of the kibble suggestions will be helpful
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Cooper at the vet nd getting a medicated bath (thinking he is at the spa 8))
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Cute Obi is having the same thing tomorrow Does Cooper wear a halti? Does he have a little sore spot at the side of his face there? With the food, personally I would just go back to the kibble that he liked the best and persist with it. He will eventually eat it. His weight looks good, so he is not starving A kibble is the easiest way to make sure he's getting the nutrition he needs - at least as the main part of his diet. You asked about feeding fish - you certainly can feed dogs fish. I feed Obi a tin of sardines for his dinner every night. You could try that if you can get tinned sardines. The amount I feed is 100grams. (Obi also gets breakfast of a different kind of food, a commercial raw diet). Raw meaty bones are another option. Obi gets chicken legs or thighs with the bone in, or a couple of slices of lamb neck as a meal sometimes. You could try Cooper with something similar to replace some meals. It would be good for his teeth.
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking He looks great Teena! I wouldn't give up on the kibble. If he's hungry he will eat it ;D I give Lilly meaty bones as a treat. Don't give her raw chicken wings (no particular reason though) but I do give her raw fish. I often get given whole fish but a man from my work who catchss the. I don't really like fish. So....I chop the whole fish into 3 or 4 portions depending on the size and give her a portion as a treat. I have given her fresh salmon (but WE like that ;D ) so mostly it is trout - both sea ond freshwater - but she loves any fish. I am sure someone once said that giving bread to dogs is like feeding children burgers. Yes, it's food, but not healthy! We give Lilly a supplement that contains Omega 3 Fish Oil. Is that what is in the tablet from your vet? Does it say?
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Hi Teena I am very sorry to hear about Cooper's hip. Try not to worry too much though, as many dogs with mild hip dysplasia do very well indeed. You really do need to follow the advice you have been given with regard to what you are feeding to Cooper Cooper will not stay healthy if you feed him like this. All dogs have many foods that they prefer to kibble - including raw meat, roast meat, canned meat, gravy and lots of human foods. BUT - if you add any of these foods to kibble, you may find your dog refuses to eat kibble at all and just holds out for the other stuff. The only way to be sure he eats his kibble, is to not give him anything else at all. He may sulk for a few days, but will start eating again when he gets hungry.
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Thanks Oberon and Jacqui really appreciate it th e sore one the face is the skin infection i mentioned in my previous post (dermadicosis) he under medication for it too.Kibble part he avoids it completely no matter wat i mix in it so i don knw wat else to give him for breakfast i feed him 3 times a day during the day he gets beef or egg nd vegetables and at night he gets chicken gravy its in d morning tat im getting confused as to wat to feed him my mom is reluctant to feed him fish we give him omega3 supplements as well he is holding out for kibble over 2 months wat to do????
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Sounds like Cooper knows just how to get his own way. I use kibble only Teena and just mix it with water. I don't add anything to her meals under normal cumstances. I use treats in between for training or good behaviour but wouldn't give her anything as an extra if her main meal isn't eaten. Lately I have also been giving her half her kibble at breakfast and keeping half for training so even less treats than normal. I think you need to be a bit stricter about NOT giving extras - just the kibble.
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Also, he could probably be on two meals a day from now on instead of three - then he'll be hungrier and will eat his kibble better!
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Thanks Lynell, Jacqui and Karen Merry Christmas to y'all Im gonna stick wid the kibble as suggested and gonna be a little strict bcoz i have bein pampering him its my fault and since he has hip problem im gonna get the kibble tat meets his requirements whether he likes it or not im gonna give it to him...secondly i need to knw if he is becoming aggressive i.e evrytym we try to get hold of his collar or try to rub his head he is snapping nd his biting has not stopped completely though i knw it will but its the snapping tat im worried abt :-[ :-[ once he reaches his sexual maturity i feel he may bite us he scared nd nervous too adding to the fact he is snapping my uncle bought his 1 month old pup to our house nd he started to sniff him lick him play wid him but aftr a while he started to bark continously so we seperated him from the pup but no use he wants to play wid him whenever he hears the other pup whining so again we let him out and the whole cycle happens again wat does it mean does it mean he is rude or playful :-[ :-[
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Heavens, a one month pup should still be with its Mother and litter mates, perhaps that was a typing error on your part? I feel his snapping and biting when you attempt to rub his head or get hold of his collar could be either some fear and he is telling you to go away, or he doesn't want you to do it and is calling the shots. He could become more aggressive when he is mature, but not if you address the problem now. I sounds to me as if he is more nervous, so approach him more gently, don't attempt to run his head, some dogs hate that being done. Why do you need to take hold of his collar? Are you leading him somewhere he is scared to go? If you are just attaching his lead then you can make that a pleasant and non threatening thing by treating him.
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking He is nervous we try to hold his collar bcoz he is doing things which is not suppposed to do like taking things in his mouth and running so when we try to get it from him he growls or snaps and we need to tie him up for a while wen we are cleaning or doing other work bcoz he wont let us do it i don knw if tat caused him this type of fear im really sad and frightened tat he is doin like this and secondly his food habits have changed he aint eating his kibble no matter how i give him i tried mixing ghee, chicken gravy and even eggsi even tried changing the brand but no use he simply keeps turning his nose he is healthy and active despite bein diagnoised with HD i don knw why he is doing like this for his next meal tat his for lunch or dinner he makes sure it has meat if not he wont eat im worried and angry i have never seen a dog like this before especially a lab tuning his no on food as they r usually food motivated breed
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking [quote author=Teena Ann link=topic=3493.msg43532#msg43532 date=1388384047] aint eating his kibble no matter how i give him i tried mixing ghee, chicken gravy and even eggsi even tried changing the brand but no use he simply keeps turning his nose he is healthy and active despite bein diagnoised with HD i don knw why he is doing like this for his next meal tat his for lunch or dinner he makes sure it has meat if not he wont eat im worried and angry i have never seen a dog like this before especially a lab tuning his no on food as they r usually food motivated breed [/quote] Hi Teena Ann. Try giving Cooper his kibble with nothing added at all - don't add anything to the kibble. the reason you are having problems is because you are adding things. Try this for 3 days. Put his kibble down, nothing added, and if he hasn't eaten it after 15 minutes, take it up and throw it away. Try again at the next meal time and not before. Don't give him anything else at all. He'll soon eat his kibble. Is the kibble you are using fresh? I opened a big bag a couple of months ago and the bottom kibble had a bit of mildew on it so I had to throw it out. I buy smaller bags now.
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Hi Julie I usually give him dry kibble only he doesn't eat so i mix something to make it more exciting he still doesn't want it i don knw want to do my vet tld me tat he must have his kibble atleast once in his meal tym its all my fault i made more pickey He starved himself tdy i did not mind he even tried begging for food wen we were having our meal
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking Hi Teena Ann, don't mix anything with the kibble if he doesn't eat it. Just keep going putting down the kibble and taking it up if he doesn't eat it. He will eat it when he gets hungry enough. If you keep adding things, he will just hold out for tastier things. Cooper's health depends on you getting him to eat suitable food - the diet you describe when he is not eating kibble is not healthy for him. He might go hungry for a while, but keep going and he will eat the kibble - he is not a little baby anymore, he won't come to any harm if he skips a few meals, honestly. With an upset tummy last week, my boy didn't keep food down for 6 days and he is still fine. Is the kibble fresh? By that I mean from a bag that has been open less than a month and stored in a dry place?
Re: Cooper's criss cross walking I agree with Julie, Teena Ann. There is not really any way round it - give him the dry kibble as Julie says, and if he doesn't eat it, remove it after 15 mins or so. Repeat at his next mealtime. NO extras whatsoever. Don't give into those puppydog eyes If he is hungry, he will eat his kibble. You need to remember though that you will need to keep him away from anything he could scavenge around the house or garden or he won't learn so quickly that his food is HIS food - and that includes tasty picking from the table or kitchen from other family members!! Keep on at it Teena - it will work.
