Cooper has been scratching his ear recently it happen atleast 2 times a day i checked for mites, ticks and fleas but he seems to have no prob like tat his ears are clean too im jus wondering what the problem might be and he keeps licking his front legs often after we cme back from walks and after i give him his supplements he seems to be doin this often too.. I read an article abt purutis an itching condition in dogs but not sure if tat is wat Cooper is suffering from bcoz he does show any of the symptoms mentioned der can anybody tell me wat is this prob...
Re: a big thank you Hi Teena Ann, sorry to hear Cooper is having an itching problem. There are so many causes of itching, that it really isn't possible for us to say what it might be. And there are probably causes of itching in your part of the world that we are not even aware of. So, if the itching persists, and especially if Cooper starts getting sore where he is scratching, you'll need to get your vet to have a look.
Re: a big thank you Poor Cooper. Lots of possible causes for this. If its more than just a short lived itching I would be right at the vets - once they start itching and biting it can escalate very quickly and get into a bit of a vicious circle. Hope it settles quickly
Re: a big thank you I agree with Jacqui Teena Ann. If its been going on for a few days and you can't see anything obvious I'd be going to the vet. Dogs can easily get into a habit of licking which is difficult to stop. It might just be something in the environment at this time of year that he's had a reaction to. Dogs can be allergic to pollen which can cause itchiness for example. I hope you solve the problem quickly and cooper stops itching. Let us know how you get on.
Re: a big thank you It's not happening daily or frequently jus occasionally and I checked he doesn't seen to have any sore or a wound abt d licking I'm confused Ges it's become an habit no soreness or redness or inflammation der too but don knw y he is doing tat is it bcoz of stress
Re: a big thank you It's probably not stress. If it's an allergy to something in the environment you won't necessarily see any sores or redness or anything on his skin. It doesn't sound too bad at the moment but if it gets more frequent they can start to damage their skin through the scratching and that is a problem. It's probably something it'd be worth seeing the vet about. My dog Obi gets very itchy due to pollen or something he's allergic to. It's really windy here at the moment which has put a lot of pollen into the air and he's prone to being extra itchy when it is windy... He has medication for it which helps a lot.
Re: a big thank you Hello everyone, Sry that i have been off the forum for a long tym due to xams nd im happy to be back.. So to start wer i left earlier was the itchiness that Coop was suffering turns out it was some fungal infection nd he is on medication for it but off lately he has started to shed alot of his hair continously for the past three months thou der is no sign of baldness or patchiness anywhere i tld my vet and he said tat its nothing to wry about as its due to seasonal change or its the moulting period im not convinced nd worried tat it might be something else....Do dogs shed like this continously for three months or more or is der a specific period for it im confused pls help me. 2. Coop is now 15 months(i.e 1yr nd 3 months) i have been feeding him Royal Canin Maxi Adult this month i changed to Royal Canin Medium Adult since the former one(RC Maxi) was out off stock will this cause any problem to his health and whats the difference btw the 2...some say Royal Canin is not a gud food is it true???? Does anybody have any idea abt gud quality kibble i read abt Farmina's N&D kibble is it gud??? help???
Re: a big thank you Hi Teena - I hope your exams went well. Charlie sheds his coat twice a year - spring and autumn here and it goes on for a little while, yes. But it might be a bit different where you are if it's hotter. If there are no bald patches, then I guess your vet is right and it's just normal shedding. Royal Canin Medium Adult is very similar to Royal Canin Maxi Adult - the differences are small. Medium is 1% lower in protein, slightly lower in calories and fat, and lower in some added vitamins. Although the maxi range has Glucosamine plus chondroitin added and the medium range does not - some people, but not everyone, thinks that Glucosamine plus chondroitin helps joint problems. I think Royal Canin is fine. People have very different views and opinions on different brand of kibble - it certainly isn't possible to find many people agreeing on which one is the "best" and most people think the one that suits their own particular dog is the best (and it probably is for them). It's much more important to consider whether you dog seems to be doing well on the kibble he is on, plus what is available where you live, and what is affordable on your budget. Given your struggles to both move Cooper on to a kibble in the first place, and then get him to eat it, if he is doing ok on Royal Canin I think you should stick with it.
Re: a big thank you Hi Teena Ann . Hope your exams went well I agree with Julie. If Cooper is eating the Royal Canin and he is happy with it I wouldn't change to a different brand of kibble. My dogs sleep outside so they molt twice a year. A big molt in spring to get rid of the winter coat and a smaller molt in autumn to replace the summer coat with the winter coat. However some dogs which live indoors can molt much longer because they are warmer due to heating. Where you live it's hotter anyway so a long molt might be normal especially as he has been checked by the vet and he has suggested its normal shedding. I'd just keep my eye on him and if you spot a bald patch nip him back to the vet.
Re: a big thank you Thank u Jen and Julie i hope u guys are ryt thank u so much for ur thoughts Cooper is fyn wid the Royal Canin Maxi and Medium unless i pour over some stock into it since the maxi range is out off stock i bought d medium one for tym bein so ill be back to the Maxi in some tym and the shedding hope it reduces in sometime keeping my fingers crossed.. 8) 8)
Re: a big thank you Hi Teena Ann, We live in similar heat to you ,Dexter sheds a little all the time,I think he's adapted and doesn't have the big moults other dogs have that live in a more 'Seasonal ' climate.Fur does come away from him everyday ....I brush him with a mitt everyday and that shows me what comes away and I see fur around the house but I wouldn't say there are handfuls.Dexter also has RC food and he does really well on it,he's on the gastro diet type.his coat is lovely,for a yellow boy he even has a little shine and his bowel movements are firm on it.Its mainly considered one of the better foods so if Cooper is doing well and it's a brand that is easily available to you I would stick with it . Nice to see you back after the exams Best wishes Angela x
Re: a big thank you Thank u Angela i knw the climate here is hot too but its now changing nd becomes unpredictable as we don knw wen it will be hot or wen it will rain i hope the shedding reduces i brush him twice this the 1st tym he has been shedding more than wat he normally does tats wat is worrying me other wise he is doin well his hip condition has worsened im worried abt it cause he fell nd made it worse but doesnt show any signs of discomfort but i believe he is in pain gonna get him xrayed to see hw far the condition is... dogs with HD hw long do they live???? Coop is too young (15 months i.e 1yr 3 months) nd i don wanna lose him early :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( He eats his RC well provided i pour some stock nd he finishes off in no tym pls tell me hw do i prevent him from running or playing that may lead to worsening his hip condition he is an active one nd doesnt like to be confined to one place he always comes werever we go till now he has neva showed his discomfort to us though we knw he is i neva crate trained him so i cant confine him to a crate pls help
Re: a big thank you Ah Tena Ann,how did he fall?Is he limping ,is that what makes you think he is on pain?the x rays sound like a good plan so you can get a clear picture of the extent of his HD and now to manage his lifestyle form that. I don't know enough to tell you if HD affects a dogs expected life span,I hazard a guess to say not as I'm sure I would have noticed that when I have been reading things bit some other members might be able to help you with that. Managing a young,energetic dog with an injury or disability is tricky.......your vet should be able to advise you based on the extent of Coopers HD.I wouldn't say confining him to a crate has to be your only course of action though,you can make adjustments to limit the potential for injury.Things like confining him to a certain area of the house,preferably with a non slip floor,if you have tiled floors and he slips maybe you could find some cheap mats to cover the area he will use.if he is noticeably limping I would reduce free running on his walks and keep,him on his lead for now,it might mean you need to take him for shorter walks more often and try and walk him on a stable ,soft surface like grass if you can.Id also be careful with him playing with other dogs until you have a clear idea of his condition ...that doesn't mean keep,him away from other dogs,I'd just take care he doesn't charge around too madly with excitement. Sorry I'm not much help,as I don't have any. HD experience,I'm trying to draw on when Dex had his tail op and we were on lead walking for a month..let us know how you get on at the vet. Best wishes X
Re: a big thank you Sorry to hear that you are worried about Cooper. I don't have experience with HD, but Charlie will have some issues in the future that are similar. Because of his cruciate surgery, he will have arthritis in future - maybe a little, maybe a lot, I don't know. Charlie does a lot of exercise, which is good. But the types of exercise he does is managed. We do more swimming and walking than running and chasing things. I do feel though, that it's important for him to enjoy life, to run and play and retrieve, so he gets to do the things he loves. Thankfully, swimming for a tennis ball is top of his "great things to do" list and it's a safe exercise for him to do. When you take Cooper for his x-rays discuss with your vet the best way to manage Cooper's exercise. With Charlie, he gets lots of exercise in smaller time periods than a lot in one go. We keep upping his exercise gradually, and reduce it if he shows any signs of stiffness. I'm glad you asked the tricky question about the lifespan of dogs with joint problems. It's a difficult but important point. My understanding is that dogs with joint problems can expect arthritis to develop. Since many older labradors are put to sleep once arthritis makes it too painful to carry on, I think those of us with dogs that have a certainty to develop arthritis could reasonably expect to experience these problems sooner. But no-one has a crystal ball, and different dogs will experience different levels of problems, from mild to severe, at varying times in their life. But there is no need to panic, I think. Lifestyle changes can help, managed exercise, keeping dogs thin, providing good nutrition - medication if necessary and appropriate. For me, I do everything I can to make the outlook for Chalie the best it possibly can be. Then I let him be a dog, I let him enjoy himself, and I enjoy every minute I have with him. I prefer a choice that is a full, fun filled life for Charlie (with sensible precautions) than a very restricted one that might be a little longer. You need to talk to your vet, Teena, about what the best thing to do for Cooper may be, then decide how to manage things. It is too soon to be worried about losing Cooper before you even have the results of the x-rays. Find out what you are dealing with, decide on a sensible programme, and hopefully you'll have many, many years to enjoy life with Cooper. Best of luck with it, I can imagine how worried you are about it.
Re: a big thank you Thank you Julie and Angela for ur concern and advice as u said i keep is walk limited and he is on leash from d tym i started taking him for walks he doesnt mind it the interaction wid other dogs is less as most of them are aggressive or sick as they wander in the streets which is sad to see i reduced is play of fetch and other running about in the house that would aggravate his problem more he sits wer we r and comes wid us once we r out of that place its so hard to confine him to one particular room as of now my vet advised me to confine him to a crate and prevent him from climbing or running or jumping and carefully monitor his weight which i have been doin now but it doesnt deter Cooper from from exploring evrey corner of the house not to mention the terrace he likes to climb and jump im really stressed abt this its the medication that keeps him goin i ges bcoz as i said he doesnt show any kinds of discomfort. Julie does swimming help in any way and do dogs swim on their own i have not seen Cooper doin it anywhere if so hw to start
Re: a big thank you Most people think swimming helps arthritis and joint pain - you could ask your vet what he thinks About this for Cooper? The water supports the body and joints are free of weight when moving - so joints get exercised without stress or strain. swimming is just great general exercise too. Where to start depends on what is available to you where you live. Here in the UK, warm, inside doggie swimming pools are quite common, as are more formal hydrotherapy pools and treadmills. If you are swimming outside in lakes or rivers, the thing to be careful about is finding safe water and smooth, shallow entry points and not have the dog doing difficult jumps in and out. Have you got anywhere Cooper could swim?
Re: a big thank you No Julie here der is no such places for Cooper to swim paddling pool will be quite small for him but i need to restrict his exercise a bit to make sure he is free from pain thank u so much... thats Cooper at 15 months
Re: a big thank you Cooper is looking really good Teena Ann I'm sure you will do the best you possibly can to keep Cooper fit and pain free x
Re: a big thank you Teena, you need also to consider that Cooperneeds to be able to move and exercise in order to keep his muscles strong, which will help with his condition. Just stopping him from exercising completely will not help. Controlled exercise and medication is the way to go.
