Doug the Dog on a Diet

Um, what's CHD?

Canine Hip Dysplasia?
 
Is surgery an option? If that is what we are talking about...

No, thanks though, I meant about the diet. When we keep him off the grains, use various supplements, and keep his workload light, he does fine. We'll have to address his dysplasia more aggressively in the fall I think but now I just need to keep him from eating himself sick!

Right now he eats a breakfast of 1/2 can Solid Gold Green Cow, one can of various canned foods (Evangers, Natural Balance, Neura, anything without grain), and his supplements. Dinner is 1 and a half pounds of RMBs and half a can of the green tripe, an egg every three days, about 4 oz of fish every two or three days, with his supplements. I use a balanced fatty acid supplement, a joint supplement, yucca, and ester c, plus his antioxidant formula.

Bythe way, if you are thinking, my gosh that's a lot of food and a lot of trouble, don't forget this dog runs top speed for about ten minutes twice a day (not straight, but cornering and diving), plus he trots around for an hour following my hubby doing chores, plus we walk down to the pond (not sure, half a mile?) at least once a day. That's his light workload, now that I've got my new choredog Cord to take the burden off him and Ben. And this goofball is worth every dime and every bit of energy spent on him!

Oh Doug.  You silly boy.  What about maybe a veggie addition that falls on the lower end of the carbo spectrum, but is filling?  Green beans, leafies, squash, cucumbers, etc?  Maybe a tiny bit of sweet potato or some pumpkin?  I guess part of it depends on if you're looking to add actual nutrition, or just fill his poor starved belly.  *snerks*
 
Im wondering how much difficulty some oatmeal (Volhard style) would cause him?  Maybe in small amounts mixed with some low carb veggies?  Seems like the carbo-load from oatmeal would be less than say - white rice.
 
Just thinking out loud.  Hey, I'll M you a link for a board with some folks I suspect can help you.  I suppose I could call you, but we're about to get a T-storm.  Hope you guys at least get some rain.  I get to actually weed-eat before the storm comes - Chuck got home before I could rebel and mow.

I forgot about oatmeal! See, that's why I need y'all. [sm=wink2.gif]I also forgot about squash and cukes - they are in season (I usually have my own garden and am swamped with them, guess that's why they slipped my mind). I thought about green beans but hated to do the same thing every day.

Some steady rain JUST moved in. No thunder. Ooops. Spoke too soon, funny! I've got the whole gang up here on the bed, the sheepies are put up, and dinner's in the oven. We're just missing poor Doug. [sm=sad.gif]

  Poor Doug.  Poor you!  By the way, if you do oatmeal, I would probably make it his ONLY carb for the day (and I'd probably also go as sparingly as possible).  All this talking about food is making me hungry.  What's for people dinner?  [sm=biggrin.gif]

I like to do things like hand my teensy dogs a whole carrot, to help with their starving tummies. Feeding them out of Kongs helps, too. If Doug has time (he sounds like a busy guy!), get him a king sized Kong, and stuff that first meal into it. Freeze it overnight. Guaranteed to last at least a good 30 minutes. At least. Emma's used to last 2 hours, til she ripped the Kong in half. Then, it lasted about half a minute. Now, she has a black Kong. They seem more satisfied if they've spent time working at thier meals.

Mine are probably about as active as Doug, most days, and I have no doubt that either of them would turn down six pounds of dog food. My mom and I were talking about that, last night. I think Emma would literally eat herself to death. Teenie was close to being so fat she couldn't walk... Ugh. Poor Doug! Give him some extra snuggles, from us.

Doug is still under observation but resting comfortably.  He had a little bit of canned food.  Bloodwork looks good, no pancreatitis which was what was scaring me (and Dr. Cowan too, I think).

stuff that first meal into it. Freeze it overnight. Guaranteed to last at least a good 30 minutes.

That's a great idea.  You know, another thing might be that he is an all-day working dog trapped in an unhealthy body - the true tragedy of hip dysplasia in BCs and one reason the working registry is now funding research in that field.

I'll think a lot more about ways to keep his brain busy.  I'll take some pictures when I offer him the frozen sludge-filled black Kong and we'll compare notes on how long it takes him to empty it.  I thought he had jaws of steel until I took in Cordy.  That dog can kill a tennis ball in a single chomp, pop anything plastic in miliseconds, and can chew through a whole frozen chicken in no time flat.

Hmmm.  That is the other thing that has changed.  Not as much farm meat.  Hmm.  I need to clean out my freezer and make room for a big order of rabbits, I guess.  Been putting it off because I want to get a local supplier.

Laura, we had egg rolls, noodles, and PJ made his special fried rice recipe.  Yes, PJ, loves to cook and usually contributes one dish each night.  I hope he'll grow up to cook for his family AND his pets, lol.

I feel your pain on the working dog stuck in an unhealthy body. Emma is that, and I try to keep her as exersized as possible, without stressing her little bones. She gets bored out of her brain, sometimes, so I've had to think of things (like the Kongs) to keep her amused. This kid has jaws of steel. Tennis balls don't last a minute. I had to *teach* her not to put her teeth through frisbees. I stop playing the first time her teeth go through the disc. Otherwise, I have muliple bite wounds per toss, LOL. She *eats* marrow bones, so I've had to stop giving them (she does not get to consume bone, at all, ever). No recreational bones makes it a serious challenge. We do a lot of clicker training, to stay occupied, and swimming.

If he ever wants to eat kibble again, something like a busy buddy might help, though he may tear it to bits.... I haven't tried one yet. I'm still shocked and amazed that my 17 pound muscle machine ripped her Kong.

I'm glad that Doug is feeling ok, tonight. I hope he can come home, soon!

Becca, I'm sure you've probably seen this, or know most of it anyway, but [linkhttp://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html#supplements]here[/link] is a good article on joint problems, with a BUNCH of links to other information.

Thank you Kelly! Your readiness with the links is always greatly appreciated! I do think I read this when I started Doug on the liquid supplements years ago before he was symptomatic, but a review was in order. I defintely see some ways I can tweak what we're doing.

I dug out an old clicker trick book I had and handed it to Patrick tonight. He's going to give Doug a nightly workout (I'm going to do it with him, with Cord). It will be good practice in non-sheep training for when he gets his new pup in the winter or spring next year. [sm=wink2.gif]

What will the vet do for Doug?  Just wait for all 6 pounds to pass thru?

It was a super-premium food and so all six pounds will not come out the other end, not even close, lol! She's giving him tons of fluids to keep his kidneys flushed, lactolose to support his liver, and watching his ALT levels.

He's coming home tonight, yay! He'll be on a bland diet for a while - I'm going right now to buy him one of those black kongs.

Just in case you've never used lactulose..... It doesn't really support the liver so much as grab toxins and move them along. It does cause diahrrea, depending on the dosage given. It's a miracle worker for dogs and people (it's a people drug--- I pick it up at the pharmacy. They flavor it with Hepatic Encephalopathy.

Just be warned. As long as you're giving lactulose, in any amount about a teaspoon or so per meal, there will be liquid stool.