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Old August 18th, 2009, 05:12 PM
liltigera1 liltigera1 is offline
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my dog is having trouble getting up

my dog is a german shepard great dane and as of late he is having trouble getting off the floor. he is a little over weight. he is scratching himself alot (i think its from dry skin) idk if that could be a reason why he is having trouble. when he is outside playing with my other dog he is fine and he runs around our yard. he was limping a couple of days ago. does anyone know a reason or a thought and what to do
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Old August 18th, 2009, 05:43 PM
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Both of his breeds are prone to joint problems, and being overweight certainly doesnt help. Dry skin is probably food-related. What do you feed him? How old is he?
It sounds like he is in some pain. Time for a visit to the vet. They can give you something to help him, pain meds, or a supplement to ease his joints.
Be wary of any diet food they try to sell you. Vet foods tend to be overpriced and low-quality. There is lots of info in the food forum here, and many helpful members.
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Old August 18th, 2009, 06:28 PM
liltigera1 liltigera1 is offline
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he eats the green bag of iams dog food. he is about 3 and a half years old
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Old August 18th, 2009, 06:30 PM
liltigera1 liltigera1 is offline
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he had alot of baths last month trying to get rid of flies so i thought thats why he had dry skin
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Old August 18th, 2009, 06:35 PM
liltigera1 liltigera1 is offline
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This is Liltigera1's stepmom - he is getting a good quality food - and is losing weight now (this time of year he is active and we keep him moving), we are wondering if he should have extra padding to sleep on or if we should be adding something to his food like oil to help combat the dry skin. he likes to sleep on the bare floor when it is hot out.
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Old August 18th, 2009, 08:03 PM
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allfurlove allfurlove is offline
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Hi, yes Salmon oil would be great for his dry skin, and for joint problems. When using salmon oil you must also supplement with vitamin E. Here is a really good link about this http://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html
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Old August 18th, 2009, 08:12 PM
liltigera1 liltigera1 is offline
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ok thank you so much for all your help
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Old August 18th, 2009, 08:17 PM
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allfurlove allfurlove is offline
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Glad to help...but I demand doggy pics as payment
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Old August 18th, 2009, 09:30 PM
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Your first step should definitely be the vet visit. At 3.5 years of age, it isn't normal for a dog to have joint problems. You'll want to rule out dysplasias and diseases that can cause joint pain--are you in an area where there are ticks? Many of the tick-borne diseases can cause joint pain and are readily treatable with antibiotics.

If he does have joint problems, getting his weight down will help a lot. Glucosamine/chondriotin supplements may also help.

As for the flea baths--you can get topical treatments for fleas from your vet that will work much better than OTC flea meds/shampoos and not dry your dog's skin!
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Old August 19th, 2009, 02:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by liltigera1 View Post
he eats the green bag of iams dog food. he is about 3 and a half years old
Quote:
Originally Posted by liltigera1 View Post
This is Liltigera1's stepmom - he is getting a good quality food - and is losing weight now (this time of year he is active and we keep him moving), we are wondering if he should have extra padding to sleep on or if we should be adding something to his food like oil to help combat the dry skin. he likes to sleep on the bare floor when it is hot out.
I think every dog likes something soft & cushiony to sleep on, with the option to lay on bare floors to help cool.

Does the limping seem to stem from the legs or the hip? It would be a good idea to have hip xrays taken given that GSDs & Great Danes are both prone to hip issues, it would also make a great reference tool for later in life to compare to should there be any hint of dysplasia.


As for the food I'm assuming you mean the Iams® ProActive Health™ Large Breed

Quote:
Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal (Natural source of Glucosamine), Ground Whole Grain Barley, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Egg Product, Fish Meal, Chicken Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Brewer's Dried Yeast, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Flax Meal, Caramel, Choline Chloride, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Dried Chicken Cartilage (Natural source of Glucosamine), Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Rosemary Extract.
In red - corn is an unneccessary filler & not easily digested, chicken by product meal could be any number of discarded bits not normally eaten, dried egg product cheap waste product of the egg industry, Fish meal & Fish oil doesn't specify what kind of fish is used, chicken flavour indicates artificial flavouring unspecified, Brewer's dried yeast is a waste product that can cause allergies & liver toxins, salt unneccessary


Compare those ingredients to Acana Adult Large Breed http://www.championpetfoods.com/acan...ormulation=alb

Quote:
Chicken meal, steamed oats, fresh free-run chicken, peas, brown rice, fresh deboned salmon, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary), chicken liver, fresh whole eggs, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, pumpkin, chicken cartilage (natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin), red delicious apples, carrots, turnip greens, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, organic sea vegetables (kelp, bladderwrack, dulse), burdock root, marshmallow root, juniper berries, fenugreek, sweet fennel, angelica root, sea buckthorn, chicory root, stinging nettle, red raspberry leaf, milk thistle, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers, chamomile flowers, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium. Vitamins (vit. A, vit. D3, vit. E, niacin, riboflavin, lysine, thiamine mononitrate, vit. B12, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin). Minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate).
or to Orijen Adult http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products...gredients.aspx

Quote:
Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, fresh pacific salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), herring meal, sweet potato, peas, fresh lake whitefish, fresh northern walleye, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E and citric acid), chicken liver, salmon meal, fresh turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh deboned herring, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product
Which would you rather eat? The first eight ingredients in the Iams there is only 1 acceptable protein source where as the Acana and Orijen have 5.

A change in diet to a healthier food will help to clear up the dry skin issues.
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Old August 19th, 2009, 07:05 AM
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mastifflover mastifflover is offline
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First off welcome to the board. I would switch the food if price is an issue try the presidents choice 1st food it is pretty good. Honestly Iams sucks as far as quality goes I think the second ingredient is corn or right near the top and corn is just filler no nutritional value at all. Second I would get a thicker bed Costco online has memory foam dog beds and they are reasonable and really good. I have used them with my Mastiffs. A vet check would be in order big dogs are prone to joint problems and adding glucosamine to the food is a good supplement for joint and bones. Limit the amount of running and jumping he may have pulled a ligament or muscle. Please let us know how your dog is doing
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Old August 19th, 2009, 05:23 PM
kandy kandy is offline
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Originally Posted by allfurlove View Post
Hi, yes Salmon oil would be great for his dry skin, and for joint problems. When using salmon oil you must also supplement with vitamin E. Here is a really good link about this http://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html
Alot of salmon oil supplements already have vitamin e in them (if it has rosemary extract, then it has vitamin e). It's used as a preservative in the salmon oil. If the supplement you choose does not have vitamin e, then you will need to add it as the extra omega 3's will slowly deplete the body's reserve.

Large/Giant breed dogs have more stress on their joints even under the best circumstances. Having the dog overweight, even just a tad, will increase that stress. Also, allowing the dog to jump on and off furniture or in/out of vehicles will jar the joints.
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Old August 21st, 2009, 01:51 PM
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You might want to try a med called "Deramaxx". Ask you vet if this is appropriate for your dog's particular issue. It is not holistic in nature, but from first hand experience, is quite helpful!

And of course, a new healthy diet and supplements can never hurt.

Best of Luck
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