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My dog is acting funny
About a week ago or so ago, I noticed my dog was limping around after coming inside from the backyard. She digs holes a lot, so I figured she might have stepped in a hole. We have a fenced in yard, so we don't take her anywhere else. She would get better for a day, then limp on it again. My husband told me tonight he's been noticing she's been eating a lot of grass lately. I haven't really noticed her eating an extreme amount, she just likes to poke around in it. She kind of nibbles at her food, doesn't really eat that much this past week that I have noticed. She's always been a little bit of a thinner dog, never really putting on a lot of weight. Lately she seems like she's gotten a little weaker, and had a hard time coming up the stairs and onto our bed. She never used to before. I was stroking her belly tonight and noticed she seemed a little more thin than usual -- it alarmed me a lot. What do I do? Is this something that will just go away? I'm concerned and I'm not sure if I should wait any longer, I feel like I've waited a week or so for the problem to correct itsself and it seems like it's getting worse. Thanks.
Took her to the vet, we got it all worked out. They actually think she's a healthy weight -- 40 lbs, that's where they want her to be.
She has a bone disease common in puppies, called pano (panosteitis) where her bones are growing too fast for her body, so they hurt. Basically I was given anti inflammatories to give to her, and told she would grow out of it, but to limit her activity for a little bit.
She goes on runs with me every other day, so she gets plenty of excersize and in fact, the doc said she's doing fantastic with muscle tone. It appears though, her body grew length wise and not stomach wise, which is why I attributed to weight loss. She has had her lime disease shots, and is current on everything.
After the vet visit, she is feeling much better and is pretty much back to her normal self. Thanks.
She has a bone disease common in puppies, called pano (panosteitis) where her bones are growing too fast for her body, so they hurt. Basically I was given anti inflammatories to give to her, and told she would grow out of it, but to limit her activity for a little bit.
She goes on runs with me every other day, so she gets plenty of excersize and in fact, the doc said she's doing fantastic with muscle tone. It appears though, her body grew length wise and not stomach wise, which is why I attributed to weight loss. She has had her lime disease shots, and is current on everything.
After the vet visit, she is feeling much better and is pretty much back to her normal self. Thanks.
Sorry, meant to add, until a proper diagnosis has been made or until such time as the condition is resolved, please don't allow her to climb stairs. If it is a limb or spinal problem, climbing stairs will certainly make matters worse.
Tony
Tony
Hi. Ok, well, this is quite tricky. First of all, if your dog is kept mostly in the back yard, she isn't really getting the exercise she needs to maintain good muscle tone and good health. How big is the back yard? What condition is it in? Is there anything there that could harm her, such as debris, holes or mounds, etc.
Secondly, while this does sound like a joint problem, how closely have you examined her? Does she whimper when you stroke her legs, her back, pelvis area and her shoulder and neck area?
The best course of action, obviously, is to take her to a vet for a professional diagnosis. Certainly, if the symptoms persist over the next 48 hours, she will need a vet as a matter of some urgency, otherwise she could end up causing even more damage than she has already suffered.
Eating grass is a sign that a dog has a digestive problem and wants to be sick. Is there anything in the back yard that she has been chewing on or something she has been eating that she shouldn't? While she feels sickly, she certainly won't eat properly, so this is a priority. You say you think she seems to have lost weight. Has your dog been wormed within the last 6 months? Has she had all her inoculations? How old is she? Do you pick up poop as soon as she has used the yard? Are any other dogs able to get into the yard?
If she doesn't eat a good full meal within the next 24 hrs, take her to the vet. A dog will go downhill rapidly if they fail to eat, as they don't get the nutrients necessary to have the energy to fight health issues and other problems.
When your dog is in the yard, does she have access to fresh clean water?
Hoping some of this is useful to you ... please come back with answers to the questions above so I can comment further.
Tony
Secondly, while this does sound like a joint problem, how closely have you examined her? Does she whimper when you stroke her legs, her back, pelvis area and her shoulder and neck area?
The best course of action, obviously, is to take her to a vet for a professional diagnosis. Certainly, if the symptoms persist over the next 48 hours, she will need a vet as a matter of some urgency, otherwise she could end up causing even more damage than she has already suffered.
Eating grass is a sign that a dog has a digestive problem and wants to be sick. Is there anything in the back yard that she has been chewing on or something she has been eating that she shouldn't? While she feels sickly, she certainly won't eat properly, so this is a priority. You say you think she seems to have lost weight. Has your dog been wormed within the last 6 months? Has she had all her inoculations? How old is she? Do you pick up poop as soon as she has used the yard? Are any other dogs able to get into the yard?
If she doesn't eat a good full meal within the next 24 hrs, take her to the vet. A dog will go downhill rapidly if they fail to eat, as they don't get the nutrients necessary to have the energy to fight health issues and other problems.
When your dog is in the yard, does she have access to fresh clean water?
Hoping some of this is useful to you ... please come back with answers to the questions above so I can comment further.
Tony
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