# limping 8 month old



## bcnewe2 (Jul 7, 2013)

I was out of town last week.  I thought i saw Jesse limping a tiny bit when I left.  I'm home now and she's.definitely limping on her rt. Front leg.  
I gave her an anti-inflammatory tonight and will watch closely.  I think she's got pano.  She grew so tall so quickly I'm not surprised.  I will watch for the lameness to change legs.  If that happens ill put her on doxy for tbd's.  She's had a couple ticks I picked off the last few weeks. 
 She's not to good at limiting her activities.  I might have to keep her penned up a few days to give her a chance to rest.


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## Briard'nSheep (Jul 8, 2013)

if the limping stays in one leg she may have just taken a wrong step. Does  it feel swollen or hot?

Large  breed puppies can grow too fast and will literally experience "growing pains"...

if it doesn't get better i'd have a vet look at it.


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## bcnewe2 (Jul 8, 2013)

I think it's just a strain or growing pains (pano) but I'm watching for it to change legs.  I'm not to big on soft tissue injuries and vets. They tell  you the same thing I'm already doing. Rest and time. She has grown about 6 inches in the last few months. That's enough to make anyone achy!
But we've dealt with TBD's before. That's no fun....so I watch carefully!
I'll post what happens.


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## bj taylor (Jul 9, 2013)

I know you lgd people know a lot about dogs & i'm no doubt repeating the obvious, so no offense - but, make sure your baby's food is designed for big breeds to help control their growth & enable them to better grow into themselves.  we spent a fortune in dog food on our german shepherds in their first two years.  now we have made the switch to Costco's brand which is very good food but slightly less money.


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## Grazer (Jul 9, 2013)

I also hope it is not TBD but just pano.

What are you feeding her?
For large breeds I personally always recommend the foods where it says they are "suitable for all life stages". (Costco has a grain-free all life stages dog food; 35 lbs for $32)
One can start their dogs on it from when they are puppies and skip the puppy dog food all together.
Even the ones for giant breeds, as they usually have too much protein in them or the ratio's are not correct.
A lot of people say balanced raw diet is supposed to be the best type of food for a dog, but I have no experience with it. So I can not comment on that.

In commercial dog food, the calcium to phosphorus ratio should be (especially for large breeds) between  1.1 : 1.4 -1.
As pointed out in this article here: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/do_i_need_to_use_a_puppy_food.htm  , Protein levels should be between 23-26%, Fat between 12%-16% and Calcium between 1.2% - 1.5%
Calories per cup should be moderate: 350 - 400 cal

Keep us updated!


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## bcnewe2 (Jul 23, 2013)

Thanks! I'm not a fan of puppy food for big dogs are any dogs for that matter. I'm keeping her protein low since it's so hot and she's growing so fast.  BUt try to keep the fat up. A hard one to find. So I supplement the fat.

Took her to the vet as the limp kept coming back. He says....it's a shoulder strain and she is reinjuring it when she's feeling better. So don't medicate and maybe pen her up at night if she'll stay and not dig or climb out which would do more harm than good. But he thought she would get better with time and the heat keeping her inactive.

Rabies shot, extensive exam and consult under $40.00.
I love love my vet. He's not only good but good prices too!

So Jesse got a car ride, lots of bacon and visits with all kinds of dogs and kids. She is a trooper. Weathered both with aplomb!

Back home resting in the shade!

Oh yeah she weighs 70lbs at 8 months old.  Still growing and looks thin. But muscled well!  I bet she hits 100lbs by this time next year. Gonna be one big puppa!


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## Southern by choice (Jul 23, 2013)

The study that the great dane lady has done is good however I do not believe it is an appropriate diet for many large breeds. LGD breeds are not Great Danes. 

The activity level and nutritional requirements are quite different. For about 15  years now the big push for lower protein in large breeds has IMO done a great deal of damage to many of the giant breeds.  

Actual working dogs and high energy breeds need more protein. Personally I adjust protein/fat etc weekly for my growing pups with a raw feeding in addition. My GSD's have always been on a very high protein diet... 35+ years I've never had a problem. Ever. The LGD's do not get quite as high as they do not have quite the same energy level and theirs is routinely monitored.

One indicator of  too much protein for the individual dog is loose stools. Loose stools- lower the protein.


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## bcnewe2 (Jul 23, 2013)

So southern what do you consider low protein? I know you are very picky about how you feed, I only use recreational bones and the odd raw chicken parts for treats.
  I use lower protein in the summer because of the lowered activity level of the dogs with the heat.  If I remember correctly the protein level is 26%.  Its hard to find much lower in quality food.  Do you think that is high enough? She isn't eating much right now in this heat. she is hiding her poo so I haven't see it lately. The vet agrees that she looks thin but said muscle tone felt great except for the gimpy leg was a bit less. He said that was to be expected. I think she looks real thin.  She is super tall.


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## Grazer (Jul 24, 2013)

Wow, all that for under $40.00. Now that is the type of vet I wish I could find here lol
The vets in our area charge $40 just for the consult  It's so hard to find a vet that is both good and reasonably priced.
I hope her shoulder strain gets all better soon and I'm really glad it's not TBD 

Interestingly enough LGD breeds have historically always been fed diets that were very low in protein. 
The shepherds were in general very poor so they would feed their LGD's mostly just bread with some milk/yogurt and if they were lucky the dogs would get some bone scraps too. 
And sometimes the dogs were lucky enough to catch a wild bird or rabbit.
There are now even some LGD breeds (like the Tornjak) that have problems with high protein diets because of that. 

Thankfully most LGD's are now being fed a much better diet. 
Personally I think if one has enough time and money it's best to avoid commercial diets all together and just feed a *balanced *home made or raw diet.
It is incredibly important that these diets are balanced by rotating protein sources, adding enough organs and raw bones (or home made powdered egg shells as a calcium source), poured vegetables etc.


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## Grazer (Jul 24, 2013)

Forgot to emphasize again that what I wrote in post #5 is only of concern for owners of large breeds who feed commercial dog foods, not for people feeding raw or home-cooked diets. 
The latter group follows a different feeding method.


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