dog, exrays, anaesthesia, weight loss

[Tiggeroo]

my one year old corgi is having hip or leg problems. If he runs or plays too much he will limp for a day or two. It was getting so bad that he will sometimes also have a hard time getting up from a standing position and seem to be unable to use his one side. He has had his leg x-ray, nothing. He has been on steroids and anti-inflammatory and improves until he plays a little too hard.
So now there are several problems - one he has put on weight because he can get no exercise. We've reduced his food and cut out treats. He's a corgi who loves food and he's miserable. He's lost four pounds and could really stand to lose between 15 and and 7 depending on who you believe on the right weight. He weighs 42lbs and is a big corgi. I think at 35 he has a waist and you can feel his ribs so that's where I think he's best. The vet thinks a dog his size should be 25 lbs but she doesn't treat many corgis who have big chests and are a beefier dog. Either way, how can I get his wait down when he's not allowed to walk at all now other then to do his business.
Second question - On monday he's getting a full back, hip, back leg x-ray. The vet believes he will need to be sedated for this. I'd rather not sedate him for an x-ray. Plus it more then doubles the cost of the x-ray. Any thoughts.

 

[mamamary]

Sorry to hear about your dog!

All I can add is that last year my dog needed surgery (twice) on his knee. He did need to be sedated for the xrays in order for the doctor to get the best picture taken. He's also been sedated for getting some teeth removed when he was a pup. Luckily everything worked out OK.

My lab is also on a small diet since he has gained weight with the meds he is on. He gets exercised alot and we've cut down on his food and he is still just losing weight slowly. Can't imagine if we couldnt exercise him how he'd lose anything.

 

[Tiggeroo]

If the x-rays don't show anything very wrong he will be allowed to return to light exercise, 4-5 shorter walks every day and building back up. But right now he has to be carried up and down stairs and walks are just until he does his business. Until Monday when they x-ray.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Diagnosing the dog's problem is going to involve ruling out other things.

The XRays won't come out right if the dog moves, so they have to sedate for them. Also if he moves and they have to re-do them, he gets twice the amount of radiation.

It does seem as if the extra weight is probably a factor - since 25 to 42 is an awful lot of extra weight for a smaller dog who's only a year old. I'm not sure about the 35 vs 25 without seeing the dog, but I'd guess your vet has the most experience with this sort of thing so I'd tend to go by what she says. Dogs are generally healthier on the normal to thinner side, so I'd at least aim for 30 or so and once he can run again get those last 5 lbs off with exercise.

I remember there was an issue of getting your last dog out to exercise. Has that still been a problem (before this issue)? As working dogs, these dogs need lots of hard exercise, not only for body health, but for mind health.

One thing you could do is to just keep him on a strict diet and have him lose the weight and once the weight is off see if the problem is still there.

 

[Tiggeroo]

No he was getting plenty of exercise before the injury. In fact it's possible the problem happened at the beach playing with other dogs. The weight came on after he started showing this problem. Normally he walks at least 4 times a day with one of them being a mile and goes to either the beach or dog park to play with other dogs several times a week. He is clearly carrying too much weight. Today he weighed 41 which is down several pounds over the past few weeks so the decreased food is working. I looked on line at Corgi sites and anywhere from 25-35 is normal for a male Corgi. And he is a fairly large corgi. So with the restricted exercise I want to get him down to at least 35. I am sure the weight is aggravating the problem but it is not the cause of the problem. I'm worried that they will find out it is hip displasia. We do have an insurance policy that covers this.
Before he got hurt he was probably around 28 lbs and 9 months old. At first the vet suspected a pulled ACL and they aren't ruling that out yet. I have seen recommendations of adding veggies like green beans to food. Has anybody had any luck with this?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

No he was getting plenty of exercise before the injury. In fact it's possible the problem happened at the beach playing with other dogs. The weight came on after he started showing this problem. Normally he walks at least 4 times a day with one of them being a mile and goes to either the beach or dog park to play with other dogs several times a week. He is clearly carrying too much weight. Today he weighed 41 which is down several pounds over the past few weeks so the decreased food is working. I looked on line at Corgi sites and anywhere from 25-35 is normal for a male Corgi. And he is a fairly large corgi. So with the restricted exercise I want to get him down to at least 35. I am sure the weight is aggravating the problem but it is not the cause of the problem. I'm worried that they will find out it is hip displasia. We do have an insurance policy that covers this.
Before he got hurt he was probably around 28 lbs and 9 months old. At first the vet suspected a pulled ACL and they aren't ruling that out yet. I have seen recommendations of adding veggies like green beans to food. Has anybody had any luck with this?

It sounds like he will benefit from the XRays, then. I hope everything's ok.

 

[kacaju]

I agree with pea and me. To get the best possible xray the dog needs to be relaxed. I used to work at a Vet Hospital..the sedation will be able to have them get the best x ray.
I have added green beans to my dogs diet...he loves them!!

Did you contact the breeder of the dog? See if they have had this problem in their dogs before?

 

[crz4mm2]

How much do you feed him?
Get weight reduction food and follow the guidelines for the size he "should" be...
I was shocked at how little my Boston was supposed to get....

 

[Tiggeroo]

How much do you feed him?
Get weight reduction food and follow the guidelines for the size he "should" be...
I was shocked at how little my Boston was supposed to get....

He's on science diet weight reduction now. It's a change from his almost straight protein food from the pet store. Yep, the amount of this is less then he was getting of the other. So he's always crying for more food and going to the food cupboard and barking and I feel pretty bad. But he needs to get better and this is pretty common for a corgi. They are notorious over eaters. That/s why I want to try the veggies mixed in. I know he loves broccoli and cauliflower. Can I add some of these to his food and he'll feel full but still get some weight off?

 

[crz4mm2]

Yes, you can add veggies to the food. I think if you had a small amount first (be ready for gas....) then add more if you need to (if he's still hungry)...
My Boston was sooo pissed when I cut down her food. She tried to eat whatever she could find.
Good luck. It is tough to be a dog mom!

He's on science diet weight reduction now. It's a change from his almost straight protein food from the pet store. Yep, the amount of this is less then he was getting of the other. So he's always crying for more food and going to the food cupboard and barking and I feel pretty bad. But he needs to get better and this is pretty common for a corgi. They are notorious over eaters. That/s why I want to try the veggies mixed in. I know he loves broccoli and cauliflower. Can I add some of these to his food and he'll feel full but still get some weight off?

 

[goofy!]

I agree with pea and me. To get the best possible xray the dog needs to be relaxed. I used to work at a Vet Hospital..the sedation will be able to have them get the best x ray.
I have added green beans to my dogs diet...he loves them!!

Did you contact the breeder of the dog? See if they have had this problem in their dogs before?

Green beans are a wonderful low-cal additive to a meal. I am doing it right now as we are trying to get some weight off our dog due to some elderly hip problems.

Calling your breeder is also an excellent suggestion. Couldn't recommend it more. Even if the breeder doesn't have anything going on in his/her lines, the breeder will be a Corgi expert. I have found picking our breeder's brain and then going to the vet with her knowledge in hand very successful.

A vet is a generalist. It always helps to have breed specific information with you to help a diagnosis.

As for the sedation, I don't think you have a choice. It is the less costly alternative to having to redo the x-rays because your dog twitched. You can't exactly tell a dog to lay perfectly still for the next couple of minutes

 

[goofy!]

He's on science diet weight reduction now. It's a change from his almost straight protein food from the pet store. Yep, the amount of this is less then he was getting of the other. So he's always crying for more food and going to the food cupboard and barking and I feel pretty bad. But he needs to get better and this is pretty common for a corgi. They are notorious over eaters. That/s why I want to try the veggies mixed in. I know he loves broccoli and cauliflower. Can I add some of these to his food and he'll feel full but still get some weight off?

I would stick to canned green beans. They are the least gassy option, fill the dog up and are low calorie. If the dog is as broad chested as you say, I would avoid foods that cause a ton of gas. Although diet has not been proven to be a factor in bloat, I would try to keep his diet as mild as possible, especially since he is not getting any exercise.

I would also get rid of the Science Diet. It is just filler and junk food, and could be a factor in why your dog is so hungry.
I would be switching to:

 

[Tiggeroo]

Breeder is not an option. He came from a bad situation and is one step above a rescue dog. Corgis are prone to hip and back problems. I don't know if the vet knows this. I am new to this vet and am unsure yet how good she is.
This is what he was eating until a week ago

 

[Tiggeroo]

Where can I purchase the wellness line. My small pet store does not carry it. They are pretty strong into raw food.

 

[Tiggeroo]

ok I googled it and found it. I like that they have a grain free low fat. Also that their products promote joint health.