hi, we have a 6 yo golden, great dog, but is a little slow on walks.. we do
a lot of walking compared to average, but he is lethargic, when getting up
we notice some stiffness/limping, goes away when moves around a little, or
so it seems, maybe there is some permanent small limp we just got used to...
seems little hard breathing especially on warmer days

maybe started 2-3 years ago... he's a VERY big skeleton/built, weighs
around 130lbs. which is still overweight.. maybe 15-20lbs given his
skeleton/built.

we do not know if weight is his problem, thyroid was once checked, without
problems.maybe we should do it again...

we try but don't think his diet is best, we lack info on good foods, but we
are here to learn more.. a lot of money goes on food for him, we just fear
the commercial walmart stuff maybe not good, despite good prices.

he used to eat purina, still does little bit, mixed with TOP CHOICE soft
food, which is main part of his diet, now and has been for past 2-3 years.
we put a spoon or so of can food for taste..

so basically first 2-3 years on purina + can, then rest on mostly topchoice
softfood packs (maybe 2-4 packs a day), mixed little can + ocasional dry
food like purina mixed with this. all this seperated into two meals a day,
around 12-1pm and then around 10pm.. maybe feeding for nite, before nite, is
not good?

not my choice/doing, but spoiled with treats little bit.. tbonz and the
like.. I'm sure it dosn't help, but this is stopping now... also eats
rawhide bones, pig ears, 1-2 a day.

I'd say total time daily spent walking is 2-3 hours... total distance maybe
around 4-10km/day.

Id appreciate ANY input on this you may have.

I looked into some food names, like canidae, or nutro or eagle..not sure
what might be best... not sure whats best available in canada either
(montreal).

thanks again!

"SEKT" wrote in message
.. .
hi, we have a 6 yo golden, great dog, but is a little slow on walks.. we
do
a lot of walking compared to average, but he is lethargic, when getting up
we notice some stiffness/limping, goes away when moves around a little, or
so it seems, maybe there is some permanent small limp we just got used
to...
seems little hard breathing especially on warmer days

maybe started 2-3 years ago

we do not know if weight is his problem, thyroid was once checked, without
problems.maybe we should do it again...
...........Yes I'd have it rechecked, and if you didn't before, get a 6
panel thyroid run, not just the T4. You can find more about thyroid testing
on this page: www.dogaware.com

......could be a bit of arthritis too - either add fish to his diet or salmon
oil caps or flax oil.

we try but don't think his diet is best, we lack info on good foods, but
we
are here to learn more.. a lot of money goes on food for him, we just
fear
the commercial walmart stuff maybe not good, despite good prices.

he used to eat purina, still does little bit, mixed with TOP CHOICE soft
food,
.......I wouldn't feed soft food, unless it's canned. Those soft burger type
foods have alcohols and sugar, neither of which a dog needs.

we put a spoon or so of can food for taste..

........why don't you add a bit of jack mackerl, salmon or an occasional egg
to his food instead. There's plenty to read in the archives about food.

buglady
take out the dog before replying

SEKT wrote:
hi, we have a 6 yo golden, great dog, but is a little slow on walks.. we do
a lot of walking compared to average, but he is lethargic, when getting up
we notice some stiffness/limping, goes away when moves around a little, or
so it seems, maybe there is some permanent small limp we just got used to...
seems little hard breathing especially on warmer days

maybe started 2-3 years ago... he's a VERY big skeleton/built, weighs
around 130lbs. which is still overweight.. maybe 15-20lbs given his
skeleton/built.

Okay. I don't know how to say this in any way other than the truth. I'm
not trying to hurt your feelings. But no matter how largely built your
Golden is, 130 pounds is way, way more than 15-20 pounds overweight. 130
pounds is obese. How tall is your dog at the shoulder? If he's say, 30+"
at the shoulder I might buy that 100 pounds would be normal, but I've
never seen a 30+" Golden, that's getting near Great Dane size. And the
liklihood of a dog of that height having heavy bone is also pretty
slim--heavily boned dogs are generally restricted to show lines, which
are a lot more in line with the standard, which is 23-24" at the
shoulder. So let's first start from the fact that your dog is very
overweight--your dog is obese.

we do not know if weight is his problem, thyroid was once checked, without
problems.maybe we should do it again...

Yes. Check the thyroid, preferably through Michigan State which does a
full panel. Have you ever had his hips checked (www.offa.org)? Goldens
are also quite prone to hip dysplasia. And if he has hip problems, it's
even more critical that you get his weight down.


so basically first 2-3 years on purina + can, then rest on mostly topchoice
softfood packs (maybe 2-4 packs a day), mixed little can + ocasional dry
food like purina mixed with this. all this seperated into two meals a day,
around 12-1pm and then around 10pm.. maybe feeding for nite, before nite, is
not good?

Feeding twice a day is not bad, but you're feeding a poor quality food,
and too much of it. Invest in a better food. Even Iams is better than
this stuff. Cut out the canned, feed him good dry kibble. Of that
kibble, probably 2-3 level cups (actual measuring cups) per day is
plenty. Probably 1 cup each feeding until his weight starts coming off.
If you want to supplement that, add some spoonfulls of canned pumpkin or
throw some frozen green beans on.

not my choice/doing, but spoiled with treats little bit.. tbonz and the
like.. I'm sure it dosn't help, but this is stopping now... also eats
rawhide bones, pig ears, 1-2 a day.

Two rawhides and two pig ears a day????? Cut down to one each, a week.
Cut out all other


I looked into some food names, like canidae, or nutro or eagle..not sure
what might be best... not sure whats best available in canada either
(montreal).

Any of those would be better than what you're feeding. For now, with him
being so obese and you not knowing what's going on with his hips, I
wouldn't increase his exercise. But if he's having trouble getting
around and is stiff, you must.must.must get weight off. It's a proven
fact that heavy dogs with hip dysplasia have much more severe
deterioration than thin dogs. Get him down to a point where you think
he's SKINNY. Get him to a point where you can very faintly see ribs. His
spine should be covered, but a tiny bit of rib should show.

"Robin Nuttall" wrote in message
news:Vb3fe.55270$r53.15109@attbi_s21...


SEKT wrote:
hi, we have a 6 yo golden, great dog, but is a little slow on walks.. we
do a lot of walking compared to average, but he is lethargic, when
getting up we notice some stiffness/limping, goes away when moves around
a little, or so it seems, maybe there is some permanent small limp we
just got used to... seems little hard breathing especially on warmer days

maybe started 2-3 years ago... he's a VERY big skeleton/built, weighs
around 130lbs. which is still overweight.. maybe 15-20lbs given his
skeleton/built.

Okay. I don't know how to say this in any way other than the truth. I'm
not trying to hurt your feelings. But no matter how largely built your
Golden is, 130 pounds is way, way more than 15-20 pounds overweight. 130
pounds is obese. How tall is your dog at the shoulder? If he's say, 30+"
at the shoulder I might buy that 100 pounds would be normal, but I've
never seen a 30+" Golden, that's getting near Great Dane size. And the
liklihood of a dog of that height having heavy bone is also pretty
slim--heavily boned dogs are generally restricted to show lines, which are
a lot more in line with the standard, which is 23-24" at the shoulder. So
let's first start from the fact that your dog is very overweight--your dog
is obese.

hi, thanks for your input. takes more than this to hurt my feelings so do
not worry about it, I apperciate your help, I came here to get it. not
because I think there is no problem, but because I think there is one.
I have no measured at the shoulder, he is from a showline, father and mother
sides. but regardless of the name we pick obese or overweight, I prefer to
stick to a weight that jumps between 120lbs and 130lbs. and based on this,
every vet we ever saw (for checkups) said he should be around 100-110lbs.


we do not know if weight is his problem, thyroid was once checked,
without problems.maybe we should do it again...

Yes. Check the thyroid, preferably through Michigan State which does a
full panel. Have you ever had his hips checked (www.offa.org)? Goldens are
also quite prone to hip dysplasia. And if he has hip problems, it's even
more critical that you get his weight down.

thank you agian for the info, we are UNFORTUNATELY IT SEEMS in canada
(montreal). not sure what places are available for us to verify those
things but we are going to most definitely look into it, if you have any
specific info for our area, you are welcome to say it.

the hips were checked when he was younger, we should do it again. thyroid
checked maybe 2 years ago, not the full panel test. whcih I think is what
he should be getting.



so basically first 2-3 years on purina + can, then rest on mostly
topchoice softfood packs (maybe 2-4 packs a day), mixed little can +
ocasional dry food like purina mixed with this. all this seperated into
two meals a day, around 12-1pm and then around 10pm.. maybe feeding for
nite, before nite, is not good?

Feeding twice a day is not bad, but you're feeding a poor quality food,
and too much of it. Invest in a better food. Even Iams is better than this
stuff. Cut out the canned, feed him good dry kibble. Of that kibble,
probably 2-3 level cups (actual measuring cups) per day is plenty.
Probably 1 cup each feeding until his weight starts coming off. If you
want to supplement that, add some spoonfulls of canned pumpkin or throw
some frozen green beans on.

great tips again! how does purina sound? and how would you say it (or
IAMS) compares to some of the best brands I was able to find on the net (I
hope I looked in all right places for them) such as eagle, canadaei etc?




not my choice/doing, but spoiled with treats little bit.. tbonz and the
like.. I'm sure it dosn't help, but this is stopping now... also eats
rawhide bones, pig ears, 1-2 a day.

Two rawhides and two pig ears a day????? Cut down to one each, a week. Cut
out all other


I looked into some food names, like canidae, or nutro or eagle..not sure
what might be best... not sure whats best available in canada either
(montreal).

Any of those would be better than what you're feeding. For now, with him
being so obese and you not knowing what's going on with his hips, I
wouldn't increase his exercise. But if he's having trouble getting around
and is stiff, you must.must.must get weight off. It's a proven fact that
heavy dogs with hip dysplasia have much more severe deterioration than
thin dogs. Get him down to a point where you think he's SKINNY. Get him to
a point where you can very faintly see ribs. His spine should be covered,
but a tiny bit of rib should show.

thanks! advice well read. looking forward to hopefully a few more tips on
what I just wrote.
and you know what,just for the heck of it, I will permit my self to send you
a picture of him, not the most recent, but his weight was very close then.
at least you have an idea of built etc.

thank you again on everyone's behalf, including his

In article ,
SEKT wrote:
thank you agian for the info, we are UNFORTUNATELY IT SEEMS in canada
(montreal). not sure what places are available for us to verify those
things but we are going to most definitely look into it, if you have any
specific info for our area, you are welcome to say it.

Any vet can run a thyroid panel. Vet schools are a terrific
resource although they can tend to treat your dog like a
science experiment and run a bunch of probably unnecessary
tests. However, if there's something complicated,
difficult, or subtle going on I've found that vet school
clinics can be a lifesaver - literally. What I do is start
with my regular vet, who's very good and who I trust, and if
something comes up that she can't figure out or doesn't have
the facilities to handle, I take the dog up to Cornell.

That said, the University of Montreal has a very good vet
school. So does Guelph, and so does Cornell (~6 hours by car
from Montreal).

I'm a bit concerned about the weight your vet said was
optimal for your dog. Sounds high to me.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Melinda Shore wrote:



I'm a bit concerned about the weight your vet said was
optimal for your dog. Sounds high to me.

He sent me some pictures private mail. The dog is, unfortunately, obese.
The vet is wrong. That's not untypical--vets are used to seeing fat pet
dogs, and they know that many pet owners have trouble taking weight off.
Many pet owners are also angry if told their dog is overweight. So a lot
of vets tend to soft-pedal the whole fat thing.

To give you an idea from the photos I was sent, this dog is about an 8
on the Purina Dog Weight Chart:
http://www.placervillevet.com/canine...0condition.htm

And I think the purina chart encourages a dog which is heavier than
ideal. For instance, My dogs rank about a 3-4, which they call "thin"
and "underweight." But they aren't. My bet is that the OP's dog should
weigh about 75-80 pounds.

And to the OP, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) evaluates hips. You
can also have hip xrays sent to the OFA in the U.S. But either way,
please get weight off of this dog. He will feel a gazillion times better.

"Melinda Shore" wrote in message
...
Any vet can run a thyroid panel.
..........I doubt it. Thyroid tests need to be shipped off.

buglady
take out the dog before replying

On Sat, 07 May 2005 18:55:27 GMT, Robin Nuttall
wrote:


And I think the purina chart encourages a dog which is heavier than
ideal. For instance, My dogs rank about a 3-4, which they call "thin"
and "underweight." But they aren't. My bet is that the OP's dog should
weigh about 75-80 pounds.

Mine are 3-4 as well. Ok, so when we went to the vet last week, they
were each about 5# under what I thought they were. I've increased
their food a bit, but they are healthy dogs and I aim to keep them
that way.

A 130# Golden - I can't even imagine how difficult a time that dog
must have (did you see the rescue Golden that was over 200#? - he
died. He had been immobile for quite a long time, and he was only 5).

I'd be hard pressed to believe that even the heaviest boned and
tallest Golden would be anything but way too fat, at anything over 90#
tops (for a very tall and heavily boned dog).

--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album

Janet B said in rec.pets.dogs.health:

A 130# Golden - I can't even imagine how difficult a time
that dog must have

I know a 130# 28" Rottweiler. He's fat.

As to Goldens, I've had two very large ones here, easily the
tallest GRs I've seen, but even the fat one didn't come close to
100 pounds. (My reference point is 80 pound bags of cement, so
I may be off by 5 pounds or so.)

I've tried lifting the Rottie, but have never gotten his back
feet off the ground. (Dogs don't lift as easily as bags of
cement.)

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

On 7 May 2005 19:31:44 GMT, Rocky wrote:

I've tried lifting the Rottie, but have never gotten his back
feet off the ground. (Dogs don't lift as easily as bags of
cement.)


LOL.

Even the leanest Rottie has a very different build than a Golden
should.

Are vets afraid to tell their clients that the dog is fat? Afraid
they'll stop coming? I had a new client the other day. Dog is 6.5,
best guess husky/lab (from a shelter in Alaska). Pretty dog, but fat.
"Really?" "The vet has never said anything and he hardly eats"
(except about a bajillion treats every day).


--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album