# New Limp - Linked to diet?



## WitterKT (Jul 22, 2010)

Hey guys,

Background:

So the raw feeding is going well. He's eating chicken quarters, pork necks, and the occasional beef/pork ribs. He gets some chicken liver at the moment for his organ requirements, and I will phasing in different organs as the diet progresses. 

We had been feeding him about 4 lbs. per day (2 in the morning and 2 at night), which is about 3% of his ideal max weight (130 lbs.). I can see his back rib and a defined hip line, but it has gotten a bit softer over the past week and had considered cutting back even before now.

Today at the dog park, I noticed a limp in what appeared to be his front right leg. When we took him to the vet, she had difficulty diagnosing which front leg was the "lame" leg, as he allegedly shifted symptoms between evaluations during the visit. I noticed a bit of a limp in the morning after he got up earlier in the week, but dismissed it to "morning stiffness." 

When she asked about the diet, I told her raw and she was politely opposed. She suggested a diet more suited for "large breed dogs" and suggested that the cause of his limping could be due to a lack of calcium phosphate. She said that if it wasn't a version of hip displaycia in the front, it could be panosteitis (which she briefly summarized as growing pains). 

She prescribed him a week long dose of Rimadyl, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

I have a feeling that this may be due to feeding him too much too soon. I wanted to give him the maximum end of the feeding protocol spectrum (2-3% of adult weight) because he's a growing boy, but I think it may have negatively affected him. 

Any suggestions?

Kyle


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## SamWu1 (Oct 15, 2010)

How old is he? I'm curious to know if the vet is somewhat familiar with raw feeding? Seems as you're feeding mostly RMB's and she's insisting that his calcium intake is low?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Could your pup have injured himself sometime at the park? Or anytime over the past day or so? Sometimes dogs will injure themselves mildly and not show signs of it at until it's stressed just ever so slightly more, like at the dog park.

I know that its not the diet, you're doing things just fine. It could be pano but thats not too much to worry about.

What breed and how old is your pup again?


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

My first thought was Pano as well. Pano is more apt to happen in large breed dogs. What was he being fed before a raw diet? 

Pano happens when they grow too fast in a short period of time, causing pain in the joints and bones. Surprisingly enough, Pano does not occur nearly as often in raw fed puppies as it does in kibble fed puppies. How much bone is he getting? It could be too much calcium which is causing the faster growth of the bones........or it could be a result of what he was previously fed. 

What does he weigh now? 

I'm not saying it is for sure pano, but your vet had suggested it and that is what first came to mind with myself as well. Vets often assume that a raw diet would have way too much protein, but its the exact opposite. Raw food has far less protein due to the water content of it. 

From what I've experienced, and there is obviously proof in this.......raw fed puppies grow at a more natural and desired rate than kibble fed puppies. 

Good luck in your search........don't let your vet talk you out of raw though, if anything the raw will help him. Just make sure to pay attention to the amount of calcium he's getting.


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## WitterKT (Jul 22, 2010)

He is 7 months old and weighs 85 lbs. The vet seemed somewhat familiar with at least the fact that I would be skeptical about her raw diet skeptisim (if that makes sense). She said that she had considered feeding her dog raw, and that she had seen several raw fed dogs healthy. She also said that wild dogs ate fresh raw food as opposed to frozen/thawed (probably am argument against disease) and that they instictivelt know the proportions they should eat instead of what we want to feed them. Whatever the case, she understood that I would probably disregard her argument.


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## WitterKT (Jul 22, 2010)

He is a Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff)


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

The problem is certainly not lack of calcium in the diet. If anything it MAY (probably isn't but MAY) be too much calcium. You are certainly feeding on the high side of volume in the diet. Thats not unusual for owners of giant breed puppies because deep down inside we always want our giant breeds to be huge and we think feeding them a lot will cause them to be bigger. Such is not the case.

Pano is caused by overnutrition and I suspect this may be the problem here. Pano, while it can be painful when it occurs is not a serious problem and will go away on it's own about the time the puppy stops growing (usually somewhere around 18 months to 2 years). I suggest dropping is intake back to around 2.5 to 3 lbs a day and feed more meat and less bone. All those pieces you are feeding him are pretty boney. Give him 2 or 3 boneless meals a week and that should also help. In a couple of weeks all should be ****** dorey.

*Disclaimer:* I am not a vet nor have I ever been to vet school but I have seen a vet on TV. I have done research and have had experience with giant breed puppies, nutrition for giant breed puppies, and problems that can happen with them. :biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I agree with Bill. Decrease the food intake a bit (maybe closer to 3%) especially if you've noticed him gaining a bit of weight lately. Its better for giant breed pups to be on the slimmer side anyhow. 

I'd also rest him very well over the next 5-7 days, only going for short leashed walks if possible throughout the day. 

Please keep us posted and I hope he gets to feeling better very soon!


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## WitterKT (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks guys. We'll start with his 3 lb./day tomorrow morning. I gave him beef ribs tonight, so there was no bone other than the recreational chewing. 

We'll keep him well rested. He doesn't do much activity other than dog parks anyway, so a short 10 minute walk a couple times a week (provided he's not limping) will be in order. 

Don't worry, I'm not scared off of raw from this. I was just curious as to what I was doing wrong so I could get him back on track. I thought I may have not been feeding him enough bone, but I guess it turns out that I was feeding him too much. I just wanted his stools to be solid. 

I'll adjust my game plan and let you know as the week progresses. Thanks so much for the help!


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

RawFedDogs said:


> *Disclaimer:* I am not a vet nor have I ever been to vet school but I have seen a vet on TV. ...:biggrin:


Hilarious.

Thanks for the advice. I had also noticed my boy dog limps every so slightly once in awhile and I think I may be feeding too much bone, as well. I keep him at about a pound of food per day and he is growing very fast. He's actually getting bigger than the vet estimated he would when I initially brought them in after finding them at 3-4 months old.

The vet said his adult weight would be about 45 pounds....he's pretty much there already. In fact, when he got fixed, I think his weight was already 40 pounds and that was a bit ago. Am I also feeding too much?

Oh, and another question...it doesn't really go with this topic but speaking of them getting fixed, it triggered my memory to ask this: Naturally, when they got spayed/neutered, they were shaved.

They STILL have not grown their fur back in those areas. Why is it taking so long? I do not recall my other dog missing her fur this long from way back when and my cats certainly weren't missing their fur this long. Does anyone have a clue as to why their fur is not growing back?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

It takes a few months for fur to grow back in fully for some dogs. Especially the under coat....

Side note....once you've made the full transition to raw (added organs in with success) you should try and feed bone in meats less frequently as long as your dogs can handle it.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> It takes a few months for fur to grow back in fully for some dogs. Especially the under coat....
> 
> Side note....once you've made the full transition to raw (added organs in with success) you should try and feed bone in meats less frequently as long as your dogs can handle it.


I guess I'm concerned because they look almost as cleanly shaved as the day they got fixed. I mean, really, no fur there at all. Bald. I would have thought something would be growing in by now....no?

We are still working on organs...I wrote about it in another thread on here so I don't want to repeat myself and become a repeating bore. :biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

How long ago were they fixed?


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> How long ago were they fixed?


October 13th. I wouldn't expect all of it to be back but was thinking at least a light coat would be there. Nope.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

How long ago were they shaved? My cat's fur just took around seven months to grow back after he got his tail amputated. He had a bald bum for quite a while.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

SerenityFL said:


> October 13th. I wouldn't expect all of it to be back but was thinking at least a light coat would be there. Nope.


It really depends on the animal. Some take months and months and others take no time at all. I wouldn't worry about it just yet :wink:


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