Honda's vet visit

[missythemom]

I talked to the vet while we were there for hondas latest round of vaccines and he said that by the looks of Hondas back legs and the fact that he toes out that he will more than likely have hip issues in the future.He did say however that it is still up in the air as of this point bacause of his age and that we will monitor it at each visit.So we'll just keep an eye on it for now.

[Nishasmom]

Poor Honda ...so many puppies are going through this right now. All because people are out to make a buck . Does Honda like to swim?

[missythemom]

it hasn't been quite warm enough here yet,but i sure hope so.we are getting the pool ready,so when the weather gets better(soon i hope.lol) we can try it out.

[AngelBunny]

If Honda has any sort of orthopedic issues, the best thing you can do for him, hands down, is to keep him lean. Do not let him get fat.

If his skeleton is compromised, you do not want him to carry an ounce more weight than he needs to.

Swimming is an excellent exericse as it builds muscle w/o putting stress on the dog's frame.

And, please, don't take up jogging or running with him!

[missythemom]

I can't run anyway,LOL! So no worries there,hee hee.We do walk a couple of times a day though.

[brunie's mom]

What are you feeding Honda? I agree...keeping him lean is the best thing for him.
How old is he and how much does he weigh now?

Gina

[lblax]

Just Because A Dog Toes Out Doesnt Mean That It Will Have Hip Issues

[missythemom]

He is eating dry food puppy chow,i'll have to check what brand..He is thirteen weeks and weighs 25.2 pounds.I asked the vet why he was so little and he thinks it is quite possible that Honda i s a mix breed but cannot tell exactly what the other breed may be,and that he is healthy,aside from the possible hip issues.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by missythemom

He is eating dry food puppy chow,i'll have to check what brand...

Chances are if you can't remember the brand you're feeding, you're picking it up from the grocery store or some such place. People who know what makes a good dog food and why the food they're feeding is good know the name of the food they're feeding because they've done research.

I encourage you to read thru the postings in Nutrition and Grooming. You'll learn why we like the brands we feed and why all kibble is most certainly not created equal.

Here're a couple of articles on dog food to get you started:

Why Vets Recommend 'Designer' Chow (The article appeared in The Wall Street Journal in 1997, but alas! but what it says about vets not being good sources of info on dog food is as true today as it was then.)

Corn is for Cows, Not for Dogs

What's Really in Pet Food

[brunie's mom]

Get him off of the Puppy food. Rottweilers don't do well on Puppy food...and if it's poor quality food it's even worse.

Get him on a good Adult food or Canidae which is an all-life-stages food.

The slower he grows and gains weight the better for him orthopedically.

Gina

[fbkeays]

First off, a regular, run of the mill vet can NOT diagnose HD just by looking. Toeing out is a very common structural fault that in no way equals HD. Wolves toe out a lot and wolves have a low incidence of HD.