Young Bitch Down On Her Pasterns

[shellbyville]

Hi, I have an 11 month old labrador bitch that is down on her pasterns. I did read a topic somewhere about a pup that had east/west feet and their was some advice about what to feed/supplement if a pup was down on their pasterns in that topic, but I can't find it now. She is also still slightly east/west, but I think is getting better as she grows.

What should I be adding to her diet to help with this problem. At the moment she is on a mainly raw diet. Each day she gets raw mince (sometimes chicken, sometimes beef), a chicken wing, a raw meaty bone and a cup of supercoat dry food. She also gets once or twice a week added to her normal meal a can of sardines in oil, natural yoghurt, sometimes an egg. She is otherwise healthy and happy, very energetic, and is slightly on the lean side, but I don't mind at this stage.

[Mystiqview]

vitamin C

[KOE]

Unless you use b with c it is pretty useless, the b apparently helps absorb the c into the bloodstream where it is required to do good things not to the stomach where it will be sifted and sent to the kidneys to dispurse.

[Scales of Justice]

Down in the pasterns can result from imbalance of nutrients, particularly calcium and phosphorus ratios. If you are feeding mostly meat as you say and only one cup of dry food you may not have the balance right. If I were you I would cut out meat and feed only balanced high quality dry food for about 6 weeks and then reassess the pasterns. You may get an improvement from doing this.

[Danois]

The advice I was given is to you Ester C (I got it from GNC) as it is estervised (sp?) which means it is easily absorbed as oposed to normal vitamin C- I just sprinkle it over Angus' food and noticed a difference quite quickly.

[Poodle wrangler]

Down in the pasterns can result from imbalance of nutrients, particularly calcium and phosphorus ratios. If you are feeding mostly meat as you say and only one cup of dry food you may not have the balance right. If I were you I would cut out meat and feed only balanced high quality dry food for about 6 weeks and then reassess the pasterns. You may get an improvement from doing this.

Large breed formula, if you go this route.

Edited August 12, 2007 by Poodle wrangler

[Stitch]

Instead of feeding chicken or beef muscle meat mince substitute minced chicken carcasses which are usually available at your friendly butcher. They either sell the carcasses whole or mince them and sell them as pet mince. (You will have to ask exactly what is in the pet mince though as you don't want things like left over frankfurts in there!!!) This will improve the calcium to phosphorus ratio and will probably be enough to solve the problem.

You can also add in either raw veges or Vets All Natural rehydratable grain mixture.

Eggs, sardines, etc. are all good, which is what you are already doing.

Livamol supplement can be added if you wish or Value Plus Organic Vitamin & Mineral Powder.

It is not necessary to feed the highly processed dog foods in order to get a 'balanced diet', you can get the balance right yourself feeding all natural raw foods.

[shellbyville]

Thanks for the replies. I would rather try to alleviate the problem with supplements and the right balance with raw natural foods, than go along the processed food route. Have tried that in the past and didn't like the results either) Will look at getting more balance with the chicken carcasses and some Vit. C like some have said. I have other dogs, and one that is the same age, that don't have this problem at all and have developed really well. Thanks again.

[sandgrubber]

I was told that working them out in dry sand can also help. Not that there's dry anything around here these days.

[shellbyville]

Plenty of dry sand where I am the moment, we would love some rain in Northern NSW.

[Eileen]

I think this is wrong with my puppy too. If you go back to just kibble for 5 weeks, can she still have bones on which to to chew?

[jenkie99]

Thanks for the replies. I would rather try to alleviate the problem with supplements and the right balance with raw natural foods, than go along the processed food route. Have tried that in the past and didn't like the results either) Will look at getting more balance with the chicken carcasses and some Vit. C like some have said. I have other dogs, and one that is the same age, that don't have this problem at all and have developed really well. Thanks again.

Ascorbic Acid is better than the Ester C as it is absorbed more into the body. We have bulldogs and this is a problem for us because of the rapid growth and also the weight we feed 1/2 to 1 tesp per day.

[shellbyville]

How & where do you buy Ascorbic Acid? I am assuming it is a powder form.

[Scales of Justice]

I think this is wrong with my puppy too. If you go back to just kibble for 5 weeks, can she still have bones on which to to chew?

I would only give the puppy large marrow bones that she can't actually digest until you see whether the problem has been caused by an imbalance. During the 6 weeks only feed nothing but a balanced puppy food. (no liver treats, no chicken wings or anything else at all).

[Tangwyn]

How much exercise does she get?

[blacklabrador]

Ascorbic Acid is better than the Ester C as it is absorbed more into the body. We have bulldogs and this is a problem for us because of the rapid growth and also the weight we feed 1/2 to 1 tesp per day.

Ascorbic Acid is simply the real name for Vitamin C. Ester C is a type of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that is supposedly well absorbed.

[Eileen]

I would only give the puppy large marrow bones that she can't actually digest until you see whether the problem has been caused by an imbalance. During the 6 weeks only feed nothing but a balanced puppy food. (no liver treats, no chicken wings or anything else at all).

Thanks. Oh boy, not sure how training is going to go. No liver treats :rolleyes:

[Scales of Justice]

Eileen,

You can use dry puppy food as treats. Its not the same in your mind, but most puppies will eat it as a morsel quite readily, especially when the morsel of puppy food is dry and the meal is wet (soaked puppy food).

[Eileen]

Eileen,

You can use dry puppy food as treats. Its not the same in your mind, but most puppies will eat it as a morsel quite readily, especially when the morsel of puppy food is dry and the meal is wet (soaked puppy food).

Well it turns out you're right - but we also switched kibble brands, and now she champs at the bit to get to her food. Thanks!