What's new
Mastiff Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Welcome back!

    We decided to spruce things up and fix some things under the hood. If you notice any issues, feel free to contact us as we're sure there are a few things here or there that we might have missed in our upgrade.

Hip dysplasia 5 mos old EM

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
I have not been on here for awile
Our boy Murphy passed away do to illness and its been a tough road.

We just adopted a 5 mos old EM due to allergies with children
We got him Wed night and I brought him to vet Thursday morning.....hip dysplasia was mentioned. He has a clicking in his hind end

What I need is some sound advice on what to do to give Lincoln AKA Linc the best go at it.
I have him in the process of switching food from blue buffalo to royal canin development puppy as recommended from vet
After the switch is complete he will start getting pro biotic yogourt, pumpkin, sweet potato (all ready dehydrating it) and chicken feet
I dont know what to expect and dont want to hear how soon things could go wrong with his hips. I am prepard to do what ever it takes to keep this at bay for as long as I can

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
I'd personally rather add supplements rather than switch to Royal Canin, but RC is better than Science Diet, so there's worse things! (their giant breed puppy food is awefully low calcium and phos numbers though IMO)

Joint supplements are hard to over-dose on, I'd find a good quality set and add them to his diet along with the chicken feet. While he's young they'll do the most to help.

Keep him slim, on the skinny side of slim really, but also keep him active. Muscle tone with do ALOT to help keep the hips joints where they belong!

Exercise on soft ground rather than pavement as much as possible.

Try to avoid jumping, especially jumping with twisting movements if possible. With pups that young its hard to completely avoid it, but try not to encourage it as much as possible.
 

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
OMG, I'm so sorry to hear about Murphy. I wondered about you the other day that we had not seen you in a long time. RIP buddy~

Congrats on your new family member, Linc! Sounds like you're doing all the right things for Linc. I agree, chicken feet are better than supplements.

Keep us posted on his progress.
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Hi musicdeb
Its been an extremely hard 6 months. My Dad in Aug, my Grandmother in Nov, then 2 weeks after Murphy.
We had him in the hospital for 4 days.
Didn't think I could ever have a dog again let alone a Mastiff Something very special about these guys. They are so unique and understanding....I miss him like crazy
I have read about puppies not getting glucosamine but it is in his food. So I love the advice here from true dog owners
I was shocked to hear the vet say "popping"
But I am now a believer that everything happens for a reason. He could of went to a different house and with that news been brought to a shelter or worse.
Would kelp help....ahhhhahah
Kelp help funny!
I will send a pic of our new family member. He is 5 mos and 77 lbs. uploadfromtaptalk1396047892696.jpg

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Ruthcatrin thank you for replying. Is there a food you recommend. He is just into day 1 of switch so to change again Im sure wont make much of a difference to him. I had read that suppliments are not recommended for pups?
I wont be encouraging jumping and my kids already know the jumping rule. I also read swimming is fantastic.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

cayeesmom

Well-Known Member
I would have x rays done and an consult with orthopedic vet to see what they think. That way you know what you are dealing with and prepare for possibly surgery if needed.
 

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
Hi musicdeb
Its been an extremely hard 6 months. My Dad in Aug, my Grandmother in Nov, then 2 weeks after Murphy.
We had him in the hospital for 4 days.
Didn't think I could ever have a dog again let alone a Mastiff Something very special about these guys. They are so unique and understanding....I miss him like crazy
I have read about puppies not getting glucosamine but it is in his food. So I love the advice here from true dog owners
I was shocked to hear the vet say "popping"
But I am now a believer that everything happens for a reason. He could of went to a different house and with that news been brought to a shelter or worse.
Would kelp help....ahhhhahah
Kelp help funny!
I will send a pic of our new family member. He is 5 mos and 77 lbs. View attachment 40443

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
I'm so sorry for your losses. That's pretty rough to have 3 losses in 6 months. Titan and I are sending you a great BIG hug!

Linc is quite handsome and looks very tall.
 

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
Check out Taste of Wild Large Breed or Earthborn Holistics Grain free non chicken flavored food.

There are a number of opinions about supplements for puppies. Generally, the food will supply them with what they need. The raw chicken feet will provide the glucosamine.
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
I think you are right, didnt even think of a specialist. I will call on Monday.
Thank you cayeesmom

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

cayeesmom

Well-Known Member
I think you are right, didnt even think of a specialist. I will call on Monday.
Thank you cayeesmom

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

You are welcome, I suspected my Luke possibly had HD around the same age, he was "bunny hopping", Had a xrays done and a consult, hips were fine! Hope you get the same result!
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
Definetly talk with a specialist. There are surgeries that can be done on young dogs that have very high success rates, even for these big guys.

As for joint supplements....thats going to be half of why your vet wants him on that food, its got extra supplements! All large and giant breed dog food does, puppy and adult formulas. A young dog is still forming his cartledge, so now is the time to supplement that growth. You want to try to avoid extra CALCIUM as much as possible, but glucosamine and chondroitn are good.

I don't normally push them on puppy owners, but if you already know he's got hip problems, then heck yes, give him extra!
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
musicdeb Yes he does look tall Im wondering about Great Dane in there, somewhere
I adopted him because he needed a home and I didnt want an adult. He didnt come cheap. I looked at all the shelters and most of the dogs where over 6, with the lose of Murphy I didnt think it was a good idea to bring in a dog with that my kids would loose too soon. I do believe he could have ended up in the wrong hands. My husband didn't even want a pup......but I found this guy and he couldnt say no.
The idea of him not been 100% for atleast a few years scares the heck out of me for him. I will do EVERYTHING I can to make this the best go.for.him

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
Food: calcium between 1 and 1.8 with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.2 to 1 is prefered. If the Blue fits that, and he's doing well on it I see no reason to switch.
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
He has no movement issues, but vet found "popping" when I brought him in the day after we got him
Fantastic your guy turned out to be free.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Apparently she had just switched him to costco brand puppy food but only sent me the remainder of the blue. I judt remember alot of recalls on blue. The royal.canin was recommended because of the added suppliments but I am willing to listen to the advice on here for a better food. Lets face it vets are schooled for all dogs not Mastiffs specifically. That why I love this site. You are all with better knowledge of the breed

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

Th0r

Well-Known Member
Their nutrition training is sponsored by the likes of Hill's (Science Diet) and the likes. So they just don't know better!

Sent from my Nexus 5
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
I am truly looking for best food for Lincoln
I am willing to switch over now due to the fact that I dont know if he was still on the blue or kirkland
Vet recommended Royal Canin due to the "popping", but I would rather take the advice from here from all the mastiff owners

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

Th0r

Well-Known Member
Your pup may or may not be allergic to chicken in kibble. Fortunately for me, Thor isn't or hasn't developed it yet.
Here's the food I've tried since Thor came home at 8 weeks old:

Acana Chicken & Burbank Potato
Actr1um Duck
FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish
TOTW High Prairie Puppy
Kirkland Nature's Domain Salmon
TOTW Southwest Canyon
Acana Wild Prairie

2 observations so far and they are that Thor had bigger and multiple poops with the Kirkland Nature's Domain. Smallest with Acana and FirstMate.
He has way less sleep in his eyes with Acana and the most with Kirkland and both the TOTW.

But if you are in the States, the obvious choice is Eartborn Holistic or TOTW because of the price. Here in Canada, both those brands are $70 and above.

Sent from my Nexus 5
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
The price of food is expensive here in Canada but thats ok. Our boy that just passed was chicken grain free and it was near 200 a month w/added pumpkin etc. With the mention of popping I will pay anything to give him the best go

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
The Acana Duck and Pear would be good too.

Blue's not my favorite, but there are worse out there. On the other hand Acana is Canadian owned so it may not be as expensive up there.