Canine Cruciate Ligament Repair surgery support group😀

sillysmiles

So I know there are a few people on here who are currently supporting dogs post surgery so I was wondering how everyone else is doing.

We are 4.5 weeks post surgery and in a tricky phase where he obviously feels fine in himself so is trying to do more and we are trying to contain him.

tk123

Bailey is 3 weeks post op today from TTA Rapid. We had some problems last week when I went back to work and he was very anxious and stressed out We ended up having to put him back on the painkillers to take advantage of their sedative effect and also had Sileo for the anxiety which we stopped this morning and so far so good. Tomorrow we won't give any painkillers and see how he gets on. He gave out to me this morning like he was saying 'FFS would you just go to work so I can have my kong and chew!'

He was still a bit uneasy in the afternoons and worse my dad was taking him out too often so I've arranged to work from home in the afternoons to save the leg, my stress expecting a call...and my mum's stress having my dad under her feet lol! .

He's allowed a 10 min walk since last week which is great to get out and get back into a routine but terrifying at the same time - I've banned my friends from seeing him because he'll go bananas(!) And I'm carefully scouting out the houses that might have cats in the garden before we pass lol!

The knee itself looks fantastic - wound is healed and he's bearing weight on it pretty much since day one. He's actually bending the knee too when he walks where before it was like somebody with a 'dead leg' - more moving it out and around.
He had some fusion in the knee, the ligament was worn halfway across and the cartilage is fine. So while it's hard work now it could be much harder. I can't get my head around the fact that he's less lame so soon after having the surgery than he was before it! Also still annoyed that my local vet put it down to arthritis when he only has minimal arthritis! :mad:

We've done surgeries before so know if we put the work in now he'll be better than ever in a few months

aonb

Hope I wont be joining this group, but probably will :mad::(
Medium terrier still limping after many weeks of various treatments. To go to have him sedated so the vet can do proper exam this week - hes too stressed when we go into the vet to get any idea of whats going on - hes practically RIGID on the examination table.
His other cruciate replaced last year - wasnt too stressful really - would be so great to get him sound again

tivvo

Hi there. So sorry to hijack your post but I'm in urgent need of advice! My beautiful golden retriever completely tore her hind leg ACL on the weekend and needs surgery asap. Our vet rang a highly reputed orthopedic veterinarian in Dublin (who she couldn't speak highly enough of) but was flabbergasted when she was quoted €1800 for the surgery! Does anyone have any names or numbers of other orthopedic vets they would recommend? I'm assuming that price is on the high side (going with her reaction) which doesn't really matter, as there's no way we could afford that! Where did you guys go for your pet's surgery? Were they good? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! THANK YOU!

aonb

tivvo wrote: »

Hi there. So sorry to hijack your post but I'm in urgent need of advice! My beautiful golden retriever completely tore her hind leg ACL on the weekend and needs surgery asap. Our vet rang a highly reputed orthopedic veterinarian in Dublin (who she couldn't speak highly enough of) but was flabbergasted when she was quoted €1800 for the surgery! Does anyone have any names or numbers of other orthopedic vets they would recommend? I'm assuming that price is on the high side (going with her reaction) which doesn't really matter, as there's no way we could afford that! Where did you guys go for your pet's surgery? Were they good? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! THANK YOU!

Moss vets naas, has ortho specialist vet Edward Gillick 045 876187. He did my medium terriers cruciate last year, very professional and all went well. Phone them for a quote. Think TK123 who has golden retrievers had a good report of vet in cork too?

VonVix

Never had a dog with cruciate ligament issues and hopefully never will, so I have some questions for those with the unfortunate experience of it!

What caused it to happen/get worse/rupture?
What were the signs that something was wrong?
What can you do to prevent it happening, if anything?

tivvo

aonb wrote: »

Moss vets naas, has ortho specialist vet Edward Gillick 045 876187. He did my medium terriers cruciate last year, very professional and all went well. Phone them for a quote. Think TK123 who has golden retrievers had a good report of vet in cork too?

Thanks for that. We're in Blessington so Moss vets would be handy as! Will call them in the morning. Cheers

micar

Had a dog who did her cruciate in her hind leg.

This was probably 6/7 years ago. Took her out for a walk before Xmas when we had the bad snow and she just suddenly stopped. I reckon that's when she did it. Her back leg slipped on ice.

The surgery cost about €800.

Got it done in a vet across from the botanic gardens in glasnevin. I think they are called anicare. It was her own vet anyway.

Slow recovery. Start back with short walks on the lead.

She made a decent enough recovery. She did find walking up steps difficult. So I just used to lift her up.

Arthritis developed.

She passed away over 3 years ago. She was a rescue dog. Like to think she had a great life with us.

tivvo

VonVix wrote: »

Never had a dog with cruciate ligament issues and hopefully never will, so I have some questions for those with the unfortunate experience of it!

What caused it to happen/get worse/rupture?
What were the signs that something was wrong?
What can you do to prevent it happening, if anything?

My 7yr old retriever has just been diagnosed as having athritis in her left hind leg but prescribed Cimalgex has been working great for her. I brought her to the lake on Saturday and 30 seconds after getting out of the car (she goes crazy with excitement when out by the lake) she yelped and could no longer bare weight on her right hind leg and when she tries to, there is a constant clicking noise with movement. She is so good, and normally so playful, it's breaking my heart seeing her hobble around. The athritis would have caused her to limp a bit when overexercised or in the mornings when waking, but would ease off after a while. The cruciate injury was instant and constant pain accompanied with the inability to bare weight. I don't think there's anything you can do to prevent it happening, unless maybe never allowing them to run free?! It's just so horrible when your fur baby is hurt and not themselves...

sillysmiles

What caused it to happen/get worse/rupture?

25kg lab who has a stocky build and on the short side. I think the initial minor minor injury have have been when he jumped playing. A few days rest and seemed fine and then over the next 18 months there was periods of lameness that was put down to arthritis and other issues.

What were the signs that something was wrong?

General constant lameness, especially when getting out of his bed in the morning. And lameness and the periods of rest just became constant.

What can you do to prevent it happening, if anything?

Pass!
I think with a smaller lighter build dog you have a chance at it repairing but I think with our guy we has no chance.

sillysmiles

tivvo wrote: »

Hi there. So sorry to hijack your post but I'm in urgent need of advice! My beautiful golden retriever completely tore her hind leg ACL on the weekend and needs surgery asap. Our vet rang a highly reputed orthopedic veterinarian in Dublin (who she couldn't speak highly enough of) but was flabbergasted when she was quoted €1800 for the surgery! Does anyone have any names or numbers of other orthopedic vets they would recommend? I'm assuming that price is on the high side (going with her reaction) which doesn't really matter, as there's no way we could afford that! Where did you guys go for your pet's surgery? Were they good? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! THANK YOU!

Hijack away!

I think we may have gone to who was recommended to you. I had reservations but all in all was happy with it. I had made some indepent contacts with other vets (family friends) to hear their opinion of who we were being referred to. Our vet is in Naas and they never mentioned Moss to us as an option.
It was expensive and has put paid to us going on holidays this year I would say :mad::(:(:(:(:(:(:(

tk123

What caused it to happen/get worse/rupture?
Bailey has angular limb deformity so while his hocks were repaired years ago he just has weird angles in his legs. The ortho vet put it down to degeneration.

What were the signs that something was wrong?
I can remember 2 days - one where he went nuts chasing squirrels and was lame that evening (this hadn't happened in 5 years since the hocks were repaired) but then fine and another day 8 months later he was walking a bit weird but I stupidly let him off lead to greet my friend.. instead he had zoomies and fell down crying My local vet (as mentioned in a post above) said he had a sprained toe.. but when I took him to my regular vet in that practice a few days later because he was still too sore (Imo) he yielded when she examined his knee... We rested him for a few weeks and he seemed much much better. That was in June... He just got progressively worse over time so say at the weekends where we'd have a longer walk he'd be a bit stiff that evening.. to him being a bit lame..to really lame in the evenings..to immediately lame after a walk.. to him being lame even without a walk. He'd jump up on the couch and then would be sitting panting and crying a while later because it was going to hurt him to get down Local vet put it down to arthritis but I got a second opinion from an ortho vet... rather than have mine take x-rays, send them off blah blah blah it just seemed quicker this way

What can you do to prevent it happening, if anything?
For Bailey I think it's just a structural thing. I was just at a crossroads where his exercise was really impacted so walks were getting shorter and shorter ,he was gaining weight so is on a tiny amount of food, and we could see he was really in pain. I've always kind of accepted that he might go early because of the legs and that I'd never leave him in pain.. I was ok-ish with putting him on painkillers for life and monitoring with bloods BUT I wanted to be 100% that's all it was so got the ortho opinion. I'm glad I did now because we could have been in a situation on a walk where the ligament ruptured - how would I have got him back to the car?! And he's better than ever only 3 weeks post op - the leg is moving perfectly. That said.. flirt poles and stuff like that I just wouldn't risk that kind of impact on joints for either of them. We have a step for the car etc to be safe, mats down on the floor to stop them slipping..

The main thing to consider when comparing prices is that there's 4 different surgeries as well as the total rest option - but this depends on the size of the dog and the method used by the vet in question. So while one person had the operation done for €800 at my local vets who are brilliant for some things.... they're not ortho vets so won't be able to do a more advanced method.. What they can do is offer guidance and send off referrals etc. They were fantastic with Bailey's aftercare for the hock surgeries that we had done down in Cork and I really miss our vet who left a while back For the knee I knew of a more local vet than Cork - Cara Vet (they're in the business park next door to my work) who specialises in TTA Rapid - the newest/more advanced method. Bailey's already out on short walks 3 weeks post op, by week 9 he can have 30-40 min walk, 5-10 mins climbing stairs AND 5-10 mins intermittent jogging so the knee will be sound. Luckily he's insured but I had been putting money aside anyways... although I wouldn't have bought a new car in Feb if I had of known I needed to buy him a knee lol(!). His came in a €2200 and I had to pay 35% because he's 7 now. They let me do direct claim which was great and took the pressure off.

aonb

VonVix wrote: »

Never had a dog with cruciate ligament issues and hopefully never will, so I have some questions for those with the unfortunate experience of it!

What caused it to happen/get worse/rupture?
What were the signs that something was wrong?
What can you do to prevent it happening, if anything?

one of my dogs, inclined to be heavy, is stick or ball obsessed. We thought we were doing a good thing, having him chase a ball or stick, hell for leather up and down the garden as part of his exercise, most evenings. Really hell for leather! One day, he pulled up, and we knew he was in trouble - must have snapped that ligament clean through :mad: Poor guy keeps bringing us sticks to throw - balls have been banned forever. Second cruciate may be going (exploratory examination next wednesday, with anaesthetic) I could kick myself when I think we should have known better than to let him fly around after a ball every evening :mad:

tk123

Yooooo! Well we got some good news yesterday evening at Bailey's checkup. Everything is coming along fine and we can start to let him potter around the house rather than have him restricted all the time We need to get our thinking caps on and rig something up to section off our kitchen and hall though so he doesn't get a chance to run eg if there's a knock at the door etc

sillysmiles

Last night when I got home from work I took Sam out to the loo (on lead). He was sniffing at the hedge and then made a mad dash into the hedge after ....possibly a cat. Full force. Then he started to carry one of his hind legs:eek:

Why oh why can't he just try to not break himself.

sillysmiles

TK Sam is corralled behind two clothes horses cable tied together in the corner of the kitchen. But he doesn't try to push them or jump so is confined to a space until I move him, say to the sitting room - where he stays on his bed.

tk123

Oh no! Bailey had a set back like that with his first operation years ago (actually the same leg) but he was fine again after resting him. See this is why my friend is banned from coming near Bailey because he'll try to run to her, and jump up and just go bananas etc etc She wasn't pleased this morning when I sent her a photo of them in the park because we went without her lol 'But I love him the most!!'
I chanced the park - just a short route where I knew we wouldn't bump into anyone and Lucy was able to have a run and paddle - well he's been the most relaxed he's been in 5 weeks snoozing all day. I'll watch him carefully this evening though to make sure it wasn't too much!

EDIT - oh thanks for that tip! I was thinking of using clothes horses too!

mymo

Oliver hasn't had the op, hoping to avoid it, vet said smaller dogs have better chance of healing.
So restricting exercise and movement for a bouncy Tibetan terrier is difficult enough, but he has a little over a kilo to loose, so looking for ideas for bulking up his food while helping him loose if possible but at least not put on any more weight.
I'd be reluctant to change his food as it's been very difficult finding one that suits him, but he loves veggies so been adding green beans, carrots, peas, broccoli, sweet potato etc to his food.
He's been grain free for years too, he's 9 in June but very lively, pain has been keeping him pretty quiet so far.

tk123

Fingers crossed for Oliver! You're lucky he's small ie portable lol! I give green beans (sliced preferred by Bailey lol) and canned carrots so they're nice and mushy I used to give thawed frozen spinach too but it was too mess.

mymo

tk123 wrote: »

Fingers crossed for Oliver! You're lucky he's small ie portable lol! I give green beans (sliced preferred by Bailey lol) and canned carrots so they're nice and mushy I used to give thawed frozen spinach too but it was too mess.

I grow my own baby spinach, he loves it, never thought of that, thanks

13.6kg is not that portable!
He was 12.5 for years so that's the target.

tk123

mymo wrote: »

13.6kg is not that portable!

Bailey is 33kg ish - I can just about lift him into the car. Lucy is too heavy for me

sillysmiles

TK
Confinement with clothes horses


Sorry, the pic wouldn't load. Will try again later

mymo

tk123 wrote: »

Bailey is 33kg ish - I can just about lift him into the car. Lucy is too heavy for me

I can just about manage Oliver, but my daughter tells me I'm old and falling apart!

Too many years of manual labour, although I tell her it's because she's worn me out!

Bells21

Is there room for another in here? One day back in 2015 Bella was tearing around the garden and stopped up completely, paw up, not bearing any weight. Off to the vets we went who advised that she may have simply jarred the ligament rather than tearing it. He gave us metacam and painkillers and she was on rest for many weeks. Check-ups went well and her paw was back on the ground. Now, the last few months, we've noticed she doesn't want to go as far on walks, sometimes finds the stairs/steps difficult, is stiff when getting up and often jerks if you rub her back end near her tail. We visited the vet today who said the muscle in comparison to the other side was wasting, checked the ligament and knee and they didn't feel right but was also concerned about her hip. The vet said that she may need the ligament repaired but wants to ensure that the damage/pain isn't being caused by something such as hip dysplasia. She tried to extend the right leg and was met with a huge squeal. So Bella has been sent home with metacam and an appointment for Tuesday week for an x-ray and so they can also manipulate her while she's under.

tk123

That's pretty much how Bailey was. He stopped coming upstairs at night before Christmas but would will come up the odd morning if I was was working from home. Wouldn't come for a walk and at that the walks had halved to what they were. It was a real catch 22 for us because we've done crate rest before but once the initial swelling and pain was gone you can clearly see the leg is moving better than it's moved in years!

Bells21

tk123 wrote:

That's pretty much how Bailey was. He stopped coming upstairs at night before Christmas but would will come up the odd morning if I was was working from home. Wouldn't come for a walk and at that the walks had halved to what they were. It was a real catch 22 for us because we've done crate rest before but once the initial swelling and pain was gone you can clearly see the leg is moving better than it's moved in years!

We hadn't been to the vet before now because in the mornings she's​ flat out up the stairs and jumps from the foot of the bed and lands at your face! But then when she's pottering around later she looks like she's bunny hopping from the back end. We have a JRTx too and when Bella joined the family we thought she would be a perfect match energy wise and exercise wise but not any more.
I'm glad to hear that if we do end up down that route that it's worth it! Bang goes the D.I.Y fund if she does require the op.

mymo

11 days from injury here and Oliver is putting weight on his leg a little, so very hopeful he won't need op. Back to vet Tuesday so we'll see what he says.
Still have to keep him quiet (not easy, he's very bouncy) and only out to pee on the lead.
Very nervous now about keeping him from hurting it more

tk123

mymo wrote: »

11 days from injury here and Oliver is putting weight on his leg a little, so very hopeful he won't need op. Back to vet Tuesday so we'll see what he says.
Still have to keep him quiet (not easy, he's very bouncy) and only out to pee on the lead.
Very nervous now about keeping him from hurting it more

Have you got a sling on him? I found it great for slowing Bailey down - a towel/scarf/shopping bag with the sides cut off etc will work.

My friend txt saying they were up yesterday afternoon if I was around. I brought the dogs over to see her on our side of the park which would be a bit quieter but OMG it was too stressful. Too many dogs running around for starters. I had the sling in my bag so when I saw my friend I put it around him to hold him but he still managed to flip on his back getting too excited. He calmed down then and I held him close in against me but I still ended up nudging a pug away from him with my foot who just wound't get his head of of Bailey's bum!
Anyways after that drama I'm 100% certain that our other friend is not seeing him until he gets the all clear. It's been 6 weeks now so another few weeks won't kill either of them. Only that my friend yesterday backed off he calmed down - other friend would be the opposite thinking she can calm him by giving him cuddles etc etc :rolleyes:

mymo

A sling?
To support body?
Can you post a pic?

tk123

mymo wrote: »

A sling?
To support body?
Can you post a pic?

here's a tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzq-ZsZnstQ

omerin

My dog damaged his cruciate about 4 years ago. He was off the lead in a field, saw a dog, ran after him and pulled up, carrying one of his back legs. He was healthy and fit, must have over stretched and it went. Carried the leg immediately and was in pain but you know dogs, they are hard as nails and didn't whimper, just shaking his leg.
Brought him to my vet and the op cost approx 1300 and he was in a cage for a number of weeks after. I bought the cage, and no offence but don't think the clothes horse is a good idea. Of course during this time he was on pain killers and anti inflams. for about 6 weeks. While the op was successful aqua therapy was offered which I didn't take up, not confident of the benefits but that may be just my ignorance. Later arthritis set in and not just on the effected leg and from time to time he would be back on pain killers or anti inflams.
Sadly he passed away earlier this year due to kidney failure, which brings me on to my reason for posting here. I believe taking so much medication had a negative impact on his organs and greatly contributed to his passing, so please remember if you are doing through a recuperation process with your dog, follow the guidance provided by your vet and no movement, outside of bringing them to re-leave themselves means exactly that - don't let you actions cause more damage or put back their progress, it'll only lead to more meds and potentially another op. I would also recommend for dogs that have had this op or similar and are over 8 years to get bloods done

omerin

one thing more and it is something I saw when they televised Crufts this year. A lot of dogs will go for 10-15 minutes walks Mon to Fri and at the weekend they are taken to the park for long walks, fetching, etc. I think the term the vet said was weekend athletes - Mon-Fri they are practically couch potatoes and at the weekend they are running, twisting, jumping etc. for a prolonged period and moving joints and ligaments that are practically dormant for the majority of the week and cannot cope and therefore snap.

tk123

Hydro is great for rehab and maintainence - Bailey will be starting it once he gets the all clear to build his muscles back up.

mymo

We have a fab river practically outside the door and I'd love it if Oliver would swim, but like all Tibetan terriers, he's allergic to water, terrified of it and will barely get his paws wet!

Back to vet tomorrow, hoping he'll say he doesn't need the op.

Bells21

Best of luck tomorrow mymo, Bella is due at the vets in the morning to have x-rays taken and I suppose we'll have to wait and see where we go from there.

tk123

Good luck Oliver and Bella! We're up to 30 mins walk x 2 now

sillysmiles

omerin wrote: »

I bought the cage, and no offence but don't think the clothes horse is a good idea. Of course during this time he was on pain killers and anti inflams. for about 6 weeks.

I have the clotheshorse set up. I wou;dn't recommend it for all dags, but I know our dog and he is and never has been a jumper.

For our guy, he was on painkillers and anti-inflammatories for about 5 days post op.


For our guy, he is 8 weeks post surgery this week and we are going to take him back for xray before starting back to exercise. As you had mentioned I do worry about the amount of sedatives and xrays he has had this year, but am hoping that on balance we wont have to do this again. But I'd rather be certain he is ok before starting him back to exercise.

Bells21

Bella is home, groggy and giving out stink! Her hips are fine, and they compared x-rays of both knees. Thankfully her left knee is fine but her right knee clearly has signs of cruciate disease, the vet can't say with certainty whether it's all due to the time of injury or whether it would've likely occured anyway. She has recommended trying cartrophen(sp?) injections starting from next week and if they don't offer relief she will refer us to have an operation.

mymo

Bad news, Oliver will have to have the op, it's completely gone and vet things cartilage damage too.

He came home and stole the bunny I just washed and he's sleeping in his beanbag with it as we speak.

Bells21

Ah poor Oliver, has a date been set for the op?

mymo

They took bloods and said if all ok they can do it Tuesday.
He doesn't do well under anaesthetic so they offered to send him to ucd, or they will try a different anaesthetic and put him under with a slightly lower dose to see how it goes. I'd rather stick with them, they've done the op loads of times, I've had good reports from 2 people about it, and Oliver was quite calm there and liked the vets, he normally gets a bit stressed and there was a noticeable difference. The xrays and op at same time, he also has a small cyst on eyelid that they'll remove at the same time.

tk123

Ah poor Oliver ATM we have a gate in the kitchen to split it in two, a gate on the sitting room door, 2 x Hi-K9's in front of the couches so he steps up rather than jumps up and down.. he's gotten on the couch 2 or 3 times in the last week and seems to favour the HK's which suits us fine... oh and the crate which he's sleeping in at night. Our house is small and all of this has made it feel much smaller lol! Lidl had big mats in the specials last week(?) so we have them down in the sitting room AND a piece of vet bed to prevent slipping.

Bells21

Did any of ye try the cartrophen injections prior to the ops or would it not have been an option for ye? I'm delighted in a way that for the min, at least, it's not a definite for surgery but I'm aware that it may end up as surgery yet. Not that is wish an op on Bella but if it was likely that she was going to end up needing it after trying the injections it would be a good time for it to happen as I would be on summer holidays and be home constantly with her if that makes sense?
The hi k9 bed in front of the sofa is an excellent idea to stop the jumping up and down!!

aonb

My small dog had one cruciate replaced last year. It all went well, he recovered quickly and completely, but started limping and carrying the other leg around xmas. Thought the other cruciate was 'going'. Tried rest/pain meds/cartophen etc but no improvement. We had a family crisis for several weeks, so poor dog was at the bottom of the list. Last week he was sedated and xrayed and major examination. Disapointingly its bad-ish arthritis in his hip. Would have preferred if the cruciate was the problem - thats fixable :(:(

I guess I was lucky in that (1) small dog (2) pretty calm dog but the post-op cruciate period was easier than the pre-op period - seeing him in pain and waiting for the op. Post op on meds and painkillers the first week - watching him was the worst part, he soon realized that movement was restricted and hurt, so being carried in/out to toilet was accepted. He did a lot of sleeping, cuddling, sofa-time, bone chewing, so the recuperation passed in a blinding blaze of boredom.

good luck to all injured doggies - think its harder on the humans than the dogs

Bells21

Ah aonb I'm sorry you didn't get better news. Will it be a case of management now for the hip issue?

tk123

Bells21 wrote: »

Did any of ye try the cartrophen injections prior to the ops or would it not have been an option for ye? I'm delighted in a way that for the min, at least, it's not a definite for surgery but I'm aware that it may end up as surgery yet. Not that is wish an op on Bella but if it was likely that she was going to end up needing it after trying the injections it would be a good time for it to happen as I would be on summer holidays and be home constantly with her if that makes sense?
The hi k9 bed in front of the sofa is an excellent idea to stop the jumping up and down!!

Yeah Bailey had the cartrophen and it made no difference - his cartilage was fine but the ligament was worn half way across so I don't think there was much it could do for him anyways!

aonb

Thanks Bells21 - so disappointing as he's only 8. Yes pain meds and arthritis meds. Will see how it goes. There was a brief discussion - the hip isnt bad enough yet - about future deterioration - hip replacement (for dogs! :eek:) or another procedure where the 'ball' of the hip joint can be removed, to remove the pain but obviously severely reduce mobility and limping/bad gait.

Hes such an easy going little dog, short walks/strolls morning, afternoon, and evening. Us humans are miserable not having lovely long walks every day but he's taking it in his stride. Watching his weight is going to be another issue too.

mymo

aonb wrote: »

Watching his weight is going to be another issue too.

I have been giving Oliver veggies to bulk up his dinner as I reduced portions to get weight off him and he was mostly immobile, and he went from 13.8kg to 13.5 in 2 weeks. Vet said keep it up, he needs to loose another kilo.
He's getting almost as much veg as meat/nuts, and seems happy (he loves veg), and poop is firm too. Broccoli, sweet potato, green beans, spinach, carrots, whatever we have, or bags of frozen veg mix.

aonb

mymo wrote: »

I have been giving Oliver veggies to bulk up his dinner as I reduced portions to get weight off him and he was mostly immobile, and he went from 13.8kg to 13.5 in 2 weeks. Vet said keep it up, he needs to loose another kilo.
He's getting almost as much veg as meat/nuts, and seems happy (he loves veg), and poop is firm too. Broccoli, sweet potato, green beans, spinach, carrots, whatever we have, or bags of frozen veg mix.

I home cook, so veg/fruit are going to have to be seriously investigated. Hes a bit "special needs" - doesnt seem to 'get' that non-meat can be food!!! e.g. he just doesnt 'get' rawhides (carries them around), bones can be a bit confusing!! Fruit/veg are definitely not food will have to think about introducing new veg, or maybe mash into his food... frozen veg might be the way to start, thanks!

Bells21

aonb wrote:

I home cook, so veg/fruit are going to have to be seriously investigated. Hes a bit "special needs" - doesnt seem to 'get' that non-meat can be food!!! e.g. he just doesnt 'get' rawhides (carries them around), bones can be a bit confusing!! Fruit/veg are definitely not food will have to think about introducing new veg, or maybe mash into his food... frozen veg might be the way to start, thanks!

Good luck hiding it in food, ours clean the meat etc off the veg and leave it in the bowl. Usually find some shiny peas and green beans etc. One does like to chew on raw carrot but just chews and spits it out! They do like some mushed blueberries and banana. Blitzed veg seems to be easier to feed some dogs.

mymo

Have you tried sweet potato?
Cut in long 1cm thick slices, skin on, and slow roast the slices with a spray of oil. Mine go mad for them.

Try casserole style dinners, cook meat and rice and veg in one pot? Everything tastes meaty.
I'm lucky Oliver loves veggies he will steal the peas off the plants out in our garden.