RAPID PUPPY GROWTH

[ladycazadores]

I have seen this with a couple of pups we got in the past couple years...thought I'd get other peoples opinions on this and then tell ya'll what we did to correct it.

Puppy Male or Female, doesn't matter the sex...and I'm not going to discuss "where they came from" because the where of it, doesn't matter...the how to identify it and correct it, is what matters.

We allow pups to free feed til they are about 5 or 6 months...for SOME this is fine, no problems with them...OTHERS. HUGE HUGE problems.

And to be clear, NONE of the pups got OBESE with the free feed availability, Most are perfectly fine, but some developed interesting (though correctable) issues. (and in one case the pup came to us eatting Diamond Puppy, which we continued, and in another case the puppy came to us eating Pedigree puppy, which we again continued...so as not to cause any intestinal upset.)

We've seen pups develop VERY bowed front legs...or "knuckling," where their ankles up front don't seem to be able to support their weight & it looks GRUESOME, however the pups have never shown any sign of pain....

So, what do you think was wrong? How would you go about fixing this?

Once some people reply, I'll post what we did...

...and for the record, all the pups I've seen this in, corrected fully, and had no re-occurances.

;D

[Elysium]

less protein, more exercise, and no puppy food

Then again I dont feed puppy food anyway.

[Oly]

I also do not feed puppy food at all.

[lahistoriadogo]

Definately an imbalance. Could be too much, could be too little. Splint the legs so that they don't carry the weight. Then change the food. So tell us the way that works now. lol

[ladycazadores]

DING DING DING... Angel is right. TOO MUCH PROTEIN, and I don't usually feed puppy food either, but when a pup arrives from elsewhere, already eating that food, I have to do the REALLY gradual switch to the food we feed, because any stress and they'll come down with coccidiosis or worse...Sooooooo...

I cut the puppy food with a much lower protein food, feed at regular intervals instead of "free feeding" and If they have had enough shots to touch the ground here in Texas, then they get to run around out of the kennels...if they haven't had all their shots yet (because they are too young, not because of negligence) then we bring the pup inside and let the Shibas wear it out playing, then back to the kennel...in the worst case we splinted with semi-rigid material and vet wrap, for 24-48 hours...it corrects very quickly...



Also, as a BONUS..LOL Igor told me this trick. Chica was super cow-hocked as a pup...I told him I was concerned. He said no problem. Cut her food, lean her out, take out out of the cement kennels put her on sand, and it'll correct, just from her having to move about in the sand. IT TOTALLY WORKED!

[lahistoriadogo]

Thanks Michelle! I will put it down in my "Do it yourself Dogo Repair book". Has it been something youve seen recently, or is it from a while ago?

I always thought lots of protein and fat were good for growing pups. I guess theres sometimes too much of a good thing. WHat % ratio of fat/protein is the food you guys feed?

[olydogo]

21/14 and lots of excersise in natural grnd.

[ladycazadores]

Josh, the knuckling I saw in pups in the past and recent.

and Chica is coming up on 2 yrs I believe...

[Elysium]

Very interesting...
One of my friends said to use pea stone for splayed feet.....thank fully I dont have that problem.