Almost 7... Some questions

[Jennifer and Jack]

Hi,

Jack is going to be seven in March....he's only 17 pounds and he eats Acana with occasional toppers. He had an injury as a puppy to his hip and I rolled on him and hurt his back a while back..... The only thing I see is he has difficultly jumping up on things.


Do you all give your dogs glucosamine or EPO just for the health of it without any real signs of problems? I also do a senior wellness blood panel on him....even when he was little.....

Is there any other questions I should raise with the vet to help Jack be as healthy as possible? He has that fatty lump Does that need to be re- biopsy you think?

He's also due for rabies this year ... His teeth are doing great. Just want to cover all my bases in making sure we don't miss anything...


What's your norm for check ups?

Thanks I still feel like a rookie

[cheryl & oliver]

Hi Jen, Jack and Oliver are both the same age, maybe Oliver is a little older, but he goes once a year for a good check up, and the vet and I talk, we go over how he was during the year, he checks for lumps, etc, and sometimes he will check some blood work.  He hasn't had any hip problems( I hate to give myself the evil eye.) but my other dogs he started on glucosamine at the first sign of any stiffness, or anything he deemed might be starting in that area.  Both my dogs made it to 15 yrs. old, and they were austrailian shepherds. Not little dogs.  He hasn't said anything yet for Oliver in that regard. Oliver still jumps around, runs etc. but I do believe with one of my dogs he started it around age 8 or 9 as a sort of preventative.  Olivers teeth are good, My vet does a rabies every year because we have a lot of problems with rabies here in Florida.  Hope you are recovering well, Hugs..Cheryl & Oliver...

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thank you so much! I am recovering. ..I keep,trying to do more than I should but I think we are all like that right? When I look at Jack, I still think he's a puppy..... I get his teeth cleaned, make sure he gets decent exercise just about daily.

I dint realize Fla had a rabies problem.... Thanks for the information....I just need someone to check with that has been there and done this.....

[F, Calla & Luca]

My doodles get a once a year vet check and no blood work unless they are having a procedure. I give EPO daily because both doodles seem to have some allergies in the fall. I get rabies, Bordetella, leptospirosis and Lyme yearly. I skipped the last other core vaccines, no titers taken, because the vet and I thought it would be fine. Naturally the dogs are up to date on rabies. Both doodles have small lumps that feel lipomas to me and I will have the vet check them in the spring and I may not biopsy it. I would not rebiopsy a known lipoma unless something drastically changed.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thanks F. It's for sure a known lipoma and it hasn't grown at all. He has a healthy appetite and seems like his normal self .

We are also due for his three year regular vaccines and I am skipping this year...just rabies. How much EPO do you give....? I take it in small doses as the GI upset isn't worth it to me.

From the sounds of it I am on track.......

Thanks again!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Calla gets 1500 mg and Luca gets 500. She is bigger and more allergy prone.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Should have written rabies every three years.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

I give glucosamine to Wally, but not to Charlotte, as he has hip issues and she does not. I give fish oil to both of them. Charlotte, who is three-years old, goes to the vet for a yearly checkup; Wally goes twice a year at the vet's suggestion and has gone twice yearly since he turned seven. I guess it's like my doctor wanting to see me every six months once I turned 50. It sounds like you're taking good care of little Jack, and I'm happy to hear that you're feeling better yourself.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thank you so much! Do you know if there are foods higher in glucosamine? I guess i should google that up and see........ Neither Jack or I tolerate EPO well....we both take the smallest dose of it but .......