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Post by puppypal on Apr 27, 2013 20:52:17 GMT
Barley has been acting abnormal the past week or so, he has been shaking his head quite a lot and has a slight head tilt, he has also been barking a lot more than usual, he is also showing starng signs about his back legs as he seems in pain when i pick then up to dry his feet of look at his pads, he lies with his back legs stretched out when they used to tuck up underneath him, there is no swelling or heat on his legs but the fur has changed to rough course fur when it was soft fur. he has just started back on his joint supplement as we had run out and had to order some more, this is the same as he had before it ran out, he has been on it for 2 days now so not long and symptons of abnoramal bahaviour started about a week ago. he has also been a lot more tired as well and seems worn out a lot more, another thing is he is drinking loads more water he is drinking 2-3 bowls of water a day when he hardly used to drink one bowl full. we dont want to go ruching him off to the vet incase he is just having an off couple of days but then this could be signs of somethingmore serious but dad is as always reluctant to take him to the vet for anything, like his cut paw which has finally just healed up after 3 weeks.
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Post by orpheous87 on Apr 27, 2013 21:01:01 GMT
I would say that the shaking of his head and the tilt could be ear related. Have you checked inside them to make sure there's nothing wrong? I think, if I couldn't see anything myself, but the behaviour continued, I'd be taking him to the vets to get them to have a closer look. I'd also get them to check his legs just in case there is something that you haven't picked up.
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Post by puppypal on Apr 27, 2013 21:04:32 GMT
I have checked his ears and they are fine they are really clean, which is unusaul for him as they are usually dirty and have to be cleaned every week, he has alwys had a slight tilt form an old ear problem of grass seeds puncturring his ear drum, but it seems to have got more promament, he does have funny moments when i put ear drops in but that is only if his ears are really dirty.
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Post by caz2golden on Apr 27, 2013 21:46:22 GMT
The head shaking and tilt are typical ear infection, could be deeper than what you can see. The ear canal is quite extensive! Do you clean his ears even when they are clean? I have to admit I only put anything in my dogs ears when there is a problem as I don't want to muck up the natural balance of the ears.
If you have been without his joint supplements for a while it could explain the back leg thing as the effect of the supplement will have worn off. It can take a while for the supplement to build back up in his system once you start giving it. It does sound like he is uncomfortable if it is resulting in different positions of the legs when resting or when you are handling him. Also explains why he does not want to be as active.
Cant explain the fur thing, could it be related to moulting, my two are dreadful at the moment!
The water thing is a concern, we have been warmer this week which may explain part of the increase in drinking but its not been that hot! How long is it post finishing the raw? Being back on kibble will = drinking more so depends if you are comparing water intake with what he was drinking while on raw.
The ear thing could be questioned with a vet nurse but if it is infection then you probably need to see vet. Two consultations could be costly!!
The joint thing depends if you think he is in pain as he may need something from the vet until the supplements take effect. To be honest I would want to see a vet as I would want to check that any joint issue has not deteriorated as he may need a different treatment plan to what you are offering (stronger supplements etc etc etc)
The drink thing sorry but if you can not explain by food change then I think you NEED to see a vet about that.
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Post by BorderTerrier on Apr 28, 2013 9:20:43 GMT
If you've seen my thread: yourpetforums.co.uk/thread/661/earls-case Barley being worm out easily and seems in pain is a tiny bit like Earl's case. He was flagging out more easily, and he was all hunched up with his legs when doing agility. He is on a course of anti-inflamitary steroids tablets for 5 days as a precaution just incase his joints are inflamed, and he's been given rest. I would advise you not to intense excersise Barley until you have at least seen a vet about it. We took Earl to the vets about his case and he wouldn't be on his tablets if we hadn't have taken him. The drinking thing; well, I'm unfortunately not very sure why he is showing this behaviour, again, I would strongly advise you to see a vet. Hope this helps.
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Post by bextull on Apr 28, 2013 11:04:53 GMT
If his joints are getting worse then perhaps doing caniX and bikejouring is not the best idea. Something swimming related might be more beneficial.
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Post by puppypal on Apr 28, 2013 12:38:10 GMT
caz2golden he has been off raw for 2 weeks now and he only started to drink more the past week. I only clean his ears if they are dirty, if they are clean i leave them alone.
bextull we have not done any canix for about 2 months now due to him being injured and going to crufts, he has not started bikejoring yet, we have been trying to look into hydrotheraphy but there are no places near us that offer it and he hates water, he has a great fear of water, swimming is his worst nightmare and he puts a hell of a fight on just to walk through a bigish puddle.
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Post by Jademoo on Apr 28, 2013 14:39:28 GMT
You could still probably buy some ear cleaner to use, Woody had an ear infection before and now we just use the ear cleaner every so often to make sure his ear canal is clean so it doesn't come back.
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Post by cazypops on Apr 28, 2013 15:49:19 GMT
An increased intake of water is usually a sign of something more going on than meets the eye. Like an infection of some sort, I too think a visit to the vet would be beneficial.
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Post by migsy on Apr 28, 2013 20:02:33 GMT
I would go by smell of ears too,they shouldn't smell nasty and should be salmon pink in colour.Never mess with them as someone has already said,you can upset the delicate balance of healthy bacteria.Mites are invisible to the naked eye. The water intake does seem quite a lot,unless dog has been doing strenuous exercise,drinking lots can be an indicator of diabetes.A visit to the vet would be wise.
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Post by caz2golden on Apr 29, 2013 6:05:06 GMT
Has Barley improved yet? If not have you arranged to see the vet? Re-looking at your post I don't think this is a wait and see situation, its a go to the vet one (unless he is now totally better).
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Post by puppypal on Apr 29, 2013 18:33:11 GMT
he is looking a bit better, head shaking has stopped but still drinking and lagging behind on walks, he has definitly started back on his joint supplements at 2 tablets daily, highest reccomended amount, he seems fine when trotting and running but walks very awrkwardly when walking, he seems to have perked up the past couple of days so things are looking a bit better, if he is still not right by the end of the week he is going to the vets for at least a check up to see if everything is ok.
On another good note, his allergies have stopped, at last, he has completly stopped itching, this is all down to a change of food, he is on cereal free kibble, he started this strait after his raw trial, he seems to really like it and no tummy upset so it must be agreeing with him. I am happy that we have found a cure for his itching, it did not stop instantly but just fased out.
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Post by charlottte on Apr 30, 2013 12:16:07 GMT
I'd be gettin him to the vets sooner than the end of the week. Like someone (i think it was Caz?) said, excessive/increased drinking can be a cause for concern. It can be as simple as it being a bit warmer or it can be the beginning of a number of illnesses that can be treat if caught early enough.
It's also a sign of stress, which if he has pain in his back legs, could be contributing to that. The lagging should also be checked by a vet. When jasper has a limp I monitor for 24 hours if its minor and if it hasn't sorted its off to the vets. If its severe and he can't bear weight, he's off to the vet straight away.
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Post by caz2golden on May 1, 2013 19:28:34 GMT
Just worried Is Barley now better? If not has he seen a vet yet?
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Post by cazypops on May 1, 2013 19:39:10 GMT
Hi PP, as caz2golden say how is Barley? has there been an improvement?
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