Guys had a blow dealt to me today from my vet. 3 weeks ago my 3yr old female came up limping on her right hind leg, took her to the vet and they said with out x rays could be a soft tissue injury or partial acl tear. We treated with rimydal and crate rest for almost 3 weeks( as explained in one of my earlier posts). Last week I noticed she was limping on her left front leg, WHAT!!! We have not been doing anything. Took her back to the vet and they x rayed her hips, and front leg, also checked for OCD (not compulsive disorder), arthritis and sent blood off for all the tick diseases that could cause alternating lameness in gsd's. Well to make a very long story a little bit shorter, negative on all tick disease, hips great, checked ACL while sedated, solid no tear. Here is where I get confused they said her diet raw meat and bones were causing her to have a lack of calcium and weakness in her bones and some lack of calcium in her front left leg, rear right leg and possibly some in her spine. They said it was due to the raw diet over the last few years and that we should switch her to a good grade kibble! I am really confused, disappointed in my vet who I thought was some what pro raw. I know this board with all it's outstanding knowledge can give me some advice with this. I guess I have a problem switching back to kibble just because the vet says so and sells it but I do not want my dog limping anymore. Any advice, help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Frank, sorry to hear you are having these issues.
I would strongly recommend getting a second opinion. One Vet that I will recommend to you is Dr. Nancy Bozeman, she is an awesome holistic vet that also does a variety of holistic practices.
She is located in Kennedale, TX so not really too far.

I am not entirely convinced that this problem is because of low levels of calcium. I would need to see blood work that proved such a thing.
I know several of my co workers that have gone to Dr. Bozeman and really like her very much, and I know that she strongly believes in an all natural raw diet is the best diet for dogs.

Here is her website,
http://theanimaldoctortx.com/about

Can you give us an idea what and how much you feed daily? Does your menu change up or do you pretty much stick to the same thing day after day?

Thanks Joyce I sure will look into that. Maybe I need a new Vet or definetly a second opinion before I have to make this BIG leap. Tanya thanks, I do vary her food between chicken backs, turkey necks, beef with organs, beef and tripe, venison (when available) ground wild boar, pork, Mackerel and sardines added at times. Maybe I need more egg shells. I feed her around 3-4 ozs. of muscle meat and a chicken back and or a turkey neck at each feeding as well as a forta flora with one meal and a digest zymez cap with the other. She is a big girl 25 1/2 at the withers and 93lbs. They did not tell me that she was to big but that was to be expected. Checked with her breeder and no history of any health issues with them or with this litter.

If you have been feeding raw since she was a pup - calcium is always an issue esp for a large breed dog, and you could just being seeing issues now as she is getting older. There are some excellent yahoogroups for K9Nutrition (this group being one) that could give you some suggestions. If calcium is lacking I would definitely up my bone content, or supplements. I normally add cottage cheese or Kefir to my guys diet from time to time. But I also probably feed more bone than the normal guideline. Keep us posted with any information you receive. I'm curious to the cure.
Good luck! I don't blame you for not wanting to go back to kibble!

I also probably feed more bone than I should. The vet told me that that is "dead bone" and does not contain any or little calcium....... Yes I will keep all informed as this transpires. Oh I was also told that calcium supplements would not help in this case but only make it worse????? I sure am very confused at this point.

"they said her diet raw meat and bones were causing her to have a lack of calcium and weakness in her bones ... "


Based on OA changes, per x-rays? Or hypocalcemia (per blood test)?

What was the blood result? (It will be expressed as mg/dL -- milligrams of calcium per deciliter of blood.)


I'm a little at a loss that a vet who is "somewhat pro-raw" is not saying (if this is the case) that the diet needs more calcium, as opposed to saying that the raw diet in general is the problem.

How long has the dog been on raw?

Definitely sign on to the yahoogroups - they are very helpful. There is K9Nutrition, rawfeeding and rawchat. I'm at a loss. You may want to source your meat if you are buying from the retail store. I am not a whole prey model feeder - I feed a ton of variety of vegetables, fruits and the like; and my meat/products come directly from a USDA grass feed supplier, so I know exactly what I'm getting. I wish I could help you more.

 Quote: Frank Magnetico

I also probably feed more bone than I should. The vet told me that that is "dead bone" and does not contain any or little calcium.......

The only thing I can imagine here is that the vet thought you were talking about recreational bones. If not, where in the world does the vet think that wild canids get their calcium?


"I was also told that calcium supplements would not help in this case but only make it worse?"

"Calcium supplements" are where kibble gets its calcium.

I'm as confused as you are. I hope this doesn't indicate the level of the vet's knowledge of nutrition.

By the way, IMO, you should not supplement with calcium, including ground egg shell, until you have a much better explanation and diagnosis.

I'd want to know exactly what this means:

".. a lack of calcium and weakness in her bones and some lack of calcium in her front left leg, rear right leg and possibly some in her spine."

Are they seeing OA changes?

And all the blood work, including calcium and Vitamin D.

And yes, definitely a second opinion, with everything (blood and all other lab results and x-rays) in my hand.



All JMO, in all the posts I made, of course.