4 yr. old cocker/clumbar spaniel

Question
QUESTION: We rescued this guy from abuse and have not idea of his history,
except we know it wasn't good.  He has a seizure disorder and takes phenobarbitol twice a day.  It is pretty well controlled with that, but I wonder if we could help by not feeding him certain things....or are there things we could feed him which
could actually help?  We have been feeding him 1 cup of dry dog food twice a day.  My husband thinks he should be getting at least
3 cups a day, but I don't want him to get overweight as he has hip
problems and arthritis already.  I also don't approve of giving him table scraps, but my husband does it a lot.

Please help!!


ANSWER: Bless your heart for rescuing this boy.

What has the diagnosis been re the seizures?  For any seizure activity (whatever the cause) you can help by adding some Taurine to his diet.  Inexpensive and available at any health food store.
Also good for cockers in preventing heart problems.  1/2 a capsule twice a week.  It's just an amino acid so no downside.  Considering he has seizure activity, I'd go for every 2nd day.

How much to feed depends on the food.  The cheap supermarket stuff will require feeding more whereas a really premium food - you'll feed less.  So what are you feeding him?  I highly recommend Innova EVO or Orijen (grain free and high quality protein).  Even better would be the newer raw, dehydrated foods like Addiction or Sojo's Complete...or a mix of both.

At 4 I'm surprised he has hip problems but he should most definitely be on Cosequin (a glucosamine supplement).  How do you know he has hip problems?

Table scraps are okay but..it depends on what they are.  A piece of raw veggie is good.
Never feed a dog fried "anything".  If your husband likes doing this, supply him with a little bit of raw carrot (not too many) - raw chunk of apple - a fresh green bean.

Also - if this is your first cocker we need to talk about ear cleaning products and how to avoid the vet :)

But first let's do nutrition.  That's key.  What are you feeding him now?
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Delores!
Thank you so much for your quick, helpful response.  We are feeding him
Purina Beneful.  It was recommended as a good one.  His name is JJ and he
doesn't eat vegs or fruit- raw or cooked.  Most of the scraps he is given
are meat - steak, chicken, pork, etc.  Whatever we have for dinner - JJ gets scraps of that.
This is not my first cocker, but he is the first one I have not had from infancy.
As for the diagnosis, it was that generic epilepsy (cause unknown).
When he does stairs, he often keeps one leg up and our groomer has said
it is a common thing for cockers to have hip problems. My last cocker
spaniel had no health problems and lived to be 18....so I feel like JJ's problems are probably from the abuse he suffered prior to coming to our
family.  We know he was left outside in below zero weather with no food or water.  We also know he had previously been in a shelter because he
has a #tattoed on his belly.  If one of us moves our hand quickly by his face, he jumps.  We have had him almost 2 years...and he is now well taken care of and very loved.  By the way, my other cockers were full blooded, so I thought part of his problems could be from the clumbar spaniel side, but I can find next to no information on that breed.
Thank you again for your help.  You can be assured that I will take your advice to heart and make whatever changes will be good for JJ.
Jill

Answer
Stop feeding those types of table scraps.  It's not so much "what" but how it's cooked.
Meat for dogs should only be simmered - no skin, no bones.  If your husband can't break this habit :) then make some plain, simmer 'till done, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. A few bits of that will keep husband and dog happy.

The tatoo would not have been done at a shelter.  The breeder would have done this.

Now food - Purina is just crap.  I strongly suggest getting him on a premium food like Innova EVO or Orijen.  Better still are the newer types of raw, dehydrated like Addiction or Sojo's Complete. (Not the Sojo "mixes" - they're for people who add raw meat).

As with any diet change - go slow and add a bit more of the new food every day.

If he has epilepsy, I'd certainly give a Taurine supplement.  And would also get him on Cosequin right away for the potential hip issue. (You can order this online - cheaper than buying it at the vet)

To find where to buy better food - go to Naturapet.com (The Innova site) because whoever sells Innova will sell other premium brands like Orijen.  Addiction and Sojo's also have their own sites and can locate a dealer near you.

Nutrition is key and cockers do better on a low or no carb diet/grainfree.

Also, if possible, I'd get him a proper eye exam by a Vet Opthalmologist.
Delores