canine health

Question
I have a 4y.o. boxer/retriever (we think)mix in 'rehab' trying to mend a partially torn knee ligament without surgery.She has mild food allergy to beef, corn, chicken. She gets Nutro lamb/rice weight reduction premium food - plus 3or 4 TBsp. a day of salmon, plus - get this - steamed broccoli. Plus 500mg Vitamin C 1Xpd  and 900mg Glucosamin/Chrondroitin Sulfate 2x pd. Is there an additional supplement/food I can manufacture at home for her - even with little movement she is hungry & asking for more (typical diet - 4 good days, then crave the good stuff) Also could use a couple tips on safe PLAY - the vet ordered no running,jumping, bouncing, hard play & very restricted movement. This is one bored pooch. Appreciate any suggestions. She is 12 weeks into rehab & building muscle nicely, lost 3 lbs. in 4 weeks. Vet is happy - dog isnt. She is currently 72lbs. & in good health but getting 'emotionally needy'

Answer
Hi there,

Congratulations on helping this girl back to good health - weight reduction is of course crucial for her,and it can be very difficult to achieve, particularly when exercise must be restricted. What is your goal weight for her? How much of the Nutro do you feed? I might suggest adding a variety of veggies, since overfeeding of broccoli may contribute to thyroid disease. If her thyroid has been checked (a full panel, not the single test vets do most of the time) and has been found healthy, then vegetables from the cruciferous family can be fed about three times a week. If there is any indication of low thyroid, I wouldn't use them, or soy products, at all.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47

You might also think about supplementing the Nutro with some other foods - dark meat turkey, sweet potato slices (cooked) a boiled egg. I would prefer to see salmon oil (or any quality fish body oil, as long as it isn't cod liver oil) added to help reduce inflammation. Use a high quality brand (I like Natural Factors RxOmega3) and use one capsule per 20 lbs bodyweight. A little extra Vitamin E should be added with the fish oil, for your dog, 100 IU daily of a natural E is plenty, on top of her diet.

She could have a raw carrot to crunch on, or try putting small treats in a Kong or Leo toy for her to work away at. I fill Kongs with all kinds of goodies - for a dog who is trying to reduce, some cooked veggies and a bit of meat is a good idea.And the Leo toy, if you can get one, is harder work so takes longer to empty. (I use one for my own hyperactive Ridgeback pup who empties a Kong in about 2 minutes flat).
http://tinyurl.com/2yde6n

Or use home made or purchased low calorie cookies. When physical exercise isn't possible, mental stimulation can be  very helpful. More games, toys and training sessions will help her feel less bored.

She may also enjoy some massage to help her relax, just as humans do. There are many excellent books and websites that deal with pet massage, if this is something that might interest you, check into
http://www.petmassage.com/training/about-workshops.htm for more resources. I have Dr. Fox's books and have used his easy to learn techniques with my own arthritic dog, and she loves it.
Just some ideas  here, for your consideration.


Something you might also consider is going to a home cooked diet - I have excellent results using this approach for overweight dogs.  But whether you use kibble or home made, you should figure out what her caloric needs are for her desired weight and then feed 10% less than this amount. This is much more precise than going simply by the recommended cups on the bag. Her caloric needs, at 72 pounds and inactive, would be about 1500 per day. You would want to decide what her ideal weight is and then we can calculate the calories per day that will keep her metabolism from shutting down, but still facilitate weight loss. Let me know how much Nutro you're feeding, plus what her goal weight is, and I can help with this.

Also - is this the type you're feeding? I looked on the site for  Weight Reduction food but didn't see one, so I'm guessing this is it?
http://www.nutroproducts.com/ncdry-slr.shtml

Catherine