random whining

[JRT2006]

Have a 3 year old male English mastiff, weighs 190lbs. On a grain free holistic diet, eats between 7-9 cups of food a day between two meals.

Just this morning he's started this random cry. When he lays down, the gets up and walks he let's out one short whine then it stops until he lays down and walks again afterwards. When I lifted him onto the bed (only 1.5 feet off the floor) he whined again. I'm leaning toward his from right paw causing the pain because he seems to lift it a lot more when sitting still but when I palate his entire front right leg he shows zero discomfort. I've checked his pads and in between each for obstructions and came up with nothing. I've bent his joints and palate his hips with no sign of discomfort either

Any clue on what this could be? My last resort is a vet trip considering it would put me in the hole for a year especially around holiday time.

 

[JRT2006]

Also, he's very gassy. I'm not sure if he's had an bowel movements since this started. He's pretty shy and usually sits still in the yard when I watch.

 

[Hector]

Hmm..could this be signs of bloat? How distended is the belly? Distended belly and a restless dog can be signs of bloat.

 

[JRT2006]

Not sure how easy it is to tell if it's distended. He's always looked fat and normal to me, with no change. Here's a recent pic of him laying in bed, not sure if you can tell.

It's possible he ate something he shouldn't have, although he usually doesn't pay much attention to toys, legos, etc on the floor. I've seen chewed up markers in the past.

 

[Hector]

It could be a stomach ache too. I know my dog will do a weird moan/growl/whine if his stomach is hurting. It is a very distinct noise and he only does this when he has a stomach ache.

Here's a video on bloat.

[video=youtube;U1WrT2719yo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1WrT2719yo[/video]

 

[Hector]

Oh sorry, I didn't answer your question. No, his stomach doesn't look inflated, but he's not my dog so I don't know. You would feel a very big stomach (filled with gas) like a balloon and you will definitely feel and notice a difference.

 

[NYDDB]

This may be a long shot, but based on the photo his toenails seem really, really long- they might be causing him pain when he walks.

Do you trim them?

 

[musicdeb]

7-9 cups of food per day is a lot of food for a 3 year old pup. Check out this body condition chart, where does he fit on the chart?



I agree, his nails are too long and can cause pain when he walks.

Could it be that he needs to go outside to potty when he whines?

How long has he been whining when he gets up and down? It could be arthritis. There are a few possibilities for the whining. When was he last vet check?

If you decide to take him to the vet, please research Rimadyl, Novox, any carprofen medication and Dermaxx before you go because that is the drug of choice for pups in pain due to possible arthritis or bone/joint injury. The drugs have serious side effects with little or no warning before death.

Is the pup taking glucosamine? Titan and I take the same glucosamine made by Schiff.
Using Glucosamine to Prevent Canine Osteoarthritis - Whole Dog Journal Article

Please keep us posted.

 

[JRT2006]

I'm not exactly sure how much he actually eats, I know I put between 7-9 cups down a day. Usually 4 in the morning and 4 in the evening. But there always appears to be atleast half or a full cup that he spreads all over the kitchen floor too.
as far as the chart, I'd put him at a 6 on the description and a 7 in the photos.
Maybe he could lose some weight? Last weighed him a month ago and he was at 186lbs. Too much weight hurting his joints?
I said in the op that he whined when he took his first steps, it's more so when he gets up from laying down and sometimes a few steps afterwards.

Also, I have a small back patio with about 6 steps to the yard. At night when he goes out for his business, he sees a rabbit in the yayard and runs down the steps. Every single night. Could be possible he hurt something down the steps?

 

[JRT2006]

Also, trimmed his nails (thanks Hector for the pm) and his last vet trip must've been a year ago. He goes there with me to pick up his heartworm and flea meds but he hasn't been seen in about a year.

 

[Hector]

I'm not exactly sure how much he actually eats, I know I put between 7-9 cups down a day. Usually 4 in the morning and 4 in the evening. But there always appears to be atleast half or a full cup that he spreads all over the kitchen floor too.
as far as the chart, I'd put him at a 6 on the description and a 7 in the photos.
Maybe he could lose some weight? Last weighed him a month ago and he was at 186lbs. Too much weight hurting his joints?
I said in the op that he whined when he took his first steps, it's more so when he gets up from laying down and sometimes a few steps afterwards.

Also, I have a small back patio with about 6 steps to the yard. At night when he goes out for his business, he sees a rabbit in the yayard and runs down the steps. Every single night. Could be possible he hurt something down the steps?

From this, now I'm thinking it's some sort of orthopedic issue. It could be so many things...

and you're welcome.

 

[musicdeb]

Too much weight can cause many ortho problems. I would cut his food down and loose weight to get him to the 4-5 range on the chart and it will help his joints as well.

He also could have injured his joints on the stairs again, due to the excess weight on his joints.

I would recommend vet check to make sure there is not a serious ortho problem.

 

[JRT2006]

Infinia Turkey & Sweet Potato is what I feed him. Occasionally I throw a bag of the Bison flavor in there for variety. Here is the dog food advisor review, seems to be a pretty good food for him?
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/infinia-dog-food/

Looking at the nutritional facts, what are yoir suggestions on a feeding amount?
Is the fat/protein/carb ratio pretty good in this food?

I have to stay away from chicken flavors, he has an allergy. Or did when he was a little one, not sure if they outgrow them.

 

[Tunride]

The turkey (almost chicken) could be the problem. Stick with the Bison for a while. Most Mastiffs can not tolerate chicken or grains. Also check all treats for any chicken or chicken bi-products. A trip to the vet for a check-up would be a good idea, just to be on the safe side.

 

[musicdeb]

The Turkey and Sweet Potato has chicken and turkey in it. The calcium and phosphorous is too high for his age group. Calcium & Phosphorous Requirements for Dogs

Food guidelines are 4 1/2 cups up to 100 lbs and add 1/4 for every 10 lbs over 100 lbs. For his weight, he can eat up to 6 1/2 cups for his weight but you do need to adjust for body condition as the website shows re: feeding guidelines.

 

[JRT2006]

Any food recommendations? I'll likely have to order through the Internet and deliver as the feed store is the only other dog food provider besides pet smart.

 

[musicdeb]

Yes, order through chewy.com which is free shipping on orders over $49.

Check out Castor & Pollux grain free, Earthborn Holistics, Acana Regionals, Fromms, Wellness Core, Taste of the Wild grain free or Innova Nature's Table. They have flavors that have no chicken.

Remember to do a slow transition to the new food.

 

[musicdeb]

Slow transition to the new food is as follows to prevent diarrhea. If at any time during the transition, the pup has diarrhea return to previous amounts of food per feeding. If you are switching flavors made by the same manufacturer, you should not have to do a slow transition.

Amount per feeding:

Day 1-4 ¾ cup of old food and ¼ cup of new food.

Day 5-9 ½ cup of old food and ½ cup of new food.

Day 10-14 ¾ cup of new food and ¼ cup of old food

Day 15 Start 100% of new food

OR

You can feed him boiled meat and white rice with 1-2 tablespoons of canned or raw pumpkin (not the pie filling) for 4-5 days to reset his system and then start the new food.

 

[JRT2006]

Thanks musicdeb!

 

[JRT2006]

Im a bit confused on the calcium to phosphorus ratio?
Am I wrong when looking at these numbers?

The food he currently eats has 1.2% calcium and .9% phosphorus. .is that not a 1.2:.9 ratio?

You said that it's too high, but when I look at all the suggestions for food, they appear much higher, or the same.