Poor Molly

[Hound dog]

It's been varified. Snitching puppy food......treats.......and puppy raw hides has caused to her gain weight. Although according to vet scale only 5 lbs. I know it was much more because she's actually lost about 5 lbs since I started watching her like a hawk and feeding the girls separate. lol

Nothing serious for todays visit. Her glands were full again (scooching her fanny on the floor is the big tip off) Vet decided to get a weight on her if she'd cooperate. I was rather proud of her as this simple thing alone can cause a massive accident to occur. But Molly hopped up onto the scale like an old pro and earned her liver snack. Of course all that awesome bravery deteriorated instantly when Travis lifted her onto the table. Her glands were just as full this time as last time. (near rupture) Took forever to drain them. Vet said she's surprised that her BMs don't help some with it. I said phht........this poor dog doesn't ever have a "normal" bm........itty bitty things that she spends forever going around the yard trying to get out. So.......now Molly is to be getting some wheaties and other high fiber foods in with her dog food. I'm sure she's not going to complain about that.

I dunno if it's going to help or not though. She eats quite a lot from the table already and it certainly has never made a difference. So it's once a month visits from now on to get the glands drained. Vet is worried she's going to get an abscess one of these times and really be in a world of hurt/trouble.

Got Maggie's spay appointment set up too while I was there.

 

[DammitJanet]

I gotta tell you, I have never in my life figured out these dog glands. I am not going looking either.

 

[Jody]

Broady has to have his done, the vet tries to put a smell good perfume on him, but we roll all the way back into town witht he windows down after he has his glands drained. Whoa wretched smell.

 

[witzend]

No table scraps! It not only makes them fat, it's terrible for their digestion! No wonder she's constipated!

Try it for a week and see the difference. I promise.

 

[susiestar]

Regular table scraps are not good for dogs. There are some foods that are healthy for dogs, and knowing what is and what isn't healthy is the issue. This site has a list of high fiber human foods that are safe for dogs: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5574739_highfiber-human-foods-safe-dogs.html

Some of them are quite inexpensive and might be a big help to poor Molly. We never had an indoor dog so I am unfamiliar with the process of dealing with the glands, but I have been around dogs hwo had it done and it made quite an impression on me with the odor. Given her tiny hard poop, I would try adding some of the high fiber foods, but not too much at one time. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[Hound dog]

No disrespect of opinion intended, but you do realize that even in the "dog foods", dogs are eating the same things we are, right? Pet food actually is a recent invention to make use of meat scraps of modern industry and to dispose of all those horses no one wanted anymore with automobiles became so popular. Only the quality is different, very different. In some ways it has improved over time, in many others not so much.

Yes, mine eat from the table. That doesn't mean they're scarfing down hot dogs and garbage. Even when giving them scraps I'm picky about what I'll allow them to have. I try to avoid starches such as breads and potatoes ect. Although that doesn't mean they don't enjoy potato peels once in a while. They get meat, real meat......or eggs, sometimes a bit of cheese, often veggies. Actually, very healthy overall. by the way Maggie needs those potato peels and bits of raw potato that she gets as the occasional "treat". It keeps her from eating dirt by the chunks. Same with the spinach they had the other night. And yes, that is with the expensive organic dog food.

Table food is not the reason Molly is over weight. A never ending appetite (I swear she doesn't have a "I'm full" switch in her brain) and love of food is. When there is something healthy they can have from the table, they get it. I reduce the amount of kibble to keep the calorie count down, especially with Molly. But Molly being Molly.......well, if say Maggie's bowl is down for her breakfast and she happens to walk away and I don't see her, Molly is right there gobbling it up. Same for the cat. I had to get a special locking lid trash can for the kitchen to stop her "night raids". A baby gate keeps the girls apart during meals. It's not open until both have finished eating. The cat bowl sits in the middle of the kitchen table where Molly can't reach it. Treats for Molly get broken in half, or thirds depending on the size of the treat.

I'm battling the bulge with Molly not due to table scraps but due to an over indulgent Nichole and husband. Nichole grew up with Molly and treated her like a human.......and I swear she shared nearly everything she ate with the dog. This wasn't so bad when Molly was young and played soccer most of the day and such. Nichole moved and next thing I know husband is spoiling both Betsy and Molly like a mad man. On top of that he was feeding them twice what he should have been. (without the table additions) He just never thought about it. ugh

Once I was out of school Molly's exercise increased and I quickly put her back on the right portions of food and cut off nearly all treats. Same for Betsy. Both lost weight. Not long before I brought Maggie home, Molly was getting near her normal weight. She looked great. But then the puppy food snitching started..........ect......and yeah. At least I caught it before she got as heavy as before. It's just like with a human who has been overweight....once you lose it, it's easy to pack those pounds, and often more, back on again.

I went to Nichole's for Thanksgiving. First thing I noticed was that Betsy has packed on the weight terribly. I asked her how much food she was giving her....turns out twice the amount she was supposed to have, made worse by the fact that Oliver likes to feed her doggie treats all the time and food from his plate. So I straightened Nichole out. I dunno what she's going to do about the kids sneaking her stuff because I was never able to battle that one very well. lol

Molly eats a LOT of veggies, usually various greens. She loves broccoli both cooked and raw, as does Maggie. Fruit? Not so much for either of them. Molly isn't overly fond of fruits and while Maggie likes them, they don't like her.

And yes, depending on what/how I'm cooking, the girls can go 2 wks without something from the table. Makes little difference to Molly. She can eat expensive dog food or cheap o delux generic and the issue is the same as far as her bowels are concerned. If she didn't eat the raw/cooked veggies I give her she probably wouldn't/couldn't go at all. I was surprised the vet said to do the wheaties/bran as I can't say I've had the idea to give the dogs cereal. Oh, I won't say they haven't cleaned up the floor after the kids/grands.....but that is not the same as giving it to them. So I'll see if she likes it and give it a try.

Susie thanks for the link. My dogs eat those and more without issue.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Have you tried adding a bit of veggie oil to her diet?
I've had two dogs at separate times who needed that to keep the backside moving.

 

[buddy]

Recently JJ had the runs and people suggested plain canned pumpkin, saying it worked both ways because of the fiber. He LOVED it (so did Q by the way, lol) and it really worked. I kept giving it to both dogs until the can was gone and little Buddy stopped having such tiny hard poop. Not runny but just more normal. Both liked it cold better than warmed up.
The other thing that always loosens Buddy up is raw carrots.
Hope Molly gets relief. Does she like brown rice? Thats the other thing mine like (I only make it if theyre sick) Our doctor said just a small amount of lean meat if used instead of dog food. Just sharing what has worked for us but dogs are individual in what works like we are I suppose. Molly is such a lucky, loved pet!

 

[DammitJanet]

I tried the canned pumpkin and they wouldnt eat it. Well Buddy would, he eats anything. Abby wouldnt. I swear she still isnt having normal bm's and I am feeding her Taste of the Wild. She only eats a small amount too but you wouldnt know it. She is growing like a weed. She just turned 8 months old and has to weigh at least 50 pounds. I hardly ever give her table scraps unless I know exactly what is in them and that is normally only a very little bit of leftover deer stew which has the same basic ingredients as her taste of the wild in it. Venison, carrots, potatoes, a few pearl onions but normally I have picked through the stew to eat as many of those as I can because I love those, a can of mushroom soup as the base. But that makes a 6 and a half quart pot of stew so there is a very small amount of the mushroom soup. I dont allow her to have any of the corn bread. I never allow her to have any soup with corn in it or anything with noodles. The only other thing she gets is bones and they are fresh venison bones. No artificial anything.

Tony thinks I need to take her to the vet and get her checked. Maybe she is allergic to something because she cant even make it in the house for a few hours without having to use her puppy pads. And I do take her out. She is on the chain for most of the day but I dont think she potties while on the chain. She certainly doesnt eat while out there and I dont think she drinks out of her bucket of water. It never seems to go down. I cant wait till I can put up the fence. I think she will be much more comfortable.