firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
He's up there at 10.5 yo.
He has troubles getting up off the floor if he's been sleeping for a long while on a slippery surface, and with stairs, otherwise you'd think he's 1/2 his age as once on his feet, he moves well, pulls hard, plays fetch, etc. Even when standing, he's very steady on his feet and just plain looks like he moves smoothly. My 2 year old tried a running mount on him like a cowboy trying to get out of Dodge already. The boy wasn't tall enough as the dog was standing so he just ran right into the side of him, and I was amazed that the old dog stood right there, easily handling a sidestep, simply amused with the boy.
I had a German Shepard in the past who had hip dysplasia, and once he started having troubles, he had troubles with keeping his balance more than getting up, so this display of the problem is new to me.
So, knowing a dog with stair trouble was coming home, I built a 14 foot ramp for him off the back deck as he has trouble with even a few steps. For being new to the house, and presumably nervous, I was impressed how quickly he took to it.
The previous owners gave him Nature Made "Triple Flex" once daily, and Carprofen 75mg tabs as needed (a few times a month, the day after an extra active day).
His weight is what I believe to be high for a Samoyed at what I'd estimate to be 70 lbs, but he seems trim. They've been consistently feeding him Beneful Healthy Weight. It's been a while since I looked into dog foods and their nutrition, but my first glance at the label and having corn meal as the first ingredient didn't impress me much. After more research, I might try switching him over to something different.
In the end, the realist in me told me to pass the dog up, as I know what's to come. However, I also had a good feeling about where this dog was going if someone didn't step up soon, and there's still a bunch of love there, so that softy I try keeping under wraps came through and here we are
Any advice you guys have on the hip deal or food would be great too.
Thanks!
pen
How a man treats the animals around him speaks volumes about the character of that man . . . Again . . . nice job Pen.
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