Any Good Suggestions?

[Guest lauri]

Miles has literally no muscle mass due to his 'whatever it is' we're treating for.

 

He's been on prednisione for 11 days, beck on the Flagyl until we get his new stuff, had one B12 shot, and is EATING!!!

 

I'm going to have to give him B12 shots once a week, and will learn how when I take him for a follow up appointment on Monday. He's anemic, but seems to be feeling a bit better and so far no tummy pains like before. Not a lot of energy, but WAY better than before.

 

We also think he's gaining some weight back as his 'tuck' isn't so prominent, and I can't see the kidneys through his skin and bones anymore.

 

What muscle he has left is just soft flab. I know he's not got the energy to exercise much, and he needs his strength to heal, BUT...

 

Can anyone give me any ideas on how to increase his muscle mass and strength? Like some kind of program for a grey?

 

I don't want to assume that he can even handle a walk around the block, and he does go outside the dog door so he COULD get some movement that way.

 

But he doesn't much.

[Guest Hannah]

swimming is supposed to be good for things like that

 

or if you dont have a pool nearby you could just lay down next to him and 'walk' his legs as a game

[carronstar]

Swimming, if you have a pool available.

 

With my first girl when she became a super senior, I used to walk her up and down the museum steps across the street just to add to her exercise. The steps are shallow but at a good angle. I think that a slightly elevated hill/street would be as good.

 

Where in SoCal are you? I grew up in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica and I lived in Hollywood/West Hollywood when I moved out. If you are around there maybe some of the slightly graded/elevated streets might help. Definitely not the Santa Monica to Sunset section of La Cienega. Poor Miles would poop out halfway up the street!

[ahicks51]

Okay- after reading back through Miles' issues, I have a recommendation: cut out the carbohydrates. Here's my line of thought.

 

After reading the Glanemann paper that came out in July, I have become very suspicious of mycobacterial infections in dogs. Glanemann et al. found a number of dogs with IBD were infected with MAP (Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis). MAP is an organism that is found in ruminants, causing Johne's disease. It's well-known, and is eventually fatal- or at least cause to destroy the host. One of the primary symptoms of MAP infection in ruminants is PLE- protein-losing enteropathy, where the muscles waste away. I know this for a fact as I have Crohn's disease, which is thought (by some) to be the human manifestation of MAP. Note that prednisone is commonly applied in the management of Crohn's, as are B12 injections; they are two modalities proven to improve patient outlook.

 

Unfortunately, neither leads to a cure. Crohn's is treated as a "manageable" disease in the United States; in Austria, it has been treated as a disease that can be cured 85% of the time through rigorous carbohydrate restriction.

 

The resolution is very simple and straightforward: cut out the carbohydrates. This means getting rid of the grains, particularly corn, wheat, potatoes, rice, and other starchy material. The bacterial overgrowth in the gut is due to too many carbohydrates in the diet; too many carbs results in an acceleration of the digestive process as ingesting carbs leads to production of insulin, which then results in pushing undigested material into the colon faster. As the digestive tract of the canine is much shorter than in true omnivores and herbivores, it results in undesirable fermentation. This is where your bacterial overgrowth is coming from.

 

Bacterial overgrowth then allows nastiness like ulceration and malabsorption in the intestines, which is where your protein-wasting comes from. (BTW- if you have blood values, particularly those involving iron and red blood cells, PLEASE post them.)

 

PM me if you need additional information. I can provide literature citations for the above information. Feeding either very low-carb kibble or feeding raw foods (excluding sugary vegetables like carrots and peas, as well as starchy material like rice and corn) could be very productive in terms of reversing the disease course in your pup. Everything else is just a band-aid. Good luck.

[turbotaina]

swimming is supposed to be good for things like that

 

or if you dont have a pool nearby you could just lay down next to him and 'walk' his legs as a game

 

 

Right. Those "walks" are known as Passive Range of Motion (PROM) exercises. You can also wheelbarrow him, if he'll permit it (Turbo hated doing wheelbarrows and that was with him on his hind legs, not fronts, which I held), have him walk over objects (like two brooms slightly elevated on books and a about 10 - 12 inches apart), walk up hills, stairs, etc. Swimming is great and if you can find some place that has a pool or an underwater treadmill, either will work wonders.

 

Also, if you can find a veterinary physical therapist, TENS are really great. It's electrical stimulation of the muscles. In OZ, trainers do it themselves, but here, you have to have a vet or PT do it.

[Batmom]

Are there any kinds of treats and toys he likes? Will he follow you around the yard if you go out with him? Here when a dog needs to move around some, we play little games in the house or yard. Fetch, or pounce-and-shred (newspaper balls are great for this). If he'll come when you call, you can also play "greyhound catch" -- two people stand at different points in the yard and take turns calling the dog, who then gets a treat and/or special lovies.

[Guest lauri]

Since he's sleeping so much and laying down, I guess 'walking' his legs would be good.

 

He was pretty energetic when I came home tonight so I suppose a small walk or two won't hurt him.

 

We've been taking him for car rides to get him out of the house lately...

[Guest LindsaySF]

swimming is supposed to be good for things like that

 

or if you dont have a pool nearby you could just lay down next to him and 'walk' his legs as a game

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I think any movement you can get out of him early on is going to be helpful, and as he feels better, you can increase it (like start with really brief walks and work up the duration as he gains strength.) Just don't do so much that he isn't taking in enough calories to compensate for those he is burning, while he is regaining weight.

 

I am really glad to hear the pred/vitamin B12 combo seems to be working; keep up the good work, Miles!

[Burpdog]

Swimming or slow walking (even if you walk in the backyard on lead).

 

Sending more prayers

 

edited to add: when Austin was losing muscle mass, acupuncture helped a lot.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Burpdog

[Guest jackjack]

Are there any kinds of treats and toys he likes? Will he follow you around the yard if you go out with him? Here when a dog needs to move around some, we play little games in the house or yard. Fetch, or pounce-and-shred (newspaper balls are great for this). If he'll come when you call, you can also play "greyhound catch" -- two people stand at different points in the yard and take turns calling the dog, who then gets a treat and/or special lovies.

 

I really like this idea. I think swimming is a nice thought as well if he really is too weak to do anything else. If he can tolerate walking around some I would tend towards that (simply because it's weight bearing). If he can tolerate a very small walk, you can simply try taking him the distance of a houses or two and head back home. Every few days to a week, increase the distance a little (another two houses) until you can make your way around the block.

 

Best of luck to you

 

[Guest Cris_M]

He's been on prednisione for 11 days, think he's gaining some weight back as his 'tuck' isn't so prominent,

What muscle he has left is just soft flab.

 

What you are describing is exactly what prenisone does. It decreases muscle mass while increasing weight in the stomach area. It's especially sad looking on a greyhound where the musclulature and tuck are important to looking like the breed. It doesn't show up as much on a Lab.

 

Once he is off Pred, his normal body shape should come back with normal exercising.

 

We went through this with Gabriel. I hated seeing his body change shape so dramatically, but Pred can be a miracle drug in others ways so it was worth it.