[monkey]

Our male toy poodle (he's probably anywhere from 4 to 6 years old) broke a bone in his foot this week. He's in a cast for 4-6 weeks.

In the meantime, we're wondering if there might be a change in his diet we should consider - or a supplement of some sort - that might increase his bone density so that this doesn't happen again?

In comparison to our other poodle (1yo female), he has always been SO skinny. He weighs 7.8 pounds, compared to her 10+ pounds. They eat the same food and, if anything, HE out-eats our girl! His little legs are toothpicks (again, compared to our females skinny-but-muscular-legs).

He's a jumper - always leaping to the highest point of furniture he can achieve and perching there. When we leave the house, he balances on the top of the recliner and waits for us to get home.

But, he broke his foot doing something so simple that we were all shocked when he yelped and started favoring his foot and whining and shivering. It wasn't anything that SHOULD have caused a break if his bones were stronger, I don't think?

So. Any suggestions for us to strengthen up our boy so that this doesn't happen again? We'll be at the vet again this Monday for a splint-change - and I will also ask her, but since I forgot to while we were there yesterday - I am looking for some input in the meantime, so maybe we could get started on this asap!

ty!

 

[Spencer]

The only thing I know of - but surely it isn't the ONLY thing - would be glucosamine. You can buy tablets and give them to them. My dogs think the glucosamine-condriton tablets are a treat and gobble them up.

When our first greyhound was affected by a stroke and had to lay around for a few months because she couldn't walk, I know that was what they told my mom she should hide in her food so that her bones didn't waste away (her muscles atrophied so they began to worry about her bones). It seemed to help, and she was able to walk again as well as rebuild her muscle strength.