Day 8 and more Q&A

Sorry for being a day behind, but the boys and I were wiped and went to bed at 8:30 last night.

Let's see, yesterday I took Mickey to the chiropractor for stretching and adjustment. She couldn't do much with the neck area, but she found his back legs were extremely tight and sore. Here's my theory, with the back problems Mick would pull himself with his front legs everywhere, never really pushing off with his back legs. Now that he's had the gold beads, if he's using his back legs more for power, they probably feel like we do after a weight lifting session.

I will do stretches with him every day, our next appointment is a week from Saturday, hopefully she'll see some improvement.

Mick was feeling pretty good yesterday and wanted to run and play with Java. I feel so bad yelling at them to stop, but I know it's for Mick's own good. This is a critical healing time and I don't want to mess it up.

I got some more Q&A that I'd like to share:

Q: Did you restrict Mickey from playing even with your other Great Dane once CVI was confirmed (in your case by x-rays)to the time you went to see Dr. Durkes?

A: No, I let Mickey do what he felt comfortable doing. We did cut down on actual walks on a leash, instead I opted to take him somewhere where he could run and sniff at his own pace.

Q: How much does Mickey weigh?

A: Last I checked Mickey was 186 lbs., but he's afraid of the scale so it's a chore to get him on there. :) If we hide it under a towel he'll sometimes lay on it, good tip for all you out there with "brave" danes like mine. ;)

Q: What do you feed Mickey?

A: I feed Mickey a diet of raw meat, bones and organs from various animals, usually whatever is on sale at the grocery store. :)

Q: If you do a natural diet, did you change anything prior to the GBIs or did you increase Vitamin C? Any other supplements?

A: I've never been big on supplements, normally Java and Mick both get Flexicose for joint health and that's it. Mickey's Acupuncture Vet did try putting him on LigaplexII to see if that would help improve the neurological performance, but I didn't see a big difference so he's not taking that anymore. I don't believe that giving dogs excess amounts of Vit C gives any benefit, dogs product their own Vit C, and since it is water soluable the excess just empties right out of their body.

Q: How long are you supposed to keep your two danes separate?

A: I only seperate them during the day when I am not home, though Java sleeps right on the other side of the gate from Mickey during the day. He does that even with free access to a king size bed in the other room, isn't that sweet? I think it would be more stressful to try to keep them seperate than just to let them do their normal thing, my boys are extremely attached and love each other's company. If you have a dog that is going to physically push the once with CVI, it is best to keep a close eye on them though. I wouldn't let any roughhousing go on until Dr. Durkes gave the OK.

Q: What activity restrictions does Mick have right now and for how long?

A: Dr. Durkes said to just keep him quiet. I don't believe that completely cutting off exercise is a good thing, it is very important that CVI dogs keep their muscle tone up. As I said before, I would be comfortable letting them run and explore on their own with no forced exercise. Once Mickey is less sore and a few weeks have gone by, I will discuss starting some physical therapy with Durkes. Walking stairs and going over ground poles will help him build up more muscle tone and keep the extra weight off.