This week was Jake and Truly’s scheduled trip to the Vet. We see the same Vet James where possible, not only because he’s a great Vet and a lovely person, but because he knows Jake and Truly’s history beyond notes on a file. I always feel that James listens to my questions and concerns, and that Jake and Truly’s health and quality of life are of utmost importance to him too.
Because of the current coronavirus safety protocols, I wasn’t able to accompany them into the building. Jake and Truly were collected at the door and taken in one at a time. It was an efficient process, and thankfully the weather was relatively kind.
The appointment covered a general MOT including a weigh in, bloods for a titre test (for Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus), Leptospirosis boosters, worming tablets, and a repeat prescription for Jake’s arthritis meds. Truly also had her wobbly back legs assessed, she’s not in pain thankfully, but sadly it’s not something that can be cured.
Jake has lost 0.5kg but remains within his target weight, unsurprisingly Truly has put on 3kg. I had a feeling this might be the case as she’s noticeably less active at home, I could see that her waist was slightly thicker, and I couldn’t feel her ribs as clearly.
Dogs are assessed by Vets using a body condition score. Helpfully this is something we can monitor at home without having to lift them onto scales. Not that I could lift Truly to weigh her! I found a site that describes the checks you can do yourself at home. If you scroll across the dog images you can also see an explanation of what to look for. The link is here. Your Vet will monitor and advise you of your dog’s target weight range. Noting some breeds do naturally show more rib than others, Greyhound and Lurcher breeds spring to mind.
Jake and Truly already have a raw diet with veg and fruit added. In Truly’s case it’s not possible to simply lengthen her walks in order to lose weight. If she enjoyed swimming, I would sign her up for hydrotherapy sessions. Unfortunately, she hates water and it would just be too stressful for her. So, to help her feel less hungry I’m ‘padding out’ her meals with additional chopped carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and apple. She enjoys snacking on those already, and they are safe for dogs to eat. I’ve also halved the amount of peanut butter and homemade fillings I use to reward her when she settles with her Licki mat or her Kong.
By their 6-monthly check up, I hope to have her back on track!
Until next time
Jen
