Fodhla intermittently lame

[ArklePig]

We're just back from the vet. She's thinks it's a sprain or a strain. She's got metacam and she has to rest for at least a week. Please send your top tips for mentally wearing out a two and a half year old double gun dog. We do play brain games, mostly sniffing based, but I need all the ideas so we don't run out of ways to tire her. She's extremely high energy, and I'm scared we'll all go insane.

 

[Moobli]

Poor lass. Hope she’s quickly mended. Sniffing games are definitely the best for a dog who loves to use her nose - hiding treats under pots, scattering her food (if kibble fed) around the garden, lickimats, teach some new non-energetic tricks?

 

[splashgirl45]

Nina ottosson dog puzzles are good

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Sorry to hear Fodhla is lame, hope the recovery is both smooth, and uneventful. {{{{{{Vibes}}}}}}

About ideas to occupy her with, the simplest is sometimes the best. If she eats dry food, sprinkle it out all over the floor, you can even do it in more than one room. She might try to rush the first time (if you're worried, you can put a leash on her to control her speed a bit), but most times they quickly realise that they risk missing bits if they're not thorough.

If she's usually high energy, view it the other way around, instead of trying to find ways to let her use up the energy in an as calm way as possible, make her control herself. Why not view a whole day as just one long training in remaining calm. For a high energy dog, that could actually be very hard mental training for her.

If you want to increase the difficultly level for her, add some You must resist the temptation-training. Tell her to sit/lay and wait, and bounce balls/pull a rag over the ground etc. Since she's not allowed to have fun afterwards, the reward will mainly be that the tempations stops, she gets some treats/"Good girl" with or without some scritches, and then calmness continues.

Perhaps try giving her some massage on the rest of her body to help her relax.

Dress her up, and take silly photos of her.

Balance things/treats on her nose/head/a paw.

If you have a Kong or similar toy, freeze it with something yummy inside, e.g. carrot purée, and give it to her.

 

[ArklePig]

Thank you all so much! Lots of good ideas. The lickimats are ready to go. Sadly kongs have the opposite of the intended effect on her and she will launch them about and then chase them sometimes I swear she's not normal! I might use the opportunity to perfect 'speak' as we kind of dropped it a while back, and a few other tricks. She's currently snoozing beside me and has slept most of the day - think the vet was enough for her for one day, I like to let her decompress after as she flipping hates it.

I'm going to block off the wall to the higher levels of the garden tomorrow so she can still hunt for cheese on the small lower level too.

 

[pistolpete]

If all else fails see if piriton has a sedating effect. It does in some. With mine bought a bit of cheap cat kibble and hid it in toilet roll tubes envelopes sellotapedcdown scrunched up towels. Socks with a marrowbone biscuit in is another. Good luck.

 

[GSD Woman]

One thing that's worked for me is to put the meal in a kong, add some water or broth and freeze it. Gives them lots to do twice a day.

 

[Clodagh]

How is she today? Poor girl. I bet she’s fed up.

 

[ArklePig]

How is she today? Poor girl. I bet she’s fed up.

She's a bit pissed off alright. She was grand up until about 10.30 and then she started wondering when her walk was so we scattered some cheese and hot dog out on the lowest level of the garden and that seems to have settled her. She was more confused than anything! The vet said normally she'd recommend complete rest but with some dogs it's just not possible. I've currently got the white noise on and she's beside me on the sofa threatening to drift off so fingers crossed! There's a lickimat in the freezer for later, and I'll probably take her on lead to the front garden for her next wee for a change of scenery.

ETA no sign of stiffness today either which is good but obviously hard to tell as she's not had freedom to run.

 

[Clodagh]

She's a bit pissed off alright. She was grand up until about 10.30 and then she started wondering when her walk was so we scattered some cheese and hot dog out on the lowest level of the garden and that seems to have settled her. She was more confused than anything! The vet said normally she'd recommend complete rest but with some dogs it's just not possible. I've currently got the white noise on and she's beside me on the sofa threatening to drift off so fingers crossed! There's a lickimat in the freezer for later, and I'll probably take her on lead to the front garden for her next wee for a change of scenery.

ETA no sign of stiffness today either which is good but obviously hard to tell as she's not had freedom to run.

That’s good news (that she seems ok). How long is restricted exercise for? I think she has HD, is that right?

 

[ArklePig]

Oh also we're going to my parents house on Thursday evening which the vet said would be good as mentally a new place will keep her interested, but I'll have to employ baby gates as they have a very long hallway and a spiral staircase

On the plus side my dad has something like 20 different species of trees and bushes so she'll have a lot to sniff with low impact.

Yes she does have very mild HD in her left hip but the vet seemed confident this wasn't related. She's restricted for a week and then lead walks for a week and then we need to reevaluate. If no improvement then we'll need to get new xrays etc. But I don't think we're there yet, I think she's just tweaked something being a hooligan.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Dunno, mine are very accepting and seem to treat a gentle wander on the green on lead the same as a mad dash round the woods. It seems to be as mentally stimulating, although they never go on there, so maybe it’s a treat. I know what you mean about kongs, high value toys, must steal everyone else’s and throw it round.

I hope she recovers very quickly.

 

[ArklePig]

She's actually been pretty chill most of the day I'm very pleasantly surprised and proud of her. I think she's waiting and confused and it's tiring her out we've bought some wet food to help her take her metacam and she's delighted with that.

 

[druid]

Thank you all so much! Lots of good ideas. The lickimats are ready to go. Sadly kongs have the opposite of the intended effect on her and she will launch them about and then chase them sometimes I swear she's not normal! I might use the opportunity to perfect 'speak' as we kind of dropped it a while back, and a few other tricks. She's currently snoozing beside me and has slept most of the day - think the vet was enough for her for one day, I like to let her decompress after as she flipping hates it.

I'm going to block off the wall to the higher levels of the garden tomorrow so she can still hunt for cheese on the small lower level too.

The Kong Tinker works well for that sort of dog. Possibly snuffle mats? Slow feed bowls for all food (or work for your food)

 

[ArklePig]

Druid! Thank you I totally forgot we have a snuffle mat buried somewhere, when we first got her she used to just toss it up in the air but she's much more easy going now definitely worth another try. I'm possibly not painting her in the best light but she's a good girl really. I will look up the Kong Tinker. She's had garden sniffy time, a Potter about the front garden where I hid treats under the bushes and a pigs ear and she's actually been so so good. I might have been overly worried about keeping her calm because I'm absolutely traumatised from back when she was a psycho

Here's her current pose, I needed a nap and lifted her on to the bed and she just went to sleep. Naps with me are also a real treat, she loves them

 

[misst]

Just seen this. So sorry she's not right. She sounds as if she is doing well though. Fingers crossed for a swift recovery x

 

[ArklePig]

She's doing fab. Keeping her downstairs but did lift her up the stairs for a bit of company the other day she's pottering about because we can't keep her still tbh, but the leg looks good and she's started scratching with it more freely so hoping that's a good sign? We just don't allow zoomies and jumping up, her lil brain is knackered so she's been super chill. I'm very proud of her to be honest another few days of Keeping her chill and then we'll pop her on the lead and send a video to the vet and see how we're going but I'm optimistic!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

How is she today?

 

[ArklePig]

Leg looks great, obviously with the caveat that she's not been running about. She spent most of the day in the car tbf, and had a little sniff around the garden and is now curled up next to my mam. Very pleased with her, both with the leg and of her personally how well she's been coping on just brain work and very little 'freedom'.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Leg looks great, obviously with the caveat that she's not been running about. She spent most of the day in the car tbf, and had a little sniff around the garden and is now curled up next to my mam. Very pleased with her, both with the leg and of her personally how well she's been coping on just brain work and very little 'freedom'.

Sounds really promising!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Leg looks great, obviously with the caveat that she's not been running about. She spent most of the day in the car tbf, and had a little sniff around the garden and is now curled up next to my mam. Very pleased with her, both with the leg and of her personally how well she's been coping on just brain work and very little 'freedom'.

It would of course have been better if she hadn't gotten lame at all, but now that it did happen, it's no wonder you're both pleased, and proud of how well she's coped. It's well-deserved proudness.

Fingers crossed for that her recovery continues straight upwards and onwards.

 

[ArklePig]

Thank you FL CT and everyone else who checked in and cared about fodhla. Mam and dad went to the pub and she was a perfect angel* for nana and grandad**

* photo awkwardly cropped because she's lying in front of a wall full of my childhood photos

** they absolutely hate that I call them this

 

[ArklePig]

Had a nice little lead walk today. I'm pretty sure she's sound! Must have just been sore from being a hooligan but pretty sure there's no significant injury there. Pretty happy, but I know I'm going to be watching that leg like a hawk forever more now. Will check in with the vet and hopefully we'll be able to keep walking on the lead and resuming to normal activities soon.

We've spent a lot of time recently on retrieves and off lead heel work (very much a work in progress) so hopefully she'll remember them when she's free again!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

A cautious Woohoo! Always lovely with a positive update, hope the veterinarian says that it's okay for you two to resume your normal activities together.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Had a nice little lead walk today. I'm pretty sure she's sound! Must have just been sore from being a hooligan but pretty sure there's no significant injury there. Pretty happy, but I know I'm going to be watching that leg like a hawk forever more now. Will check in with the vet and hopefully we'll be able to keep walking on the lead and resuming to normal activities soon.

We've spent a lot of time recently on retrieves and off lead heel work (very much a work in progress) so hopefully she'll remember them when she's free again!

Brilliant! I am paranoid after multiple lameness episodes, some serious, some not, I’m a bit blasé now but I remember my vet saying years ago that the vast majority of injuries he saw were springers Goose is constantly in a helmet because he will not stop chewing a front paw then lames himself. The vet said there was nothing there bar the redness from him chewing. Obsessive dogs.

 

[druid]

Brilliant! I am paranoid after multiple lameness episodes, some serious, some not, I’m a bit blasé now but I remember my vet saying years ago that the vast majority of injuries he saw were springers Goose is constantly in a helmet because he will not stop chewing a front paw then lames himself. The vet said there was nothing there bar the redness from him chewing. Obsessive dogs.

Might be worth testing him for Acral Mutilation Syndrome genes?

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Might be worth testing him for Acral Mutilation Syndrome genes?

Definitely worth a check.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Might be worth testing him for Acral Mutilation Syndrome genes?

I knew the parents were DNA tested! Both negative for AMS.
Sire:

Dam:

 

[ArklePig]

She's totally sound and off lead

God alone knows what she had done to herself but hopefully it doesn't happen again.

She remembers her retrieve work too and is getting a lot better at dropping it into our hands so she got a good bit of low impact sniffing. I was very pleased with how well she did on limited exercise but nothing compares to the joy of watching her do her thing. I've also noticed she's started air sniffing a bit more recently too whereas she's normally a nose to the ground kind of girl, nose to the ground usually means she's looking for something specific and air sniffing typically means she's looking for trouble

Oh, and she's deleted the word heel from her vocab completely.

 

[ArklePig]

On the retrieving stuff, while I'm on here, does anyone have any good resources or tips for teaching discrimination on objects? I'd love to be able to get her to retrieve more specifically when we have retrieving to hand down. Now that we've got 'perfect family pet' down I'm looking to do more fun stuff with her and stretch her brain that bit further.

One of the objects will not be a ball, as she would walk past a leg of deer to get one. The springer is strong in that regard