New shoes

AmyJo

First time out today with Ella's new shoes.

I'm not feeling good about our experience.

Took a bit for her to get used to them, which I expected. Literally fell on her face several times.

Less than a mile out she protested. 

She has NEVER done that.

Got home and took her boots and socks off and her dew claws are red and appears one was bleeding and a toe nail was bleeding. Both back feet seem fine.

I measured before ordering to make sure I got the right fit.

Makes me sad that the boots were likely hurting her 

JParanee

Why are you putting boots on the dog ?

Is she showing some type of allergy to grass etc ?

AmyJo

Yes, her feet are very pink. 

They were really bad last summer ( her first summer) , between her toes very red and raw. 

Got better during the winter tho never completely went away. We barely had any snow so she has had grass contact all winter. 

And of course she loves to run through the grass on our walks.

Along with her supplements she gets benadryl twice a day. Hydrocortisone spay is sticky, messy and she just liks it away.

JParanee

Got it

Allergies are rough

I'm sorry for her

I'm probale late to this so I'm sure you covered food allergies etc ?

I'm lucky that my guys feet are like sandpaper and hard

I run them in the woods they have built up very calloused hard feet

Please try Epsom salt soaks

I come from a hunting dog background where Pad and foot issues are prevalent due to terrain and injuries

My last breed Dogo argentinos where very sensitive to food and the first place it would show up was in between their toes

Playing with dirt and the foot soaks in the salt always worked

Good luck

Please try the salt soaks

Warm water with a good amount dissolved soak each paw for a few minutes

AmyJo

She is on a grain free diet and the vet did a skin scrapping. 

I will absolutely try the salt soaks. 

Thank you very much

JParanee

Also try another food

Like said my prior dogs were super sensitive to small changes in their diet and even some high quality kibble would cause flare up on one of my Dogo's

I have had good luck with the grain free Fromme stuff

Good luck and please let us know thx

AmyJo

Ok, she is on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe.

Thanks again

Djammy

Just another word about the shoes:
I have bought the best of the best for Djamila ... Ruffwear. And even those shoes are hurting her feet over time.
Therefore I never use them for long walks, just for short ones. Also I always have her wear socks in the shoes.

And I ordered different sizes for the front and the hind paws, which already makes a huge difference, but sadly still not enough.
Nonetheless, like said before, they still seem to be uncomfy on longer walks and I've seen little bruises after Djamila walking in them without the socks.
It is very hard to find a good fit, because either they fall off or they are so tight that they hurt the feet.
First and foremost I try to keep Djamila off lawns she reacts allergic to. But of course that's not always possible. So the shoes are more like our occasional back-up.
After long walks in a potential area with potential allergens around without the shoes, I give her a foot soak/ bath with or without Epsom salt, just as @JParanee already mentioned before.

Everything said about high quality and grain free food I can also second! If possible, I would even try and avoid kibble as much as possible and feed completely fresh/ raw.

Good nutrition is key for this breed.

If necessary to feed kibble, I would try one of the good brands mentioned before.

I am sorry to say that, because I used to feed Blue Buffalo myself ... but I honestly no longer believe that this really is a very good food, despite them claiming that in their tv spots.

BulliesofNC

AmyJo

Ella's shoes are the Ruffwear also.

I have ordered a bag of Fromm grain free.

She is already on salmon oil and Nu Vet Plus as well as the Ultra Cruz skin and allergy.

Thank you everyone. Nothing better than getting info from others with first hand experience!!

AmyJo

Does the fresh/ raw diet make their stool to soft?

We have already been having issues with her anal glands and I read the the stool being to soft doesn't help or could be the cause

JParanee

I can't argue with a good raw diet

It works

I have had very good luck with a high quality base kibble mixed with a blend of extra , egg ,beef ,chicken, deer, and cottage cheese

I give Great Lakes Gellatin with every meal also

What I like about the Fromm 4 Star is the multitude of flavors they have

I alternate bags

They seem to really like the variety

JParanee

AmyJo

Ok cool.

Thank you

Djammy

Soft stools are mostly a matter of diet, that's correct. But that has less to do with the question, if the dog is eating raw, kibble or canned.
It's about the ingredients and their relation to each other. Soft stools can point to a lack of fiber or allergic/ sensitive reactions against one of the ingredients or parasites. Also drinking a lot - which is not a bad thing - of course, can make stools softer.
Hard stools can point to an overabundance of fiber or too much bone - some dogs have problems digesting a high bone content in their nutrition.

If runny stools or congested anal glands are related to the nutrition, it can be usually fixed by nutritional changes (additions, substitutions, switches, waiving parts ...), no matter if you are feeding raw, canned or kibble.

These are not all, but a few facts about that smelly business at the "end of the line".
Hope it helps.

AmyJo

Yes

AmyJo

Thank you

AmyJo

So...After more reading I decided to cancel the Fromm and go with the Victor that you show in picture. 

Delivered today, I am anxious to see how this goes.