Hip Dysplasia in Great Pyrenees

 

Hip dysplasia in Great Pyrenees and all large breeds can be a problem. One of my colleagues brought home a puppy named Gunner from a pet store 4 years ago. He’s now a fantastic dog with a great personality. This little guy was AKC registered and the pet store even gave contact information for the breeder. It was assumed that this was a high quality puppy. However, at about one year old he began to show issues in his hips and knees and was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. His veterinarian offered a $16k hip replacement surgery. They are waiting on that for now. Later, he sustained injuries in both knees resulting in tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) due to genetic knee joint problems. The above picture shows his knees. I’m not sure what the cost was for those surgeries. Currently, he’s now also recovering from a torn muscle around the knee.

Recently, I was contacted by a Great Pyrenees owner several days ago that just had her dog diagnosed with panosteitis which is simply growing pains. She sent me a video of him attempting to walk. I disagreed with the diagnosis based upon the video of this boy being hunched up and not extending it’s hips normally. He’s not from Up North Pyrenees either. I think this will be the start of another long road discovering more significant costly problems.

Poor genetics, obesity, improper dog food, trauma, and a sedentary lifestyle are all risk factors for hip dyplasia and knee issues. Education can minimize most of these problems before they even start.

Up North Pyrenees is committed to eliminating stories like these and hip dysplasia specifically in all of our puppies. Our breeding program has some of the best genetics for hips and knees based upon the best research based testing. That means happier families with pain free active dogs doing their jobs. Our current sire is Quiero Des Sentes Magala is a Belgian import that is clear of all genetic issues affecting Great Pyrenees. His hips and knees are in the top 5% of all dogs tested and our dams are in the top as well. Our next generation of dams is on the horizon.

We endeavor to do all things to the glory of Christ and for your benefit. This takes a lot of thought, planning, finances, relationship building and hard work. Up North Pyrenees doesn’t take short cuts and we hope you will consider us when you buy your next puppy. We are currently accepting deposits for future litters. You and your family will be glad you did.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Puppy

What to expect when you’re expecting a puppy from Up North Pyrenees.

Our customers are often surprised when we tell them the extras they receive with their puppy from Up North Pyrenees. We try to make transitions easier and less stressful for you and your puppy. Hopefully, letting you know what to expect relieves some of your stress and makes getting your puppy more fun. Your puppy comes with the following:

  1. A cute collar that should last at least several weeks. This will give you time to order a larger one based upon your preference.
  2. A small bag of NutriSource Large Breed Puppy Food will be provided. We highly recommend NutriSource and encourage you to continue with a large breed puppy food until they are done growing at about 18 months old. Check out www.dogfoodadvisor.com for useful information to compare quality of dog foods that are available to you.
  3. Microchip pre-registration information.
  4. Veterinary packet including a record of shots and deworming.
  5. AKC pre-registration information.
  6. Delivery to your home area on puppy drop off day. This is included in our price for buyers in Minnesota. We personally deliver throughout the US for customers in the continental US and airship for customers throughout the world. This is an additional fee.
  7. Lifelong support for you and your puppy and our guarantee. Contact us any time.

We hope to exceed the above services but that’s what you can expect when you’re expecting a puppy from Up North Pyrenees.

Share us with a friend and reserve your Up North Pyrenees puppy today.

Feeding Your Great Pyrenees Puppy

 

Feeding Your Great Pyrenees Puppy

“What do I feed my puppy?” is one of the most commonly asked questions we receive. Up North Pyrenees has a solid routine of what, when and why for our puppy nutrition program. Feeding your Great Pyrenees puppy correctly is extremely important to their long-term health. As a new puppy owner it’s nice for you to know our what, when and why.

  1. What do I feed my puppy? We recommend Life’s Abundance Large Breed Pupppy. This is the freshest dog food that we’ve found. It is made in the USA in small batches and sent directly to your house and not stored and sold in stores. Because it is so fresh it has never had a recall like almost every other dog food.  We also recommend Nutrisource Large Breed puppy. This is an excellent company located in Perham, MN. I have personally met with their sales representatives. We are impressed with this product and the price point. Our puppies look and do great with it. You can slowly transition to another large puppy food by mixing it 50/50 for 1-2 weeks. Transition to large breed adult food when they are full size which is usually at 12-18 months old. Checkout www.dogfoodadvisor.com to ensure you are getting a suitable quality dog food prior to switching. This is an objective organization that rates hundreds of dogs foods in a very systematic and understandable way.
  2. When do I feed my puppy? Your puppy will be leaving Up North Pyrenees on a 3x/day feeding schedule. Feed your puppy first thing in the morning after bringing your puppy out to go poddy.  Spread the other two feedings throughout your day. There are clear feeding instructions for amounts on the bag. We recommend that you adjust up or down based upon what they can eat in 15 minutes when they are not distracted. Remove the food after 15 minutes to avoid over eating. Free choice feeding promotes excessive eating and weight gain. However, always have water available or keep your toilet eat up. Transition to 2x/day feedings at around 6 months old and 1x/day at about one-year old. Scheduled feeding promotes predictable bowel movements. Feeding one time per day promotes overall health. Click here to see my blog post on intermittent fasting.
  3. Why do I feed my puppy this food this way? NutriSource is one of many nutrient dense dog foods which makes smaller poops as it is more indigestible. Large breed food is specially formulated with lower calcium. This slows skeletal grow in large breeds and reduces hip and joint issues due to early weight gain. Also, scheduled feeding allow you the opportunity to begin behavior training. This means that you can take food away to teach them manners or ruffle them up to get them accustomed to having their feeding interrupted. This is a helpful training technique especially if you have children that get too playful while your “hangry” puppy is eating.

Up North Pyrenees want the best for you and your new puppy for years to come. Please share us with a friend and call or message us any time with questions. Reserve your puppy today from our spring litters.

Urinary Tract Infections in Puppies

Urinary Tract Infections in Puppies

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur when bacteria migrate up the urethra to the bladder. Urine flushes out the bacteria that migrate up the urethra. This is a shorter distance for females than males. Consequently, females develop UTIs more easily than males. Urinary tract infections in puppies is more common than in adults because the urethra is shorter than in an adult dog. Water consumption is key in preventing UTIs because of its flushing action. But, sometimes water isn’t available and puppies don’t drink water when they should. This is why water should always be available for your dogs. I’ll be explaining why food is a different story in my next blog post.

Imagine what an infected swollen urethra would feel like. Squatting to pee but having nothing come out is the most common sign of a UTI. Bloody urine that smells funny is another sure sign of infection. Bacteria can migrate further up into the bladder and even the kidneys if they aren’t dealt with soon.

The best treatment for a UTI is a trip to the veterinarian for evaluation. Typically, a course of antibiotics can kill the bacteria and treat the root of the problem in a day or two. But, beware of celebrating too quickly. Many people fail to give the prescribed dose which leads to a second course of antibiotics when symptoms return. But, even that can fail.

I work as a wound care specialist and culture infected wounds in order to get the right antibiotics the first time.  Every bacteria is susceptible to a certain type of antibiotic. Finding the right antibiotic is the key to getting the job done quickly and avoiding the creation of antibiotic resistance. This is the standard of care for humans and with some veterinarians.

Recently, one of our puppies developed a urinary infection. She was prescribed three rounds of the same antibiotics and as of now it has worked… after three rounds. Three rounds of antibiotics and no culturing of the bacteria. This isn’t acceptable to me and it should be unacceptable to you also.

Here’s Up North Pyrenees advice.
1. Request a urine test every time you get antibiotics when treating a urinary infection for your puppy. This will be around $150 and will make the medication for effective for your puppy every time. You may spend a little more money and your veterinarian may think it is overkill. But, it is your money and your dog. It will be worth it in the long run.
2. Ask your veterinarian for a probiotic after any antibiotics. Recolonizing the body with beneficial bacteria will help to combat any future return infection. There are many formulations out there. I am no expert on probiotics. But, this general principle is widely accepted.

So, fill up the water dish when it’s empty and bring your puppy or dog in immediately if they are having problems. Your puppy and your checkbook will be glad you did.

Like what your reading? Share us with a friend. Click here to see pictures of our puppies.