My mastiff is now 8 months old. About a 6 weeks ago he was diagnosed with Panosteitis by 2 different vets. Both vets advised us that we should keep him very non-active: no running, hard play, long walks, or any unnecessary up and down stairs (we live on the 4th floor). Along with inactivity he is being treated with anti inflammatory medication. My current problem is he now wants to chew EVERYTHING. He has seen a behavioral specialist who says he is bored, any ideas on how to keep him entertained enough to keep him from chewing things? He has more toys and chew items that would make anyone jealous, I'm not sure what else to do.
2007-01-18 17:34:14 · 5 answers · asked by dipydoda 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Bless him! We've just had similar with a 4 mth old GSD. When he was obviously climbing the walls with boredom, I gave him regular short obedience sessions. Making him use his brain will wear him out! Just do simple things like sit, stay, down, leave. We've also taught ours to find his toys when we hide them. Make it fun for him & give him plenty of (small) treats.
2007-01-18 19:41:22 · answer #1 · answered by anwen55 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wow that is a tough one. my only help is that this will be outgrown eventually, the panosteitis that is. i would contact the vet and ask them what exercise is allowed. maybe a short walk won't be too painful for him? did they do x-rays to diagnose this? they should know how much might be too much and cause more pain. just keep doing what you're doing, and usually these guys have good times and bad times as they grow. when he's having a good period try to exercise him as much as possible. also i would invest in a crate to keep him in. this will keep him from chewing up things that could possibly harm him, not to mention stop the damage. also the crate will allow you to follow vet advice better. here's a great crate training site, that explains why dogs do great and are fine in a crate. good luck. again i would contact the vet and ask specifically what you can do as far as exercise. also did the vet mention diet changes? if he's still on a puppy food sometimes switching to an adult large or giant breed food will help with this problem.
http://www.purina.com/dogs/behavior/CrateTraining.aspx
2007-01-18 17:43:37 · answer #2 · answered by cagney 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Firstly, I am sorry to hear about your dog - I know it must be heart breaking.
Okay - I suggest you get bones (things the dog can chew but taste great) I also suggest you leave your dog in one room when you are out so that you restrict it's destruction to your property.
I also suggest you still take your dog for walks. Even if your dog is only getting twenty minutes a day it's still something. Remember your dogs health will get worse if it gets overweight.
I would think about emailing web sites they are set up for Mastiff lovers. They usually have great answers and tips for people like yourself. Just email them and I'm sure they will get back to you. I do this for my Akita. Infact - One web page site answers any and all my questions on a regular basis. It's cheecky but I honestly think they like to hear from other Mastiff/Akita owners. All the best - Friend.
2007-01-18 21:20:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is a very unfortunate and painful disease mainly in large breed dogs.
I have some friends of mine that have Neapolitan mastiffs.
They have actually taken to having their dogs swim small laps in their Jacuzzi.
They put in mentholated vapors. I swear it helps the dogs and the enjoy it since it is a non weight bearing exercise.
It may be wishful thinking but I think it ii's certainly not doing any harm
2007-01-18 20:05:51 · answer #4 · answered by thatswhattheytoldmelastnight 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try a Kong toy. You can put food in them and it really makes them try to get it out for a long time.
2007-01-18 17:41:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋