Gonna Shoot a Wabbit Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Hi all. Hope someone can help! a friend has told me of a problem he had with his lab earlier in the week. My friend is lucky enough to shoot on a grouse moor and was taking part in a count / walk round the drives. The dog in question is from working stock with an athletic build has generally good fitness levels. The dog needs no encouragement to run all day if allowed and works like a trojan. Part of the way round the walk the dog ran into difficulties, he slowed down lost control of his back end and went down in difficulties. The owner was near a stream and got the dog into it got some fluids into him and cooled him down. He guided / carried dog back to car where he slowly recovered. The following day he was his usual self with no joint stiffness / loss of appetite to speak of. The day in question wasn't particularly hot, but first impression was he simply overheated. however i remember a couple of years ago in the shooting times or countrymans weekly a series of articles regarding spaniels / gundogs collapsing from low blood sugar if i remember correctly. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I can remember reading somewhere (i think in the countrymans weekly) if all else fails bite size mars bars can work wonders however i have always been reluctant to allows dogs chocolate and i wonder if a suitable more dog friendly alternative can have similar results. Thanks for reading, fingers crossed someone more experienced than me can shed some light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddy1 Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Could it not be hip displacia? If thats the correct spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 It sounds to me that the dog either heat stroked......remember it is a whole lot hotter in the cover than where you and I are above it.........or had his blood sugar drop out. There are lots of energy bars on the market formulated for dogs to help control this. However I have found over the years if out all day a slice of bread and honey or bread and corn syrup boost the dogs up remarkably. I like to use a natural sugar and avoid chocolate at all times. I have also taught my dogs to drink from a gateraid squeeze bottle and I carry several of these with me in my vest...2 or 3 at a time......I plan my hunts so that I am looping back to the vehical to replenish as needed. All of my dogs drink directly from the bottle so I know that they are staying hydrated. It is also a great way to flush their mouths out after a retrieve getting rid any feathers and dirt for them. I find that the dogs come in and ask for a drink regularly and most times I rinse their eyes quickly at the same time keeping all seeds out of them and keeping the dogs fresh. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootingman Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 As a diabetic, I always carry 2 pkts of glucose with me, either Dextros or Lucozade, available from any chemist,supermarket etc, these are ideal for a dog suffering from low sugar levels. Humans can take up to 3 at a time, I never give a dog more than 1. Costs about 60p a pkt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 As a diabetic, I always carry 2 pkts of glucose with me, either Dextros or Lucozade, available from any chemist,supermarket etc, these are ideal for a dog suffering from low sugar levels. Humans can take up to 3 at a time, I never give a dog more than 1. Costs about 60p a pkt. A nice little tip I also carry self sticking horse banadge great for leg cuts and tail around £1.99 from the saddle store Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonna Shoot a Wabbit Posted August 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 great stuff gents! Thanks very much i will forward your thoughts to my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v-max Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Hello shootingman sound's spot on as i think the dog has ran it's self into the ground & low sugar.Grouse moor is a hard life for a dog worse with heat.I carry cheap tesco etc custard in carton's like orange juice as it's high in glucose or honey biscuit/sweet as this can be quite common is some dog's spaniel's more the main iv heard of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff B Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 It may be advisable to look into Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC), do a google search. For starters check this out, scroll down to symptoms: http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/documents/EIC-July2005.pdf You could also consider epilepsy. jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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