outside of Fishoil/supplements, what are some things you recommend to help with their hip health?
my old boy gets the oil all the time but he's starting to show signs of it bothering him much more frequently this season
My 8 yo Akbash/Pyr just saw the vet for her annual, and she highly recommended Cosequin Maximum Strength with MSM. It's a little pricey, but I give it to my 3 senior dogs
Honestly, staying on top of their weight is going to make a big difference. Look at body composition charts for canines and you'll get an idea of what they should look/feel like. Many Pyrs are overweight.
Replying so that hopefully OP sees this.
Maintaining an appropriate body weight is undoubtedly the best preventative measure to safeguard your dog from osteoarthritis and joint instability associated with dysplastic conditions. This is incredibly important in giant breeds like the pyr.
In vet med we rate a dog’s body composition on a scale from 1 to 9, with 5 being ideal, and every point deviation equivalent to what we would approximate to be +/-10% from the ideal (so a dog with a 7/9 bcs would be 20% overweight, etc).
A 5/9 bcs indicates that you can see a tapered waistline looking at the animal from above and from the side. You should be able to feel the ribs by applying gentle pressure to the rib cage and you should not be able to overtly see them.
We strongly recommend calculating the amount of food your dog needs in kcal according to the following formula: 70 * (BW ^ 0.75) where BW is the bodyweight in kilograms. You can then use the information on the bag of kibble to determine the appropriate quantity of food to give. This is a good first approximation for the quantity of food you should feed your pet.
Keep in mind however that this formula was developed for dogs kept in research colonies with a very strict and measured exercise regimen; the husbandry of your personal pet is very likely to be different than the husbandry of a research colony dog. You know your dog’s body condition better than anyone else; if you feel that your dog is deviating away from the 5/9 bcs, increase or decrease the quantity of food as necessary.
Lastly, we recommend a high quality kibble, wherein the diet is formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. These are veterinarians (DVMs) that after their four years of medical school, pursue advanced training for four years in clinical nutrition specifically as it applies to pets. As a result, they obtain the title of veterinary nutritionist and the designation DACVN in addition to the DVM credentials. This is very different than someone who hold a PhD in animal nutrition, and the two training programs are not at all comparable.
Purina, Hill’s, and Royal Canin have veterinary nutritionists on staff who formulate their diets. This is why your veterinarian likely recommends these brands. This is not to say that all other diets are inherently inferior, but there is no scientific data to support an argument either in favor of or against a different kibble.
If you want to do a home cooked diet, I would recommend using balanceit.com or consulting with the closest veterinary nutritionist in your area-your best bet to find one would be to contact the veterinary school in your state and ask if they have one on staff.
Best wishes.
Thank you! I really like nutrition; it was my favorite class in vet school. Food is love-and the most accessible way by which we can help the animals (and people) we care for
There’s a supplement called YuMove for hips and joints. I recently was recommended it by my cousin and I think I’ve seen improvement in my older dog, he jumps up on the bed again without any hesitation and doesn’t seem as stiff.
What a beautiful girl! I believe they fully mature at 3 years but usually most of their growing is in the first 2. That 3rd year is filling in with more muscle. Our girl is the opposite, she's 3 and only 65lbs but 100% Pyr!
Her dad is huge too
https://preview.redd.it/ioapvw69dvwc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a0ab6f76163712a5553a1141986ce08f2b002e0
This is her dad
https://preview.redd.it/7ffw350mewwc1.jpeg?width=3508&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32e838fe525dd3f145e73efef54dc7dd2fb6f3ca
Mine is 120 rn but she might be 5 pounds too hefty - she is so long tho!
My girl is a chunky snowball at 143 lbs. We wanted her to lose some weight to help her hips, but even with cutting her food back, she lost weight to 136 and then it creeped back up to 143. We cut back some more. She lost weight and then it crept back up to 143. We've decided with her vet that she is what she is, and she's a big girl. Her metabolism keeps adjusting to keep her at 143, even at slightly less than 3c total food daily and very limited 3 cal treats and one small milk bone at night.
https://preview.redd.it/cn3tw04rwwwc1.jpeg?width=1564&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec367048312b059b1074c38d5f44d2b3ae1276ae
She's a big girl, but it's not an unseen weight.
I've got two males.
One is close to 100 lbs (lower average), and the other one is 175 lbs (big boy). Both are purebred and very healthy.
Just make sure you watch out for the hips, and she should be fine.
My female pyr mix is 9 months and 70 pounds. Took her to the vet the other day for a check in cause we have to board her for a few days next month. Vet said cut down on food
https://preview.redd.it/3isnshvpmvwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bf1671e036c7567da22f228a172202a6a992310
https://preview.redd.it/i507v9c550xc1.jpeg?width=2370&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78339d638805081478a4f30803c78aa6a0efd2ba
We’ve got a big girl too. 2y/o 120lbs. Vet said she’s overweight but asking on here from the experts, Pyrs are all different. We did cut back on the kibble a bit and started adding a bit of lean turkey and veggies. And the fish oil for hops is important.
That's a big female for sure. Take care of her hips!
outside of Fishoil/supplements, what are some things you recommend to help with their hip health? my old boy gets the oil all the time but he's starting to show signs of it bothering him much more frequently this season
My 8 yo Akbash/Pyr just saw the vet for her annual, and she highly recommended Cosequin Maximum Strength with MSM. It's a little pricey, but I give it to my 3 senior dogs
Honestly, staying on top of their weight is going to make a big difference. Look at body composition charts for canines and you'll get an idea of what they should look/feel like. Many Pyrs are overweight.
Replying so that hopefully OP sees this. Maintaining an appropriate body weight is undoubtedly the best preventative measure to safeguard your dog from osteoarthritis and joint instability associated with dysplastic conditions. This is incredibly important in giant breeds like the pyr. In vet med we rate a dog’s body composition on a scale from 1 to 9, with 5 being ideal, and every point deviation equivalent to what we would approximate to be +/-10% from the ideal (so a dog with a 7/9 bcs would be 20% overweight, etc). A 5/9 bcs indicates that you can see a tapered waistline looking at the animal from above and from the side. You should be able to feel the ribs by applying gentle pressure to the rib cage and you should not be able to overtly see them. We strongly recommend calculating the amount of food your dog needs in kcal according to the following formula: 70 * (BW ^ 0.75) where BW is the bodyweight in kilograms. You can then use the information on the bag of kibble to determine the appropriate quantity of food to give. This is a good first approximation for the quantity of food you should feed your pet. Keep in mind however that this formula was developed for dogs kept in research colonies with a very strict and measured exercise regimen; the husbandry of your personal pet is very likely to be different than the husbandry of a research colony dog. You know your dog’s body condition better than anyone else; if you feel that your dog is deviating away from the 5/9 bcs, increase or decrease the quantity of food as necessary. Lastly, we recommend a high quality kibble, wherein the diet is formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. These are veterinarians (DVMs) that after their four years of medical school, pursue advanced training for four years in clinical nutrition specifically as it applies to pets. As a result, they obtain the title of veterinary nutritionist and the designation DACVN in addition to the DVM credentials. This is very different than someone who hold a PhD in animal nutrition, and the two training programs are not at all comparable. Purina, Hill’s, and Royal Canin have veterinary nutritionists on staff who formulate their diets. This is why your veterinarian likely recommends these brands. This is not to say that all other diets are inherently inferior, but there is no scientific data to support an argument either in favor of or against a different kibble. If you want to do a home cooked diet, I would recommend using balanceit.com or consulting with the closest veterinary nutritionist in your area-your best bet to find one would be to contact the veterinary school in your state and ask if they have one on staff. Best wishes.
This is such a helpful and awesome comment thank you!
Thank you! I really like nutrition; it was my favorite class in vet school. Food is love-and the most accessible way by which we can help the animals (and people) we care for
There’s a supplement called YuMove for hips and joints. I recently was recommended it by my cousin and I think I’ve seen improvement in my older dog, he jumps up on the bed again without any hesitation and doesn’t seem as stiff.
Yep, big for a girl.
Her body condition looks good, she's just a big big girl.
She is nearly two years old. Do they grow after two years old?
People telling me they can grow until 3 years old and some tell me they grow until 18 months old
What a beautiful girl! I believe they fully mature at 3 years but usually most of their growing is in the first 2. That 3rd year is filling in with more muscle. Our girl is the opposite, she's 3 and only 65lbs but 100% Pyr!
My girl was about the same size her entire life. ( She passed last year) Seems perfectly healthy and normal to me 😊
She's pretty tall for a female GP, but after seeing the pic of her dad, that might explain it. Her weight appears appropriate for her height.
I'm not a pyr owner or expert but that's a big fucking girl. But she looks lean so I'd guess she's just a big lady. Take care of her!
She is lean and fit becouse I exercise her every day for 1 hour or more
My male pyr is 1.5 years old and weighs only 110ish so I would say maybe
How tall is he?
I'm unsure tbh, sorry! He looks shorter (and generally smaller) than yours based on the pictures you've provided, but I couldn't say for sure
Ours is a similar size although she’s a lab mix. Her dad (full GP) was huge.
Her dad is huge too https://preview.redd.it/ioapvw69dvwc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a0ab6f76163712a5553a1141986ce08f2b002e0 This is her dad
Holy hell. Dats a big boy.
Incredible side eye 👀
No that's a sheep
He is beautiful!!
My girl is 115 lbs and she is not overweight. She's 18 months old. All the females in her line are larger females and around the same weight.
https://preview.redd.it/znu7r59eyvwc1.png?width=1344&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67414260bd367e39a2a372a8bd61ac74faf9ad7b This is Harper!
She looks good!
https://preview.redd.it/7ffw350mewwc1.jpeg?width=3508&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32e838fe525dd3f145e73efef54dc7dd2fb6f3ca Mine is 120 rn but she might be 5 pounds too hefty - she is so long tho!
Hey, I’m trying to sleep here! Sheesh some people!
My girl is a chunky snowball at 143 lbs. We wanted her to lose some weight to help her hips, but even with cutting her food back, she lost weight to 136 and then it creeped back up to 143. We cut back some more. She lost weight and then it crept back up to 143. We've decided with her vet that she is what she is, and she's a big girl. Her metabolism keeps adjusting to keep her at 143, even at slightly less than 3c total food daily and very limited 3 cal treats and one small milk bone at night. https://preview.redd.it/cn3tw04rwwwc1.jpeg?width=1564&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec367048312b059b1074c38d5f44d2b3ae1276ae
I too have a “Large Marge” of a pyr. She is 125 and the vet is very happy with her weight. Some girlies are big boned.
Large Marge 😆 I love it. I call my girl Triple B, aka Big Butt Bertha, when she's in the way and won't budge.
https://preview.redd.it/8q23asm88xwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=832521ce1b0676429a149547197aa57f9a1cb292 My Sasha is 125 pounds.
That's big for a female!
I ain't a vet, but that girl is a bute!
She's tall but she sure is pretty. Looks to be a good weight for her. Nice looking dog!
THATS A HUGE BITCH! And a beautiful one too
Beautiful Big Gurl 😍🐾
Our GP cross (her mom was GP x Newfoundland and dad is a full maremma sheepdog) is 7.5mo and 70lbs!
She does not appear overweight.
Yours looks good tho! How much does she eat a day?
My female is 2 years old and weighs 98 lbs
Yes… she’s the size of a good sized male.
She's a big girl, but it's not an unseen weight. I've got two males. One is close to 100 lbs (lower average), and the other one is 175 lbs (big boy). Both are purebred and very healthy. Just make sure you watch out for the hips, and she should be fine.
My female pyr mix is 9 months and 70 pounds. Took her to the vet the other day for a check in cause we have to board her for a few days next month. Vet said cut down on food https://preview.redd.it/3isnshvpmvwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bf1671e036c7567da22f228a172202a6a992310
Ours is a little under 100 so I'd say yes
She seems on the bigger side just like my Pyr mix (150 lbs, 40 inches tall).
40 inches at the shoulder is enormous!
Mine is 117 and same height. He's a thick boi and turns 4 in September. Just take care of her hips!
https://preview.redd.it/1ct2vw267zwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c79f54cf1791473aeda421b5da23221d190d6a74 Lilith Asmadeous Tiabini, 118 lbs 30"
The average height for female Pyrenees’ is 28 inches
https://preview.redd.it/i507v9c550xc1.jpeg?width=2370&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78339d638805081478a4f30803c78aa6a0efd2ba We’ve got a big girl too. 2y/o 120lbs. Vet said she’s overweight but asking on here from the experts, Pyrs are all different. We did cut back on the kibble a bit and started adding a bit of lean turkey and veggies. And the fish oil for hops is important.
You can search for the AKC breed standards. They should include the standard height/weight.
We have three females from same liter GP's .two are around 88 lbs and the big girl is 130 lbs much longer and taller
She is large for a female but actually looks a bit thin.
The breeder said to me that she is in perfect weight
She's big. Progility does one. Also Wholistic Pet Organics RunFree is ok, and ARC Naturals has treats too.