It’s been a very long time since I posted anything to this blog but I was asked the other day how Isis was going. My answer was “she couldn’t be better” She is now 2 and half years old and you would never know that she ever had any bone disorder when she was little. She was just out running thru the backyard chasing the neighbor’s kids. It brings tears to my eyes as she sits here curled up by my feet watching the little ones play with her tail. It’s truly amazing knowing that 2 years ago she yelped in pain and wasn’t able to hold her own 50 lb frame up. She’s a truly amazing dog. Just know that there is hope, for any dog out there with HOD. If you catch it early enough it is 100% treatable! I know we had to go our own route as our vet hadn’t ever actually seen an HOD case and she didn’t think the supplements were going to really help. Well I have a dog that provided against a lot of odds that she could do it!
Someone asked me about a week ago what it is like to raise not only a great dane, but one with HOD. My initial response was “pure joy”, but the reality of that can sometimes be far from the truth. Now nothing is more satisfying in my mind then Isis coming up to me tail wagging & wanting to lay in my lap (Yes folks, she thinks she’s a lap dog). However, raising a “giant breed” dog comes with “giant issues”. Take for instance play time. Isis is now almost 11 months old. She still loves to run through the house & just recently she’s taken to “bounding” down the hallway, while it is extremely cute to watch her hop like a rabbit (& nice to see since she has HOD), it can also be extremely dangerous!! It’s very easy to forget that she is a 95lb. puppy. I find it very hard to calm her down because it’s so nice to see her up and running again, since 5 months ago, we were told she may have to be on pain meds for the first 2 years of her life.
Not only are her energy spurts (zoomies as a I call them) big, but everything about her is big. Take for instance house breaking. This is always the dreaded part of owning a puppy, but owning a giant breed…. that only means a giant mess!! Of course there is the food expense too, but that is to be expected. (Just in case you were wondering what an almost full grown dane eats, Isis is up to 8 cups of food a day). The other thing we’ve had to watch is the counter surfing!! I was preparing myself to have a “miniature dane” since her HOD diagnosis, however, Isis decided that the vet’s opinion in growth was wrong. She’s starting to have another growth spurt as I type this, which means she’ll be well over 32 inches from the shoulder to the ground. (My 3 year old niece is 36 inches from head to toe…. she’s in for a surprise when she comes over for the 4th of July!!). It doesn’t matter how much you feed her, the second she is done she’s in the kitchen looking for any scraps of food that she can find. At the other end is a whip of epic proportions!! Nothing hurts more than sitting on the couch petting the dog & someone makes Isis excited. WHAM *on the side of your head* is a 2 foot tail just whacking you over and over again. Of course we could have docked her tail, but it’s fun to watch her chase it too!!
The hardest part is about raising Isis with HOD is that it’s impossible to keep her calm when she wants to play. We’ve learned over the past few months, to watch her run over smooth surfaces (our kitchen is wood floor) and she’s slipped before and scared both me and my husband with some falls. I’m always fearful that she’ll slip & relapse back and we’ll have to start over with medicine and everything. Luckily we haven’t had to experience that!!!
I was also asked after responding to the initial question “Did you ever think to give her up?” ”NO” (I think I even answered the question before it was finished being asked) The thought had never crossed my mind. There is nothing more enjoyable than having a wet cold nose against your cheek to wake you up in the morning, and she’s not even on the bed, she’s just standing next to it! Regardless of how much “extra” time & money we have put into keeping Isis healthy I wouldn’t change it for a second. It’s something we manage and now I can say I’m a little more knowledgeable about a disease that isn’t widely known about.
I know it’s been awhile since I posted last. Isis has had some more growing pains in the past few weeks. One thing I’ve noticed is when she starts getting these pains is that she has a tendency to not want to eat. Which I can’t say I blame her, she’s packed on another inch and a half in height in the past 3 weeks. She’s now 30.5 inches from paws to back of the shoulder blades.
I’ve managed to get her to eat most of her food in the mornings but it requires some extra special tricks & patience. Some days I can tell she just doesn’t want to stand up to eat, so I have to sit on the ground with her next to me, and the food dish between us. This usually will get her to eat whatever food is remaining in the dish (which sometimes is 2.5 of the 3.5 cups of food she gets at every meal). Other times I call our other dog over and let him steal a few morsels of food from her dish. Nothing like a little sibling rivalry to jump start ones appetite. But lately even that hasn’t worked. I get a little nervous when she only takes 3 or 4 bites of her food and then lays down and ignores it for the entire day. She will take a peanut butter kong, at any time, but that’s a lot of peanut butter, and that’s more of a treat than food for her. I didn’t know if anyone out there had experience with Dog Intelligence Toys. I’m not really looking for the intelligence aspect, but I want something that makes her work for her food. I want to keep her mind going as well. I’ve included a link below: http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/pets/dd03/ Any one had experience with these?!? Are they silly, stupid, to easy, fun for the dogs, etc. Just looking for some help.
I know that I haven’t posted anything recently; we’ve been rather busy lately. I wanted to give you an update on Isis and her H.O.D. She’s officially 8 months old now. I haven’t seen many side effects from her H.O.D. recently. However, she does go through growing pains. This is very common with Large & Giant breed dogs. I can always tell when she is going to have a growth spurt because she doesn’t like to do a whole lot of moving. Getting on and off the couch can be a bit rough for her at times. This is rather hard to watch, because she can literally step right on to the couch if she wants to. Telling the difference between growing pains and a potential relapse back into H.O.D. can be very difficult. Something to watch for in determining whether it’s a potential H.O.D. problem is to simply put your hand over the joints and feel it. If it’s very warm (feverish) it is probably an H.O.D. flare-up. H.O.D. really affects the growing joints of the bones. I can tell when Isis is having H.O.D. problems because her front joints, back joints, and her ribs are all rather warm. (Not all dogs will be warm in those spots, but that is where Isis was diagnosed with H.O.D.) I’ve also noticed this is the only time she likes to really lay on the hardwood floor too. Growing pains usually encompass the entire long bones of a dog’s legs. Since these bones grow so fast (Isis has been known to grow an inch in a week), growth pains will always be a side affect. Growth pains in dogs aren’t really any different than a child experiencing growth pains. One thing you won’t feel is the heat you feel with H.O.D. H.O.D. will cause inflammation in the joints and in the growth plates; this is what is causing the warmth you feel at the joints. I can’t feel Isis’s joints right after going outside and playing because she’s usually warm all over. I find it best to check after she’s been sleeping or lying down for a long time.
Something to keep in mind when thinking about getting a large or giant breed dog is that you will occasionally have to come up with creative ways to help your dog around. We are constantly moving our lounge chair in our bedroom right next to the bed so Isis has a stair step approach to the bed. It also helps with the joints and jumping down from the bed. This is something that can be quite annoying for me and my husband at times. We have been known to forget that it’s been moved and often acquire a stubbed toe or two in the morning. A stubbed or even broken toe in my mind, is better than having a dog relapse with H.O.D. Accidents can be avoided with a little patients, creativity and understanding.
It is hard to go to work every day knowing that I have to leave my wonderful great dane at home in a crate all day. I know the benefits of crating dogs. She loves me unconditionally when I get home; as only dogs can. I feel horrible about leaving her. I really wish I could take her to work with me. Unfortunately, I don’t think my boss would be keen on getting licked to death every time he walked into my office.
Of course there are consequences to leaving a puppy crated for 10 hours during the day. Harley, our older dog, has no problem holding his bladder all day. Isis on the other hand, still struggles to make it. I find myself doing laundry every evening. We have a divider panel we are going to put in her crate to hopefully encourage her to learn to hold it. I wish I lived closer to home so I could let her out during the day. Until then, there is always a fresh load of towels getting pulled out of the dryer every evening.
This post isn’t about our great dane, it is about our rescued beagle/pitbull, Harley. We got Harley as a one year anniversary gift in 2005. We both wanted a dog and felt that rescuing was the best option. After countless visits to the Humane Society of Indianapolis we finally found the perfect dog. Or so we thought.
Harley was a wild pup. We would go on 2 mile walks and he would still want to race around the house when we got home. We tried everything to get him under control. We bought a pinch collar, shock collar, tie out, and a crate. None of these helped. He wasn’t effected by the pinch collar. The shock collar only worked when it was going off. Harley pulled the tie out out of the ground and ended up spending most of his time in his crate. After 3.5 years of trying we had finally given up. It wasn’t right to have a dog crated for 16-20 hours in a day. We had to find him a better home.
We went to our local boarding facility and asked for their help. They had taken care of Harley many times and they cared for him as much as we did. We knew they could help us find the right home for him. It took about a month, but we finally got a call that someone who worked there was interested. We packed up Harley’s stuff and took him to his new owner. Letting Harley go to someone else was possibly the hardest thing we have ever had to do. We cried the entire way home but knew we were doing the right thing.
Finding Harley a new home definitely calmed things down around the house. It was too calm. We really missed him. We decided to call his new owner to see how things were going. We were relieved when she told us that her other dog wasn’t taking well to him and that she wouldn’t be able to keep Harley. We made arrangements to pick him up the next morning.
When we got Harley back we committed to making things work. We started looking for a training facility that could help correct some of the issues we were having. A friend of ours suggested First Friend K9, and from her description of First Friend…”a puppy boot camp”…. we decided that was what we needed, not only for Harley, but for us.
We enrolled Harley in the Novice class. This is an 8 week course from start to graduation. It involved working not only with your dog but with 30 other dogs in the room for one hour each week. We were sent home with homework to complete before the next class each week. After having just graduated with our MBA’s, how hard could some homework with the dog really be. You learn about 3 new commands each week. Everything from coming to heeling to laying down and staying (in one spot), we ran through some of the best and most basic obedience commands. We started to see a difference after the first week! Bruce and Jodi were incredible. We knew all along that it wasn’t always an issue with Harley but training that we needed. Harley graduated and is now enrolled in both advanced class and agility. Thank you First Friend K9 for helping save Harley.
Isis has been returning to herself, however, she’s hit another growth spurt. She grew another inch in a week. That makes her above 28 inches tall, plus she’s now 73 lbs. Tonight I decided to take a minute to discuss a really awesome dog chew toy. They are called Tuffy’s, made by My Dog Toy. (I’ve included a link at the bottom). They rate their toughness on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being a “cheap plush toy” and a 10 being a “mega tuff”. Isis currently has the Ultimate Boomerang. It’s rated on the Tuff Scale as a 7 (really tuff toy but still vulnerable). Which i have to concur with the accuracy of the scale. Isis demolishes any stuffed toy in a matter of minutes. The only other toys that seem to last in this house are rope toys. Now we don’t own just one rope, we own 10. All different colors and shapes and sizes. We even have a three foot rope that is 3 inches in diameter. While the ropes are tough and she doesn’t get through them easily, they are not comfortable to step on in the middle of the night nor when Isis decides she wants to swing one around (which she likes to do with the 3 foot rope, we’ve so kindly nicknamed that rope the “rope of death”). I got nailed in the stomach a few weeks back and that’s when I decided to find a “safer” toy for all of us. I’ve tried every countless stuffed soft toy you could possibly imagine and spent enough money to make a normal person cringe. Upon discussing the toy issue with a friend she recommended looking up these “ultimate/tuff toys”. So I did some research, and found a company that sold them. Now my friend did mention that the sticker shock might get you, BUT it was well worth the cost. So I purchased Isis the Ultimate Boomerang. I have now had it for almost a month. She chews on it almost every night and she has made some progress on the edges, but that’s the beauty of this toy. It is layers upon layers upon layers of fabric. (The website does a really good job of explaining this). So needless to say, she’s made it through 3 spots and she’s only found another edge to try and chew through. I have to say, the $24.99 I spent on this toy has well been worth every penny! Not only is it “tuff” but it is also soft, so when you step on it, you won’t scream in pain (like we do when we step on the nylabone!) If you happen to have a dog that is an exceptional chewer, check these toys out. I’ll let you know how long this one lasts and when we plan to try out a #10 Tuff toy!!!
https://www.vipproducts.com/retail/files/index.php/categories/view/27/tuffys-pet-toys
Isis is officially off all pain and antibiotic medicine. She’s definitely almost back to herself again. We now have to use the crate during the afternoon’s and evenings on the weekends because she tries to be to active during the day. It also means that having two dogs, we have to let them outside separately, because all Isis and Harley want to do is run and tackle each other. So now it is who can run to the door faster so they can be let out first. I’ve had the joyous experience of being in the way one morning. Let’s just say I found myself face to face with Isis and I was sitting on the floor. She stands 28 inches tall from the floor to the top of her shoulders. Plus about another 6 to 7 inches for her neck and head. Luckily we haven’t experienced a “counter surfing” moment yet, but I’m we’ll have that soon enough. We are estimating another 50 to 60 pounds on top of the 70 she already has, and I’m figuring another 5 to 6 more inches of growth. Right now she’s growing about an inch every two weeks.
Her overall height isn’t what concerns me, it’s the opportunity for an HOD relapse. Isis could have a relapse during this growth stage which can be up until 1 year of age or potentially until they are 2 years old. We are on our constant guard with her. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to be the “mean mom” and make her calm down, I wish I could just let her go and run through out the yard but unfortunately right now we can’t.
I’ve posted two pictures here. One is shortly after we got her back in November and the other one was taken this past week. They are both on the same couch, it will give you a good idea of how much she has grown in roughly 4 months!!!
Here is Isis at 3 months
Here is Isis Now
Last night was Isis’s first official walk since she’s been diagnosed with H.O.D. We’ve been trying to keep her activity level to as low as possible. Which can be rather difficult with an almost 7 month old puppy. She did really well, except she’s scared to death of loud noises so when car’s drive by I have to put her on the “inside” so that I’m closest to the car. I’m hoping that this starts to help with her sit stay & down stay distractions. Other than that she’s doing well. She’s still growing like a weed. I’m not quite sure how talk she’ll be. I just know that I’m constantly moving her food dishes up the side of the crate.
Which leads me to my next topic, her eating habits. Since we started with the supplement kit she’s been doing relatively well, except for her food in the morning. There is a probiotic that is suppose to go in her food. Initially this wasn’t bothering her. However, she has since developed a distaste for it. I’ve found that if I put it in the food it will take her an hour to finish the dish. If I don’t include it, she’s done in 10 minutes. So I’ve decided to leave that out at the moment (I do have to admit, the stuff stinks, so I can’t blame her from not wanting to eat it). I don’t know if anyone else has had a dog diagnosed with H.O.D. and has tried this supplement kit, but if you have, let me know your experience please!!
I got the opportunity today to do some more research on HOD and other things like growing pains that large breed dogs go through. It is not uncommon for giant breed dogs to go through growing pains if they have been spayed or neutered before they hit maturity. Some research suggests that this maybe a cause of HOD. We got Isis spayed right after she was 5 months old. We did this based on the advice we were given from our vet. We also noticed the onset of her HOD came when she would have reached maturity. It has been noticed in numerous occasions where a dog has been spayed or neutered before one year go through growing pains. (HOD if there is no side effects is very similar to growing pains or Pano in dogs). We’ve talked to a few other breeders who have suggested that if we had waited until after she was 1 year she might not have had this, however, there is no scientific proof of this. I would highly recommend to anyone getting a dog to wait on getting them spayed or neutered. I know many vet’s suggest getting it done at 5 months, ours did because the larger the dog obviously the more expensive it is. I can honestly say after this experience we will probably be the first ones in line for doggy diapers for our future dogs. Again none of this is scientific, it’s all been from different sources, breeders, websites, blogs, and research papers.
On a side note, Isis is back up and running… literally. The second I get home she is like a tornado in the house, which is both positive and potentially dangerous. 
I think she is roughly 70lbs right now, our vet mentioned that you can estimate a dogs final size based on their weight when they were 6 months. (6 month weight times 2 will get you the estimated dog size) If that is the case, Isis will be roughly 120 lbs. Which for Dane’s is on the light side. However, that is all relative, she can still almost put her head on the countertops. If anything, she has caused me to clean up after myself!!
