Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 1/28/2011

Question
I have a 8 year old mixed terrier about 32 pounds who could lose a little weight. About a year a go he woke up in the middle of the night crying, after waking up he would not get up to walk. He seemed sore somehow. I waited till the morning, he had no moved from the spot I left him all night. I decided to head to the Vet to find out what was his wrong with him. As soon as he realized car ride he ran to the garage door. So I just dismissed it as pulling a muscle in the middle of the night or a charley horse.  Until something similar happened again.  This time he did not wake up crying in the night, he just woke up in the morning not wanting to walk. After about 20 minutes he seems fine he can go for his morning walk. I took him to the vet and had his glands cleaned as they are always full. It seemed to help the next day he was fine. This seems to be happening more on a regular basis. The vet says I just need to get his anal glands cleaned regularly. I also have put him on a grain free diet so that is propably why it his happening on a more frequent basis. Also we have moved to downstairs room in the house where he must climb stairs which he has never had to before.
I have started adding more fiber to his meals due to the anal gland situation. The vet does not seem to think there is anything wrong. Also Some times he is skeptical about jumping on the furniture, he pats it a few times before he jumps. The anal issues just do not seem consistant enough to be the true problem. Are there any other issues I could be looking at? What are your thoughts?

Answer
Well, comparatively, any type of mixed terrier breed that isn't an Airedale is about the size of a 350 lb person. So you can imagine how difficult it is as you get older, with aches and pains already, to move around and try and jump up on a couch.

Dogs his age also tend to have issues with their lower back, or sacrum. Many little dogs have pain in their sacrum and won't jump on or off of the couch. If he is overweight to start with, he will really have some issues moving around.

For some reason, lying all night and then waking up makes it much more painful to move. I have a bad back and it hurts the worst first thing in the morning when I get out of bed.

I think your first order here is to get some weight off of him safely. I don't know what you are feeding but a grain free diet isn't going to make or help him lose weight. Dogs are omnivores just like humans and need grains, proteins and vegetables in their diets just as we do.

He needs to be put on either a prescription weight loss program such as the new Hill's reducing diet or on Science Diet Canine Adult Light or Senior Light, both proven to get dogs down in weight.
Yes they have grain but they also have optimal nutrition and are designed by veterinarians and trial fed to prove their efficacy and palatability to dogs. So they work and taste great too!!

You will see a huge change in him after he loses 5-10 lbs. He won't hurt as much and as a good side effect he won't have as many anal gland issues.

But I think that there are some back or muscle issues he is having due to his weight. He might need some arthritis meds too, like Duramaxx to help him along.

Climbing the stairs now can also exacerbate an issue he might have already been having or it has now caused some due to his weight and the wear and tear on his back and joints.

Just some food for thought Leslie. You have nothing to lose (but he does!) by getting him on a reducing diet.
Let me know how he does in a few months!