Niska, the Alaska Malamute

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#1
Niska is a neutered female of 11 years and weighing in at 85 pounds. She is a beautiful purebred Malamute with a sweet temperament and is a good family dog, (especially with children). While the family is away she has been known to eat a 32 oz box of Belgium chocolates (on three different occasions), 100 Halloween suckers (papers and sticks accounted for), Costco’s large pack of raisins (2 lbs. I think), and even the kid’s tetra juice boxes (which she sucks out once punctured). If anything is dropped on the floor she is faster than a speeding bullet. She enjoys fruits and vegetables as a treat. Even though she is of a northern breed, she lives here in Ottawa (Canada) and is a house dog and couch potato. She enjoys lying out on the snow. Her coat is magnificent and she always smells fresh. She does have a bit of arthritis in her hips and they give her pain when she goes for a walk in the bush (we live in the country). Problem: We have noticed, during grooming, three pea-sized growths on her skin – one is on top of her head, one on her back foot and the third on her front elbow. We’ve been told that they are common on senior dogs and to just keep an eye on them for any changes. If this is true, what causes it? Could it be the food? We are feeding her “Restricted Calorie Eukanuba Vet Diets”. Information wouldl be appreciated. Thanks!
 

bogolove

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#2
My parents have a dog that had a growth that sounded similar to that and turns out she had to have some tests run and she has a VERY low active thyroid. She was also overweight and my mom had been feeding her lean food for almost 8 months and she weighed in at 104 pounds and was supposed to be around 65. She was so upset b/c no one could figure out what was wrong and finally her vet said she had the classic symptoms - weight problem, long nails that grew very fast, a growth on her leg, and she was SO lazy. They put her on medicine last week to up her hormones, I guess, and she has had so much energy and she should lose a lot of weight. I don't think that is what this is, but my whole point is that it NEVER hurts to get it checked out by a vet. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

Also, I have read where grapes and raisins can be very poisonous to dogs, so try to put them up high where she can't reach them just in case. If anyone knows if there is any truth to that please chime in. I had read it somewhere and I feel it is better to not let them have them than something to happen. Thanks everyone.
 
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#3
There's a thread posted in the Health forum about raisins and grapes explaining the toxicity, I believe.

Shiva and Niska must be sisters-in-mischief! Shiva now has to stay in the laundry room when we're gone. She forages. She's devoured an entire package (large) of Oreos, several loaves of the loveliest chewy organic semolina bread, a $5.00 package of gourmet raisins, several jars of peanut butter . . . you get the idea.

Now, don't get me started on the Eukanuba. The short sermon is the food is lousy with a high price tag and the company indulges in reprehensible treatment of lab animals. Science DIEt isn't any better. Vets sell it because it makes them money.

Do keep an eye on the growths for any change, size and shape. You don't say how old Niska is, but at some point you have to weigh the effects of anesthesia on an older dog vs. the risk of not doing a biopsy.

Check with your vet, but enteric coated aspirin, such as Ecotrin, is good for arthritis relief in older dogs. Also make sure she's got a good bed up off the cold floor. That will do wonders. When she comes in from the cold she might even appreciate laying on an old fashioned hot water bottle or heating pad turned on low - under supervision of course.
 
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#4
umm isnt chocolate really poisonous to dogs?? i almost killed myself flying across the room to the other side when roxy started sniffing a kit kat bar
 

bogolove

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crazydog said:
umm isnt chocolate really poisonous to dogs?? i almost killed myself flying across the room to the other side when roxy started sniffing a kit kat bar

I have always heard it is. And I did the same thing when I noticed Brady had run off with my stocking my mom gave me FULL of chocolate. I ran downstairs chasing that silly dog.
 
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#6
I thought I remembered starting a thread with links to information about the effects of chocolate on dogs. Since it's something that most of us have questions about, I found it and made it sticky so it's at the top of this forum. A couple of other people added some good links to it, too.
 

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