Hi, thanks in advance for any help. My neighbour purchased an 8wk old lurcher puppy 3 seeks ago. It now has trouble chewing - painful lower jaw, and its ankle joints hurt. The vet has the puppy on painkillers to stop it crying. I have suggested a change in diet to add rice pudding, sardines or pilchard, ready brek or similar to the present diet (dried puppy food!!). My neighbours are very pleasant retired folk who do not seem to have a great idea about limiting puppy exercise etc. Any advice I can pass on to them re diet and exercise will be of help. I cannot bear the thought of a puppy of painkillers for all its growth time. Oh yes, puppy was malnourished when they got it.

Hi Lesley ...what did the vet say was wrong with the puppy? I would imagine that the Vet would have given a reason or at least some idea to the owners rather than just put it on painkillers? Have they wormed the pup at all?

Melody

Are you sure it was malnourished.........they tend to look like annorexic stick insects as pups....its normal, no matter how much grub you get into them. I would limit excercise to home & garden until its about 20 weeks, then short 10 minute walks. Lurchers do tend to get over excercised as pups so tell them to be careful.

Hi Lesley, It may seem a strange question to ask, but can you find out if this pup has any giant hound ancestory in its breeding? I know its sometimes very hard to tell when you buy a Lurcher or cross breed, but there is a disease, common in giant hounds, which shows these types of symptoms. If joint pain is present, for whatever reason, I personally would change the pups diet totally. No high protein, just very plain, fish or chicken and rice or pasta. I agree with Sam, lucher puppies nearly always look like stick insects :) so the pup was not neccessarily badly reared.Do the owners know what cross the pup is, if not a giant hound cross? This information may help to throw some light on the subject. If not, I know a very knowledgeable Lurcher breeder, who may have come across this before, I will gladly contact them for you. If you are able to convince your neighbours to restrict exercise for the time being, that would be good too.