Muscle cramping every year.

[djswizz]

OK, I have to bite this one in the butt this year and hopefully I can plan to avoid it this season.

Here's the deal: For the past two years when we do our annual hunt up in North Dakota, on the first day out on the week long hunt, my dog will cramp up to a point where he is whining and sits down and can no longer move. It's done this for the past two years and it worries me it's going to happen again. It's to the point where his muscles are severely cramped and I have to rub them to ease the pain. A few times, it was a multi-day thing where he would cramp up here and there on days, but last year it was just one time.

Nutrition is fine. I usually double the amount of food (4 cups instead of 2), I give him K9 Superfuel after each hunt immediately (and night before), and I give him maltodextrin powder in his meal 1-2 hours after the hunt. Water is always available.

I'm thinking it's conditioning. But the problem I have is I can only rollerblade, run, or bike with him 3-5 miles everyday on pavement. Of course I'd love to have him out in the field as much as possible, but it is what it is. I don't have the land available. Maybe a dog park?

[jlp8cornell]

Interesting.
A few questions:
1. When you run your dog each day does he have any pain?
2. Can you see actual muscle spasms when he has these episodes? Could it be an orthopedic pain issue or other soft tissue injury?
3. What do you feed? Whats the protein/fat ratio. Also the Calcium and Phosphorus levels.

If it were me and this happens consistently I would go to Vet and do bloodwork for starters. Keep us posted. Jen

PS- As far as running in fields, do you have state land nearby? That's where I run my dog.

[djswizz]

1. I run my dog every day without any cramping and pain. He's a great exerciser, and loves to run. It's only when he's in the field on the first days of hunting out in ND (the past two years).

2. Yes. I just rub him down and walk back to the truck. He gets better with time walking and not running/hunting.

3. I feed Diamond Performance. Switching to Exceed C&R 30/20 from Sam's this week. Not sure of the calcium/phos levels.

I'm thinking it's usually excitement and/or adrenaline in his muscles.

[kninebirddog]

try giving him some dyne before the hunt starts and get him to drink water more often

As for the dog food PS Exceed has dropped the fat content to 16 percent on their food and fat is where the energy comes from ..I was just at sams club the other day and looked at a bag and sure enough bags in AZ are the 30 16..glad we changed feed earlier this year

[jlp8cornell]

1. I run my dog every day without any cramping and pain. He's a great exerciser, and loves to run. It's only when he's in the field on the first days of hunting out in ND (the past two years).

2. Yes. I just rub him down and walk back to the truck. He gets better with time walking and not running/hunting.

This doesn't make any sense in terms of why he is having problems. If he is not having problems with regular exercise, he should not have problems while hunting. Is he drinking while you are on trips?

Maybe one of the DVMs on the board will offer some advice. I still think you should speak with yours. Good luck!

[djswizz]

try giving him some dyne before the hunt starts and get him to drink water more often

As for the dog food PS Exceed has dropped the fat content to 16 percent on their food and fat is where the energy comes from ..I was just at sams club the other day and looked at a bag and sure enough bags in AZ are the 30 16..glad we changed feed earlier this year

Ours still say 30/20 on the bag and on the nutrition content. When/if they drop, I'll reconsider the food. More likely, I'll add oil to the food myself. But thanks for the heads up.

This doesn't make any sense in terms of why he is having problems. If he is not having problems with regular exercise, he should not have problems while hunting. Is he drinking while you are on trips?

Maybe one of the DVMs on the board will offer some advice. I still think you should speak with yours. Good luck!

That is why I am here. I don't know why it happens and it doesn't make sense to me either. Yes he's drinking, but nothing out of the ordinary. I trust hunters over DVMs and only seek them out when I need to (and where obvious).

[mcbosco]

That dog sounds like it is in very good condition from daily aerobic exercise. Personally I would not spend the money on those supplements but would put the money toward a better kibble. There is plenty of research out there that maltodextrin does not help a fit dog. Moreover, high carbs can cause tying up (lactic acid) and dehydration in heavily worked fit dogs.

Don't let the label on Exceed fool you, the protein level is goosed to 30% with corn gluten, not meat. Perhaps also there are some amino acids that your dog needs more of. Creatine comes to mind.

You should be able to find Red Paw or Annamaet kibble in Wisconsin. Red Paw is part of Fromm so it should be readily available.

[ezzy333]

OK, I have to bite this one in the butt this year and hopefully I can plan to avoid it this season.

Here's the deal: For the past two years when we do our annual hunt up in North Dakota, on the first day out on the week long hunt, my dog will cramp up to a point where he is whining and sits down and can no longer move. It's done this for the past two years and it worries me it's going to happen again. It's to the point where his muscles are severely cramped and I have to rub them to ease the pain. A few times, it was a multi-day thing where he would cramp up here and there on days, but last year it was just one time.

Nutrition is fine. I usually double the amount of food (4 cups instead of 2), I give him K9 Superfuel after each hunt immediately (and night before), and I give him maltodextrin powder in his meal 1-2 hours after the hunt. Water is always available.

I'm thinking it's conditioning. But the problem I have is I can only rollerblade, run, or bike with him 3-5 miles everyday on pavement. Of course I'd love to have him out in the field as much as possible, but it is what it is. I don't have the land available. Maybe a dog park?

I think the place to start looking is what has changed tht might cause this. The very first thing that caught my eye was the additives and large increase in feed before he has evn had a chance to need it. If you were going to give all of these extras I wouldn't start till the second or third day but personally wouldn't change his norml routine a bit except increase the feed a little after the fact and not before. You say the dog is getting plenty of exercise, and it sounds like he is, so why jack him up so much just because he is exercising in the bird field instead of on a path some where.

Try it this year as it sounds like he is just being overloaded when what he really needs is to get out and run on an empty stomach and stretch the muscles for a day or two and then see if he needs a little extra to keep him going.


Ezzy

[djswizz]

I hear you Ezzy. But I did not give complete details about what I do.

I don't give additives before the hunt, only a normal sized amount of dog food (maybe a little more). I've done the no food thing before a hunt and debated about that as I know others on here do that, talked with my vet (who is a FTer and hunter) and said he would never not give food. I watched my dog almost fall over from weakness due to no food so I never did that again. I feed 1.5-2 hours before the hunt so it has time to digest.

After the hunt, yes, I give maltodrextrin. It's helpled so much that I will never NOT do it again. My dog, who only has this muscle cramping problem on the first days of the week, ends up doing fantastic the rest of the week and is conditioned very well and recovers much better than the rest of the crew's dogs that I hunt with. We have GSPs, EPs, and Setters and mine consistently each year is the one still running around. Maybe it's just his personality, but I think recovery has a lot to do with it. Here's the DVM articles to support my reasoning:

http://www.purinaproclub.com/sportingdo ... ercise.htm
and
http://www.purinaproclub.com/sportingdo ... shment.htm

2009 was the first year I tried K9 Superfuel immediately after the hunt (I give him more food and maltodextrin when we arrive back to our camp 1-2 hours after). I noticed that he did not cramp up the rest of the trip. It may have been a coincidence but it seemed to work.

I didn't just "hop" into this feeding routine the week of the hunt. About 2-3 weeks out, I started this exact same regiment with heavy exercise and pulling me on rollerblades up hills, sprinting in parks, etc. to simulate the same environments.

Here's one thing to ponder, I used to live in Ohio and I would drive 10+ hours to Green Bay, WI to catch up and ride to ND with my father. Spend the night, and drive up the next morning, drive another 14-16 hours. Do you think this sitting in a kennel that much has anything to do with it? I live in Milwaukee now so it's no longer the long drive from Ohio to WI so maybe it'll be better this year.

Thanks guys for the ideas. One guy messaged me about Esser and the back/shaking problems in his lineage. He talked about vet massages and chiropractor for my dog. Might have to look into that as well.

Bosco, I do want to feed a better food, but two things I deal with: the crazy price and the notion that no grains whatsoever is the way to go. It's like the "Paleo Diet" for humans. Sure it works for some and it looks like it's an obvious choice for a diet (heck, our ancestors ate the stuff), but I'm with the notion "do what works." Lots of my friends do Paleo diet and it works for them; I tried it and my energy levels went way down, yes, even with a higher fat intake on my part. Carbs are the main source of fuel for a human, then fat. Protein has no ability to be broken down into glycogen. Diets heavy on protein MUST be heavy on fat or energy levels decrease. I know dogs are dogs and different than us humans, but I apply the same logic. Biology isn't that much different... But yes, I am considering looking at new foods (Red Paw HQ is 20 minutes from me, I may go there and talk to them). But I will switch foods only after I give Exceed a fair shot for 2-3 months. It's cheap, it's easy to obtain, and I hear great things about it. I only switched because I cannot get Diamond Performance anymore near me.

[Greg Jennings]

A few thoughts.

1. Lighten up his exercise in the week leading up to the hunt. Need to have the heavy training already done by then and be cycling down to let him recover and build reserves.
2. In the two days before the hunt, just enough exercise to stretch his legs and loosen him up.
3. If possible, get him loosened up and well-hydrated after the ride up there. As you say, that long drive to ND can't help.

[djswizz]

Yep Greg, I'm going to try that this year. Thanks. I have the time and location on my side leading up to the hunt.

[Greg Jennings]

Yep Greg, I'm going to try that this year. Thanks. I have the time and location on my side leading up to the hunt.

No prob. Sounds like over training followed by the ride up there to me.

Another thought: I used the maltodextrin during the period of heavy conditioning. Seemed to help them tolerate it better.

[djswizz]

I will start the maltodextrin now then since I'm working him hard 3 days on and 1 day off right now. I give him 2-3 days rest before the actual week starts, but I think I'll just ease it up a week before and do light jogs, etc. with him. Nothing strenuous.

[Greg Jennings]

I will start the maltodextrin now then since I'm working him hard 3 days on and 1 day off right now. I give him 2-3 days rest before the actual week starts, but I think I'll just ease it up a week before and do light jogs, etc. with him. Nothing strenuous.

I followed a 2 days work, 1 day rest, 2 days work, 2 days rest cycle. One the two days of work, the 1st day was pulling, the 2nd free running. I did it for 6 weeks. The last week before the big event, I did some free running every day with the last two less strenuous than normal. On the two-days driving up, I tried to get them out to stretch their legs and hydrate every few hours. It's hard to do. The Vizsla is not a good about hydrating at all. Fortunately, he also paces himself out there. The GSP drops the hammer and never lets up.

[djswizz]

I hear ya. Mine drinks a ton after the hunt but does not eat or drink well leading up to it. I do know that he will drink unlimited amounts of water when I put in the k9 Superfuel powder into the water. That is my game plan this year as well. Beefy water...

[ezzy333]

I think you have hit on a good plan. I didn't get into that deep before but glad Greg brought it up. I think you need to be stretching muscles out that last few days and not building them with strength type exercises. The maltodextrin seems to be something that does work though I am not big on supplements if you are feeding a decent feed and most are. The dogs do need water nut I think that can be overdone too if you start flavoring it but try it and see how it works. I have always found they will drink when they are thirsty and needing it.

Good luck and let us know how everything works this year.

Ezzy

[djswizz]

Cool, will do. I'm glad I got a varying of input. I' just want him to do well and not cramp up. That's the goal and I think we'll stave it off this year with all this good input.

[kninebirddog]

I like to get the low sodium chicken broth that comes in a resealable carton

Make an effort to stop and get your dog to drink it doesn't have to be a whole bunch but at least some thus why I like the DYNE as it is a vanilla flavor liquid which has some calories with out being a super amp supplement which i like to give some before the hunt starts..never filling the belly but just enough to get something in the system about 15 minutes before the hunt begins

also try getting your dog to take maybe 1/4 cup fluids every 30 minutes or so when you are first starting out I know this maybe a pain but forcing those little breaks for a bit of rest might also help

[brentonlwin]

You say he does this once a year, first day of the hunt, "up" in SD. Well, obviously you are traveling to this hunt. Do you kennel the dog, how long, how often do you let him out? When you get to your destination, do you leave your dog in the box? Maybe you should tie him out. It could be that he doesn't take to traveling well. I know I cramp up after sitting in a vehicle for several hours. I'm sure that some dogs, like people, are more prone to muscle problems after a long ride.

Just seemed like it was worth mentioning.

I used to get cramps when I broke horses and camels (yes, camels) to ride. People always told me to eat bananas for the potassium. It helped. Not sure if potassium would help dogs or not. Maybe there is a supplement for that??

Brent

[brdhntr]

http://www.rehydratetabs.com/cart/

A shortage of potassium is a huge contributor to cramps. There is an ideal combination of minerals that aid in muscle control, and re hydration. I have seen great results with rehydrate in my dogs.

[jiml]

I agree w ez. focus on what is different in the first day of the hunt than every other day of the year.

some mentioned- confinement, water intake, feeding routines, maybe stress/enthusiasm

[djswizz]

It's got to be confinement in the kennel for those long periods. The good news is that I won't have as near of a drive this year as past years. And I'm going to run him around the day we arrive to stretch out, get blood moving, etc.

I also have those rehydrate tablets. Have not used them.

[djswizz]

Went out grouse hunting on Saturday and Sunday in N Wi. Saturday was going fine (no birds though) and the dog cramped up again. Had him in the car 2.25 hours on the way up there. Not long at all! After about 1.5 hours or so, he cramped up. You could see the HUGE cramp in his right rear leg. He was whining with pain. I rubbed him down and massaged the leg and he didn't have any more cramping. I have no clue what is going on. Maybe with him I need to stop more often and use the rehydrate tablets or K9 Superfuel????

[BigShooter]

I'd be really temped to set up a test situation if possible with blood work before & immediately during cramping to take a shot at identifying metabolic issues.

[djswizz]

I'd be really temped to set up a test situation if possible with blood work before & immediately during cramping to take a shot at identifying metabolic issues.

Sounds like a good idea, but not really sure if my doc would be able to offer this. I'll check. I even switched his foods from Diamond Performance to Exceed C&R 30/20. I also give him Nzymes every day.

[mcbosco]

This isn't something Nyzmes will help. I sent you a PM with a suggestion and I also emailed a friend of mine who is one of the top sled dog racers in New England. I board my dog with her and buy food from her. She might have a suggestion. You have a lactic acid problem of some kind. I do know with horses that trainers will reduce carbohydrates and supplement vitamin E.

[djswizz]

Got your info bosco. I'll call.

[mcbosco]

Yeah I don't think there is a guy that knows more about this stuff than him.

[Greg Jennings]

This is just plain weird!

[mcbosco]

Ya think? Walk through Port Authority with me at 6:30 am one day and I will show you weird. There was a very feminine guy dressed like Superman running in circles this morning. That is weird!!

[Greg Jennings]

Now, that thar is funny!

[BigShooter]

You have a lactic acid problem of some kind.

Everyone is trying to be helpful which is a good thing. While potentially accurate the above is a bit of oversimplification. In addition to the commonly known issues there are over 300 potential causes for muscle spasms. Common issues people think about are electrolyte imbalance, hypothyroidism, diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis & heat stroke but there can be circulatory, respiratory, nerve, infection, liver disease, arthritis, hyperventilation, corticosteroid use and a myriad of other more exotic issues. Obviously I agree with trying to solve the issue without seeing a vet by taking suggestions offered so far. I just have a feeling getting to the root cause is going to involve the right veterinary expertise.

Good luck & keep us posted because we'll all be interested in learning from your experience with this issue.

[mcbosco]

I realize it is a simplfication but I intended it that way. There are a variety of reasons why this might be happening, serious and not so serious, that is why I PM'd him an expert on this. I really didn't feel like going into all the possibilities.

Leave the condescending posts to Ezzy.

[djswizz]

But this ONLY happens when hunting for extended periods. Normal exercise, running, field work, etc. this does not happen. I'm going to call up the guy from Annamaet and then talk to the vet.

The good news is that after his muscle cramp, he is good to go again.

[BigShooter]

Leave the condescending posts to Ezzy.

If you had said you may have rather than you have, thereby providing a definitive internet diagnosis I may not have felt any need to provide additional information to the OP. I believe it was accurate to say that was a bit of oversimplification. If accuracy creates condescension you should perhaps consider retracting many of your posts.

[BigShooter]

One is drawn to think about the differences between running on pavement (a smooth surface) & running through the uneven & sometimes rough woods in WI or fields in ND. Many of those prairie fields are full of burrows dogs have to content with. Jen mentioned in one of the first posts potential orthopaedic & soft tissue issues. This of course would include jolts to the spine as well as the joints and that could include causing irritation to nerves as they exit the spine or travel through compartments. Irritated nerves can cause spasms. I'm not attempting to make any kind of diagnosis but am merely making an observation of non-metabolic potential causes.

[ezzy333]

You have a lactic acid problem of some kind.

Everyone is trying to be helpful which is a good thing. While potentially accurate the above is a bit of oversimplification. In addition to the commonly known issues there are over 300 potential causes for muscle spasms. Common issues people think about are electrolyte imbalance, hypothyroidism, diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis & heat stroke but there can be circulatory, respiratory, nerve, infection, liver disease, arthritis, hyperventilation, corticosteroid use and a myriad of other more exotic issues. Obviously I agree with trying to solve the issue without seeing a vet by taking suggestions offered so far. I just have a feeling getting to the root cause is going to involve the right veterinary expertise.

Good luck & keep us posted because we'll all be interested in learning from your experience with this issue.

Great post!!!! Always is amazing to me that Internet experts can diagnose the problem, cause, and cure without ever seeing the dog and yet the vets with a lot of education and training have problems even when they get to see the dog.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

OK, I have to bite this one in the butt this year and hopefully I can plan to avoid it this season.

Here's the deal: For the past two years when we do our annual hunt up in North Dakota, on the first day out on the week long hunt, my dog will cramp up to a point where he is whining and sits down and can no longer move. It's done this for the past two years and it worries me it's going to happen again. It's to the point where his muscles are severely cramped and I have to rub them to ease the pain. A few times, it was a multi-day thing where he would cramp up here and there on days, but last year it was just one time.

Nutrition is fine. I usually double the amount of food (4 cups instead of 2), I give him K9 Superfuel after each hunt immediately (and night before), and I give him maltodextrin powder in his meal 1-2 hours after the hunt. Water is always available.

I'm thinking it's conditioning. But the problem I have is I can only rollerblade, run, or bike with him 3-5 miles everyday on pavement. Of course I'd love to have him out in the field as much as possible, but it is what it is. I don't have the land available. Maybe a dog park?

Let's not lose sight of the original set of facts. A dog running 3-5 miles a day and not showing any signs of illness or reported trama or other difficulties. I wouldn't go overboard and suggest all kinds of serious problems and I certainly didn't suggest that he not seek professional help, but most Vet's wouldn't know a thing about this. My opinion is this dog is conditioned for cross-country and then playing basketball, plain and simple. Also, I would stop maltodextrin (which is useless without protein) and K9 Superfuel because the protein/fat ratio is all wrong and spend the money on better kibble.

I PM'd him this morning with some feedback I got last night from a person that would know better than any Vet.

[mcbosco]

OK, I have to bite this one in the butt this year and hopefully I can plan to avoid it this season.

Here's the deal: For the past two years when we do our annual hunt up in North Dakota, on the first day out on the week long hunt, my dog will cramp up to a point where he is whining and sits down and can no longer move. It's done this for the past two years and it worries me it's going to happen again. It's to the point where his muscles are severely cramped and I have to rub them to ease the pain. A few times, it was a multi-day thing where he would cramp up here and there on days, but last year it was just one time.

Nutrition is fine. I usually double the amount of food (4 cups instead of 2), I give him K9 Superfuel after each hunt immediately (and night before), and I give him maltodextrin powder in his meal 1-2 hours after the hunt. Water is always available.

I'm thinking it's conditioning. But the problem I have is I can only rollerblade, run, or bike with him 3-5 miles everyday on pavement. Of course I'd love to have him out in the field as much as possible, but it is what it is. I don't have the land available. Maybe a dog park?

Let's not lose sight of the original set of facts. A dog running 3-5 miles a day and not showing any signs of illness or reported trama or other difficulties. I wouldn't go overboard and suggest all kinds of serious problems and I certainly didn't suggest that he not seek professional help, but most Vet's wouldn't know a thing about this. My opinion is this dog is conditioned for cross-country and then playing basketball (ie classic lactic acid muscle cramps), plain and simple. Also, I would stop maltodextrin (which is useless without protein) and K9 Superfuel because the protein/fat ratio is all wrong and spend the money on better kibble.

I PM'd him this morning with some feedback I got last night from a person that would know better than any Vet.

[djswizz]

So abandon my half bag of Exceed and try better kibble 1 week away from driving up to ND? Not sure if I'm liking that...

I appreciate your message bosco. Great info and you are really puting out an effort in trying to help - it's greatly appreciated. For clarification, I only use maltodextrin after the long hunts. I pour it over his food and add a bit of warm water to it, which is Exceed 30/20. I don't use K9 Superfuel anymore and haven't since last year. I won't bother buying anymore this year. Just normal kibble (3 cups/day - 1.5 in am and pm) and Carbo Gain (2g of carbs per kg of bw) He's 55 lbs so 25kg x 2g carbs = 50g of carbs = 1/2 cup of Carbo Gain. This is always eat with his evening meal 1-2 hours after a hard/long hunt that goes for several days. I don't give him Carbo Gain on a 1 day or 2 day hunt. See this excerpt from below:

Several studies have examined the benefits of post-exercise maltodextrin supplementation in dogs that perform prolonged exercise. Dogs that were given 1.5-2.0 g carbohydrate/ kg body weight post-exercise in the form of maltodextrins were able to recover, on average, about 50% of pre-exercise glycogen stores within 4 hours of exercise and about 85 % of pre-exercise glycogen within 24 hours, while dogs fed but not supplemented recovered less than 40% of their pre-exercise glycogen after 24-hours (Figure 2).8

Found here: http://www.purinaproclub.com/sportingdo ... ercise.htm

I don't see anything wrong with this diet, besides maybe using higher quality kibble. But then again, other dogs are doing fine on this stuff. He's "tied up" on Diamond Naturals C&R, Diamond Performance, Black Gold, and SportMix. Which leads me to the conclusion that it's not kibble related. Still need to call your guy though.

[ezzy333]

I don't see anything wrong with this diet, besides maybe using higher quality kibble. But then again, other dogs are doing fine on this stuff. He's "tied up" on Diamond Naturals C&R, Diamond Performance, Black Gold, and SportMix. Which leads me to the conclusion that it's not kibble related. Still need to call your guy though.

You are exactly right. The food is not the problem. And please be careful when someone is billed as knowing more than any vet. That is a statement of someones opinion who has already said vets wouldn't know much about this problem. Thats like you having cramps and saying your doctor wouldn't know much about it so you should talk to someone who manufactures a supplement if you are to find the problem.

Diet is seldom a problem in a short time problem. It could be over a long period of time. But you have eliminated that possibility by changing feeds several times and your dog still has the same problem. And you normally can't fix a health problem like this quickly by changing diet, It takes time for the physical requirements of a dog to be restored.

It is more apt to be a hormone problem possibly brought on by the excitement or some other physicological type thing.

Work with your vet and see what you can come up with if the vet is willing to work with you at a reasonable cost.

Ezzy

[BigShooter]

You mentioned a rear leg cramp. Is it always in a rear leg? What other muscles have been cramped up, front legs or the back as well?

I watched my dog almost fall over from weakness due to no food so I never did that again.

This is a little unusual as most dogs hunt just fine when only being fed at night.

Mine drinks a ton after the hunt but does not eat or drink well leading up to it.

I'm not quite sure exactly what you mean to say because you also said at one point that water is always available. Do you mean to say the dog drinks a ton at the end of the hunting day? My dogs generally do not drink a ton after hunting all day because they drink water all during the day.

[djswizz]

BigShooter:

It's only the rear legs. Last year, both rear legs cramped up. This past weekend it was his right rear. He's never cramped up anywhere else. Just the rears.

As for the food, yeah it was weird but it makes sense. When I played basketball, there was no way I was going to play that game if I didn't eat a few hours before -- yeah it's a dog, but same principle IMO. My past vet, who trials, said it's not smart to not feed a dog 1-3 hours before a hunt. I listened and my dog is fine and has been since.

Water IS always available, but he doesn't drink much. He drinks a lot of water after the hunts, depending on the temps. When playing with other dogs, he seems to drink all the time throughout the playing. I'm going to give him water every 30-45 min this year and see what happens. Pain in the butt to carry, but a small amount should be fine.

[BigShooter]

If it's only the rear legs I'd be inclined to mention that info to a vet. I wouldn't be surprised if he or she may end up thinking about orthopaedic & nerve issues related to the spine, hip or knees, especially if it happens off & on. The real puzzler though is that it may only happen once at the beginning of a several day hunt. To me that makes it seem less like a metabolic issue. Obviously dogs tend to get more stiff & sore as the days of a hunting trip wear on. If it is physical it would seem to involve something that can move, slip, slide or float in such a manner that sometimes it's causing a problem (like nerve impingement) & sometimes it's moved or slipped out of the way, causing no problem at all.

It's a head scratcher without a physical exam or any diagnostics like a myelogram, MRI, x-rays or blood work.

[SubMariner]

I know this is reviving a something of an older thread, but we recently had similar issues with our 3 yr old GSP. Late in the evening or the next morning after a particularly hard run in our still-hotter-n-heck weather, the dog would have problems that were subsequently determined to be severe abdominal & lower body cramps. It appears that even though we offered him copious amounts of water & wetted him down after his runs, he was still losing enough essential minerals & fluids that he was cramping up.

After some research we found that if we gave the dog (who is ~60lbs) 50 ccs of unflavoured pedialyte when we got home, he no longer had cramping problems. (This is in addition to the water he was offered after the run both at the site and when we got home.)

Disclaimer: I am not a vet nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night. YMMV.

[BigShooter]

djswizz,

Do you have any updates for us?

[djswizz]

Hi there,

Just got back from ND about 1 hour ago. The dog did great! No cramping, etc. He hunted for all 5 days and is just sore like all the dogs were. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary except I used Annamaet's Impact in the mornings and nights. Lots of water (some days with Rehydrate tabs in them). It was warm too. Very happy... But I will keep an eye on it as the season is still long.

[mcbosco]

that is great news

[BigShooter]

Yup,

It'd sure be nice for you to have a permanent solution for this hit or miss, on again, off again problem. Nice to hear things went well in ND. Keep us posted.