Shepherd ears problem ...Need some advice - Page 2

 EARLIER THREAD MAY HELP
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/bulletins_read/154581.html#154630

I had a puppy who did not have both his ears properly up until 9 months, so as others have said there is still a good chance. Are the bases standing up? I started with gelatin etc. and tried taping and molds but his ears were very sensitive and got inflamed easily. In the end Osteocart tablets worked great but I believe are difficult to get in the US (they contain glucosamine, chondroitin and other trace elements). Of course the ears may have gone up anyway, but there was a dramatic improvment within only a few days of starting the osteocart. When just the tip of one ear was flopping I was able to put a small amount of tape just around the top of the ear for the last couple of weeks. His ears are fine now, well, not the firmest in the world but quite acceptable. If the ears are not up by 12 months I believe you should have a right to ask the breeder to offer another puppy (as a breeder I would do this). Good luck and fingers crossed!

The article in the Link below states NEVER give your dog Vit C ??  


http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/013.html

hmm....interesting, my vet just told me to give one of my dogs vit C for immune system....

That article was referring to long term use. To fix an ear takes a short time

dogs, cats, horses and birds manufacture their own vitimine c, unlike humans. they do not need to be given any extra.

CatawbaGSD, with Am. S/l most ears must be taped. One thing that seems to work very well and that I feel works is to start the pup on Glucosamine. I have used the Glucosamine & Chrondrotin Soft Chews from wal-mart. Also I give a single  500 mg. vit. c daily until ears are up and strong.

If you need to tape the ears then do so. There is nothing else to be done now that you have the dog. I know this is a very frustating thing and from my experience, it is almost always a  genetic trait.  

If you are talking about the South East Regional in Atlanta, I plan to be there also with a male pup.

Best,

Rik

Dogs produce about 30 mg of C a day -- a survival minimum for healthy dogs and not barely enough for stressed or sick dogs. Dogs do NOT produce enough vitamin C for long term health. Studies led by Belfield, et al. showed dogs living and breeding longer on vitamin C (and E) supplements.  Joint health was vastly improved as was immune response and C+E had dogs reproducing later (not the point, but shows that these dogs are biologically younger.)

This guy recommends 3 grams a day - although that seems dangerous to me.
http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/AltMed/Alt_Med_Neuro.htm

Notwithstanding this vet's view, the problem with just giving your dog lots of C is not that it is toxic but that it is acidic.  For dogs, you need a ph neutral way of giving C for best digestion (and to avoid flatulence) -- and that's calcium ascorbate or magnesium ascorbate.  It is best to give calcium ascorbate with threonate added.  That mix has been shown to be safe.  You can also safely give Ester C.

Some studies have shown dogs to be intolerant of C.  That is hard to reconcile with good science, although it may be true for some dogs.  in my personal experience I used to be religious about giving vitamin C and my last three shepherds lived to be 13, 13, and 14.  I got careless and gave C very sporadically and lost my last dog before her 6th birthday-- to kidney failure, the supposed problem with C, itself.   I don't buy that argument.  C is a very beneficial vitamin that is easily excreted and there is no good reason to believe it accumulates in the dog's kidneys unless you give megadoses for a long time.

I know exactly what you mean MVF.