Morning Sue, LG and Nippy Jen.

So sorry to hear the sad news Nippy Jen. Hugs to you and Brian and I hope Pepsi is over whatever upset her last night.

Oh Nippy, i am so very very sorry for your loss...even when someone is ill you are never really prepared ((hugs)) for you and brian and the lovely pepsi too...hope she feels much brighter after her walk

Thanks so much for the links Lynn, I am considering the cortiflex route actually, they get a lot of supplements already. Its great you are familiar with it in Bernese as that means you may have some answers as everything I read seems to contradict the last thing I read.
LG, you are not teaching your granny to suck eggs as I am totally clueless where this is concerned, never come across it in my life. Have heard of it, and knew enough to warn my puppy owners of it being a pitfall. But never even knew the name of it till Brenda's daughter came up with it. Once I'd read up on it, everything fell through into place as the lameness was a puzzle and the pain in her rear that seemed to move here and there. Mine have steamed grated veg with half a pound of raw meat and vits, coconut oil and Billy No Mates in the morning, egg in its shell twice a week. Tinned fish, or white fish or chopped chicken breast with steamed veg, cottage cheese and bio yogurt for tea with fruit for after, sometimes its dinosaur bones or meaty chicken carcass, which should I cut out for Zen, because I'm more confused now than when I started You have hands on experience successfully navigated through it so I want the benefit of your knowledge please
Nippy I am so sorry to hear your sad news. poor Brian, on his birthday as well. He will be devastated. Give him a big hug from all of us here and hope the the next few weeks are manageable, it will have knocked you both for six I'm sure.
Griff, have a great day, and stop over thinking it all, what happens,happens. Sit back, relax and enjoy
Moyra, seems the cream is working straight away if you had a decent nights sleep for the first time in months. Hoping the doctor's letter does the trick with the Council and you get somewhere nice to live and your landlady gets the tenants she deserves (bad ones)
Sue, weather is dry this morning and girls can go out for a gallop, except Zen of course
Really appreciate everyones input on Zens situation, thanks so much for everything

Oh nippy. Hugs to you and your family. Sounds like there must be a bug of some sort around as quite a few on here poorly. Must away and sort something for lunch/dinner. What do you call it? Moyra pleased to hear you slept better. Be careful how much you use of the cream as it can cause thinning of the skin. Have a good rest of morning everyone.

Hi Jenny, I never read your posts and think that, you are always interested in others. So sorry to read about Brians brother. Also hope Pepsi gets better soon whatever it is, in my experience our dogs do tend to eat things they shouldn't, perhaps it's that.

Just logged in while I have my lunch (Two sandwiches and a cup of tea ) like LG I will try to look in again tonight. One day we might make it to a carvery

I'm have 2 cheese and tomato butties on nice bread, cup of tea and watching G.O.T
Nice walks, short onlead one for Zen unfortunately. Limp is better today, still sore around her back end. Have text Katherine to let her know what the general opinion is, she is a McTimoney Chiropractor its all massage and manipulation, no actual bone crunching which should help from what I've read and been told.
Had a food delivery this morning, all put away, and you know I think I must have an inkling inside of me of what it could be because on checking the three different varieties of food I have ordered, none of them have extra bone!!! Also got pigs trotters, veal necks and chicken necks as well.They are well provided for over the next month.
Hope everything is OK there for you Nippy, like has been said,no one ever thinks that about your posts. Very sad time for you now and we're all here for you

Nippy - Really sorry to hear about Brian's brother, there is never a good time for such a calamity but on his birthday just makes it somehow seem much worse. My best wishes for both of you and do hope that Pepsi is better after her walk.
June - Your girl's diet seems fine to me if you remove anything with a bone content, egg shells and tinned fish, also dairy products. If you have a doubt about quantity of feed (as we did) then bulk up with boiled mashed potato. The potato we found was readily eaten if raw mince was mixed in with it once the potato had cooled. If it is more convenient then there is nothing at all wrong with using dehydrated and reconstituted potato.
Zen is a good size and carries a bit of weight so the reduced calorifc value of her feed should have no effect on her at all - with the slight exception of some weight loss. I have little to add apart from as I said before she should have kennel rest for at least four weeks and then a gentle re-introduction to full exercise over a month or so.

I think LG has got it about right June reading between the lines of all the links I sent.
Quite a few Bernese owners seem to have this problem in their young dogs. I am pretty sure we didn't with Dillon but what with his elbows and possibly hips it was hard to tell.

Thank you LG, I don't have potatoes usually, but will get some and do them in their skins in the microwave and mash them up. Is there something about potato skins, i.e. you can't feed them, I'm sure I heard something or other. If its OK then I can add them to her food as well. Will cut out the cottage cheese and yogurt as well.
Thanks for checking for me Lynn. Like you say it could have happened with Dillon and you'd have been non the wiser with his other problems

Sorry sorry to read about Brian's brother. My thoughts are with you and the family. Hope Pepsi is now ok.

I think cooked potato skins are ok June mind you all the dogs I have owned love to eat the peelings as I do them but they are only every allowed a little bit. All my Afghans used to fight me for them so I had to shut them out the kitchen.

Hope you enjoyed your lunch Harvey.

Rain cleared and we have had a nice day but too late to hang the sheets out.