[doginlaw]

Thanks, everyone! 🙂 I know it can be challenging to figure out what works best for you (and your pets) individually, so I really appreciate all the input and discussion. I’m definitely going to try putting him on a lower-calorie diet, and hopefully cut back on the Zignature in the meantime. My sister-in-law is usually around to feed him, and she told me she gives him 4 cups a day, which was probably OK with the Science Diet Light, but the Zignature is something like 160 calories more per cup (457 vs 297, I believe), and combined with his limited mobility, it’s probably a lot more than he needs. I’ll talk to her about reducing it until we can get him on a lighter food.

I have been wary about making him exercise too much because of his joint pain. I don’t want to make it worse, but I was told by the vet that losing some weight would help with it. For now I’ve been taking him on short walks (usually 8~10 minutes) and letting him play in the pool for as long as he wants, until he loses interest or starts getting tired. I try not to force him if he’s not up for it. The vet also prescribed 100 MG of Rimadyl, but he doesn’t take it every day. He’s kind of a couch potato for the most part–not sure if that’s a side effect of the pain or a factor in his weight issues, or both. I do want to get in touch with the vet about his medical records and treatment options for his skin and joint issues in the long term, and see about possibly getting him to a specialist.

crazy4cats, re: taurine, the vet suggested getting a human-grade supplement over the counter at a drugstore or health food store. I had to check a few places before I found it at a local holistic/natural pharmacy. The only brand they had was Designs for Health, which I have at least seen listed on pet-specific websites (another brand I saw mentioned was Thorne Research). I’m not personally familiar with either of those sites, but they’re among the first that came up when I googled “best taurine supplement for dogs.” I got the taurine in capsule form (the powder seems like it’d be less wasteful, but they didn’t have it in stock), and I’ve just started giving it to him by breaking open the capsule and mixing the powder with something he’ll eat/drink. (Despite his propensity for eating almost everything, he’s very good at spitting out pills. 😉 ) Hope that helps! I’ll try to keep you posted. 🙂