Took Z'ev to the vet today for yearly check and blood work and renewal of carprofen script. I also asked for an opinion on his growing hind end weakness and occasional pooping in house. Arthritis? Degenerative myelopathy? Spinal disc disease? Torn ligaments in his knees?

She did a very uncomfortable exam and concluded it's likely arthritis, perhaps some unknown trauma before we got him but degenerative myelopathy not likely. She did find considerable muscle wasting in the hind end and thinks the pooping thing is he's likely not perceiving the signal he has to go. We also think he has a bit of cognitive decline as well (the other day after he finished his dinner, he walked over to Ami's bowl and stuck his head in it while Ami's head was still on the bowl eating. Needless to say, Ami took care of that pronto.)

But. To help with the muscle wasting, she prescribed a supplement, Myos Canine Muscle formula with branched chain amino acids. Work up to 4 scoops a day. One can likely will last just a month. And costs $85!!! I was dubious but after she recommended Dasuquin for Ami and it made a huge difference, I grit my teeth and bought it. It's not cheaper on Amazon or chewy. But what got me was when I got home, I found out it's basically just egg yolks! Fertilized egg yolks. Whoopy do. The branched chain amino acids are the L-isomer of leucine and  isoleucine. Which I think are high in corn but I still have to research that. May be in the egg yolks, too.

I'll be in a real quandary if the stuff works cause an extra 85 a month in addition to the carprofen and Dasuquin is a bit much. I'm thinking of not using it for a month and instead adding an egg and maybe some cottage cheese or yogurt for added protein. As well as physical therapy - specifically putting a ladder on the the garage floor and walking him through the rings so he has to lift his hind legs. If no change after a month, then I'll give the Myos stuff. The conundrum will be if the Myos stuff works and my regimen doesn't.

So. Anybody heard of, used Myos Canine Muscle Formula vet strength?

No sarcasm intended but lot's of luck! Myos is new to me and trying to find anything about it that doesn't come from someone selling it was not easy. In fact I couldn't find anything about ingredients (except its one main ingredient - Fortetropin which as you noted is a fertilized egg yolk derivative) or anything really that didn't come from a vendor.

However there are some interesting articles about Fortetropin in the NIH web site. I'll give you one to start Pubmed at NIH but they go on from there in the references.

Yeah, I read that one. And quite a bit about branched chain amino acids. Enough that I think the dogs and us will all have eggs daily. I'll cut back a bit on their evening kibble and they'll each get a scrambled egg and a half can of unsalted water pack sardines. But there's no way I can suddenly add $85 a month (and probably times 2 as at the last vet visit, he thought Ami had some jobs end muscle wasting as well.)

Z'ev still climbs the somewhat steep stairway to the 2nd floor when I go up there. Coming down is a bit treacherous but I spot him to prevent falls.

I'm a little pissed that she sort of blithely pushed this on me without mentioning the price. Next time I'll be a bit more aggressive in adding about that before hand!

Id ask how to tell is an egg is fertilized but google should answer that. Seems like a good idea but 85 a month... i would get a few hens and a rooster

amymeme wrote:

I'm a little pissed that she sort of blithely pushed this on me without mentioning the price. Next time I'll be a bit more aggressive in adding about that before hand!

Isn't amazing how those who have to work for a living seem to think that those of us who are retired have enough money to meet all those unexpected expenses?  
Okay, I have a bit of money back, but if the shit really hits the fan with either my health or the pups, I'm going to be in a world of financial difficulty quickly!

Of course, when you're all the time taking cruises and flying off to Gibraltar and places east, I can see how they might think that ... but I don't think anyone here's done that recently.

I've been wondering how that would have helped Sasha.  I would have / could have paid (for a while at least) it if the results were beneficial.  

Can't any thread stay on topic here .... << LOL >>

As I was looking up the phrase for a fertilized egg, I noticed that you can buy them. Not sure I'd want to since the chick matures rapidly once fertilized (er, 21 days!) I wish I could remember the cartoon where someone cracks an egg and ends up with a chick dancing around on a hot skillet.

Lostmaniac wrote:

Id ask how to tell is an egg is fertilized but google should answer that.  Seems like a good idea but 85 a month... i would get a few hens and a rooster

Ya, Z'ev at least would think that was unprocessed dog food just waiting to be 'processed' ...

I worked at an egg ranch for a while as a kid (damn smelly job!) and they candled every egg they sold. Apparently the germinal disk (had to look that up) is quite apparent at 24 hours more or less.

Im still trying to bounce back from splinters ekg and labs and then cardiologist and spider getting really sick and then shadow with the major dental and labs and xrays all since August. My vet emergency credit card went from paid off to halfway to maxxed and the pet expenses fund with the va fiduciary went 3500 over what was budgeted for 2022. So we had to cut back on other things like the electricity and propane to balance it. And actually with the propane the dogs are happier cuz heater is set at 65 instead of 76 and we go out to eat less and i had to get a job. Life happens. I learned that at 22 when a yearling fractured his pelvis on the growth plate.

Life is a river, you can go with it or swim against it. Either way your still going to end up exactly where you need to be, its just how effort it takes.

So the plan is to get a few hens and a rooster in the spring. My dogs (or anyone) will not be eating the eggs, but i do wonder if a black egg tastes different then a normal egg. I want ayam cremeni chicks. And they are worth more to 4h and ffa kids if i can breed them then as eggs.

We used to drive from maryland to see family in Norfolk and driving by perdue is why i wont eat poultry unless its cage free free range vegetarian or bug/vegetarian fed.

I don't know anything about the Myos but it's probably similar enough to some other things like Nupo or Missing Link you might be able to switch. Frankly, when kenzi became diabetic weakness in the rear was something we struggled with. I just put her on Active B12 vitamin morning and night and we have seen improvements. Active B12 is cheap.