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Old July 27th, 2011, 01:27 PM
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Shadow and her arthritis

Okay, so Shadow has been getting her cartophen shots for a while now, and is also taking Metacam daily. I can't say that I think the cartophen is doing a great deal to improve her mobility issues, but maybe is more so keeping her from deteriorating further than she is now.

Last month the vet had me try a week's supply of Deramaxx (I think it was, the large brown pill, he had me give her half a day) to see if it would help more than the Metacam. It did not.

Right now, while she doesn't seem to be in pain, it is obvious she still has mobility issues with her legs, that is more prominent when she is tired. Sometimes when she's eating her hind legs will just sorta fold up on her and she'll gradually sink downwards to the ground at her hind end. When that happens I normally give her a bit more meds. She generally gets her meds in the morning if she eats her breakfast, so I may top her up again at night if she's having difficulties.

Any other ideas on things I could ask the vet about giving her? I can't really afford to do physio on her although I would love to, but it's just not going to happen. Other than the occasional signs of weakness, she seems fine and happy.
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Old July 27th, 2011, 03:24 PM
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I don't have any advice for you, but I'm sorry Shadow isn't doing so well with the Arthritis
BIG to you both. I hope you can find something that might help her feel a little stronger.
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Old July 27th, 2011, 04:11 PM
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Thanks Robin. I know I've said before that we can't fight old age, but I guess we can do our best to delay the inevitable. I feel blessed to have had Shadow for fourteen years, and have promissed her and myself not to let her suffer. I don't think she is yet, but she does struggle sometimes. I really have to watch her when she goes in the stairs. She does well if she goes slowly, but if she tries to run down with Halo she will fall and then I worry about her breaking a leg and I know that would be the end of her. Sweetie that she is she tries very hard to keep up with her younger sister Halo. Will be taking Shadow to the vet on Friday to talk to him about other possible treatments for her comfort. Thanks again for caring, you are a very sweet lady with a full plate of her own!
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Old July 27th, 2011, 04:17 PM
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Too bad there isn't a place near you to take her swimming. It almost sounds like a muscle-tone issue. Poor dear.

Is there any physio you can do with her? I know they prescribe home exercises when a dog is recovering from surgery to keep them mobile--I wonder if the vet could give you some exercises to do with her that would keep her limber and give her a little more strength?
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Old July 27th, 2011, 04:26 PM
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Hazel, Shadow and water do not get along - at all! First time we tried bathing her she screamed so loud our pregnant neighbour came running out in a panic because she thought she'd been hit by a car! Shadow is like the pack "WATER - just say no!"

I do try to massage her legs some in the evenings. Unfortunately we don't get a lot of long walks in anymore (we used to go several miles a night) as I'm never certain we'll make it back home with her bad legs. I agree with you that is does seem to be a muscle tone problem at times also. Massaging the dog doesn't go over well with hubby though you know.... He gets jealous!
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Old July 27th, 2011, 04:32 PM
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We'll have to make Shadow an honorary setter then!

If hubby gets jealous at all the massaging, have him do it! I was thinking more along the lines of passive bicycling and bending and flexing exercises, though.
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Old July 28th, 2011, 02:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dog Dancer View Post
Thanks Robin. I know I've said before that we can't fight old age, but I guess we can do our best to delay the inevitable. I feel blessed to have had Shadow for fourteen years, and have promissed her and myself not to let her suffer. I don't think she is yet, but she does struggle sometimes. I really have to watch her when she goes in the stairs. She does well if she goes slowly, but if she tries to run down with Halo she will fall and then I worry about her breaking a leg and I know that would be the end of her. Sweetie that she is she tries very hard to keep up with her younger sister Halo. Will be taking Shadow to the vet on Friday to talk to him about other possible treatments for her comfort. Thanks again for caring, you are a very sweet lady with a full plate of her own!
DD, you are a doll.
I'm glad she's still happy. And if we have Thorin to the age of 14, I will most definitely feel blessed!! Well, I feel blessed anyway lol, just will be moreso if he makes it that long

Thorin has been struggling with his arthritis for a little while as well. He's getting slower and slower going up the stairs. We're pretty sure now that his episode a couple of months ago was, in fact, a small stroke. He drags his hind leg quite a bit now and does what Shadow does, slowly slumps to the ground if he's standing to eat etc. We can't give him the Metacam until he's done with chemo. But overall, he's doing very well and doesn't seem to know there's anything wrong with him
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R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012
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Old July 28th, 2011, 03:20 PM
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not to cure it or anything, but we bought Brina a kundra bed when she had her surgery, when she lays on the floor she is stiff getting up, but when she sleeps on it, she steps "down" to get off the bed and seems a lot better, its a canvas mat, easy to clean and its up off the damp floor.
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Old July 28th, 2011, 03:53 PM
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Robin, sorry to hear that Thorin is having these same issues. All we can do is keep them happy and comfortable. Poor baby Thorin, I feel so bad when they slump down when they're standing. Although it doesn't seem to hurt Shadow any, I think it hurts us more! I also thought Shadow had a stroke the first time she couldn't walk, but the vet assures me it was from swelling in her spine that her legs gave out on her.

Melinda, Shadow actually has one of the Costco dog beds, so she doesn't actually sleep on the floor, although that said, she moves back and forth regularly from bed to floor. She has such a hard time standing up when she's been sleeping on the bare floors (as opposed to the carpets), but still she'll get up off her bed and move onto the slippery floor with great regularity. I can always hear her when she gets up off the floor to go back to bed because he feet slide around on her and it takes her a second or two to get a good grip of the floor. Wakes me up regularly, but I listen to make sure that she's not having problems with her legs again and that in fact she is just slipping. There's only one area of our floor in the bedroom that doesn't have carpets on it (due to Halo being afraid of the slippery floor) and that's where Shadow has to lay. I tried covering it once thinking she'd like that, but no way. She wouldn't have it. I'm not sure that having a raised bed would help her only because I'm afraid she might slip getting out of it right now. But I will keep it in mind.

Thanks guys, will update next week after she's been to the vet again.
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