Dysplacia/Arthritis help needed!

[erykah1310]

I have a 6 year old Rottweiler/Shephard mix who I just got through a friend, He was limping badly and stiff in the mornings so off to the vet we went! Puppy has dysplacia in his hips and elbows and arthritis also.
He is in the beginning stages of this and is on Glucosamine,MSM and chondrotin tablest as well as anti-inflamitories, they are helping alot. My main problem is that he is still very stiff in the mornings due to him sleeping on the floor instead of his comfy bed! Does anyone have any suggestions of good beds or bedding alternatives for a dog like my Puppy?

[Shaykeija]

Buy a king size bed and invite him to join you. You might want to try a heating pad in his bed though. Hope your baby starts to feel better.

[glasslass]

I'm not familiar with how they are made but I know there are special supportive beds for dogs with arthritis.

[erykah1310]

I just wanted to put an update on Puppy up for anyone who remembers me briefly talking about him. I am so happy to report he is doing very well. He still has a bit of a difficult time getting up in the evening but is all in all doing much better. I thought spring would be tough for him but suprisingly the dampness hasnt seemed to affect him at all.
He has lost alot of weight, when i first got him he was roughly 230 lbs and now has gone down to 170 ish.
Here is a before and after picture
This one was taken when we first got him. At 230 lbs

[erykah1310]

And here he is last week, at his new low of 170! Its been a long journey but it definately is paying off, he is acting so much younger and can handle one extra short little walk a day!!!!!!!

[jesse's mommy]

He looks so wonderful. I bet all that extra weight was making the arthritis and dysplacia worse. I bet he is so much happier. He's absolutely gorgeous.

[jawert1]

He looks great erykah, keep up the wonderful work, and his weight will make a huge difference in his ability to move about Keep posting pics too!

[BoxerRescueMTL]

Wow!!! He looks amazing! He is so lucky to have found you You probably found a good bed for him already, but for anyone else looking for good bedding solution for achy dogs - we were looking for good supportive beds for our senior pooches and found that most were made of egg crate foam. So we made our own and saved some bucks. Also, a good option is buying a baby matress and making a slip cover for it. It's very supportive and waterproof which is good for "leaky" seniors It also keeps it's shape better than most dog beds.

[mastifflover]

He looks great all that extra weight gone should help him out a lot. As far as beds go I suggest Costco on the web have memory foam mattresses for dogs and they are not expensive but they will mold to his body

[OntarioGreys]

He looks great! You have done well, it take glucosamine a month to take full effect, not sure how long how've been using, so there still may be improvement, jumping up and down off of furniture can cause more stress to joints and falls if they have stability problems so I don't recommend encouraging them on human beds, a firmer orthopedic bed is easier for a dog with leg problems to get in and out of compared to a fluffy bed that is fiber filled because the fiber shifts when they getting in and out so can cause their footing to move in an uncomfortable painful position. Feed a chew treat on the bed to encourage him to get on and use.

[mummummum]

Well done ! What a VERY lucky boy to have found you! He looks sooooo much happy and healthier - I'll bet he feels like a new dog. I tried a crib mattress recently - not one of the three would lie on it. Super-plush couch cushions inside a cover - nuh-uh. An actual Dog Bed - same deal. We were given a huge feather tick on top of which I have folded a king-sized poly comforter. So far, so good. Does anyone know if the memory foam beds are sold anywhere other than Costco in Toronto? Ceili (my grrrrl with hip dysplasia, past surgery to implant steel plate/ pins for ruptured cruciate) has been on Sasha's Blend for the past 2 (3?) weeks. It may be my imagination, but, she seems much less stiff and it's less of a struggle for her to stand up. And she is lying on the cement floor - which she would NEVER do before. I have a waterbed which - even though it is the dawgawfulest most hideous piece of furniture - not only "cures" my bad back but both Ceili and Declan like to sleep there. I truly think it helps their aches and pains. I wish I could get waterbeds just for them though - cuz bedtime is twister scrunchy-time for me! Again - well done and please post more pix of your handsome lad.