I’m mainly focusing on mental and physical aspects, as we’re already managing his medical needs with omega-3 supplements and Catrophen, as suggested by the vet.
It was recommended that he should only go out for 10 minutes at a time for at least two weeks. However, this was before we received the radiograph results. Now, the duration of this restriction is indefinite.
In the meantime, we’ve been using the few puzzles we have during every meal, which take about 5-10 minutes each. He also enjoys playing “find it” and hide and seek, though these games are relatively quick since we live in an apartment.
We’ll continue these activities, but I’m concerned they might not be enough to keep him satisfied, especially as he might get bored with the same puzzles and finish them quicker over time.
Here are a few things we’ve tried or can’t do at the moment:
Physical therapy with a specialist:
I’d love to pursue this, but it’s not practical or financially feasible right now. We’re already treating his allergies, and he will need surgery for a tumor in his teeth, along with regular medical treatments if we choose the Catrophen route.
Even if we could afford it, it’s a 45-minute drive (not accounting for traffic), and only our dad drives. He works 12-hour shifts, six days a week, and is gone from the afternoon until early morning.
Kongs:
We’ve tried Kongs over the years. He used to enjoy them, but as he got older, he lost interest. We’ve attempted to various foods and flavors, but the only way he’ll engage with it is if I hold it, which defeats the purpose.
The dog I had, whose dysplasia was labeled moderate by the OFA, remained sound until she was 8. Her hip x-rays were surprising because she hadn’t shown any signs of a problem. She was on Omega supplements from a young age and started Cosequin once diagnosed. As she aged, she received Adequan shots every two weeks, which I administered subcutaneously myself to keep costs down.
What your vet is prescribing surprises me. I thought the usual advice for a dysplastic dog was to engage in lots of slow exercise, like walking, to build muscle and help stabilize the hip joints. This is the kind of exercise physical therapy places recommend, including activities like swimming and using a water treadmill. Personally, I believe that anything that can delay the use of medications like carprofen (the generic name for Rimadyl) is beneficial. None of my dogs tolerated long-term use of NSAIDs.
A friend recently told me that her aged Rottweiler, who has shoulder problems and a weakening back end, is doing better with a ground elk velvet supplement than anything she’s tried before. Of course, that’s quite expensive. Many of these treatments work differently for different dogs.
Yes, our veterinarian warned us about the long-term dangers of NSAIDS, but she was referring to rheumocam rather than Carprofen, which was one of her recommendations.
My friend’s dog has hip dysplasia. She follows the exercise regimen described by AliaBhatt and also keeps his weight low to reduce strain on his hips.
There are various joint supplements available. Our senior dog takes a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement. We also have a magnet on his collar. People who use magnetic bracelets for arthritis pain have mixed opinions, some find them transformational, while others see no benefit. Who knows, but it can’t hurt to try.
By the way, our dog continues to sit on our couch instead of using the small chair I set up to help him get up. He does not need to jump to get up because the couch is just below knee length.
Is it still okay, or should we prevent him from accessing it? To be honest, I’m not sure how we’d go about it. It’s a long couch in a little flat.
My rule of thumb for this kind of situation is that if the dog can step up onto and down from the couch or other surfaces, it’s okay. However, if any jumping is required, then it’s not advisable.
Of course, you’ll be keeping an eye on him and will notice if there’s any movement that seems unwise or causes him pain.
Has your veterinarian recommended surgery for the dysplasia, or is it not deemed serious enough for surgery? I know a number of dogs, especially retrievers, that have undergone that procedure, which has been very effective in the examples I’ve seen. I’m not sure what you put in the king, but I put peanut butter and banana in it and freeze it, which our son adores and can’t get enough of. But then our girl is highly food-oriented.
Surgery was not suggested. Instead, we were advised to check in 6-12 months to see if the arthritis progresses.
Regarding the Kong, he’s currently on an allergy diet, so we can only use his wet food. Surprisingly, he doesn’t like peanut butter, and we’ve also tried bananas without success.
It’s strange because he’s usually very food motivated, but he just doesn’t take to the Kong like he used to.
I agree with AliaBhatt. Most allopathic vets will scoff if you mention something like magnets, and I personally wouldn’t bring it up to a vet. In fact, I’d probably remove the magnet from the collar before a vet visit to avoid any potential ridicule.
However, I’m with JoanneF on this. If it can’t hurt (and I make sure it can’t, so I exclude herbs or supplements unless they’re specifically designed for dogs and proven to be harmless), then why not try it?
Years ago, I was skeptical about homeopathy. In desperation, with a deeply beloved cat who had a persistent problem that three different vets couldn’t resolve, I took him to a homeopathic vet. I didn’t believe a word she said—it all seemed like nonsense to me. But I paid for the consult, so I meticulously followed her instructions for the remedy. In less than 48 hours, the problem was gone and never returned.
So, was it a placebo? Maybe, although that’s a stretch since the cat didn’t know what the white pellets were. But if it was, fine with me! The thing is, I don’t argue with success. If it works, I don’t care if it’s a placebo or not.
Since then, I’ve seen a homeopathic doctor myself and have been happy with the results. I would never again disregard homeopathy. It also made me more open to other alternative treatments because there’s a lot more we don’t know about how the universe works than what we do know.
We have a 15-year-old dog with elbow dysplasia and osteoarthritis, both of which have been present in a mild form since she was about 5 or 6. Despite this, she has had a great quality of life. She has been very physically active, with just a few adjustments needed. Occasionally, she required more rest and multiple short walks rather than long ones. The type of surface made a huge difference for her—pavement and blacktop often triggered pain or limping, while natural surfaces, especially soft trails, were much better. She also did better with some reasonable ups and downs rather than very flat and even surfaces. Swimming was helpful, and we avoided activities with abrupt twists and turns.
We started hydrotherapy and physiotherapy when she was about 12-13 years old, which was incredibly helpful. Although it was a hassle to drive an hour for the sessions, it was worth it. The vet/physiotherapist showed us exercises to do at home and how to do them correctly. If you can get any guidance from a physical therapist, it can be really valuable. There are many canine conditioning exercises that can help strengthen the necessary muscles, and you can train tricks and other behaviors for both physical fitness and mental enrichment. However, it’s ideal to get pointers from an expert to avoid doing any damage.
For food enrichment, we mostly feed raw, and the most engaging and long-lasting items for our dogs are big meaty bones. They do work on Kongs and similar toys, but those don’t last as long. We also do a lot of sniffing and problem-solving games, which all our dogs love. We used the booklet “Enrichment Through Scent Work” to get started.
I will also state that I am concerned that we will worsen his arthritis in the long run, which is primarily due to his reaction.
Whenever he suffers a sudden reactive episode that drives him to lunge, he walks stiffly.
I do everything I can to prevent him from having any during our walks. I walk outside and check before bringing him out; I always keep food on available. Take him out when most people are at work, school, or asleep. Unfortunately, there are just too many cats and dogs in our neighborhood to account for.