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Advice for Caring for Old Animals

Rodafina

Rodafina

Hopefully Human
Staff member
V.I.P Member
I am starting to see the signs of age in my dog, particularly what seems like arthritis in the legs and feet. I am hoping to collect some info in this thread that can be applied to caring for our elderly animals.

One of my primary questions is about walking through arthritis. My dog has significantly slowed down over the last year and now he will sometimes limp while walking. He is about 8 years old and some sort of lab/shepherd mutt. He is under regular care from a good vet and takes a chondroitin supplement.

I wonder what people here know about arthritis. Is it better to just keep going on regular length walks? He is limping but doesn't seem to not want to walk. Is three small walks a day better than two long ones? Any tips or information about how to best care for a dog with arthritis?

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Honestly this is something that is likely best as a direct question to the vet. There's a lot of variables with something like this.

That all being said, from my own experience, I'd personally say that keeping it both shorter and slower is likely to be a good move. Dogs arent very good at moderating their own behavior and some can go a bit overboard even if they're in pain when they do it. My own dog, who is a 5 year old Wheaten Terrier, has had a couple of incidents where her neck/back flared up in a way similar to what happens to me. She got a full examination and meds and all that, very detailed. Problem is though she doesnt exactly do the whole "self control" thing. She's an aggressive and easily wound-up dog who does things like sprint in circles around tables (or anything else) when even slightly agitated. Lots of jumping and spinning, and pain only slows her down a bit, it doesnt actually stop her. So, the controlling falls on whoever is with her, because left to her own devices, she WILL make it worse.

A dog might be like that on walks too. Hurts like heck maybe, but they want to be outside and with their owner, so they'll just push themselves anyway. At the same time though, too much just sitting around aint good either.

But of course this varies wildly from one dog to the next.

That's all just my thoughts though... again, this is best to just ask the vet directly.
 
When my dog Ava was 9 she started having problems with arthritis and a bad hip. We gave her glucosamine,MSM powder , and hemp oil. This helped her greatly and was able to help with some of the pain and she was able to walk fine but didn’t run much anymore , she had more good days than bad. Her hip got really bad over the summer and had to send her off to the next level of consciousness a few weeks ago . She made it to 13.
 
@Human Avatar
Thanks for sharing about Ava. We love them and do the best we can for them and the sadness of their loss is part of loving them so much. I want to take good good care of my boy as he ages.
 
One of my old cats was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism when she abruptly lost one-third of her body weight. She's only 11 years old but the vet said thyroid issues typically appear when cats reach age 10 and that they are not uncommon for old cats. We have to give her a transdermal thyroid suppression medicine twice a day using a "dispenser" that looks like a highlighter or magic marker that we gently rub inside her ear on the skin so it can be absorbed by her body.

It's an effort to dose her twice a day but she would die if we didn't. She is slowly regaining some weight but she also is increasingly showing her age.

We do love our animals and they surely love and depend on us.
 
Had to go through the same considerations for my Yorkie. Still very difficult to keep her from attempting to jump up to a sofa or a bed. Had to place portable "cushioned steps" in front of anything she was prone to jump at.

And walkies became shorter....and fewer. :(
 
Rodafina said:
I am starting to see the signs of age in my dog, particularly what seems like arthritis in the legs and feet. I am hoping to collect some info in this thread that can be applied to caring for our elderly animals.

One of my primary questions is about walking through arthritis. My dog has significantly slowed down over the last year and now he will sometimes limp while walking. He is about 8 years old and some sort of lab/shepherd mutt. He is under regular care from a good vet and takes a chondroitin supplement.

I wonder what people here know about arthritis. Is it better to just keep going on regular length walks? He is limping but doesn't seem to not want to walk. Is three small walks a day better than two long ones? Any tips or information about how to best care for a dog with arthritis?

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Rodafina said:
I am starting to see the signs of age in my dog, particularly what seems like arthritis in the legs and feet. I am hoping to collect some info in this thread that can be applied to caring for our elderly animals.

One of my primary questions is about walking through arthritis. My dog has significantly slowed down over the last year and now he will sometimes limp while walking. He is about 8 years old and some sort of lab/shepherd mutt. He is under regular care from a good vet and takes a chondroitin supplement.

I wonder what people here know about arthritis. Is it better to just keep going on regular length walks? He is limping but doesn't seem to not want to walk. Is three small walks a day better than two long ones? Any tips or information about how to best care for a dog with arthritis?

View attachment 134642
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Is it osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis different remedies for each this is a must for longer journeys www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/g41577207/best-dog
 
The vet prescribed two meds that kept my big part Great Dane going much longer. I don’t know the meds anymore but it was a glucosamine type and an anti-inflammatory.

He loved his walks, even when his feet and hips were so twisted. As long as he wanted to go, I took him. He did get slower. But he never lost his enthusiasm.

I say, let the dog tell you what he wants to do.
 
My Shihtzu is 20, and my bank account is always empty:D

I rescued her, aged three, from a life of being bred, and she rescued me, the only living being to reach me when I circled a black abyss. I imagine both of us, in our way, were equally grateful to each other.
She developed obvious signs of Osteoarthritis (limping, stiffness, slowing down) probably six years ago and was prescribed NSAIDs like Loxicom, alternated with steroids. Before that stage, she had hidden the pain quite well when moving, but an unmistakable sign something was wrong was her stiff groan or pained sigh when she moved after being still.
She has always been fit and active, with 30-minute walks a day plus playing chase by herself with balls; she seems to adapt to pain, and her walks keep her psychologically well, which is half the battle in our situation.

Three years ago, when the NSAIDs and steroids seemed to lose their effectiveness (groans returned and increased stiffness), she was prescribed monthly injections of Librela. It has worked so well for her that she is still up and down the stairs, not like a dog her age. Now, in year three, towards the end of the month, its effectiveness wears off, and she needs extra care.
Out walking, I've met other dogs on Librela, but it has not been as successful for all of them; the puppy farm dogs, for example, seem to have health issues on a more extreme level, so I'm unsure if anything can help some of them, dogs coming from reputable breeders seem to have more success with the Librela injection.

Librela is injectable anti-nerve growth factor (NGF) monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy for dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) pain.
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Zoetis

Zoetis

Librela Practice Resources | Zoetis US

Librela Client Education | Zoetis US
(back-to-play treatment sheet seems like a decent resource under veterinary guidance)

She has a degenerative condition now, Pulmonary Fibrosis and her time is genuinely finite; I'm fortunate to be in a situation where I have just enough money each month to keep her comfortable.
Our walks are slow and gentle, more an exercise in following her nose, and this keeps her well in her mind. She sets the pace, the distance, and when everything lines up, she has some brisk bursts, even a rare gallop! It is only her lungs that hold her back.

If you have a good vet they will keep you right, I know each dogs situation is so different, but we did find something that worked for her pain levels so I have hope for your 'Old boy'. ❤️
 
Rodafina said:
I am starting to see the signs of age in my dog, particularly what seems like arthritis in the legs and feet. I am hoping to collect some info in this thread that can be applied to caring for our elderly animals.

One of my primary questions is about walking through arthritis. My dog has significantly slowed down over the last year and now he will sometimes limp while walking. He is about 8 years old and some sort of lab/shepherd mutt. He is under regular care from a good vet and takes a chondroitin supplement.

I wonder what people here know about arthritis. Is it better to just keep going on regular length walks? He is limping but doesn't seem to not want to walk. Is three small walks a day better than two long ones? Any tips or information about how to best care for a dog with arthritis?

View attachment 134642
Click to expand...
Carpovet is an anti-inflammatory that we give our dog who is getting on in years. Talk to your vet about it.

You don't want to stop all exercise. Even if it is just once up and down the block in the evening, it will preserve mobility. Watch your dog closely to see if there's any reluctance to go farther and judge from there. Dogs don't handle arthritis pain like people do. They will just go and go.

It is easy for people with arthritis to stop moving, and pretty soon, they cannot get started again. Arthritic joints that don't flex regularly will get worse faster.
 
From my own exp with OA you get your joints in pain from long walks but if he is willing, my trick for this is, because being outside even for humans it's a great thing, but dogs highly depend on walks because they don't have as many things to do at home mentally, emotionally and physically, walks are important so:

make sure you learn what pace he does it, like try to let him as slow as he wants because this prevents pain, also take breaks in long walks, say 1 bus station -2 stations, have him lay down and rest his joints, it's very good to not put pressure on the muscle and help the muscle work well enough to support his joints. Hydrate.

There are arthritis shots for older dogs, it's a shot behind the neck that he can take regularly if you are financially well and your vet has this shot.

He looks good for his age, he is well taken care of.

You can play in the yard from time to time to get him going a bit, like hide the toy-find the toy as it's not as agitated a game. Congradulate at the end lots, old boys love to feel special.

As far as supplements go, collagen helped me the most. I tried glucosamine and chondroitin, nothing, I had great pains anyway. Glucosamine and chondroitin temporarily can be aids but it wasn't strong enough and reverses if you don't constantly add it. Antiinflammatories are better. But careful with NSAIDs like carpofen for long term treatment, they stick to the stomach lining and induce gastritis. It happened to me with other NSAIDs. NSAIDs have the potential to induce gastrointestinal ulcerations and gastrointestinal perforations, it's a warning on carpofen. So now I'm on turmeric tablets and works well, consider turmeric chews, tablets for dogs.

Librela: A Breakthrough Treatment for Arthritis Pain in Dogs - ReadiVet
 
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I wish I had some advice. One of my Chihuahuas has a bad leg, either limping or just walking on three legs. It's been going on some years now. Maybe 3-4. Repeated visits to vet only indicated arthritis. This past year she seemed to heal quite a bit over the winter. In winter they don't go out, and we use potty pads exclusively. But in spring after a week or two of moderate walks (1 a day) it came back and never left. At some point I stopped trying to do walks per se, and just take them out to meander around the yard. If she wants to walk a bit I don't stop her just let her walk a bit and just limit it to a short walk. She is about 15 now and the other 16 so the slow down feels natural. I also blocked off the stairs with a gate so she doesn't follow me up and down as I do things. They hate being alone so I also had to move everything I do, mainly side gig work, to the main floor. If I am gone for more then a few minutes they start to howl pitiously. I feel controlled. :) But Chihuahuas of course can be on a longer life scale. How they manage that while being one of the most high strung breeds always amazes me. I have seen bigger dogs show age much sooner in life. The only idea I have is trying an extended rest (go out but no walks). I have seen that work with leg injuries on small and big dogs. I am not sure if it will with arthritis. I tryied joint supplements and pain killers a few times but her other issue is serious stomach sensitivity and so stopped those, because stomach problems seemed to cause worse discomfort for her then the arthritis. They didn't seem to help much that I could tell. At least nothing really noticable.
 
Human Avatar said:
Her hip got really bad over the summer and had to send her off to the next level of consciousness a few weeks ago . She made it to 13.
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I'm so sorry to hear that :(. I have one who's about the same age and has an appointment in a few hours to go to the same place. It always hurts to see them go, no matter what age they make it to
 
Seems like the right thread to share this, need to let it out!
So I'm back from the vet with my doggie, her bloodwork results are all in the optimal range, her urea is slightly elevated, but thats it. Liver, kidneys, hematology, all as they should be.

This bout of GI issues seems to simply be a longer version of her regular monthly purge.
I'm navigating this realisation, of needless worry, with the balance that if she inhales some of her vomit it could lead to an infection that shortens her time with me. It's very difficult to be rational in this situation. I dont want to make a mistake, and if I do, I want it to be unavoidable.
 
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Thanks to all so far for the great advice and stories.

I got this for my little guy (this dog is the model, not my Rocky) so that he can start getting used to it before he really needs it.

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