Arthritis experiences

[abi31]

I have a border collie, rising 6. For the past 6 months I have noticed he has seemed to be displaying stiffness from time to time in his back legs. I thought initially he was tired, he gets lots of exercise, but recently he has stopped chasing his ball and is content walking alongside me round the fields. This isn't like him at all. Then a week ago he started limping on one leg, and then on the other. He has always been funny about his back end but never like this.
So, cutting a long story slightly shorter, I took him to the vets today to check things out. I felt a bit silly as he bounded round the surgery and stood on his back legs to look over the counter to see if the receptionist would give him a stroke. The vet did some flexion tests on his back legs and said he was very sore. I trotted him up outside and she said his gait wasn't right.
She thinks it is arthritis and he is going in for x-rays on Friday to rule out it's nothing more serious. I guess my question is, does anyone elses dog have arthritis and how much of a lifestyle change did your dog get to cope with it?
The vet said if it was arthritis she would put him on painkillers/anti-inflamatories and glucasomine? Does anyone else use this and how effective has it been for your dogs? I love Oscar to bits and will do anything to make him more comfortable. I was really surprised he might have this so young.

 

[gunnergundog]

I have a 7.5 year old that was diagnosed with arthritis in the hock last October; it resulted from an accident he had as a pup and he had a hairline fracture in one of the bones in the hock and we were told then that it may come back to haunt him in later life.

He's on Seraquin and had a course of four Cartrophan jabs (1 x week); I also have Previcox which he was on initially and which he has now been weaned off but which I have in case of emergencies.

To all extents and purposes I would say that he is 99% the dog he used to be. The test will be next August when we go back up to Scotland to see what he can cope with workwise.

I've knocked off agility with him and am aiming to keep him at his working weight permanently now and not just during the shooting season. I'll also try and get him swimming as much as poss in the summer.

He's fed raw so have stopped giving tomatoes too. Have also purchased a Bioflow collar...........jury is still out on that but only cost a small amount and made me feel as if I was doing something for him!

HTH

 

[Paint Me Proud]

My 4 year old munsterlander bitch was diagnosed with elbow dysplacia and arthritis when she was just 11 months old.

However we have not altered her lifestyle in any way.

Whilst the vet suggested lead walks only and restricted exercise this would have been very detrimental to her mental health as she lives for her free running park visits.

So as a family we decided to let her continue as she had been doing as for us quality of life is better than quantity of life.

We have actually found that having let her carry on exercise as normal she has really muscled up and her stiffness, aches, limps etc have completely gone. Her excellent body tone seems to be supporting her weaker joints and she hasnt been lame for over a year now.