Muscle building on the back-end

Spudlet

Spudlet

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So, Henry has been to the vets for his MOT, and I got the vet to take a good look at his hips since he had been a little stiff after swimming. The vet said he had a good range of motion and it was cramp caused by cold water, rather than his hips. However, he does need more muscle on his back-end.

He has started with the joint supplement recommended by the vet, and I am starting with extra walks, more roadwork (including short, gentle trots off the bike once or twice a week) and I have found a nice sandy hill that we can play retrieve up and down - I stand at the top and chuck the ball to the bottom for him (idea courtesy of MM). I am also now carrying a small towel with me when we walk by the river, and by drying him off as soon as he got out of the water this weekend we avoided any stiffness. As the weather warms up he will be able to swim more and more, at the moment I am trying to limit him.

Ideally he would have hydrotherapy, but I can't afford it - this is a pre-existing condition so my insurance won't cover it, unfortunately.

Is there anything else I can be doing to help him?

He will be back at the vets for his boosters in September anyway, so will be able to get the vet to reassess him then - hopefully there will be a noticeable difference by then.

Thx
 
I went to a talk on canine rehab/physio the other week, and one of the things mentioned for building up the hindquarters was the dog equivalent of trotting poles. Physio (who has seen Buffy) suggested it might help with her CDRM coordination, unfortunately its a no no for her as her sight problems means she can't see the poles on the ground so would be a bit mean. I'm not sure if it would help Henry but might be worth a try.
 
I could probably do that at training once a week, got to be worth a try anyway:) Or if there are any poles left in the outdoor school at work we could always hijack them!
 
Do you have access to a horse pool? Or a tread mill?

Sand work (but you already know this)

I wouldn't be biking him at a trot on tarmac, it's that sort of two beat impact you want to avoid :)
 
No horse pool unfortunately, I will try and persuade the guys to invest in one, then we can use it (obviously, there will be no room for horses. But life's a biatch:p). No treadmill either.

This hill I have rediscovered is perfect - the surface varies between dead leaves and sand, so fairly low impact concussion-wise but hard work all the same, and it's steep but not stupidly high at all. Had forgotten all about it since we don't normally walk that way. There's also a good steep bank on the heath we go to at weekends, covered in heather to make it a bit more challenging - I can sit at the top and chuck the ball for him for ages, he just loves it:)

Will knock the bike on the head I guess, although we can go offroading at weekends I suppose (off lead for Henry).
 
Re a treadmill, a friend of mine picked up one (human type) for £20 and she uses it for fittening work for her GSD. Only trouble is it does take up a huge amount of room.:p
 
My house is a Noddy house for one, no way we could fit a treadmill in:D

I might get him doing some training in the outdoor school after work, although it has a sand and rubber surface so not sure if that will give as much resistance as a sand school?
 
Trotting poles as advocated above, combined with massage pre and post exercise and leg stretches.

Also, teach the dog to 'twist' and 'spin' on verbal cue....ie walk/trot tight circles on each 'rein'.

Finally, when on leash, ensure your dog walks on a loose lead and is not pulling from the front end.....needs to become rear wheel drive and not front! (Sorry if teaching grandmother to suck eggs!)
 
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Spudlet, what supplement are you using and what pre-existing condition?

I'm having to work out an exercise regime for little pup to help support the muscles round his hips-lead walks only but never thought of the yard and the school-superb!
 
None! Well. When I first got him (when he was a big fatty) I asked the vet about this, and he said keep him on the lead, don't play fetch, don't let him jump. And I went home and thought about it, and I thought, 'what kind of life is that for a dog?' So I keep him a good weight, I will work on getting more muscle and I don't do agility (although we did have one little go once, after he was fully fit, and he loved it) and I don't encourage him to jump - but I also play fetch (just for short periods of time) and have him off lead - and we do go for big walks, up Scafell Pike, 9-odd miles at weekends, around the Peak District etc etc - in fact am planning to do the Coast to Coast with him next summer. As you know he has also worked, and other than getting cramp one wet day after lunch he has always had plenty of energy as Nickibelle can tell you:D

I know that having him like this might make his life a bit shorter (although it might also not) but I think that a shorter but happier life is better - it's what I would choose for myself. So I compromise on some things (the agility thing mostly) but I still have a happy and sound little dog, who just needs to build more muscle - and that is only really because I have been a lazy bum for the last couple of months and have not walked him enough:o

:)
 
Totally agree with your approach Spudlet. My old bitch's hips were so bad a then leading light in hip dysplasia said she would be off her legs by the time she was 3, and should be kept on a restricted exercise regime for her anticipated short life. I thought sod that, if its going to be short it will be happy, she swam, ran etc (although I didn't jump her), with never a days lameness, won a gaiting competition at a breed show aged 6 and in later years won many veteran classes. She was pts a month short of her 13th birthday with a tumour.
 
The thing is, I might never have known about his hips had the rescue centre not told me, it's so mild. And he could be run over by a bus tomorrow, and then what would I have gained by restricting his life?

One other thing we do is race up the spiral stairs at work - he has to sit, wait, then when I say, 'Ready.... Steady... GOGOGO' he gets to run straight up them, then he gets to be taller than me for a moment as I lumber up in his wake (normally all four paws leave the ground at once as he sets off):D Mind you, not sure what health and safety would make of that;)
 
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