Dog Community

My boy is in pain, how can I help?

Posted : 4/2/2006 9:13:01 PM

Before I got Boss his previous owner abused him and broke his left front leg at the elbow. He didn't have the money to take him to the vet so my brother paid for it. Boss had a fracture at the elbow. The guy was told to keep him in his crate and quiet for a few days and then he was to be walked twice a day for short periods. Boss never got the exercise, just 24/7 crate time.

His leg never healed right and the joint is actually quite big and out of whack. He does favor it but is usually able to get around just fine, running and playing, jumping and having fun. The leg is shorter than the other one, so much so that the nails on that foot don't touch the ground when he plays so they don't wear themselves down like the other feet.

He does have noticable problems when it's cold and/or damp outside. The last couple days have been pretty bad. He doesn't really want to go outside and play but prefers to lay down all day and has been pretty quiet. Some days he seems to like it if I massage around it and rub the joint, but not right now. As soon as I touch his leg he looks away and licks his lips.. the sign of him being unhappy about something. I have given him some aspirin, but what can I do to help him have more pain free days. What supplements can I give him if any? I do keep him at a good weight. Actually he has went from 65 to 57 pounds in the last year because I don't want any extra stress on that joint.

He's not even 2 yet and I hate to think how this is going to affect him as he gets older.

I hope I didn't shrink this picture down too small, but you can see how much bigger the joint is in this picture. His left leg.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 4/2/2006 9:39:50 PM

Poor boy! Is he on any joint supplements? If not, it's probably a good idea to go ahead and start him on glucosamine and MSM (winning combination, keeps me almost totally pain free, and I have some nasty orthopaedic issues, it also works great on the dogs) and start him on Knox Nutra Joint. You do the Nutra Joint for three months and start to see a difference. The glucosamine and MSM should make a difference within a week.

cakana

Posted : 4/2/2006 9:48:37 PM

He looks like such a sweet guy!! I agree with what Jennie said. I'd definitlely start that all as soon as possible. When I had my last physical and mentioned having problems with one of my knees when hiking, the Dr. recommended the same thing. She said it could take up to 30 days to see/feel a difference, but I'd get started right away. I buy the supplements at Costco and the price is reasonable. Good luck getting your guy comfortable.

Patt

Posted : 4/2/2006 10:17:54 PM

Another suggestion is Synovi-G3

[linkhttp://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?PGGUID=e1f67e41-e7e4-4262-a19f-0a183b2fafa2]http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?PGGUID=e1f67e41-e7e4-4262-a19f-0a183b2fafa2[/link]

calliecritturs

Posted : 4/2/2006 11:04:21 PM

Hi -- I just emailed you. I've got some good stuff on arthritis that can really help. The big deal is to a) get the inflammation down and b) once you do KEEPING it down. That's a big huge mouthful -- but my point is sometimes you have to do something heavier to reduce the inflammation when they are all the way to "in pain" but then when you do get the inflammation reduced THEN you can do something for maintenance.

Short term, a big huge help can be massaging with essential oils like peppermint, wintergreen, or if you can get it, a blend like White Flower Oil (which is awesome for arthritis).

But even if you have a 24 hour grocery store -- get some 'green 'alcohol -- that's rubbing alcohol with wintergreen oil in it. It's a GREAT massage tool.

Do you happen to have any chammomile tea? Brew him some and give it to him warm (and typically I'd tell you to add the soaked herbs to his food!). Chammomile is great for the tummy -- it IS an anti-inflammatory but a gentle one (and tonight it might help jump start the anti-inflammatory effects of asprin - I WOULD NOT give him both long term -- but tonight he's in pain and it would help).

A lot of dogs will just plain drink it and LIKE it. But add a wee bit of sugar or meat broth to it -- he'll likely drink it.

Holler if you want that information.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 4/2/2006 11:11:25 PM

My dogs LOVE chamomile tea, and the soaked herbs. I use it if anybody has a tummyache, or if either of them is in pain. I also use it on Emma's skin, sometimes. It's really great stuff.

spiritdogs

Posted : 4/3/2006 7:20:30 AM

If you have a good canine massage therapist in your area, that might help, too. Pain makes them not use certain muscles which becomes part of the mobility problem...etc.
Works for me :-)

)

calliecritturs

Posted : 4/3/2006 7:25:06 AM

I used pet massage for both Pollyanna and Foxy and I found Jed Stone (who was absolutely awesome) on [linkhttp://www.petmassage.com]http://www.petmassage.com[/link] -- in honesty I figured that having Jed work on them was probably about what I would have spent on the big NSAIDs for pain, which they wound up not needing, and we didn't have to deal with the side effects (and pay the vet) from those!

Lexi

Posted : 4/3/2006 12:19:52 PM

I don't have any suggestions, I just wanted to say that I sure hope he starts feeling better soon. Poor guy. [&o]

He is The Boss

Posted : 4/3/2006 4:39:04 PM

Thanks everyone for your responses. I ordered some of the MSM last night, heck I could use that myself[

]

Callie, I emailed you back. Thanks.

I wish I could take him for a massage somewhere, but he's not about to let that happen. He has to be muzzled always and sometimes sedated to go to the vet depending on what they are going to do. He will tolerate me rubbing his joint, but I can tell when he's not happy about it and that's usually when he's in more pain than usual other times he will let me with no problem.

He's moving around a little better today, but it's a litle warmer today than it was yesterday but they say snow is on the way. [:@] Dang Michigan weather! Outside in short sleeves one day and a sweatshirt the next.

calliecritturs

Posted : 4/4/2006 12:54:21 AM

You may find the essential oils a REAL help then -- because just the oil itself gives a gentle heat! Foxy used to come up and point at the bottle with his noise when his back was hurting!!

the combo of valerian and SOME nsaid (like at 50 pounds probably one white willow capsule or 3/4 of one in his food) should help him quite a bit safely.