Dog Community

arthritis and dysplasia

Posted : 7/16/2006 9:01:37 AM

While walking Mika one day, someone noticed that she was limping slightly. I saw it too, and it seemed like she was limping on her front foot (other people say off one of her hind legs). We were having cold weather at that time and the next day her limping was more obvious. (I had to reschedule the vet to this Tuesday because there was a pretty bad storm.) This might sound weird, but now that the storm and the cold weather is gone, and it is getting warm again, she isn't limping at all. She is about five years old, a total couch potato, and I notice that she always stretches after getting up from resting. However, she cannot do a "down" like other dogs wherein their legs are on either side of their body as she always lies down with one leg under her. She also has to get carried into a car (but she will jump out on her own) and up a flight of stairs because she doesn't seem to know how to get up. But could she have arthritis or some kind of dysplasia?

calliecritturs

Posted : 7/16/2006 2:00:55 PM

Sure she can have arthritis and/or dysplasia -- your vet should be able to palpate the joint and figure it out. The colder the weather the worse arthritis will get, but also humidity will increase arthritis a great deal.

Typically a dog won't "limp" until it is in a great deal of pain -- so just because she doesn't limp ALL the time doesn't mean she doesn't hurt. Typically they won't limp until it's VERY bad. I know the vets in the Phillipines may not follow the same procedures as ones in the States, but that would be the place to start.

You might also get a book on pet massage (any of Dr. Fox's books are great) to help keep the muscles as in tone as possible and relieve pain.

Xebby

Posted : 7/16/2006 2:41:25 PM

I use yucca root as a suplement to help out with my dog's arthritus wich was caused by her dysplsia. Other owners will use glucosimine, rimadyl or something similar to help with artritus.

Your best beat is to take your dog to a vet to have that looked at. Maybe even get x-rays. You can see arthritus in x-rays so it would not be a bad idea just so you know exactly what is going on.

calliecritturs

Posted : 7/16/2006 5:44:29 PM

Xebby is right -- there are a lot of foods that can help arthritis (foods you can't feed anyone -- human or dog -- on arthritis are things that contain a lot of oxylic acid - like spinach, swiss chard, etc.). Yucca is a natural form of a steroid -- but it can be really helpful -- if you don't see it in the produce section (and it takes a billion years to cook) you CAN find it in the Spanish freezer section -- often all cut up like french fries.

mondayblues

Posted : 7/17/2006 5:36:56 AM

ORIGINAL: calliecritturs

Sure she can have arthritis and/or dysplasia -- your vet should be able to palpate the joint and figure it out. The colder the weather the worse arthritis will get, but also humidity will increase arthritis a great deal.

Typically a dog won't "limp" until it is in a great deal of pain -- so just because she doesn't limp ALL the time doesn't mean she doesn't hurt. Typically they won't limp until it's VERY bad. I know the vets in the Phillipines may not follow the same procedures as ones in the States, but that would be the place to start.

You might also get a book on pet massage (any of Dr. Fox's books are great) to help keep the muscles as in tone as possible and relieve pain.

Now that I think about it, she does whine a whole lot and will stop halfway around the block on walks. I only noticed that limping that one time and it wasn't there before or since it went. The new vet I am taking her to is experienced and US-trained and is into holistic care, so I'm very excited.

Xebby

Posted : 7/17/2006 7:53:40 PM

ORIGINAL: calliecritturs
Yucca is a natural form of a steroid -- but it can be really helpful -- if you don't see it in the produce section (and it takes a billion years to cook) you CAN find it in the Spanish freezer section -- often all cut up like french fries.

I just use the capsules found in a health store with other natural hearbs, they are already bottled up and mesared, makes it a lot easyer than cooking and guessing the amount to give. I just put one capsule in her food twice a day and she eats it. Or you could open the capsule and sprinkle the powder from it onto the food.

Yucca also grows wild in my state, it's our state flower, but I still find it easyer to buy it in pill form rather than dig it out of the ground, boil and all that.