maxtosh Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 I have a 14 year old Border Collie who sometimes has trouble getting up from a lying position. It seems his rear legs are the main problem, but he also has radial nerve damage which causes his front paw to slide out from under him (once he is up he gets along pretty well). He still wants to be active and still picks up a ball wherever we are outside. Is he at an age where just taking him for walks would be better....he just seems happier playing. Also, he has renal failure, so I wonder if there is anything I can give him that may help without taxing his kidneys. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 My Samantha will be 14 in April, and she's got the stiff hindquarters, too. She's still able to chase a ball, I make sure that I toss it ahead of her enough so that she doesn't have to slide to a stop or turn quickly - I've gotten pretty good at it. She still likes playing tug as well, and that doesn't seem to cause her any problem at all. I've started teaching her tricks again, and re-working some older stuff that I haven't done with her in a long time. She loves it, it does take her longer to pick up what I want her to do, but I believe it's the interaction that she really likes. Since your boy has renal problems, I'd check with my vet about any supplementation or meds. Hope you find something that helps your old guy. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc friend Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 You may want to talk to your vet about Cosequin and/or Rimadyl. My old girl has had genetic arthritis at the base of her spine for several years which makes getting up and down a bit of a challenge but the drugs have helped her a lot. Both drugs have potential side effects (which for Sara have been non-existent) but given your dog's age, the quality of life issue may be more important than the possible long-term side effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 What about an external teatment? Maybe a heating pad to lie on to keep the joints a little bit more limber. What about those icy hot pads? There wouldn't be anything to lick... I am just not sure if they would do the same for a dog's joint that they would a person's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxtosh Posted December 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Thanks for the tips everyone. I had to put down his brother Max just over a year ago and I'm so thankful for every moment I have with Tosh. They are truly the most incredible dogs...so full of personality and devotion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Crocker Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I have a 14 year old Border Collie who sometimes has trouble getting up from a lying position. It seems his rear legs are the main problem, but he also has radial nerve damage which causes his front paw to slide out from under him (once he is up he gets along pretty well). He still wants to be active and still picks up a ball wherever we are outside. Is he at an age where just taking him for walks would be better....he just seems happier playing. Also, he has renal failure, so I wonder if there is anything I can give him that may help without taxing his kidneys. Any suggestions? I would guess your dog is arthritic? If you think that is a cause of his discomfort, I would try Adequan shots . I use it on my 12 year old who has arthritis and it helps her greatly. All the dogs are on a daily joint and vitamin supplement and salmon oil, but when I added the Adequan injections for the old gal I saw a great difference. I started her on the once a week protocol for 7 shots, and now I give them to her every two weeks. Good luck with your senior citizen. Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCjetta Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 The vet I work for recently put a dog with renal issues on a human drug called Tramadol. He was reluctant to use metacam/rimadyl/deramaxx because of the renal failure. We had a compounding pharmacy make up the tramadol at a strength that was accurate for the size of the dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Our old Aussie, MacLeod, began to have some problems with his hind end at about the age of 13. At first, he just seemed a little off-balance back there at times. Eventually, he did have problems getting up or walking up steps. An x-ray showed that he had bone spurs (I don't recall what the vet called them) on some vertebrae that were causing the problem with getting up. The spurs were located on the ventral side of the vertebrae and some were so long that flexing his back, as in getting up, was causing them to touch (one even was broken on its tip). There was really nothing reasonable we could do for him and so we simply made sure to give him an assist when he needed it to get up or go up steps. This went on for about two years, as he was quite comfy and enjoying life except for the getting up and stairs (and we only have two steps). He was then on a pain med for several weeks before he passed on, as he also had a large hemiosarcoma (sp?) on his spleen and, between that and his back, was quite uncomfortable. The pain meds were very effective at helping him. When the pain meds no longer helped him to have a decent quality of life, we took him to the vet to ease him on. Very best wishes with your old companion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 An x-ray showed that he had bone spurs (I don't recall what the vet called them) on some vertebrae that were causing the problem with getting up. The spurs were located on the ventral side of the vertebrae and some were so long that flexing his back, as in getting up, was causing them to touch (one even was broken on its tip). The term is spondylosis. As the spurs grow than can eventually fuse together, which is what has happened in my old man, who will be 14 in March. He's lame on a front leg, which I also believe is due to the spondylosis, and he doesn't bend well at all, so I try not to put him in crates or anywhere that would require him to bend his spine to turn around. I also have to be careful if I need to pick him up, because picking him up in any way that arches his spine is very uncomfortable for him. Metacam seems to help, but we did full bloodwork first and at least at this point he has no kidney or liver issues. I also got him a cushy bed to sleep on, though he still sometimes chooses the floor instead. He hasn't been able to jump up on the bed in ages, but can still manage a low couch.... I am thinking about building him a ramp for the stairs off the front porch. There are only three steps, but it's clear he struggles a bit with them, so it's time to make it easier for him with a ramp. Good luck with Tosh! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4ever Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 When the pain meds no longer helped him to have a decent quality of life, we took him to the vet to ease him on. "Ease him on." Never heard that one, but I like it...sounds gentle and peaceful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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