drivesleeprepeat Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Chase had his annual exam today so I could have his prednisolone acetate rx renewed for his pannus, and to follow up on his discoveries from earlier this summer. About a year ago, when he was six and a half, he started having mobility issues in his rear legs. Couldn't get up, had to be carried up the stairs, etc. Took him to his primary vet and they x-rayed his hips. They took a look, said "idk lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" and I was sent off. I had no idea if it was orthopedic or neurological. This summer he started dropping fecal nuggets in his sleep, so I called the neurologist for a consult. Two hours in his office and luckily, all his findings were orthopedic. He was diagnosed with two partially torn ACLs and a groin strain on both sides. Was recommended crate rest for six weeks. It really didn't seem to improve anything. Today we took x-rays on his hips, knees, and back to see where he was at. Knees look what we expected them to, swollen with some fluid. Bad news, his upper back has the beginning of arthritis and the vertebrae are starting to spur and narrow. His lower back already has advanced arthritis. Vet said his x-rays look like that of a fourteen year old dog. She also said we couldn't do anything about it at this point, and from here on out it will be all about pain medication and keeping him happy. He's been on glucosamine supplements since this summer and finally got his Rimadyl prescription today, anyone else have awesome arthritis remedies for active pups?? In addition to all this, he was finally diagnosed with discoid lupus erythematosus. He's had his nose sunburnt for most of his life and I'm glad we finally have an answer for that and the tissue erosion that's happening on one side of his nose. I had to laugh instead of cry when the vet said, "no offense, but he's kind of a genetic disaster." If he was older, it wouldn't all have come as such a shock. It just sucks when they're so young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 FWIW, spondylosis (the bone spurs on his vertebrae) are fairly common. They usually are diagnosed incidentally when the dog is X-rayed for something else. Six or seven wouldn't be that young for such a finding, though the severity might be of concern. It's possible that the spurs are also inside his spinal column and that could put pressure on his spinal cord and cause neurologic issues. I think I'd get a second opinion just to make sure you've got the correct diagnosis. Swimming can be a good low-impact exercise for an arthritic dog, but I'd get a vet who does rehab to look at him and okay that activity before just jumping in. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 So sorry to hear about Chase's continuing problems. I also recommend consulting with a rehab vet. [sometimes the correct term can be confusing, but basically you want a vet who probably has specialty training in canine chiropractic treatment, possibly also knows acupuncture and laser treatment and understands canine rehab] These specialists have been shown to dramatically improve many orthopedic and musculature issues. You may want to join the FB page of "Canine Conditioning and Body Awareness". Once admitted (which usually takes less than a day), consult the files section. I have never looked at it, but there is supposed to be a file that lists the specialists countrywide. You should be able to find someone in your area. If not, then pose a question to the group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivesleeprepeat Posted November 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Those are great ideas! I should have mentioned, we are going to go over those x-rays with our local orthopedic specialist and see what he thinks as well next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronHorse Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 No silver bullets but I do have a couple of suggestions that I have personally used on my dogs with very positive results. Emu oil to help with the arthritic management. Cannabis edibles for pain management. ( beat Rimadyl all to hell without the side effects) I agree with Julie about swimming exercise as well. I have no doubt whatsoever that the use of these three treatment greatly contributed to adding several years of quality life to our Thunderbolt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 So sorry for this disaster! (and said jokingly, hope you agree...) I second the idea of a rehab vet. The FB group files (everyday posts...not so much!) are useful - but EVERY post is prefaced with "work under the advise of a rehab vet." There are lots of simple things without equipment that you may be able to do - but you must know what to look for (i.e., the dog is "cheating" or posture is wrong, etc.) to do it correctly. I've had better luck with Platinum Performance CJ than any glucosamine. My rehab vet recommended alternating that with Cosequin DS, about every six months. But I'm seriously considering PP only, after this batch of Cosequin is gone - it just seems to work better for *my* dog. Yours maybe different. BTW, one of my dogs also has the discoid lupus - though thankfully we caught it VERY early (she's only 3 now). She gets betamethasone cream - you might ask about it. (I'm not sure how different it is, but maybe enough...). Interesting, genetic mild disaster - that dog of mine has the discoid lupus AND immune mediated keratitis. Similar but not exactly the same as pannus. She gets tacrolimus drops now 3 days a week. Our dogs! Good luck with yours. diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 I've had better luck with Platinum Performance CJ than any glucosamine. My rehab vet recommended alternating that with Cosequin DS, about every six months. But I'm seriously considering PP only, after this batch of Cosequin is gone - Do you buy the Equine PP CJ? (That is the only version I find when I go to the PP website.) What dose do you use? My 2 dogs are 40 lbs +/-. I really like the Biosponge that I use from PP. Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivesleeprepeat Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 I think we are getting the cortezoid (sp) cream for his nose this week through the vet. Real quick, are the cannabis edibles through the vet? That stuff is easy to get here where it's legal, hehe. So wondering if you can get that kind of stuff in dog safe human edibles or in pure form for dogs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivesleeprepeat Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 No silver bullets but I do have a couple of suggestions that I have personally used on my dogs with very positive results. Emu oil to help with the arthritic management. Cannabis edibles for pain management. ( beat Rimadyl all to hell without the side effects) I agree with Julie about swimming exercise as well. I have no doubt whatsoever that the use of these three treatment greatly contributed to adding several years of quality life to our Thunderbolt. P.s. He was a beautiful pup!! What an angel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivesleeprepeat Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 And thank you for the words Diane! It's always good to know you're not the only owner of a pup with issues like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denice Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Platinum Performance has both dog and equine products. I too use PP complete Joint - Love it. I would say look at the top of the page to switch to the dog products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronHorse Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 I think we are getting the cortezoid (sp) cream for his nose this week through the vet. Real quick, are the cannabis edibles through the vet? That stuff is easy to get here where it's legal, hehe. So wondering if you can get that kind of stuff in dog safe human edibles or in pure form for dogs? As crazy as it sounds cannabis has not been approved, to my knowledge, yet for veterinarian prescription in Colorado. I would suggest that you do some research, perhaps make contact in your area with a good dispensary and ask for some recommendations. I would point you towards this group as a place to start. http://www.cannaforpets.com/about-us I wish I could be more forthcoming with my personal experiences but I don't feel comfortable discussing the treatment on an open forum. I will say, however, that once we removed the pharmaceuticals from ThunderBolt's treatment regime and replaced it with cannabis we saw a marked improvement in his overall health and condition very fast. He suffered with severe hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis and ultimately was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was when he was diagnosed with Lymphoma and we were told to not expect him to live more then a few months at best without very expensive and aggressive chemo therapy that at best might prolong his life by just a few additional months that we made the decision to remove him from pharmaceuticals totally and seek alternatives. We researched cannabis and decided to give it a try. That was 4 years ago and his health improved rapidly as we experimented with dosage. Swimming and emu oil had always been part of his health regime since he was a pup, I believe both are just good health practices in general, for both humans and animals. I'm not advocating that cannabis is a magic cure, all I am saying is our experience with Thunderbolt was quite positive from the time we began treating him with it and his vet was amazed with his longivity post diagnosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivesleeprepeat Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 I see what you mean. It's always just good to look at alternatives, so I am planning to research it pretty thouroughly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Yes, I used the canine version of Platinum Performance. It's a powder and I just mix it in the dog's food. diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurae Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Not sure what Iron Horse is using for ThunderBolt, but Canna Companion is legal because it is hemp--it doesn't contain enough THC to violate the US Controlled Substances Act. You can order it online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronHorse Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Not sure what Iron Horse is using for ThunderBolt, but Canna Companion is legal because it is hemp--it doesn't contain enough THC to violate the US Controlled Substances Act. You can order it online. I believe in the benefits of Canna Companion And like you point out, you can order it online, its legal nationwide.With Thunderbolt we put him on pharmaceutical grade canabis products with the help from some forward thinking professionals out your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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