nancy Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Fergie just turned 10. She shows no sighs of insipient hip dysplasia. THe vet is thrilled with her weight and fitness. But, when she wakes from a nap, especially when she gets down from her chair, her front legs seem to give her some trouble. She'll be either stiff or a tad wobbly. The vet says it's normal for an active dog her age. She did a sprained or strained elbow in the spring. We give her glucosamine 2 or 3 times a day. Is there anything else we could or should be doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Is it in both front legs or just the one she injured? Does she become sore with too much exercise? How many mg of Gluc. is she on and what kind? I'd mention it to your vet next time you're in. -Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Heck, we had trouble figuring out which lag she'd injured. Guess English majors aren't good at sussing which leg is sore and which is compensating. She seems to improve with exercise. This afternoon, she insisted on taking her ball on our wald - and running and jumping for it. (She has the best hang-time we've ever seen.) She was acting like a pup the whole way - and when we got back. It seems to occur only when she's been sleeping - or lying in her chair - for a long while. Which is why the vet can't see what we mean. She's perky as can be unless she has a current problem. I'm upstairs, and the pills are down. But they are what was suggested for me to take at the same intervals when I had a problem. I suspect it's just that she, like me, is a tad stiff now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted December 28, 2005 Report Share Posted December 28, 2005 When looking for lameness in a dog, the first few steps after a dog rises from rest really tell alot. I've seen some dogs you'd never know are lame unless you watch them get up after a nap. When my old girl does it, I know she's overdone it the day before. Just a guess, but maybe cut back on the intensity and duration of Fergie's exercise and see if that helps? You may also want to videotape it for your vet. Sorry I don't have better answers... I've been seeing the same thing in my 10 y.o. Sierra. With her, I think it's a combination of poor circulation and overdoing it. Her lameness is evident in her bad leg (injured severely twice) after rising from rest. -Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted December 28, 2005 Report Share Posted December 28, 2005 Check out a product called Woebenzyme. Its available from www.mistergreengenes.com. There have been a couple of articles from Whole Dog Journal on it, and it sounds like it might benefit your dog (and maybe you too!). Its the second-most commonly used antiinflammatory/pain med sold in Europe, just behind aspirin. Dunno if it'll help, but it shouldn't hurt! Best of luck. diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted December 28, 2005 Report Share Posted December 28, 2005 Diane, could you post more info. about this product? I couldn't access the link you gave. Does it have the same side effects as aspirin or Rimadyl? Thanks! Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted December 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2005 Might it be DMSO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 29, 2005 Report Share Posted December 29, 2005 Laura, I did a quickie Google search and there are some hits for wobenzyme. I'd have to go back through WDJ to see what they say about it, but Google might start you. Nancy, It's supposed to be a natural enzyme product. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted December 29, 2005 Report Share Posted December 29, 2005 Only have a moment at present - sorry. I misspelled the product name - leave out the first "e" - its Wobenzyme. Try typing in the web site rather than using it as a link. It is not DMSO, but enzymes. WDJ cites several "hard to cure/have tried everything" cases where this product helped tremendously. No personal experience with it - yet! "Helps with osteo-arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sports injuries, sprains and strains, joint and muscle pain, and sinus infection." Ingredients Pancreatin 100 mg Papain 60 mg Bromalain 45 mg Trypsin 24 mg Rutosid 50 mg Chymotrypsin 1 mg Recommended Dosage: 3 twice daily at least forty-five minutes before meals, or as recommended by your health professional." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted December 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2005 I've got nothing against DMSO. We got it for our lab/shepherd. But it sure got my husband through 2 years of bike racing - and winning. And it did wonders for my hip. It's also a great way to murder someone in a mystery novel. But I won't tell you how. I'll write the book someday. And kill off a particular co-worker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted December 30, 2005 Report Share Posted December 30, 2005 Just as a BTW, if it's a foreleg lameness, the rule of thumb is that the head will drop on the GOOD leg. Think of it as throwing the head up to lighten the load when the sore leg is doing the weight-bearing, and dropping it back onto the sound leg. Remember "down on sound" to remind yourself that the sound leg is the one with the head-dip. Back legs are harder to figure and I'm not sure I can describe it with any clarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 FYI, SitStay is now carrying the Woe-stuff... http://www.sitstay.com/store/health/healtha.shtml#HBFWB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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