Hopefully PSA - dogs with arthritis....

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DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
One of the lights of my life is Kenny. Although he's nearly 12, we've only had him for just under 4 years. He didn't have a very nice early life, but since he's come to rule our house, he's been absolutely loved to bits and always will be. He's a wonderful character, and I bloody well adore him. He's had to have a cancerous tumour removed a few weeks ago, and his legs aren't great. He's been through the mill a bit, really, didn't have very good owners, and spent far too long in rescue kennels, before we 'found' him, as a result of a media story as it happens.

His back legs are stiff, because he was never exercised as a pup, and he's developed arthritis in his front 'elbows'. I want to make sure that his kidneys continue to be OK, as they're not in the best shape - not bad, but I don't want them to become bad - so that really rules out things like Metacam, certainly at the moment, as it can upset the kidneys. 

Anyway, as a bit of a PSA (hopefully) to other dog owners whose pooches might be suffering with arthritis, a new treatment has come onto the market which (forgive my lack of knowledge here) effectively replaces, via an injection, the cartilage which has worn away, and is causing the bones to more or less rub together. 

So - he's having it done tomorrow morning. It's not cheap (think Custom Shop Tele) but if it can cure (or alleviate at least) his arthritis and give him a new lease of life, then it's well worth it. I'd spend my last penny on him anyway, so there. :-) 

This is him, looking very anxious after I sneezed - he's such a drama queen. If anyone's interested, I'll post the results in the hope that it might help another dog as well. Fingers crossed! 


Call me Dave.
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Comments

  • underdogunderdog Frets: 8334
    My old boxer had poor back legs, after a few weeks of glucosamine and omega3 in his food daily it made a huge difference to him until he sadly succumbed to cancer 
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  • Jez6345789Jez6345789 Frets: 1756
    I used Metacam on both of my dogs and it really worked well and we quickly found you could get away with a much lower dose one you got the inflammation under control.  So a good balance between mobility v pain, v kidney damage English Bully went for 8 years on it made 16. GSD~ about 3 to 12yrs. 

    We also did the Herbal stuff which helped to a degree.

    Do let us know how this works out as sound interesting
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    My old boy, Murray, got to 17, bless him. He was on Metacam for quite some time, and in the end his kidneys failed, but he had a great innings, and a great life. It was all about trying to manage the balance between (as you say) pain/mobility and long-term damage. Little Ken, though, has got a set of kidneys that we can't really take many chances with, so I was really pleased when I heard about this new treatment. 

    It was shortly going to be all about helping him with his mobility and discomfort, probably to the long-term detriment of his kidneys, so this has hopefully come at the right time. The injection comes over from Holland, and it's a pretty new thing for dogs. Our vet has done it twice before on a couple of Rottweilers - one of them went up the stairs the day after, for the first time in five years apparently!

    I'm hopefully but cautious, of course. Apparently there's no real recovery period as such - it works more or less straight away. I do hope it works - the little fellow has had a rough life, and we knew we'd taken on a chap that needed a lot of care and attention, but he's worth it a million times over. 
    Call me Dave.
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  • MoominpapaMoominpapa Frets: 1649
    Keeping my fingers crossed for Kenny (great name for him, by the way - he looks like a "Kenny")
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Thanks! :-) Yes, he does look like a Kenny, although I can't take the credit for naming him. 'Little Ken', 'our Ken' and 'the suede grenade' are other terms of endearment. As are 'ginger cake', 'moose', 'piglet', 'moo-moo'.....   

    I'm supposed to be a grown-up, as well.   :)
    Call me Dave.
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  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    Can you get that stuff for humans?
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Yes, I believe it's been adapted from human treatment, according to the vet. I think it's some form of firm gel that's injected into the gap between the bones where cartilage would normally be. As you've probably gathered, my knowledge is 'sketchy'!
    Call me Dave.
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  • brucegillbrucegill Frets: 710
    Keep us posted! Good luck!! 
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Many thanks. Will do 
    Call me Dave.
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Well, the little chap's home - also had a (hopefully it's a) cyst removed from just under his mouth, so he's feeling a little knocked about. Apparently the arthritis procedure involves drilling into his bones to inject the silicon in and around the joint area. Sounds gruesome, but hopefully in couple of days we'll notice a positive difference. I do love that little fellow. 
    Call me Dave.
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  • brucegillbrucegill Frets: 710
    DB1 said:
    Well, the little chap's home - also had a (hopefully it's a) cyst removed from just under his mouth, so he's feeling a little knocked about. Apparently the arthritis procedure involves drilling into his bones to inject the silicon in and around the joint area. Sounds gruesome, but hopefully in couple of days we'll notice a positive difference. I do love that little fellow. 
    Hope he gets well soon mate. I winced at the description of the procedure but I guess they deal with pain so much better than us! We always give our dogs homeopathic remedies. Arnica is great after operations. Can message you the specifics if you want, but realise it’s not everyone’s thing.

    Good of luck Kenny :) 
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Thanks - that would be very kind. :-)  He seems to be OK - absolutely worn out (as per below!), but it appears that his appetite hasn't been affected! No walks until Sunday, and I'm hoping that it will alleviate a lot of his discomfort. He only had an op on a cancerous tumour a few weeks ago, so he's been in the wars, bless him. Will report on the outcome, and hope (if successful) that it's of some help to other dog owners.  


    Call me Dave.
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  • JerkMoansJerkMoans Frets: 8775
    Awwww bless him. Hope it gives the wee fellow a new lease of life.

    We've been giving my 9 yo labradoodle glucosamine for the last 12 months, fwiw. Hoping to hold back the ravages of time.
    Inactivist Lefty Lawyer
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Thanks - he's a real heartbreaker. Well, they all are really, aren't they? He's nursing some stitches around the other side of his mouth where the lump was removed as well, so he's feeling a bit weary. I'll be sleeping on the settee tonight to keep him company, unless he decided he wants the settee, in which case I'm sure I'll fit in his basket.

    He's a brave little soldier.  =)
    Call me Dave.
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    An update for anyone interested. Well, the poor little chap then developed a haematoma in his right ear, so has had to have an operation on that, and currently has a piece of plastic stitched to the back of his ear, which comes off (along with a ring round his neck) next Thursday. Nearly four weeks, and he's been as good as gold with it. He's lovely. 

    The operation for his arthritic elbows seems to have worked pretty well. His little legs are still pretty stiff (he wasn't looked after or exercised as a pup or young dog - not in my care, I hasten to add)  but he's not really limping at all now, which was the whole point of it all - to reduce the pain. It seems to be an effective treatment, so if anyone wants any details, just let me know.

    It was a couple of thousand quid, to be fair, but well worth it - added to the op for his tumour, and his ear, it's added up to quite a few guitar sales, but my goodness, he's worth it and much more!

     
    Call me Dave.
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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    What a handsome chap, wishing the happy puppy a swift recovery and lots of belly rubs :)

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  • King85King85 Frets: 631
    Poor guys been through the wars by the sounds of it. Good on you for going above and beyond with his care though!
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Ah, thanks chaps. Not only is he part of the family, he's the only one that ever appears pleased to see me, so that gets him brownie points. About 4 years ago, there was a campaign to find a home for him - the headline was 'is this Britain's loneliest dog?'

    He'd had two crap 'owners' and had been in rescue kennels for some time. Unfortunately, there's no way that he would have been Britain's loneliest dog, as there are always many poor things out there that need help. I'd just lost my 17 year old dog and was heartbroken, but couldn't pass him by. It's been love ever since. Well, it has for me - I think he just tolerates me, but he does appreciate the biscuits! 
    Call me Dave.
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  • MoominpapaMoominpapa Frets: 1649
    No amount of guitars would ever give you the joy of a companion like Kenny - and good for you for taking such good care of him.
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