Jump to content
BC Boards

Aging dog with bad hips..what can help?


Ttiffany20191
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi guys. I need some help. I have an aging Border Collie. She was rescued so I don't know her exact age but guessing about 10 years old. Her hips have started getting bad. She can barely get up steps or jump on the bed anymore. When she had some stomach issues and had an X-ray the vet could see some degeneration in her spine but this film didn't capture her hips. I'm wondering is there anything you can do to help them or is it just a part of aging? Next time we go to the vet I will ask about pain/arthritis meds but even that is tricky because she has a sensitive stomach. I've added steps for her to try and get up on the bed but is there anything else that can be done?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pain meds make a huge difference. The vet will be able to advise you better on arthritis meds. My own dog has a very sensitive stomach- she has had liver disease, she has bowel disease, she vomits if she so much as gets a piece of chicken or beef- and she can tolerate her meds just fine.

 

Glucosamine and chondritin were thought to have some effect, based on some preliminary research in humans, but it turns out they don't actually do anything. Some owners see an effect, sure, but it's well-established that you can give a dog with arthritis a placebo, and the owner will see an improvement- the owner sees a difference that doesn't exist in the dog.

 

Good evidence for exercise, gentle exercise. My own arthritic dogs get short walks, on-lead (to stop the bouncy dog jumping and hurting herself) regularly every day. Swimming is also really good for them, or walking in water so the water takes some of the weight.

 

Anything else.... oh yeah, good floor surfaces. Dogs tend to get weaker hind ends as they age anyway, and arthritis will make them walk less and thus get even weaker, so it's a good idea to make sure floors are non-slippy so they can't fall and hurt themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not going to promise your dog can also handle them, because they can be so individual. My own dog will vomit back up many of the 'sensitive' foods. But I would imagine your vet could give you a small amount to start with- a few days' supply or something- and see how you go? Just as a potential option!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rimadyl (generic name, Carprofen) was amazing for my old girl with painful arthritis in her lumbar spine. I gave it by injection, though I guess it's also available in chewables and caplets.

 

I wasn't aware of the generic version at the time or I'd have looked into it. The brand name is pretty expensive.

 

Best wishes helping your old gal with this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We got grit tape to put on the wooden porch steps for Fergie. She could handle the brick step without the grit. We also bought her a harness from Lupine that has the connection to the leash in the middle of the shoulder/back area. so we could give her a lift getting up steps. We also got a baby gate for the stairs. So we could keep her upstairs or downstairs with us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tramadol is also a pain killer, doesn't have the inflammatory properties of Rimadyl but it might be worth asking your vet about. Your vet will undoubtedly have recommendations since s/he knows her.

I will second the idea of some kind of support to help her up and down steps, whether a harness or a sling. Blockading stairs when you're not there to supervise is also a good idea, as border collies don't always age gracefully. :rolleyes: Swimming might help, if you have a place for her to do that. Other than pain management and preventative intervention, though, I don't know if there's a lot you can do. Good cushy dog beds and watch her weight help, too.

Best of luck with your dear old girl!

~ Gloria

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, we used tramodol with success, too, until Tilly got a taste of it and refused to ever take any pills, whether hidden in something or forced down her throat, ever again. :blink:

 

I eventually got around that by splitting the pill and putting it into an empty capsule. But Tilly eventually got to the point where she'd refuse all meds in any oral form and it was just about killing me having to fight with her a couple times every day to try to get them into her. So I gave up and did the shots. We had a much better relationship after that. ;)

 

But Tilly got to be very grumpy and uncooperative in her dotage (she'd had some issues in her youth as well (such as with nail trimming). Not all dogs dedicate their golden years to being so cantankerous as she did. :rolleyes:

 

How I do miss that ornery old gal. . . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The advantages of labs. Tramadol pill goes conspicuously on top of bowl of food. Bowl of food gets put down. Owner turns around to retrieve bowl from dog's gaping maw because dog is attempting to eat that too. Dog follows owner around with bowl in the hopes that more food will be forthcoming.

 

She gets very excited now when she sees syringes or tramadol pill packets, because that means dinner is coming. I live in fear of her spotting someone doing drugs when we're out on a walk, and ambushing them for treats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look up Platinum Performance for dogs. They have a complete joint formula with Lots of good helpful ingredients. I use it for ALL my guys but really have seen an improvement in my 16 yr old with out other meds. He runs across the yard at times, granted it is only for 30 seconds or 1 min but he is enjoying life

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had the same Tramadol problem with the little chi I take care of. He would not take Tramadol in any form once he got the taste of it. And it was just a tiny little pill but no go.

 

His back end is pretty iffy. He gets cortisone shots now and he is doing pretty well. 2 months ago I thought we were going to lose him. Cortisone has also helped his appetite. He's eating a lot better now. He still has kidney problems but he's holding his own for right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't usually recommend drugs, but as this seems appropriate I think I'll recommend something.

 

Just last week I decided to give my parents' dog an injection of Pentosan, a medication I give our show horses for their arthritic hocks. It's also given to dogs under the name Cartrophen. I think it's usually given orally for dogs, but I just injected it subcutaneously.

 

Holy. Crap. I haven't seen this dog act like this in years. And no, it's not a placebo, as he is back to his supremely annoying self. :) He's a 9.5 yo standard poodle mix, and while he never had clearly bad hips with limping, he was moving stiffly for the last year and had clearly lost muscle tone. I figured there was nothing to lose. Now he's jumping over the side tables to get outside, he's stealing the other dogs' toys and running off, and he's not groaning as he lays down. I didn't expect to see anything, and I am absolutely floored. The drug is along the same lines as Legend and Adequan, just with worse advertising. :) This dog has chronic GI issues (low dose pred for life) and this injection hasn't bothered him in the slightest.

 

Of course this won't be the case with all dogs, but I just thought I'd share my experience. It seemed like funny timing that you ask after seeing this big change in our dog.

 

(ETA: Nobody tattle on me. I'm not a vet.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...