ramonaghan

What a relief! Hope things continue to improve for Doris.

I'm so sorry.

While I'm sure it differs somewhat, I too have been through this with a cat, and it's so hard. I'm very sorry you're facing this and send my good thoughts to all of you.

What about pursuing the tenosynovitis angle, perhaps with the CT scan or ultrasound? That was Sweep's diagnosis too, though we did not do any scans. She never had anything show up on numerous x-rays over many months, was inconsistent about showing a response to having her foot manipulated, and never needed major adjustments at the chiro either. Yet she could not, and cannot, walk normally without Previcox (NSAID). We have weaned her down to every third day, but every time we've tried stopping it completely the limp eventually recurs. I can't remember if Ryder's ever been on an NSAID for his issue, but it works best for Sweep, more so than Gabapentin or Tramadol did. I wonder if he has an old injury that has flared up with age and been re-aggravated to this point; that's our suspicion with her. Anyway, I know this ride is no fun. Hope you get some answers, and your boy gets some relief!

I don't think we were told one way or another when we were doing chiro/acupuncture, but with physical therapy we were instructed by both the PT and the vet ortho specialist to give meds as usual. All that manipulation can definitely add to their soreness, so having something on board is helpful IMO. Good thoughts to you both.

Here's a helpful recent thread where you'll find recommendations for supplements (dog and human versions). I'm no expert, having only had one hound, but I'm of the opinion that you can't start too early with joint supplements given that these are retired athletes and their joints/muscles have been through a lot. Sweep will be 7 next month and has been on fish oil and some sort of joint supplement since about age 4. Our vet is totally on board with this and we have not seen any side effects, though it's probably wise to introduce oils slowly to prevent loose stools.

I think Springtime has great products with the best prices (they always have "buy two get two free" deals, which would save you a lot with two hounds). The only downside for me is that Sweep doesn't like any of their products we've tried (Fresh Factors, Joint Health, and Advanced Hip & Joint) even when I crush them up in her food. We switched to Osteo-Pet from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Value-Size-Osteo-Pet-Total-Joint/dp/B008MY35X0) and she is happier, but it would be costly for two girls getting 3 pills a day each. I'd try Springtime first and see how they do. ETA: All three pets also get fish oil daily--I like both Grizzly and Iceland Pure.

I was just thinking about him and wondering how things were going. Good update and expert-level ETS.

Thanks, Laura! I think "reset" is exactly the right word. I stood there cheerleading for probably 10 minutes the other night while she put her paws on the top step, hesitated, backed up, returned to the stairs, lather, rinse, repeat. Hopefully some Babybel cheese (her favorite) and more pep talks will help get her over this bout of insecurity. (She'll probably have us trained in no time. )

If you're open to an oral med instead of topical, I can recommend both Comfortis and Bravecto. We only switched from Comfortis to Bravecto because Bravetco has tick protection too (and it's only given every three months, which is nice). In almost four years with Sweep, we've never found a single flea on her!

I went out of town for four days over Labor Day weekend, leaving Sweep with DH, and since then she's shown some reluctance to come down the stairs. DH says she took "a spill or two" on the basement stairs while I was gone. (Meaning she probably rushed, as she does, and stumbled down the last two or three.) Those stairs have carpet treads but are pretty steep. Typically she only goes down them during storms, but DH has his man cave in the basement so with my being gone she was down there with him quite a bit. The other set of stairs in the house leads to our bedroom and has a carpet runner; she only goes up those at bedtime and down in the mornings. This morning she freaked and slipped starting to come down, leaving gouges in the floor. We never had to do stair training with her; she figured them out immediately during our home visit and that's actually one of the reasons we chose her. Any tips for getting her over this setback? Cheese and hot dogs? Physically she seems fine and she has no problem coming up them. She's also fine with the outdoor steps, up or down. Thanks!

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry. What a handsome boy, and too young. Rest well, James.

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a happy, handsome boy he was. Rest well, Luke.

Sounds like good progress! Thanks for posting an update. Glad things are working out with the trainer too. (I have a cheese fiend too. She can hear a Babybel being unwrapped from across the house.)

Sweep goes 2-4 times per day depending on how many walks she gets, and it's usually softer by the 3rd or 4th.

Maggie is lovely--congrats to all!

I have a 6 year old who developed a limp at age 5. Many hundreds of dollars and almost one year later, we finally got a diagnosis of tenosynovitis of a toe (from a suspected old racing injury) with some arthritis developing at the site as well. Luckily it's very manageable; in our case an NSAID every couple of days keeps her limp totally at bay. So based on my experience, I'd say yes, it's possible! Definitely get the x-rays done, but bear in mind arthritis will not always show up. My girl's x-rays have always been clear, but the physical therapist could feel the bone changes in her toe. All that said, it could very well be a developing corn. Limping worse on hard surfaces is a classic sign. Keep us posted!

Many of us use a harness with our greys instead of a martingale. I don't have a spook, but I do have a leash reactive breed snob who would sometimes gag herself pulling and lunging at other dogs; I was worried she'd seriously hurt her neck with the martingale. The harness has been a game changer for us. Here are a couple of options for you (I have the second); you'll find plenty of good experiences on this forum for both: Majestic Spook Harness Two Hounds Freedom No Pull Harness If she settles after a little more time with you, you can always go back to the martingale.

So very sorry for your tremendous loss. Thinking of you all.