Very Nervous About Age Related Disease Symptoms

[Guest Greytious]

I am brand new and here because I need guidance by those with experience. One of my Greyhounds Safari (11 yrs old in Feb and easy 95lbs of muscle)had developed a front leg limp about a year ago in warm weather. Xrays were inconclusive, I chose denial and plied him with glucosamine. Months later the limp resolved itself. His limp is back-it's cold weather! I am looking for someone to tell me don't worry, it's a bit of arthritis, go ahead with the glucosamine again; it worked the first time. Thing is, my gut is scaring me this time...

[Guest NahlaGreys2]

Wish I had some words of wisdom - am currently experiencing my own Senior grey woes so I completely understand the fearsome gut. However Greytalk is FABULOUS as both a resource tool and support group. As I've seen some others post - lots of information in the H&M thread - just don't let it scare you too with all the stories of sick pups. Also treat one symptom at a time - otherwise I would've had a stroke by now with all the worry.

 

I'm not helping am I? Belly rubs for your pup.

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer did a limp thing when the colder weather started. And then the other week she did it again. To the point that I had x-rays done (the "C" thing crossed my mind, too!). The vet was happy that it was nothing other than a muscle strain. BUT I went ahead and took her to the chiropractor and it was like a miracle! The limp is gone, she's perkier, she's more playful... it's wonderful! We don't know what caused it, could be an old racing injury or perhaps a fall or twist during one of the greyhound runs, dunno. But the changes after only one session are truly amazing.

 

So there's things that could be causing the limp other than the scariest things. I would make sure that it's NOT what you're dreading and then look into a canine chiropractor.

[Charlies_Dad]

A limp could be a sign of many things, many minor some major health issues. My first guess is that it is just old age based on the fact that he had it a year ago and now it came back again. The cold weather affects all of us, especially if one has arthritis, an old injury, etc. If you are really concerned, I suggest an x-ray only in that it will give you peace of mind no matter whatever the outcome. It's better to know something than to worry about the 'what if'.

Edited December 27, 2010 by Charlies_Dad

[Guest Heehoo]

Welcome to Greytalk.....

My Jack developed a limp after I had a 3 yr old foster boy here & they decided to play a lot. When Bob left for his home, I noticed Jack's limp stayed around & his ankle swelled. I took him to the vet & the vet did deep tissue massage & checked every joint in him. Then she xrayed & we found arthritus. I started him on more rest, gated in another room when I was at work, and tramadol on bad days. Just recently he had to get his teeth cleaned, a hermangioma removed & my vet checked the joint again. He's doing just fine with the extra rest. Jack is 10 1/2. I have laminent floors, so I put down some pads to keep him from slipping & hurting even more.

Is 95 lbs Safari's racing weight? You might want to lower his weight, maybe to 90. The extra weight may be causing more harm. I noticed when Jack was 70 was when a lot of the hip pain, hind leg weakness & arthritus pain bothered him so I got him back down to 65 lbs & he seems to be doing better in the hips. I wish I could lose weight that fast.

Just cut back a little at a time & you'll be surprised at how much the extra weight off will help his bones. Keep us posted.

Edited December 27, 2010 by Heehoo

[Remolacha]

You say "go with the glucosamine again", did you stop giving it when his limp stopped before? At 11, he should probably stay on it, I give it to all my older dogs. He may also need some pain relief, too. Fletcher gets a Traumeel (homeopathic) tablet twice a day, so far it has kept his arthritis pain under control.

[Guest Heehoo]

Just thought of this & don't know if it has any effect, I just had Jack's teeth cleaned, he lost 9 teeth. My vet mentioned that in a few days I'll notice a huge difference in Jack, that he'll start feeling better. AND boink, Jack is back to his loud barking, running in the back yard self. Has Safari had his teeth cleaned lately? Just a thought.

[Guest SueG201]

try to keep your senior on joint supplements year r ound, I prefer Nupro Joint Formula

My 12 yr old is still bouncing around like a puppy

[Guest KennelMom]

At 11, I don't tend to let too much "wait and see" time go by with things like limps. However, a rule of thumb is that arthritis tends to make a dog stiff/gimpy after a period of rest (ie, in the morning or after a nap), but seems to resolve after they get moving a bit. A limp that is consistent and persistent throughout the day, even with a bit of exercise and "warming up" the joints is one that I'd be more concerned about. It can still be arthritis, esp in cold/damp weather...X-rays are generally inexpensive and it can give much needed peace of mind sometimes.

 

At 11, if joint supplements seemed to bring relief in the past, I'd probably just keep him on them at this point.

[Guest Swifthounds]

At 11, I don't tend to let too much "wait and see" time go by with things like limps. However, a rule of thumb is that arthritis tends to make a dog stiff/gimpy after a period of rest (ie, in the morning or after a nap), but seems to resolve after they get moving a bit. A limp that is consistent and persistent throughout the day, even with a bit of exercise and "warming up" the joints is one that I'd be more concerned about. It can still be arthritis, esp in cold/damp weather...X-rays are generally inexpensive and it can give much needed peace of mind sometimes.

 

At 11, if joint supplements seemed to bring relief in the past, I'd probably just keep him on them at this point.

 

 

 

I'll add that any dog 6-8+ that isn't on some combination of fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin, msm, boswellia, etc. is going to suffer age related changes and decreased range of motion and locomotion long before it changes become obvious to the typical owner. Unless you know what you're looking for, these changes usually go undetected.

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer is 5 and I have her on fish oil as well as fairly regular doses of glucosamine (bad momma sometimes forgets the glucosamine). She has a "click" which I hear when she runs up the stairs and I don't want it to get worse. These supplements certainly won't hurt and hopefully will help.

[silverfish]

You say "go with the glucosamine again", did you stop giving it when his limp stopped before? At 11, he should probably stay on it, I give it to all my older dogs.

 

What Remolacha says.

 

I give it my seniors too. In fact, I started Sid on it straight away when we got him at five and a half, because he's a tripod. He does have some arthritis in that remaining functional hip and I want it to remain fully functional for as long as possible! He'll be seven in Feb and is a little stiff getting up sometimes, especially in colder weather.

[Guest IrskasMom]

First of all WELCOME to GT. Yes you are in the midst of very experienced Grey-Owners. I would suggest to get Xrays taken immediatly. Not to scare you but to stay on Top of the Situation. Perhaps it's just Arthritis . Who knows ,but when you know for sure it is easier to work and combat it. Good Luck and keep us Updated.

[brandimom]

I would say don't worry until you have something firm and I say this from my experience with my own grey and greys in our group. One of the best things I did for Brandi when she was limping was take her to my western vet for x-rays. It was a chip in the shoulder. Western vet wanted to do surgery and holistic vet did prolo therapy, no surgery. Six sessions of the prolo therapy later she did not limp and has had no problem since (many years ago). I know it is so easy to worry over our babies. Welcome to GT and glad you are with us, we are a family and now you are part of that family!

[Guest Greytious]

WOW!! Thank you all so very much....I feel better already knowing I have people that understand the intricacies of these wonderful children. I find the teeth cleaning of interest; Safari has inherently horrible teeth. They need to be scraped and probobly pulled; I am so very fearful of putting him to sleep to get them cleaned. (A terrible experience with my own mother and anesthesia). The other note of racing weight, set off a siren! He is a big boy, has been since I adopted him at 2yrs. I looked back at his papers to see his initial weight: 84.9lbs, so a little diet couldn't hurt!!

 

I am going to immediately re-visit the x-ray and start a regime of glucosamine.

 

Thanks for all the help I truly am very appreciative.

 

 

 

I am going to try to put a photo of my guys in my profile. Ta Ta for now.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Welcome to GT!

 

I agree with KennelMom too.

[silverfish]

Certainly if he's carrying a lot of extra weight he would do better if he lost some, but there are many here (including me) who feel that a little extra is a good thing on a senior grey because if they get sick they lose weight so quickly. Not that he should be fat, just an extra pound or two for insurance isn't a bad thing.

 

As to the teeth ... I do understand about your fear of anaesthesia, especially following a bad experience with your mother (sorry to hear that ), but you may not be aware that bacteria in a very dirty mouth can enter the bloodstream and damage organs - heart, kidneys and liver. With an eleven year old greyhound, I'd definitely get those teeth cleaned before he gets any older and possibly frailer. JMHO.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I would also second the suggestion that your hound trim down. Racing weight is a good judge, though with older hounds, muscle loss means the dog will almost certainly not weigh as much as the racing weight without carrying around a lot of fat (muscle is more dense than fat, so a dog at the same weight with less muscle has more fat weight to carry around). I would aim for fitness with the best muscle to bone/fat ratio I could achieve. The more muscle a dog has, the easeir it is for muscle to move the dog's weight effortlessly. Extra weight, especially fat, is not any kind of insurance during illness, but it does put strain on aging bones and joints. The best way to get an old dog through illness is to keep him/her as fit as possible, and keep him/her eating through the illness. Greyhounds in particular aren't designed to carry extra fat to use for energy.

 

If you're concerned about anesthesia, you should implement a full dental routine. The carbs and grains in kibble and canned food are the building blocks of plaque and tartar. You would want to brush 1-2 times per day, preferably with a chlorhexadine solution, offer chews like bully sticks, and consider a water aditive to control bacteria in the mouth and maybe Petzlife spray or gel. Gingivitis and gum disease begin long before any smell becomes evident. If you're noticing a bad breath smell, your hound almost certainly has a bad situation going on. Left unchecked, dental proglems lead to large loads of bacteria being dumped into the bloodstream, which contributes greatly toward organ impairment. The good news is you can implement a routine and make a great improvement in your hounds overall healp. There are plenty of threads on dental health if you do a quick search.

[Guest Greytious]

Saturday, I held him while his soul was set free. This is absolute agony.

[Guest greytbookert]

I'm so sorry! No matter how long they are with us, it is never easy!

[Batmom]

I'm so sorry.

 

Godspeed, sweet pup.

[TheFullHouse]

Oh no! I'm so very sorry for your loss. Godspeed sweet one.

[Houndtime]

Oh no! I am so sorry to read this.

[brandimom]

OMD I can't believe what I just read. I am so very sorry. Godspeed sweet baby and may the wind always be at your back.

[Guest zombrie]

I am so sorry