Joint Supplements ??

[dommorris92 64]

Does any one use joint supplements for there lurcher ? If so what ? Got a 7 year old collie cross and after a days ferreting or lamping the next few days she seems stiff ?

[wi11ow 2,657]

Comfrey Herb Cut look on ebay

[trigger2 3,100]

cortaflex for dogs.

[zigzag dan 784]

Give some glucosamine tablets all year round , get them from any health shop , have used them for years , work well .

[samba 534]

vetrofen

[sandymere 8,261]

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-top-ten-pet-supplements-do-they-work/

 

Sensible exercise, keep the weight down, sensible diet

[Sirius 1,358]

If its relatively mild, a supplement such as Glucosmine and Chondroitin is ideal look for HCL Chondroitin its better absorbed and a product which is for veterinary use, so you get the dosage correct. The dosage in most cases is given as a loading (higher) dose initially and then reduced to a lower maintenance.

 

Another option maybe Cod Liver Oil.

 

And yes keep the dogs fitness up and weight sensible along with a good diet.

 

Good Luck Sirius

Edited February 25, 2014 by Sirius

[dommorris92 64]

Cheers lads

[leegreen 2,099]

How often are you taken her out?

Edited February 25, 2014 by leegreen

[dommorris92 64]

Ferreting one day at the weekend then maybe two nights in the weeks but walk her most days

[dommorris92 64]

Lamping or take her shooting two nights a week i mean .

[sandymere 8,261]

Did this back along.

 

Arthritis the inevitable cost of Life?

 

When we think of arthritis in dogs in the main we mean osteoarthritis and it’s often thought that it is the inevitable result of life. There is a second type known as rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, but thankfully in dogs the incidence of this type is relatively low as it’s a very different kettle of fish that needs proper diagnosis and ongoing treatment from a vet so we will concentrate on osteoarthritis.

 

Generally when we talk of osteoarthritis we mean the aches and pains that come with age, that creaking knee or dodgy shoulder, and our dogs are as prone to this as we are. Traditionally it was thought that general wear and tear were causative and the more you did the more damage you got. Recent research in both dogs and people suggest this is not the case and normal joint use does not necessarily contribute, in fact human runners are likely to have less joint pain in later life than their sedentary counterparts and a group of dogs exercised on a treadmill with weighted packs were found to have no more joint damage than those just left to wander around a paddock un-weighted.

 

Today it’s generally accepted that exercise is likely to be beneficial to joint and general health so why do our dogs get increasing incidence of chronic niggles and lameness as they age? Megan, the older of my two lurchers has a couple of weak points in both cases it was not exercise that was the root case but injury. She has a knocked up toe with occasional lameness in that foot and a hip injury that shows itself if she consecutive hard nights lamping, both the affected joints show changes that would be labeled osteoarthritis. In the perfect world we’d have more the exercise but not the trauma with the result; super fit super healthy dogs, alas reality has other ideas.

 

I’m proud to say my dogs, as workers, are fitter than most which defiantly reduces the incidence of many health problems but the nature of the work they undertake increases the risk of injury which then leads to trouble later on. Twisting and turning at high speed on uneven ground is enough to case minor strains which can then lead these types of oesteoarthritic changes. Pet dogs chasing a ball, jumping over obstacles etc are also likely to get similar injuries with similar outcomes. How we manage the problem is the key to good long term outcome as good management can reduce the extent of the chronic structural changes that result from the initial acute injury.

 

Megan’s toe is a classic example, she went lame running across Dartmoor, and most likely it was just bad luck, hitting a rock at the wrong angle that pushed the joint outside of its achievable range. Even in the middle of nowhere there are things you can do with this type of injury, once the problem had been isolated, getting the foot in a cold stream gave relief plus slowed and reduced swelling and the inflammatory process. Over the next couple of days it was rest and anti-inflammatories followed by a few weeks of gentle exercise and massage. I was lucky in that it was early summer so there was no time pressure on recovery and in truth she has had little in the way of problems, the only time she goes lame is if she runs on the hard ground of summer, the softer winter ground seems fine.

 

Her hip is an example of a less positive outcome where a chronic problem has recurrent acute episodes. It started when another lurcher latched on to her thigh as she ran past; this caused an overextension of the joint and surrounding tissues. On x-ray the hip looked ok but the supporting tissues had suffered marked trauma which lead to the formation of scar tissue and reduced mobility over the longer period. It happened on the beach so a dip in the sea gave good immediate cooling then to the vets for an x-ray as the hip was very swollen and painful. Although initially the bony structure showed as undamaged there was soft tissue injury and in spite of extensive treatment scar tissue formed around the hip, this weakened the area to a marked degree. The early intervention followed by anti-inflammatories, massage, joint mobilization, rest etc meant that she could still work but as the years past there was an increasingly tendency to suffer pain around the joint. In both these cases cold water was the first line of defense, it could have been an ice pack if available, followed by a thorough program of rehabilitation. It wasn’t a cure but it minimized the damage to allow a comfortable productive career to continue.

 

There is no real cure to osteoarthritis and no real way of completely avoiding the injuries that precede it but appropriate intervention and ongoing awareness of their presence is central to allowing our dogs to maintain wellbeing beyond the first few years of working life and into old age. There is a plethora of over the counter treatments available, I’ve even heard diet mentioned, but in truth common sense is key. A fit dog worked/exercised in a sensible way, fed an appropriate balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate either as a commercial food or home prepared, will be well set to recover from the knocks and bangs of everyday life. Our role then is to watch out for those early niggles and treat them before they become longer term problems, early intervention and time for recovery are our the best treatments. Lastly if in doubt then get the advice of a vet at the earliest opportunity.

 

Regards Sandymere.

[leegreen 2,099]

Lamping or take her shooting two nights a week i mean .

 

I think at the age of seven you will need to keep her on top of her game to help avoid stiffness.

Suppliments are good but I think there are no substitude for a good mixed well ballanced diet (plenty of fish if you can get it).

I have a seven year old bitch here that's a bit battered, she's out every day chasing/catching gear and if she has a real good session lamping or what ever she will be stiff.

I'm affraid it's the age .

[dommorris92 64]

Oki thanks alot for advice

[Ben Coward 19]

Cod liver Oil. Dog and I both take it. Great stuff!