Help please.

Those that worried that my dog's reluctance to walk up and downstairs was due to physical pain were right, and it is progressing terrifyingly rapidly.

She has been on a combination of Previcor and Chinese herbs prescribed by a veterinarian for 2 1/2 weeks, which have not helped, and now her back legs are beginning to collapse underneath her. She had x-rays taken yesterday, and there is nothing wrong with her hips or spine.

Does anyone have any suggestions? She's a medium-size pedigree that is 13 1/2 years old so she doesn't have the long-lived possibilities of a mutt or a very small dog, and I know her time is coming, :o but I hate to give up on her if there is something else that I can try.

Thanks.

OH Chatter, I'm so sorry, hon. I really feel for you. My old girl is 15 this month so I can relate.

Does the vet have any idea of what is causing the problem? If it's not her hips, then what could it be?

What about taking her to a chiropractor that works on pets? They might be able to find something that a vet can't see.

What about trying glucosamine and/or MSM for her - could bring down swelling if that's what's putting pressure on nerves and causing the problem.

Otherwise, I have no advice...it's hard to know what to do when you don't know what the problem is.

To give you a little bit of hope, my old girl went through a bad period almost 2 years ago, where she needed help getting up, couldn't go up or down stairs and had to be lifted in and out of the car. One of her back legs would give out when she walked. I don't know what it was, but I just did everything I could with helping her move around. I also changed her diet and started homecooking for her. Whatever it was, she's fine now. The leg still gives out periodically, but it doesn't seem to bother her much - she just keeps on walking. Oh, and she's a big dog too, so don't give up hope just yet.

Chatter, keep me posted on how's she's doing. (((((hugs))))

OMG, CabinFever, that you SOOOO MUCH for sharing that! I stopped asking her to climb up the stairs about 10 days ago, but she had no trouble going down stairs until just now. She was still able to bounce down the stairs like a big ole' chubby bunny this morning, and just now, she stumbled all the way down. You can just imagine how freaked out I was when I came in here.

I had never heard of this type of condition being transient in a dog her age. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me hope. I will keep my fingers crossed!

I was giving her a supplement that had yucca for pain and glucosamine, but when I had to give her double the amount to see an improvement, I thought that I should try something else but I decided to give her two more just a few minutes ago.

I hadn't thought of a chiropractic adjustment. I'll look into that. The x-ray didn't show anything - not even arthritis - except a slightly smaller space between two upper vertebrae. The vet wants to try acupuncture, which I personally have never had any luck with, so I'm wasn't all the excited about that, but chiropractic might be a good idea - particularly since this seemed to happens so fast and I think that's where chriropractic can do the most good.

I'll keep you informed. ((((((((((CabinFever)))))))))))))))) Thank you!!!!

My old sweetie, Sadie, is going to be 16 this Summer. She was hit by a car 9 years ago, and has "hardware" in her hips: pins, a metal strap, even nuts bolts and screws! Needless to say, she gets stiff and sore from that, and her arthritis and joint pain due to age. To make matters worse, for the past four years she's had partial paralysis in her right rear leg. basically, her foot doesn't work from the last "ankle" to the ends of her toes.

She takes Duramax (chewable arthritis meds), but believe it or not, the most dramatic improvement has come from switching her to Purina One Senior formula. It contains yogurt, glucosamine and gelatin, for her joints. She's perked up quite a bit. I had used the Salmon formula before, and it's good too. But the most dramatic improvement has been with the senior mix.

Might help you, can't hurt her! :) TD/Tim

My old sweetie, Sadie, is going to be 16 this Summer. She was hit by a car 9 years ago, and has "hardware" in her hips: pins, a metal strap, even nuts bolts and screws! Needless to say, she gets stiff and sore from that, and her arthritis and joint pain due to age. To make matters worse, for the past four years she's had partial paralysis in her right rear leg. basically, her foot doesn't work from the last "ankle" to the ends of her toes.

She takes Duramax (chewable arthritis meds), but believe it or not, the most dramatic improvement has come from switching her to Purina One Senior formula. It contains yogurt, glucosamine and gelatin, for her joints. She's perked up quite a bit. I had used the Salmon formula before, and it's good too. But the most dramatic improvement has been with the senior mix.

Might help you, can't hurt her! :) TD/Tim

Thanks, Tim!!!! Believe me, I appreciate your sharing. She already gets yogurt and I put her back on a glucosamine supplements yesterday. Your post reinforces that I'm doing what's best for her. I'm not happy at all with the Previcox so I'll ask about the Duramax, and I'll check out the Purina One Senior formula also. Thanks!

Today, she's able to walk down the stairs without stumbling again, so I feel a little less freaked out, but your story about your Sadie who is older and has more problems than my Candy makes me feel more hopeful.

Thanks and give Sadie a kiss for me! And welcome to Ageless!

You're welcome Chatter! Keep up with the glucosamine....I've read that it takes about 6 weeks or something like that to become effective. So, you might not see results right away.

Do you think she might have injured herself somehow? Maybe jumped too far or something? My friend's chihuahua threw it's back out jumping from a bench to a bed :eek: .

Good luck with it all.

You're welcome Chatter! Keep up with the glucosamine....I've read that it takes about 6 weeks or something like that to become effective. So, you might not see results right away.

Do you think she might have injured herself somehow? Maybe jumped too far or something? My friend's chihuahua threw it's back out jumping from a bench to a bed :eek: .

Good luck with it all.

Her hind leg was beginning to give out on her when she reached the top of the stairs, but then she jumped off the bed (which I was totally unprepared for) which may have exacerbated it.

Today was a good day. It could have been the supplement which has yucca for pain or it could have been luck but it was GREAT! :D

Thanks!!!!

Sometimes, Sadie can't get back up the porch steps by herself; That ol' back foot won't support her enough so that she can get the other foot up to the next step. When this happens, she just stands there and Looks at me this special way that means, "C'mon, Dad, a little help!". What she wants me to do is come down and hold her tail ,just about two inches up from her butt. This gives her enough stability to hop up the steps. I'm not carrying her; Just "lightening her load" lol. This doesn't happen often, usually when it's cold outside, and it's kind of cute, really. :) TD/Tim

I don't know if SAM-e is safe for dogs, but it helps my joint pain. Also, DHEA might help, but again, don't know if is safe for dogs. :) Is given for patients with RA sometimes.

Sometimes, Sadie can't get back up the porch steps by herself; That ol' back foot won't support her enough so that she can get the other foot up to the next step. When this happens, she just stands there and Looks at me this special way that means, "C'mon, Dad, a little help!". What she wants me to do is come down and hold her tail ,just about two inches up from her butt. This gives her enough stability to hop up the steps. I'm not carrying her; Just "lightening her load" lol. This doesn't happen often, usually when it's cold outside, and it's kind of cute, really. :) TD/Tim

Tim, you sound like a sweetie! Sadie's a lucky dog.

I don't know if SAM-e is safe for dogs, but it helps my joint pain. Also, DHEA might help, but again, don't know if is safe for dogs. :) Is given for patients with RA sometimes.

Thank you, lencarol, these are two things I never considered but you're right, it makes sense that these could help.

Update: I haven't asked her to walk up the stairs since she had so much trouble, but the collapsing of her hind legs - particularly the time she stumbled all the way DOWN the stairs has stopped.

Interestingly enough, I think that either/and/or the Previcox and Chinese medicine was causing this. Here's why: In retrospect, it appears that those medication were, in fact, relieving her pain, HOWEVER, this led to her jumping off the bed (which she hasn't done in maybe 8 months) which could have hurt her, AND hopping up and down like a kangeroo when I got her leash out, which she had also stopped doing. I think that maybe the reason her hind legs were collapsing was because these activities were too much for her.

Right now, I have put her back on an infomercial product called Flex Protex that has glucosamine and MSM as well as some other herbs that are supposed to be antinflammatory and analgesic. She is not as frisky as she was on the other medications, but she is walking and going downstairs without her legs giving out.

I haven't given up on finding something, or some combination that can help her feel a bit more frisky but not so frisky that she injures herself, but right now, I'm just giving both of us a break!!!

Hugs and thanks!

Chatter, I completely agree with you. That's what happened with my girl...too much of a hike one day is what started it all. I should have known better, but we got a bit lost (were bushwhacking) and it took us longer to get out than we expected. Walking out, her leg kept going under on her. I wished I could have carried her but she's toooo heavy for much of that.

I'm glad your pooch is doing better and that she's got such a loving mommy!

What a nice thing to say, and thank you. And here's a story I think you'll appreciate. My dog weighs around 38 pounds. Now, that may not be much to a lot of people, but to an overweight, out of shape, 53 year old, it's A LOT! The other day, she twisted something - a toe? an ankle? - I don't know - and she refused to move. Of course, I freaked, thinking that this was "it" but I looked around and there was no one to help me. So I did what I had to do: picked her up and carried her back home and up the stairs (which were closer than the elevators).

I still can't believe I did it!

AND you KNOW that as soon as I got her upstairs, she was FINE!!!! You know how that is: as I sat in the chair panting harder than her, part of me was estatic that she was okay and this wasn't "it", and part of me wanted to choke her!!!!

LOL Chatter!! Poor you - stairs! Ugh!

That reminds me of a time when my other dog...who's 140 lbs (and more than I weigh)...sprained an ankle while were jogging. Here I am in the middle of nowhere, with this HUGE dog that can't walk. We sat there for about a half hour and I massaged his ankle and just waited....eventually he was able to get up and walk on it. But man, I don't know what I would have done if it was worse.

LOL Chatter!! Poor you - stairs! Ugh!

That reminds me of a time when my other dog...who's 140 lbs (and more than I weigh)...sprained an ankle while were jogging. Here I am in the middle of nowhere, with this HUGE dog that can't walk. We sat there for about a half hour and I massaged his ankle and just waited....eventually he was able to get up and walk on it. But man, I don't know what I would have done if it was worse.

Oh, you must have been freaked? And we are on the same wavelength! After I typed my story, I said to myself: The next time something like that happens, she and I are just going to SIT THERE for awhile! LOL

Actually, I don't remember being freaked. I tend to not freak out much though (unless you put me a city for too long! lol).

But yeah, sit and wait next time Chatter! ;) Though, I'm hoping it won't happen again to you.

Good advice, CabinFever. Sorry I misunderstood your reaction as being freaked - guess there's something to be said for hearing something vs reading it! :D

Another update. My dog, Candy, seems to be doing well on the supplement I bought from an infomercial (As I matter of fact, I've been using it for a few days for a backache! Works good!) She's not jumping around like she was on the painkillers, but as I said before, I think all that hopping around was too much for her.

She stumbled the one time I asked her to climb the stairs (emergency) but now I think that it's more of a neurological problem than a joint problem. Those hind legs just don't want to do what she wants them to sometimes. I'm still deciding whether to take her in for a neurological examination ... I have to find out more about the testing and the possible treatments before I decide.

She doesn't walk way ahead of me like she used to, but she still does her crazy head-shaking-pull-on-the-leash-with-her-mouth thing when we walk out the door. She still looks cute as a bunny going down the stairs. She still has quite a bit of the Wheaton trot in her step. And she still jumps all over people that stop to pet her. So, I think, all in all, that things are going well.

Also, before I bought my previous Wheaten Terrier (almost 21 years ago), I read that they had a 13 year life span, so I thought that I was just doing a little bit better than normal having Candy around at 13 1/2 years, BUT two people in the past month (one who owned two Wheatens and one worked for a veterinarian for the past 20 years) told me that Wheaton's aren't long lived at all! I had seen a Wheaten Terrier website that had a memorial page - and it showed the same thing - from what I remember, only one of the dogs listed had made it to 13, one to 16 (!) and the rest had died much younger. :eek: So I'm luckier than I realized!

All in all, she feels pretty good and I feel really lucky. Thanks everyone!

Thanks for the update Chatter!!! Glad that things are going well. Enjoy your time with her!

As I write this I'm in tears...my cousin's dog is about 14 yrs old and for the past 5 years she's had a breathing problem (she had allergies) and we found out she's allergic to diary and most meats so my cousin switch her to a basic vegetarian dog food which improve her breathing. she has arthritis in all her legs and is losing her ability to hold her urine.

8 weeks ago the vet came and basically told her she was going but that she thought she would last a year or 2, her lungs were clear, her arthritis of cause was her main problem and she had a cyst the size of a dime behind one of her front legs. She too is overweight, but she gets like that normally during the winter months and then loses it all in the summer from running around with the kids.

Today my cousin found that dime size cyst as big as her thigh she said and called the vet. Our sweet Belle is going to be put down next week and I crying for the kids and myself. There's just no hope for her and we think she's in some pain but she's having some neurological problems as well, so its masking her pain. We love that dog, she is the sweetest thing and so loving for a dog, she was more human than most humans I know.

As you wrote about your dog Chatter, its the same with my cousin's dog, my cousin was giving her all the same things but of cause it helps for a few, but in the end we have to let her go.

Paris

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Paris. They give us so much joy when they're with us and it hurts so much when we lose them. My most sincere condolences to you and your family.