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31 Mar 2016

Leg problems Week Four - 31st March 2016

Great news that Ben is doing well on the rest he is getting.

He was recovering so well we decided he could have ten minutes outside for a sniff around the grassed areas nearby.

We kept him on the lead, just in case of passing rabbits or cats, he wouldn't be able to stop himself chasing them.

The walk was less than ten minutes, it was slow and peaceful and he seemed to enjoy it, just a good sniff around and a change of scenery..

Unfortunately back home, about an hour later he was obviously stiff and there were signs of a limp again, but not as bad as previously.

Today we will rest him and see how he gets on.


He is still on a diet, with close watch on treats and nibbles, but he doesn't seem to be losing any weight, a trip to the vet for a weigh in will tell us.

27 Mar 2016

Leg Problem Week Four Sunday 27th March 2016

This morning I came downstairs to find a happy dog, he didn't seem to struggle to get to his feet this morning.

He had his normal stroll round the garden and scoffed a good breakfast. 
Breakfast now is his own royal cannin adult dog food which he has been having for some years now.
The amount has been cut down, and we have added some carrots and broccoli to help him to lose weight, but not get too hungry  

  http://www.royalcanin.co.uk/products/


We have stopped his joint chew sticks, and replaced them with small biscuit nibbles, and continued with his dental sticks, small ones, twice a day. All in the hope to reduce some weight from him and help his legs.

We haven't had x-rays yet, as after reading advice and talking to the vet we should try giving him 8 weeks rest. The vet has increased his painkillers, and he is now on. Nutraquin, Which is a painkiller and anti-inflammatory

http://www.nutraquin.co.uk/

nutraquin and nutraquin+ can help to:

  • Aid stiff joints
  • Support joint structure
  • Improve mobility and flexibility
  • Improve your pet's quality of life by maintaining optimum joint health
  • Support the animals' natural systems that control inflammation


Ben is still taking his  Rimadyl,  Which the vet says should work well with the nutraquin.

https://www.rimadyl.com/Home


He is looking a lot better today and seems to be walking a lot better.  He will be on a strong dose for six weeks, and then we can reduce the dose.

Keeping him in the house for 8 weeks is like keeping a teenager indoors without access to the internet.


24 Mar 2016

Leg Problems, March 22nd 2016 pains or ACL / CCL Ligament Injuries

IN A FEW WEEKS BEN WILL BE 10 YEARS OLD. 
He is still just a big fluffy soft dog to us, with a lovely temperament and a big heart.


We took Ben back to the vet today, he is still limping on and off and struggling to get up at times. He isn't crying or whimpering at all, other than a little squeak comes from him occasionally but he is still keen to go out and loves to see visitors.

We are considering having some x-rays taken. Depending on what they show depends on the next step.  But even X-Rays mean that he must be sedated.

First thing to do is he must lose some weight, to take some of the pressure off the joints.
So those big amber eyes must be ignored.






We are being very strict with his food.  The days treats which are dental sticks and a few biscuits are now placed in a dish, that way we know just what he is taking and we don't give him any extra by mistake.  We are looking at changing his food for something more suitable for his diet and we are going to work with the veterinary nurse at vets4pets to manage his weight.

/http://www.vets4pets.com/find-a-practice/vets4pets-vets-in-north-tyneside/

We have started him on another painkiller, so he is now on increased  Rimidyl and now Nutraquinn both for pain and anti-inflammatory.

We have been talking to other people and looking into all the research we can find on information about lameness in dogs, particularly one Bens size.




  http://www.tiggerpoz.com/id13.html

Both have some very good information to think about before going down the route of surgery.

We have decided to wait at least 8 weeks with total rest, only garden walks.

The kitchen floor is going to be carpeted so that he cant slip and risk doing more damage

He is not allowed upstairs, stairs can cause problems on the way up and the way down.

Ben has settled in ok with this new routine, he is happy to mooch around in the lounge and kitchen and garden.

We are making sure he has plenty of attention and lots of cuddles and massages which can only help.




We just feel guilty about going out for a walk without him.





12 Mar 2016

March 2016, I am nearly 10 years old now.



Last week I got a sudden pain in my back leg, it was so hard to get up and down and just walk around. I just cant understand what the problem is, but it hurts a bit.

I have been to see the vet and she thinks its a ligament.  I was already on some rimadyl for painful joints but now I have tramadol as well.  They seem to be working, but the vet says I must rest and lose a bit of weight.  Mind the tablets make me very dozy, even more dopey and dozy than I was before.  I think its just an age thing.

I know my dinners have been cut down, and there aren't many treats on the go, so I hope I have lost some weight when I go back next week.

We are on the move again as well, Mum and Dad have sold the house and we are going to move closer to the sea, and into a bungalow.  Dad says none of us are not getting any younger and we need to downsize, and no stairs will be just what we need. I haven't seen the house yet, but they tell me it has a lovely big back garden, sounds perfect.