Question by Nun ya: why is my dog shaking so bad?
My dog is a thirteen/ fourteen year old black lab/ chow. We got home today and his teeth were chattering and he was shaking. I’m really scared because we love him so much. I know he has arthritis and he has a grey beard and grey on the sides of his head. he gets ear infections often around spring time. A lot of people love him and are scared for him. Please help.

Best answer:

Answer by micki
Call your vet to ask him…he knows the dog and can examine him…no one on here does.
Good luck, I hope he’s fine.

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Question by Tom K: Building a heated outdoor dog run?
I’m looking for help in designing a heated run for my elderly dog.
Betsy is a Corgi / Spaniel cross (she has a thick coat) with hip
displasia and spinal arthritis. She still has a lot of good years left
in her, and I want to keep my faithful companion comfortable. She has
been an indoor dog all her life, but is now having bladder control
problems. A good outdoor run with a heated doghouse seems to be the
answer, but I’m not sure how to heat it safely and effectively. I’m
prepared to pour a concrete pad with a steel or wood fence, and build
her a nice dog house to go into it. It looks like I can put a heat
lamp in the dog house, plus a heated pad in her bed, but is this
enough to keep her as warm as she would be in the house? Is that safe?
Should I also run wires through the concrete to keep it nice and dry?
And if yes, how is this done safely? I have a nice shady and sheltered
location in mind to build this run that would allow her access via a
doggie door into the house when we chose.

Best answer:

Answer by Will M
Hi Peggy

My worry is would Betsy like living outside – effectively cut off from
humans – after having enjoyed all the facilities of being indoors?

I note that she would have access via a doggie door into the house
‘when we chose’ but, when you didn’t choose …

Maybe, she would display her displeasure by barking, etc.?

How old is Betsy?

Please remember … that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks (allegedly).

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Question by ★☆W.a.b.b.y✿❀: My dog is really stiff?
I have an almost 5 year old Cocker Spaniel, Labrador cross. She’s pretty active, she gets a least 20 minutes of exercise a day, sometimes more.

The last few weeks we’ve noticed when she gets up after lying down she is really stiff and walks with a limp. It only last about 5 minutes.

I know arthritis can occur in dogs, but isn’t she too young? Any ideas why she’s so stiff? I’m assuming the type of arthritis that dogs get is osteoarthritis?

Thanks.
I think she may get a very tiny bit of peanut butter, but otherwise no.
I have arthritis myself (an autoimmune type though), so I know what helps and makes it worse. She seems fine when she’s active, it’s just after she’s been lying down.

Thanks.

Best answer:

Answer by Peter Stark
Do you feed her nuts? We had this problem with our labrador when we gave her a few macadamia nuts. Apparently it causes joint problems. I think there are other foods that have the same affect. Fish tends to make her react his way as well.

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Question by Tom D: what medicine to use for my dog?
i’m currently using Arthrogen plus for dogs for my shelite which was recommended by a breeder. I was wondering if there is something out there that is all natural that is good for arthritis, hip and joint discomfort? just want to use the best and healthiest stuff possible.

Best answer:

Answer by James
this is a question best answered by your regular vet. they know the history of your dog and what best to treat with. hope this helps

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Question by Liz S: My dog has been acting weird.?
IM THE SISTER OF THE ONE WHO ASKED THE SAME ??? so please help me too i dont know her pass so please help
My dog has been acting weird.?
My dog is trembling, not eating, not really perky and shes acting weird She has food in her bowl weve given her her favorites I gave her a dog biscuit she put it in her mouth and broke it but not eat it
Shes a miniature schnauzer 13 years 5 months and 17 days she has arthritis and shes on aspirin
PLEASE HELP
Please be sympathetic good answers please
-Bursting in tears
It started early today
But my cat was bugging her last night
Shes on aspirin because of her arthritis the vet said to give her it its baby aspirin only one pill a day

Best answer:

Answer by Paige
the medicine might have something to do with it but i would take it to the vet right away!!

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Question by Pestagirl: My dog is limping on his front right leg?
My dog Mikey is very old. Starting a few months ago, he started limping, and we had figured that it would pass. We take him on walks and he limps, but when he sees a rabbit, he chases after it like nothings wrong. My mom says that he is probably faking to get sympathy or its arthritis.
But today I just came back from vacation and he was seriously limping, unlike before. I checked the bottom of his paws and saw no stickers, but they were really rough. They weren’t bleeding. I gave him a biscuit a few minutes later and he picked it up and limped away, always lifting up his front right leg. He doesn’t whine. Should I worry?
He has been in many fights with other dogs, as he is the alpha dog of the country road I live on. He has a big scar near his shoulder on his right side (he wouldn’t let the bandages stay on!), a scar on his right hind knee (I don’t know when that happened), a broken tooth (my sister is a vet tech in training and said we should get that checked. Could it be serious?) and a torn tip of his right ear (he kept whining as we cleaned it).
We can’t afford to take him to the vet so I just want to know what I can do to help him get healthier. Advise?

Best answer:

Answer by Destroyer
try giving him food or doggie vitamins with glucosamine. it helps older dogs with joint problems. other than that, i would say take him to the vet

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Question by garlanbc: My dog is injured any advise?
Breed: Great Dane (European bloodline)
Age: 2 & 1/2

Here’s the deal, I took him on a walk yesterday nothing crazy, like 1-1.5 miles. He was great, energetic, and happy. When we got home he drank some water and passed out for about 4 hrs. When he woke up he stood up and let out the loudest squeal I have ever heard out of him (or any other dog for that matter). When I got to his bed, he was slightly favoring his right side. He does suffer from leg cramping from time to time although it has always been in one of his hind legs (bicep femoris group, like our hamstring). When he cramps up however, he does not vocalize discomfort, very heavily favors the unaffected leg to the point of zero weight put on the cramped leg, and finally he will lay down and let me work the cramp out of his leg with no reoccurring cramping.
Whatever is wrong with him does reoccur, only when he attempts to stand, localized in the humeral or scapular area of his left forelimb. When he is finally up and about, there is no noticeable signs of pain as he maneuvers normally (I say normally for a reason, I’ll explain: he was hesitant and did yelp when he jumped into the car after the vet visit). And there is no signs of pain when the affected limb is manipulated at each of the joints, in all directions.
I took him to the vet today. He got out of bed with no problem and jumped into and out of the car with no problem. The examination consisted of basically what I was doing by manipulating the different joints with no discovery of any problems whatsoever.
This is what I was afraid of. What I thought was he was just cramping up but his scruff retraction was fast, and his urine isn’t dark. Maybe K+ deficiency? I had them run a panel to check electrolyte/K+ counts to rule out dehydration or K+ deficiency.
So what else is there? Fractured scapula, humerus, ulna, radius? It would have to be hairline in nature right in order for him to put weight on it, right? Repeated dislocation? Torn muscle/tendon/ligament? But wouldn’t that hurt if I were to manipulate it? I don’t even want to say it! Dysplasia!!!???? But he’s only two and a half! The vet told me she’s seen it in danes as young as one!!! Could it be something more exotic like osteochondritis or arthritis?
There is no penetrating wounds me and the vet both checked. If it is a fracture, or strained tendon, or something along those lines there is no real medical recourse for it, just rest and pain management. And I feel like a terrible person about what I’m about to say next so don’t judge me okay. The vet said it would be between $ 400 and $ 500 dollars for imaging with no guarantee of diagnosis. I love my dog like a son, (isn’t it evident by the shear length of this post?) but because he’s so young I haven’t gotten any insurance for him (spare me the lecture on Dane’s susceptibility to illness I know). I also don’t want to hear about the fact that I shouldn’t have gotten a dog if I can’t afford to keep him in good health. That’s not true, he eats very well, and is always up to date on shots/vaccines and cost isn’t a factor. I just don’t want to drop $ 500+ on imaging that can’t guarantee results, I’m going to med school next year and just don’t have the means to justify that.
Thank you all for reading this massive post, and I hope someone out there can give me some sound, knowledgeable advise.
P.S. I’d appreciate it if those of you out there who only post answers to gain points to skip this one, I’m looking for someone in the veterinary field, or who has had experience with danes/similar scenarios.
Thanks,
Garlanbc

Best answer:

Answer by dawg
to much to read while iam drunk…but dogs pull a hamstring by walking

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Question by diesan09: 10 yold diabetic lab with cataracts and arthritis- what to do?
I have a 10 year 80 lb lab. He has cataracts and diabetes (on insulin, 9u 2x a day) and has arthritis. He is constantly whining and whimpering when he is lying down (distractions and stimulus stops the whimper). Dr wants to put him on rimadyl and joint med (condrotin stuff). I know some people have had bad experiences with Rimadyl and liver failure. With the diabetes, isnt this a higher risk for my dog? He still greets me and shows happiness, but mostly lies around, doesn’t sleep well,etc. He still eats ok and we have not hit incontinence yet. The real question is I know I am prolonging the inevitable, so it is just time now to let him go peacefully or do I just keep the meds going? As a side note, I don’t believe in ‘heroic measures’ for my pet and am not planning on full xrays, ultrasounds etc. (average cost about 300-400 per set). Just looking for opinions, thanks to all!

Best answer:

Answer by Apricot Snow Girl
I think in this case it might be more humane to put him out of his misery. Sometimes that’s the nicest thing we can do for ill and suffering dogs. I know, this will kill you for a while. I had to do it three times, and it never gets any easier. Each time killed me. But I’d rather do that than make my dog suffer. May God Bless you.

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Question by Rachelle: Am I pushing my dog too far?
I have a 10 year old lab, and he has arthritis, he has his good days and bad days. I give him glucosamine and chondroitin. I try to walk him every day, and we usually go about a mile, and along with my hyper 2 year old dog. We run and walk off and on, and he seems to be doing okay, and keeping up with us. However, afterwards, he gets very tired, and starts his limping and grunting. Am I pushing him too far on the walk?

Best answer:

Answer by BreCoBo
he probably doesn’t need to go on that long of a walk anymore, certainly shouldn’t be given the same length of walk as a 2 year old dog. try adding salmon oil to his food and/or talk to the vet about what sort of natural supplements you could try to help him with his joint problems

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Question by Renae.: What can you do to help a dog with a torn cruciate ligament?
Okay, my family has a 2 year old Golden Retriever. She just recently tore her cruciate ligament. It’s fully torn and the vet says surgery but we can’t afford it, at all. No way possible. I did research online and it says their are some way with physical therapy, but my mom and dad say it wont work because it’s fully torn. I don’t want my dog to get arthritis before she’s even 3. I don’t want her to be a cripple the rest of her life, and I don’t want her to die. We just recently put our 13 year old dog to sleep, and if a torn ligament can kill a dog, it’d be horrible. I don’t know what to do. Any suggestions?
Oh, and my parents don’t want to waist money on the surgery because we had surgery on our old dog, and it didn’t fix anything and we ended up putting him to sleep. /:

Best answer:

Answer by PurebredDog
The longer you leave the surgery the more arthritis she is going to develop.. I would suggest doing what you can to have the surgery.. It’s not fair to leave a dog with a torn cruciate..

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