My darling Hannah.....

[nowhavethreebears]

has not been getting around too well the last few days. And this morning I could tell she was really uncomfortable.
So, multiple X-rays later we have a diagnosis of severe bilateral hip dysplasia and thoracic and lumbar spondylosis.
My poor mini newf. She has always been the "healthy" one and it is hard to face the fact that she is getting old. (She was 11 in July).
So she is on some pain meds for now. We will just watch and see how her course goes. I do not want her to be in pain, but I will not put her through extensive surgery at her age.
Looking into hydrotherapy.....

 

[mcme]

Poor Hannah! I hope the meds provide some relief for her.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

She got up a little easier this morning. Still sore/lame on the back end but yesterday I had to help her get up. So a little better.

 

[Newfobsessed]

I am hoping the hydrotherapy helps her. Have you considered acupuncture? My boy is having trouble getting up lately and he seems to enjoy the treatment and feels more energized afterwards.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

I have not been able to find a place to get acupuncture done. I did find a kennel with a pool.

 

[mrs big dogs]

I used to take my Newf to a Chiropractor, are there any in your area, they helped mine alot.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

Started her on Polyglycan injections yesterday. Seems to be feeling lots better today.

 

[Ginny]

Glad you're seeing a response from the polyglycan. Protocol my vet recommends is once a week for 4 weeks, then monthly thereafter.

 

[BoundlessNewfs]

Our old Maggie had horrible hips and spondylosis. We did swim therapy, and our vet also taught us how to massage her neck, back, hips and limbs, to help increase blood flow and relax the muscles.

You might consider a sling to help her get up. As Maggie got more frail, she needed help getting up, and getting down the two steps from the front door to the yard.

We had her on ester-C, as that is a natural anti-inflammatory. It seemed to help.

 

[victoria1140]

Gold paste.microlactin with msm and hyraulonic acid and hemp oil are what l get my mum for her dogs

 

[Bailey Boy]

I am glad the meds are starting to work for Hannah, continued good thoughts for your girl.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

She's feeling so much better. She is playing (calmly) with Finne and Zoey a little bit and is sassy with them when they step out of line. Finne is so good and gentle with her. He either does the play bow or lays down to get on her level to play.
I would recommend the polyglycan to anyone who's seniors are struggling with arthritis or other joint/spine issues.

 

[Ginny]

As I told Anita, polygylcan is labeled for lavage and originally for injections directly into equine joints. This yielded FDA approval as a 'device'. Using it for canine joint issues is considered 'off label' use. The tricky thing can be getting a vet to prescribe it. I found out about it from a canine rehab vet whose husband is a horse vet. If you have pet insurance, it probably won't be covered because it's not a FDA approved prescription. Really a shame because it does seem to be more effective than Adequan and is cheaper...

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Glad she is feeling a little better!

 

[takemebacktotulsa]

Thanks for posting about the polyglycan. We had a heck of a time with a TPLO and were trying a bunch of different therapies months after surgery. One we tried, also considered a device, was used in the equine world in european countries. Insurance actually ended up covering it, probably because it was a procedure and not medication as we don't have medication coverage with Embrace. Anyway, it's worth a shot and I'm glad to hear there are options out there working for arthritic Newfs. They are pretty much little ponies so it makes sense

 

[R Taft]

Glad to hear she is feeling a bit better