Another on the injury list; Puppy Arthritis Remedies

Things are not looking great for runners in our house: First me and this angry hamstring/piriformis, then Matt and his knee (he hasn't run in nearly 3 weeks hoping it is enough to manage a triathlon and half marathon this weekend) and now add to the list my first running buddy, Morgan :) I know I haven't talked much about him on here but he's my first baby and has been running with me 7 years. I still remember when we first got him and he sat in the basket of the shopping cart at Petco, all calm and innocent, wow did he shock us! 7 years later he still has the attitude of a lab puppy combined with the protectiveness of his German Shepard side but has grown to nearly 80lbs and towers me if he stands!
Proof he was small at one point, look at that cute face!
We've known since early that he had hip issues, common for a lab, and started on glucosamine joint supplements and he continued to run complaining after hours at the dog park but he would never back down. I've taken his lead and dropped our miles this spring to only 3-4 miles 2-3 days a week of running and walking other times. He rarely acts as if he has pain but will at times whine if you touch a hip. We decided to X-Ray again yesterday and sure enough: Osteoarthritis that is slightly advanced, boo :(
Out for a nice Spring run!
So what next? He loves to run and I feel so safe with this big guy next to me so I love it too. And after 7 years he is finally starting to lose the puppy spunk and calm even more. We are beginning Rimadyl (hoping his sensitive tummy does okay) and have talked other options for later like cold laser therapy- something I am currently doing for my hamstring. But of course I sit here wondering what else without adding in more meds. Anyone have great options for dogs? I hate to medicate him on NSAIDs for the rest of his life with all the possible side effects. So I began my research...

Natural Arthritis Remedies for Dogs
  • Weight loss: not an issue here, but we can work to maintain a healthy weight
  • Grain Free/ Natural Food Diet: right now he eats food for active dogs, but suggestions say make your own: eggs, meat, rice, etc and remove wheat/gluten while increasing protein
  • Glucosamine Supplement: like I said our vet, who is wonderful, started him on these at about age 1 or 2 when we first started seeing him
  • Fish Oil: this was my first thought, why not? it is suggested for humans. As I mentioned last week with me, it reduces inflammation but lets the body continue with good inflammation. Vit E is also a great addition with this.
  • Pain Relief: NSAIDs, Tramadol, etc. yep, we're on this but I'd prefer to back off unless needed
  • Acupuncture/ Chiropractic: while I find great results with chiropractic for my own injury I honestly wonder how well my big guy would handle this. I mean this guy needs Xanax to gets his nails cut (nope, not kidding)!

Post sedation, we had a relaxing day...
Hoping to figure things out and that we can continue our easy runs, vet said as long as Morgan wants to run, then we run! Wish us luck and no tummy issues! Who was your first running buddy? Do you run with a dog? Here's hoping we are all injury free soon and back to being pain free.

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Comments

  1. Mindy BobeMay 30, 2013 at 7:54 AM

    Aww he is so cute! I love that he runs with you! I hope you find what works for him so he's not in pain. :-(

    ReplyDelete
  2. Runs With PugsMay 30, 2013 at 8:50 AM

    Poor, sweet pup :(

    Our youngest pug can do about a mile (crazy thing loves to run), but that's about it due to heat/humidity and the variety of breathing issues pugs have.

    I hope you find some solutions to help him keep running comfortably.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sarah, How My World RunsMay 30, 2013 at 9:26 AM

    Our 13 year old lab is struggling to sit and stand. It's so hard to see our babies getting old. Ranger would gladly go run not thinking about how he'd hurt later. He has a very sensitive stomach and probably would not handle meds well. Hope your running buddy is feeling better soon!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rachelle QMay 30, 2013 at 10:38 AM

    Poor guy:(. We had a lab/shepherd mix too:) I say do whatever makes him feel good. If you have to do meds, do meds. One of my dogs is on steroids for his allergies. I know the side effects, but without the meds he is miserable, so after a year of saying "no way", I finally decided I would rather have him happy and comfortable. Hard choice for sure. Hope you are all on the mend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coach JenMay 31, 2013 at 3:44 PM

      It is tough, we are doing a Rymadil trial to see how he tolerates it and if it benefits.

      Delete
  5. SarahMay 30, 2013 at 11:01 AM

    My mini dashshund has had her share of back issues throughout the years, but amazingly (mostly because we are very strict with treats/people food) she is doing pretty well at almost age 13! She was the first dog I ever had, and I was briefly under the impression that - hey, she's a dog, I can take her running with me! It didn't take me long on that first run to realize that 3 in. legs can't move quite as fast as mine! Oh well...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 30, 2013 at 11:17 AM

      Haha I've tried this with my doxie too and yep..never tried it again.

      Delete
    2. Coach JenMay 31, 2013 at 3:45 PM

      Too funny, I have seen small dogs running and wonder how they keep up!

      Delete
  6. AnonymousMay 30, 2013 at 11:02 AM

    Aw I hope he feels better soon :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownMay 30, 2013 at 11:17 AM

    Oh no!! Can he swim/does he like the water? That might help relieve some of the pain on the joints? I know that helps with humans. My mom had her knees replaced after both knees were bone-on-bone, and swimming really helped her.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownMay 30, 2013 at 12:11 PM

    I run with my Greyhound/lab mix pretty regularly. She's only 2 so no issues except trying to chase some turkeys :-). My friends dog has similar problems they take him swimming regularly and it helps a lot

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coach JenMay 31, 2013 at 3:54 PM

      Chasing turkeys, yep we have that issue too!

      Delete
  9. UnknownMay 30, 2013 at 2:03 PM

    Hi. I'm so sorry about your baby. I don't normally comment on blogs unless I have something that I think can help. And this time I do! My mom works at an animal health company. They sell a lot of products that are all natural and will help with your dogs condition. I even did a search on the condition before posting this (just to make sure). Anyways I can understand not wanting to pump him full of medicine, especially if there are all natural methods. Here is the website for you to check out: http://www.pbsanimalhealth.com. Also, here is the name of the first supplement I looked at: Flex Rx. Hopefully there is something on there to help him or it can give you an idea of where to go. They ship all over the country and the sales staff is really knowledgeable. My boyfriend and I use them for all of our dogs allergy issues. Hopefully this helps!

    ReplyDelete
  10. EmmaMay 30, 2013 at 6:24 PM

    Aw get that pup better!!
    emma @ a mom runs this town . com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coach JenMay 31, 2013 at 3:59 PM

      Thanks, I think he is...crazy guy jump our deck gate yesterday!

      Delete
  11. JanMay 31, 2013 at 12:00 PM

    Aww, poor buddy. He looks like a great running buddy!! I run w/ my dog too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousJune 5, 2013 at 8:38 PM

    I used to be a vet tech, and those are all the things I would suggest!!! Perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  13. AmandaJune 6, 2013 at 11:54 PM

    Cute dog! I can't run with my Lab she's 9 and just tires out so easy. I don't want to hurt her hips. But I feel bad because she used to run with me and she knows when I out on my shoes that its time. Sad!

    ReplyDelete

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