Bandit has HD in both hips as well as Spondylosis of the spine. he is 7 yrs old now and wa diagnosed 3yrs ago (although i suspect he has had it longer than that)

He has rescently got worse, sometimes struggling when he gets up, he has not ben on any prescription drugs up to now, but he does have Glucosomine and devels claw.


The very best thing you can do for him, is get him swimming (hydrotheraphy) if you have a natural lake by you then great, but if not, ask your vet to refere you to a hyrotherapist.... going to hydro will do 2 things for him, it will give him the low inpact exercise he needs, 5 mins in the pool , is worth 1hr walking.

2) it will strenghten the muscle around the wearing joint , which will help hold the hip joint in place, giving it a easyer movement.

I found it has given Bandit a new lease of life..

Some insurences will pay for the theraphy so worth looking into.

But you will need a referal from you vet .

At the end of the day , we have to give them as good as a life as we can, i look at it like this, if he wants to go for a walk, he goes, he enjoys his life to the full, if it means it is cut short a little , so be it, he enjoys what he has, he copes well with it, if he has a bad day , he only goes for lead walking, at his own pace, (which is snail pace) he likes to mark his territory, making sure he scents every tree, gate post, blade of grass, so our walks can take fore ever.

there are many natural remadies out there also, which i use.

:smt038 Thank you all for your advice. The main thing I've learned is that I should really try out the hydrotherapy with him.

We do live 5 minutes from a choice of 3 lakes and Abby loves nothing more than swimming but its never been Glazby's cup of tea - he will go in chest deep but never further so a pool is probably our best bet.

I'm going to give Jane a call later when I find her number and ask how much it costs for a session and will then try and get a referral from our vet who I'm sure would be only too happy to help.

I know that Glazby will probably not live to the top end of years for boxers what with the heart murmer, HD and tumours that he had removed last year he seems to be a bit of a walking disaster!!

Still like you have said Jackbox, as long as he can enjoy himself whilst he's here I want to do everything in my power to keep him happy and as painfree as possible for as long as possible.

Thanks again.
Hayley..xx

Your prelimary supplements are good- but we need to increase it as he ages. The product I use ( hope its available over there ) is " Glucoflex". And with advancing changes, I would start him on the "Glycoflex 3".
Hottie has advanced arthritis, cause by a accident as a puppy in breaking his growth plate. We started him out on the Glycoflex 1 and now he has moved to level 3 ( the highest). I really can see a difference in the use of the product, and can even tell if he doesnt take for even a day!.
I really would avoid steriods- there is a drain on the rest of the body organs- and although it gives relief- it is a down spiral.
When Hottie is having a really bad day- that those silly willy runs ( not a boxer but you get the point), I give him a regular asprin- but ONLY AT night. Not only does it work better when the body is resting, it just reduces the inflamation. Taking the pain away too much only lets the dog think they are not in pain and over do it again. The asprin is just enough to reduce the inflamation, but not so good that he over does it the next. With a boxer- guessing his weight is less than 100 pounds but over 50 pounds- one adult asprin 325 mg does the trick. ( for a 100 pounds you give one and half tablet- but asprin can upset the GI track is given in high amounts)
Here is the link for the Glycoflex- and again- I would get the Glyco flex 3. http://www.petvetdirect.com/home.asp...+w%2FDMG+120ct
Several companies sell it, so I am sure you can find one that would ship it to you. It really works! I also have had a few shepherd fosters that HD that highly benefited from this product as well.

Between the hydrotherapy option & the lake is the equestrian pool if you have any near you. I use one for trying to muscle up my dog who's very loose & wobbly behind & it nearly 12 can't cope with the walking that would be required to help him.& it is only £5.00 a session. Also if he learns to swim in the pool it may encourage him to swim in the lake.Good luck & hope it all helps.

Thank you again everyone. I've decided to take the plunge (excuse the pun) and get him sorted for a go at hydrotherapy.

I don't want to try anymore medication for the time being incase this is our last resort in years to come.

I've called Halifax Pet Insurance and alternative therapy is covered for "limited sessions" and has to be with the Canine Hydrotherapy Association under referral from the vets.

I've call the vets and asked them for a referral but apparently the extensive notes on their system is not enough for them to refer, they need to see him for a consultation first (another £24) despite the fact they saw him about 4 weeks ago!

Anyway, I've booked him in at the vets at 10am tomorrow for his referral and then hopefully we'll be able to find a pool near us which is a member of the association.

We might even consider taking Abby with us as 1) she'd love it 2) she might give Glazby some confidence as he's not keen on swimming and 3) it'll probably do her a world of good too!!

I'll keep you posted with our wet adventures and fingers crossed that it'll help him.

One last question - with the hydrotherapy that many of you have said has helped your dogs, do they still tend to hold a leg up or does that completely go?

Hayley..xx

Bandit is on the "Glyco-flex 11 may have a look at the 3 ,

If the dog is weak in muscle mass, the hydrotherapy will help alot.
And that Glycoflex3 I can not say enough about it! Its excellent! The first week is a double dose- and I could see results starting to take place within a matter of a few days! Number 3 is made for joint injuries, Hd advancing, bone surgeries, and severe mucle injuries. Thats why it works so well for HD as it helps to support the muscles that are holding the hip into the socket.

With hydro , you should see a vast improvement in his movement.... you will se ehis muscle build up, where he proberbly had wastage.... so he may not favour that leg anymore..

dont be suprised if he is only in the water for a couple of mins, them building up to 5/10 mins..... the most Bandit has is 5.

he is in a harness and lifted by a hoist into the water, he then swims against the current (i have a video somewhere) will find it for you.

hiya

oining this a bit late but like everyone else i cant recommend the hydrotherapy highly enough

my staffie bruno was diagnosed with HD and the start of athritis 2 years ago and was given the glucosamine and metacam .

i started hydro and he went every week for the first few months to build up his muscle tone - now he hasnt been since i had my baby so 6 months but he is great is not on any metacam unless he has really overdone it and is doing well..

he is 6 and 1/2 now and is doing well.. I would say until the muscle tone is built up on his back legs you wont see a huge difference but if you go regularly then within a couple of months it should be a big difference and once he is used to swimming then he may want to go in the lake too - however bruno never goes in the water of rivers/;ales etc - he only goes in the pool - he must only like the warm water !!!! - just a bit spoIled !!!

Good luck and i hope glazby enjoys himself and you start to see a difference

try " green-lipped mussel " extract capsules, they're marketed under the brand name SEATONE , you get them from boots chemists. we gave our old rottie them for years, and she lived to the grand old age of 14.