Any ideas to help my badly dysplastic dog? - Page 2

Natural anti-inflammatories

---2 sardines daily
---500 mg of Borage oil 2 x daily is  natural sources of gammalinolenic acid, a fatty acid which is hard to get in the diet. GLA is an effective anti-inflammatory agent with none of the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.  
 are natural sources of gammalinolenic acid, a fatty acid which is hard to get in the diet. GLA is an effective anti-inflammatory agent with none of the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.   : --- Curcumin (the yellow pigment of turmeric plants) is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Bromelain and curcumin have a synergistic effect whereby they assist the absorption of each other from the gastrointestinal tract, increasing their potency. As such, they should be given together.   400-500 mg of bromelain with 500-400 mg of curcumin twice a day   400-500 mg of bromelain with 500-400 mg of curcumin twice a day. These should be given on an empty stomach or they will act as di gestive aids. Empty stomach is 1 hour before, or 2 hours after a meal.
These should be given on an empty stomach or they will act as di . These are especially good for dogs with DJD. They shopuld be given on an empty stomach, 1 hr before or 2 hours after a meal.. T---1 teasp dry ground ginger 2 x daily in food or ginger capsules
---1/2 teasp dry  mustard      2 x daily added to the food
--- 1/2 teasp--          added to the food 2 x daily
1/2 teasp crushed garlic 2 x daily added to food

PPlease check with your vet before administering to see if anything is contraindicated in your dog and to make sure it will not conflict with anything else your dog is taking.

FYI: Just because a dog has bad hips dpes not mean it cannot have another problem, so it is important to check it out.  Bad hips does not mean a dog cannot get DM ... Having one problem does not preclude another.

The help me up harness is awesome. It helped me get Missie T, who had DM, around for almost a year! I would have been lost without it. It is well padded so it doesnt cause abrasions, as other harnesses do. It also has quick release clips so it can be put on or taken off when the dog is lying down. It can also remain on the dog 24/7 so you dont have to start taking it on and off each time you want to lift the dog. It is washable, which is a BIG plus! I highly recommend it!

There are also dog carts into which you can put your dog, which will support the rear so the dog can go outside for walks. They are gender specific, as is the help me up harness.

Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry (a health registry for registered German Shepherds)
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group http://www.mzjf.info/hgate Heaven's Gate  

Thank you all for the advice and info!

Marjorie, good to see you're still around.  Hope your group is doing well (that's why I know anything about DM at all) and you have a nice dog around now!

My Tara is in such happy shape otherwise now that it really pains me to think - well, the unthinkable.

Thanks for putting all the basics in my head, even - anti-inflammatory, DM/arthritis, pain meds, harnesses, etc.  Anything that will even help me talk to the vets.

Glad to be of help- thats what I do, in memory of Jack Flash, Missie T, and  brat boy, Jooooooooooooooooosss! (aka Hurricane Jooooooooosss!)

Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry (a health registry for registered German Shepherds)
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group http://www.mzjf.info/hgate Heaven's Gate 

Oh, duh on me- I forgot

Vitamin E and selenium. (Major brain cloud) Selenium helps the Vit E be absorbed easier. With Vitamin E, you need to stop it 2 weeks before any surgeries, if God forbid, one i s needed. It will reduce platelets 
and prolong bleeding time.  and prolong bleeding time aand prolong bleeding time slightly.

Vit B: helps with neural regeneration

Support Group is doing well :) Many old members stick around to help the newbies... I took a leave due to Missie T's DM- still not ready to jump back in, as when I go there, I start crying  and cant stop... I will go back, but I have to heal some, first, and I have to devote time to Casey James, who patiently waited for his*turn*.. I have great mods, with experience, and if they arent sure of something, they email me...When I need answers, Dr C is still always there for us :) He is just one of a kind..


helps with neural regenerationneural regeneration    helps Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry (a health registry for registered German Shepherds)
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group http://www.mzjf.info/hgate Heaven's Gate  

You should check ebay for carts- many people put them on there once they dont need them anymore.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1311&_nkw=dog+wheelchair&_sacat=0
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=dog+wheel+chair 

  http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=walkin+wheels  

 http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=used+dog+wheelchairs

  

eBay - craigslist - another great idea!

Can't add much except to also urge x-rays...years of steroids can add to the degeneration of joints & loss of bone density, leaving your dog susceptible to fractures from even normal, low stress activities, something that comes to mind if there was a sudden worsening in her function.
Also agree with milk thistle, if vet approves, use it myself! Good luck with her, & give the good old girl a gentle hug from me! jackie harris

I have heard that garlic and onion are not good for dogs.

I have had all my dogs on 2 cloves of garlic a day and never had a problem. They all lived relatively long lives, for German Shepherds. Garlic has natural anti-bacterial anti-fungal qualities. One cannot give more than that amount, however.

Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry (a health registry for registered German Shepherds)
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group http://www.mzjf.info/hgate Heaven's Gate  

My goodness, reading about your Tara reminds me exactly of our Tara who passed away at age 13 after having lived a long happy life. 

When she was 10 we first noticed her struggling to get up from lie down on our cottage deck.  She continued to struggle with her back end and by the end of the summer she was starting to drag her back left leg.  Not too badly but you could hear her drag the toenail on the pavement more and more.

We got her on aspirin and they helped for a little while, but my husband and I both knew her time was coming close. Something changes in their eyes that tells you I cannot explain it.

We got her into the vet and she was put on Metacam, which bought us another 3 years with her. The vet warned us that it is very hard on the liver and kidneys in an older dog but it allows them to live out their final days in alot less pain.  Eventually, though like any pain medication they don't work as well after a long period of time on them. 

Your Tara is 10 years old like my Tara was.  She looks like a beautiful big girl. I am not saying it is her time yet, I am just saying that you want to make sure whatever time she has left with you she is not living in constant pain. 

You have to make a decision about her pain. You have to make Metacam not out the question.  She needs to be out of pain in her final years. 

This is how we handled our Tara and her pain.

The day finally came last summer when she could no longer get up and we had the vet out that day.  I know we did the right thing by alleviating her pain for a few years.

I remember the first time we gave her the Metacam.  She jumped up into my husbands pick up truck for the first time in 4 years. He took her for a spin in the back around the farm and she was smiling the whole time.