Roxy and the no good very bad back
Roxy and the no good very bad back – Caring for critters
Today I am taking part in the Caring for Critters round robin that Jodi from Heart like a dog started. Several bloggers are blogging about health issues they have encountered and dealt with in the lives of their pets. I am going to talk a little about Roxy and her back issues, and how I treat her.
Roxy was first diagnosed with a bad disk in her back about 5 years ago. At the same time, we found out her knee was bad with a luxating patella. Apparently, the knee issue is fairly common in Chihuahua’s. She will sometimes limp, or carry, her left leg while we are out walking. She only does it for a little while though, so it’s never been a huge concern.
The back however, is another story. I first took her in because she was hunching, and obviously in pain. Since she was only 5 or 6 at the time, I had no idea what could be wrong. An X-ray showed the degenerative disk in the middle of her spine. The vet prescribed Rimadyl, which gave her relief right away. She also needed to lose a pound, which she did. Every once in a while, for no apparent reason, her back would flare up. I would give her the Rimadyl for a day or two, then she was back to normal.
Everything changed last December though. We were in St. George, and the weather was extremely cold. She was in so much pain she could hardly walk, and touching her at all caused her to yelp. Her personality was totally altered. My snuggle pup was hiding under the table and walking completely hunched. Needless to say, I was heart broke. I had refilled the Rimadyl before we hit the rode for Arizona, so I had a supply. Thinking the cold was the culprit, since it makes my joints ache, I gave her the pills and she was much better. We immediately headed for warmer weather, and I stopped dosing her. I soon figured out it was not weather related however, as she was in pain all over again. I started giving her a half dose in the morning, and a half dose at night. This way she didn’t wake up in pain. I called my vet in Utah who refilled the Rimadyl when I told him the situation. (Yes, I have a great vet like that)
Now, I just manage her condition with a half dose of Rimadyl in the morning. This works great, and I feel better about not giving her too much medication. When we were in Utah in the Spring, I took Roxy in to have blood drawn to make sure the Rimadyl was not causing any damage to her liver. She passed with flying colors, and the vet and I both feel great about leaving her on the small dose forever.
I have to make sure she doesn’t over do it. Roxy will be 10 in December, and just doesn’t have the stamina she used to. She still loves to run, and go for walks, but if we go for miles and miles, she poops out. My doggie backpack is great for her. I have to keep her from jumping from anything high, and she still can have more pain if she gets cold. But overall, she does great. As long as a half dose of Rimadyl works for her, we will both be happy.
Tomorrow, be sure to check out Destiny’s Dog Blog for a post on dog dementia.
To see all the posts in the Caring for Critters round robin, click on the badge below and it will take you to a page with all of them. Be sure to check back too, as new posts are added daily.
We glad you found a way of managing it and the doggy back pack is a great idea. Have a tremendous Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
Great article. So glad you found a way to help Roxy!
so glad that Roxy is holding her own!
Nice to read that you found away around Roxy’s problem. She looks like a lovely dog.
Hi Mary! I am so glad yoy found relief for her with Rimadyl! That is my “go to” med for my girls too! I also encourage you to look at the WiggleLess Back Brace…it helps LadyBug so much when she has a back issue pop up. Website is http://wiggleless.com Lots of info there! It is also wonderful you have such a great vet….that helps immensely!!
I have seen those and wondered. They are kinda spendy for me though. Maybe if things get worse, I will have to look into it more.
I’m glad you’ve got a system that works for her. Does she ever get chiropractic adjustments? Just curious if that was an option for her.
I have never looked into that, I wouldn’t know where to even find someone.
Its great you take elderly dog care seriously so Roxy can enjoy her senor years. It is so sad to find your youthful playful healthy dog kid aging and looking to you for relief from pain. I am grateful your passing this on to others. I have raised many senior pets and wished that I could have helped them more in their later years. You do have a good Vet who trust your judgement to refill and help you as you travel.
With two long backed dogs, you are living my greatest fear… but I am so relieved that you found a way to manage it. Brychwyn had a terrible reaction to Rimadyl when he took it after his neuter surgery so I just hope if he ever had problems we could find something else. I am a huge fan of massage and acupuncture, for myself and my pets. A friend of mine had a rabbit with degenerative disc disease (arthritis) and acupuncture kept that bunny hopping comfortably for years. Honestly, the rabbit was probably larger than Roxy!
I would love to try accupuncture for her, but I would have to have someone show me how to do it. And that might be hard to find.
What a great contribution to the Round Robin Mary. Thank you for sharing Roxy’s story.
I’m so glad you found a way to manage Roxy’s pain. It’s so hard seeing our pets in pain and watching them slow down as they age. You are lucky in the fact that Roxy fits in your back pack, neither of mine will. ;-) (Although I’d like to teach them to ride piggyback. Wouldn’t that me something?)
I imagine managing her vet care is probably a bit more challenging for you seeing as you are always traveling, having a vet that will work with you and listen to you is wonderful. I don’t know anything about disc issues, but am wondering about glucosamine, have you ever done any research on that?
She is allergic to shellfish. I have looked and looked for a dog glucosumine supplement that is not shell fish based, and nobody makes them. Only in the human stuff can you get it. Thanks for inviting me to be a part of the Caring for critters.
I’m glad for your sake Roxy is a little thing– the backpack solution wouldn’t work for a Golden retriever! Here’s to many pain-free-as-possible years on the road!
so glad it is manageable and that the meds are not giving her other problems!
Great post. Our Becca had spine issues that I’m also going to cover on my turn. Glad you’ve found the formula for Roxy.
I’m glad you found something to help Roxy with her pain. Back issues are no fun at all, we’ve been dealing with Dottie’s spondylosis for about 4 years now!
Nothing is worse than not knowing how to help our pups! I’m so glad that you found the right combination to keep her happy and healthy. She is such a cute little lady!!
Poor Roxy; back pain is no fun at all. I am glad the Rimadyl works for her, but I feel compelled to say that many Retrievers have extreme (deadly) problems with this medication.
It seems so odd to have back trouble when you are so small, but it happens at any size. Glad the Rimadyl is working and not hurting her liver.
So glad your back pain is easily managed Roxy. I hope it stays that way for a very long time too.
I’m so glad you’ve found a good way to manage Roxy’s pain! It’s so hard to see them suffering.
I can only say that you are giving Roxy great care. She’s such a loving little dog how heartbreaking it must have been to see her personality change. I know you said that its not weather related but I wonder if one of those little heated beds would make her more comfortable when she’s in pain. Like mom when she puts a heating pad on her neck. Thanks for sharing your story about Roxy’s bad back. Love Dolly
Glad you’re managing her well! As a Dachshund owner, a back issue is one of my greatest fears.
DM
The human sometimes get bad backache too and she just rolls around in bed, so we know how you feel Roxy! Good thing you have a solution for it! Stay well!
Poor Roxy. I know what it’s like to live with a back that always hurts.
Chester, at 12, still loves to hike a lot. If we overdo it, I can tell he’s uncomfortable for a couple days after.
We are sorry to hear about Roxy’s bad back. Thanks for sharing her story.
Awww, poor Roxy! Back problems are no fun at all! So glad that you found a solution for her pain that doesn’t otherwise compromise her health! Thanks for sharing your story :)
Oh poor Roxy, back pain is awful! It’s great that you are able to keep her comfy with a little bit of Rimadyl though. She looks like a sweetheart :)
I’m so glad that you have found something that works for her, and that there are no bad side effects from it. It’s so tough to see them in pain!
Awe, poor little girl. I’m so glad the meds help. And I love that you can carry her in a backpack when she gets tired.
I’m so glad that you’ve managed it so well, with no surgery. One other thing to consider, if you ever need it, is acupuncture. We had an old lab (14) who would wake up some mornings in such pain that he couldn’t walk (despite Rimadyl and tramadol). We’d drop him off to spend the day with our vet who would do 2-3 acuptuncture treatments during that day, and he’d come home like a new dog!