My 12-year-old Rottie’s back legs are giving way. He’s falling or slipping quite often, especially on the tiles, so I’ve put rugs down around the house to help him get about.
I’ve been to the vet twice in the last fortnight.
The first time, the vet gave him an anti-inflammatory jab and he was doing better the next day. However, a few days later he had a fall and couldn’t move. I took him to the vet who thinks it’s probably a slipped disc. He had another injection which is meant to start working by the third day, but there’s only been a slight improvement.
It breaks my heart to see him like this; he’s lost his spark and has such a sad look in his eyes.
I’ve heard about canine osteopaths—has anyone ever used an osteopath for their dog? Or do you know of any other solutions?
I’d do anything for my dog, even though I know his age is a big factor.
Translated from French
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Hi, I’m having the same problem. Everything was fine yesterday, but this morning she couldn’t get up. She’s a Brittany Spaniel I rescued because she was in a really bad way.
Thanks for getting back to me.
He did some blood tests, and the results were fine. He mentioned a scan too, but he reckons there’s no point given his age. I’m going to call another vet tomorrow for a second opinion. I forgot to mention that he's become incontinent over the last few months as well. I can't stand seeing my dog like this; I'm in tears every day. As long as he isn't in pain and can still have a decent quality of life, I’m refusing to have him put down. I want to keep him by my side for as long as possible.
Hello, and Happy New Year despite everything you’re going through. My Pointer/Jack Russell cross is very hyper. He’s nearly 13 now. His back legs are starting to fail him a bit, but he still runs around like a mad thing. I make a mix of olive oil and rosemary essential oil and I massage his knees, his back legs, and especially his muscles and ligaments. Now I’m going to start massaging his back too and find him a proper supplement to build him up. He sleeps in a low bed on one of my old jackets with a thick blanket. He loves his massages. He had a wart that I managed to get rid of by rubbing it with a big orange slug. Apparently, dandelion sap is supposed to be good for warts too. There’s nothing we can do about old age, except for trying to make them comfortable or giving them a bit of a boost. Keep your chin up; it’s just the way of the world. Andre
The vet did a blood test and the results were fine.
He mentioned a scan too, but he thinks that given his age, it wouldn't be worth it.
I'm calling another vet tomorrow to get a second opinion.
I also forgot to mention that he's become incontinent over the last few months.
I can't stand seeing my dog like this, I'm in tears every day. As long as he isn't suffering and can still get by, I'll refuse to have him put down.
I want to keep him by my side for as long as I can.
Hello and best wishes for the new year despite your worries. My dog, a Pointer-Jack Russell cross, is very high-energy and is nearly 13. His back legs are slowly getting weaker but he still runs like a mad thing. I make a mix of olive oil and rosemary essential oil and massage his knees, his back legs, and especially his muscles and the ligaments in his knees. Now I'm going to start massaging his back too and find a proper treatment to help strengthen him. He sleeps in a low-sided bed on one of my old jackets with a thick blanket on top. He loves being massaged. He had a wart and I made it go away by rubbing it with a big orange slug. Apparently, dandelion sap is also good for warts. You can't do anything about old age, except for providing a bit of comfort and support. Hang in there, it’s just part of life. Andre
He did some blood tests, and the results are fine.
He mentioned a scan as well, but he says that given his age, there’s no point.
I’m calling another vet tomorrow to get a second opinion.
I also forgot to mention that he’s become incontinent over the last few months.
I can’t bear seeing my dog like this; I cry every day. As long as he isn’t suffering and can still live like this, I’ll refuse euthanasia.
I want to keep him by my side for as long as possible.
Hello, and best wishes to you despite your worries. My dog, a Pointer-Jack Russell cross, is very high-energy. He’s nearly 13 now. His back legs are slowly getting weaker, but he still runs like a mad thing. I make a mixture of olive oil and rosemary essential oil drops and I massage his knees, his hind legs, and especially his muscles and knee ligaments. Now I’m also going to start massaging his back and find a suitable treatment to help strengthen him. He sleeps in a low dog bed on one of my old jackets with a thick blanket. He loves being massaged. He had a wart that I managed to get rid of by rubbing it with a big orange slug. Apparently, the white sap from dandelions is also good for warts. There’s nothing we can do about old age, except providing a bit of comfort or support. Keep your chin up, as it’s just the way of life. Andre
Hi everyone, over the last few months I’ve noticed that my dog has started to struggle a bit with physical exertion—things like jumping into the car or going up the stairs. It’s been six months now and the stairs are getting harder and harder, which is surprising because she’s always been very active. She’s 11, so I just put it down to her getting older. I started thinking it might be hip dysplasia since she was having trouble with one of her back legs when walking. However, during our walk today, I noticed that her claws were starting to scuff along the ground. I’m beginning to fear it could be degenerative myelopathy. For those of you whose dogs have been affected, what were the symptoms? Thanks!
Good evening, my 12-year-old Newfoundland is starting to have the same problem; she keeps falling and her back legs are slipping, although she’s still eating very well. I should also mention that she does her business standing up now as she can’t manage to crouch down. I don't know what to do, should I just wait for the inevitable? The vet tells me we should just let her be as she's reached a grand old age. I'd really appreciate any advice on how to improve her quality of life. Kind regards.
Hi. I’ve only just seen all your messages, a bit late I know. I’ve got a Dogo Argentino who is nearly 12 and she’s starting to have the same problem. I’ve been looking online and it’s the same for your Rottie, my girl and many others unfortunately – it's a ‘degenerative condition’ that starts in the hindquarters and carries on bit by bit until the inevitable having to have them put to sleep.
