Thursday 18 October 2012

My life with a young arthritic slightly hip dysplasia riddled dog.


Hello everyone! Dante here, I knew I’d get myself some blog time sooner or later! We want to give a big thanks to www.dogfencediy.com for this bloggy post. Sampson does seem to be stealing the lime light lately don’t you think? Myself  and Daisy Boo were begging to feel a bit left out from all his publicity, but enough about them too this post is all about me.  Well, about me and my sore back leggy problem, it has really gotten worse over the past fews months and is making me and Mum rather sad, my whining was making everyone feel sorry for me –hehe, at least I am milking lots of attention. But Mum wants to right this post from her point of view, but don’t worry it is still about me!


Words from Mum- Dante is my first dog, the first dog that taught me everything I know, Dante taught me how to handle those sharp puppy teeth trying to chew you and your wordly possessions to peices, those seemingly endless weeks where your pup doesn’t grasp why he cannot just pee and poop where ever his heart desires and why on earth you start flailing wildly when you have a tiny..ok rather large ‘accident’ on the carpet several times a day. 

The day I got Dante I finished work and drove the 2 hours north to the border, initially to see some tiny cream 5 week old Labradoodle pups.  I drove into the outskirts of Carlisle to a lonely little farm sitting quantity in the middle of the fields- it looked like something out of a certain Werewolf film! When we pulled in we were greeted by some very aggressive barking from what we assumed was the ‘farm dog’ coming from the nearby barn. We entered the house, and were greeted by squirming yelping little cotton wool balls of pups and were told we could leave a deposit for the pup of our choice and come back to collect it in a few weeks’ time. Obviously I was smitten by the adorableness of the little ones, the breeder then went on to say that she had three 12 week old ‘Labradoodle’ pups out back that were ready to today home today. Foolishly I said I would take a ‘look’.  Twenty minutes later I had a very confused black lanky puppy sitting in the back seat of my car. A rather rash decision on my part, considering I had not seen either of his parents only this now rather bewildered pup and his two boisterous and scruffy  brothers. So to this day I do not know the true parentage of my supposed ‘Labradoodle’…now when people ask what kind of dog he is I always reply ‘He is a good dog’.

Since his puppy hood Dante has always walked with what he have called a ‘waggly’ gait, meaning his back end has always swayed with the grace of an elephant trying to do the Samba and his back left leg has flicked out at a slightly crooked angle as he ran. He was taken to our vets at the time as I was concern that he may have a hip/leg problem that would cause him issues when  he was older- but my worries were dismissed and I was told ‘it’s just the way he is’ . But that concern was always at the back of my mind. Dante had a happy healthy adolescence we were constantly going on hikes and day trips, besides his ‘waggly walk’ we had no indication that in a few short years my fuzzy bear would be struggling to go about his day to day life.




















The terrible twos -enter the Daisy Boo! When Dante hit two our second scrufster entered our lives and Dante relished the job of teacher and brother albeit with a slight limp to his walk.  We took him again to the vets who gave us several course of ant anti inflammatory tablets that did nothing to shift his limp. This limp-drug cycle continued for another year or so with Dante, not being in pain as such but he did look uncomfortable a times. We also had a spell at hydrotherapy, which amazingly made him so much worse, the poor dog was in agony after each session, we could see the benefits were seriously being over shadowed by the short term negative impact it was having on it, so after a few months he was taken off the programme.


In the few months after Sampson finally entered our lives we knew Dante wasn’t right- he was less exuberant on our walks, less active at home and as a result began to pile on the weight, which in turn made the limp and his hips much much worse.  But thankfully, due to an overdue change of vets Dante was thoroughly x-rayed with his arthritis and dysplasia confirmed which at least gave us something to work with.

Now he has been diagnosed Dante has had a few life alterations, firstly he is on the dreaded D-I-E-T, the vets did say because of his condition it would take him several months to shift the extra bulk, but that means NO treats and teeny portions of food. He still needs his walkies, but they are to be ‘gentle’ which is often hard to stick too when your arthritic dog gets his uncoordinated zoomies! Dante loves to swim, and although he over does it at times, I try to take him and just him to the beach when the tide is in so he can do what he loves most without being competitive with his brother and sister.

Along with his diet Dante is on his Joint Supplement tablets- as are Daisy Boo and Sampson. They get crushed into their second meal of the day, Daisy Boo gets one and Dante & Sampson get 2 each, to help keep their joints supple too! 

Along with drugs to help lessen the progression arthritis Dante also has his pain relieving and anti inflammatory medicine ‘Meta Cam’ which we give him if he is having one of his bad days. We try not to give him too much as in the long run it can cause liver damage so we keep its usage to the minimum.

Dante is also helped with the little things, we try not to let him jump from any great height, we have a special ramp which- although I took him some getting used too, does reduce the stress on his joints getting in and out the car. He is also encouraged not to lie on the hard floor, so he is given free reign for any sofa or bed in the house he wants!


People have said it is our fault for not buying responsibly, neither of his parents have been hip scored, but at the end of the day he was still born and I would relive this journey had with him without a second thought, he has taught me so much not only about the joys of dogs but how to see the light in everything, even when you’re hurting. Dante can keep his gentle good nature, even when he is in severe pain; I hope one day I can be as patient as my boy. Obviously in the future we will have to take further measure to keep him happy and comfortable, methods such as steroid injections and hip surgery, but that is a bridge we will cross when it comes to it, but in the meantime, although he is not the most active dog in the world, he certainly is one of the happiest!


20 comments:

  1. I say.... don't worry about what other peeps say.
    If Dante Loves YOU and YOU love HIM... that is all that matters.

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  2. Oh Dante! You are the sweetest! As your Momma said, she wouldn't have had it any other way without you!

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  3. Poor Dante, but how fortunate he is to have chosen you for his forever home. He could have ended up somewhere where no one cared to try to help him. We hope that all you are doing for him will allow him to live a long and comfortable life. He is a beautiful dog.

    Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

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  4. Dante My Friend, you are so handsome with your soft black coat and those gentle eyes. We love hearing from and about you so keep sneaking in and givin g us updates on the arthritis medication and if it is helping much.

    Your family surely does love you.

    Bert and My Vickie

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  5. Even if both parents had been hip scored, it is no guarantee that a there offspring will not develop hip dyspepsia. All it does is give a better chance of normal hips but no guarantee. Even dogs with generations of clear hips can produce dysplastic dogs. One thing you might be interested in, I just listened to a pod cast on the AKC site about early spay and neuter and problems which can arise. In addition to increased cancer risks, one thing they found was that the incidence of hip dysplasia was much increased with early spay/neuter. I think the dogs in the study were goldens. Obviously this needs to be studied more, but I would not be surprised if researchers do not eventually find a linkage.

    I hope you are able to find something that helps Dante. We train with a dog with dysplasia. He is able to run hunt tests and live a mostly normal life. But his owner keeps his weight down and he does not have a severe case.

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  6. Sounds like you're perfect for each other! It's the love that counts.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  7. Dante you are a lovely looking dog and we are so glad you are with your peeps that care so much for you. We hope you continue to take it easy and live well. Have a terrific Thursday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  8. You have each other..and all is well with the world. :)

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  9. I loved reading this, Dante is gorgeous as are all your dogs and you love them all no matter what
    that is all that matters.

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  10. That long post was long overdue. I am glad you shared Dante's story with us.Who cares if you didn't know back then. The important thing is you know what you are doing now and that's all that matters.

    I am not sure if I have given this advice to you but have you ever considered adding turmeric in his diet. I am certain it will help manage the painful days. It's a pain inhibitor and it also in reduces inflammation. I think it will help Dante and make his pains a lot more manageable. Try to check this herb out. It's done wonders on Rin.

    I am sorry I haven't visited for a while.

    Huggies and Cheese,
    Haopee

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  11. We can feel and relate to your pain with Dante. Our Schatzie has the same thing, she is on a "diet" and takes supplements and gets an canine adequan injection every 5 weeks. She's totally different dog now compared to this past June when she cried when we would just pet her. I was heart broken. We are grateful the meds are working for her and will continue them until a need for change arises.
    Like you other than them having the hip issues I won't trade anything about my girlz--they're MINE and I'm theirs :) give your pack a hug for me.

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  12. Dante, we are so pleased you found the perfect home that loves and cares for you!
    Dip Bridge and Elliot x

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  13. OMG! Dante sounds like the mirror of Freddie! Freddie was exactly the same way from a puppy and I always worried that something wasn't right and of course it isn't. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I think just as I was meant to have Freddie you were meant to have Dante. Where would they be without us and where would we be without them! I had to take Freddie off of the glucosamine as I think he was having an allergic reaction so I just started him and Gloria on salmon oil. Great post!

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  14. Howdy All, we think Dante chose you! He knew the minute he saw you, you were the family for him. What? Did you think you chose him, ahahahaha. We loved this post. We have paws crossed that Dante will enjoy his life to the best of his ability and with your help, that will be for a long, long time. Hugs to all. No worries, and love, Stella and Rory (and Carol)

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  15. What a lovely story!! Real love!!!

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  16. I loved dog stories !! Dante is so lucky to found you guys you are such a lovely pack and family !!

    And your photos are stunning as always.

    Woos of love.

    Echo & Link

    p.s :I have something sweet for you! Come see: http://huskyslife.com/food-figh/

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  17. He's a great lad! I have glucosamine every day plus cod liver oil. Deccy x

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  18. Smile With Your Tail....
    "He is a good dog.". I like that!! Perhaps Dante is, like Rose, a "Mystery Dog", too!! The best kind of mutt!! ;-D
    "...at the end of the day he was still born and I would relive this journey had with him without a second thought, he has taught me so much not only about the joys of dogs but how to see the light in everything, even when you’re hurting. Dante can keep his gentle good nature, even when he is in severe pain; I hope one day I can be as patient as my boy. " This part of the Blog post choked me up a bit!! Thank-you for sharing!! ;op
    Love, Raelyn.... And Rose, my BEAUTIFULLY UNIQUE "Mystery Dog"!!

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  19. Oh Dante, you are so precious, thanks for popping by to visit, wez love'z making new buddies, and you are so special :) xx00xx Wez put youz on our buddiez list :)

    Mollie and Alfie

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  20. Dante Buddy, IF this doesn't go to spam......My Vickie just wanted to tell you again how beautiful she thinks you are. Thanks for telling us your story, we have wondered a little about your progression to this point.

    Love
    Bert and My Vickie

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