USVI-On-Line

Do you have Lager on a glucosamine supplement or any ant-inflammatory meds? might help him get around better.

LysaC wrote:Do you have Lager on a glucosamine supplement or any ant-inflammatory meds? might help him get around better.

He is on Joint Something 3 from Drs. Long and Foster (it's glucosamine and other stuff for arthritic dogs) and also Rimadyl (we have his blood tested every 6 months to watch his liver function). I also took him to an acupuncturist. She had me put him on a diet and we got him down from 106 to about 90 lbs. This definitely helped too. My Mom walks him every day for me but she was also giving him too many treats - she was loving him to death.

You should also try giving him fish oil supplements. 1 or 2 capsules per day. We get ours from CVS in big bottles. Our 7 yr old lab mix tore one of the two ligaments behind her kneecap. Our vet did not recommend surgery to repair it as it probably would not hold. That was about 8 months ago and after taking gluco supplement called glyco-flex stage 2 and a daily fish oil supplement she is about 80% back to normal. She can run and walk. Does have a limp from time to time, but with us putting her on a weight loss type food and the supplements she has a new lease on life. I also think having a younger sister that was 2 when all this happened helped a bunch. The older one is a follower type dog and will follow a lead, but if there is no lead she would just lay there and not do much. Thus the young one sort of forces the older one to get up and moving. I can see us always having 2 dogs, one younger than the other by a few years. I think it helps both of them out. The young one learns some manners and loose some of the puppy like characteristics and the older one sort of picks up some the puppy like characteristics. It just works out well IMO.

Hope you give the 2 yr old a shot.

Yeah, we give our dogs Fish oil vitamins...they are stinky so don't get it on your hands...REALLY good for their skin/coats...

Our elderly Rotti is on fish oil too. one of those verterinary brands that we are probably paying waay to much for.

the stuff does wonders for his old man skin & coat. if we run out for a week or two, his skin gets all flaky and his coat gets dusty.

I'll look into the fish oil - thank you all for the recommendation.

Well, sadly, I called about the dog when I was told the contact would be home (3pm today). I was told that they found another home That was very quick since my mom was just approached at about 9 a.m. this morning. I guess it wasn't meant to be. We will definitely rescue our next dog.

Thanks again for all the great advice!

CG, we definitely will. I have a customer who works for a lab rescue and I've been checking out their site. I also have a friend who now has 3 kids under 2 and she's thinking about giving up her lab/boxer mix Reilly.

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wishyouwerethere, I totally know how you feel. When Foster died (also from cancer at 12 years 3 months - his passing story is pretty remarkable) we were so happy to still have Lager. Especially, since he is Foster's son and we still had a part of him.

Where do you get the product that you give your dog?

PIA, thanks for your suggestion also - I'll check out the site. We always called our dogs 'the boys'...I still say it and then correct myself and say 'the boy'.

Nancy

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