Great post. But it is sometimes a bit scary especially once they start putting on weight or you read about all these stories about how certain tablets are dangerous etc..
Also, if you have ever suffered from arthritis, this really hurts! When walking with HD or ED, i would imagine this also really hurts. Dogs just do what you want them to do to try and please you.
I swear blind by one cure - and that's swimming. Buy a life jacket from ebay for £10.00 to £20.00 and swim your dog once or twice a week.
The swimming turns them around and knocks 4 to 5 years off them. But be very careful of the deadtail or droptail or the coldtail. Its all the same thing, but read up about this before swimming your labs otherwise it could end up being an expensive vet visit.
Well I was living with a dog with HD and ED for 3 years with only a suspicion that she had ED affecting life!
Have a look at all the life she has enjoyed while suffering - in the GTs section, the agility section, the gundog section.....
She is recovering from an arthroscopy in her left elbow at the moment so have yet to see what it is like living with a dog with ED and HD and knowing they have it!
I'm hoping that she'll be able to do veteran dog set up agility, controlled retrieves, lots of swimming, off lead strolls with little bro and the odd hooly with other labs. She will let me know what she's up for doing and then I will let her do a third of what she wants!!! (she is a loon after all! )
Reading your post Natalie,is uplifting.You have described precisely and eloquently your life with Maia and Jack.It has struck a cord with me because you have described exactly the last three years of Benjis' life.I can confirm what you have said, as despite Benji's incapacity he had a wonderful,active,relatively pain free life.Besides ED he had three vertebrae fused in his spine.I simply adjusted his exercise to include as much non weight baring exercise as possible.
____________ Lots of labby licks,Julian and Kenko
"The loneliness of deception" Chimpanzee study 2011
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:51 pm Post subject: Charlie's still limping
Charlie's now been put on Metacam with no walks for at least a week, apart from a few minutes a time in the garden, and with definitely no running.
We need to take him back to the vet's in about 10 days' time and, if he's still limping, he'll be x-rayed to see if the problem is muscular or skeletal. (Unfortunately he growled at the vet when being examined, which isn't like him at all, so there might be a problem with that).
He is insanely bored though so we're trying desperately to come up with ways of keeping him amused, and working off his energy without putting any further strain on his front legs.
We also discovered that he is also, to our shame, nearly a stone overweight so it's half his usual cup of food twice a day plus carrots. Needless to say, he is not a happy bunny.
Dogs with any joint problems need their brains exercised as the lack of physical exercise will cause boredom and distress.
Hide and seek is a great game to play, hide toys or treats around the house and get your dogs to find them
____________ Natalie x
LAB LINK RESCUE Co ordinator and Forum Administrator for my sins
Jack, Molly & Maia, watched over by Tara Banana from the Bridge
Wow this has encouraged me! My 8 month old puppy has ED, was diagnosed last week, and this is the support that I mentally needed! Thank you so much for this!
____________ Natalie x
LAB LINK RESCUE Co ordinator and Forum Administrator for my sins
Jack, Molly & Maia, watched over by Tara Banana from the Bridge
About 8months after discovering Luna had ED and HD <touchwood> she is doing everything I'd hoped she could in my post above!
She doesn't like cold, damp, wet days and has to have lead walks to prevent her from doing too much sometimes - she is a LOON! But lots of swimming is keeping her well and getting her weight down has helped too. Touchwood she is managing on supplements and just the odd anti-inflam dose when I notice a limp beginning.
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(she is a loon after all! 
)
Charlie's still limping
