Miko's Health (updates and more)

seashel said:
Oddly Merlin won't sleep on the memory foam bed I made him either.:no: Revel loves his.

At least you have a diagnosis now for what's wrong and a means of treating it. I forget how cold your weather is but cold/damp can make arthritis worse. I know because it affects mine. If he's sleeping a lot, especially a deep sleep, he won't be moving around as much so staying in one position for a prolonged time could account for the arthritis being sore too. Magnets on the collar is meant to help with arthritis. There is a product called Bioflow designed for this.
http://www.ecomagnets.com/bioflow-animals.htm
Also, have you thought about canine massage? It's something you can do while he is sleeping and will improve circulation and general stiffness and is completely non invasive.
http://www.monkeysee.com/play/2163-how-to-massage-your-dog

Pity about the puppy pads not being a success but good to hear he's eating well and has got some weight back on.:smile2:

:hugs to you and Miko.
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I'll look into the magnets. I know some people swear by all those things. copper, magnets, ions, etc.

Not sure he'd put up with a massage. Well maybe more so than the acupuncture my vet recommended. Hmm....people swear by both of those too. Maybe I'll check out the link though.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have been giving him Tramadol at night (if he looks like he needs it). He seems to be less stiff in the AM. But then, I guess the Tramadol is only masking the pain, not really helping with the actual arthritis.
 
BarbV said:
Hugs to you! In many ways I was blessed because Timber tanked so quick. He went from healthy to emergency in one day, and then he was gone.

I feel your pain, but I know that you will know what is right for youand your baby.
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I'm not sure what way would be worse. Sigh. Hugs to you for having to go through that....and all of Bacca's issues too. I know we all try to do what is best for them. It's all we can do since they can't talk.

Thanks for the support.
 
k9kreationz said:
I'll look into the magnets. I know some people swear by all those things. copper, magnets, ions, etc.

Not sure he'd put up with a massage. Well maybe more so than the acupuncture my vet recommended. Hmm....people swear by both of those too. Maybe I'll check out the link though.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have been giving him Tramadol at night (if he looks like he needs it). He seems to be less stiff in the AM. But then, I guess the Tramadol is only masking the pain, not really helping with the actual arthritis.
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Callie had multiple acupuncture treatments and did not mind them at all. I wish I had started them earlier. She had one canine massage and was less tolerant of that.......
 
We have gotten an x-pen to put Maggie in at night time, she wanders and gets stuck and then goes into the vertical blinds and can't get out. She is sleeping better and so are we. She does sleep alot during the day.
 
k9kreationz said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I have been giving him Tramadol at night (if he looks like he needs it). He seems to be less stiff in the AM. But then, I guess the Tramadol is only masking the pain, not really helping with the actual arthritis.
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Deska's on Tramadol for his arthritis, it makes him hump so I guess it feels gooood. While tramal doesnt target the arthritis like an NSAID it will still help. They move more when they have less pain and it's really important to build the muscle mass around the sore joints to alleviate the pressure. Also, I listened to an interesting interview about pain management in dogs and the specialist was saying that chronic pain can effect the central nervous system and become entrenched seperate from the problem site so it's important to break that cycle.

Btw - if you have a choice between the human tramal and the dog one go with the human version. The human one has an enteric coating so doesn't have a taste - Deska informs me the doggy one tastes yuck and he doesn't like eating it.
 
*Caro said:
Deska's on Tramadol for his arthritis, it makes him hump so I guess it feels gooood. While tramal doesnt target the arthritis like an NSAID it will still help. They move more when they have less pain and it's really important to build the muscle mass around the sore joints to alleviate the pressure. Also, I listened to an interesting interview about pain management in dogs and the specialist was saying that chronic pain can effect the central nervous system and become entrenched seperate from the problem site so it's important to break that cycle.

Btw - if you have a choice between the human tramal and the dog one go with the human version. The human one has an enteric coating so doesn't have a taste - Deska informs me the doggy one tastes yuck and he doesn't like eating it.
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Thanks for the info. I will say one thing. My vet was saying to not make Miko walk when we go out for potty breaks. But usually I take him with me with Koji and he walks slow, but he makes it. I figured it was good for him. Now with the Tramadol, I'm not giong to feel as guilty, since he won't be in as much pain, and I do try to rebuild his muscle. I really do think moving into a first floor apt made him lose his muscle mass that much faster.

As for the enteric coating, I don't think it'll matter. I have to cut the pills into fourths anyways. I just use a fourth of a pill pocket. He seems to eat it okay. Tell Deska, most pills taste yucky anyways. :ick
 
I'm not giving Miko his Tramadol everyday, however, I have noticed a few things that have come from it (or the lack of the cognitive dysfunction drug). Over the past few days, Miko has been really good at not peeing or pooping overnight. I went to bed around 10:30pm last night and he didn't use his diaper. Granted, he was running to the grass (that'd be a fast walk for him), but he held it overnight. That hasn't happened in a very long time. He also hasn't been pooping in the house. Maybe he's sleeping better and therefore, not pacing, which would make him have to go? Who knows.

All I know is that last night was the first night in maybe months that I slept for 8 hours and didn't wake up to poop in the house and a heavy diaper (or pee on the carpet pre-diaper days).
 
Arthritis

I'm sitting here and my knee is aching. I don't have arthritis, but I know it acts up with the weather changes.

Although Miko isn't showing any discomfort, do you think I should give him a pain pill? I mean, if my knee is acting up, wouldn't you think his shoulders are?

Thoughts?

(I could use the pain pill right now, maybe I'll go find me some ibuprofen.)

Also wanted to add. He seems to be able to hold his urine a lot more. I fell asleep this afternoon and he had been wandering around, it was way past his time to go out and no accident. He walked fast to the grass. Interesting. Maybe the anipryl was making it worse? Very weird. Also, less poop accidents. He's also been coming to me more for scratches and nothing more.
 
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