I have two elderly Jack Russell crosses (a bitch and male), both neutered who I have owned since they were puppies. One is 11 1/2 and still quite active and able to enjoy walks and play with balls and toys. The older, male is now in his 16th year and having been reasonably active up until earlier this year has now been diagnosed with arthritis in his front legs as well as having a severe heart murmur (caused by an enlarged heart) and a luxating patella in one of the rear legs which latterly has the effect of making them rather wobbly. He has been on Vetmedin and Fortekor for some years which have successfully helped him cope with the enlarged heart and was recently put on a short course of Rimadyl to see if this would help with the lameness on the front leg (assumed to be caused by arthritis). Sadly the Rimadyl appears to have had little affect and he now finds walking quite an effort. Inevitably the heart condition is also deteriorating so even without the lameness, he is increasingly finding activity more of an effort.
I have reduced his walks to two or three very short (10 minutes or so), slow ones a day. However, he has always been a dog who has enjoyed being active and training and although at his age he is sleeping a lot more, I wonder if other readers have any ideas of things I could do with him which do not involve running around but which might give him a little enjoyment and stimulation in what is probably his final year?
Many thanks
Fiona
You could try feeding them their meals in a treat ball or Kong. Also, there are many interactive games availble now such as the Nina Ottosson toys. These can be expensive though, so maybe you could have a go at making your own. I saw one clip online a few weeks ago using a cake baking tray and tennis balls with a little treat hidden underneath the balls.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that dogs enjoy learning new things at any age, even the oldies. Think up some new tricks (even if it is just for fun) and do a couple of ten minute training sessins each day :-)
Firstly, well done you for not giving up on an old dog, and adapting to his new needs. Obviously this care is the secret to having gotten him to 16 in the first place.
ReplyDeleteYou could try putting his meals in activity toys like these: http://tinyurl.com/3x3yd4o. They would keep his mind active and have him thinking, but without having to move around too much or worry about anyone else's pace. Obviously if he is getting lots of treats and little exercise weight gain would be an issue, but if you made allowances for this it shouldn't be a problem.
You can even get treats which help with arthritis (Joint Aid for Dogs, I think they're called), so you could kill two birds with one stone! And I'm sure the younger dog would enjoy them both as well. Good luck!
Many older less active dogs enjoy the mental stimulation of Tellington Touch ground work. For full details of how you can go about providing this go to www.ttouchtteam.co.uk. There is a nationwide qualified Tellington Touch practitioner list too. It may be that a qualified animal chiropracter could be helpful.
ReplyDeleteNina Ottosson interactive toys can be obtained at www.nina-ottosson.com
Information on the affects of Neem chew sticks on arthritis can be seen at www.neemgenie.co.uk There are many alternatives to rimadyl available, but given your dogs' veterinary needs I would suggest getting a referral to a homeopathic vet to identify the best medication to use. Doreen Simpkins
www.haveahappyhound.co.uk www.happyhoundgrooming.co.uk
I helped care for a JRT who damaged a disc in her back. When she was not quite mobile, but no longer immobile I taught her to search newspaper for smelly treats, and worked up to stuffing toilet roll tubes with newspaper - she loved tearing them up. With an older dog and the worry of weight gain, you could feed all his dinner like this - as it's newspaper it doesn't matter if it's wet food, as any mess is thrown away. I haven't met many terriers who don't like doing this, and have even entertained Dachshunds with a box full of newspaper dinner parcels in bad weather, and of course, it's free!
ReplyDeleteI would be wary of overdoing the 'searching for food' games - surely this lovely old lad doesn't want to have to resort to his mealtimes becoming something he has to hunt for this late in life? Clearly your expert care has nursed him through so far and any dramatic changes could upset him. Does he really need anything extra now or does a little snooze between walks suit him better?
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame to hear bout your dog, I have a 13yr old collie x lurcher who also likes to be active and play football but has developed arthritis to which meant she couldnt play as much but now she is on some herbal tablets which are fantastic they have worked for both my old dogs i have had. The tablets are Mixed vegetable, and Garlic and Fenegreek and are available from dorwest herbs, they have been such a help for my old girl that she can now enjoy longer walks again and is able to play football again, to look at her whan she is playing you wouldn think she was 13. I hope you find something that can help your dog enjoy his life again to the full for as long as he can.
ReplyDeleteI have seen remarkable changes in dogs mobility using Ester C as a supplement - it can be very effective for dogs with arthritis and hip dysplacia. If you are interested, do email me and I can send you an interesting article.
ReplyDeleteGreen lipped mussel is also very beneficial.
Heidi (14 year old collie) had a grade 5 heart murmur and it was recently down-graded to a 3. we give her Cretageous (for her heart) x2 daily in her food with Dandelion to keep her fluid levels balanced. She also gets Neem Multi-caps once a day which helps to regulate the heart. The Neem Triple Treats top this effect up and also help with her mobility. (Both are available from www.mekuti.co.uk).
I have found that it's a bit like piecing a jigsaw together when you have no picture to follow! It's about finding the right combination for the individual and sometimes tweaking it as time goes by.
It would be well worth speaking to a homeopathic vet to see what they can offer into the mix.
Enjoy the journey.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I have started feeding him some of his daily food wrapped in newspaper which he loves! I already use kongs for their afternoon meals and have some treat balls. I find that without extra activities (now his walks have to be so short) he gets really whiney and restless so all your suggestions have been great.
ReplyDeleteI was going to write some ideas but everyone else has gotten there before me. This isn't you're question but I will give you advice because I have been in this situation before. You are guessing this is your dogs' final year(sadly, but he has lived to a great age)I had a Cavalier aged 12 and a whippet aged 6. My whippet is eight now though. Anyway my cavalier, Max suddenly died and left my whippet depressed. Although some people would think this is silly, dogs can get upset about this scenario. My whippet Lisa for months, barely ate, refused to walk out the door without being phsically lifted and was never herself, she never wanted to play. After afew months I couldn't take it anymore I had to have Lisa back to normal, so I got a Lakeland Terrier puppy and it was like magic within the week of the puppies' arrival Lisa was herself again. I could have cried with happiness it was an amazing feeling. I am writing this just incase your younger jack russell would mourn over the death of your other dog,as they have been together for 7 years. I just wouldn't wish it on anyone, it felt like she had lost her mojo it was awful. Just incase this happens, you know how to solve the problem.
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