Help my collie get back on track

I've been reading Dogs Today for a few years now but this is the first time I've asked for advice. My Border Collie has suffered an injury to his back. My vet thinks its a trapped nerve or a slipped disk and as given him anti-inflammatory (rimifin) tablets with six-weeks rest. If that doesn't work its not looking good as he's 12 years old.

Has anybody tried anything along the lines of hydrotherapy, Tellington touch or reflexology in cases like this, or could recommend anything to get him more mobile?

Any advice would be much appreciated

Ray Thrush, by email

Richard Allport, vet, advises…

My advice is to find a vet who practises acupuncture – check the website www.abva.co.uk for details of vets in your area. Acupuncture has a good success rate in relieving pain and discomfort in all spinal conditions, and can often slow or stop deterioration of disc (and other spinal) problems.

Hydrotherapy and manipulative therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic should be considered with great caution, as there is the possibility of aggravating the condition, and a definite diagnosis of exactly what is causing the symptoms would be necessary before any such therapy could be advised.

Massage therapies such as the Bowen technique and Tellington T touch may have some beneficial effect, as might reflexology, but none of these are likely to give the same level of improvement as acupuncture.

Natural herbal anti inflammatories such as Turmeric, Devil’s claw and Yarrow complex would be helpful and could well be effective enough to replace the pharmaceutical drugs your vet has dispensed, which often cause adverse effects in dogs, especially if given long term.

I’m sure there are natural treatments that will help your Border Collie – in my view 12 years is not old – it should be the prime of life!

Age concern

My Golden Retriever is now 10 and is a lot slower than she once was. Is it worth me switching her to a senior diet? What I want to know is what differences there are between adult food and senior food, and if the dog’s body changes to the point where a change in diet if necessary.

If you could provide me with some information I would be very grateful.

Mrs P. Austin, by email

Healthy renal diet

Any advice on feeding a renal diet for my nearly 13-year-old dog (for early stages kidney failure – that shows in blood, but not behaviour)?
Fat content of prescription diet seems high (22%). For the price I could feed pre-prepared raw (presumably more balanced than I could prepare myself), or other good protein food, but how to lower phosphorous levels?
Happy to research but don't know where to start! It doesn't have to be raw, I am opening my mind to any helpful food.
Any clues please?
Tamsin, by email

Old timer

Hello Dogs Today,

My Lab, Molly, is getting on a bit now and doesn’t enjoy such long walks anymore. A friend suggested adding supplements to her diet to ease her joints, but I’ve had a look online and there are so many that I don’t know where to start. Some make quite substantial claims that they can perform miracles too.

Can you tell me which supplements would help Molly along a bit, and how they work? If any readers could recommend any good ones I’d be grateful.

Thank you,

Sally Probert, by email

Cold shoulder... and other joints

Now that the colder weather is here my seven-year-old boxer, Boris, is much less bouncy than usual. In fact, when he gets up in the morning he really seems quite stiff in some of his joints and on a very chilly day he’s almost reluctant to go for his morning walk, although once he’s got going he does seem to find all his energy again. I have to say, I know how he feels, as my joints aren’t great in the cold weather either!

He doesn’t seem to be in pain as such, just slowing down a bit and I don’t like the idea of putting him on drugs long term. Is there any way of making an older dog’s life a bit more comfortable in the winter?

Pam Duncan, Chelmsford



Alison Logan, vet, advises...

Stiffness is painful, as I am often telling my clients, and I speak from experience. Chronic pain is also very wearing (and, again, I speak from experience) and can have all manner of subtle effects such as depressing one’s mood. As you have quite rightly noticed, it is the colder weather which can often make stiff joints play up and need some extra support. Boris is only middle-aged, but Boxers are indeed very bouncy by nature which puts stress on the joints. His relatively young age is no reason to dismiss the stiffness you describe as not needing drugs long term although, fortunately, there are alternatives to try first.

First port of call is Boris’s weight. Is he the correct weight for his size, ie is he at an ideal body condition with a waistline, just able to discern his ribs? If he is overweight then losing that weight may be all that he needs to be less stiff, especially if he becomes fitter at the same time. Swimming is a great form of exercise, being non-weight-bearing, and could help him improve his general level of fitness as well as achieving an ideal bodyweight and muscling up.

Two or three short walks per day are going to suit stiff joints better than one long walk. Choosing softer terrain will be less concussive on the joints, and days when the ground is frozen hard will be particularly problematical. Try to avoid that special long walk at weekends when you have more time than during the week. Boris is going to fare best on a constant walk regime.

There are also dietary measures you can take. Feeding a food formulated with joint support in mind is one way, or adding a glucosamine/chondroitin/essential fatty acid supplement such as Yumove to his usual food. There are also joint chews and the like, but do allow for the extra calories they involve. Carrying extra weight is really not a good idea for the joints – I cannot over-emphasise that fact!

A magnetic collar is also worth considering. I have had some really good results, and this is certainly a straight forward thing to do.

Giving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID is not an admission of defeat. Doing this can be very useful for determining if the stiffness is painful: if it improves with a trial course of NSAID, or even if there is just an improvement in the overall demeanour, then there must have been an element of pain present. The NSAID may be needed on a regular basis, or for spells of a few days during a flare-up precipitated by over-exercise or cold weather, for example. The choice of NSAID depends on how a particular dog reacts to it, just as in humans one NSAID may suit one person but be ineffective or cause a stomach upset in someone else.

Walking my dogs is the best part of my day, when I can switch off and just enjoy their company and the countryside. Looking after their joints is important from puppyhood so that they too can look forward to their walks into old age.

How can I keep the spring in their step?

We have two working Springers who are fit and healthy, Ben is six and Ella is two, and my husband regularly works them. They are, obviously, very active dogs, enjoying long country walks too, and I’m wondering what I should do to keep them in prime condition. Our last dog became quite arthritic, and although she had regular hydrotherapy and massage sessions she did need to be prescribed pain relief towards the end of her life; also the costs of the treatment did mount up. I really want to do all I can to ensure that Ben and Ella enjoy an active and pain-free old age. Any tips?

Jane Foster, Andover, Hants

Christine Bailey, Dogs Today, said...

I’m sure you’ll get a lot of advice here. Some people (normally the manufacturers!) recommend using supplements such as glucosamine as a preventative, but when I’ve discussed this with my own vets their opinion is that while these can be effective at treating stiffness, there is no evidence that they work to prevent it. You’ll need to make up your own mind on that.
I was lucky enough recently to be offered a trial of a product called the Springs Things Massage Rug. It’s actually a coat that incorporates two “massage modules” that work on rechargeable batteries to give your dog an all-over body massage! Sounds a bit odd but it’s very effective, it’s simple to use and would enable you to give each of your dogs a massage a couple of times a week or as required. Some people are good at massage, but I’m afraid I’m not one of them, so this worked for me – well, for my dog, anyway! The rug has two settings, gentle for older or more sensitive dogs, and slightly stronger for heavily muscled, fitter dogs. I used the gentle setting on my 12-year-old Airedale, and although at first he seemed a little puzzled, he soon relaxed into it and enjoyed the sensation.
The massage lasts for ten minutes; there is an automatic cut-off so you don’t need to set a timer. Then you simply pop the batteries onto charge for the next time. The rug costs £199, which is pretty good value when you think of the cost of a professional massage! It’s available from www.springsthings.co.uk

Quality extra time

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

Crying out for a solution to tear stains!

Dear Dogs Today,
I have a 12 year old female Westie who has had tear staining around the eyes for about two years now. Our vet has told us that this is just age, she is healthy and I know that some breeds are prone to this. We are clearing the 'gunk' from her eyes almost twice a day now and I wash the stains away with warm water at least once a week. The hair around her eyes is trimmed inbetween grooms as well. This is not a chore to us, we do it because we don't want her to have any infections etc but I think she'd prefer it if we didn't keep pestering her!
There are many products on the market specifically for this but I don't like the idea of applying cream to the area (especially not the kind you leave on over night) and ideally I'd like to give her a natural supplement that will also keep her joints healthy as she is getting on. My question is can Omega 3 eg flax seed oil be used to treat the tear stains from internally? I have read that Omega 3 can be good for this as well as for joint care - where can I buy it from and how can it be given? I have found a few things online but would like the opinions of professionals and owners with this problem. I have also read that food can be a cause of this but she is on a good brand of food. It seems like a very common problem that is not discussed enough and when it is, 'old age' is never a listed cause. I feel that a lot of issues facing older dogs - that are not life threatening - are not discussed enough, such as 'crusty' noses.

Thanks,
Emma, Manchester

(p.s. Please pass on my delight and best wishes to Manda Scott & new pup Abigail! I have really enjoyed following Manda's journey and found the information she has shared invaluable.)


Nick Thompson, holistic vet, advises:
You're absolutely right. I find that if there is not a specific drug, procedure or food to help a problem, it is often not talked about enough. Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and natural nutrition can help broaden the range of conditions we vets are able to treat. Many vets are now sympathetic to these forms of medicine, so it's always worth asking your vet to refer you to a specialist.
Tear staining, or ephiphora, as we vets call it, can be due to a number of causes. Conditions causing increased tear production can give rise to it, as can problems that affect drainage of normal tears (that keep the eye ball moist) from the eye.
In a 12-year-old Westie who has had both eyes affected for two years, my first thought goes to blocked drainage of the eye. The naso-lachrymal ducts are small holes on the lower eyelid closest to the nose. They connect to a really fine tube, as fine as cotton, that drains into the nasal passage. This is why you have to blow your nose when you cry - excess tears land up in the nose and need to be cleared.
Vets can easily check if this duct is blocked or not by putting a simple dye, called fluoresceine, into the eye. You may have seen this before - they are the orange drops that they put into the eye that immediately turn green. They're used to find small scratches on the surface, the cornea, of the eye, too. Dye placed in the eyes should drain to the nose in about a minute and be seen as a green dribble from the nostril. If it takes more than two minutes it suggests there is a bit of a blockage or narrowing of the duct. If it doesn't appear at all, then it shows a complete block.
Nasolachrymal ducts can become blocked with matter from the eyes, can be squeezed by tissue growth nearby or can narrow if they've been inflamed in the past. If they just have a bit of matter in them, they can be flushed gently while the patient is anaesthetised. While they are under, your vet can investigate other causes of blockage if they are don't flush through, too.
Dogs who frequently get blocked ducts can benefit from a combination of homeopathic Pulsatilla and Silica 30c in combination. Weekly dosing can reduce the need for flushing. This can also be increased when they look like they are blocking.
You mention Omega 3 fatty acids and crusty noses. Omega 3 is very useful to promote the body's anti-inflammatory capability. This then can help with inflammation in the skin or the joints. I put most of my patients on these supplements. Even conventional vets use these supplements, so it's worth talking to your vet for the best fatty acid supplement for your Westie.
Crusty noses can be a real problem. Fatty acid supplements can help, as can human, edible Brewer's Yeast. I dose about a teaspoon per 10 kg bodyweight per day. It's full of B vitamins and this helps liver function, energy levels as well as sorting some crusty noses and boosting older dogs. Give it a go!
I could talk all day about niggly problems we see in older dogs, but we'll have to leave this to another question. Good luck!