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Advice/opinions needed!

773 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  WIBackpacker 
#1 ·
I'll summarize as quickly as I can. MY BOY IS 4 y.o.

About 6 months ago my dog was exercising pretty intensely with me (biking, hiking, swimming, etc.) and one day I noticed all of a sudden he had a limp on his right front leg. After a few days of no change I took him to the vet. Pain relieving meds for a week and very little change. Decided to get x-rays done. Conclusion said "inconclusive evidence of mild elbow dysplasia" and the vet also told me possible early signs of arthritis. From there on she recommended finishing out the pain/anti inflammatory meds and easing up on exercise because the results were inconclusive. He seems to always have a very very slight hitch in his strut now, and it is only truly noticeable after some good exercise.

What do you guys think I should do?
any exercises
any supplements

any recommendations at all are appreciated!

THANK YOUUUUUU :smile2:
 
#3 ·
That video was definitely an interesting watch. I liked her idea of canine physical therapy. I actually just requested a copy of his past xrays which I will post on here in hopes for some opinions in the near future. Interesting concepts presented in that video and i appreciate the link!
 
#4 ·
I would visit a physical therapy vet, they will know much more than your regular vet, and will also be able to set up an exercise routine that will help strengthen needed areas. You can also visit a board certified surgeon, surgery can be done very successfully on the elbow, we do the surgery all the time and see great results. I think orthopedic surgeries like this should always be done in conjunction with proper rehabilitation.
 
#6 ·
See if you can get a vet with lots of orthopedic experience to take a look at the X-rays.

I spent a bunch of money earlier this year figuring out a problem with my 7-year old, a change in movement and some apparent pain that only showed up after certain types of exercise. The first vet looked at the Xrays and couldn't find anything. The second (orthopedic) vet looked at the same set of Xrays, squinted, zoomed in on one tiny little "dot" on the films, walked over to my dog and touched a spot on her spine, and diagnosed the injury in minutes. This vet recommended a temporary change in exercise patterns, the symptoms were 100% gone after 60 days. I also started her on Springtime's Longevity supplement, on a friend's recommendation.

Best wishes, hopefully this is something that can be easily overcome and managed.
 
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