# My beautiful aging boy - lower mobility



## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

Hello,

Cooper is at least 9 years old and about 92-95lbs (vet and chiro say he's a healthy weight, but not to gain any). He was a rescue so age isn't exact, he may be 10. His mobility is definitely deteriorating and I'd love some advice.He was diagnosed with hind end weakness, deteriorating back leg muscles, and they think he has some nerve compression in his low back. He was doing really good, but in the last few weeks he's progressively slowed down on his walks.

Current regimen:

Raw diet, Stella and Chewy frozen beef patties - he gets breakfast and dinner
Adored Beast Fido's Flora probiotics and Healthy Gut digestive enzymes (half doses of each with each meal)
Adored Beast Liver Tonic (keeps his yeast issues under control)
Inflapotion by Glacier's Peak (dosed following package guidelines, split between meals) - Inflapotion for Dogs
Boswelia Complex w/ Turmeric (2 capsules per day, Rx from vet) - https://www.amazon.com/Boswellia-Complex-120t-by-MediHerb/dp/B00D3VY2KC
Adequan injections (monthly - should we increase this?)
Levothyroxine, thyroid meds, .7mg (diagnosed 2020, has been stable, regularly tested)
Cobalequin (B12 and Folate for dogs, Rx from vet after blood testing 2021)
We recently took him in to a first physical therapy appointment and will be working on his exercises (balancing on one back leg, elevating front legs, stepping over tall objects). He also sees a chiropractor monthly for laser therapy. The vet at the time didn't think we needed pain pills since he was more active, but maybe we're at that point? He does not drag his toes. He tends to overcompensate with his front legs and then winds up limping on one side.

Unfortunately, he is allergic to brewer's yeast and shellfish so joint supplements have resulted in major skin flare ups. He's an itchy guy with a reoccurring yeast infections in ears and belly. We manage this with Chlorhexidine sprays and bath and keeping allergens out of his diet.

I scanned through the Senior Dog post pinned at the top but many links didn't work (perhaps outdated).
*__*
Edited to add:
I forgot to say that I just started:

Collagile Pet - https://smile.amazon.com/Collagile-...099FHTS24/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
MSM - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OY3RNY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Searching through this forum, I found I need to add:

Fish oil - I have Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega on hand so I'll give him that 2x a day
Vit E - I have this on hand and will do 200 IU 2x a day https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00128WZKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Vit C - I have this on hand and will do 500mg 2x a day (camu camu and rose hips) Resilien-C
NEM - will order
CQO10 - will order
*_*

I would love to hear recommendations!

Thank you!
Rebecca

Pictures of my precious guy:


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

What I can recommend is to take more weight off him. These guys need to be skinny, and I wouldn’t call him that.
What vets nowadays call a healthy weight, in my opinion, is always overweight. Look at vintage pictures of German shepherds and you will see a huge difference.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

You might look at some of the other post-op recommendations for dogs that have had a TPLO (you are doing some of the exercises already). They do a lot of small, strengthening exercises for the back end since the dog has usually lost muscle mass from injury and then recovery from surgery. One thing I would do is more free walk/excursions instead of leashed ones. That way they aren't forced to walk at a regimented pace, but rather can go at their own.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

My male shepherd is the largest GSD I've owned. He was about 25 inches at the shoulder, and I kept him at between 75 and 80 lbs. Take some more weight off that dog - agree with what Sunflowers said!


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

Thanks for the comments so far. I will work on reducing his weight even further.



Galathiel said:


> You might look at some of the other post-op recommendations for dogs that have had a TPLO (you are doing some of the exercises already). They do a lot of small, strengthening exercises for the back end since the dog has usually lost muscle mass from injury and then recovery from surgery. One thing I would do is more free walk/excursions instead of leashed ones. That way they aren't forced to walk at a regimented pace, but rather can go at their own.


He is free to choose his pace as we have a very long expandable leash. He's not trustworthy off leash as sounds spook him and he will try to run home. I will look into the post op exercises! Thanks for that suggestion!


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

stpdpny said:


> Thanks for the comments so far. I will work on reducing his weight even further.
> 
> 
> He is free to choose his pace as we have a very long expandable leash. He's not trustworthy off leash as sounds spook him and he will try to run home. I will look into the post op exercises! Thanks for that suggestion!


I'm mainly talking about an enclosed area where he can run around off leash instead of 'walks', if possible. A yard or some place, not a dog park unless it's empty.


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

Galathiel said:


> I'm mainly talking about an enclosed area where he can run around off leash instead of 'walks', if possible. A yard or some place, not a dog park unless it's empty.


Got it! We have a very large fenced in yard. I'll get him out there more. He tends to just lay down on the grass and roll around after he's done his patrolling haha. We'll do it more often in small spurts rather than once.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I have this discussion with my vet ongoing. Veterinary opinion is that senior dogs should carry a few extra pounds to see them through any decline or illness. I understand the logic but my opinion is that they should be as thin as a younger dog because we don't want strain on aging/deteriorating joints and tendons.
I have an 11 year old dog that goes for multiple walks daily, totaling around 5-6kms. Just nice walks. Our current vet says she is the healthiest German Shepherd she has seen in years. Shadow cannot run due to some thickening of injured tendons. She just does not want to. 
I keep her lean, keep her active and feed her good food. She was going in for chiropractic adjustments once a month.


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

I forgot to say that I just started:

Collagile Pet - https://smile.amazon.com/Collagile-...099FHTS24/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
MSM - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OY3RNY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Searching through this forum, I found I need to add:

Fish oil - I have Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega on hand so I'll give him that 2x a day
Vit E - I have this on hand and will do 200 IU 2x a day https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00128WZKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Vit C - I have this on hand and will do 500mg 2x a day (camu camu and rose hips) Resilien-C
NEM - will order
CQO10 - will order


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

My seniors who are experiencing pain or lameness get Adequan every 2 weeks. Monthly is for dogs whose arthritis is well controlled without symptoms. I can almost always tell when we're due for a shot, because they start getting "creaky" in their movements. 

If the pain progresses, I recommend that you ask the vet about Galliprant. It's a next-gen pain med. It's in the NSAID category, but it doesn't work like the older COX inhibitors and it's much gentler on the stomach. It's pretty expensive at $2-$3 per pill, but I've seen much better results and tolerance of it than older drugs like Carprofen.

With Nordic Naturals, I use the Omega-3 Pet for large dogs (big blue glass bottle). My vet likes this one because it is one of the few dog supplements she's looked at that has the right amount of both EPA and DHA for big dogs. Mine love the taste. Keep it in the fridge!


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

Magwart said:


> My seniors who are experiencing pain or lameness get Adequan every 2 weeks. Monthly is for dogs whose arthritis is well controlled without symptoms. I can almost always tell when we're due for a shot, because they start getting "creaky" in their movements.
> 
> If the pain progresses, I recommend that you ask the vet about Galliprant. It's a next-gen pain med. It's in the NSAID category, but it doesn't work like the older COX inhibitors and it's much gentler on the stomach. It's pretty expensive at $2-$3 per pill, but I've seen much better results and tolerance of it than older drugs like Carprofen.
> 
> With Nordic Naturals, I use the Omega-3 Pet for large dogs (big blue glass bottle). My vet likes this one because it is one of the few dog supplements she's looked at that has the right amount of both EPA and DHA for big dogs. Mine love the taste. Keep it in the fridge!


Thank you!! My vet confirmed we can do Adequan every 2 weeks. I’ll order the right Omegas.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

We used Galliprant, it was very new at the time and our vet heard about on a conference she attended. It really worked with no side effects, and it was not upsetting his stomach. It made a huge difference. He had a horrible allergic reaction to rimadyl.


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## CatMan900 (May 24, 2018)

I would say keep trying the physical therapy exercises. Maybe some stretching would help?

At the end of the day, sadly, these dogs (and us) are not meant to live forever. If he gets to the point where he can't walk at all id consider saying goodbye. When I worked at a kennel when I was in high school there was this one really old really overweight golden retriever. It couldn't even stand. The poor thing would poop and pee right where it laid at. You had to put the food bowl in front of its mouth. It was sad, they let their dog go too far. It was waiting there to be put down. Not sure why the owner wouldn't want to spend the last days the dog has with it and instead kennel'd it, but I digress..

I hope the dog though does find some mobility and even if its only for a few more years can hang on and maintain a good quality of life and not deteriorate any further. Good luck


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

Cooper is definitely not at that point yet! He’s got lots of spunk and spazzes out and does zoomies. Just trying to help him be more comfortable! Sometimes he pays for his zoomies haha.


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## kigers24 (May 24, 2016)

Magwart said:


> My seniors who are experiencing pain or lameness get Adequan every 2 weeks. Monthly is for dogs whose arthritis is well controlled without symptoms. I can almost always tell when we're due for a
> 
> 
> stpdpny said:
> ...


I've seen a lot of success with Adequan in dogs at Animal Hospitals I've worked at over the years. I will definitely use it if I ever have an issue with one of mine as they get older. It's by prescription only.
Dasuquin with MSM is a good supplement also. One of the vets I worked for used it a lot along with Adequan. No prescription needed for Dasuquin.
The problem with Adequan is the twice weekly loading dose for 4 weeks is expensive. We give it IM. You have to know what your doing to give a shot IM to a dog. The hospital I manage won't allow owners to give IM injections at home, only SubQ. So they have to come to the hospital to get the injections.
Agree on the Galliprant. It's really good.


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

kigers24 said:


> I've seen a lot of success with Adequan in dogs at Animal Hospitals I've worked at over the years. I will definitely use it if I ever have an issue with one of mine as they get older. It's by prescription only.
> Dasuquin with MSM is a good supplement also. One of the vets I worked for used it a lot along with Adequan. No prescription needed for Dasuquin.
> The problem with Adequan is the twice weekly loading dose for 4 weeks is expensive. We give it IM. You have to know what your doing to give a shot IM to a dog. The hospital I manage won't allow owners to give IM injections at home, only SubQ. So they have to come to the hospital to get the injections.
> Agree on the Gabapentin. It's really good.


Our vet prescribed the Adequan as all SubQ, even the loading doses. Unfortunately, my boy had allergy flare ups on Dasuquin - possibly due to the shellfish.


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## kigers24 (May 24, 2016)

stpdpny said:


> Our vet prescribed the Adequan as all SubQ, even the loading doses. Unfortunately, my boy had allergy flare ups on Dasuquin - possibly due to the shellfish.


I've heard some people do give it SubQ. We only give it per manufactures directions which is IM. Do it the way your vet prescribed and hoping it works to help Cooper. Not all dogs respond to Adequan but a lot do with excellent results. It's certainly worth trying. It's great you can do the laser therapy! 
It's suppose to be Galliprant, not Gabapentin (I noticed that in the Quote). Gabapentin is also used for pain also but it's a totally different drug. I went back and edited it. Didn't proof read it before posting it. 
For me personally I'd ask the vet about Galliprant if mine ever have some kind of mobility issues as they age but for me I would start with the Adequan first. You know your dog well and will be able to tell what's working for him.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Joanne Fleming has seen incredible results in older dogs and those with spinal issues when using a product called fluid action HA


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

Update -

The following has resulted in a big improvement in his energy and enjoyment of walks!

Adequan - Increased this to every two weeks (vet approved)
NEM - 1 capsule with breakfast only - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FS89BA4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nordic Natural Omega 3 Pet - 1 tspn per meal - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZTL3ZK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Vitamin E - I200 IU per meal - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00128WZKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ester C Powder - 1000mg per meal (1/4 tspn) - Amazon.com
Doctor's Best Hyaluronic Acid w/ Chondroitin and Collage - 1 capsule per meal - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003C5F8FW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
We're also trying out coconut oil to help with his reoccurring yeast issues.

Thanks all!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

stpdpny said:


> Update -
> 
> The following has resulted in a big improvement in his energy and enjoyment of walks!
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for posting this, I ordered some of that Doctor’sbest for Hans.


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## stpdpny (Nov 4, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> Thank you so much for posting this, I ordered some of that Doctor’sbest for Hans.


Welcome! My guy is allergic to shellfish and brewers yeast so can’t do the regular joint supplements (Dasuquin, Cosequin etc)


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## Honey Maid (Dec 25, 2020)

Great to hear you found something that works for him, thanks for the update!


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