Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Walk it Off #Dog Walking Week

By

October 1st thru the 7th is National Walk Your Dog week.  In honor of this our friends at My GBGV Life and Cascadian Nomads are hosting a blog hop.

Walking is good!

Walking is good!

Here at Heart Like a Dog not only are walks an important part of Sampson’s recovery from ACL surgery, we also LOVE walking.

Sampson and Delilah are considered ‘senior’ dogs because they are both over 7 years old.  We started walking about four years ago to help Sampson and Delilah lose weight. Before Sampson tore his ACL we walked once a day, typically in the evenings and our walks were usually between 25 and 35 minutes.  On the weekends when time was less restrictive we would often times walk up to an hour.

When I sat with the physical therapist to discuss Sampson’s recovery I told the PT that I typically walked the dogs and if I noticed they were getting tired I turned around.  She explained to me it’s better not to let them or their muscles get tired.  While it’s perfectly okay for them to walk an hour a day, it should be broken up into smaller walks.

Since Sampson’s surgery we’ve been doing two walks per day.  This actually works out to between 45 to 50 minutes during the week and an hour or better on the weekends.  The dogs are super happy about this.

While I typically let the dogs choose our walking route, once we are on our way I map out the route in my head.  When time allows we just walk, but during the week when we are walking before I have to leave for work, I set the timer on my phone for 10 minutes.  When the timer goes off (usually when I’m in the middle of picking up a poop) we turn around and head home.  In the evenings I have a bit more time so I don’t use the timer.

I wanna be first, no I wanna be!

I wanna be first, no I wanna be!

You’ve heard the saying, “A tired dog is a good dog.”  Well I’m a firm believer that tiring out the mind as well as the body is beneficial.

So here are our tips to help make for an interesting walk.

  • Bring different treats and work your dog on obedience.  We practice “with me” (similar to heel), “leave it”, “look” and “up”.  I use up when a car is coming. This means lets get up on the grass and out of the road.  Delilah is pretty good at this and will get on the grass and sit.  I don’t require Sampson to sit because I suspect he’s not always comfortable sitting.
  • If you can, vary the times of day that you go out  This is great especially if you are stuck taking the same route every day.  A change of time means a change of scents.   To free up some time in the evenings, I come home whenever possible and walk the dogs on my lunch.  Even if we go the same route we did in the morning, the smells are different at 2:00 pm.
  • If at all possible try and get your dog somewhere so they can have a little off-leash time, fenced in baseball fields are perfect for this.  You can let your dog run willy-nilly and work on their recall as well.
  • When time permits try and get your dog out onto the trails or into the woods.  There are SO many scents to explore out there and even 20 minutes will tucker them right out.  I try and get Sampson and Delilah up to our woods at least twice a week.  Just for variation.
Do you see what I see? No but sniff this.

Do you see what I see? No but I smell something.

Remember your dog’s age, physical capabilities and weather are all things to take into consideration.  When we first started walking we might have walked for 20 to 25 minutes but we didn’t cover a lot of distance.  So if your dog (or you) are out of shape, start off slowly.

With diet and exercise Sampson and Delilah lost about 30 pounds EACH.  If we can do it, so can you!

Lick Granulomas-Caring for Critters Round Robin

By

Today’s post is part of the Caring for Critters Round Robin.

Please keep in mind, I am not a vet and this is not advice on how to handle a Lick Granuloma, this is just my experience, and what worked or didn’t work for me.  Always consult your veterinarian before choosing any course of treatment.

We’ve been battling Lick Granulomas with Sampson for a couple of years now. (I wrote about it HERE, HERE and HERE.)

What is a Lick Granuloma you ask?  Web MD defines it this way, “A lick granuloma is an open sore, usually at the ankle or wrist, perpetuated by constant licking. It is seen most often in large, shorthaired dogs such as Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Labrador Retrievers, and bird dogs.” (To read the total definition, click HERE.)

As I said, we’ve been battling the Lick Granulomas for a couple of years now.

A little back story.

At the time of his first Lick Granuloma Sampson was almost eight years old.  Our lifestyle is quiet, nothing much had changed except for the occasional visit from small grandchildren.  Originally I thought it was a hot spot, but I found out differently.  I began dabbing some Witch Hazel on it twice a day and that seemed to help.

At his scheduled vet appointment my vet thought he had a soft tissue injury.  He was put on some Gabapentin which also seemed to help.  The Lick Granuloma healed up.

The following spring Sampson started at his wrists again.  I called the Holistic vet who examined him and felt he had some seasonal allergies and a sluggish liver.  He gave me some supplements which helped, but as soon as the supplements ran out, Sampson was back to licking his wrists again.

The dark areas on his paw indicate areas he licks at causing the Lick Granuloam

The dark areas on his paw indicate areas he licks at causing the Lick Granuloma

He is not discriminative, he makes Lick Granulomas on both wrists.

He is not discriminative, he makes Lick Granulomas on both wrists.

Back to our vet for a consult who suggested cold laser therapy along with the Gabapentin, once again it seemed to help.

Until he tore his ACL.  Since that time the Lick Granulomas come and go.

Since we started him on acupuncture for the sore Iliopsoas muscle and his arthritis, he seems to leave his wrists alone.  Once I notice him picking at his wrists, I know it’s time to schedule another session.  His yearly examine is coming up next month and I’ll definitely be talking to our vet about this, and getting him on a good joint supplement to help ease his discomfort.

Some theories say that once a dog starts on a Lick Granuloma it can become a habit.  There are also thoughts that a dog who is bored will lick.

In Sampson’s case, I suppose it’s possible that the Granuloma has become habit.  Although he willing leaves it when I call him off it.  I don’t believe he licks out of boredom, if anything his life has become a bit more exciting since his surgery, because his walks have increased from once to twice per day and we vary the walk.

I’m pretty certain Sampson licks when he’s in pain.  This is certainly not something we want, which is why we will be continuing the acupuncture as well as finding a good joint supplement.

Tomorrow’s post for the Round Robin will be on Giardia, make sure to check DZ’s Adventures for that post.

Canine ACL Injury/Surgery

By

Today is the first day of the Caring for Critters Round Robin.  Think of the Round Robin as a relay race, each day a ‘blogging team member’ will write a post about a specify injury or illness they have experienced.  At the end of their post, they will ‘pass the baton’ to the next blogger.  This is not your typical blog hop, as there are no linky codes,  and there aren’t a whole bunch of posts on one particular day.  Instead you will be able to read a post a day about how a fellow animal lover helped their furry loves with a particular ailment.
Please keep in mind, I am not a vet and this is not advice on how to handle an ACL injury, this is just my experience, and what worked or didn’t work for me.  Always consult your veterinarian before choosing any course of treatment.

This is the story of Sampson.

Sampson is a 92 pound Golden Labrador Retriever.  He shares a home with me, (Jodi) my husband (Hubby) and Delilah, a 8 1/2 year old Chocolate Lab.  We live down the street from a lovely wooded park with hiking trails.  Walking the trails off leash is one of Sampson’s favorite past times.

I'm Sampson and this is my story about ACL injuries.

I’m Sampson, this is my experience with a torn ACL.

On January 8, 2014 he was diagnosed with a partial Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear.  At the time of his diagnosis he was about 9 1/2 years old.

The Treatment

Initially we treated the injury conservatively.  We limited his exercise, allowed him outside only on leash and supported him with Canine Musculoskeletal Support and Ligaplex.

After two months, our vet felt the injured knee was as stable as the uninjured knee and he was cleared for light play with Delilah.  They were running in the house in their first play session and Sampson fully tore his ACL.

When All Else Fails

With a sad heart I made an appointment with a surgeon.  He confirmed a full ACL tear and we scheduled Sampson for surgery.  Two weeks later he had the surgery.

The Outcome

On March 25, 2014 Sampson had ACL repair.  The surgeon said, “It went well.”  His meniscus was intact so he made a slight incision to release pressure and hopefully keep the meniscus from tearing.)

I'm not gonna lie, it sucked.

I’m not gonna lie, it sucked.

Sampson’s recovery was not typical of most dogs.  I kept Sampson on the original supplements, and he was also on pain medication (Gabapentin, Tramadol and Carprofen.)  His exercise was limited to five minute leash walks twice per day and eventually increased to three times per day.  His potty breaks were on leash.   I kept him quiet in a room, but spent as much time with him as possible.  A week after surgery Sampson had a Seroma, which is fluid at the surgery site. I treated this with hot compresses and after a couple of days the fluid was gone.

At the two week mark Sampson’s staples were removed and we started physical therapy twice per week.  This involved hydrotherapy (underwater treadmill) and cold laser.

You want me to do WHAT?

You want me to do WHAT?

Sampson was slow to progress.  Sampson kept turning his knee out when he walked and wasn’t putting the weight on it that he should.  The physical therapist was convinced the meniscus was an issue and thought the surgeon might need to go in and check it out.  I called my own vet who told me sometimes the larger dogs had trouble with a deep muscle called the Iliopsoas.

When Sampson had his post surgery six week check up the x-rays showed the prosthetic was doing its job.  Then the surgeon examined Sampson and diagnosed him with a sore Iliopsoas.

Sampson struggled with the Iliopsoas strain for quite some time.  I also think he was a bit depressed.  Everything he loved, sleeping on the couch, walking in the woods, running in the yard, were all taken away from him.

Around eight weeks, the physical therapist cleared him for the couch, as long as he was climbing up and not jumping, and he was also cleared for off-leash walking as long as we could keep him from running.

At about the ten week mark, I met with the surgeon and we had a heart to heart.  We were both so disappointed in Sampson’s recovery, but neither one of us was ready to proceed with more surgery.  The surgeon felt that Sampson was a dog that just needed more time.  I told him how much Sampson loved walking in the woods and he said, “Take him.”  So I did.

Our first venture into the woods.

Our first venture into the woods.

Changing tactics

We knew after the surgery that Sampson had some arthritis in his knee.  I suspected at almost 10 he also had some in his hips.  We began giving Sampson acupuncture treatments, about one every three or four weeks.  

The combination of the acupuncture plus the limited freedoms he was allowed made a world of difference. Sampson began to progress in leaps in bounds.

After three acupuncture treatments we went back to the physical therapist for our last appointment.  She was thrilled with the way Sampson was walking and acting.

Finally, five months post surgery Sampson is back to doing everything he did before, with the exception of jumping up onto our bed.  He still limps for a minute or so after he first gets up, which is perfectly normal at this phase in his recovery and he does seem to tire a bit more on our walks, but I suppose some tiredness is expected in a dog who is ten years old.  We intend to continue acupuncture treatments probably at about one per month and may consider Adequan injections to help with the arthritis.

What I’d do different

If I could do it all over again, I would have had the surgery done before a full tear.  It felt like so much time was wasted for an outcome that in a dog Sampson’s size was all but inevitable.  I would also allow him a bit more freedom in the first two weeks after the surgery.  No I wouldn’t let him climb on the couch, but I would let him have access to common areas as long as we were there to supervise.

 Tomorrow’s Round Robin Entry

Tomorrow’s Round Robin will be hosted by Linda at 2 Brown Dawgs.  Linda will be sharing Thunder’s life-threatening brush with Canine Bloat.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...