well, crap. Cruiser (the dog) is hurting

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crushers

crushers

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so as some of you know i have this big furry Collie/Malamute cross that goes EVERYWHERE with me. just recently he did a 11,000 km trip to the west coast and back and most of the time he laid on the shelf behind the seat with his head on my shoulder ... get the picture?
recently his hips have been heading south pretty steadily so we have had him on glucosamine and Metacam as recommended by the vet. well yesterday we left for a few hours and came back to find him having a hard time getting up and when he did he dribbled a wee bit (never done this in years) so outside we go. the further we went the more he dribbled till a steady stream was coming out as he was walking. it tore at my heartstrings to see. he doesn't seem to be in any pain (other than getting up). his diet hasn't changed but with the buggered up hips and his tender front paw i have not been walking him as much.

i will call the vet tomorrow and ask a few questions. today we will try and get him to have some exersize and see if that helps at all.

pretty sad right now.

cheers
 
Sorry to hear: get him to a vet ASAP, if possible. Wobblety hips plus urine leakage suggests spinal nerve problems; uncontrolled stools are next.

sending good thoughts to yr fur buddy.
 
Aw hell :frown:

Not cool not cool not cool. There's nothing more sad than seeing your best friend start to fade :crybaby:
 
Unfortunately, Sirenmoses has a very valid concern. Have xrays of the hips been taken to document dysplasia - but can have both arthritis and neurological issues concurrently. It's hard to keep them up on their feet as age and issues begin to take hold - I'm dealing with it now in my own 14 year old dog. Maybe something like Proin can help with the incontinence and be willing to try different NSAIDS - some do better with one while another does better with something else.

I am confident that in my case Morrie will have a happy heart and mind but a back end that is not functional at the time I have to make that ultimate decision for her.

Best of luck,
William
 
thanks guys,
Cruiser had xrays last Oct that showed advanced displacia. the worst side he handles well. the side that showed not as bad is the side that is worse in real life.
Metacam worked real well (so it seemed) till we ran out a couple weeks back. i put him on asprin with no glucosamine and he seemed to do okay. then the Metacam came in and i tried if for a couple days with no glucosamine and he went downhill fast.
then a couple days ago (wed?) i put him back on glucosamine and Metacam (which is what he had since last Oct) and suddenly he started peeing badly. so far today he has been okay, limping a lot on his front paw (suspect he jumped out of the truck onto something or he stepped on something during his short strolls) and his back end wasn't bad for the short walk in today but back out he was hurting. no uncontrolled peeing though so that is a good sign (so far).
i will see how he is this week, if he doesn't bounce back i suspect he will be going for his last truck ride back to Calgary to be ... ...
 
You might consider massage, acupuncture, and hydrotherapy, depending on what's available in yr area. Hope Cruiser does bounce back :fingers crossed: As previous poster suggested, could be a bladder infection unrelated to dysplasia.


TLCandME said:
... Morrie will have a happy heart and mind but a back end that is not functional at the time I have to make that ultimate decision for her.
Click to expand...

For several years I was buddies w/a 3 legged dog who also had hip issues: his heart was big, his mind bright, and he was loved by someone who cared enuf to hire carefully screened pet-sitters.

When it was his time to go, I was invited over to help him. He willingly hopped outside and lay down next to his grave. :crybaby:

It's a hard decision, but having seen Ransom fall b/c his poop was slidin out his butt, I understood how and why it was made, and concurred. Didn't stop my tears from falling...:frown:
 
i don't keep pets out of selfishness either, i could keep the old boy around just because it is so hard to let go but then why? if he is hurting or has lost the joy in life then it is best for him.
every time i get to this stage i say to myself "self, no more pets"
then the time comes and the pet is put down and a void appears in my sole. the last time old Billie was reaching this stage i thought that since i had Cruiser it wouldn't hurt so much. wrong, the pain was still there and worse when Billie died Cruiser went through seperation anxiety so we picked up the new Billie. Now the new Billie is 3 and laying beside Cruiser. if Cruiser gets up and moves then so does she and lays back down.
She licks his paw, lays beside him paw touching paw or nose to nose. She is such a great buddy to Cruiser and the cat.

side story: we moved down here and my wife had never had a cat. i have had numerous cats over the years and the attachment has never been that strong. Since she never had a cat she didn't realize how independent they are and how much a male can be a scrapper.
the cat came into our lives extremely young, he was found on the side of the road by a postie and brought back to the plant. that night Berni found a mole in the old school house and she wasn't happy so the next day when she comes home she has this very small black bundle of fur. the cat was introduced to the dogs and Cruiser takes one sniff and turns up his nose and strolles away. Billie took one sniff, licked the cats nose and laid down beside it. over the next few weeks the cat and Billie were together all the time. i have one pic of Cruiser laying on his side with Billie curled up between his legs and the cat curled up between Billies legs. cute or what.
one interesting point was the cat would chase Billie and Billie would chase the cat up the stairs and down, around this and under that and if Billie caught the cat the she would take the cat in her mouth and drag him down the hall or into the back room. funny s***, the cats head would be covered in saliva. poor cat would have these HUGE black eyes when Billie would let him go. Billie never hurt the cat at all, more like a mother cat moving the little guy to a new spot.
anyway, recently the cat got into some pretty good scraps and came home messed up. almost lost an eye, tear marks on the neck and spine. the first time he got screwed up Billie walks over and looks the cat in the eye. the cat lays down and Billie started licking all the wounds. the cat healed to Berni's relief but then into another scrap and Billie went to work.

now Billie has been looking after Cruiser. when i go to pet Cruiser or to inspect the paw Billie comes over and sits between us, ears back, eyes big and she seems to say "Carefull there, be nice, he is my buddy". i suspect we will be getting another puppy if Cruiser doesn't bounce back for both the hole that will be in my heart and the one in Billie's and Berni's.

BUT, we will see how the week goes. Cruiser is a tough old boy and well loved so if anyone can pull it off it will be him.

cheers and thanks for letting me ramble on...
 
When i started reading your post i too thought bladder infection, so that's what i am hoping for.
Good luck.
 
Bladder infections certainly can occur but the urethra is so long in a male dog and this serves as a pretty good defense mechanism for UTI. Bladder infections in males are often secondary to issues like diabetes, inability to void the bladder completely (neurological), persistently dilute urine from kidney disease or Cushings, among others. If you have a documented UTI in a male dog (a positive urine culture), then most likely you have bigger issues to contend with than just a UTI.

You can make a quick neurological assessment by standing the dog, flex one rear leg up and hold it and support the majority of the weight of the back end. Then flip over the other paw so the top of the paw is on the ground. Increase weight on that paw and the dog should instinctively right it so that the pads are now on the ground. This should be almost instant - a reflex move. If it is slowed then there might be some neurological deficits. Compare all 4 feet so you get a feel for what normal is assuming there aren't deficits in all 4 feet. In other words, a dog shouldn't stand for very long or at all on the top of its paw.
 
TLC,
i am not sure i can do this test since both back hips are screwed as the front left paw/leg.
i will try and see if i can get him to flip the top of the paw back to the bottom while standing but even that might cause him pain... not a good time for this test... i think. but i will try it out.
 
Shouldn't be painful. You're not bending the leg in any direction it shouldn't be bent. Get someone to support the front half of the dog with a towel under the chest and basically raise one rear leg off the floor - help by supporting his back end weight - and flip the other paw over. But if you're hesitant or the dog exhibits discomfort, then your vet/assistants can assess in the office. If you're assessing the front legs then just shift the towel/sling to the pelvic area.
 
great story about new Billie and the cat and Cruiser.

glad to see someone w/professional veterinary experience chime in, thanks.

I lost 3 dobers in 4 years: cardio. While it's coming up 2 yrs since I last watched my dog die in front of me, in the middle of their active life, I still keep a weather eye on my rescues.

Ms Bella came home w/me to keep Will RIP company: I saw her on the pound site and local Dober Rescue didn't know about her. Knew she was staying when she test-drove a couch on the way in. Mr.Coco was a Rescue dog: seized during a drug raid, implicated in death of a Chihuahua, scheduled to be euth'd the day I got a phone call asking if I had room for him. (I Always have room for a blue-juicer!) Knew he was staying when I heard him playing w/Bella while I was in the shower.

After Will died I seriously considered restructuring my life: move back into town (loft), work lotsa overtime, get to ride my bike on long trips again, etc. Then I rememberd that I made a commitment to Bella when I snagged her shivering self from the pound: I will not throw her away like all her other people did.

Sending love to Cruiser w/every scritch my guys get.:cheers:
 
thanks for the kind words guys.
he dribbled a bit a couple hours ago but nothing since.
tomorrow if his hips are a bit better i will give the paw a test...

side note:
i agree, if we chose a pet it is our RESPONSIBILITY to look out for that pet for as long as the pet is alive. we chose the pet, not the other way around. Cruiser, Billie and the cat will have a healthy happy home as long as i can provide it for them.
 
Such a hard time, growing older with a buddy that can't keep up with you.:frown:

Your buddies are lucky to have someone who cares so deeply for them.
All the best.
 
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