Cold weather is such a pain!

[JennR]

Any other seniors have arthritis trouble in the cold?

Our foster puppy, who is roughly 11, is having such a hard time with the cold weather! She tries to go to the bathroom, and has fallen a couple of times. She gives me the most pathetic look, sort of a "uh, need a little help" combined with the "this is so embarassing" look.

Anyone else having problems in the cold? We just had our first real cold snap this year (when I say cold, I mean under 40 - I'm a southern gal! :rolleyes: )

Jen

[Soda]

Oh yeah!!! totally agree. My 10 year old rescue does not do well in cold these days. He used to prefer outside in the winter time but now prefers to curl up on his bed and sleep the day away. On really bad days the vet oked some doggie asprin to offset some of the pain. He is a trooper though, has to greet us when we come home even though it hurts him.

[Meggie'sMom]

I noticed Megs (she's 8 1/2) having some trouble getting up the other day when it was so cold and rainy. She seems to have more trouble when it is damp and cold, but likes dry cold days. I gave her a Rimadyl to help out the aches and pains.

[dssxxxx]

Wrigley is between 10 - 12 yo.

He say been on Bute (twice a day) for about 2 years and it does wonders for him. Still stiff and has trouble going up stairs, but a lot better than without it. Usually does pretty good with the cold.

[Jo Ellen]

What is Bute?

My golden is only 6 but I can definitely see a difference when it gets colder. At the end of summer I noticed she was limping in the evening hours, after spending the day at the lake. It finally occured to me the reason was probably that the water had gotten colder.

And she's only 6 :o

[dssxxxx]

What is Bute?


Phenylbutazone is used for the relief of pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. It is available as 100 mg and 1000 mg (1 gm) scored tablets. The usual dose is 1.5-7.0 mg/pound by mouth every 8 hours. The maximum dose per dog is 800 mg/day regardless of weight. Do not use in cats. Do not use in pregnant or nursing animals. Give with food. (sold per tablet).

[CaynCher]

We had a cold front overnight so it's in the 50's here. Cayenne, soon to be 14, prefers to stay in bed under the covers a little later than our usual 6am walk/run. Other than that, the colder weather seems to invigorate him to run about. Maybe it is because he just wants to get finished quickly so he can go back to the warm bed for a couple more hours sleep. So, for now, he does not have any stiffness or trouble getting up in the colder weather but I am careful that he doesn't overdo it as far as exercise is concerned. He has a tendency to want to do that in order to keep up with Royce who is a very athletic Golden.

:dogbark :reddogx

[JennR]

I didn't know dogs could take Bute? Huh! We gave it to our horse alot for pain.

She is on Duramaxx for her arthritis, and most certainly walks a little slow when it comes to stairs, which is why she is with me, as we have a ranch, so there's not too much work involved in staying close to people or other animals. She doesn't seem to be in pain (but with a golden, it is never easy to tell!).

The falling was what worried me, but she is OK once she is warmed up and inside, so I'm not going to worry about it too much. She has a check up in a couple of days.

:grwag My back is killing me, oh my knees....

:grwag Hey let's go play ball, let's go for a 10 mile walk!

The mystery of the senior ailments.......thanks for making me feel better about it though!

Jenn

[Tailer'sFolks]

Look Here...

http://www.coastsidebio.com/ArthriSea_Detail.htm

It does work with Dogs & people...

[Jo Ellen]

Is this ArthriSea the same as Bute?

Do you use this, TF? I'm tempted to try it, I just need some trusted testimonials first!

Maybe her stiffness in the winter is a combination of the cold and less fish! Poor girl, I'm telling her only two more weeks until spring.

[johnwa]

Jennr, has your dog been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis? Also, exactly how much exercise does your dog get every day?

[JennR]

It hasn't been worded to me in that way. Her official diagnosis, as far as I am aware, is severe arthritis. The vet says it is really bad. I see a dog still trying to jump into my truck, chasing my dog, etc... It has been warmer this past week and she has had no trouble at all. :)

Of course I do not let her jump in the truck. :eek: But we have been going for some leisurely walks, as this really helped my other dog, and she seems to really love it too. If I noticed any limping, or signs she was not perfectly willing to go (like if she didn't drag me past the house as our walk comes to an end) I wouldn't.

Jenn