Need Advice on age related hind end weakness - Exclusively Setters2024-03-29T06:02:18Zhttp://irishsetters.ning.com/forum/topics/need-advice-on-age-related-hind-end-weakness?commentId=865021%3AComment%3A1162964&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHi Fran,
Thank you very much…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2016-12-25:865021:Comment:11710702016-12-25T17:31:09.765ZCatherine Carterhttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/CatherineCarter
<p>Hi Fran,</p>
<p>Thank you very much for posting the above. You never know when you might need it. I do hope you come back...I have no idea who you are talking about as I thought now on this site ,all members seem to behave in a very friendly manner. </p>
<p>Hi Fran,</p>
<p>Thank you very much for posting the above. You never know when you might need it. I do hope you come back...I have no idea who you are talking about as I thought now on this site ,all members seem to behave in a very friendly manner. </p> I haven't posted on here for…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2016-12-22:865021:Comment:11710642016-12-22T11:01:53.801ZFran Griffinhttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/FranGriffin
<p>I haven't posted on here for ages for various reasons. I have my girl who was diagnosed with myleopathy when she was 7 years old and given no more than 9 months to live, which is the usual prognosis with this condition. She was falling from her hind legs, also had laryngeal paralysis. She was in a bad way. The good news is - she is still here at 13 years old, with a great quality of life, she is in heart failure, but so far I am managing it for her by adjusting her medications, but I have…</p>
<p>I haven't posted on here for ages for various reasons. I have my girl who was diagnosed with myleopathy when she was 7 years old and given no more than 9 months to live, which is the usual prognosis with this condition. She was falling from her hind legs, also had laryngeal paralysis. She was in a bad way. The good news is - she is still here at 13 years old, with a great quality of life, she is in heart failure, but so far I am managing it for her by adjusting her medications, but I have to accept that she could now just slip away at any time with her heart like this. How did we get here? lots coming up on my facebook blog Dog Tails - Human Tales and a new website which is still being developed but due to go live in the new year.</p>
<p>In a nutshell - right from the diagnosis stage. I accepted the diagnosis, which was made by some very eminent neurologists at Cambridge UK - but I didn't accept the prognosis that there was no cure and her disease terminal. She was on a good raw food diet but still failing, so I asked why this was and researched as much as I could, and everything pointed back to absorption. This tied in with the gastro-intestinal issues she had suffered all her life. I put digestive enzymes into her food (enzymes for dogs). Probiotics to provide good gut flora, krill oil as this is the safest and least polluted oil to get into a dog. She then started to turn the corner, and then over the course of about a year other problems including the laryngeal paralysis started to reverse. To say that the vets are delighted is an understatement, and one of those involved in her original diagnosis in Cambridge is still in touch and just loves the fact that she is still with us and doing so well (apart from her now failing heart). But to make it to 13???? I have also reversed a lot of my own health problems using the same protocol, including the shrinkage of a tumour. I know there is a nut case on ES who likes to jump in and criticize everything I have done - but what i would say to you nutter is - how the hell has my girl made it through to 13 when most - if not all other dogs with this condition would have died a l-o-n-g time ago, Fortunately since I first started writing about Tallulah's conditions on here so much more has happened in the alternative health area on human medicine and there are people all over the world by the millions now who are reversing diseases. I have also been involved in courses with some of the worlds best functional medicine practitioners and applying all that I have learned to myself and my dog. The old saying "you are what you eat" has been reframed in functional medicine now to "you are what you digest" or "you are what you absorb". And there I rest my case on how I pulled my girl back from the edge of certain death. I got her digesting properly and absorbing the good nutrients I was giving her which because of underlying dysbiosis - she was unable to absorb. And to you anti raw feeding cruds on here who always hooted that if she was fed a "proper dried food she wouldn't have got into that mess" - whatever a proper????? dried food might be - no way. The science is now behind me. ALL processed foods are causing diseases in dogs and humans alike. They are lacking nutrients, dehydrated by their very nature - alter gut mcrobiome which then affects digestability and the immune system, creating leaky gut/dysbiosis - so had I been feeding her a dry food and blindly accepted this was the "proper" way to feed - my girl would NOT still be here and enjoying a great quality of life at 13., and it would have been most unlikely that anything would have reversed. If you cannot accept this - then tough. It's happened and your explanations don't and never have added up. If other people want to learn more, help to reverse metabolic disease then either do your own research as I have. Find a good functional medicine practitioner, and or come onto Dog Tales - Human Tails on Facebook and await the launch of my website early in the new year to learn how to take control of your and your dogs health. My motto - accept the diagnosis - but not the prognosis and that's always the best place to try and start finding a way forward. One extra thing to note. I have used the word "reversed" deliberately. There are no cures. I have to bear in mind with my own condition and Tallulah's that the underlying disease is still there - so once I have found the protocol which works for me - her - then it's a lifestyle change. So no - we won't be following anyone's advice to now start feeding "proper" processed foods, or cutting out enzymes and probiotics. Also there are enymes/probiorics and enzymes/probiotics - nothing is quite that simple - hence the facebook page and new website, because getting the right one's is a minefield of marketing spins and false claims. You need to learn what you are looking for. Bye all. It's unlikely I will be back here again for quite some time due to some of the nutters still being around.</p> Thank you Silvia :-)
Best wis…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2016-11-23:865021:Comment:11702582016-11-23T16:46:54.911ZJennifer Shttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/JenniferSellek
<p>Thank you Silvia :-)</p>
<p>Best wishes to your brother's bracco!</p>
<p>Thank you Silvia :-)</p>
<p>Best wishes to your brother's bracco!</p> Hi Jennifer. Thanks for the u…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2016-11-23:865021:Comment:11705702016-11-23T14:12:50.226ZJames Doranhttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/JAMESDORAN
<p>Hi Jennifer. Thanks for the update. He has done incredibly well given that it has been a year since you posted about it. Sincerest thoughts & prayers that Bentley continues on for as long a life as possible. Best wishes.</p>
<p>Hi Jennifer. Thanks for the update. He has done incredibly well given that it has been a year since you posted about it. Sincerest thoughts & prayers that Bentley continues on for as long a life as possible. Best wishes.</p> Hi Jennifer thanks for updati…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2016-11-22:865021:Comment:11702552016-11-22T23:38:48.959Zsilviahttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/silviamarco
<p>Hi Jennifer thanks for updating us! I cannot give experts advise I am afraid , so just letting you know that we are following the development of Bentley with much sympathy.. he is really having as much care as possible from you guys and I am happy that he is in good spirit and mood! i hope with the tapes and the harnesses he can still enjoy the life and do some walks. actually, thanks a lot for all the tips and suggestions that you are sharing with us. my brother has a 12years old bracco…</p>
<p>Hi Jennifer thanks for updating us! I cannot give experts advise I am afraid , so just letting you know that we are following the development of Bentley with much sympathy.. he is really having as much care as possible from you guys and I am happy that he is in good spirit and mood! i hope with the tapes and the harnesses he can still enjoy the life and do some walks. actually, thanks a lot for all the tips and suggestions that you are sharing with us. my brother has a 12years old bracco who starts to develop loss of controls in the legs and arthritis so i am looking at all your posts for him..</p>
<p>a big big hug to bentley, i hope he can have lots of nice and happy days and of course lot of cuddles days with you! XXX silvia</p> Update: Bentley's rear leg mu…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2016-11-22:865021:Comment:11704362016-11-22T02:37:03.933ZJennifer Shttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/JenniferSellek
<p>Update: Bentley's rear leg muscles have atrophied so much he has very little hind end control. Despite this he still is in very good spirits and goes on short walks two to three times daily. I'm trying to keep up his activity level because a sedentary lifestyle is the worst thing you can do for arthritis. I bought a two part harness, one part goes around his shoulders and connects to another harness that goes around his hind legs. This really seems to have helped stabilize his gait…</p>
<p>Update: Bentley's rear leg muscles have atrophied so much he has very little hind end control. Despite this he still is in very good spirits and goes on short walks two to three times daily. I'm trying to keep up his activity level because a sedentary lifestyle is the worst thing you can do for arthritis. I bought a two part harness, one part goes around his shoulders and connects to another harness that goes around his hind legs. This really seems to have helped stabilize his gait especially in snow. Tonight I found all sorts of information on kinesiology taping when looking for information on how to stabilize his fore leg "wrists" and keep them from collapsing as he walks. I wrapped one of his forelegs in an ACE bandage tonight and am hoping it will help him.</p>
<p>He doesn't often exhibit symptoms of pain. We're managing his arthritis with golden paste (turmeric, black pepper and coconut oil) twice daily in his food and Duramaxx once daily. For infrequent bad days he gets Tramadol. My husband and I have been cautiously optimistic about how much longer he will be with us. He is still in great spirits, enjoys his walks on our farm and loves to lounge on the back stoop and watch the birds. He still has too much love of life to consider euthanizing him any time soon.</p>
<p>In the meantime here is a video I found on youtube on taping to help stabilize hind end weakness:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziFctV9m0zk" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziFctV9m0zk</a></p>
<p>And anyone else's experiences are greatly appreciated!</p> Update: Well, the acupuncture…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2016-01-15:865021:Comment:11629642016-01-15T17:49:22.076ZJennifer Shttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/JenniferSellek
<p>Update: Well, the acupuncture did not produce any noticeable results after six treatment, once a week. We started him on Turmeric and Vitamin C and tried to wean him off of the Deramaxx with terrible results. So Bentley continues to take 50mg Deramaxx every morning along with 1800mg turmeric and 4000mg Vitamin C. We have no idea if the turmeric or C is helping but the only side effect we've seen is increased thirst which would be completely normal for these supplements.</p>
<p>A…</p>
<p>Update: Well, the acupuncture did not produce any noticeable results after six treatment, once a week. We started him on Turmeric and Vitamin C and tried to wean him off of the Deramaxx with terrible results. So Bentley continues to take 50mg Deramaxx every morning along with 1800mg turmeric and 4000mg Vitamin C. We have no idea if the turmeric or C is helping but the only side effect we've seen is increased thirst which would be completely normal for these supplements.</p>
<p>A heartbreaking excursion recently found Bentley foundering in about 4 inches of fresh powder snow. We were about 10 minutes into a walk when his hind end became so weak he just laid down in the snow. After letting him rest for a little while I was able to coax him a short distance to a road where I picked him up and carried him home. The good thing was he didn't mind being carried and just looked around like it was no big deal.</p>
<p>After this we restricted his activity in the snow and I found a rear end harness on Amazon: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RER6E4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RER6E4?psc=1&redirect=true...</a> .</p>
<p>This device came either by itself or with a chest harness. Since I already had a chest harness I just ordered the rear portion. The main reason was to help lift him into our truck when we take him for rides. As soon as it arrived I put the full getup on Bentley and took him out for a walk in the snow. The first few minutes were amusing to watch as he got used to the straps between his legs. The waist strap I put on initially to make hold it in place while I got the leg straps on then removed so he could pee at will on the walk. He finally got the hang of it and I was amazed at how steady his gait was. I figured it was a fluke since he'd been resting for a few days, but we have consistent results every time we've used it for the past two weeks. I'm hoping that it offers enough support to allow him to build up his hind end musculature over time. I'm just so happy to see him out on his usual walks again! Attached are pictures of the harness from today's walk.</p> Excellent advice! Thank you s…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2015-12-03:865021:Comment:11617402015-12-03T15:24:08.744ZJennifer Shttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/JenniferSellek
<p>Excellent advice! Thank you so much. I was just adding the turmeric to his food plain. I didn't realize the oil and pepper increased absorption and will make the paste from now on. :-)</p>
<p>Excellent advice! Thank you so much. I was just adding the turmeric to his food plain. I didn't realize the oil and pepper increased absorption and will make the paste from now on. :-)</p> Hi Jennifer
In case you might…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2015-12-03:865021:Comment:11616462015-12-03T08:29:18.299ZFinding_Beauhttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/HammerBeau
<p>Hi Jennifer</p>
<p>In case you might be interested this is a link about how to give Turmeric to dogs <a href="http://www.turmericlife.com.au/turmeric-for-dogs/how-to-feed-turmeric-for-dogs/" target="_blank">http://www.turmericlife.com.au/turmeric-for-dogs/how-to-feed-turmeric-for-dogs/</a>. Also I have found the best form of Vitamin C to purchase is Ester C. The brand I use is Wagner. If this is not available in America, there should be a substitute. Ester Vitamin C is amazing. An example:…</p>
<p>Hi Jennifer</p>
<p>In case you might be interested this is a link about how to give Turmeric to dogs <a href="http://www.turmericlife.com.au/turmeric-for-dogs/how-to-feed-turmeric-for-dogs/" target="_blank">http://www.turmericlife.com.au/turmeric-for-dogs/how-to-feed-turmeric-for-dogs/</a>. Also I have found the best form of Vitamin C to purchase is Ester C. The brand I use is Wagner. If this is not available in America, there should be a substitute. Ester Vitamin C is amazing. An example: Hobson became seriously ill the first week in October. I thought he was going to die. I gave him 6-8000mg Ester Vitamin C throughout the day and he slowly picked up. He had not been diagnosed for Hemangiosarcoma then. What had happened is that Hobson had suffered an internal bleed. Ester Vitamin C helped him through.</p>
<p>Best Wishes to you and Bentley from Susan</p> Thank you everyone for respon…tag:irishsetters.ning.com,2015-12-02:865021:Comment:11618372015-12-02T21:43:01.300ZJennifer Shttp://irishsetters.ning.com/profile/JenniferSellek
<p>Thank you everyone for responding. Every suggestion and story helps give us options. Bentley has had three acupuncture treatments so far and goes in for his fourth (of six) tonight. So far we aren't noticing any changes. We weren't expecting a miracle cure but we'll see how the next few go.</p>
<p>My husband's best friend said his vet suggested Vitamin C for his elder pup. I did a few hours research on this as well as Turmeric a few nights ago and the hubs and I have decided that this is the…</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for responding. Every suggestion and story helps give us options. Bentley has had three acupuncture treatments so far and goes in for his fourth (of six) tonight. So far we aren't noticing any changes. We weren't expecting a miracle cure but we'll see how the next few go.</p>
<p>My husband's best friend said his vet suggested Vitamin C for his elder pup. I did a few hours research on this as well as Turmeric a few nights ago and the hubs and I have decided that this is the direction we're going to take for the next couple of months. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory so we're going to transition Bentley off of the Deramaxx and onto the Turmeric. Here is a link for one of the better articles I found: <a href="http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/turmeric-dogs/" target="_blank">http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/turmeric-dogs/</a></p>
<p>Regarding the Vitamin C... It is supposed to help to prevent inflammatory arthritis and maintain healthy joints. One article I read said that very high doses can cause bone spurs and worsen arthritis but other studies contradict this finding. One study even claimed to reverse degenerative damage. There are several different forms of Vitamin C available. Unfortunately the most common, ascorbic acid, isn't well absorbed and can cause diarrhea. Instead of reiterating, here is a link to an excellent explanation of the different forms of Vitamin C and veterinary applications: <a href="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/1-8-Form.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/newspics/pdfs/1-8-Form.pdf</a></p>
<p>I ended up ordering Turmeric and calcium ascorbate in bulk powdered forms from Amazon. They both just arrived so the experimentation begins. Now we need to decide if we're going to start them both at the same time or stagger them to determine which, if either, have any effect.</p>
<p>Again, thank you James, Shirl, Susan, Sue and "human friend" for sharing your experiences, thoughts, concerns and suggestions! You're awesome :-)</p>