http://www.eudra.org/vetdocs/PDFs/EPAR/zubrin/022101en6.pdf http://www.eudra.org/vetdocs/PDFs/EPAR/zubrin/022101en4.pdf http://www.woodmac.com/pdf/zoosante0901.pdf
----- Original Message ----- From: "Liz Bradbury" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Berner List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, October 06, 2002 5:59 PM Subject: Annie & I need your experiences with old dogs, & might acupuncture help? Hi All, I think I'm probably on a road to nowhere with this, but there's no harm in trying... As you may remember, Annie will be 12 in January and has been in failing health since I got home from the Specialty in May. Her main problem over the past 8 years has been arthritis, and for the last 6 years she has been on Green Lipped Mussel, sharks' cartilage, gluco/chon and various other supplements, only needing prescription drugs this year. However, recently, and in the space of only about 3 weeks, there has been a marked deterioration of her hind quarters. Last week, my vet & I decided to try her on a new NSAID called Zubrin (Texopalin) an oral lyophilisate, which works in a different way than drugs like Metacam or Rimadyl (can't remember how, and I can't find anything about it on the internet). Unfortunately, she seemed to get worse on this, so after a week, Beth said to put her back on Metacam and she is now much brighter in herself, but still very weak on her back legs. Looking at her walking, I think the main problem is probably her right hip, although her hips have never been an issue before. She had a crutiate repair on her left knee when she was 5 (the ligament was ruptured by arthritic growth), and that knee is now very mis-shapen, but still seems strong. When I massage her hips, touching the right one causes her to lose her balance - actually, that's odd too, because for the past year or so, she has steadfastly refused to allow her right leg to be groomed or touched in any way. Now I'm allowed to massage both hips... She looks very weird when she stands, all muscular from her shoulders to the end of her rib cage, then strangely thin... I suppose it might not be arthritis at all, but a tumour of some kind - after all, most of my dogs have died from Cancer, why should Annie be any different? Hannah Too lost muscle mass in her shoulder very rapidly just 3 weeks before she was euthanised and a post mortem showed she had Malignant Histiocytosis. But Annie had a CBC a couple of weeks ago when we had that emergency night time visit to the vets, and all was fine then (not that that rules out C. of course...) However, I'm not going to subject her to an anaesthetic at this stage, and she's not in the sort of pain the others (especially Hannah Too) have shown... I know that at this stage I'm not going to find any sort of cure for her; but I was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions I could take on board to make her last days as comfortable as possible - and, if I'm honest, make me more comfortable too. I hate to see her struggle to get outside, she never asks for help, even when the others have rushed past her and knocked her over - yes, she still likes to be in the thick of things, just not as often as before. I know she's going to be reunited with her soul mate Boots before too long, but she ain't ready yet... And as long as she wants to stay, I'll do all I can to make her life easy. It's interesting watching the changing ways the others treat her. Maggie, my Newfy pup, just coming up to a year old, has stopped being a pest round her and has taken to lying close (although she's the one who most often knocks poor Annie over!) Toby, never Annie's favourite, stands guard over her when Mags & Roxie are charging about. I caught Annie washing his face the other day, but I didn't want to embarrass Annie, so I didn't let on I saw... Roxie has never known Annie to be anything but infirm, and takes care not to be too rough; she's repaid by Annie letting her share her duvet at night, a privilege not extended to any dog since Boots. Anyway, I digress... I think there may be a possibility of getting Acupuncture done locally now - before it was about 70 miles away, too long a car ride for Annie. Does anyone have any experience of this helping an older dog with poor mobility? I'm going to talk to Beth early next week, to see if we can come up with something (anything) to help Annie, and it would be really helpful if I could input other folk's experiences. Sorry to have rambled on... This old dog scenario is one I've been looking forward to for the past 16 years, & now it's here, it's every bit as nerve wracking as my first pup <g>. Liz Bradbury in Scotland, with Bernese Annie 11¾ and Roxie 1¾; Newfs Toby 6 and Maggie 11 months; & the 6 Feline Fiends.
