Massage therapy?

Comments

• tsukitsune

  October 2008 edited November -1

  Poor Tommy. Does he get to eat a food with Glucosamine Chondroitin ?
  Raw chicken feet (you can get at a butcher/slaughter house) or shark cartilage are also a great supplement for canine joint health.
  
  We've been doing the Tellington TTouch on Hachi (more info here http://www.lindatellingtonjones.com/) and its been really relaxing to her. We're using it for trust/behavioral issues, but several people use it for its healing properties, especially on older horses.
  Right from the website:
  "The TTouch is done on the entire body, and each circular TTouch is complete within itself. Therefore it is not necessary to understand anatomy to be successful in speeding up the healing of injuries or ailments, or changing undesirable habits or behavior."
  Maybe there is a TTouch Practitioner in your area? http://www.lindatellingtonjones.com/pracDirectory.shtml
  
  And if you are into that, there is always Reiki: http://reikiforanimals.com/
  I do Reiki techniques on the shelter dogs. I truly believe in the process.
• JessicaRabbit

  October 2008 edited November -1

  I have had a massage therapist work on Piglet she enjoyed it but it didn't have any long term benefits. I have also had acupuncture which helped. But the thing that helped the most were Adequane injections. It is a high dose glucosamine. Both my standard and holistic vet strongly recommended it and it really did make a big difference.
  
  Also if Tommy is eating grain, I would suggest eliminating it. It increases joint issue flare ups. Just something to consider. When I eliminated grain from Piglets diet here joint issues improved significantly.
• brandon_w

  October 2008 edited November -1

  I have not used this product, but Whole Dog Journal did a review of it a few years back. The dogs in their test group seemed to improve with it's usage. It is not cheap however:
  
  http://www.doggonepain.com/
• animaladdict

  October 2008 edited November -1

  Thank you all so much, I will definately look into those suggestions!
• TeamLaika

  October 2008 edited November -1

  I would second Adequan injections and acupuncture.
  Add fish oil if you haven't already. Many anti-inflammatory benefits with the omega 3s.
  
  Sleuth around for a canine rehab facility.
  Examples: http://www.tops-vet-rehab.com/
  or http://www.vetmash.com/next-step-animal-rehabilitation-md.html
  You want to do what you can to preserve muscle mass and range of motion if he has hip DJD. He might enjoy some time on a underwater treadmill or something.
  
  Also ask your vet about a drug called Tramadol. It can be given in conjunction with a NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory), is generally well-tolerated, doesn't cause significant drowsiness yet can provide opioid pain relief. It is also pretty cheap (even for big dogs, it is often cheaper than Rimadyl or Deramaxx).
  
  Make sure he has a comfy bed and access to some warm spots as the temperature continues to drop.
• animaladdict

  October 2008 edited November -1

  You guys rock I'm definately going to have to look those up, and talk to my vet and see what he has to say. Right now Tommy gets a glucosamine chondroitin pill suppliment with msm and hyaluronic acid and it has some fish oil in it. the pain killer he is on currently Rimadyl. I'll have to ask about that other one, maybe his stomach will be less sensitive to it. I only give him the pain killer when i can tell he REALLY needs it because its bad for his liver and half the time he throws it up. As far as comfort goes, he's usually more comfortable than me. He has several beds, one orthripedic one and is kept inside when it gets too cold outside for him. Mostly he gets really stiff at night and I want to help him loosen up a bit.