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Too much walking?
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25-05-2013 8:33pm#1
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Well I can't say for sure but if you feel he is lagging a bit, maybe the walks might getting too long for him as he is 9. Or do you think he is getting stiff as the walk goes on and would he need a joint care supplement or something similar.
With my fella last year, someone on here suggested I take him for a checkup. The vet found a heart murmur and that was why he slowed down.
He was at the vet very recently over a lump on his back, she did a full check-up and said he is in peak health, aside from the fact that he is clearly very touched in the head :rolleyes: my vet is very familiar with the fact that Shadow believes himself to be some sort of alien dog-human hybrid. No sign of arthritis, no difficulty breathing etc. The problem only seems to arise after about 2 miles, so I think he must just not be fit for it any more. I imagine if it was causing him serious pain he would, like your fella, become reluctant to go for a walk
Not nice, admitting he's getting on in years
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You could try, for the next week or two, going for shorter walks to see if this helps at all? The warm(ish) weather lately may not be helping!
But I would nonetheless get your vet to do a mobility test of his joints (if not already done).
Don't necessarily assume that just because he gets excited about going for a walk, that he's not in discomfort. The long-learned pre-walk excitement, and consequent adrenaline surge is certainly enough to mask some degree of pain... The circumstances described by paultf, where his dog started to hide, is strongly associated with heart or lung problems, but not as much with low-level joint pain.
To illustrate with a personal story, my old dog would also race up to the door at walkie-time... I usually put the dogs in the van and bring them to the beach 2 mins away. So, into the van he'd gaily go... But once we arrived at the beach, he wouldn't get out of the van :-(
He was checked at the vets, he doesn't appear to have any problems with mobility, unless he has been walked. It really depends.
For example, he literally just fired across the kitchen and through the sitting room and launched himself onto the couch to look out the window to see what dog was barking. But when I called him for his dinner about 2 minutes after we got back from the walk, he seemed to be quite stiff in getting up.
Do you think maybe shorter walking, or just less walking would be better. IE should I try just once a day, or shorten the walk and continue to do it twice? Might just take a trip back to the vet to be on the safe side, but he's my first dog and ever since his muzzle went grey I have it in my head that he's going to drop dead on me any day now 0 -
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Oh stop, I know! The getting old bit is just horrible.
Hmm, what sort of walks do you go on? Are we talking power walks, or ambling meanders?
I think I'd do a bit of experimenting. Go for a couple of shorter walks, or if you're going the same distance, do it slower?
Are you supplementing with anything specifically for ageing joints?
I'm currently trying to lose weight, not really fit myself, so I would say they are more of a ramble. Very varied scenery and altitude depending on which direction I take. Sorta hard to describe, but the entire full walk is a circle and my house is in the middle of the route. If I go X way and come back X way, it's down a hill and up the hill on the way back, but if I go Y way, it's up a fairly steep hill, and then up another one on the way back.
I don't think we could do the walk much slower, but I might try just going Y way until I hit town and then go back - it's only 1 1/2 miles, and if he's still bursting with energy, I'll increase in increments until he's tired
This is the face I get at the front door when I suggest a walk (by the way, we can't even spell walk in front of him. Or stroll. We've had to start saying Nantucket - he hasn't figured that one out yet)
At the minute he's just on fish oil mixed into James Wellbeloved Senior - the vet seemed to think this was fine given he wasn't displaying any problems. He gets a tin of tuna twice a week as well.0 -
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I just thought of a couple of other things.
When Darby was with the vet in Dublin for the heart scan a couple of weeks ago he did a full checkup aswell.
First thing he pointed out was that Darby had stiffness in his left hind leg. I never noticed this before nor did my local vet. He is now on meds for this. When I got home I couldn't understand how I didn't spot this before? I wasn't aware that there was a problem so I didn't go looking, I suppose. Also on-lead I think it is harder to spot these things than off-lead.
The vet in Dublin also did some x-rays. Turns out Darby has a slight problem with his lungs. The vet didn't know if this was old age or if the heart meds were causing the problem. He is off the latter as his murmur hasn't disimproved. Also the vet asked me to keep an eye on his breathing. I have noticed on one off-lead walk that he takes his time going up a slight hill and I can hear his heavy breathing. Another off-lead walk, up another hill - he is slow going up with heavy breathing but then sprints back down the hill!
Around the house you wouldn't know that Darby will be 11 in November. He jumps up on to the couch, going for walks he jumps into the back the hatchback, etc.
I also noticed last year he was stiff getting up from a lying position. I think he has improved mainly because of the supplements.
You mentioned walking Shadow on-lead. Maybe if you were to check him out off-lead you might spot something different.
Unfortunately he can't be walked off-lead, there are no dog-free areas around where I live, and Shadow is extremely dog-aggressive Trust me though, if you saw his ass hawl me 25 metres down the street after what looks like a cat, you'd know all about it :P
We were thinking of taking him for a proper groom, so we might make an appointment with the vet while we are there 0 -
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Tranceypoo wrote: »My older dog started slowing down early last year, he's somewhere between 6.5 and 8 years old, that's the best frame I can put on it really, now he has a low grade heart murmur plus a 'dodgy' back leg that is quite stiff due to an injury before we got him, I cut back on his walks, 2 shorter walks per day and I'm also concious of the weather ie if it's too cold or raining or even a bit 'stuffy' like it is today I won't take him on the afternoon walk, I'll try and take him later, had him out early this morning and it was sunny, I literally see him slowing down on the second leg of the walk and panting a bit more (I only do 1.5 miles with him).
Like you I'm trying to lose a bit of weight but we also have a younger collie mix who will walk for miles and miles and miles and miles (repeat to fade) so I've always got company. She was on bedrest just before Christmas and I went walking on my own in the afternon it felt soooo weird walking without dogs!! Would you walk on your own as well or would doggie just be too put out by that?
I'd have no problem walking on my own now I think - to be honest, poor Shadow was the excuse! :P I was way more likely to go for a walk when I had in my head that it was for his health and well-being, and not for myself. But I'm in a habit now, so it might be easier. We're just back from a quick walk to the shop, about 15 minutes at his pace (which was decidedly fast, considering the KCC puppy that was being walked in front of him). He's panting and lying in his cool spot, but seems to be way more alert and less stiff when he moves
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My cocker is the same, infact i posted here a few months ago to see if he was being over execised.
he's just turned 8, he's had a very active life so far, and for the past 6 mnths or so I've been runninh him 30 k per week (approx) and like your guy he too has started to slow down. the very odd day he has lipmed on his front leg and is slow to get out of bed on some days not all days etc. so ive stopped running him a month or so now and just keep his walks no more than 5 k three times per week and he seems better.
He's been on burns and salmon oil for about 6 years now.
So after paultf's post about his cocker (thanks paul) i called my vet. She said he maybe has the onset of arthitus and needs a stronger supplement for his joints. While she said salmon oil is excellent when dogs get older they sometimess needs something a little stronger. So he's going to see her this week, after he gets clipped tomorrow as she's going to do a full MOT on him bloods and all to make sure 100% theres nothing else wrong with him etc.
so ill let you know how he gets on
First pic is of him in his normal happy face...
next two pictures are of him sleeping after a run... he is supposed to be helping me study for my exams!!!!
ps every dog needs a pillow you know!0 -
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My cocker is the same, infact i posted here a few months ago to see if he was being over execised.
he's just turned 8, he's had a very active life so far, and for the past 6 mnths or so I've been runninh him 30 k per week (approx) and like your guy he too has started to slow down. the very odd day he has lipmed on his front leg and is slow to get out of bed on some days not all days etc. so ive stopped running him a month or so now and just keep his walks no more than 5 k three times per week and he seems better.
He's been on burns and salmon oil for about 6 years now.
So after paultf's post about his cocker (thanks paul) i called my vet. She said he maybe has the onset of arthitus and needs a stronger supplement for his joints. While she said salmon oil is excellent when dogs get older they sometimess needs something a little stronger. So he's going to see her this week, after he gets clipped tomorrow as she's going to do a full MOT on him bloods and all to make sure 100% theres nothing else wrong with him etc.
so ill let you know how he gets on
First pic is of him in his normal happy face...
next two pictures are of him sleeping after a run... he is supposed to be helping me study for my exams!!!!
ps every dog needs a pillow you know!
Cocker5, you absolutely have to warn people of the cuteness overload before posting pictures like that! Those eyes nearly killed me!!
PS - Dogs need an entire bed, not just a pillow.
In this pic, he was playing Careless Whisper on the stereo, and had lit candles for me too
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