As promised, we're trying to get back to posting about health issues starting today. With our youngest dog Oscar just having celebrated his eighth birthday, there is no escaping the fact that from here on in, we'll be dealing with more and more age-related and age-aggravated conditions.
We have done what we can to slow down the process, particularly where joint problems are concerned. I'll put the details in MORE... since all of the dogs were affected.
Oscar has been taking a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement since he was about a year old due to a preliminary hip x-ray that showed possible laxity in his hip joints. As it turned out, by the time his adult hip x-rays were done and graded at age 3.5 years, his hip evaluation was OFA Good. However, the elbow x-rays taken at the same time showed Grade I DJD in his elbows. This was somewhat of a surprise as he was, and still is, asymptomatic.
Heidi has been taking the same supplement since just before her first knee surgery. She will be more likely to develop arthritis in her knees due to the torn anterior cruciate ligaments. Like way too many rottweilers, she injured both knees. Unlike many, she did not injure the second while the first was healing from surgery (small favors, I guess). Also unlike many dogs, she was not overweight. While this is an injury that both active and "couch potato" dogs can suffer, it was rather sobering to see that on the day we went in for the evaluation, Heidi was the only one of the four dogs in there that afternoon for knee surgery that was not fat.
I need to check into what would be considered the golden years for my Pom. I usually only have small dogs. The last three I had all died at 12 and 13. I didn't have any big medical problems with them. Some skin problems and they all three ended up blind or with very limited sight by the end. Korki is only 2 1/2 and is very healthy but I find myself worrying about his future. Do you get the xrays for the dogs because of their breeds or do you just do it? I have never thought to do that and vets around here don't even make that kind of suggestion.