Joint care for dogs

Do you have a dog that limps after he/she goes for a walk or to the dog park? If so, your beloved pet may have a tear in a ligament in the knee. I have researched this problem as my twelve year old Cayanne has had two surgeries call TPLO's  to correct the damage. These surgeries are radical in that they have to cut the lower leg bone and re-set the knee positioning. A plate is then scewed into the bone to hold it together. UGH!! and talk about expensive. These surgeries run $4,000-$5,000 dollars. While these surgeries have given her freedom to walk again, she still needs the supplements to stay loose and they each required 3 months of bedrest before she was allowed to resume her activities.

So what can you do??  Well, if the ligament is slightly torn, your dog will require twelve weeks on bed rest to heal the tear. (Should the dog keep running it may tear completely leaving the knee useless and causing constant pain for the dog)
For nutritional support during convalesense you can add glucosamine/Chondroiton/Hydrulonic acid to the dogs food to facilitate healing. I have two dogs with this issue, I researched products and discovered Animed (brand name) they make a  joint supplement for horses that has been recommended for dogs called Aniflex Complete. So far so good. Unfortunately, My youngest dog twisted his leg in a hole while relieving himself and he may have torn the ligmanrt completely.  Our other dog, Finnegan has been on the product for 3 months now. He still has very limited walking time to be safe, so we have him enrolled in swimming classes to keep him in shape. two times a week has been recommended by a vet and the "spaw" owners.

Good luck with your dog(s). and let me know if this article was helpful

Cheryl