CHOW mix 15 yrs old hind legs

Health topics and issues with Chow Chows.

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chow315

CHOW mix 15 yrs old hind legs

Post by chow315 »

hi i rescued this dog 3 or 4 years ago.i knew he had some medical problems. i thought 1 was arthritis. have been faithfully treating him. with rimadyl and tramadol. by the way the best prices are at foster and smith.took him for a walk saturday.he fell and started dragging his legs. i helped him to sit and rest. then we went home. later that day took him to vet.vet said is not arthritis but he has no muscle in his hind legs. i thought we were going to have to put him down.that breaks my heart . he is a very loving obedient dog he still has lots of life in him vet said could do surgery 2000 a leg. cant do. physical therapy 3 times a week 60 an hour cant do.looked on net and they show exercises you can do at home and no need to buy any equipment.
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chow4life
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Re: CHOW mix 15 yrs old hind legs

Post by chow4life »

I am so sorry to hear this. My previous chow Nellie lived to be around this age (16). She also ended up with dementia and severe issues with her hind legs. They hurt her so bad she refused to get up some days. We also had her on Rimadyl and Tramadol as needed. That being said our vet first took x-rays of her legs and labs to make sure there was nothing specific going on with her. In her case it was arthritic issues.
On a side note we also had a Rottweiler a couple of years younger then her (14) and his legs went out completely. I mean we had to left him up and support him with a towel to get him where he needed to go. He showed no arthritis on x-rays so they did a MRI and it showed a mass (which proved to be cancer) on his prostate that was pressing on his nerve causing him to lose total control of his legs and eventually his bowels. The surgery would have been to invasive for him at the age he was. So we declined. With both of them being the age they were, we loved and gave them everything they needed but in the end we had to make that dreadful decision when we felt like it was the best for them. If your vet is saying its not arthritis what is he saying is causing the legs to give in?
chow315

Re: CHOW mix 15 yrs old hind legs

Post by chow315 »

he didnt really explain. he said reddy[ name of dog] has no muscle in hind legs.said not arthritis but born with this and it gets worse as they age.he as a very bad time getting up, after that we take short walks. if he sees a cat he will want to run for it. i found a couple of web sites that show exercises to strengthen the muscle.it looks very simple. things like sit and stand walk backwards. stand on 3 feet. in addition to the rimadyl i am giving him a dog form of glucosamine chondrotion, tart cherry [good for pain] and codliver oil. oh we are ordering from foster smith a hind leg support it attaches to the collar and helps with getting up and walking. he can wear it all the time.thanks for your reply
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