Younger dog with arthritis-like symptoms?
I have a 55 lb. boxer mix. He was a stray so i’m not sure of the exact age…but the vet had told me he’s probably 6 at the oldest. He’s always very active and full of energy–until last night. After going outside and coming back in he started acting like it hurt to walk, but it wasn’t a limp like he stepped on something. It’s almost like it’s his spine or something in his joints. I had to lift him up onto the bed that night and this morning when i took him out he just sat in the yard (after doing his business) and i had to carry him onto the deck and preceded to lift him back on the bed. He’s acting like he’s aged 10 years in 10 minutes! what’s wrong!! (I am a good owner- i have no intentions of neglecting his pain or whatever the issue may be, and i will take him to the vet if he isn’t better by tomorrow. Obviously the best answer here would be to seek professional help, but i’d like to wait at 24 hrs. to see if he gets any better. just looking for some advice or temporary fixes as of now)
6 is one year away from being a senior. the joints will often start to degrade this early.
i would just get him on a good senior food (Diamond naturals is a good one) and maybe some glucosamine supplements.
Raw chicken leg quarters are also a good source of glucosamine
He could’ve gotten bitten by a spider, or hit by a car if he wasn’t in a fenced area.
Can you call a vet today? I’d call and make an appointment and ask the vet tech on the phone what kind of human pain reliever you can give him. SOME human pain relievers are appropriate for dogs, I just don’t know which ones. The ones that have acetaminophen (like Tylenol) are NOT good for dogs because they are a lot more sensitive to liver damage than we are.
I don’t know about medicines that contain aspirin or motrin, but I think that at least one of them is okay for dogs. So just call a vet and ask. Even if the vet isn’t in today (’cause it’s a holiday), if you call they should have an emergency number on their answering machine message, and you can call that. If your vet doesn’t have one, just call another vet in the phone book, until you find one you can talk to.