Poor boy. Have you tried talking to him before you approach him? I would work on finding a way to alert him comfortably so that he isn't startled.
For arthritis, I would talk to your vet about pain meds, and look into heat and massage therapy that you can do at home.
I have been reluctant to use meds, but I also don't want my doggies to suffer. Meds win out over suffering and we have not had any problems with them.
__________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy  |