Sudden loss of interest in walks Hi, all. Looking for some advice... A little background: My 9-year-old pup has luxating patellas (both knees) and they seem to be worsening these past couple years. She doesn't act like she's in pain, but her gait is a little more awkward and she's wobblier than she used to be. A couple weeks ago we went to the vet for her regular exams and vaccines. Without me bringing it up, the vet expressed some concern about her knees, but all he suggested was getting her on a senior food with glucosamine and chondroitin. Fast forward to now. She and I usually go for 1 or 2 walks a day, anywhere from 10-30 minutes. She LOVES her walks, especially in the evenings when we go to the nearby trails or park. Since yesterday morning, however, she absolutely refuses to walk. We'll drive all the way to the park, but then she doesn't want to leave the parking lot and just wants to get back in the car. The weird thing is that when we get home, she roams around just like usual--maybe a little more weary, but no signs of pain. I'm at a complete loss. All I can think is that maybe something spooked her on our longer Sunday evening walk? Or she experienced pain, and it scared her? Or maybe running around the house is okay, but she knows a longer trek would be hard on her? I'm trying to get her enough exercise by playing fetch and running around the house, but it's hard to do. And I'm mostly just sad--walks were always her favorite. I hate to think we can't do that anymore. Any ideas or similar experiences? |
Hi and welcome to YT :)! Your little one sounds so sweet; so sorry to hear she's worrying you. I do think she could be signaling you that she's hurting. Did the vet suspect not just LP, but also arthritis now...? If arthritis, there are meds you can use when it starts to affect the quality of her life. Meds like Dausiquin (get on Amazon - much better than having chrond/glucosamine in food!), Adequan injections (not cheap, but can be very effective), and at some point you may need to use some steroid (prednisone) and/or pain pills. Nothing wrong at all with using meds if it keeps the quality of her life better. Another thing - did the vet check her eyes and ears? Sometimes our older kiddos start having sight/hearing issues, so they may be more scared when outside their own home. If it were me, I'd give her a good week's total rest. Then perhaps drive to a new area, and take her for just a 10min walk - see if she'll go. I'd stay away from anything longer than 10-15mins at a time for now. Keep us posted on how she does! |
To me it sounds like she is in pain. You might want to get an opinion from an orthopedic specialist. You might also want to talk about getting her in a daily pain medicine. Callie has had ACL and LP surgeries and her legs started to bother her so now she is on metacam daily and like a new dog. |
Thank you both for your responses! This gives me a good idea of what to bring up with our vet, and I've started her on cosequin in the meantime. She seems to be doing much better now, but we're still taking it easy. We've been going on shorter walks, and anytime she slows down or stops, I carry her for a minute until she squirms to get back down. I think she likes getting breaks while we explore, and I can tell she's looking forward to her walks again--no more standing in the parking lot. It's so hard seeing these first signs of aging, but we'll adapt! Thanks again! |
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We got some strollers many moons ago, when our now late senior sweetie was just a pup. When she began to struggle with longer walks, which the vet told us would happen, we took the stroller with us. When she got tired, we put her in the stroller for a bit and continue the walk. Over time, she rode more and more, but she still got to enjoy the full length of her ordinary walk. It's an option for you.--KatysMom |
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