Help your senior pet stay mobile despite arthritis and aging joints.
When mobility changes
Perhaps you’ve seen them at the park – those adorable-looking dogs getting pushed in a stroller. Maybe they’re getting pampered a little, or perhaps they have trouble getting around. Is there an injury or is it old age? There are a number of reasons pets can have mobility issues.
Maverick’s story
One local dog with a story to tell is Maverick, an 8-anda-half-year-old red-nosed pit bull who lives with his owner, singer Kolby Carnigan. Maverick’s rear legs were paralyzed in January 2023 when he jumped off a couch and landed wrong when Carnigan was taking his dogs out for their final bathroom break of the night.
“I knew it was going to be scary; it wasn’t just a scrape or bruise,” Carnigan said of the night he rushed his dog to a veterinarian. Maverick was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease, which Carnigan described as a neurological brain injury. Carnigan, who is single, needed solutions to help him and his canine pal adapt to their new lifestyle.
Whether an injury, or, in the case of senior pets, arthritis – which Maverick doesn’t have – or other reasons that can hinder mobility, medication, surgery and environmental adaptations can help pets live their best lives possible.
Support options for aging joints
A dog’s build, nutritional history or an injury are among several reasons that can contribute to arthritis, according to an article published by VCA Animal Hospitals in Los Angeles. How can you tell if your aging dog is suffering with arthritis? A recent reluctance to use stairs or jump down off furniture, unexpected aggression toward other animals or humans and moving slower during walks are signs to watch for.
One of several common forms of surgery for ailing pets, according to an online article published by Lowcountry Veterinary Surgery in Charleston, is femoral head ostectomy, an option that removes the ball of the pet’s hip joint to eliminate bone-on-bone contact that causes pain. This surgery is recommended for hip arthritis, fractures and severe malformation known as hip dysplasia.
Regardless of why dogs are struggling with mobility, there are ways to ease their pain and lessen their discomfort. Some pet owners help their beloved pals by building or installing ramps to help their furry friends get on and off sofas or other furniture. Ramps start at about $60, and orthopedic bedding made of machine-washable foam rubber also is available. There also are water treadmills for pets and “doggie wheelchairs” – contraptions with a harness attached to two wheels that trail the dog’s rear legs. Amazon sells a harness for $19.99 that helps owners lift their dogs up and down stairs.
Maverick now moves from place to place with a dog wheelchair, which is convenient because instead of one dog bed, he can choose from among five. Indoors and outdoors, he loves to run with the help of his harness with spinning wheels, which arrived a few weeks after his accident – coincidentally, on his birthday.
According to the Atlanta-based Arthritis Foundation, another way to help with mobility issues is to raise food and water dishes to reduce bending and strain on your pet’s neck and spine. And to ease your pet’s pain, the VCA article notes that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are generally the first line of defense, including meloxicam, carprofen and firocoxib. Supplements such as glucosamine also are possibilities.
Outgoing at times and introverted at others, Maverick loves children and is friendly with people. He’s bold but not aggressive, Carnigan shared, and his winning personality has not been inhibited by his accident.
“He’s fun-loving – the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet,” Carnigan said.
Maverick doesn’t have a pet stroller because Carnigan wants him to be able to move around freely; he carries his dog up and down stairs.
When pets experience mobility issues, don’t panic, he advised. Do your own research and be patient.
Maverick sometimes has bladder accidents, which means he requires more baths than he once did.
Carnigan, who was told by a veterinarian that putting his pet down was an option, worried at first whether his canine pal would be able to enjoy life.
“I didn’t think he could have a good quality of life. I was wrong,” Carnigan stated.
By Kevin Devalk
