Is it too early to start Merlin on glucosamine chondroitin?
He went to the vet on Monday because he'd been limping (mildly and intermittently) for about a week. Vet does not suspect ACL tear (no swelling and non-reactive when she manipulated the joint) and instead thinks he strained/sprained something or possibly tweaked a hip (she used to own an OES and knows they are not known for having terrific hips). We're thinking of having him screened for hip dysplasia at the same time we get him neutered (prob in 6 months or so). But if these guys are prone to bad hips, is there any harm in starting to give him a supplement just in case? My thinking is that if there is a problem that we don't know about yet, maybe me can minimize the longterm damage by getting him on a supplement early... Thoughts? |
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| Never have heard if it would be harmful for such an early age. For sure as they get older and the joints are wearing down a bit it is a good idea. More than anything, good exercise to strengthen the legs which in turn help hold the hips and "knees" together would be better idea. Knew a Great Pyr with early HD and they got him into carting, pulling moderate weights thus building up his back half and stabilized the hips nicely for years. |
| Good advice Susan. I really appreciate all your input on these forums. I myself have bad knees and that's the same advice the doc gave me. Well, not carting exactly, but building up those muscles to take the stress off the joint and keep them strong and stable. I have not heard of OES being carting dogs before, but I can think of no reason why they couldn't... And it occurs to me that Merlin would probably love it! I wonder how I could get into something like that. Gonna do a couple searches now, but if you know where I could start looking, I'd love some pointers! |
| Also, I need to get get him NOT to pull when I don't want him to before I teach him to pull on command LOL! He really needs a leash training workshop. He doesn't pull badly, he just walks a little faster than I do and doesn't let the leash slack. |
| I started my puppies on Glucosamine / Chondroitin / MSM supplement at a year old. Just for good measure. |
| Marilyn - I see that there are glucosamine supplements, chondroitin supplements, and MSM supplements, along with any combination of those available. Probably if they are all beneficial it's a good idea to get one with all three. There's just so much information and so many products that it's a bit overwhelming. I was thinking of the Findley Reed product with all three. Trader Joe's also has a glucosamine/chondroitin (no MSM) that is a really good value. |
| My vet suggested including the MSM as they have had great results in horses with it. I buy the gel caps at CVS when they run their sale of buy 1 get one free. |
| Thanks! I'll take a look! So, I can give the human from of this one? I know some things you can use the human stuff - like fish oil. I have trouble giving Merlin gel caps for some reason. I can't hide his pills in cheese or lunchmeat because he doesn't gulp. He'll eat the cheese or turkey and spit the pill out. He's even able to do that if I use Pill Pockets and pinch the end really well. The only way I can give him non-chewable pills is to literally stick them in his throat (he's so good about opening up). But the fish oil gel caps I've been trying to give him to help with allergies seem to get sticky and then rather than swallowing them, he works them forward in his mouth and spits them out. He might be inclined to still eat them, but I kinda don't want him popping it and getting fish oil all over his beard cause it would NOT smell very good! |
| Remember Chewie and Bond, Dawn's boys are into weight pulling. Different than carting. Initial carting is just getting them used to something behind them. Then gradually increase weights. Dogs who cart are a big attraction if your town has a holiday parade......you might find out if other breeds participate and can join up. Our local Great Pyr club had several carters and were always decked out ; carts and dogs, for the Christmas parade. Even tiny dogs can cart....just smaller carts. Another exercise is swimming. Of course there is pool therapy or water tredmill, but if you are near water and can convince your pup swimming is fun, the exercise would be great.....but not so much grooming a long coat after a swim. Tradeoffs. Nothing wrong with good long walks over hill and dale with some good hill climbing added to the mix. Knew some Newfoundlands who were rock solid in the rear end transmission both from good breeding and the fact the back yard included several acres of steep hillside. So go ahead, start Merlin on the supplements, but also get his started in physical activity to keep his "rear end aligned."  |
| His regular exercise so far is on VERY flat terrain. We just picked up a treadmill that we're hoping to get him trained to do so he can continue to get exercise when the weather here turns too hot for either of us to venture outside during the day (that'll be soon). It is not set up yet, but it might allow for inclines, which would be helpful. Otherwise I guess I need to start looking into some supplemental exercise for him. Carting would be super fun for both of us. Our town does have a couple of parades throughout the year. Merlin is already something a local celebrity in our downtown Plaza area where we most often take our daily walks. I think our little street with no through traffic would allow for some training. The "local" Great Pyr and Bernese clubs are both more than an hour away. That's not too bad I guess, but I just know that with a regular work schedule and SOOOOO MANY family obligations that my husband and I have on the weekends (both of us have large families who all live in town or at least within the county) that I wouldn't be inclined to go that far for scheduled club events. But I guess we could train on our own and he would be a BIG HIT in the parades. Looks like the initial training wouldn't be too expensive (harness is all really) - it's the fancy carts that'll drain your wallet! But we certainly have some good hilly trails around that I look forward to enjoying with him in addition to the daily walks! If only I could get him to jump in the car... |
| Yes, keep him level for awhile. He'll tell you when he's ready for hill climbing. Keep the Berner and Pyr clubs handy as they can guide you on harness and cart availability. Who knows, there might be someone close to you who can mentor when the time comes. Right now Merlin just want to be loved and have a family........and exercise his growing body and expand his mind before he crashes into a nap......puppies love their naps. |
| Yes, actually, being loved on, going for "walkies" and bedtime are his favorite things in the world. He doesn't even sleep in the bed with us, but I think just the fact that bedtime guarantees that we'll all be in the same room for an extended period makes it one of his favorite things. He can be energetically playing with a toy, and if I say "bedtime" he drops it before I've even finished the word and trots off to his bed. Love my boy! Thanks for all your input! Merrilee |
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