The Dog Bible Q&A
Tracie welcomes any and all questions about cats AND dogs on both her live radio shows. Call in to DOG TALK on Saturdays from 11-Noon (EST) to 800-394-8830 or Wednesdays 8-9 PM (EST) to CAT CHAT 866-675-6675. (You don't need to have Sirius to call in!)
Chronic Pain
Hello Tracie. My question is health related: what are the best ways to help dogs deal with chronic pain? Hunter, our two-year-old Labrador retriever, has hip/stifle issues, but due to allergies that are life-threatening, surgery is not an option. What do owners do when vet medicine is either a poor choice or no choice?
From: Anne Marie, in Oakland, NJ
Dear Anne Marie,
A few suggestions for you and Hunter.
Consider acupuncture. It could help, if you are fortunate enough to have a veterinary acupuncture therapist around. If you can find an alternative, maybe a holistic kind of vet, you may find relief. (In my book THE DOG BIBLE, there’s a listing of how to find them.)
Platinum Performance is one of the most incredible supplements for joint pain I’ve found; it’s literally a life-saver. I had my Rottweiler, Yogi Bear, on it, who had no hip sockets -- a total birth defect -- and I was not willing to put a very young dog through a double hip replacement. But with two scoops of Platinum Performance, morning and night, the horrible pain he had been suffering stopped. Do you have my book, THE DOG BIBLE? I wrote all about the product; that’s how they came to be sponsors of the radio show.
In the alternative, I’ve found most other supplements to be useless on any dog, and wildly expensive.
Try to figure out which movements (i.e., running too much, sharp turns, getting in and out of cars, etc.) cause him pain, and limit these motions. I’ve found it really helps!
Best.
Tracie Hotchner
Tracie welcomes any and all questions about cats AND dogs on both her live radio shows. Call in to DOG TALK on Saturdays from 11-Noon (EST) to 800-394-8830 or Wednesdays 8-9 PM (EST) to CAT CHAT 866-675-6675. (You don't need to have Sirius to call in!)
DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that the advice I give on the air or in emails – or those you see posted here – are not intended to take the place of a veterinarian's advice or expertise. I say this to protect myself from being misunderstood or from your over-reliance on my advice in situations where your pet may be seriously ill and you would mistakenly delay seeking medical intervention. While I am confident in the research-based facts and common-sense advice I can offer, it is never meant to be used at the exclusion of trained, accredited and board certified professionals. But I also have this disclaimer to protect your dog – because what you learn from me is not intended to take the place of medical care or professional evaluation – on the contrary, my desire is to equip you with information that will allow you to enjoy your pets to the fullest, and also to encourage you to seek professional medical attention whenever there are physical symptoms or an overall change in your pet's attitude.
The information contained in the answers posted on this board comes from THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You To Know, and from DOG TALK® The Radio Show, broadcast live, Saturdays, from 11-12 noon EST, on your local NPR affiliate. All emails are answered personally and then posted, sometimes in abbreviated form.
