Senior Doggy Dilemmas…

Our furry boy at 6 weeks (2007)

Our Labrador Retriever turned eleven this past August. Other than the fact that our yellow fellow was taken home by us (I swear the Universe planned this), the hand he was dealt with has been a tough journey. Plagued by allergies (cats, fleas, trees, grass—you name it) that required shots and pills before he hit one-year-old, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his back left leg when he was two, and having a tumor on his chest removed at five, I’d say he has paid his dues. Our furry guy is still on allergy meds, but I removed the shots from his treatments when we moved down to southern Ontario, and was glad of it since they proved to be expensive over the years. Poor dog must have been allergic to all those pine trees up north! LOL!

Don’t get me wrong, there’s been plenty of blessings and good times too. More than I can count. So when our old boy’s back legs were giving him trouble because arthritis had set in (mostly from his ACL repair), we had to do some hard thinking. Presently, he’s on pain medication (five pills a day), and I still haven’t counted out Cannabis Oil to ease his pain now that it’s legal in Canada. However, before I try that, I thought I’d invest in some therapeutic laser therapy for him to help relieve his pain. I must say, the results surprised me, and has added to the quality of life for our senior dog.

So what exactly is laser therapy, and how does it work on dogs?

Getting his treatment. So relaxed!

I won’t bore you with the studies or science, so simply put when laser light (using a long wand with a wide head) interacts with tissue it causes certain photochemical reactions to occur and stimulates natural biological healing processes, thus transforming light energy into chemical energy. There’s absolutely no damage to cells and doesn’t burn. In fact, getting a treatment seemed to relax our dog. The therapy sessions take about twenty minutes, and so far our dog has had about eight treatments. Contact your veterinarian to ask about laser treatments if this is something you think would be a good fit for managing your dog’s pain. If you want more information about this procedure, please click HERE.

I found out about laser therapy for dogs through Lina Ventura Kaput, the owner of Salubrity, my local health store. When she mentioned that she did house visits, I booked an appointment immediately! Each treatment costs around $40, but prices vary depending where you live and what your veterinarian charges. My neighbors noticed a considerable difference in the way our dog walked (his back leg straightened) and he seemed not to lag too much on walks. A huge bonus as his leg was turned out before the treatments.

Available soon on Kijiji...maybe!

Another thing we’ve done to ease our old pup’s life is building a dog ramp from the top of the deck. Of course when I say ‘we’, I mean my hubby. If you’re thinking of doing this for your senior dog, you can order ramps in different sizes online, or if you’re handy with tools, then you might save some money doing it yourself. Though, a heads up. So far, our sucky Lab refuses to use it. Pulling him up or down the ramp should be deemed an Olympic sport. He’s not too happy about it. We’ve even dotted the ramp with dog biscuits, but alas he only goes for the ones he can reach. This will be a work in progress, so for now, I’m sure we can teach an old dog new tricks. At least I hope so, or this ramp will be going up on the buy and sell! Any takers?

Do you have an aging dog? If so, what have you done to add to the quality of his or her life? Would love to read your input and comments. Cheers, and thank you for spending time with me by reading my blog!