writer, warrior, whack-a-doodle

Saucy Minx

Saucy Minx

July 28, 2017
Posted in: Dogs | Reading Time: 3 minutes

It's embarrassing. All it takes is a mature, dapper gentleman still in possession of his family jewels for Juno to abandon all modesty to become a saucy minx. I won't show you the other photos because this is a family blog and those photos are rated X. 

On another note: poor Henry the lab here in this photo, 12 or 13 year's old and was suffering from weak hips and arthritis. He's been on prednisone for who knows how long. It makes me so sad to see this. I hate seeing animals in pain. It pains me more to see them on a steroid for long term management. There are so many options for managing pain in your aging pet. When it comes to being healthy and living comfortably, it takes work, for your pets and for yourself. There is never a "one pill" solution, especially one without serious side-effects. In Juno's case, I do multiple things: physical therapy including specific exercises to build muscle, cold laser therapy & deep tissue massage for strains and tight muscles, traumeel (over the counter anti-inflammatory), supplements for joint inflammation, grain-free/anti-inflammatory diet, water treadmill to build muscle, adequan injections and acupuncture for inflammation relief. She used to also do regular jogging and light bikejorring to keep her back muscles plump and strong but that stopped due to my own illness.  Occasionally, I will use Rimydyl for a day or two if she's limping pretty bad from over-indulging on zoomies and smack down on the cracker.  Do I use all these therapies every month? No, but I use a few of them as needed every month. I feel out what she needs and I give it to her to relieve pain. Pain management never happens over night and it never takes just one pill to manage. It takes work and it takes commitment. She does do the treadmill once per month and another PT session as well.  I also do physical therapy with her regularly at home on the bosu ball and peanut, which she adores. And when she goes to PT, she runs right into the treadmill, no treats needed. She just does it because she loves it and it's ALL ABOUT HER. Juno is nothing if not an attention hussy.  She's in harness now, never off leash simply because she believes her husky super powers will protect her from getting hurt. Unfortunately those powers only make her jump higher and land harder when she zoomies. (Remember how she had the Moves Like Jagger?)  So the harness is to protect her from herself. I realize dogs don't live forever. I get that. But it's not to much to ask of me to help them live comfortably for as long as they can be comfortable. Besides, doing a variety of activities with Juno or any dog for that matter, is a fantastic bonding experience. They have so much to offer and to teach us. It's the least I can do for the joy they bring me.

While I don't go around pontificating how people should manage their dog's health, Henry's mom did ask how I kept my aging dogs in good shape. She was happy to hear about some of the things she can do to help Henry be more comfortable and took down a few numbers of places she can go for help. Henry was a doll and so happy to make new friends as he recently lost his own fur-sibling. Even the cracker found him very agreeable.

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