Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Linda on July 24, 2014 at 10:45pm

Hi Suzanne....my  Max turned 12 in June and Katie turned 10 last February.  Max has slowed down quite but he has a calcification in his neck.  Did the vet take any x-rays to make sure Blaze is not having any issues with his spine, neck or back end?  Avoiding the stairs is a good sign that something is hurting him...could be his neck, back, hips and the only way to really find out what is bothering him is thru x-rays.  Then a plan can be decided on how to help him.  Anti-inflammatories did nothing for Max's neck.  I tried acupuncture for him and it has done wonders.  He has full movement of his neck, he is not in pain...except for some aches when the weather is bad but hey, don't all us old timers ache in bad weather.

I don't know your set up but can you do a ramp for him?  We have stairs off the deck and my husband built a ramp for Max so he has less stress going up and down.  He use to follow me from floor to floor, up and down all day but can't now.  He only comes upstairs at bed time.  Also, tho this may sound funny for a dog with 6 inch legs, raise his food and water bowl...it will help take stress off his neck. You can find a raised bowl setup at probably any store that sells pet supplies.  The one I have only raises them about 4-5 inches but it helps.  Also, if you don't already, use a harness to walk him.  All of this came from the acupuncture vet to take stress off the joints and muscles.  We been dealing with this for 3 years.  But otherwise he is healthy and still loves to play fetch and can still chase a squirrel if it dares come into his yard.

I've noticed Katie is slowing down a little but she gets her corgi on pretty good.

Permalink Reply by Suzanne on July 24, 2014 at 10:58pm

Thanks Linda. I'm happy to hear your Corgis are doing well :)  No, the vet did not do xrays today. He said if this doesn't help he will do them next. I think he was thinking it might be a temporary thing, maybe it is, who knows.

I have a tri-level house so a ton of steps. I noticed a while ago that Blaze doesn't follow me up and down all day like he used to.  I think I will put his food on the lower floor where we are most of the time and where he can go potty w/o doing the stairs. I will have my husband make a ramp to get outside.  Also thanks for the other tips. I did not think about the food bowl being low and being an issue. 

Hope my little guy feels better soon. Other than the stairs, he seems to be okay. I will keep an eye on him and see how it goes.  Thanks again for your reply. Hope your two remain healthy! :)

Permalink Reply by Linda on July 24, 2014 at 11:17pm

Good that the vet did mention x-rays.  So hope it's just a temp thing.  Did he give Blaze Rimadyl?  That works pretty good, used it with another dog for arthritis.  Also you can start adding fish oil to his food every day.  1 1000 to 1200 mg pill with his food per day. You can squeeze it out over the food but I just drop the pill in the dish and it gets gobbled up.  It has the same benefits for dogs as it does for humans.  It's good for their heart, helps with joint issues, dry skin and suppose to help with the famous corgi shedding but with 2 of them I still have tons of fur.  No need to buy the expensive kind that you would find in PetSmart.  Human ones are fine.  I buy the giant sized bottles at Walgreen's...for the dogs, me and my husband. 

I have had a number of cats start to lose their hearing including one that went completely deaf.  They can do just fine.  You just need to make sure you get his attention.  Start putting an action with a word..they learn fast and he will begin to associate that action with what you want him to do. Pretty much what they would teach in obedience classes so your dog learns to do by hand signals.  Doing it now while he can still hear will benefit him if he does lose his hearing completely.  As for his eyesight...I haven't dealt with but have a friend who did.  All I can say...don't rearrange the furniture because he knows the pattern of where things are.

Keep me posted as to how things are going.

Permalink Reply by Linda on July 25, 2014 at 7:31am

Suzanne....This forum doesn't appear to be very active, I suggest you bring this over to the main forum.  There are a ton of very knowledgeable people there.  Many who have dealt with aging corgis..not to mention it's an active group and you can find answers and suggestions to just about anything concerning a corgi.

Permalink Reply by Suzanne on July 25, 2014 at 9:34am

Yes Linda, it is carprofen that the vet gave him, same as Rimadyl.  I will look into the fish oil as well. He eats Wellness Core food which is fish and sweet potato I believe.  It has  a lot of stuff added to it, I will see what is in there.  I also moved the post to Corgi Health so others can see it. Thanks again for your help.  It does help to know others are going through it and get tips on how to make it easier for him and for us.  :)

Permalink Reply by Jayne Wagner on August 24, 2014 at 11:17am

Hi Suzanne,

Our Toddy is 14 1/2 and has been on rimadyl for a few years now. It definitely helps. Also, I started taking him for acupuncture and chiropractic adjustment and it has seemed to keep the degenerative myelopathy at bay, as well as help with his hardened spine. Toddy follows me everywhere and struggles with the stairs, but still makes it up all 16 several times a day. It's good to keep the muscle strength up. He's also deaf and senility is kicking in. He's such a sweet, gentle soul and still "works" along side me at our winery!

Blaze is lucky to have you, and sounds like he's got a lot more of a good life ahead of him. All the best!