St. Thomas Dog Blog

My Standard Poodle Leo has arthritis in his left hip.  His running, jumping and dancing on hind legs must be curtailed.  I am very sad and furious.

He’s maybe 9, no longer a young dog.  So you might say, he’s had good years.  Aging happens.  I’d agree, normally – but.  He’s only had 3 “good years.”

Leo spent 5 years of his life in a cage, not running, probably not even walking much.  When he came to us, he had trouble climbing steps.  At first, he just didn’t know how to, he’d clearly never seen steps before.  But even when he figured out how to, he didn’t have the strength in his legs to do it.  He gained strength.  He loves to run fast, climb hills and dance.

He’d been a breeding dog in a Georgia puppy mill.  That’s why I don’t know his exact age.  I know from the record that came with him that he’d been purchased December 12, 2003.  I figure he was at least 6 months at that time.  I doubt they get them until they’re of breeding age.  Why feed unproductive mouths?

He got out in September 2008 via a rescue group and came to Canada.  He and his Labradoodle cellmates were not seized in a raid that closed the puppy mill.  The rescue group bought them.  They were old breeding stock, used up, and young dogs who hadn’t sold.  So the miller wasn’t put out of operation, he just got cash to buy new stock.  I know it was a man, white-haired.  They’re the only people that Leo truly was scared of when he came to us.

So his arthritis makes me angry, angry at that white-haired man in Georgia and all puppy mill operators.  They use up animals’ God-given vitality without care about what quality of life those generations of dogs will have.  They abuse animals in order to make themselves “a living.”

The note on Leo’s mill record says he’s “a really nice friendly boy.  He would do great for agility or obedience.”  Yes.  He loves agility.  I took him to a horse show once and he even jumped the low bars set up for kids and their ponies.

Now he eats ‘joint health’ kibble with glucosamine and omega fatty acids.  He takes meloxicam for pain relief daily.  Those medications are his for life, as the worry when he slips on a floor or limps is mine.  I hope only to avoid surgery.  He can still run, his doctor says, just don’t overdo it, watch for signs of pain.  Get in the habit of nice walks.

Puppy mill or not, he might develop arthritis at his age.  My other dogs have.  But they had more than three years of healthy freedom before bone degeneration afflicted them.

The food bowls are simply set in flowerpots.  The higher one is for Leo’s food so he doesn’t have to lean down, thereby straining his joints.  The lower one is for water that is shared with smaller pets.  Leo jumping the obstacle course was at Moore Water Garden near Port Stanley with agility demonstrations by Country Club for Pets.  Here’s good information on arthritis in dogs.