What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a chronic and progressive joint disease that causes one or more joints to become painful and inflamed. It is the most common type of arthritis in dogs. It happens when the cartilage that usually cushions the joints begins to break down and eventually disappears. This leads to the bones rubbing together.

There is no cure for Osteoarthritis. But, there are things that can be done to slow the progression or manage the pain. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, Gabapentin, Amantadine, and Librela are some examples of pain medications that are commonly used. Other treatments include physical therapy and weight management. Supplements like Glucosamine, Chondroitin sulfate, and omega-3 fatty acids can also be helpful. Providing ramps or stairs is another choice. In some cases, surgery is necessary.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

The actual cause of Osteoarthritis is actually still unknown. Yet, most cases have underlying issues. These issues include an injury due to trauma or obesity. They also include hip or elbow dysplasia. These conditions can also involve a cruciate injury. This injury is a breakdown of the ligament in the knee called the cranial cruciate. Additionally, shoulder or knee dislocations are possible.

• Shoulder or knee dislocations

• An injury due to trauma

• Obesity

• Hip or elbow dysplasia

• Cruciate injury (a breakdown of the ligament in the knee called the cranial cruciate)

Leaving the House

We are blessed with our current situation and I am able to support us with just my income. My boyfriend is home with Teddy on a regular basis. This helps tremendously. However, when my boyfriend starts working full time, we will have to reassess our situation. I will likely drop down to part time to assist Teddy.

We limit our time away from the house so Teddy doesn’t get too anxious. He doesn’t stop us from living our life but we do worry about him when were away. Little man has always had really bad separation anxiety. It has definitely gotten worse as his rear legs have failed him. Which is completely understandable since he does rely on us heavily for his everyday needs.

We have come to expect some accidents when we are away and that’s okay. Teddy wears a diaper when we leave. We set up his bed in the living room with some pee pads and blankets around him. His water is always close by and he has treat dispensing toys or puzzles for him to enjoy.

He does not move around the house when we’re gone. Or if he does it’s very rare and he doesn’t go far.

Beds & Sleeping

Teddy has a thick memory foam bed that resides in the living room for when he rests out there. Otherwise he wants to spend the vast majority of his time on our bed. He is always on a pee pad when spending time on our own bed. Too many accidents in the middle of the night otherwise.

He sleeps on our bed every night. We installed a child’s bed guard on the end of our bed to keep him safe. He sleeps squished between my boyfriend and myself right in the middle of the bed. He loves it and sleeps very well all through the night. We do have to wake up and shift his position every few hours. He is unable to do it himself.

Bed Guards

Teddy can’t really control how his body moves around. He would not be able to stop himself from falling off the bed. If he got too close to the edge of the bed, he could easily slip off and fall. Our bed isn’t too far off the ground but Teddy’s little. A 2 foot fall without the ability to brace himself would hurt. For a while we braced the end of the bed with the backs of chairs or stacked laundry baskets. But the guard is so much better, safer, and we don’t have to shuffle around the room every morning.

Teddy is a major bed hog even with his small size. I started to wake up with my feet dangling off the edge of the bed and little man scooting closer and closer to the edge. I’ve been stuffing a large sweatshirt, robe, or blanket under the fitted sheet on the bottom edge of the bed. Just on my side. That way my feet feel the wall while I’m sleeping and I don’t hang my feet off the bed.

Hair Loss

Teddy has a lot of hair. He’s always been a little fuzz ball but surprisingly doesn’t shed that much. Sophia sheds double if not triple the amount Teddy does. Over time he has lost a small patch of hair on his bottom right between his legs and just below his tail. The vet said it’s from scooting on his booty particularly on the carpet. We had added rugs all over the house to create carpeted pathways. However, this was when Teddy’s legs were still functioning and starting to slide. The rugs helped for a period of time. But when his legs needed extra assistance they became more of a problem than anything. The vet warned us about carpet burns from Teddy sliding around on the rugs so we removed them after that. He is now starting to lose some hair on his tail as well so were trying to decide what to do to prevent even more hair loss.

Food & Water

Teddy needs assistance with all aspects of the day including getting food and water. He gives us signs when he wants his water. He barks at us. He looks from his water dish to us and repeats the gesture. Eventually, we catch on. Subtle, but we’re used to it by now. He eats around 8:00 every morning and 5:00 every night. He has a puzzle bowl he eats from and it does a good job of slowing him down. He gets excited and eats too fast so we like to make it a little more entertaining for him.

Teddy is a treataholic. He would eat bags of treats everyday if he could. All day. Nothing else. Obviously, we don’t let that happen. It’s a good incentive to take his medication. It’s also a good boredom buster when stuffed into toys.

Medication

Teddy now takes Galliprant, Gabapentin and Cranberry pills every day. Galliprant is a nonsteroidal medication that helps reduce inflammation. The Gabapentin is used to help with any pain. The cranberry pill helps prevent urinary tract infections from occurring. He takes the Galliprant and the Gabapentin twice a day. Teddy also gets a monthly pain shot called Librela. This shot makes the biggest difference for him. I highly recommend it for anyone who has a fur baby in pain. It’s roughly $97.00 and works by binding to the canine nerve growth factor and interrupting pain signals. He goes in at the beginning of every month right around the 8th. You do not want to sway much from the original day of the month the shot was given. Maybe a day or two in either direction is okay. But, if the dates vary too much, Teddy will start to get stiff. He will become slow and show signs of pain.

Getting Around

We have leg straps that Teddy uses when he goes outside, walks around the house and takes a bath. They are simple and loop around both legs with a long strap that comes all the way up for your hand to hold. They can be a little tough to manage and you have to stay over them when walking. If you don’t then their legs can slip out and they will fall. It took some adjustment but now it’s no big deal.

Teddy does drag himself around when he wants and needs to. We try to limit it as much as possible because honestly it is really sad to see. We just don’t want him to struggle like that and he is more prone to injury. He can move quickly when he wants to. However, when he does drag himself he usually ends up peeing. He does not like to be left alone in any room and will drag himself to come find someone.

I am in the process of building him an interior wheelchair out of PVC Pipe. I haven’t gotten the design down just right but I will upload detailed instructions on how to replicate it once I have it perfected. He uses his regular wheelchair whenever we go outside for walks but it’s hard to use in the house. There are so many obstacles for him to run into and navigate around. He is also unable to lay down when in his wheelchair and that’s just not practical. Some dogs may be able to lay down in their wheelchairs. I don’t know if it’s just Teddy’s brand or how high he needs his set to function. However, I have seen people build extra tall beds for their wheeled fur babies to rest. It doesn’t work for us, but I’m sure it could for others!

Incontinence

Teddy is in diapers the vast majority of the time and when laying down he’s always on pee pads. He is incontinent. At least mostly? He can hold it a little bit and has actually had a problem retaining too much urine recently. We manually express his bladder on a daily basis. He knows he needs to go immediately before he goes. He can warn you by barking at you but you have a minute or two before he begins. We have always communicated well with him but it’s at a whole new level now honestly. He has a different bark for water, food, walks, etc.

Disposable Diapers

Disposable diapers have been a blessing for us. Like I said Teddy wears them the vast majority of the day and they stop so many accidents. We didn’t use them for a long time mostly due to my stubbornness to do so. It felt like diapers made everything so real. Like that step was the last resort and it meant he was going downhill. After some time I realized that just wasn’t the case and it made us all happier to not have so many accidents. Teddy was very upset about his leaking and constantly messed with his manhood trying to clean himself up. He would have to have a bath at least two times a day and saying Teddy isn’t a water dog is an understatement. They also keep him protected from any bacteria on the floor which helps prevent any urinary tract infections. He did develop one back in August so we learned that one the hard way. We go through a bag of 50 in about 2 weeks and they cost around $15.00 a bag. The amount of trash per week is increased but the trade off of not having so much laundry is worth it. We have a large bathroom trashcan we place in the hallway that is specifically for Teddy’s pee pads and diapers. We have found it helpful to have a designated spot for his stuff. That way it’s not thrown away in the kitchen or overflowing the bathroom’s small garbage

Cloth Boxers

We tried using children’s boxers for Teddy for a little while. We hoped it would keep his manhood clean from touching the floor to prevent any infections. They do work and fit surprisingly well but they definitely do not absorb pee. Not to the extent diapers do at least. If Teddy was able to hold his pee and we just needed them for infection protection, then I would use them every day. You would have to experiment with sizing, Teddy wears a medium and he is 22 pounds. If you turn them around you can even use the hole to put their tail through!

Cloth Diapers

We attempted cloth diapers for a period of time. I do like them. They were made well but the extra addition to our laundry was a turn off honestly. For us it just makes it easier to throw away a pee soaked diaper than to wash it in the laundry. If we didn’t go through them so often then I would probably use them. However, I would need at least 8 – 10 per day. I might reorder some in the future and give them a shot though. It depends on how quickly we continue to go through disposable diapers.

Washable Pee Pads

Washable pee pads are a true life saver for us and go on all surfaces Teddy lays on. He does not like laying on the pee pads themselves. They are a bit stiff, and they tend to fold when he lays on them. But we just put a comfy blanket over the top and he falls right asleep. They fold up nice and small for easy storage and come in all sorts of sizes, colors, and designs. They absorb a lot of liquid and keep the surfaces below clean.

Disposable Pee Pads

We don’t use the disposable pee pads as much as the washable ones but they are a nice added protection. It allows us to keep his diapers off at times as well. We obviously don’t want him to sit in any pee. So one of the downfalls of the washable ones is just that. Once he pees on one then you have to wash it and get a new one. Sometimes the amount of laundry can be overwhelming.

Walking & Hiking

Teddy gets a lot of attention on his walks. Everyone wants to stop and say hi to the dog in the wheelchair. He doesn’t care about the people and is quite timid with other dogs. If any dog bigger than Teddy runs anywhere near him we immediately pick him up. He does not need to deal with an aggressive dog and I just don’t trust other owners. I would rather be mauled than have anything happen to Teddy. Most owners are very respectful and cross the street or step off the sidewalk for us to pass. One thing to note: You do have to be careful with corners and curbs because the wheelchair can tip. We haven’t had it happen thankfully but Teddy has taken a curb too sharp and started to teeter.

Wheelchair

Teddy loves his walks. They’re his absolute favorite thing besides eating and treats. He uses his wheelchair of course but we also add protection to his feet. I’ve tried dog booties in the past and they do work but they seemed too heavy for our uses. We currently use baby socks for Teddy and they work well. We use either newborn or toddler sizes and then add some horse wrap around his ankles to keep them steady. For added safety we add one more strip of horse wrap to tie his back legs together. This helps to keep them away from the wheels. When he runs and his legs are loose they swing out towards the wheels. I’ve always worried they would get stuck and cause a horrific accident. So we make sure there’s no chance of it ever happening. He does not wear diapers on his walks.

Wagon

Teddy gets a lot of attention on his walks. Everyone wants to stop and say hi to the dog in the wheelchair. He doesn’t care about the people and is quite timid with other dogs. We bought Teddy a large wagon that was originally intended for kids, hauling camping supplies, or whatever else people use wagons for. When I originally bought it, Teddy couldn’t spend much time in his wheelchair. It took weeks, months even, to get him to the point he could walk a mile or so. It also took a period of adjustment for him to even want to use it. He was slow at first, hesitant, scared, but then he found out he could run. He was free again.

Toys & Playing

Teddy has never been much of a toy fan. When he could walk he would randomly grab a toy and run around the house for a short burst of time. He occasionally likes laser pointers or a flirt pole but like I said he’s just not a toy fan. The only kind of toys he wants are the treat dispensing kind. He has lots of different kinds along with puzzles we regularly cycle through. Whenever we leave the house, he gets one.

Otherwise, Teddy really likes rawhide bones. We don’t like him or Sophia to eat them often but little man usually doesn’t, Sophia will. Most of the time he just wants to bury them or guard them from Soph. We assist him in burying his bones by supporting his back legs and maneuvering him throughout the house to find that perfect spot. He will stand guard, bury, rebury and it keeps him busy for hours.

Involuntary Muscle Movements

Teddy has a lot of involuntary muscle movements. We know that’s what they are due to numerous conversations with our Veterinarian. Sometimes his legs will twitch or his legs will stretch straight out. We originally thought it was the feeling coming back in his legs but unfortunately it’s not.

Teddy also has involuntary muscle movements regarding his manhood. This has been one of our biggest troubles with little man and finding solutions has taken some time. He will randomly become excited, to say it subtly, and depending on where he is that can be problematic. If he is sitting on the floor with no protection then he is introducing all kinds of bacteria into his body. This is how he received a urinary tract infection back in August. It’s random, simple things like that that you don’t always think of. Teddy had never had one in the past 14 years but he was also never in this situation before.

Baths, Cleaning & Sanitation

Keeping Teddy along with his numerous supplies clean is a bigger task than one might think. We have tons of laundry on a daily, weekly, monthly basis and anything that can help reduce that amount is appreciated. We currently use Tide liquid detergent to wash all of our laundry and for Teddy’s stuff we add some hydrogen peroxide to aid in the sanitation process.

We have numerous pet wipes that we use for a quick clean up and every time between diaper changes. We want to make sure no bacteria has a chance to grow and Teddy is very particular about his hygiene as well. He does not like any droplets remaining and we make sure to honor that for him. The wipes are specifically designed for dogs and do not have any scent to them. They are not quite a substitute for a bath but more for minor leaks and wetness. We still give him almost daily baths to make sure he stays as clean as possible.

Baths

Baths for Teddy are generally a two person job. It is doable with one person but it’s awkward to hold and wash him at the same time. We use a random nice smelling shampoo made for dogs but without any flea, tick, or medication added. We give him far too many baths to have anything added to it. He is absolutely not a fan of baths but remains patient and allows us to assist him.

Carpet Cleaner

So far we use the Resolve Easy Clean Carpet Cleaner Gadget with Foam Spray and it has done a great job. We have one of those like broom scrubbers where you can really get in there and scrub. And you don’t have to get on your hands and knees. We have regular carpet accidents and I appreciate having something that gets the smell and the stains out. I’d love to have the carpet removed in all the rooms of the house. But that’s not a project we are ready to take on just yet. Thankfully it’s just in two of the bedrooms so not too bad.

Hardwood Floor Cleaner

We use a Swiffer Sweeper for our hardwood floor and so far we are happy with it. We have some big accidents on the hardwood floor since it’s the place Teddy can move the easiest. He still comes barreling down the hallway when someone is doing something he wants to be a part of and when he does a trail usually follows him along with a nice warm bath.

Wet Wipes

Wet wipes are fabulous and help us clean Teddy up between diaper changes. It doesn’t replace a bath but it definitely helps with little accidents and freshening up. They have no scent and come in bulk packages so they last a good while.

Emotional Toll

The emotional toll it has taken on us to see Teddy go through all this has been significant. I didn’t realize what I was doing at first but I had a period of time where I grieved for the loss of the life Teddy once had. The loss of his legs. Seeing him struggle, seeing him confused, and it broke my heart. Some days are harder than others. Some days there are more accidents or he breathes funny for a minute and we rush him to urgent care. I’ve cried happy tears. I’ve cried sad tears. I’ve smiled till my face hurts. I’ve been angry. I’ve been scared. I’ve been depressed. But through it all I’ve done my best to stay positive. To remember that he didn’t ask for this and neither did we but I can buy a new rug. I can clean the carpet. I can scrub the floor. I can replace everything that gets dirty or ruined. But I can’t get another Teddy. He is one of a kind. One in a trillion. I made a promise to him the day we adopted him and as long as he is willing to fight – we will too. Our little Osteoarthritis warrior.