Keeping Senior Dogs Healthy: Cyan’s Transition from a Crushed Hip 10 Years Later

You know when you take something for granted and you don’t think much about it until someone says something to bring your attention to it? Well, this is what happened with our Border Collie, Cyan, during her 1st chiropractic adjustment at the age of 11. Considering she has had a crushed hip for over 10 years, and this being her 1st chiropractic appointment is a testament to how well she has done all these years.

This past winter, Cyan was having some problems with her hind end, especially her bad leg. Her back end was collapsing after being outside for a few minutes on extremely cold days. On warmer days when we could take her for a walk, she struggled to go for more than a few houses. Those days that were challenging she also had a hard time reaching down to her food dish so I raised it up for her.

I took Cyan to be examined by Manitoba's most experienced animal chiropractor, Dr. Glenn Bailey DC, for chiropractic adjustments.  He has been certified for 22 years by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) and human chiropractor for 29 years.

Dr. Bailey reviewed her previous year's Xrays and read the notes I sent him before we arrived for our appointment.  He was able to observe Cyan's gait when she was getting out of the front seat of my van and walk toward the vet hospital. Dr. Bailey was pleasantly surprised at how well Cyan moved along with her flat-top line and energetic gait.

He commented that he was expecting “a dog in a lot worse shape”  Usually he would see "a dog having compensating problems due to arthritic changes including abnormal gait, roached (rounded) spine, and slow labored mobility"

Dr. Bailey said, “whatever you are doing is working well!”.  

It was at this point I stopped to think about what our proactive measures were over the course of the past 10 years.

To understand and appreciate the end results, I have to share Cyan’s history starting with her rescue. 

CYAN WAS FOUND AT 9 MONTHS OLD WITH A CRUSHED HIP

Our Border Collie, Cyan, came into our lives over 10 years ago. She was found wandering the fields with a badly crushed hip at 9 months old. Hulls Haven Border Collie Rescue took her into their care.  A special foster was needed that could manage the tedious job of up to 3 months’ worth of rehabilitation post-surgery for FHO (femur head ostectomy).

My husband had lost his heart dog a few months prior and was recently laid off for the winter so I thought this would be a good fit for him.

I had no idea what we were getting into but I believe strongly that every dog comes into our lives to teach us.

Cyan only needed to wait a few days for her surgery. While she waited, I couldn’t help but notice she had a hard time getting comfortable during the night and would pace on her 3 legs during the night. When she did finally fall asleep she would whimper in her sleep.

Surgery day came and Cyan endured a 2.5-hour surgery to remove as many bone splinters as possible.  Dr. Mandor DVM, at Stonewall Veterinarian Clinic also removed a large piece of arthritis that had already formed in this 9-month-old pup. How long had she been suffering? Hard for me to guess but long enough that her left leg was permanently seized up like a sideways letter V, with little muscle mass and arthritis.

Even though we all felt so sorry for her, Cyan never felt sorry for herself. She was an extremely happy, energetic pup that got along well with our other dogs and family members.

Cyan pre-surgery 2012 Xray

 

POST-SURGERY FHO REHABILITATION

After the surgery, we were handed a manual containing a step-by-step rehabilitation that covered a good 60 days of daily chores to aid Cyan in her recovery which my wonderful husband took on eagerly.

The two of them became quite the pair going on their daily walks, massages, stretches, so on, according to directions.

 

FOSTER FAILED

About 3 months post-surgery, Sally Hull of Hull’s Haven Border Collie Rescue inquired if Cyan was ready to be put up for adoption. My husband had a very quick answer to that question and 11 years later the two of them are still inseparable.

Cyan’s bubbly personality,  her love for people and all other animals made her a great fit for our family.

 

NEW LIFE

Now that Cyan is officially ours I had to really think about what I needed to do to keep her mobility as good as possible for as long as possible plus find activities to stimulate her brain, after all, she is a Border Collie.

After receiving a vet's approval Cyan and I signed up for agility classes. Her vet recommended I should not hold her back from having fun but to be careful of the ground she was landing on when jumping, keep the jumps low, and not repeat the same thing too many times in a row. Going to agility classes was OUR special time together that we both really enjoyed.

 Even though we were doing everything to keep her hips moving and pain free, she would be sore after our agility classes as she always gave 110% in every class. 

Our new vet had examined the Xrays, and saw there was a bone splint in her hip that would rotate as she was running which would poke her muscle causing pain. This prompted me to retire her from agility and move her into Rally Obedience which she loved too! Cyan is such an easy dog to please!!

 

PROACTIVE DIET AND SUPPLEMENTS

She was already on a raw diet that is naturally anti-inflammatory.

To this diet I started adding Omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics and dehydrated sprouts that contained a powerful anti-oxidant.

For the first few months I noticed that her poops were mucousy which was a sign the toxins were being pushed out. It is important to do a cleanse and rebuild the gut microbiome after surgeries or after any round of medications using natural herbs and good-quality probiotics.

My knowledge and connections back then were not what they are today. As my knowledge grew on canine nutrition and supplementation so did the things I tried on Cyan.

These last several years she has been on:

• Omega 3 fatty acids, rotating plant-based and marine-based omega 3 fatty acids
• Cannabis oil twice a day,
• Green-lipped Mussels, supports joints and contains many nutrients
• Rotating probiotics, 80% of health comes from the gut.
• Rotating Adored Beast Phyto-synergy / Spirulina / Turkey Tail Mushrooms (antioxidants)
• Adored Beast Liver Tonic a few times a year to support and cleanse the organs
• Adored Beast Jump for Joynts just in the past year.
• Kelp as a source of iodine
• Bone Broth as a source of glucosamine and chondroitin. 

The raw diet is a rotation of different proteins and brands with added free-range organ meats and my own blend of veggies/berries/bone broth combination. All this along with her daily exercise is all we have done to keep her healthy and strong. She has never needed to see a vet for any issues. Her previous years' check-ups and blood work showed she was very healthy.

 

EXERCISE RELIEVES STRESS

We all know that exercise relieves stress and stress is connected with inflammation which is connected to so many diseases including cancer. The basic proactive protocol that I wrote about in my blog “How to Reduce the Risk of Cancer in your Dog” is the same protocol that helped Cyan all these years.

After nearly 10 years, Cyan still gets her daily massages and tummy rubs when hubby gets home from work. He can’t go anywhere without her on the weekends, she loves truck rides. She gets daily walks and sometimes gets to run in the field with our Papillons.

Cyan’s journey will continue and I am sure she has more lessons to teach us.

NOTE: Look at the muscle difference between the old and new Xrays on her bad leg.  At 11 years old she is doing fantastic and her winter mobility issues will be monitored.