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Hollychops writes:

"Hello. I am new to this forum. I'm looking for some support for the decisions I am trying to make for my two beloved lurcher brothers. They are only 5 years old and I love them completely. Willow has had 5 operations to date on his front legs and has plates and screws in both. His brother AshBaby has chronic arthritis in his shoulder following a tendon tear 2 years ago. I'm devastated that AshBaby has such bad arthritis at such an early age. His prognosis is grim given that it will never get better - only worse. He already finds the stairs a problem and doesnt want to get up from his bed in the mornings. Willow is managing but its only a matter of time before the one leg becomes painful again as its already beginning to bend. Has anyone had to make this kind of decision on a pet that is not ill? I have had many dogs in the past and have always known its the right time when there has been an illness involved. Thanks."

Have you tried alternative medicine ? My collie Maggie was becoming very stiff and slow, she is 12 in April and I began mixing turmeric with her food and it has relieved her pain considerably. There are lots of homeopathic remedies as well as accupuncture etc. Even if you have never used these remedies before please do give them a try. They are all my family have used for decades now and benefit us greatly. I do hope this helps. Hugs xx

Acupuncture has helped my 8 year old rescue dog Jessie . She runs around like a 2 year old now. She has hip dysplasia and arthritis. The vet who treats her learnt acupuncture because his Staffie rescue dog who had had serious joint problems, having been run over and dragged under a car and then left for dead, had serious mobility probs. He thought he might need to put her to sleep when she was about 6 years old but a vet/acupuncturist worked on her. The dog lived to at least 20 years of age and only died last year. This great success encouraged the vet to learn acupuncture and he has a very good reputation and a very good success rate. After only 1 session Jessie had made enormous strides, as it were . So far she has had 6 treatments. The change in her is unbelievable. She is a much happier dog, she keeps up with the other dogs we meet up with every day and she is bright-eyed and waggy-tailed. I live in East Sussex but I am sure if you were interested you would be able to find a good acupuncturist in your area. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. XX

PS Jessie does take half a tablet of Previcox every day to control any pain which she might experience. XX

It is very sad but it is also important to keep in mind that quality of life is not just about being free of illness but also not suffering too much pain. A lot of animals, like people, will have some degree of long-term low grade pain and it is about deciding when the pain has become too much and is compromising quality of life too much. Unfortunately many pets need to be on long-term anti-inflammatory and pain-killer medications for problems with their bones and joints and there have been some great improvements in these treatments in recent years. Plus joint supplements, weight control and as others have mentioned, acupuncture has been used. Ultimately there are many cases in which in the end the decision has to be taken on quality of life concerns to do the kindest thing; this sadly is not unusual although usually not in such young pets. I rescued a dog in 2011 who has a deformed leg and also has to be managed for this. As a specialist vet I know all the medicine behind it but ultimately I am not looking forward to having to make some tough decisions for him going forward - but I will always try and hang on to the fact that every decision I make will be with his best interests at heart.

Good luck with Willow and AshBaby.

There are still options open to you as well as acupuncture and all mentioned above - physiotherapy can help greatly as the physio will be able to come up with a mobility plan that will not only help movement but help alleviate pain, they will also be able to offer advice on things you can do in your own home to help e.g. Using a raised dog bed so when they need to get up after a long period of lying down they won't put as much pressure on there joints when standing up. Mobility diets can help greatly as joint supplements are present in the diet already and you usually see an effect at approx 20-30 days after you start feeding.
Really hope the above will help your two little people x