Environment Enrichment Tips for Dogs, Please

sheramber

Massage would help with stress. Look up Ttouch. There may be a therapist in your area but if not they have books explaining the techniques which are easy to do.

http://www.ttouchtteam.co.uk/

Honey_Bear

Thanks Sheramber, I'll look into that.

Honey_Bear

krlyr wrote: »

I'd recommend joining a specific group ("Orthodogs" on Facebook is great) for some views or recommendations for a good orthopedic vet. If nothing else, they'll have some great ideas to occupy his mind without stressing his legs.

Thanks Krlyr. I've joined Orthodogs and am steadily working my way through the existing posts to see what people have already suggested and come across another FB group that people have said is also helpful.

My 9.5 year old Rottie cross, with arthritis in her front shoulder, recently had cruciate surgery (TTA). OK, not as tough as having both, but she recovered remarkably well from it. Also, if he's a bit smaller, there may be less invasive options - such as a false cruciate ligament, which is a much, much less invasive surgery. Someone on the group may come up with a suggestion your vet hasn't considered.

Thanks.

orlao wrote: »

OK, so he's not having surgery.I have known smaller dogs that have made good recoveries from CL ruptures with rest. I wish it had been an option for mine but he was too big (40kgs) and only 2 or 3 when he ruptured his CL the first time. The first surgery was wrecked when he hurdled a baby gate the day after coming home from the vets, the 2nd surgery was both cruciates done at once as they were so bad and I would never put a dog through that again with hindsight as that was very tough on him.

Ouch and then ouch again.

I can't recommend hydrotherapy enough - as long as it's with a properly qualified hydrotherapist - but your vet and/insurance company should be able to point you in the right direction. The difference it made to my rott after he had 4 lots of ortho surgery in 2 years which left him with hardly any muscle mass after such a long time on restricted exercise was close to miraculous. Warning though, it wasn't cheap and it was time consuming as he started with 3 sessions a week for about six months, 2 sessions a week for another six months and for the rest of his life he swam weekly. He loved it (despite being a dog that stayed on dry land prior), it wore him out safely while recuperating.

Still waiting for this but it may be too soon for him. Fortunately the local facility is highly recommended by everyone who's used it, and it was only opened last year so bang up to date as well. I took him to a dog-friendly beach pretty much as soon as I adopted him last year and he walked straight into the water so I think he'd take to getting in quite easily.

The other things we did while he was on house rest were food balls, stag bones, hiding toys/treats in a box with loads of paper, trick training - quiet ones like which hand is the treat in, get the post, bring me my shoes (don't let a slobbery dog get suede shoes btw :eek:) - and he loved the TV, cookery programmes were a favourite for some odd reason. Hoovering the dog amused both of us....and confirmed my neighbours belief that I was bonkers.

Radio 4 seems to work for him when he decides that church bells are something to bark about. Rather irritating that I live within easy earshot of a big church that seems to ring a full peel very regularly, too. It used to be just barking in competition with them, now we have added grumbling. He's a partcilar fan of The Archers, but Bells on Sunday is banned..

What a wonderful list of imaginitive ideas! Thank you so much for being so helpful - I knew ther would be someone out there who'd gone through the something similar and would have some suggestions.

As a special treat I'd sometimes let him 'steal' the kitchen roll and shred it

Ooooh, the ultimate in naughtiness. Love it!

Katiehound wrote: »

What about a Buster dog cube? Food again I'm afraid but the dog pushes the cube around until treats fall out- totally unpredictable

Thanks Katiehound. I've more or less decided that he'll have to work for most of his food, so that's a great suggestion.