Help for my aging Malamute

My 15 year old Malamute is losing strength and muscle mass in her hind quarters. She is still mentally alert and playful but does tend to lose her balance a lot. She's not in pain and has been on Glucosamine and Senior vitamins
for a long time. Her hips had been broken before she came to me. They mended on their own which left her with one leg slightly shorter. I'm worried that her hind legs will give out before her mind does. Can you suggest supplements or herbal remedies to help strengthen her muscles?

Your input would be greatly appreciated..

[Jaybay]

WOW!  You sure are a great doggy parent in that your pup has lived to the ripe old age of 15.  So far, all 3 of the dogs I've lost never quite made it to 14, so my hat's off to you.  :-)

With the previous hip injury, it's pretty obvious that the problem is arthritis that has finally reached the crippling point.  Glucosamine can only do so much.  Dogs are a whole lot more stoic about pain than humans are, and I can about bet you with 100% certainly that your dog IS hurting.  She's had to adjust her body stance which results in even more muscle atrophy.  It's imperative that you speak to your vet and get her on some kind of anti-inflammatory medication.  

In the 2 dogs I had with severe arthritis, one dog had it in his hips from an early age - around 5.  He was on rimadyl for years, and during his last year we went to deramaxx.  Rimadyl is pretty cheap because it's been on the market for quite some time.  Deramaxx is much more effective, but also more expensive.  The difference in my dogs was truly remarkable once their arthritis pain was treated effectively.  At least the meds give a short-term trial run and see how she does.

If your dog likes to swim and you have access to a pool or pond, swimming would be a great way for her to try to build up those muscles again without the pain of dealing with gravity.

Let us know how she does!  :-)

[Bobbe]

My 13-1/2 yr old dog also suffered from muscle atrophy and arthritis and would loose
her balance and fall.  I mistakenly put her on Meloxicam, which I believe caused her
kidneys to fail and allowed for poisonous toxins to enter her blood and made her go into
a long, long seizure.  It was finally controlled by the vet with Valium, but he said her
temp had risen to 44C and she had brain damage.  He also felt if he took her off the IV
Valium, the seizure would start again.  It was decided she was in end-stage renal
failure and I put her to sleep two weeks ago.  The pain just does not go away; day after
day, I miss her more and more.  I live alone and she was with me for all of her 13-1/2
years and I miss her so much.   Her name was Becca and she was part husky/shepherd.  Lots of luck with controlling her pain!!

Bobbe

[chihuahuagrandma]

I surely sorry to hear about your friend's discomfort, and I know it must be unbearable to watch...
Surejell, that you use in making homemade jelly or jam...add some surejell to the little fella's food, its a little late in the game, but it worth a shot...it helps will arthritis, the joints, the tissue around the cartlidge to the bone sockets. Works is humans, too.
Helps with dysplasia also...
Try also, in the dogs bedding or where the dog sleeps a heating pad on low....the heat is very effective for pain....and helps with tissue swelling under the skin where the joints meet..
Wish all the best...I hope things get better for you and your friend.
Welcome to the forum, wonderful people here..keep us posted.