Be careful not too overexercise your puppy

[dsmit]

I just came from the hospital with Tyson because he started limping yesterday. After X-rays and blood work, I discovered that Tyson was limping because he was too active for his growing bones. He is 18 weeks old but is so active that I tried to tire him out and played a part in his problems. Remember to limit your puppy's exercise level until they are 12 months old or reaching maturity. the vet said that he will be fine but needs bed rest and to remain calm for at least 1 week. He is on Rimadyl for the pain.

Has anyone experienced this before?

 

[Clavin]

Excellent reminder. A lot of people assume that puppies can run and exercise all day. Because Boxer puppies have so much energy we as owners want to run them until they are completely pooped out.

I have a 6 1/2 month old and I try to limit his time at the dog park to no more than 45 minutes. Even around the house I try to watch things.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Nope, but I would urge you to choose another medication over Rimadyl. If you do a search on here you will find many who have had problems with it and some who believe it even killed their boxer.

And yes you should not do structured playing with your growing pup until 12-18 months old when their skeletal systems are done growing it can cause joint and skeletal problems.

Very sorry and hope your boy recovers quickly.

 

[Caney Creek]

Never had a dog go through that personally. I'm sorry Tyson is hurting though :( I hope that he is able to recover from this!

For how long will he be on Rimadyl? There is a lot of controversy about this drug (there are several current threads about it in the health forum) -- many, many dogs have had life-threatening adverse reactions (and even died) after taking Rimadyl for just a short time.
Rimadyl

Did the vet say anything about glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplements? I do not have any experience with Tyson's condition but I would assume that he would benefit from joint supplements.

 

[lorae]

I'm glad to say I never experienced this problem with any of my boxers.

Please seek a medication other than Rimadyl!!

 

[dsmit]

No, the vet did not mention anything about joint supplements. I will look up more info on this drug.

Thanks for everything.

 

[ThunderRoll]

I carried Thor up and down stairs until I couldn't carry him anymore because I was told the impact from jumping could lead to joint problems later in life. Don't know if it's true but it made sense.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

I carried Thor up and down stairs until I couldn't carry him anymore because I was told the impact from jumping could lead to joint problems later in life. Don't know if it's true but it made sense.

It is true, but normal behavior (such as walking up and down stairs) is more than fine. Everything within reason is okay, getting on furniture, goign up and down stairs, etc that's fine, taking doggie on a jumping obstacle course for hours a day probably isn't a good idea, but normal everyday things is fine for them.

 

[argosrocks]

i agree that rimadyl is a bad drug for dogs or it was for my last dog who took it,and for running up and down stairs,im still not too sure about that being a high impact type of thing,to me if the dog has 3 of 4 points of impact in contact with the surface,it cant be listed as such,i think its normal for a puppy to jump and play,just not off tables,3 foot high ledges,etc,,,s

 

[dbetz]

So glad to know your pup will be ok - please stop the Rimadyl. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rimadyl killed my Heidi. There are many other safe pain meds for our pups.