Imagine walking around on an ice rink in badly fitting shoes - it’s not something we’d wish to do and yet we’ve noticed that in parts of our house Reg and Bob are having to do the dog equivalent of just that.

This has become an important issue for Bob as he has recently been diagnosed with arthritis in both his shoulders. As if Bob hasn’t been through enough in his eight years (see Bob’s Health Issues) this new diagnosis has given us much heartache. At the end of the day we’d all like our dogs to be fit and healthy all of the time - but it isn’t always possible and after all arthritis in dogs isn’t that unusual.

So with this in mind I chatted about Bob’s diagnosis with Galen Myotherapist Lucy Tyrrell who not only specialises in treating dogs with this condition but is also the designer of the Reg&Bob harness (more about this later). She is passionate about ensuring a dog’s physical comfort and muscular health is at the forefront of the minds of dog owners. It’s so important we’re doing everything we can to ensure Bob is comfortable and as pain free as possible

So back to the ice rink. Imagine that scenario as soon as you wake up, eat your meals and have a drink of water. In fact, imagine that scenario on constant repeat as you move around for a large part of your day.

Slippery floors are stressful for dogs to walk on and can cause strain on the muscles. For every slip those muscles and joints are having to work more than normal meaning they are working in a way they’re not meant to. These slips can cause microtraumas to the muscles and joints meaning over time, there will be a build up of scar tissue and a dog will be uncomfortable.

And Bob’s clearly been uncomfortable since his diagnosis - he has been limping badly which has made all his normal activities difficult. He is under the supervision of our vet with regular check ups and reviews of his medication as well as undergoing physiotherapy and laser treatment.

But it’s clear there’s more we can do to help him - there are definitely areas in the house that have been causing issues for Bob.

So at Lucy’s suggestion we’ve made some changes and here’s a few simple things we’ve done to help alleviate some of the problem.

Slippy floors

We’ve recently had a new wood floor installed across most of the ground floor. It certainly had a non- slip appearance but we’ve still found areas where he is slipping. Infact most hard floors be it wood, tile or laminate will be slippery to your dog.

Bob’s new bed and non-slip SoggyDoggy access

Following Bob around and watching those legs, there are areas where we need to stop him going or put a non-slip mat down. This is important especially where he likes to play, chew or relax. Not only do we not want him slipping over but if he’s sitting down he needs to be easily able to get up again. Small slips will still have a negative impact on his joints.

Our kitchen is the worst area for him - with very slippery tiles. I’ve recently noticed his paws slipping - unable to get traction and I fear this has been going on for some time. Unfortunately the kitchen is where he wants to hang out in the endless pursuit of a morsel or two. It’s tiny so it’s been easy to cover the majority of the floor space with a rug and where the rug doesn’t extend - I’ve used SoggyDoggy mats which are brilliant for this too. SoggyDoggy mats have a non slip backing but it’s important to check that any mat is non-slip and will not move if a dog jumps onto it - otherwise the mat has no benefit at all.

Paw trim

Dogs will struggle to gain traction on a slippery floor if they’ve a lot of hair in their paws. Bob has very shaggy paws with long hair between his paw pads so trimming the hair was a quick win and made a significant difference to his stability - although tricky to execute this has now become a regular maintenance routine. Groomers will help with this too.

There are a number of anti- slip products for paws available too which are worth discussing with your vet.

Ban the stairs/dog guard

We have a lot of stairs in our house so we’ve decided to stop the boys going up and down stairs altogether. It’s not so much the going up but coming down which can cause problems. We use a portable expandable barrier from Amazon to block the stairs -very useful for temporarily blocking doorways etc but not necessarily robust enough for all breeds.

Sofa rules

Reg and Bob love sitting up at our level whether that’s on the sofa or chairs they’ve claimed as their own and it’s difficult to change this.

We do our best to lift them up where we can and most importantly lift them down - it’s the impact on the joints when jumping down that should ideally be avoided. But we can’t be there all the time and whilst we have a ‘cushion down’ system when we aren’t (meaning no jumping up) it still happens.

Importantly they mustn’t jump down directly onto a wooden or hard floor. So although we have a rug in place I’ve added padding under the rug so if the doorbell goes or we’re just not quick enough to assist - they’re jumping onto a much softer landing.

Harness

The Reg&Bob y-shaped harness has been designed specifically to allow a dog’s freedom of movement. The design has really helped Bob because Lucy has ensured non of the straps or clips sit on any of the important muscle groups or areas on or around his shoulders that are most likely to be impacted by his diagnosis.

New bed

We’ve bought Bob a more supportive bed . The side supports allow him to rest his head in a more raised position which he appears to find more comfortable than lying flat.

Raised eating bowl

At Lucy’s suggestion we’ve raised Bob’s food bowl off the floor (about 12 cm) as this reduces the strain on his shoulders. If you think it would be useful for your dog - check with your vet for advice.

Supplements

As additional support both Reg and Bob have a Glucosamine supplement. We chose Riaflex but Yumove is popular too.

And finally…….

If you think your dog may be struggling, Lucy’s final piece of advice is to carefully watch your dog’s movement. Dogs will continue to walk on slippery surfaces if it’s the way to their food, water, guardian, back door – and they’re very clever at hiding their discomfort. It’s only by careful monitoring we can understand whether they are struggling.

I’m no expert on canine arthritis so if you have any concerns about your dog please discuss with your vet.

Here’s a useful checklist for possible signs of arthritis from Arthritis Aware

Check out Canine Arthritis Management website for advice and support

Lucy Tyrrell Pawsitive Touch is a qualified Galen Myotherapist professional and Galen Myotherapist tutor

Galen Myotheraphy massage and exercise rehabilitation therapy

I’d love to hear about your experiences and suggestions too

Easy wins around the home to help with Bob’s arthritis diagnosis

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