Hip Dysplasia And Your Dog’s Weight (Hip Dysplasia In Dogs – Part 3)

This is the third part of our 4-part series “Hip Dysplasia in Dogs”.

How important is your dog’s weight if your pet is suffering from hip dysplasia?

⇒ Part 1: ‘What Is Hip Dysplasia in Dogs – Causes & Symptoms’
⇒ Part 2: ‘Diagnosis And Treatment Of Hip Dysplasia’.

The degree of pain and discomfort for a dog with hip dysplasia is affected by the dog’s weight and one of the best things you can do as a responsible pet owner to support your pet’s health is to maintain its recommended weight.

If you feed your dog a good quality food** in an amount appropriate for its size, breed, and normal activity level, and –here’s where it can get tough– keeping those doggy treats to a minimum, you can make its life a lot more comfortable if it’s suffering from arthritis or hip dysplasia.

Exercise is also important in helping a dog maintain his proper weight, or to lose excess weight if it’s already overweight.

The correct type of exercise should provide a good range of motion and muscle building while taking care to limit the amount of wear and tear on the joints.

Taking your dog on frequent walks and slow jogs will help maintain an acceptable exercise level. You must judge how severe its hip dysplasia or arthritis is and how it’s affecting everyday movements before determining the proper level and frequency of exercise.

Surprisingly, if you give your dog too little exercise it can prove to be more harmful than too much exercise.

Also, the wrong type of exercise can result in more harm than help. Any exercise like playing Frisbee or running to catch a thrown object, can be a lot of fun for a dog, but it is extremely hard on its aching joints if it has hip problems.

Daily exercise is critical in order to keep the dog’s joints as limber and muscular as possible. Try warming the muscles before going on a walk by rubbing them gently, concentrating on the rear hip joint or joints that are affected by hip dysplasia or arthritis.

When a dog has hip dysplasia, the joint wears abnormally and the protective cartilage on the surface of the joint gets worn away and the result is painful bone-to-bone contact. Giving your dog an all-natural supplement like Winston’s Joint System, will help heal the cartilage and lessen the pain.

The symptoms of hip dysplasia and arthritis always tend to worsen with changes in the weather.

If your weather turns cold and damp, it helps to keep your pet warm. If your weather is too hot, as it is in the summertime in many places, try keeping it cool with the Canine Cooler Bed.

The Canine Cooler Bed uses a revolutionary SoothSoft Technology in a fluid-enhanced design for a dry, cooling effect with superior cushioning and support. It’s perfect for dogs with arthritis or hip dysplasia.

Giving your dog a massage may sound a bit strange but it will help relax his stiff muscles and encourage a good range of motion in his joints. Remember, your dog is in pain, so start slowly and easily in order to build his trust. Begin by gently kneading the muscles around his joints and gradually begin massaging the surrounding muscles. Five minutes or more of massage will go a long way towards helping him with his pain.

And lastly, if your dog must go up and down stairs, you can ease the pain associated with this by installing a ramp for him to use when needed. These can be purchased ready-made, or a visit to your local Home Depot or Lowe’s will provide you with both the materials and advice needed to make your own custom ramp.

Learn more about hip dysplasia in dogs in Part 4:
Can Hip Dysplasia Be Prevented?

 

Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.

There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.

I Got No Sympathy For My Hip Dysplasia!

Remember those old TV shows like Father Knows Best or Leave it to Beaver? Remember how the errant son or daughter was always admonished with the threat, “Wait until your father gets home!”. Well, I’ll just wait until my master gets home! I got no sympathy for my hip dysplasia when I was left home alone with my master’s friend.

My master had to go to the office and he left me at home alone with his friend who decided to clean my room before the cable man came to install the new cable for my master’s computer. Well, maybe “my room” isn’t entirely true since I let my master share it. After all, his bed is in my room too so I’m content to let him think it’s his bedroom if that makes him happy.

Anyway, I was resting comfortably on my Canine Cooler Bed, happily dreaming of a bowl full of yummy Milkbones, when this friend rudely awakened me and told me to get up off my cozy bed. He hauled my bed out to the living room and told me to go lie on it there. The nerve! Who did he think he was anyway. He knew I had hip dysplasia and was taking Winston’s Joint System to support me in being more mobile, but he had no sympathy at all for me. Just because I didn’t appear to have hip joint problems anymore didn’t mean that he could just push me around like I was a dog. Oh, I almost forgot – I am a dog. Well… I meant push me around like I was a nobody. Me, the assistant master of the house after all.

I skulked back into my room, ignoring this rude person, and laid down on the floor. I was once again ordered to get out of the bedroom and go lie on my bed in the living room. I was going to stand my ground and refuse to depart “my room” but he turned on that vacuum machine that makes such an infernal racket and that did it. I hate that noise, so I left the room and went to the living room to lie on my bed.

I was NOT happy with being banished from my own room. The more I thought about it the more incensed I became. Every time this friend walked past me to go to the kitchen or other room, I gave him nasty looks. Each time he went by me I managed to look more perturbed. I didn’t shed any tears because that would have been a sign of weakness and I was not about to let this person get the upper hand on me. Since this person didn’t seem to understand my low-throated growls, I had to resort to expressions of severe displeasure. I gave him various looks that meant “Just wait until my master comes home. I’m going to tell on you!”.

After about an hour I had won the war. He came and moved me and my Canine Cooler Bed back into my room. I had won! I knew if I gave him enough callous looks he’d see things my way and move me back into my room.

When my master returned home I did my best to let him know that I had suffered indignities at the hands of his friend. He seemed to get the message and spent a lot of time (not enough, however!) petting me and saying nice things. When his friend came into the room I gave the guy the meanest looks I could conjure up. My master noticed and asked his friend what had happened to make me so hostile toward him. Boy, was I pleased. I had tried to warn the guy I was going to tell on him and now my threat came true. I wanted to prance around the room, exalting in my victory but I decided that might be a little too obvious. I was content to be fed treats and be petted and let bygones be bygones.

But let this be a warning to you, Mr. Friend – next time you kick me out of my room and move my bed, I have plans for you that you aren’t going to like!

 

Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan – Part 5

This is the last part of our 5-part series “Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan”, the true story of Wotan, a Golden Retriever suffering from hip dysplasia.

Wotan’s recovery went much better than I could have ever imagined. He is his old good self again!! Oh, and he loves Kosher Pickles…

Wotan may have hip dysplasia but he sure loves Kosher Pickles.

Pickle dog and restaurant excitement

Wotan is his good old self again

Wotan and I live in Palm Springs, California where we are lucky to have many restaurants with outdoor patios where Wotan is welcome to lie at my feet while I enjoy a relaxing lunch or dinner. Obviously he can’t go inside the restaurants because he’s not a service dog.

It’s still quite warm during these hot summer months but the outdoor patios often have misters that cool the air and lower the temperature about 10 degrees, even when it’s a 100 degrees or more in the shade.

Last week we visited one of my favorite places, a Thai restaurant owned by a woman and her two daughters who came here several years ago from Thailand and opened the restaurant. Of course, Wotan and I sat outside on the outdoor patio, and with the misters it was quite comfortable. Before I ordered lunch I asked to change tables because the sun was shining directly into my eyes and I was given a table under a big shady umbrella.

At the table next to us sat two orthodox rabbis dressed all in black. That’s not an uncommon sight here but I noticed them because they were sitting directly in the hot sun and I wondered how they were able to handle the heat dressed like that.

I ordered a tropical iced tea and the waitress brought Wotan a bowl of fresh, cold water. Inscribed on the bowl were the words “For our four-legged customers”.

I was halfway through my tasty Pad Thai when one of the Rabbis leaned over and said , “You have a beautiful dog, Sir.”

I thanked him and continued eating my salad.

“How old is he?”

I didn’t immediately realize that the Rabbi was speaking to me again. “Oh, he’s going to be 13 in October”, I answered.

“Really,” said the Rabbi. “He looks very healthy for a dog that old. I have a brother who has a Golden Retriever also.

“That poor dog has been having a lot of trouble with his hips – arthritis, or hip something or other – I can’t remember for sure. His dog has lots of problems just trying to stand up, and he limps badly when he walks. The dog has trouble with both of his rear legs. The vet gave him a prescription drug of some kind, but the dog seems to be getting worse.”

“He probably has hip dysplasia like my dog”, I said.

“Hmm, sounds similar to what my brother called it. But you must be joking with me about your dog not being well!

“I noticed him when you first came in and he sure doesn’t look like he has anything wrong with him at all! He looks very healthy – especially for as old as you say he is.

“He jumped right up when you changed tables.”

I told him that Wotan did indeed have and that he had suffered terribly with it for more than a year. I said he used to take a lot of time just standing up and also lying back down – like an old man with arthritis. He seemed sad all the time and he wasn’t able to go on walks and do the things he always enjoyed like riding in the car, jumping up on my bed and watching TV with me.

“I wish my brother’s dog could get better like yours has. That dog is number one in my brother’s house. His wife and kids love that dog to death and that’s what makes it so hard when the poor animal struggles to get up and down and has lost all interest in playing with the kids or going out for walks with my brother or his wife.”

“Your brother could probably get the same results with his dog that I have with Wotan,” I told him.

“I found some natural supplements online at a place called DogsHealth.com. The product is Winston’s Joint System and it was developed by a doctor who needed to cure his own pet dog and couldn’t find anything safe and effective to help the dog so he decided to formulate his own.

“Once I started giving my dog those supplements he started getting better even in the first week. And now he doesn’t have any problems getting up and down.

“Tell your brother to go online and find DogsHealth.com and order the Winston’s Joint System. It works. Here’s living proof right in front of you.”

“I thank you for the advice. I will tell my brother when I visit with them tomorrow night. By the way, does your dog like kosher pickles? My brother’s dog loves them.”

I said, “ I don’t know as he’s never had one, but he loves to eat just about anything.”

“Would it be alright if I offered him a pickle?”

“It’s okay with me. If he likes the smell of it he’ll eat it.”

The Rabbi offered Wotan the pickle and he scarfed it down.

“He sure seemed to like that,” said the Rabbi. “Can I give him another?”

“I don’t think he’d say no. Actually, he’s fixated on your other pickle right now. Just be careful he doesn’t chomp on your finger. When he really likes the taste of something he gets a little too eager to eat it.”

The Rabbi got up from the table, lifted the kosher pickle in the air and Wotan jumped up and swallowed it in one bite. The Rabbi smiled and said, “You are a good pickle retriever and you know kosher when you taste it, don’t you.”

The couple at the table on the other side of me were watching the entire pickle transaction and they enticed Wotan to come get their kosher dills too.

Soon Wotan was flitting from table to table eating one kosher pickle after another. As he ran from one table to the next the waitress tripped over him and dropped a tray filled with two bowls of noodles.

That in itself was not a crisis except the noodles went all over Wotan’s back. I would have expected him to freak out at that but instead he calmly started licking them off every part of his body he could reach.

This brought cheers and clapping from some of the other customers and someone shouted, “Bring that dog a martini!”

I was horrified and offered to pay for the dishes, heck I was ready to DO the dishes after the chaos Wotan had just created. The waitress kept apologizing profusely but it wasn’t her fault and I told her I was very sorry for the mess.

Meanwhile, Wotan was having a heyday, going from table to table where he was being offered shrimp, bites of hamburger, and more kosher pickles. I paid the bill, apologized to everyone and hurried out the door; me feeling guilty, and Wotan looking fat and happy with a bellyful of yummy foods.

I know Wotan and I will be going out to eat together again and even though I really love the food there, I think we better wait a while before trying that particular restaurant again. At least until they clean the noodles off the floor!

Do any of you have a favorite restaurant where you’re allowed to take your pet? Let us know the name and the city, I’m sure the restaurant owners would appreciate the mention.

Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.

There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.

Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan – Part 4

This is the fourth part of our 5-part series “Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan”, the true story of Wotan, a Golden Retriever suffering from hip dysplasia.

Wotan’s gets better every week. He is much more alert and mobile than he was before he started on Winston’s Joint System formula.

Last time I wrote about Wotan, I promised you a video of him…

Wotan A Desert Guide Dog returning to work

The road to recovery

The hip dysplasia in my Golden Retriever continues to improve every week. There are some days that aren’t as good as the others but he is still so much more alert, mobile, and happier than he was before he started on Winston’s Joint System for his hip dysplasia.

We go on walks every day even though the vet said it wasn’t necessary because he’s an old dog and should just be exercised minimally.

She doesn’t know that he’s recently renewed his friendship with several other dogs in the neighborhood. There’s a Miniature Schnauzer, a Pomeranian, a German Shepard, and a King Charles Spaniel that occasionally join us on our neighborhood walks whenever we’re out and about at the same time.

What is so encouraging to me is to see Wotan keep up with all of them even though their ages range from 3 years to 8 years old. Wotan is the “granddaddy” of the group but that doesn’t stop him from leading the pack.

A couple of the dog’s owners asked me what I’d done to improve Wotan’s health so much. They’d all seen him laconic and suffering so many times when his hip dysplasia started getting really bad.

When I told them he was taking a natural formula developed by a doctor for his own pet dog, they wouldn’t believe me. I even had to show the Winston’s Joint System bottles to one of the guys – a real no-nonsense ‘show-me-the-money’ kind of guy. He read and re-read the ingredients, and kept looking at Wotan, who was obviously convinced that the guy was just dying to give him a treat or bone, or some goody to eat.

I offered the neighbor a beer and we sat down to shoot the (you know what). He began telling me that he had a German Shepard as a pet when he was in his teens and the dog developed arthritis to the point where he couldn’t even stand up to make it outside to go to the bathroom. His father had the dog put down because it was such a problem to the family.

He had cried and cried for days he said. At fourteen, he felt he had lost the only thing in the world that really loved him. He admitted he’s been living in fear that his pet German Shepard was going to end up with the same terrible problem.

I said, “Take a look at Wotan. You remember how bad he looked during the last year and how we’d stopped going on walks with all of you. If your dog develops arthritis or hip dysplasia, the first thing you should do is order Winston’s Joint System.”

Personally, I hope this horrible disease never strikes his pet; but if it does, I know he’ll be able to restore his dog to good health in a short period of time, and he won’t be wasting money or valuable time trying drugs and procedures that won’t work.

Well, I’ll get back to you soon with more news and pictures of Wotan as he continues to improve in all aspects of his life.

Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.

There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.

Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan – Part 3

This is the third part of our 5-part series “Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan”, the true story of Wotan, a Golden Retriever suffering from hip dysplasia.

Wotan’s treatment with Winston’s Joint System continues and the results are amazing!

When I last wrote about hip dysplasia in a Golden Retriever, it was about my own beloved dog, Wotan, and I was really concerned about his hip problem and I was hoping that the recovery he had begun to show would continue. I’m happy to say that it has.

Last time I wrote about Wotan, he was starting to show improvement in his hip dysplasia after only one month on Winston’s Joint System. I am so happy to see him get up and walk around with ease again and a few times I’ve seen him get up so fast it looks like he levitated – this happens if I’m tempting him with one of his favorite treats in my hand. He does the resting and sleeping routine that all dogs are lucky enough to be able to enjoy, but when he’s ready to go, he’s really ready!

There’s no holding him back from his intended purpose, whether it’s time to eat, time to relief himself, or time to go for an adventurous walk. When he’s ready I’d better be ready, whether I want to be or not. Otherwise if he’s hungry he’s pushing at my leg and giving me that feed-me-right-now look or he’s standing at the door, dancing around, looking at me like ‘what are you doing – you know it’s time to go for a walk.

I have been faithfully giving him Winston’s Joint System once in the morning and once at dinnertime, just as the instructions indicate. He’s a big dog (85 pounds at the last vet visit) so he takes this formula once with his morning meal and again with his evening meal.

I also bought Winston’s Pain Formula at the same time I bought the Joint System, and for the last month, I have been also giving him the Pain Formula twice a day to help relieve the suffering he was going through.

I’ve now been able to cut back on giving him the Pain Formula and only give it to him if he seems to be having a little more difficulty on some days. His overall health has vastly improved. I know Winston’s Joint System isn’t some “miracle cure” but he sure has gotten better in all areas of his life, not just in his mobility and pain relief.

I believe that if Winston’s Joint System saved my dog, it can bring hope to your life too. The best solution I have found for hip dysplasia in a Golden Retriever is this formula.

Here I am writing about Wotan and I look down where he’s sitting patiently at my feet. He wags his tail and lifts his head in that regal way he has, and lifts a paw to me. I can imagine he’s thanking me for helping him get so much better, but then again, he may just be thinking “If I’m nice to him he’ll give me a couple of milkbones.”

I hope to have a lot more good news to share with you as Wotan continues to regain his strength and fully recover from the ravages of his hip dysplasia. I’ve decided to buy a new video camera and make a short video of him so you can see for yourself how well he’s doing now that Winston’s Joint System has done so much to help him. Have some patience and you’ll have a chance to see my great big beautiful boy at his best.

Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.

There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.

Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan – Part 2

This is the second part of our 5-part series “Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan”, the true story of Wotan, a Golden Retriever suffering from hip dysplasia.

First results after treating Wotan with Winston’s Joint System.

Hip dysplasia in a Golden Retriever is an all too common problem for aging Goldens –and sometimes for young dogs under two years of age. This is what happened to my Wotan too.

30 days later…

Now just one month after Wotan started treatment with Winston’s Joint System formula, he is a different dog altogether. I began giving him Winston’s formula the same day I received it.

I am thrilled to report that Wotan is definitely improving.

He can get up and down with far more ease than he could before he started taking the supplements. He no longer has to back out of a narrow space to exit but is able to make a U-turn and go back head-first the way he came.

He is so much more alert and back to his old ways of acting as if I haven’t fed him in days whenever he finds me in the kitchen. Food has once again become a real big deal in his daily life.

I feel like I have my old friend back again! We take a leisurely walk once a day now and when it’s time for breakfast and dinner (or even when it’s not time) he’s raring to chomp down on whatever I have in my hand that looks and smells like food. He seems ravenous enough to eat anything and everything I have in my refrigerator.

His eyes have cleared up and they once again have that beautiful brown ring surrounding the dark pupil that gives him that loving, sad look that Golden Retrievers are noted for.

He is acting more alert than he has been in more than a year!

What’s important to me is that he’s regaining the good health that he enjoyed for so many years before his hip dysplasia changed his life for the worse. He no longer collapses when he stands up or goes for walks.

He’s still a little hesitant sometimes about lying down and uses a little caution in settling down for a rest. Sort of like us when we’ve broken a bone or hurt ourselves and try to take it a little easy until we get used to being whole again. Hip pain in a Golden Retriever is a serious problem and is caused by hip dysplasia or arthritis.

I am so happy to see him get up and walk around with ease again and a few times I’ve seen him get up so fast it looks like he levitated – this usually happens if he spots one of his treats in my hand.

He sleeps and rests like all dogs do, but when he’s ready to go, he’s really ready! There’s no holding him back when it’s time to eat, relieve himself or embark on a nice little stroll. And I’d better be ready when he is or I get one of those “what’s the matter with you, mister” looks from him.

The Winston’s treatment continues

I am faithfully giving him Winston’s Joint System formula for his hip dysplasia, once in the morning and then again at his evening meal. I am careful to follow the instructions that came with the supplement. Since he’s a large dog he requires two tablets at each meal.

I also bought Winston’s Pain Formula at the same time I bought the Joint System and I give him one tablet of that each day, sometimes two a day if he looks like he’s suffering a little more that day.

His overall health is improving rapidly and I can see that he’s regaining his strength and mobility little by little.

I will keep you updated about Wotan’s progress and hopefully his continuing recovery from the pain and suffering he had endured for over a year before I discovered Winston’s Joint System formula. Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever was something I never anticipated.

Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.

There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.

Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan – Part 1

This is the first part of our 5-part series “Hip Dysplasia in a Golden Retriever named Wotan”, the true story of Wotan, a Golden Retriever suffering from hip dysplasia.

His owner decided to try Winston’s Joint System and he’s sharing his experience with us. Read their journey…

Hip dysplasia in a Golden Retriever is an all too common problem in these beautiful dogs and I have experienced it first hand with my beloved Wotan.

sad dog hip joint pain

Meet Wotan

Wotan’s Info:

  • Breed: Pure-bred Golden Retriever
  • Date of Birth: December 7, 1997
  • Place of Birth: Oregon breeding facility of Guide Dogs of the Desert
  • Origin of name: WOTAN (pronounced Whoa-Tahn) is the Modern German spelling of WODEN.

Woden was an important figure in folk religion and folklore throughout the Middle Ages and even into the Modern Period and can be found in English, Swiss, German, and Scandinavian traditions. Some believe he was the precursor of the American Santa Claus.

Wotan was bred to be a seeing eye dog for the blind. He didn’t graduate from Guide Dogs of the Desert after completing his training because he was too friendly. A guide dog must focus only on its owner and ignore other people and animals vying for their attention.

Personally, I think Wotan just decided it was more fun to be petted, coddled, fed yummy treats, and garner a lot of attention from everyone he met rather than focusing on one person and always being “on call”.

One facet of his training that has persisted (which I find wonderful at times and slightly annoying at other times) is his laser-beam focus on me.

I’m a busy person who works out of his home and I am back and forth between my home office and the other rooms in the house all day long. He likes to lie at my feet no matter what I’m doing, and every time I would get up from my chair, even if just to fetch a cup of coffee from the kitchen, Wotan would get up and follow me.

I felt like he was attached to my hip. This kind of devotion from a beloved pet is contagious and so easy to get used to.

The journey begins…

Sadly, advancing age brought about a major change in Wotan’s ability to get around and really enjoy life as he has for so many years. He was suffering terribly with hip dysplasia in his right leg and the disease had been progressively getting worse until it reached the point where he could no longer manage to get up onto the back seat of the car and go for the rides he used to enjoy so much.

He began to refuse to go on the leisurely walks we used to take around the neighborhood 4 or 5 times a day as he had a difficult time trying to step up on a curb from the street and frequently he would collapse on his hind legs after a short distance.

It was emotionally painful to see this deterioration in my beloved dog, but even worse, I could tell he was suffering from constant pain, especially when he took so long to stand up on all fours or had such a slow, difficult time lying back down. He would find himself stuck in narrow areas in the house where he used to easily turn around in them.

Vet says “There’s no hope”

After many months passed we went to the vet so he could have a complete exam, focusing mostly on his hip dysplasia. After the vet had examined Wotan, I was advised against bringing him in again unless it was an emergency because he was an old dog and it was too hard on him to get in and out of the car just to go through routine checkups.

The vet chose not treat him with any type of medicines for his hip dysplasia because she didn’t feel they would help much at his age and the treatments were often painful, and expensive for me and they resulted in few positive results.

Living with Wotan every day and watching the quality of his life continue to degrade caused me unbelievable emotional pain. There seemed to be nothing I could do to help relieve his suffering and he was having some very bad days.

Friends who came to visit who had known Wotan for many years, said I should consider putting him to sleep because it wasn’t fair to let him suffer so much. Although I certainly didn’t want him to suffer at all, the idea of no longer having him in my life brought tears to my eyes whenever I thought about it. Unless you’ve ever loved a dog the way I loved Wotan, you’d never understand that kind of pain.

It kept getting worse

Hip dysplasia in a Golden Retriever is a sad thing to see develop in a dog this beautiful. He reached the point where all he wanted to do was lie in a corner alone.

He didn’t come galloping to the kitchen anymore when I was preparing his meals and sometimes I had to take his bowl to wherever he was camped out and place it in front of him so he could eat. Having had a voracious Golden Retriever appetite his entire life, I was saddened to see him lose interest in what had always been a highlight of his days.

One day I noticed his beautiful brown eyes had clouded over and I was afraid he was going blind. I called the vet and was told that clouding over of the eyes in older dogs was normal and he would still be able to see fine. I hoped that would be true.

A moment of absolute terror

Many months ago I took Wotan for a very short walk because I hoped that a little exercise might help him. It was an ordeal that I never want to put him through again.

After about 10 steps he suddenly collapsed on his rear legs and rolled over on his side. He started breathing heavily, taking shallow, labored breaths rather than his normal fast panting when he’s hot or exhausted. His tongue lolled out, his eyes bulged, and I thought for sure he was dying!

At the animal hospital

With the help of a neighbor I got him into the car and sped off to the animal hospital. There two of the nurses helped me carry him inside where the doctor immediately examined him.

He had X-rays, blood tests, and an injection for the pain and to help relax him. When I was later shown his X-rays I could see how radically different his right hip looked compared to his normal left one.

I was told the blood tests to check him out thoroughly would be complete in a few days and I’d receive a call from the doctor with the results. After being handed the bill, I’d swear he must have had an organ transplant too.

Meeting Lucy

While I was waiting to pay, Wotan was being wooed by a very active little 11 year-old female Golden. She wasn’t getting any attention from Wotan no matter how coy she acted.

When we walked out the door together, the Golden’s owner asked me what I was doing to treat his hip dysplasia. I told her the vet said there really wasn’t anything they could do that would be of much help to him.

She then told me the story of Lucy, her red-haired Golden and how Lucy had also suffered from severe hip dysplasia. She said two different vets had given her the same diagnosis about treating Lucy’s hip dysplasia.

Over the course of 14 months this woman had gone online and ordered six different products on the internet that were supposed to treat hip dysplasia in dogs, but they either caused Lucy more distress, or the side effects turned out to be worse than the suffering Lucy already was enduring.

One day her mailman asked why Lucy never came to the window anymore when he delivered the mail. When told the reason, his response was “I’ve got the perfect solution for your dog”. He told her about Winston’s Joint System from DogsHealth.com, a naturopathic medicine developed by an MD to treat his own beloved dog. He said his pet Boxer developed a severe case of hip dysplasia at age three and was so debilitated that he considered having him euthanized to end the dog’s pain.

A fellow mail carrier told him about Winston’s formula one day so he ordered it and started his Boxer on the daily regimen. Within one month the dog began to show improvement. After two months the Boxer was getting up and down without a lot of effort, and each month thereafter brought more relief for the dog.

Finally the Boxer was back to his old self again, running along the inside of his fenced-in yard, barking fiercely at the regular mailman delivering the mail!

There’s still hope?

What she told me gave me hope that there could be something out there that would help Wotan recover and lead a normal life again, so as soon as I got home I went online and found Winston’s Joint System for hip dysplasia.

After reading doctors’ statements and testimonials from other dog owners about how Winston’s Joint System had helped their pet dogs recover from this debilitating disease, I felt a burst of hope that this could be what I needed to save my dearly-loved dog.

I ordered Winston’s Joint System today and I’ll let you know very soon how Wotan is progressing.

Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.

There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.