Featured Pet: Max

Who is Max?

Max is a handsome 9-year-old Dalmatian, who regularly sees us for joint problems.

Joint issues, of many causes, affect a lot of our pets. There is rarely one perfect solution and so working out what we want to achieve with each pet and their owner is vital to support a good quality of life for everyone involved. Often there are changes at home that need to be made in addition to the medical support we can offer.

We chose Max to be our Featured Pet this Month as he has been coming to see us frequently for injections to help his joint problems and to make him more comfortable. Despite his regular injections he trots in tail wagging every visit!

We spoke to Max’s owner to find out more about how Max is at home.

1.   What is Max’s favourite thing to do?

Max loves to loiter around for food and loves to go out on walks. When Max loiters for food I do have to be careful as this can affect his weight and cause problems for his joints. If he does manage to get a bit too much food I worry about him bloating, to help stop this, I then have to reduce the amount he gets during the day by a few handfuls.

 2.   Has Max’s diagnosis changed his personality?

No, Max is still the same loving dog he was when we first got him. He has always been affectionate.

 3.   How have you adapted to Max’s condition?

We do find it difficult as Max’s capabilities have reduced because of his joint condition. He can’t go on big walks like he used too, we used to take him on beaches and long walks which we miss.

 4.   Has Max changed your daily routine?

No, it hasn’t he still wants to go out on walks - he is just restricted to how much he can do. When Max was younger he used to come to the stables to see the horses’ with me daily but now because he has joint problems we have to take into consideration the amount of exercise he does. Max sometimes struggles when he gets up.

 5.   What do you enjoy the most about Max?

He gives big cuddles!!!

Comment

It is great to see how Max is still able to enjoy walks, and still has the drive for such adventures! In addition to the injections, Max also has some pain relief at home for emergencies should a walk get a little too much for him. Thankfully this is not used very regularly!