Hi, I am in need of advice. I have a 6 yr old neutered male lhasa. He is purebred but not at all to breed standards. He is about 4-6 inches longer than standard and weighs about 38 lbs. Yes I know he is overweight(our vet said he should weigh about 32 lbs for his frame) we have been trying to get him to lose weight for a while now by eliminating all treats, nothing but his dog food and more exercise. Unfortunately, earlier this year he developed bladder stones and had to have surgery and is now on a prescription food that unfortunately is very high calorie. He's had back problems in the past but we've tried to manage it as best we could by trying to curtail his jumping and forbidding him from the stairs. Unfortunately he jumped up on my daughter and hurt his back again. I know he needs to go to the vet but as I am unemployed right now, we really don't have the money. He is showing weakness in his rear legs. I've been giving him an adult aspirin twice a day for the last 2 days since this ocurred. The only walking he is doing at the time is when I carry him outside to potty. Is there something else I can do for him at this time, keeping in mind that we have very, very little money right now.

[Lara's mom]

I have a shorty Jack Russell - longer than she is tall. Her Dr. told me to be very careful of her back because in dogs with this particular type of physique, back injuries are common. She's the first and only pure bred dog I've ever bought and although the breeder gave me a long list of genetic things she'd been tested for, there is nothing mentioned about back problems.

Your biggest problem appears to be financial. It always breaks my heart when I read stories like this because there is pet insurance available that would have taken this awful weight off of your mind. However, done is done.

In Canada there is an organization that will lend low income people money to have their pets treated at an extremely low interest and very low monthly payments. Speak to your vet and see if he/she will agree to reasonable monthly payments or ask if there is a similar loan service where you live. I wish you the very best of luck. Please let us know how your babe is progressing.

[chevy & karen]

If you have a health food store near you there is a Homeopathic remedy that may help.. It is very inexpensive, under 10 dollar's and will last a good while.

Arnica Montana in potency 30c... If you decide to try it post back and I will help you with dosing.

Just a suggestion, I have home made ramp's up for mine because of back problem's..

Wow, what a difference 24 hours can make. Yesterday morning Sparky was having problems walking due to his back legs being weak. Today, he seems to be 100% better. I've had him on a regimen of 1 adult aspirin twice a day. I've also confined him to a crate with the except of 2 or 3 times per day that I carry him outside to potty. Yesterday, I made him lie still with ice packs on his back for 30 mins out of every hour. Plus I added a mild steroid that his vet had prescribed 2 mos ago for a skin condition. I didn't give it to him then because I know that steroids can lead to bladder stones. I'm giving it to him now along with the aspirin twice a day. He will get one twice a day for 3 days and then once a day for 3 days and then every other day for 3 doses. Eventhough he is so much better today, I do not plan on letting him begin normal activity again for at least a week to ensure that he heals properly. As for our current financial woes, hopefully I will be employed soon and he can see his vet again on a regular basis. Thank you for your kind replies. I will be going to the health food store to see if is something appropriate to give him to help his back. As for the ramps, etc. We have a gate up at the stairs to prevent him from going on them. He does not jump on furniture or beds, he sits near them and growls to let us know he wants up and then we pick him up and put him on the bed or sofa. We really are doing as much as we can to prevent further damage to his back.

[CorkyMax]

I sent you an email about the danger of too much aspirin and told you I was in a hurry and would come back and quote from my home vet book. Here is the chapter in it's entirety (including the paragraph I quoted you in the email I sent you):
ANALGESICS
---Buffered or enteric coated aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is an over~the~counter analgesic that is safe for home veterinary care in the recommended dosage for dogs. (Aspirin has a very low margin of safety and should not be used for cat.) Buffered or enteric coated aspirin is much safer than regular aspirin because it is less likely to cause stomach and duodenal ulcers.
---Aspirin remains effective as a short~term analgesic for the control of pain associated with musculoskeletal injuries. It is no longer recommended for long~term control of osteoarthritis, because of its destructive effects on joint cartilage. There are better analgesics available that do not have this disadvantage.
---Note that individual dogs metabolize aspirin at very different rates. This inconsistency can lead to an unexpected accumulation of dangerous breakdown products in the animal's body. As few as two regular~strength aspirin tablets can produce severe organ damage in some medium~sized (30 pound) dogs. Follow this dosage: 5mg per pound (of dog) every 12 hours of buffered; enteric coated aspirin.
---Ibuprofen, in particular is not recommended for use in dogs. Many other
NSAIDs that can be purchased over~the~counter have unpredictable absorption rates and low margins of safety. NONE OF THESE SHOULD BE USED WITHOUT VETERINARY APPROVAL.
---Note that all nonsteroidal anti~inflammatory drugs (collectively known as NSAIDs), irritate the stomach and are capable of causing STOMACH AND DUODENAL ULCERS. Your veterinarian may prescribe a gastric mucosal protectant such as misoprostol (Cytotec) or sucralfate (Carafate) to prevent this complication.Remember, never use more than one NSAID (including aspirin) at the sme time!!Me talking here--I'm going to shorten this part and just say--Don't use Tylenol--same warning as the amount for the aspirin being too much--besides it is used for fevers and only when fever exceeds 104 to 105 degrees F. Don't use Phenylbutazone (Butazolidin)--harmful effects on joint cartilage. And can cause bone marrow suppression. Don't use Flunixin meglumine (Banamine)--Gastrointestinal toxicity limits its use in dogs. And for God's sake--DON'T USE RIMADYL and be aware that this is the brand name and 2 other words are the same thing---Do some research on that crap--I can't think of the other 2 words right now--1 starts with car___ and the other may start with c too--That info is in this forum in the Dog Health and Nutrition forum someplace---Put Rimadyl in the search box (See blue strip that goes across top of page in this forum---Find word Search--click and proceed from there)---Last paragraph coming up:When pain relievers are used for treating sprains and acute injuries of muscles, tendons and joints, the dog should be confined or restricted from exercising. Pain relief may cause the dog to overuse the limb, which can delay recovery. End of quotes.
---I hope you already know that damage can be going on and you would not know it right away as signs do not show up until it is too late in many cases!
---Just found one of the names for the Rimadyl--It is carprofen.

[Lara's mom]

I'm very glad to hear that your baby is recovering!!! However, I'd be VERY leery of medicating my dog without at least consulting with my vet first.