Degenerative Joint Disease - DJD/Arthritis of Labrador retriever

At home, things were falling apart. Kairee, my sweet Labrador with degenerative joint disease (DJD), was struggling. She was on a diet food called Satiety by Royal Canin, which cost a small fortune. But, truthfully, she barely liked it. I could see her disinterest every time I fed her, but since her vet recommended it for weight management, I stuck to the exact quantities they advised. Then came the real trouble. She began refusing food altogether. At first, I blamed myself—I’d added her herbal medicine to the food, hoping to mask it. But maybe I’d made things worse; the already bland taste was now spoiled with a medicinal smell. The only thing she took was a bit of buttermilk, but then she refused that too. I suspect it was because of the frequent urination. The act of squatting was clearly painful for her. Soon, since she wasn’t eating solids, she wasn’t pooping either. Six days would go by, and still nothing. I could only imagine how excruciating it was for her to even attempt. Her back legs were so weak that she would slip on her pee, a heartbreaking sight. So, I started holding her from behind whenever she needed to go. My support seemed to give her the confidence she needed—I wouldn’t let her fall. Her meals became simpler: a bowl of curd. Gradually, I introduced small portions of mashed boiled egg with rice, and, thankfully, she started eating. For the constipation, vets recommended laxatives, but Kairee seemed to resist them with sheer will. I could almost sense her determination, as if to say, “Nope, this isn’t working for me.” That’s when I made a decision. No more allopathic medicines. I’d let her food become her medicine. It was the beginning of a new journey. I brought psyllium husk (isabgol) and mixed it with curd. Slowly, her digestion improved. She started pooping once every four days, a small victory in the face of her challenges. It’s a journey, one we’re navigating together, day by day. Her spirit teaches me resili

It was last September when Kairee’s symptoms took a turn for the worse. Watching her struggle to walk was heartbreaking, especially after noticing her limp for over a year. I’d taken her to multiple vets, but each time, the answer was the same: “Labradors are just lazy.” So, I tried to believe that, even though my heart knew there was more to it. Then, life took its turns. We got Kairee spayed, and with that, she gained a little weight. Then came the lockdowns, and suddenly our daily walks came to a halt. Before I knew it, she had gone from 26 kg to a peak of 31.5 kg. It was a lot for her, and I could see her discomfort. The vets now believed her weight was the cause, so I put her on a strict weight-loss diet. Being a vegetarian myself, I couldn’t bring myself to cook non-veg food, so I went with the best dry food they recommended—Royal Canin Satiety Weight Management. After five months, she lost almost 4 kg, but it came at a cost; she had even lost interest in her food. With her weight down, she could still walk, but barely. Our walks had shrunk to just 20 minutes, mostly just slow sniffing along the way. I could see how much she struggled, so we’d often turn back early. One of the vets had mentioned that Labradors are prone to hip dysplasia, so I had already stopped her from climbing stairs. Even then, at just 5 years old, everyone assumed it was just a weight issue. But now I know that if we’d caught it sooner, things might be different. Still, here we are, and I’m doing everything I can to make her journey more comfortable. This video captures her just before we finally got the diagnosis of DJD, arthritis, and hip dysplasia—a moment of realization, of sadness, and, ultimately, a call to do better for her. #Arthritis #CanineArthritis #CanineArthritisManagement #DegenerativeJointDisease #HipDysplasia #HipDysplasiaAwareness #HipDysplasiaDogs #WeightManagement #ArthritisJourney #LabradorRetriever #LabsAndDJD #CreatingAwareness