[Gpdd] [Health] Arithritis

[Audrey Binder]

My dear little Gordon is over 8 years old and has bad arithritis.  He does not like to move around much any more, so I move him from one place to another in his cage.  At night, he sleeps on a "Depends" (or similar adult diaper product) that I change each night, that I put in his cuddle cup.  This is soft for him to sleep on, and it absorbs messes.  He gets a bath in the bath tub once a week, as long as the temperature is not too cold out.  Gordon is not a swimmer (even when he was younger), so I just fill the bath with about 2 inches of warm water, and he does walk around in it (trying to find a way out!) so he is getting some exercise.  I then dry him well.  If it too cold for a bath, I fill a plastic pan with warm water and put him in it, to keep him clean, and again dry him well.  He gets '"cuddle time" every night, with a little massage to his legs, which he seems to like.  I also give him something that his vet recommended called
 "Dasequin".  It's arithritis medication for cats.  It comes in capsules, and she told me to sprinkle some on his veggies.  Well, Dasequin is fish flavored, and he would not eat it that way.  He does take it if I mix it in some Critical Care, and syringe it to him.  We used to exercise out of the cage, but that seem to bother him now (although we still try a little).  Older people seem to have many of the same problems, so kindness and cuddles seem to be the best remedies.

P.S. - Ann S. and Tessie.  What is the Tabritis substitute in the U.S. that you used?  I have been trying to get something like this, as I also could not get Tabritis here.

Audrey,  Mama to Gordon
(Remembering Reese)