Ylva Norrgard's Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Pikku Myy—Myy for short—was born in 2013 much smaller than the other puppies, and she almost died. Especially as a puppy, Myy received a great deal of attention: she was an intense-looking, small red-nosed toller who made half of passers-by stop and admire her.
Myy has always been a good eater—even at two months old she ate fresh fish straight out of the lake. She is also very playful and sometimes even a little disobedient. At the same time, she is also a very sensitive dog: if you make the mistake of laughing at her, she gets offended and stands at a 90-degree angle with her nose against the wall. In summer she often spends her time in the archipelago, swimming and teasing seagulls. Myy's best friend is my Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Inez.
Myy has always had a peculiar way of walking; she sort of "swishes" her front paws. Ylva found the style endearing, and only later did it become clear that the walking style was caused by looseness in the joints.
At the beginning of 2017, Ylva noticed that Myy occasionally had fatigue and a reluctance to move. But the real crisis hit in summer 2017, when one day the dog could not put weight on her right front and back paw. The doctor took images and said that Myy had very severe osteoarthritis in the left-side legs and spondylosis in the back. The right side was strained and painful because the dog had shifted weight off the sore left side onto the right. The doctor warned Ylva that at some point the osteoarthritis could worsen so much that the dog might even have to be euthanised. So Myy was started on a course of pain medication. The dog was also kept indoors so that she would not strain herself too much and would not expose her joints to cold on wet ground and in the archipelago wind. This was especially difficult for Ylva to watch, because the dog could still see Inez playing freely outside.
Ylva decided she would not give up without a fight. Myy was given injections in the leg to speed up circulation. However, at that time Myy could not take the pain medication, and the situation worsened again. In autumn, Ylva concluded that the situation required additional action, and she started Myy on a Hyaluron 365 and glucosamine course. Unfortunately, Myy's stomach did not tolerate large doses of glucosamine very well. Next, Ylva switched the dog's food to Acana Light & Fit, and Myy also received Yumove, which is a joint product for dogs. The situation eased a little, but the amount of pain medication still used was worryingly high. Ylva also tested other store-bought products designed for osteoarthritis for short periods, but they did not seem to have any noticeable effect.
"At this stage I ordered nettle powder and rosehip powder from Chia de Gracia, which I started giving in late autumn first with Hyaluron 365 and later together with Effektri dog oil. Nettle and rosehip powder are, in practice, the equivalent of MSM, which is often sold for osteoarthritis treatment in both animals and humans," Ylva says.
"The combination I used seemed to work. Myy now only gets half a painkiller in the mornings, and she is a much more lively and content dog. Ball games are now forbidden, but Myy can still go swimming once the seawater warms up."
Now that Myy's situation is better, Ylva intends to explore more products that could improve how the dog feels.
"Next we will test Chia de Gracia Joint Buddy and hawthorn for Myy. It has been amazing to see how natural ingredients have been effective compared to injections. Myy still gets injections once a month, just in case, but quite clearly the situation only changed when I started her on nettle and rosehip powder. The nutrients in the powders, together with the oil, helped to reduce inflammation and improve mobility. Inez has also become more energetic after starting these supplements. Nettle and rosehip seem to be an easy and affordable way to make life easier for an osteoarthritis patient."
The friends Myy and Inez are eagerly waiting for summer and for the chance to explore what is revealed from under melted snow and ice. The best part, however, is probably the sunbathing moments on the pier.
