Baron is an 11-year-old German Shepherd! We’ve known Baron since April of 2014 when he was just a 7-month-old puppy. Like all German Shepherds, Baron had a high likelihood of developing arthritis at some point in his life.
We were starting to have concerns in mid-to-late 2022 when this poor boy was up all night panting. He didn’t want to fulfill his duties escorting his Mom to the barn and would stop and lay down halfway there. His excitement for his ball had also diminished. He was started on an oral anti-inflammatory pain medication, but it was a challenge to get him to take it and it was difficult to tell if there was any improvement. Ultimately we decided Librela might be a good option for him as his symptoms continued. Librela is a monthly injection that reduces osteoarthritis pain.
Baron has always been nervous about coming to the vet, but his owner is very dedicated and would bring him in for “Happy Visits” any chance she got. These are visits where he comes in just to socialize and leave. These visits made the hospital less scary for him. He also became more relaxed for his appointments and had warmed up to eating treats eagerly. (Pets that are too anxious will not take treats). Eventually, he didn’t need those extra visits.
Over time Baron became increasingly reluctant to come into the building for his monthly Librela injection. Injections can be painful and they seem to create a lot of stress for him. His owner had already appreciated significant improvement in his activity and comfort level at home, so we knew we needed to find a way for him to continue his injections with less stress and discomfort. His owner started him back up on his “Happy Visits” so that he wasn’t always getting poked when he came to see us. She also noticed he seemed to be less sensitive if we gave the injection in the shoulder versus the hip. By working together with the owner, we were able to create a better experience for him so that he could get the relief he needed from arthritis pain without it seeming so daunting.
Playing with his football in the yard, walking without having to take breaks, jumping up and down, and finally sleeping peacefully through the night - all things he was unable to do prior to Librela. A perfect example of what working together with our pet parents can achieve.
Zac Calliger