👀 Watch out for dubious dog supplements

Last Monday we had a scary incident with Winston.

I went to take him out for his night wee and when I picked him up to place him in his harness, he cried out in pain. He couldn't stand up for more than a few seconds — and suddenly I started panicking.

Had something happened to his spine?

It was 9.30pm when my husband and I drove him to the emergency vet, 10 minutes away. We sat in the waiting room until, finally, we were seen at 11pm.

The vet did lots of reflex tests, checked Winston's legs and watched him walk. He is fairly certain it isn't an issue with his spine, but something called Patellar Luxation:

A luxating patella in dogs is a common condition where the kneecap (patella) slips out of its normal groove, often causing a "skipping" or temporary three-legged lameness.

We are waiting for his CT scan next week to confirm (it's the earliest slot we could get, despite me pushing and ringing around several other practices in London) — and in the meantime, he's on anti-inflammatory medication and we're keeping his mobility to a minimum.

If it does turn out to be Patellar Luxation, he may need surgery, depending on the severity. I'm just crossing everything that it's not something more serious or spine-related.

Though, as my husband said when I was visibly fretting on our way to the vet — whatever happens, we will get through it together ♡

Sending huge love and solidarity to anyone else who has recently had a stressful situation to contend with.

These doggos have our whole hearts, don't they?

Snoot boops and bunny hops,

Winston & Bella x

Dogs actually don't age 7 years for every human year 🤯

It's actually a lot more complex than a simple 1:7 ratio. Ageing depends heavily on size and breed — smaller breeds like Corgis age more slowly, while larger breeds age much faster.

A one-year-old dog is also more physically mature than a seven-year-old human, so the maths doesn't quite work. Breed-specific milestones are a much better guide than any one-size-fits-all formula.

For a Corgi, their first year is roughly 15 human years, their second about 9, and after that they age around 4 to 5 years for every one of ours. So a 10-year-old Corgi is usually closer to 56 or 60 — not 70!

💊 Are your dog's joint supplements actually working?

I've written before about giving Winston joint supplements.

Over the past few months, though, I've been reading more about the core ingredients many brands promote — Chondroitin, Glucosamine and Collagen — and how ineffective they really are. You can read more in this 2022 study.

It's always worth double-checking supplements recommended by vets, as many are owned by major conglomerates like Mars, or private equity firms with a stake in dog pharmaceuticals.

I've been recommended Antinol by fellow dog owners, and Little Chonk's founder Bryan has just released his own joint supplements in response to concerns about transparency and efficacy in many well-known products.

Do you use joint supplements for your dog? If so, which brand?

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