Arthritus

[Punkygirl0101]

We are pretty certain Bradley has arthritis. He limps, crys when he jumps off of beds and such, he can't even get on the bed himself (he refuses to use the doggy steps). He also licks at his joints.Recently his allergies have gotten a lot better though. His fur is growing in nicely, and its so soft.

Anyway, obviously he is going to the vet, but first I wanted to get opinions here. What do you think is the best arthritus medicine for dogs? He is 8 years old, he is a dachshund mix. And he has had severe allergic reactions to not only vaccines, but also to regular antibiotics. I really hope he doesn't have any sort of an allergic reaction to any meds he gets put on for arthritus.

[Chaos]

What helped my 8 year old tremendously was glucosamine tablets. We get them directly from the vet. Unfortunately they're expensive since they're pure glucosamine and not combined with anything (human glucosamine is). He used to be on Metacam every day, but since adding the glucosamine, he only gets it on his bad days. I think for Bradley, especially since he may not be able to take regular meds, it would be worth it.

[Punkygirl0101]

Defintely! Money is not an issue, we will do whatever is best for him! I am writing this down to talk to my vet about.

[lneill84]

Gluco/MSM can take up to 6 months to start working. There are several other drugs available now that can help a bit faster. I don't know what the dog version is called, but the horse version is called Legend. I do know its marketed under a different name. Its an injection, that is placed directly into the affected joints, and essentially lubricates them more, easing stiffness. You can also try cortisone shots, but they actually break down the joint more long term. Also, look into buying a nice bed with some sort of gel cushioning and a heat option.

[Chaos]

Gluco/MSM can take up to 6 months to start working. There are several other drugs available now that can help a bit faster. I don't know what the dog version is called, but the horse version is called Legend. I do know its marketed under a different name. Its an injection, that is placed directly into the affected joints, and essentially lubricates them more, easing stiffness. You can also try cortisone shots, but they actually break down the joint more long term. Also, look into buying a nice bed with some sort of gel cushioning and a heat option.

Really? Because it started working in under a month (possibly as short as two weeks, but his follow up exam wasn't until a month later) for Lucky. I know there's a ton of different kinds of glucosamine, and most don't really do squat. But a pure glucosamine should really make a huge difference.

This is what we use
http://www.glycoflex.com/glyco-flex-III-canine.php

[Iridal]

Honestly, I'd talk to your vet about baby asprin. My old cocker spaniel, 16 years old when he passed, had arthritus as well and it was pretty painful for him. The vet suggested trying the most mild medication first, which was simple over the counter child-dose asprin. Cherry flavored to boot! :) Anyway, it worked wonders and it's cheap.

We also gave him some good warm water baths to sooth him when he got really stiff. Just some ideas for easy, at-home type care before jumping to more serious meds. I like to give simpler, less invasive stuff a try first if it's nothing life threatening. :)

[Punkygirl0101]

We are definitely going to talk to the vet about what to do. Baby aspirin? Seems like it would work, since a lot of adult with Arthritis use regular aspirin, The only problem with Brad is he has reactions to too many drugs.

We will probably end up using multiple things before we find one that works.

[lneill84]

You have to be very very careful with aspirin. Another side effect that people rarely think of with aspirin is that if your dog needs emergency surgery, chemotherapy, etc., they cannot have any aspirin in their system, particularly with surgery. Aspirin thins the blood, which can be extremely dangerous. Arthritis can be very hard to manage. On one hand, the dog doesn't want to move, because its painful, but on the other hand, he will feel better if he moves around. I know they make heat packs now for around their elbows and back, which are common spots for arthritis.

[Punkygirl0101]

Should I continue to walk him around the neighborhood? I was thinking, a warm bath without soup maybe once a week, or once every other week would do him in.

My mom buys those icy warm pads for her back..I wonder if those would work..

[lneill84]

I would walk him, maybe not around the neighborhood, but he needs to get up and get everything flowing again. Anything that you can do to create more blood flow around the affected areas will work.

[Iridal]

Yes, asprin is a blood thinner, but there are many people that take it every day. Human beings can also have emergencies that require surgery. It's a risk, but for many people it's a worthy one. If I had to choose between a small dose of asprin and a heavier, more invasive drug, I'd probably take the asprin.

After awhile, we didn't need give it to our dog every day anyway. We could tell when he was getting pain, when the weather was changing or something, and then we'd give him one.

[Punkygirl0101]

I know the winter time is when joints ache the worst. He was fine, and not in pain at all until it started getting really cold.

[MokeyBird]

I wonder too if those Icy/Hot patches would work on animals. I know they are now making something similar for horses legs and such, but I wonder how it would work with a dog with the hair. When my hip was popped out of place, those Bengay patches were a GODSEND! I love those stupid things.

[DaDezBombzzz]

Cody has artiritis in all of his limbs...he has it so bad that he doesn't put weight on his front right paw, and limps wherever he goes. its sad :( but, best of luck to ur doggy. hope the meds help. i know you have a ridiclious amount of animals, must stink to see one sick. best of luckkkkkkkk

[Pandapita04]

Punky. you should try this


You can ask about dosing it for smaller dogs and it would be good to give to all of yours. Also try giving him 2000mg of fish oil every day, it is a very good anti-inflamitory