Arthritic dog please help!!

beau_beau

Hi,

I have a 13 and half year old lab mix. He has been on cartrofin injections to help his arthritis before. he is no longer responding to the cartrofin. I have spent a fortune in the vets and he isn't improving. I dont mind the cost whats important to me is that he gets better! I was thinking of using a supplement containing glucosamine and Omega fatty acids for dogs in liquid form. Do any of you know where I can get this or would you recommend something better?
I'm very unhappy because he is only using one of his back legs now and I'm scared that he will loose mobility in that remaining leg. Athritis is an awful thing to see as your best friend gets older.

Any help appreciated thanks,

Beau

PrincessL

Hi Beau, I also have a lab who suffers from the same problem, although he doesn't sound as bad as your guy! Poor pet
We used the liquid supplement, I'm not sure of the name but I'll ask my OH when he's back. We found it really brilliant and we got it from our local vet.
We also brought our lab swimming everyday and this really helped him. We don't leave him out in cold weather and we try to keep him at a distance from the rads and the fire in the house as this can make it worse.

I'll post later with the name of the supplement

Chiaki

heated dog pets are supposed to be quite soothing, you can get them in lab sizes but they are harder to acquire. i know larger pet shops do glucosamine supplements but im not sure good they are. im sure alot of them are prevention as opposed to relieving symptoms. trying ringing around a few other vets and see what they recommend

Ado86

There are liquid forms of glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate (a better combination than glucosamine on its own). Its called Arthri-aid, it comes in a pump and depending on your dogs weight, you put 2-3 pumps on their food. This is available from many vets, just ring up to ask them if they have it. Heres the website about arthri-aid, http://www.nutri-science.net/pets/arthriaid.php.

Cosequin is another supplement with glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate but it is available in tablet form, this is easier to ensure your dog definitely gets the medication. This is also available from all good small animal vets.

The only other thing I can say to you, considering your dog has been on cartrophen injections, and is no longer responding to them. Is there any possibility that he/she would swim for you? Swimming is excellent for arthritic dogs, it gets the joints moving without the weight bearing. There are some hydrotherapy pools for dogs now in Dublin, and a few other places around the country. Maybe he/she might benefit from this ? I don't know your dogs weight, but if he could lose a few pounds, this would greatly improve his mobility.

hadook

I used Stride + and Sasha's Blend for my arthritic dog. I noticed a huge improvement in his range of movement about 2 weeks after he started on the supplements.

He was on Arthri Aid but it didn't do as much for him as the two above. Stride + can be gotten in most vets, equine shops and some petshops (it was originally developed for horses) and the Sasha's Blend can be ordered direct from the vet stockists in Tipp (though you will need to order it through your vet the first time).

aboutimeilogin!

http://www.markandchappell.com/dog-puppy/joint-care.html by mark & chappell, if you google "mark & chappell" ireland suppliers, this should help, so much cheaper than metacamp from the vets!
deffo search http://www.markandchappell.com/dog-puppy/dogs-puppies.html
hope it's ok to plug a product here just thinking of the dog.

kildara

I have seen magnetic collars that you can get for dogs.
I dont know if these are a preventative measure or if they will provide some sort of respite for your boy.
I am thinking of getting them for our dogs while they are still young.

Incheerocket

Oh your poor boy, its so hard watching them with arthritis, I can't add much more than everyone else, but I have in the past used all the human supplements with Chondrotin and glucosamine, and another thing I tried was green lipped mussle extract, you can get it in health food shops, I also added sardines or tuna to my old girls food, though not all dogs like fish! hope hes feeling better soon,

lorebringer

Glucosamine and Omega acids are def worth a try - they work brill on some dogs and not so well on others but even if it offers some relief from the arthritic discomfort it's worth it! Quite a few "senior" foods contain one or both of these, have you looked on your dogs food bag to see if they are in it? Also, ArthriAid is very stuff for older dogs. Maybe ask your vet about it. We had a Springer crippled with arthritis and it worked really well for him. He was much more limber while he was on it - we could bring him for slightly longer walks (he was old so walks were short anyway) and he was more willing to get up and down on the couch/stairs/out of his bed (on bad days we had to lift him). It comes in liquid and tablet form so it's quite easy to get it into them. There is also a similar product called SeniorAid, I have not used it myself but could also be worth a try. Your vet will be able to fill you in on what is the best decision for you.

Good luck - it's always terrible to look at them very stiff and uncomfortable.

boardbrowser

I feel your pain, my dog suffers from very bad joint problems and twice daily meds are required to manage pain.
She is now on arthri- aid and loxicom ( a more generic brand of 'metacam' and much cheaper but works just aswell.
Another oral medication , can't remember the name was making no difference in managing the pain so vet suggested i try a different drug.
Have to say, the difference it made was only short of miraculous.Pain med and arthi- aid supplement seemed to really work in harmony given together.
that combined with keeping her weight down so no added stress to joints.
she's a great swimmer too- previously a fetching maniac and frisbee catcher but that had to stop completely since diagnosis 2 years ago.
She is a completely different dog now given the treatment she gets and at one stage 2 years ago i was considering euthanisia due to quality of life issues. Obviously every dog is different and has different needs depending on their condition but the drug therapy and supplement has given her a new lease on life.

mags16

My little terrier is only 9 and she has arthritis. 10 months ago she had trouble walking, getting up steps and her mobility was poor. The vet put her on metacam. Fello boardsies suggested glucosamine and I have her on ubavet liquid glucosamine. As summer approached, she lost a bit of weight and she got more mobile. Now she is back to her old self. She no longer takes metacam and is only on glucosamine. She might get worse as the weather gets colder but I'm delighted with how well she is at the moment. Glucosamine has definitely helped.