Arthritic dog

[Foxtrot_s]

Our 13 y.o. bull terrier was getting arthritic so I asked my vet if he had some doggie-Celebrex for her. He offered Metecam or the shot CARTROPHEN.
Metecam is very hard on their stomachs, so we chose the shot - four loading shots a week apart, and then once a month.

She was a new dog after one shot, and better after three - it is wonderful to see her and even our guests notice the difference. She’d ask to be put on the ottoman, but today I found her there twice and she got up there by herself.
She found her ball and was like a young dog, playing and challenging. She bucks in a circle, like a rodeo bull, on her forehand and it is so good to see her like this.

She used to lick her wrists (fetlocks?) and ask to be taken off the ottoman.
Stairs were an ordeal, up or down…Yippee.

Just had to share the news…Cartrophen, a wonder drug for our dog.

[SquishTheBunny]

Cartrophen is an older drug that has been used for years on cats due to their NSAID sensitivity. It has been a go-to for dogs as well (well before adequan) but has not been marketed heavily.

Recently it has been discovered in the horse community too. “Pentosan” aka. Cartrophen seems to work very well for some, and not so great for others. Relatively cheap and very few side effects…always worth a try.

Cartrophen (Pentosan), Adequan and Polyglycan are all excellent neutriceuticals that can be rotated with if one works better than another for your dog. All slightly different, but very very few adverse effects to any of them. In my personal experience, Polyglycan and Cartrophen have been better than Adequan but each dog responds differently and some have done great with Adequan.

Glad your pup is feeling better!!

[Laurierace]

Pentosan is a gift from heaven but unfortunately is back ordered at the moment. I am hoarding my remaining doses!

[RaeHughes]

Have used Catrophen for years on my athritic dogs - started about 12 years ago with a dog with serious trauma-related arthritis. Started the labs on it when they got to 6 years and my older BC (6 years) has been on it for the last 6 months due to her having arthritic changes in a front wrist. It really works amazingly - my routine differs for each dog. My BC has a monthly booster, the others have boosters every 3-6 months (3 months in winter and then either side of summer).

I swear by it!

[SarahandSam]

Can anyone give a price run-down on these various options? My elderly dachshund has been on Metacam, but I don’t think it’s making a huge difference… used Rimadyl briefly on my other dachshund when he wrenched his back a bit and liked that more, but am curious about the injection possibilities also. Money is tight, so trying to look for the most cost-effective option that is also effective, and my vet never talks about Adequan et al…

[SquishTheBunny]

SarahandSam - if its a back issue, the neutroceuticals are unlikely to help much. They generally work best on osteoarthritis cases on highly mobile joints.

For a chronic sore back, NSAIDs (OR steroids…but not both) +/- tramadol +/- gabapentin are your likely best choices. Neurtraceuticals certainly wont hurt but you probably wont see the same response as you would in more mobile joint areas. Although every dog is different and in conjunction with the above drugs it may give your dog a nice boost.

Ask what your clinic stocks, or if they will fill a prescription that you can use on your own.

General rule of thumb is people start with the neutraceuticals first, and when they no longer are showing a response then start NSAIDs. Generally the NSAIDs are more potent for pain control.

[SarahandSam]

Thanks Squish–the younger (8ish) dachshund was the one with the back issues (that appeared to just be him tweaking something; back to normal again after a couple days of Rimadyl and “stall rest”); the older (13ish) is general, all-over soreness and arthritis. We did a round of gabapentin, then added the Metacam again, and acupuncture also… seems to have helped somewhat, but she’s still sore and grumpy, so am continuing to work with the vet to try to figure out next step… have spent a lot recently though, so am trying to get a better sense of what’s effective but still also cost-effective.

[Foxtrot_s]

Aaaah, daschunds. We had the dearest little man called Long John. He lived to be 17 before we had to say goodbye.

Metecam was given to our greyhound, because she had serious cancer and we knew we just wanted quality of life for her before the final goodbye, but were warned of the side effects and that it was hard on the stomach.

This Cartophan has so few die effects, is not hard on their tummies and for our dog is the perfect answer at this time. She’s soooo different in so many ways…we can’t believe it! Bless our little girl.

As far as cost goes - we are in Canada and you are in the US. But I pay $20.00 for each shot - that is four loading shots and then once a month thereafter. I find that definitely manageable since it is helping her so much.

How interesting that it is the same as Pentosan - had not liked them. You should read the Pentosan threads here. Effective, cost-effective and no real side-effects for horses.

[SquishTheBunny]

I’d give the cheapest neutraceutical a try then. Its not going to hurt, only going to potentially help. You can also try adding low doses of tramadol and if she is really painful, a nacotic like buprenorphine.

You can also do a washout and try another NSAID such as previcox, rimadyl or a steroid. Somtimes some NSAIDs/Steroids just work better than othrs for some dogs. Just make sure you do a full washout period as indicated by the drug company, and never mix a steroid with an NSAID.

Another potential suggestion is to try cerenia, the anti-nausea. For some reason we anecdotally see a reflection in pain control with use of this drug.

[SarahandSam]

Thanks–this gives me more to talk about with my vet. I appreciate the suggestions.