Regarding supplements for osteoarthritis: If you have seen an oral supplement make a positive impact on your dogs comfort, please share!
Cosequin DS hands down for an oral supplement.
However, polyglycan, adequan and cartrophen IM injections can also be a huge help 
[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;7162416]
Cosequin DS hands down for an oral supplement.
However, polyglycan, adequan and cartrophen IM injections can also be a huge help :)[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately we haven’t seen any effect from the Cosequin DS (or Dasuquin Plus), nor from Adequan. Investigating pentosan, but hesitant to keep messing with the haparinoids because he has a crappy liver. Have thought about Legend IV. Is that used in dogs?
Right now I’m trying to finding the best oral supplements, as an adjunct for anything else we try. Plain glucosamine is as big of a help as anything. Just trying to see if we can do better.
Glyco-Flex III has been a huge help for my nearly 10 year old lab mix. He’s almost good as new! The vet recommended Dasuquin. It didn’t help him at all.
[QUOTE=catzndogz22;7162478]
Glyco-Flex III has been a huge help for my nearly 10 year old lab mix. He’s almost good as new! The vet recommended Dasuquin. It didn’t help him at all.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the input! That is one I haven’t tried, and have wondered about. Will look into it further.
Re Glyco-Flex - I adopted a 7 month old chow mix who was rather quickly diagnosed w/ hip dysplasia, both hips. Vet recommended Glyco-Flex and a modest exercise program. At seven years old he was still doing very well, not on any other meds, never signs of discomfort (lets note that he was never the most rambunctious thing anyway) or other problems. Unfortunately I lost him to IMHA, nasty auto immune disease. But I have to say that either I was dumb lucky or the glycol flex helped a lot.
Is osteoarthritis an inflammatory issue?
I have my 12 year old lab on Duralactin, and love it.
It’s from hyper-immunized cows, contains enzymes that block cytokines and inhibit neutrophils
Where are the issues exactly? Often if its located on one area (ie elbows) there are other options such as IA injections. Generalized OA that hasn’t responded to quality joint supplimentations often is requiring better analgesics like NSAIDs, tramadol, gabapentin or a narcotic but difficult to balance especially with NSAIDs if there is liver disease.
Is your dog currently on a SAMe? Apparently a valid option for those with OA and liver disease that can not tolerate NSAIDs.
Dasoquin and 2000 mg of fish oil.
[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;7162863]
Where are the issues exactly? Often if its located on one area (ie elbows) there are other options such as IA injections. Generalized OA that hasn’t responded to quality joint supplimentations often is requiring better analgesics like NSAIDs, tramadol, gabapentin or a narcotic but difficult to balance especially with NSAIDs if there is liver disease.
Is your dog currently on a SAMe? Apparently a valid option for those with OA and liver disease that can not tolerate NSAIDs.[/QUOTE]
Hip and elbow dysplasia. Yes, he is on SAMe. He gets tramadol when very bad, but it doesn’t do much.
I was all into glucosamine during my dog’s heyday, but near the end, I ended up preferring fish oils (particularly Wild Salmon oil). Supposedly it does just as good a job as glucosamine in aiding the joints, but it’s more natural to the digestive tract (thus better digested), and it’s beneficial to more than just joints (kidney disease, skin problems, etc.). Right now I’m hearing good things from Elk Velvet. It’s wicked expensive, but I’ve heard raves so I’m giving it a whirl for my cats. We’ll see how it goes; been using it for less than a week. I’m using it in combination to salmon oil, and hopefully it’ll help the grumpy girls be less grumpy, especially as winter approaches.
[QUOTE=Angela Freda;7162700]
Is osteoarthritis an inflammatory issue?
I have my 12 year old lab on Duralactin, and love it.
It’s from hyper-immunized cows, contains enzymes that block cytokines and inhibit neutrophils[/QUOTE]
I missed your post yesterday.
Yes, osteoarthritis is an inflammatory issue. I have never tried the Duralactin products. Can I ask what you have used it for, and any results you’ve seen?
I have an 11 year old labrador with pretty significant osteoarthritis. She’s been on Dasuquin for years and also responded well to Adequan for a while, but not so much lately. One of my friends has recently had really good results with Canine Hylasport for her arthritic dog, so I started my old girl on it yesterday (instead of the Dasuquin). My dog also takes Rimadyl daily, although that looks like that probably isn’t an option for your dog.
[QUOTE=stb;7163239]
I have an 11 year old labrador with pretty significant osteoarthritis. She’s been on Dasuquin for years and also responded well to Adequan for a while, but not so much lately. One of my friends has recently had really good results with Canine Hylasport for her arthritic dog, so I started my old girl on it yesterday (instead of the Dasuquin). My dog also takes Rimadyl daily, although that looks like that probably isn’t an option for your dog.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, unfortunately NSAIDs are out. Hylasport looks great, but I couldn’t convince him to eat it! 
We got excellent results from Smartpak Canine Ultra. And losing a few pounds.
What I give my 8 & 1/2 yo Irish Wolfhound. Nupro -
http://www.amazon.com/Nutri-Pet-Research-Nupro-Supplement-5-Pound/dp/B000084EEE
For the most part, she has loved the taste, but went off it for a short time this summer after she chewed a bunch of grass, and you could really see a change in her (needed help getting into the car vs. just hopping in). I’ve added it back in again, and she has no problem getting into the car, and is bouncing around the yard once again!
Also, you can find smaller jars of it at some retail pet stores. Just make sure it has the silver, not the gold label - which does NOT have glucosamine/chondroitin.
[QUOTE=Angela Freda;7162700]
Is osteoarthritis an inflammatory issue?
I have my 12 year old lab on Duralactin, and love it.
It’s from hyper-immunized cows, contains enzymes that block cytokines and inhibit neutrophils[/QUOTE]
This is what I was going to suggest. It works great. We have also seen a lot of good results adding in Traumeel. It is a homeopathic. But I was able to take my dog off of Tramadol when I added it in. She takes Duralactin and Traumeel. Both are pretty cheap as well.
Oh sorry, you wanted more info on what it is used for. I do not want my dogs on any long term NSAID’s. My dog in question is 12 and has torn both ccl’s and was not a surgery candidate. She has arthritis in both knees. I give both of these along with Fluid Action HA and she sprints around the yard like a puppy.
Cosequin is SO expensive for what it is! I use Hip Help for my 14 year old dog and she’s in great shape. (about $15 a month) I’ve also just bought the supplements from the human supplement and thrown them in a piece of cheese, done deal. I look at how much glucosamine and MSM are in the well reviewed tablets and then just give her that in people pill form.
My husband has bad hips and he doesn’t notice that chondroitin helps at all but even just MSM helps him a ton. He takes a glucosamine and MSM supplement and that keeps his pain down; he has already had one hip replacement at age 33 and is looking to get the other one done ASAP.
My customers at work really like the Naturvet Arthrisoothe supplement-it’s pricey but has several different ingredients. As I recall, it gets very good reviews online too. http://www.doggiefood.com/naturvet-arthrisoothe-gold-hip-joint-stage-3-advanced-formula-dog-cat-tablets.html?___store=default&___store=default&gclid=CI-B88qqvLkCFSlo7AodxhUAqg
I used to work for an ortho vet and when he suggested supplements for dogs he sent people to the human supplement section for Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and fish oil.
Primalex’s Arthridia, Wapiti Lab’s Mobility Tabs or powder, FISH oil is a huge help and can come in tabs/liquid form. These are all natural herbals… pricey but goodness they work. Wapiti Lab’s started as a human supplement, and people started calling in and asking how much to give to their dog/cat… I take it myself, with fish oil.
