How have you managed your aging canine's arthritis

[dalpal]

Hi All,

My old girl came in almost three legged lame after we took a light walk on Friday. To me, it looked like she had something in her paw. We palpated nothing…so I took her to the emergency clinic this past weekend. He couldn’t find anything either, after taking an X-ray…he decided that it was due to her progressing arthritis.

So we have her on Previcox (she’s been on this for almost a year) Added Tramadol and Gabapentin

I’m not a huge fan of all of these pharmaceuticals…but at least for the short term, I’ve got her on all three.

I am having her do short walks…it kills me, but she wants to go and I know that if she stops using it, it’ll get even worse. I’m also not completely convinced that there isn’t something else going on…floating bone chip, etc. This was a sudden change.

I’ve got a call into my acupuncture/chiro vet…waiting to hear back.

I’ve been researching the Back On Track Products (I have the horse stuff). I’m not sure if I should buy her a dog blanket and the leg stuff…or if I should just buy the mini blanket (she likes to lay on the couch).

I am going to call in for some adequan and start that regiment again.

But I wasn’t sure if there was anything new out there that people have found to work or if anyone has any advice on the products above…or any other advice.

I know there PRP now…not sure how effective it is in dogs. I guess Tildren isn’t available for dogs.

[JBD]

Rimadyl has always worked for me. Of course you want to have current bloodwork as I wouldn’t give it to a liver or kidney compromised dog

[VFT]

I got the back on track blanket and hind leg wraps for my older dog a few months ago and it made an immediate difference in his quality of life. He was not diagnosed with arthritis or showing any obvious aching and difficulty, but he had just slowed down a lot after having surgery and so I thought I would give the BOT products a try on him. He sleeps in both the blanket and the wraps and you can tell he feels good in the morning after wearing them. I would definitely recommend giving them a try.

[Sswor]

Have you tried just oral Cosequin? It’s done wonders for my 12yo.

[Dr_Doolittle]

My 12 year old Whippet has shown a noticeable improvement since I started him on Cosamin DS Plus. I will have to check out the BOT stuff; I bought him a BOT bed years ago, but it’s pretty firm (and just a big square, no sides), so I could never get him to lie on it.

I’m hoping to postpone the serious drugs as long as he remains “spry” on the Cosamin…

[Hannahsmom]

I have the BOT Mesh blankets and bed for both my agility dogs. I’m a BOT fan from my horse years but I’m not sure how effective it is for arthritis. I personally use Springtime Longevity. I used to use Dasuquin plus ASU and didn’t see a difference. But I’m not dealing with arthritis in the dogs. Now for me? Yes my knees are painful.

[Houndhill]

I use Dausaqin with MSN, have used adequan injections, also big doses of fish oil. That has worked for us.

Have heard some have used IV Legend as used for horses for dogs, with good results. I bought some for my dog, but my small animal vet would not inject it. Am currently exploring alternatives.

[gumtree]

IMO there comes a time when meds are needed. IMO “quality of life” outweigh the draw backs. I had to let go of my Jack Russell just short of 20, “his mind was willing but his legs and body weren’t”. 6 years after blowing out his hind “suspensory” and having it “repaired”. He didn’t “live on” but when needed I gave him Rimadyl. Had no reservations. He did develop some kidney issues but in the end was it from the Rimadyl or old age? I am good with the latter. Adequan and Cosequin didn’t do much other than making me feel better.

[Houndhill]

[QUOTE=gumtree;7930751]
IMO there comes a time when meds are needed. IMO “quality of life” outweigh the draw backs. I had to let go of my Jack Russell just short of 20, “his mind was willing but his legs and body weren’t”. 6 years after blowing out his hind “suspensory” and having it “repaired”. He didn’t “live on” but when needed I gave him Rimadyl. Had no reservations. He did develop some kidney issues but in the end was it from the Rimadyl or old age? I am good with the latter. Adequan and Cosequin didn’t do much other than making me feel better.[/QUOTE]

Oh, yes, for sure! I thought we were doing non-prescription options.

I have had better results with meloxicam (generic Metacam) than rimadyl, and certainly the price is right! About $6 a month for a 130 pound dog!

Tramadol is ok, but very short acting.

[mommy_peanut]

Have you talked to your vet about changing doses or trying different meds?
We recently switched our senior Lab from Previcox to Carprofen, when he needed something different to get relief.
I’ve had him on an otc joint supplement for the past couple years as well. I ran out a couple weeks ago & forgot to pick it up at the store. Didn’t think much of it as he’s on Carprofen & never was sure how much the otc stuff helped.
HOLY COW!! I saw a huge(negative) difference with him not getting the otc supplement. I got him back on it & within 2 days he was greatly improved. I use Osteo Bi-flex Triple Strength(yep the people stuff), one pill a day. Made me a big believer in it!!

I don’t really worry about any possible liver damage from the Carprofen. It’s better to keep him pain free now, rather than worry about getting a few extra months out of his life.

[vacation1]

The sudden change in the OP’s dog could be an arthritis flare. Those can be very sudden. One medication I haven’t seen mentioned is Amantadine - it’s sometimes added to a NSAID, as it functions differently, to complement it.

I’m not a fan of all the meds either, but if they work, they make such a difference.

[mommy_peanut]

Oh… one other thing that we’ve added now that the cold/damp winter season is here, is a heating dog bed. I figure I need to use a heating pad to help with my arthritic knees this time of year, so why wouldn’t it help the dog.
He LOFFS it!

[Bicoastal]

• Regular exercise, incl targeted exercises

• Lean body score

• Joint supp (my vet likes ingredients in SmartPak’s Joint Ultra but can’t vouch for the manufacturer because she isn’t familiar. That’s what I use.

• Fish oil

• Range of motion and stretch: observe any differences

• Massage

• Heating pad on bed

• BOT but I think any coat does the same thing

• Trim nails weekly: observe wear pattern and reduce

[Rhyadawn]

Raw feeding has made a huge difference for my senior. Two years ago she was hardly moving, last winter was iffy, this winter she’s like a 3-year old!

[callmegold]

Adequan has worked miracles on my arthritic doberman. We did the loading dose and then once a month shots. I can tell if I have skipped a months dose

[Arbitrary]

Adequan really helps my oldie.

Along with:
mainly raw diet
red light therapy
occasional acupuncture
organized movement (hill-walks)
tramadol as needed
Rimadyl as needed

[wendy]

The four clinically proven methods to improve arthritis in dogs are NSAIDs, adequan or pentosan, weight loss and fish oil.
If your dog isn’t on the skinny side, work on that. Even half a pound lost can relieve symptoms. Fish oil, you need to feed a lot of it to see an effect, around 100 mg per pound of dog per day.
Some dogs respond almost miraculously to Cetyl-M, but not all do.
In humans, aquatic exercises have been proven to dramatically improve arthritis symptoms- keeps the muscles strong without stressing the joints. If you can find a warm place to swim your dog, or have an underwater treadmill facility nearby, that is an option. Can also help control the dog’s weight.

[Beckham03]

I have two coming 14 yr old dogs, one who has blown both knees. This is similar to what some others said:
Lean wt
Fish oil
Adequan
Traumeel
Fluid Action HA
Tramadol if needed

BOT products would be worth a try, IMO

[Foxtrot_s]

Our 15 year old Bull Terrier is on Cartrophan - it is a once a month shot after a four week loading period, and it makes a huge difference, noticeable when I go over the month. I try to get her down there before the month end.

It is doggy Pentosan.