arthritis care for dogs other than rimadyl?
Monday, June 21st, 2010 at
4:05 pm
8 yo lab with arthritis. on rimadyl for 6-7 weeks. slight change. thinking of trying drs. fosters and smith joint care supplement. any thoughts on dogs with arthritis and managing it so they can take daily walks again? she can only make it 5 houses on the street and then turn around becasue her hind leg are stiff by that point.
Filed under: Dog Training
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Rimadyl does not kill dogs when used properly, but it is not good for those with liver issues, and over time, can CAUSE liver issues. It is also dangerous if it is overdosed and requires hospitalization.
There are other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs you can get from your vet. There are literally dozens of them that are used for minor joint pain. Using aspirin long term is not usually recommended because it can cause anemia in some patients. Human meds like Tylenol are almost never recommended because they can cause toxicity issues in pets.
There are supplements that can be used. You have to keep in mind that there are pain relievers, and drugs that attempt to keep joints lubricated. You cannot buy pain relievers unless you go to a vet, but things like glucosamine and cosequin or even shark cartilage are used to supprt joints and keep them lubricated. This can assist in pain relief because the joints are healthier, but if your dog is in enough pain where he refuses to get up, then an NSAID might be better. Ask your vet what is the best option. He may tell you to use a supplement and keep an NSAID around just in case your pet is in pain, but does not need it every day.
I would chose a natural supplement any day over Rimadyl. I have seen dogs die from it.
Get her on a good food: Innova Evo, Canidae, Orijen, Solid Gold. Then, get her a heated, space foam bed, which will give her something good to sleep on, and relieve pressure.
For exercise, find a place to swim. It will be easy on her joints, and keep her healthy.
I have heard that Glucosamine works good
I have a personal thing against Rimadyl, although I’m not entirely sure it was that particular medicine.
Keep taking your lab for little walks - keeping active will help ease his pain. Talk to your vet about your options.
My 10 year old german shepherd had arthritis in both her hind legs and she too is limited to her walks. I give her 2 G3 tablets, 2 creacarb tablets, and 2 other suppliments a day in addition to metacam once a day. She also goes to the vet weekly and get 3 shots which really seem to help. One is a vitamin shot and the other two have a combination of things for joints. Let me know if the drs. fosters works, because I love to see if those commercials are for real.
The rimady is for pain and not really for the lubrication in the joints. My dog was on that for over a year but then we switched her to the metacam for pain management.
Ask your vet for the best meds. Also try a warming bed for those stiff joints.
I have a Pitbull mix who has terrible joints because of being hit by a car and abused for years (prior to me adopting her- she is also missing one leg completely). I give her Synovi G3 Soft Chews (they sell them at many vets and at http://www.drsfostersmith.com). She was also on Metacam (prescribed by the vet) for a few months; however, I prefer not to use such medications for long periods of time.
The soft chews work great for her. I give her one in the morning and one at night (along with a nightly massage to help her joints relax) and she has improved so much and can walk longer distances now.
http://www.paw4pets.com
If you aren’t in Australia, I suggest you talk to the vet about neutraceuticals that can be used instead of NSAIDs (like Rimadyl) Increase her levels of Omega 3’s (not 6’s) and ensure she is on a premium food.
Might also add that natural supplements containing Shark Cartilage are almost useless. Yes, shark cartilage has high levels of chondroitin in it, but it is LESS than 4% absorbable. You are much better off using a chondroitin/glucosamine supplement that is derrived from pork, beef or chicken cartilage, NOT shark. Plus its not very ethical.
Metacam and Deramaxx are prescription anti-inflammatories/pain pills. Give chondroitin/glucosamine in addition to the the pain relief. You might not have to do the prescription daily, just on bad days. There is a food, j/d by Science Diet that also does wonders with arthritic dogs, especially when used in conjunction with one of the others.
My nine-year-old Saint Bernard had both hips replaced (yes, replaced) before she was two because of hip dysplasia. She also has a plate in her knee and had an OCD lesion in her shoulder. Naturally, all those joints became arthritic.
Rimadyl did just about nothing for her. Then we found Duralactin. As the name suggests, it is milk-based. She is also taking Cosequin. She is now at a very advanced age for a Saint but is able to run, play, and take walks without problems.
Ask your vet about Duralactin and Cosequin. But different meds have different effects on different dogs - keep looking until you find what works!
My mom used to work for a vet and she says that is a very good idea!! almost anything with glucosomine.
You can usually help with arthritis in older dogs by giving them fish oil one pill daily. Just squeeze one pill into his food every day. Now dogs have a hard time digesting fish oil but it does help them with arthritis. So in order to help them digest it you give them a Vitamin E pill three times a week. Like M<W<F or what ever. And also what else helps is Glucosamine/Chandrortin with MSM each day.
I use this on a few of the older Foster dogs that I have. One dog when he came to me could hardly move from the pain of arthritis. He is eleven years old. After about 3 weeks of being on this regimin, he was taking walks everyday and keeping up with my 12 year old daughter on her bike going at a medium pace. And the thing is he is a basset hound.
The other dog I have is 14 years old and a Foster dog that is a Bloodhound.
*Some* dogs get good relief with joint supplements (glucosamine / chondroitin) alone; and it’s usually helpful for any dog with arthritis. Even if you still need an anti-inflammatory as well, you might be able to work with a lower dosage. See your veterinarian for more information.
My vet recommended that I give my dog glucosamin/chondroitin, the same pills I take for arthritis. The pills are big and it was a hassle to get them into him. I found K-9 Liquid Health glucosamine/condroitin/msm at a natural pet store which is easy to put into his food and it has helped. There are other products on the market for arthritis, b-naturals have very good products and sells one for joint support and arthritis.
My Harley is a 10 y.o. lab Mix, weighs 70 lbs. He has been on Foster Smiths Joint Care 3 for about 6 months (not sure why i changed to 3 .I think I wanted to switch to be sure he got all the stuff he needed). He was on JC 2 before and when we first started it (he kept injuring his front shoulder playing, etc), I swear it was like someone gave him a happy shot. We noticed (and it never went away until recently) he seemed happier, and had more energy and we did not see the front leg injury hardly at all any more.Not sure how well it works for all, but it has definately helped him. Now, we’ve moved and have laminate floors. He has since injured himself falling so many times (he just can’t master these floors). Only this time he’s fallen on his back hips too many times that he was practically living on the counch. He’s never had back hip issue’s until now. We’ve gotten some throw rugs but he still has had trouble getting up. We did a rimadyl treatment for 2 weeks straight (I wanted xrays but vet said hold off) and he has done better while doing 2 week of pain meds. vet says he "might" have to live on pain meds (we moved and have a new vet-ah). Due to our finances we’ve run out of Foster Smith Joint Care 3, but I am ordering more this week. The biggest bottle I can get. Am thinking about more rimadyl unless she thinks it’d be good to keep something else on hand for when he appears to be hurting.anyway, try the Foster Smith stuff. Thanks for letting me share.