Arthritis treatment

[HappyJoy]

I haven't been here in ages, I'm normally on the horse forum, but I'm in need of some doggy advice. I have a lab mix who I *think* is eight- wow, I need to pull out the adoption papers and take a look- who has a sore hip. She isn't laid up by any means, and still tears around like a crazy beast, but if you look for it you can see that it is a little off. She also licks it quite a bit.

So I have a few questions about treatment. What kind of treatments are available that you feel work well? Our last dog who has since died had arthritis when she hit the teen years, and the vet gave her shots that never seemed to do any good. I was only 11 or 12 then and didn't ask many questions, but the vet never explained much, just injected her and told us to give her pain pills. If possible it would be nice not to have to load up and drive 45 minutes each way to take her to the vet, but if shots are the best option that is ok.

What about exercise? We live out in the country where she can run as much as she pleases, and she does tear around quite a bit. It's only been in the last month that I've noticed she is slightly stiffer than normal, but last fall she was always my running buddy for short distances, usually 1-3 miles. She doesn't seem to limit herself at all when she runs, it is just when she is walking that there is a slight limp. How much exercise is good for her to keep her limber without wearing her out? Should I quit taking her running?

What about temporary treatment? As I said, the vet had us give human pain pills, but I don't remember what kind or how much. Does it need to be a certain type (ibuprofen, acetemeniphine(sp?), etc.), and how much per pound?

Thanks in advance!

[fairlight]

I will be sitting in on these postings. My oldest dog is 14. I want to know what to expect and what treatments can be administered.

[Dax]

Dax is 12 and has had hip problems for at least 4 years.

#1 is to kept thier weight down. AN overweight dog puts more pressure on hips and joints. Dax had the most dramatic improvement by losing 10 lbs.

#2 daily moderate exercise is better than sporatic intense exercise. An older dog will take longer to recover so don't be surprised by them sleeping a lot.

#3 I only use pain management sparingly. I would not recommend giving pain meds before exercise as you want them to know their limits. Give pain meds (if needed) for resting.

#4 I use with success Metcam. All pain meds are hard on the stomach.

#5 Raised beds away from cold drafts will help with that stiff old dog syndrome.

#6 Massage is a wonderful therapeutic management treatment for pain.

Just love them.. that is the best medicine for an old dog with arthritis.

[HappyJoy]

Thanks! Ursala(the dog in question) is very fit and energetic, with most people guessing she is around two or three. She doesn't have too much stiffness overall, just in the one hip or when she has been sleeping and thus not moving for a while. It is hard to control the sporatic activity considering it strikes at random. She has a lot of energy and gets little bursts throughout the day, although she also wanders about the yard (quite large) a lot. She spends a lot of time outside in this warmer weather, but when she is inside all she does is sleep on her pillow. I'll look into Metcam as well. I'm hoping it doesn't get worse anytime soon, but I want to have something to give her if she has bad days.

Thanks again!

[gsdjordyn]

Don't use Rimadyl..even with testing for kidneys, liver levels etc..it can still kill them...It killed my dog and Pfizer paid the bills.
http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/rimadylfr.html
any questions feel free to pm me-I will give the details
Good luck, I'm glad your dog is in great shape that helps

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

I just bought a specialty bed from a company called Get-tec. Miko, who has arthritis just loves it. They're pricey, but worth it for the comfort they provide. A 16X21 bed was about 160.00. The company makes specialty beds for hospitals and now has branched out into pet beds.

[fairlight]

Ok...let's take this a bit farther please. How did you know if your dog has arthritis? Does the vet do xrays?

[HappyJoy]

Originally Posted by fairlight

Ok...let's take this a bit farther please. How did you know if your dog has arthritis? Does the vet do xrays?

No, she hasn't seen a vet for this. I'll freely admit that I could be wrong. I based my assumption on her age and movement, and because it is starting just as it did in my last dog. It has come on slowly, although it has been slightly worse the last month, and she is stiff all over at times, not just in the hip where it is the worst. The weather and her level of activity seem to affect it. I'm very open to other suggestions though, if you think it may be something else then I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

[Dax]

In our case, Dax was seen by the vet and prescribed Metcam.

[fairlight]

So a vet can just FEEL and tell if your animal has arthritis? A dog slows down in age just like we do. It shouldn't mean that the dog has arthritis.......any other facts or comments out there? I know my 14 year old pooch just started to refuse to "jump" into the front seat of the van. Now she would rather take just a small hop from the middle slide door.