Question:
We have a great-spirited young pup in an old dog's body (16 years old!) who has arthritis that has been getting worse over the last couple months. She has a hard time getting up off her chair, but once she's up she does fine. She still loves to romp outside and takes regular walks of up to a mile every day.

Does anyone have experience with ways to make her more comfortable? We are now giving her rimadyl and glucosamine daily, but wonder if there's any other remedy that will help?

Thanks for your help!

Answer:
Have you tried Deramaxx on her? That's the new "in" drug...
http://www.deramaxx.com/home/default.asp?page=0_0



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since you are giving rimadyl, i'd like to suggest adding some milk thistle in there too, rimadyl is hard on their liver. I didnt know that until I came here.
However, seeing as though shes clearly been to the vet on this issue. I recently purchased this petnat stuff off of this site. I cant believe how good it works! You go through alot to start off, but I noticed dramatic results in my boy. On the main page here, check in the store. I recommend it!

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I'm not sure which i'd recommend as I think it depends on the dog and the arthritis but they make some special beds for sore jointed dogs, some are even heated or cooled. You might want to check out something like that to make her more comfy when sleeping. Many humans with arthritis like that memory foam stuff, maybe good for doggies too.
Here's to everyone, furry and not, living like a puppy no matter how old our skin!

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I recently had a foster dog with severe arthritis. After a few days on Metacam there was a huge improvement in his mobility.
Recently I read an article in the Whole Dog Journal about a more natural remedy called Dog Gone Pain. The article is available online but you will probably have to pay for it if you are not a subscriber. The author raved about the results with her dog.
Here is the web site :
http://www.doggonepain.com/

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My mom has a 14 year old chihuahua with horrible arthritis. She was so bad she couldn't even climb the front steps without a lot of pain. I'm not sure what the medication was, but the vet gave her a series of shots - one a week for six weeks - and she is like a puppy again! She jumps up on the bed at night, up and down from the couch, she runs like crazy and is so darn happy, it's amazing to see. I know the shots were not very expensive, either. It's really worth looking into, if it's the same kind of arthritis as your doggy it can make such a big difference.

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Have you considered accupuncture, I know people who have seen positive results for managing pain in their dogs even with cancer

Link to find a certified veterinary acupuncturist near you
http://www.ivas.org/member_search.cfm

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I know there are some excellent pain relievers on the market for dogs - and part of my own research is on pain relief in children - the human kind - so I prob should be advocating the traditional kind. Still, my brother's chocolate lab, aged 9 who has underwent a couple surgeries for his hip, has done extremely well on glucosamine - 500 mg tid.

Good luck!!

Answer:
My boy is 12 1/2 and was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis just a year ago. One of his legs just gave out when he went for a drink of water, and he was fine moments before that. I was afraid of a stroke, but his vet said that doesn't happen often. She put him on Metacam and its working great. It took him awhile, but he went from having to stop and sit every little bit to walking normally again. He also has a memory foam bed, and he sleeps very comfortably on it. It also keeps his joints warm. He's a bit stiff his first few steps, but then I am, too!! He still has an occasional bad day, but he's got the spirit of a puppy, and that's what we go on. You might suggest the Metacam to your vet. Be forewarned: it's pricey - a six week supply costs us $105. But it's worth it to keep him healthy. We bought our memory foam bed for about $20 at Walmart. Good luck with your girl!

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A new prescription diet from Hill's named "J/D" (joint disease) has been released, and is effective in a number of patients. The key ingredient is an omega three fatty acid. I like Rimadyl, but you may also consider trying another NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as Deramaxx, Previcox, Metacam, or etodolac in order to find the greatest efficacy. Not all patients respond the same way to a drug, therefore trial and error afford the best answer.

In addition to NSAIDs, some have found an additional opiate drug such as tramadol to be effective, when used in tandem with your NSAID. Obviously, it is important to keep your dog lean, and offer frequent exercise (not necessarily high intensity or long duration) over the week.

And some have found benefit in acupuncture, physical therapy aids (underwater treadmill, swimming, heat application to specific painful joints via special ultrasound units), homeopathy, massage,and chiropractic application/manipulation. I am an allopathic veterinarian (and strongly believe in physical therapy), but can't really address the other modalities,
other than many swear by them. Discuss all these options with your
veterinarian.

Dr. Van Lienden

Dr. Raymond Van Lienden DVM
The Animal Clinic of Clifton
12702 Chapel Road, Clifton
Virginia, U.S.A. 20124
703-802-0490

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