My chow-mix is getting older and has problems with all the joints in her back legs, anything to help?

Question

She is around 10 years old. We are on 1.5+ acres of land and have to run all over it and she always follows, so she gets a work out. Anything to help get rid of the pain? And get her legs working better?

Answer 1

Glucosamine and Chondrotin. Rimadyl..or other pain medications from the vet. Adequan injections. Acupuncture. Chiropractor. Massage therapy.

Answer 2

I wish I had an answer for you.........

My vet prescribed Rimadyl 100mg for my chow when she was really sore........(1/2 pill - 2 times a day) and I noticed a big difference).......less pain...

But::: I was told to buy Ibuprofen for people and just give the dog 1/2 of one when in pain (or stiff)......as it's an antiinflammority anyway and just cheaper than going to the vet for basically the same thing.....

I was also told (by a friend) that there is a (human) vitamin that you can give a dog for stiff joints and if you will ask your local pharmacist...........it's over the counter.....so you should have no problem buying it.....(sorry I don't know the name)

I'm on "chow" #3..........I love this breed and what a good dog, companion, and protector they have been.

Today is the anniversary of my first one's death......and the birthday of my second one.........(also gone since 8-23-06)
#3 is two yrs old and I just adopted Him from a Rescue Shelter last week......just couldn't cope with the loss and being without my (a) best friend.

..... Good Luck to you and your doggy!

Answer 3

my German Shepard-chow mix had knee surgery a couple of yeas ago. I had to keep her crated and take her out only on a leash for a month (no jumping or running) It worked well. Now I give her a low dose (81 mg) aspirin at night so she can sleep better. If she has had a particularly active day, I give her 2. I also give her OTC glucosamine, chondroitin twice a day. It is very hard watching a best friend in pain. I'm sure she appreciates the hugs, kind words and time you spend with her. My love and blessings are with both of you.

Answer 4

I just wanted to point out that Rimadyl and Deramaxx are currently under FDA review and Deramaxx especially is at a high risk for being taken off the market. It is almost identical to vioxx and celebrex.

Rimadyl (pfizer) was already sued for intentionally misinforming the public and licensed vets about it's safety in dogs. Deramaxx is facing even more scrutiny.

Toxic reactions can usually be detected early and treated, failure to stop dosing after the initial signs of reaction almost always result in death. I would highly advice doing your own research about the symptoms before you give any NSAID (especially cox inhibitors...) to your dog. Most vets are not up to date on the current protocols. In several cases I have read, the dogs exhibited toxic symptoms and the vets actually told the owners to continue the medication.

That said, they are generally safe, with negative side effects being very rare. (I think rimadyl is less than 2%) The problem is, when there is a side effect it can kill your dog if not treated promptly and the medication stopped... most vets won't tell you if your dog vomits, gets diarrhea, or exhibits any physical or behavioral change, you need to get him to treatment ASAP...

I just wanted to let you know, since they are both commonly prescribed for arthritis pain, that a majority of vets in the US are not up to date on the dangers of those two medications. Again, they are generally safe, with a low incidence of side effects, but something like 27% of the side effects resulted in death.

Answer 5

There's no friend like an old dog, but they do need extra help, don't they? We had a lot of luck with a joint care supplement including glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and MSM when our late (lamented) Belgian Shepherd Dog got stiff, and it helps our Chow mix (Chow Chow and Basenji) now - she has a touch of hip dysplasia.

You might want to get her x-rayed in case she has hip dysplasia.

Massage can also help. There are good books available on pet massage. You do need to see the book (or take a class) to learn the technique as it's different from massage for humans. One technique that our dog loves is easy, though -- when your dog is lying down, relaxed, GENTLY place your hand between her and the floor, or bed. SLOWLY draw your hand back from her shoulders to her hips, then repeat. If she whimpers, stop, of course, but our dog will roll over on her back, ecstatic.

T-touch can help, too (Tellington touch - a massage method). There are good books (inexpensive) available on how to do T-touch, and it's easy to learn.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I have an older dog as well and my vet recommended that I start with Glucosamine and Chondrotin tablets first before we moved to anything prescription. My dog is a little over 20 lbs and is to take 1/2 of the human dose each day. It took about 2 weeks before I saw a difference, but he is able to jump on the bed easily where before the pills he was stuggling. I think it bought us some time before we had to go to tougher meds.

Answer 7

There are multiple meds that can be prescribed by your vet, but there are wonderful OTC remedies as well. Glucosimine is a great supplement that I have seen super results with. Consult your vet for dosage information. Go to your local PetSmart, etc. and they will have a wide array of remedies. Also, search the web. Drs. Foster and Smith have a website that it loaded with such stuff.....Good luck and God Bless

Answer 8

Check with your vet, they have some good arthritis meds out there now for dogs. We had an older Akita on some when she was having hip problems at around 9 years old. They kept her comfortable for several years.

Answer 9

Ubavet works well. Check it out.

Answer 10

i would recommend rimidyl or cosequin (not sure of the spelling) but you can get them online on www.1800petmeds.com under the Arthritis section