What should I give my old shepherd for hip pain, he struggles to lay down & get back up again.?

Question

After walks he whines a lot , he is 8 years old. My mother suggested asprin for his pains but I don't know about that.

Answer 1

You should call your vet before you give aspirin. He'll tell you what is a safe dose. Don't give your dog tylenol or advil or any other type medications.
You can also try the Chrondritan Glucosamine and MSM for hip and joint problems.

Answer 2

Check with a Vet that takes a natural approach as first line treatment. There is medication for this condition. There is also possible surgery since eight isn't all that old for a German Shepherd dog to be having that much pain. Sometimes supplements are enough but this really does need a Vet exam and eval. to determine the course of treatment.
Check with shelters and rescue orgs. about any possible help with Vet treatment. In my State there is a college with the best treatment anywhere that I know of. They are a teaching facility and so do amazing work at lower cost. Maybe your State has something similar. You can also contact the SPCA and see if they have references to any lower cost Vet treatment.

Answer 3

Aspirin can be given occasionally, but is NOT safe for long term or daily use in dogs. There are safer products made for dogs. Rimadyl and other NSAIDS such as Metacam, Deramaxx, and similar are all metabolized and eliminated through the liver. While these drugs do NOT cause liver damage, they can aggravate pre-existing liver conditions. This is why your vet will run some labwork before and after dispensing medications to your pet--so the VET can prescribe the correct medications based on individual results. As mentioned above, glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, fatty acids, MSM and other neutraceuticals can be very beneficial, but usually cannot be used alone in very old animals with severe symptoms.
Aspirin is no safer than any other NSAID--just read the warning label!

Answer 4

German Shepherd's are known for hip problems. I'd recommend you check with your vet. I was told by my vet that aspirin was okay for my dogs (my older beagle gets a bit arthritic from time to time), but only in the correct dosage by weight. But you must let the vet tell you because the dosage for a human is not safe for a dog. I was also told no ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). A vet tech recommended glucosamine, but as with any medication/supplement, I really believe your vet can give you the best and most qualified advice. Definitely keep him in the house as much as you can and let him sleep somewhere warm and soft. He'll be much more comfortable when he gets up in the morning. Good luck!

Answer 5

take your old friend to a vet and have him properly examined and treated. An aspirin may do no good or may do harm depending upon what is going on. He sounds like he is pretty uncomfortable and often dogs can be relieved of their pain with the right pain medication. He may have a common problem in GSDs, hip dysplasia, and this is where the femur heads don't fit in the hip joint right and it can be extreemly painful, particularly with exercise. He has given y'all eight years of companionship, the least he can have in return is a trip to a vet and proper medication. He would do the same for you if he could.

Answer 6

I put my 14 year old Border Collie on Glucosamine/Chondroitin with the go ahead from my vet. It made a WORLD of difference for my dog! I felt bad that I had not started him on it sooner.
I did experience that not all supplements are the same. He had a sensitive stomach, and would throw up some brands and I would notice they were not dissolving adequately.
What worked best for us was Spring Valley Brand, sold at Wal-Mart, Double Strength Glucosamine 500mg Chondroitin 400 mg. (in one pill.) The vet told me to give one pill in the morning, and one pill at night for the first month. After the first month, just a maintenance dose of one pill a day. As he got older and was in more pain, I went back to one in the morning and one at night. It did wonders for him.
My vet also said that this was the best dosage because there was no proof that a dog can absorb more than 500 mg. at one time.
The Spring Valley brand at Wal-Mart cost about $30 for 300 caplets, and he did very well digesting them with no stomach upset. The results were amazing. They also sell smaller quantities for less money.
I hope it helps him as much as it did my Border Collie!

Answer 7

Last year my now 13 yr old Huskey Shepard mix had surgery to repair a torn ACL the vet told us to give 1 baby asprin twice a day with food. If he's in that much pain it would be worth a trip to the vet.

Answer 8

A trip to the vet is the right idea. Your vet can be an invaluable partner in keeping your dog mobile. There are more options now as far as anti-inflammatories for dogs with arthritis/hip dysplasia and there are also supplements that help a lot too.

Answer 9

Aspirin for now but get him to a vet he needs to be on something stronger. You may also want to think about putting him on glucosamin and chondrotin. You can give him the stuff you buy at the grocery store. I can't remember the name of the med that the vet put my GSD on but it definitely helped. She had arthritis in 3/4 of her legs and she also had Lyme disease when she was 10 yrs old so the arthritis was even worse after but the meds that she was already on for it really helped her.

Answer 10

Aspirin is not perfectly fine. Any vet who tells you to "just give aspirin" is not giving you the option of better care. While it won't kill the dog, it is not designed for dogs arthritis and can harm the stomach lining. It does not work as well as other NSAIDs available from your local vet. And it should not be used in dogs long term. Your vet needs to do some xrays to see why you are medicating your dog and do some blood work to see how liver/kidney function is doing. Then they can prescribe a NSAID or its generic. You should notice a difference right away.
Also you can feed a prescription joint diet or add joint supplements and fish oils to food. Also offering a regulated heat pad for the dog to lie on will help.