Managing Arthritis in Dogs.

**Seekrit** · 10-08-2009 13:15

Hello

I took my old girl to the vet today for a limp, it appears my 7 year old Shepherd x Kelpie has arthritis in her hips.

We're going back in the week for x-rays just to confirm, but the vet went through the procedures, telling me that she'll have a weekly injection every week for 4 weeks and then go monthly.

Does anyone else have a dog with arthritis? I don't REALLY want to make a trip to the vet every month for needles - I'm sure I'm not the only one with an arthritic dog.. especially as she's only 7... she still has a good few years left in her.

Cheers.

**WorkingClassMum** · 10-08-2009 13:20

Glucosomine. Our 12yo Rotty has been on Glucosomine for a few years and it made a huge difference.

He had a few needles first to ease him up until the G kicks in. (about 6 weeks)

I buy out of date human-use g from chemists or stuff on special from supermarkets - the one with fish oil really helped!

Our dog weighs 50k's, so we gave him a human adult dose, my MIL gives her 20kg dog about 1/4 of a human dose

Also garlic is a natural anti-inflamatory and helps with fleas, start off with about less that 1/4 of a teaspoon and build it up slowly to about not quiet a teaspoon - it helps with fleas too.

**Areca** · 10-08-2009 13:23

Find a vet that performs acupuncutre. Our dog was diagnosed with arthritis at about 6 or 7 and lived until she was 15 with nothing but acupuncture for her arthritis.
THe meds used for arthritis limit their life span as it affects their liver (or kidney's...one of them). Our dog didn't have to have acupuncture all that often either.

**Seekrit** · 10-08-2009 17:26

WCM - how did you approach the chemists?

**WorkingClassMum** · 10-08-2009 18:07

Originally Posted by Seekrit

WCM - how did you approach the chemists?

I just ask (I have no shame

) - I explain it's for a dog. I've been doing it for at least four years for our current dog.

**Seekrit** · 10-08-2009 18:12

Cool, I'll ask around tomorrow.. she goes back to the vet on Friday for the x-ray.

Sorry, I should've said thanks to you and DA before, but I had a baby on the boobie

DA - I've never heard of a vet that does accupuncture, I'll have a look around too.
And WCM - 12 years on a rotty! That's a great innings!

**Areca** · 10-08-2009 18:15

Seekrit it would be worth looking for - just look in the yellow pages. A homeopathic vet will likely be able to point you in the right direction if they don't do it themselves. I ended up working for the vet that gave our dog acupuncture and when I was working with him we had a German Shephard who couldn't even walk but his owner wanted to try everything before putting him to sleep. The vet went and performed acupuncture on the dog in the back of their car in the carpark and by the end of the week he was able to walk in to the surgery!
It gave him about 4 months longer in life...but he was in a seriously bad way. It gave our dog years of quality life!

**XavysMummy** · 10-08-2009 18:21

My Mini Poodle X Bichon was diagnosed with Arthritis at 8...we started with Cartrophen injections (4 weekly injections ever 6mths) but after the 2nd round they stopped working. I have her on Glucosomine with chondroitin which I get from the chemist. She is improving, the next step was putting her under GA and having an arthriscope done but they then suggest knee replacements which at $5K per knee are too exy.

**Beckybug** · 10-08-2009 20:55

Metacam is a wonderful anti inflammatory made just for animals. My (and my parents) 19. y.o Border collie has a dose every second day and she is like a new dog. She can run, jump everything. The vet said every day, but it made her a bit dopey.

It is expensive, but the results are so worth it.