Best medication for arthritic Pom....

[Vicki]

Hello....what's the best medication out there to help a dog get around easier. My 13 year old Pom is a little stiff at times and I wanted to find something that would make it easier for him to move around when he first gets up and such. Thanks!

[momPaws]

There are better experts here but will just share about my dog. (Best to ask your vet that question)
My pup is 10 and when she started limping my vet said better to take the lesser route than the 'big guns' meds...so we started her on Glucosamine and Condroitin...and to my amazement - it works. Took a while- a few weeks -but then gradual improvement....but she hardly ever limps now. I use the ppl kind - drug store generic and divide the pills per my vets instructions. I was positive to try this cause others here had mentioned it. Glad I have a vet like that and friend/vet like the one here - davet!!
Good luck with you Pom...hope you find something that helps.

[k9Karen]

I heartily endorse the glucosamine/chondroitin also. Check with your vet about dosing such a small dog. Usually you start with a 'high' dose, then gradually decrease it to a level that still works. In some, dosing needs to be only be every 2 - 3 days. The 'made-for-people' brands tend to be better than the veterinary ones (there are higher standards for people 'stuff' than for pet stuff, so it's usually higher quality with less contaminants). It helped Mickey for a very long time, only for the last few months did it seem to be no longer working (he had severe osteoarthritis). Angel has been on it for 4 years, and I have seen no deterioration at all in her hips (she has severe hip dysplasia). There are very few side effects, although studies in rats suggest glucosamine should not be given if the dog is diabetic. Chondroitin can affect blood clotting in a way similar to aspirin - it affects the platelets, so if the dog already has some type of bleeding disorder, it's may not be the best choice - you should ask your vet. If these diseases are not already present, they can not be caused by starting the gluc/chon treatment. Because of this affect on the platelets, chondroitin, like aspirin and related NSAIDs should be stopped 7 - 10 days before any surgery, like teeth cleaning. If the gluc/chon works, you should begin to see an improvement in about 10 to 14 days. This is not a anti-inflammatory and does not give immediate relief. It helps rebuild the joint lining, which takes time. If after 30 days you do not see any improvement at all, it isn't going to work on your furkid (it doesn't work for everyone).

Buffered aspirin can also be used, but is not usually recommended for continuous treatment. It's best to give it on days where the dog seems to be worse than usual and needs a little help. Again, check with you vet about dosing - I would think 1/2 to one baby asprin every 12 to 24 hours would be the most a small dog like yours should take, but I'm no expert and don't want to offer any advice, except to say: I don't think he'd be able to take very much. Dogs are not dosed at as high a level as humans.

Shark cartilage is useless - multiple studies have shown that all it does is cause sharks to be killed.

Hope you find something that works for your furbaby. Good luck.

[Julie B.]

In addition to a glucosamine and chondroitoin supplement (which may not be "enough" for severe pain), you should ask your vet about a prescription for a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. There are many new products currently on the market such as Deramaxx (deracoxib), Metacam (meloxicam), in addition to "older" drugs such as rimadyl and etogesic. The newer drugs are more cox-2 specific in the anti-inflammatory pathway and should have less GI effects. One may be right for your dog. I would encourage you to discuss possible side effects with your vet, such as stomach upset, and also to monitor liver and kidney function with periodic blood tests. These drugs are not without risk, but you must weight that risk vs. benefits especially in an older dog that is painful. I just switched my arthritic rottie to meloxicam which was just approved in the US and comes in a honey-flavored liquid. We dose as needed for pain. You should discuss with your vet what is right for you and your dog. Good luck.

[davet]

havn't read the other posts so this may be redundant but:

there are any number of antiinflammatories that can be used in the lowest possible doses.and if side effects are notice then other therapies can be used....but again the lowest possible effective dose...

[Donetta]

I have a dog that has some arthritis from previous surgery and other injuries and she has been maintained with periodic injections of Adequan. I give her glucosamine & Chondriotin (I use people brand ARTHXDS) which I believe is the same as the double strength Cosequin for pets, only cheaper. I give this twice a day on her food (I open the capsules and sprinkle it in the food) I usually get this at Wal-Mart (180 capsules for about $25.00).

I also give her a 1000mg fish oil capsule (molecularly distilled NOW FOODS brand- 200 softgels for about $9.00 from a near-by nutrition center) and 200mg of Vitamin E (Natural) and this seems to have really helped.

[davet]

learned somthing new about chondroiten...the molucule is so large that it does not pass through the gut....don't know if true but the source was a pretty intelligent person.