Arthritis in dogs

[Snowysmom]

My westie has been diagnosed with arthritis in her hips. She is very relunctant to go up stairs or even go out to do her "business." The emergency vet I took her to prescribed Metacam which she has been on for 9 days now. She also just started with Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. She really does not seem a whole lot better. Today I am taking her to her regular vet who has received the records from the emergency vet. My question is for those of you who have had a dog with arthirits, what was the treatment plan for your pet. She is only 8 years old and I want her to be able to be as mobile as possible without pain. I am hoping this is not an unreachable goal for her. Thanks for any info.

Note: I took her to the emergency vet because the symptoms she was showing included shaking, panting heavily, and hot to the touch. I never even suspected arthritis even though she did have a lame leg a few days previous. My vet wasn't open and I did not want to wait. She had x-rays and blood work done.

 

[luvwinnie]

Ask your dr about Adequan injections. My Winnie has had hip dysplasia/arthritis since she was a year old and she's now 7. Those shots have been a miracle for her. Good luck to your baby!

 

[txaggiemomof3]

You might also ask about Rimadyl or Deramaxx. My 10 1/2 yr. old Golden Retriever has arthritis in her left shoulder and we have seen results from both of these medications. She is currently on Deramaxx b/c it seems to work a little better for her. Keep up with the glucosamine/chondroitin supplements. My vet said it can take up to 6 weeks to notice a difference.

 

[BunsenH]

Our dog is 13 and has been taking glucosamine/chondroitin as well as asprin for a year or so. He has some stiff joints and a minor limp, but still takes the stairs with little problem. His condition is worse the day after he forgets he's 13 and chases a rabbit out of the yard.

 

[ugadog99]

My 13 year old dachshund has been on Deramaxx for about 3 years. She can't move without it! Really, that drug has been a miracle for us. I know there are some side effects, but Cricket has never had any. I highly recommend Deramaxx. Cricket takes 1/2 of a 25 mg tablet once a day. It costs me $27.29 a month and is WELL worth every penny. Let us know how the vet visit goes.

 

[goofy4tink]

My 12 y/o golden had severe arthritis in his spine and hips. They put him on Rimadyl and he acted as if he was 5 again. I finally took him off it because I was afraid he would hurt himself with all the jumping around. The vet put him on something much milder and it took enough edge off so that he could move about and do his business.

 

[Snowysmom]

Thanks for the info! I just came back from our regular vet. He suspects that she has Legge, Calves, Perthes disease that is common in westies. The head of the femur basically loses its blood supply and the gets necrotic and of course causes alot of pain. He is going to look at the x-rays from the other vet tomorrow. The treatment can be surgery where they cut off the head of the femur and allow it to heal with scar tissue forming and along with the muscles etc, causes a false joint. She would need to have both hips done, 2 months apart. He says that the recovery is amazing and she would only have to be at the vet for the day. They encourage activity to help the scar tissue form. He thinks she could be better than she was before all this started. I am hoping this is the problem and it can be solved like this. For now she is on Rimadyl for 10 days.