Dog/arthritis question

[grinningghost]

My dog was diagnosed with arthritis in her back knees after having x-rays taken. She was put on Zubrin, which really seemed to help, so I renewed the prescription and gave her another round. Today she saw the vet who said if she's feeling better, just to give her it as needed.

Just wondering what anyone else's experience has been with Zubrin, or doggie arthritis in general?

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Medication didn't work for our dog, but Glucosamine Condrointin was like a miracle.

Good luck to your doggie.

 

[grinningghost]

Originally posted by MaryAnnDVC
Medication didn't work for our dog, but Glucosamine Condrointin was like a miracle.

Good luck to your doggie.

Yes - we've started giving her glucosamine and I'm hoping it's helping too. Did you use any specific brand?

 

[pumba]

that didn;t work......they had to give her rimadyl and that worked....after wards we would try the one asprin twice a day to see if that would help too.......some of the meds are bad for their liver and they (just like some humans) have to have a liver function test to see if it is upsetting their liver and kidneys

 

[Tink42]

We also use glucosamine for our dog. We changed his food to the senior dog food that already has it added. It took a while (about 6 weeks) before we noticed a difference but now he is like a new dog. He is almost 12 years old and runs and jumps like a puppy again.

 

[Cindy B]

I appreciate telling me what to do here.

My lab is over 12 years old, and we knew she had bad knees when we got her last month.

My MIL told us that she had arthritis, but she (the Lab) wasnt on medication.. we've been giving her adult formula IAMS, and actually taking her on walks (My MIL's health prevented walks)

When we first got her, she couldn't run or jump. Now she acts like a puppy (more than the 3 year old poodle). She can jump on all the beds, and tries to climb my son's loft bed. She has also lost 9 pounds (she was overweight..), and that has helped her considerabley.

She wasn't on medication, and the vet said she was doing great... I guess chasing around our kids helps her out

 

[grinningghost]

Losing weight is a big thing I guess. Our dog is now on a very strict weight loss plan and so far has dropped 8 lbs. She's got a way to go yet, but I think it's already helping her. On her x-ray there was about an inch and a half of fat over her spine. Imagine that pushing down on her poor arthritic knees.

It's good to hear all the advice and shared doggie stories.

 

[mark & sandra]

Hello Cindy B- We had our dogs on Rimadyl and Cosequin. The cosequin didn't seem to work at all. Be very careful of giving these meds to a your Lab. For some reason that type of breed does not do well on certain drugs like Cosequin. A search on the web will give you some great advice. Do a search on canine arthritis.

 

[DocRafiki]

every dog who has arthritis or has had any kind of joint injury or abnormality should be on joint supplements for life, whether it seems to work or not. don't rely on the diets that contain the supplements. unless it's a Rx diet, the dosage isn't very high.

supplements = glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, EFAs, etc

 

[2Poodles]

Our 11 year old Standard Poodle Sebastian has arthritis in his hips. He was on Derramax for a couple of weeks. He was acting like a young puppy again. He is on Glyco-Flex II (glucosamine, MSM) and Cosequin. He's been on the Glyco-Flex for three or four months. I also take him for acupuncture treatments. Finally I'm seeing results. He's playing and running. He doesn't seem to be in pain anymore.



Mary & the 2 Poodles
Sebastian & Winslow

 

[poohandwendy]

Hello Cindy B- We had our dogs on Rimadyl and Cosequin. The cosequin didn't seem to work at all. Be very careful of giving these meds to a your Lab. For some reason that type of breed does not do well on certain drugs like Cosequin.

I am pretty sure Cosequin isn't a drug. It is the joint supplements (Glucosamine and Chondroitin). It does not work quickly. It needs to be used for up to 8 weeks for results to be seen. Like DocRafiki said, joint supplements need to be given, for life, to any dog with joint issues. It takes a long time to start cushioning those joints, but it is the safest long term treatment, and it does work on Labs... did you mean the Rimadyl (it is an anti-inflammatory drug and doesn't work on all animals...and can cause serious liver problems in some)?

 

[mark & sandra]

Yes you're right. It's the Rimadyl that can be the problem with Labs.

 

[Donald's #1 Fan]

We tried everything. Everything just worked for a short time. One thing that did help was that we changed our doorsteps from normal size to smaller risers, and this did help. Also try to have 'stepping stone' mats on polished surfaces - it will make it easier for him to walk, and not jerk his sore joints. I wish you and your beloved old doggy well.

 

[Howie]

everything that was mentioned above works fine in different cases; the neutraceuticals like cosequin, synovicre, etc take longer to show improvement to repair the joints while the chemotherapeutics like etogesic, rimadyl, derramax etc which are basically NSAIDs work quickly to control the pain;

but the first step should usually be a course of Adequan - it is an amazing drug:

http://www.luitpold.com/


i have been using it on dogs for many years even before it was formulated for dogs, when it only was used in horses and it 'usually' works wonders;

so ask your own vet about this product;