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Post by amyjo on Mar 2, 2004 12:32:59 GMT -5
Elvis appears to be getting a little stiff in his hind quarters - seems to come and go and be worse when he first gets up or for one or two days after a big hiking trip. He is almost 12 and I know this is a normal part of aging. Oddly the longer he is on the raw diet - the worse it seems to be getting - I think because his energy level has increased and he is playing like a puppy again and running HARD when I let him off leash...uggh.
I give him buffered "dog" asprin on really bad days - but don't like to give it everyday. What are some other options for him that are safe for daily use?
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Post by Laura on Mar 2, 2004 18:25:09 GMT -5
Amyjo, you can try glucosamine and chondroitin tablets, but I can't remember how many mg's per lb. of body weight, but your vet will know. If it starts to get worse, there's always Rimadyl injections, which work well. And you may want to switch the aspirin to a NSAID type pain reliever, it's safer to give on a regular basis. Arthritis I know, I have two types of it , I can't wait for summer ;D.
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Post by Aussienot on Mar 2, 2004 18:51:32 GMT -5
My old black lab Jody, who died last year at age 20+ was diagnosed with arthritis at 13. I always thought she had a bit of hip displasia too, and the arthritis was really bad.
For the next two years, she was on a succession of only marginally effective drugs, plus had three 13 week courses of hydrotherapy until they said it was not useful for her any more. The poor old sprocket could barely move. I was thinking it would be kinder to put her down.
Finally, my vet put us on to Meloxicam, brand name 'Metacam', from Boehringer Ingelheim.
It was fabulous. Really enabled her to move around without pain, which totally lifted her spirits. She became young again. She was able to play with and mother the puppy Sailor. She was on it daily for the rest of her life, and up until the day she died I was able to take her for short walks.
It's not cheap. Her doseage was about $3 per day, but it was worth it for the quality of life it bought her. I'd recommend looking into it.
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Post by sibemom on Mar 2, 2004 19:41:46 GMT -5
Here is something else that might work. MSM yes I have said it before or have I They have it in animal grade and I dont remember what the dosage is but you can get it from Fosters and Smith or several other vet supply.
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Post by jesse02 on Mar 3, 2004 22:46:54 GMT -5
One of my dogs has mild hip dysplasia, she was diagnosed at 3, she's 5 now. 2 months ago I switched her to Natural Choice Lamb & Rice dog food and boy what a difference! Aside from her coat looking shiny and healthy she hardly has any trouble with her hips anymore! And she likes the food, she is usually very picky.
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Post by Willow on Mar 4, 2004 21:01:01 GMT -5
I wouldn't give Rimidyl. There was just a discussion on the TruthAboutVaccine's list about how dangerous it is.
My male dog, Pup, has a bone cyst and arthritis on his right knee. I tried the glucosamine/chondroitin, but it didn't seem to work. I have not tried the MSM, but with him, his leg is MUCH better since I switched him to raw, but it took awhile.
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