Onset of athritis in my poor pooch.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Unfortunately my dog has the onset of arthritis. Vet has given me a 2 week course of Onsior to see if it settles down. Then go from there.


My question is: are there anything I could be doing to help my dog? I don't really want him on medication long term. He's only 10 and I think it's a bit early to have constantly medicated and I would much rather try some self help.


I have been giving him joint care bars for a while and he does have a memory foam mattress in his bed. Just wondering if there are any other things I could be doing for him.

krlyr

I'd ditch the joint care bars, if you mean Pedigree or similar. They'll be poor quality - the grains in the product will probably aggravate the condition more than any active ingredient.

http://dogaware.com/health/arthritis.html is a fab read on the condition - lots of options you can try.

I'd also look into turmeric - it's well raved about in the horsey world, and great for people and dogs too. The Facebook group "Turmeric User Group" is worth a read. Turmeric (or the Curcumin in it) is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory, and mixed with oil and pepper, you get a 'golden paste' which can be a very effective way to tackle arthritis without medication.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I did buy a packet of Mobile Bones from Pooch and Mutt but it upset his tummy so had to ditch that.


When I click on the link it takes me to a blank page, not sure why.

meritaten

I can only say that regular exercise and taking care not to get cold can only help. Poor pooch - arthritis is a bu99er!

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Oh he gets plenty of exercise lol. Had him off the lead today and he suddenly decided to sprint. All of a sudden he just stopped and looked at me as if to say..what happened there?nHe must have jarred his front leg as he started to limp a bit.

He already has issues with his rear left knee. He had an old injury that occurred before I got him. A slip up the stairs and that caused an issue with the knee. However, I was giving him an Onsior as & when needed to ease any discomfort.

It was taking him to the vet today and getting him checked out, that the vet discovered he is starting to have signs of arthritis.

Have been looking at Salmon Oil as this seems to be recommend on a lot of dog websites.

hmc

We swear by bioflow collars, I wear one too,on my wrist lol

mtbbuxton

I've been taking my 10ish year old lurcher for canine massage - my boy had a lot of discomfort with his spine and it's really helping to free him up and he's much happier on walks and at home now :T
You can find a Therapist via this site http://www.k9-massageguild.co.uk/index.asp You need your Vets consent for treatment and the Therapist will send a report back to go on record. I pay £35 a session, but think it's money well spent. It may be claimable on Insurance, but I'm self funding for this.

I also feed turmeric paste. The Facebook Group is worth joining and contains all the advice you need to get started https://www.facebook.com/groups/415313751866609/?fref=ts

On my Vets advice, I give Synoquin daily. It's a high quality glucosamine and chondroitin supplement and although not cheap, it too has aided with mobility.

Hope you can find something to help your boy.

M x

sheramber

Murphy sometimes showed discomfort in one shoulder.

I use Fish4dogs salmon oil. I have used cheaper ones but the resuts were not so good.

I also use Riaflex joint daily and have recently added green lippped muscle from the same people with excellent results.

Steady short walks are better than one long walk. Walking on grass in better than hard pavements. My ver recommended off lead if possible as that allows the dog find its own pace and posture.

Swimming is excellent for exercise without taxing the joints.

Dry thoroughly if he gets wet.

Kinski

Neither of my dogs have a problem with arthritis at the moment but Ellie my Bichon did have a problem with her crutiate a couple of years ago, Ellie would run funny on the leg that had been hurt and I was told that it would lead to arthritis in the future. I bought some powdered deer antler and after about six weeks on it she now runs with no problems at all. This is the stuff I bought http://www.antlerdogchews.co.uk/other-goodies/antler-powder

the_devil_made_me_do_it

He did have a number of hydrotherapy sessions about a year ago, but he really didn't like it so I stopped taking him. Also, I'm not really in a financial position to afford complementary therapies, although I would take a pet massage course if it was available in the area I live.


I was looking at the Fish4Dogs salmon oil on Amazon. There was also a Pooch & Mutt salmon oil too. I am defo going to give the salmon oil a try as it can't hurt even if I see no improvement.


Kinski...how much of the antler powder do you get in a pot?

krlyr

I think I've seen canine massage DVDs if you wanted to self-teach