Help with pain

[sandyleew]

Does anyone know of anything that I can give for pain management of hip dysplasia. I know there are some prescriptions, but I also know that some of them are detrimental to the dog in other ways. I have been giveing him Ester-C and glucosamine chondrotin since I got him, but lately he seems to be hurting more. He is becoming aggressive because of it. He is 3 1/2 years old.

[Maralynn]

What kind of a dose is he getting? Also fish oil has anti-inflammatory properties, does he get that on a regular basis?

 

I know some joint supplements can take a few weeks to "work", so maybe you might want to try upping or changing supplements and use some a pain killer for a few weeks to give the glucosamine time to work.

 

I give my 8 y/o girl "Joint Strong" by animal naturals several time a week. It does seem to make a difference when she has been extra active and is a bit stiff.

[MaggieDog]

Whole Dog Journal highly recommended Dog Gone Pain (DGP), I've not used it myself though.

[sandyleew]

He does also get fish oil twice a day. I have a call in to my vet. I will look into the DGP. Thanks

[sandyleew]

I just submitted a request for a sample pack of the DGP. Hopefully that will help. I really don't want to use Rimadyl

[MaggieDog]

Let us know how it goes - Maggie's going to be 9 in May/June so at some point I may need something similar.

[Root Beer]

I tried DGP with Speedy as a "last resort" before going to the vet to ask for something like Rimadyl for his arthritis and I have been absolutely thrilled with the results. Over a year later, he is still better on his "bad days" on the DGP than he was on his "good days" before he started on it. I give him 2 tablets per day.

 

I think it's worth a try. I saw result with him after about 2 days. You might need more than they give you in the sample to really see if it works for your dog or not.

[Ancient_Dog]

We have had a number of arthritic Border Collies over the years. Our Vet recommended aspirin as an alternative to the drugs like Rimadyl. We have used enteric coated, buffered and baby aspirin, depending on the situation. We have had excellent luck managing their pain with aspirin. One of our dogs was on one baby aspirin per day for his hip dysplacia from the time he was 2 years old untill his death. We never needed anything stronger. We never gave more than they needed for pain management. We never, ever came close to the maximum recommended daily dosage suggested by our Vet. You can search on the net an find charts of recommended maximum dosages by weight like the chart in the article below:

 

http://www.school-for-champions.com/animalhealth/aspirin.htm

 

IMHO the bottom line is: consult your Vet first. It has worked great for us but asprin is like any other NSAID (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) and can have side effects (like stomach and liver problems) and causes blood clotting problems because it thins the blood (just as in humans).

[OffTopic]

I've given aspirin, too, with good results.

The only thing I would recommend is NOT giving the enteric coated aspirin. I've read quite a few vet sites which warn that the enteric coating can cause the aspirin to remain in the stomach undissolved and can cause a danger of overdosing if too many doses "pile up" in the stomach and suddenly dissolve all at once.

Here's one that advises against the enteric coated aspirin and lists several different medications used for arthritis pain in dogs.

What I've always done when giving aspirin is to give it after a meal and give lots of treats after dosing to make sure the aspirin makes it to the tummy before dissolving.

[2 Devils]

I give my acd and toy poodle DGP. I am not sure I really notice much of a difference in my acd BUT I noticed a huge difference for my toy poodle. He has back issues and within a week of DGP, he was acting all crazy again - it was great. I decided to take him off it to see if it really was the DGP and within a couple days he was very quiet again and not playing. So back on the DGP and he is doing great. He still plays flyball.

 

I also give something called Arthrimaxx. My dogs love it and I think that has helped my acd more than anything.

 

My other 2 dogs do not need the supplements yet.

[sandyleew]

Thanks for all the advice. My vet did call me back yesterday and recommend that I try aspirin. I was giving him the enteric coated ones, I will stop those and get buffered instead. I will also give the DGP a try. A sample is one its way to me now.

[Kyrasmom]

I think a good anti-inflammatory that works is what you need in the short term. In the long term, I switched from Synovi products to CetylM this year for my dog who has bi-lateral elbow displaysia and am absolutely thrilled. He has always been fine in the warm summer months but rainy season always found him hurting and lame.

 

I started the Cetyl M about 6 months ago and he has not been lame a day cold and rain notwithstanding. I'm just thrilled with it....and knocking wood!

 

Maria

[Mboat7]

My BC mix Baxter has severe hip dysplasia per the X-rays. Clinically he looks much better. I have been giving him Cosamin DS glucosamine/chondrotoin supplement since he was about 8 months. At 2 years old he started having difficulty getting up after napping and limping a little. We started on Rimadyl tabs twice a day at that time. In addition, we have done water treadmill therapy to build up his hip muscles. The ortho vet felt agility training might actually help build muscles needed to take stress off his joints and the high impact from jumping in agility places force on the front limbs rather than the hips (he jumps the lower heights). He is 3 years old now and appears to be pain free. I make sure he has some exercise every day, but I do not let him run for hours on end as he would like. There are several good anti-inflammatory medications that will treat the pain caused by arthritis and wearing of the joint due to hip dysplasia. There are also some injectable medications and I am not sure if it is a hip injection or a regular injection. Plus it is very important to have an ortho specialist look at the dog for possible surgical options such as hip replacements. I have been told by the vets to start saving for hip replacement, however as long as we can control his pain and he is getting around good we can avoid it. Also if you go to pfizer.com website and search for Rimadyl they have a coupon program. You might check to see if the other anti-inflammatory brands have a website with discounts as well.

 

Mel, Bonnie, and the Baxter

[Nikki Larned]

I have been giving my 13 year old BC InflamAway Plus, it has MSM and Chondroitin, for the past 4 weeks or so and I do see a difference in her pain and stiffness due to arthritis in her hind and front ends. You can get it at the pet supply stores

[Nikki Larned]

Hi, I have had very good results with a product called InflamAway Plus, it has MSM and Chondroitin in it as well. I have been giving it to my 13 year old BC for about 4 weeks or so and I do see a difference in her pain and stiffness. She has both front and back end arthritis. I do also give her a double dose. You can purchase it at any pet supply stores, good luck

[SoloRiver]

Solo is on Glycoflex III (soft chews), Duralactin (I buy the equine version to save money -- same stuff), and fish oil as far as supplements.

 

He also gets 50mg of Rimadyl in the AM along with a Pepcid AC and this is working very well for him. When he doesn't get Rimadyl, he lies around and whines in the evenings, which I can only surmise is due to soreness. I was nervous about using an NSAID daily given his near-death experience with Metacam (which most dogs tolerate quite well) but he is doing fine on the Rimadyl. In the vast majority of dogs it's very safe. I understand not wanting to play roulette as some dogs have devastating results on Rimadyl (again, having lived through Solo's Metacam reaction) but in Solo's case Rimadyl has greatly improved his quality of life. He is not reluctant to run at all.

[OffTopic]

Speaking of Metacam, it's on the $4.00 prescription list at WalMart, if cost is a factor for anyone. The only problem is that the metacam vets use for dogs comes in liquid form and the human form is in tablets that are too strong for dogs, so you have to cut the tablets and they're teensy tiny.

I got my vet to prescribe it for Max (45 pounds) and his dosage was 1/4 tablet. I got a pill slicer and it worked, but it was a bit of a pain. On the other hand, that meant that a 30 day supply for a human was a 120 day supply for a dog his size. For 4 bucks.

[DTrain]

Sandy, how have you made out with your dog, what have or are you doing for him. I need to take a look at pain relief for one of my dogs and would like some suggestions. Thanks.

[Mark Billadeau]

Towards the end Duncan was on Dasuquin (OTC) and Deramaxx (RX). Our vet really likes Deramaxx due to its wide safety range and few issues with long term use.

 

Deramaxx Product Insert

 

Mark

[Lenajo]

We also use Glycoflex 3 (at the max dose) with good results. not sure if it's an issue here, but I do not recommend it for unneutered dogs though, as we've learned the hormonal component from the perna mussel can increase aggression and territorial male behaviors, and stimulate growth of mammary fibroids/tumors in females. They use low doses of this stuff at the veterinary reproductive clinics to stimulate ovulation and increase libido. Obviously not an issue with sp/n pets.

 

For severe pain Tramadol (ultram) is available by perscription and works well with few side effects.

 

Bromelein, yucca extract (the liquid not the dry), cynatine, Bone restore (by life extension) and l-phenylalamine have also been helpful for dogs of ours or friends - for dysplasia and various bone and muscle injuries.

 

We don't use Rimadyl, Metacam, Or Deramaxx because of the risks and side effects we've seen. Deramaxx, and Rimadyl too I believe, is sulfa based, and it can be a trigger for autoimmune disease in dogs under stress (illness, breeding, travel, etc), of dilute or excessive white coloration.

 

All medicines, including nutracueticals, have potential for reaction so use with judgement and with the agreement of your vet.

[SoloRiver]

Update on Solo -- I've weaned him off the Rimadyl. When we lived in the city he used to get sore and whine in the evenings when I tried to wean him off it, but now that we live in the 'burbs it isn't an issue. No idea why. Maybe it's that he's not doing as much walking on concrete, I don't know. It could also be that he's much less tense and therefore his overall condition is better. Very interesting.

 

He's still on the Adequan (1.25cc/week) and a tablet joint supplement (from, yes, Costco) including glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and some other stuff. I am running out of Glyco-Flex 3 and will see how he does on the tablets alone. The only reason I was using Glyco-Flex in the first place is that he won't eat pills or tablets, which is annoying since I have to pill him twice a day, and most supplements are in tablets so large I feel uncomfortable forcing him to swallow them. But I have a mortar and pestle, so I crush the joint supplement tabs and sprinkle them on his food.

 

Seriously, for dogs with major joint pain I would ALWAYS recommend Adequan first. You can dick around with supplements all you want but if you haven't tried Adequan yet I really think you're wasting your time. It is a miracle treatment. Solo had a pronounced limp while walking before going on the Adequan, and now you cannot tell he has a terrible hip unless he starts running. Then he looks stiff behind, and he tends to use both hind legs together. His left thigh is much more heavily muscled than his right, which tells me that he pretty much only uses one hind leg to propel himself -- but, he is not at all reluctant to run and it's given him freedom to enjoy himself like he did not have before. The price puts some people off, as the dog version costs $45-$50 for a 5cc bottle, which lasts four weeks but to me it is a small price to pay and less than most people spend at Starbucks in a month. I hear if you have a farm vet you can get your vet to prescribe the equine version, which is much cheaper, but since I do not have a farm vet I cannot confirm this.

 

I am not kidding. Adequan Adequan Adequan.

 

Solo has an emergency script for Tramadol because he used to have acute arthritis flareups -- crying, pacing, biting at his ailing hip, being unable to get comfortable, the works, the first time it happened I thought he was bloating. Tramadol fixes the pain but makes Solo quite stoned. He stops with the histrionics, but paces endlessly with a glassy look on his face. I always know if I give him the Tramadol that it'll make him feel better, but I am in for a long night of staying up with him while he paces and paces until he finally falls asleep. This usually occurs at 3 or 4 AM if he gets Tramadol at bedtime. YMMV.

[MickeyDogs]

To add to the tributes of Adequan

 

Years back we had a sheltie who competed in competitive obedience and he suddenly started to stutter jump. Turns out his hips were awful. Our vet put him on Adequan and he was able to continue to happily compete and live pain free and lived to an old age.

 

A friend had a mastiff who was diagnosed with dysplasia before the dog was a year old. Adequan kept her pain free and she, too, lived to a ripe old age.

 

My springer is now on Adequan and doing great. My ortho vet also recommended putting him on a small dose of Deramaxx once a day during the winter as the cold damp weather here in PA is hard on arthritic beings (that includes me! ). Oscar showed no signs of hip dysplasia until this past fall (he's 11) and he's had a physically active life (flyball, agility, running amok ) so he’s better off than those dogs who are younger and in pain. But Adequan does seem to be an amazing drug! The down side is the expense and it is given by injection but at this point in my boy's life it's certainly worth it.

 

My ortho vet also told me they are now using stem cells to help dysplastic dogs. They draw blood from the dog, strip out the stem cells, then inject the cells back into the dog. I don't know any more than that about it but my vet told me it's very successful.

 

Hey Mark.... what do you mean "at the end"? Is Duncan over the bridge?

[Kate@JIm]

We had wonderful results with acupuncture and Synovi 3

 

(Synovi G3 Chewable Tablets -- glucosamine, MSM, creatine, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. SynoviG3 contains antioxidants to break the degenerating free radical chain reaction as well as a synergistic anti-inflammatory combination of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and MSM.)

 

Also, I use a homemade diet.

K.

[Mark Billadeau]

Hey Mark.... what do you mean "at the end"? Is Duncan over the bridge?

Yes, he is no longer in pain and can stand on his own.

Mark

[2 Devils]

I recently had my holistic vet recommend Dasuquin with MSM for dogs (Cosequin ASU is the horse version). I have been hearing some rave results about it and will be buying some in the near future to try. I just want to go through the supply of stuff I already have on hand.