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supplements for arthritis?


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My Tommy had polyarthritis when she was 1. We got thru that OK but now at 4 she is starting to get arthritis in her front legs. It isn't bad enough for regular meds yet. She just limps a couple of steps when she first gets up and then she's off like a bullet. She is still really active.

 

What can I give her that would help her joints? Any foods that might help? What about fish oil?

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I would give her fish oil. It is suppose to help joints - I believe it has anit-inflammatory properties.

 

I've heard good things about glyco-flex products:

http://www.1800petmeds.com/search.jsp;jsessionid=TpDXP2bCLjqzkTxX9O05Pg**.worker5?trail=SRCH%3Aglyco+flex+for+dogs&_requestid=673728

 

I actually give my dogs maintenance doses.

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On the advice of my rehab vet, I started my dog on fish oil and Dasuquin (brand name of a glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate produce) at about 16 months of age when he had an iliopsoas strain. Even though he did not have joint problems at that time, she felt that by giving supplements to an active dog (he does agility), the probability of future joint problems would be reduced. I use fish oil and GlycoFlex III chews for my almost 17 year old Sheltie mix, and she has no joint problems that I can detect. (She hates the taste of Dasuquin.)

 

Jovi

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It's never been a problem, so I don't know. Mine just eat it out of their bowl.

 

I use lysine on my cat. It is supposed to help give the immune system a boost and help with tissue repair.

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I'm feeding one dog Rite-Aid CVS fish oil tablets (purified to remove mercury; four 1200-mg tablets per day, best to work up to final dosage). I'm feeding the other Grizzly Salmon oil. At the advice of my vet, I'm giving Dasuquin (daily) to both the puppy and to the adult dog. The adult dog is also getting monthly injections of Adequan. There are actually clinical studies indicating Adequan has benefit when given prophylactically. It seems expensive at first, but really isn't that bad if you give the injections yourself. One set of two vials might last you ten months.

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My old girl had bad arthritis in her front feet. We tried a variety of things, some of which may have helped, and some may not. My youngster has bad hips, so some is used as preventative with him. I think each dog varies in their response to various things. So, while we never did all these at once, here is the list of what I remember trying with her and using with him:

* Fish oil (I use Berte's Naturals capsule - prefer caps over liquid)

* Cosequin DS alternated about every six months with Platinum Performance CJ (join formula)

* Hyaflex (liquid)

* Ligaplex I and II (one is for chronic conditions, one for acute - but both seemed good, again alternating)

* Cetyl M (don't use with Cosequin, but in place of or alternating with)

* Duralactin

* Adequan injections (this is a prescription drug, but you can give the injections at home)

 

Hope some of this helps!1

diane

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Not sure how much of this you'll find at your regular pet store. Adequan, as Diane mentions, is available via prescription only (but can be purchased online with a prescription). I buy Dasuquin from Amazon. I get my fish oil tablets from CVS ("Nature's Own"), and according to the label, the non-fish oil ingredients are gelatin, vegetable glycerin, food glaze, contains < 2% of coating (sodium alginate and stearic acid, ethylcellulose, mixed natural tocopherols, polysorbate 80). I do get the Grizzly Salmon Oil at a pet store, but it's the local specialty high-end (grain-free) discount pet store, not a PetSmart or PetCo. (Not to say they won't carry it, but I find all kinds of things at the specialty store I can't find at PetSmart).

 

Adequan is in short supply at the moment, BTW.

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Can you get the Adequan at feed store? How many injections per week or per month? How many cc's per body weight?

 

I have a very young dog that is having some really weird toe problems.

 

She's been xrayed for HD, ED, OCD, Luxating Patella and Sesamoid fractures, all of which are negative. She's been to 2 ortho specialists and 3 general vets.

 

She gets weird abrasions between her toes. It's not digital cysts as the slight swelling is not fleshy.

 

Anyway, I've just hit a wall trying to figure this out and wondered about the Adequan. Is is a NSAID like rimadyl or is it a herbal remedy?

 

thanks!

 

 

I'm feeding one dog Rite-Aid fish oil tablets (purified to remove mercury; four 1200-mg tablets per day, best to work up to final dosage). I'm feeding the other Grizzly Salmon oil. At the advice of my vet, I'm giving Dasuquin (daily) to both the puppy and to the adult dog. The adult dog is also getting monthly injections of Adequan. There are actually clinical studies indicating Adequan has benefit when given prophylactically. It seems expensive at first, but really isn't that bad if you give the injections yourself. One set of two vials might last you ten months.

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Glycoflex works really well and it's NASC certified so you know they actually put in the bottle what it says on the label. I've used it for several dogs over the years. Also your vet might recommend some NSAID's.

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Can you get the Adequan at feed store? How many injections per week or per month? How many cc's per body weight?

 

I have a very young dog that is having some really weird toe problems.

 

She's been xrayed for HD, ED, OCD, Luxating Patella and Sesamoid fractures, all of which are negative. She's been to 2 ortho specialists and 3 general vets.

 

She gets weird abrasions between her toes. It's not digital cysts as the slight swelling is not fleshy.

 

Anyway, I've just hit a wall trying to figure this out and wondered about the Adequan. Is is a NSAID like rimadyl or is it a herbal remedy?

 

thanks!

 

Adequan is available by prescription only. It's not an NSAID - it's polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (think a more bioavailable polymer of glucosamine). The "normal maintenance" dosage is 0.02 mL/lb body weight per month, which translates to an injection of 1 mL/month in a 50-lb dog. (So a package of two 5-mL vials, which is how it's sold, would last you ten months, and would cost ~ $150 or so, depending on where you buy it, not including the syringes). But before you give the maintenance dose, you give it twice a week for four weeks. So the first package won't last quite as long.

 

As Michelle (Bluezinnias) said, it's in short supply at the moment. (Michelle, you warned me, I didn't pay enough attention....). I spent part of the weekend shopping around online looking for some - everyone is out. The website says supplies are expected sometime in July. I hope that's true. I have enough to last through the summer...

 

Wyndrunhr, not a vet, so I can't say whether this would help your dog or not (though this doesn't sound like the sort of thing it's normally recommended for). Best of luck with your dog - I hope they figure out what's up!

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  • 3 weeks later...

New member, older BC...

 

My BC, Martin, is almost 13. He's been having trouble with his hips for almost a year [i started him on glucosamine/chondroitin as soon as I noticed he was having trouble] which has helped a little. I've been asking our vet about x-rays, but they tell me "it's just old age" and nothing will be gained by the x-rays. Martin just had his annual exam and we saw a newer vet at our clinic who prescribed Metacam [meloxicam], but still didn't think that he needed x-rays. Our family has been taking family pets to this clinic for almost 30 years and never had trouble.

 

I'm wondering if it's time to find another vet and insist on the x-rays. In the last month, Martin has started having accidents in the house. I know it's because he's having trouble getting up [i can see it in his eyes when I find it - another sensitive BC ;) ].

 

I'm also wondering if his hyperthyroidism could be affecting his joints [just got that diagnosis after telling them about his excessive panting for months now]. I go Monday to pick up that prescription.

 

If I do get x-rays and there is significant hip problems, is a hip replacement worth it at his age? He is a larger/taller BC than most I've seen. I just want my old man to be happy, he still has that spark in his eye and still wants to get up and play, He just can't move.

 

Thank you in advance for any advice - I've learned so much since finding this board [so much that most my other questions are all answered!].

 

Just some background - this is my first BC - I 'inherited' him when my youngest brother went off to college and mom and dad started splitting their time between summer and winter homes. Martin has been 'my man' for about 5 years now. Unfortunately, they didn't know what they were getting when they got a BC [we've always had smaller dogs]. Luckily for Martin, my brother was in middle school and very active, so Martin had lots of physical activity and a large yard to 'herd' the birds. He's never been a working dog and is AKC registered - Mom didn't do a lot of research when she got Martin. Luckily, he has me now :) .

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Hi Howdypez

 

Nobody can tell you whether hip surgery at your dogs age would be a good idea or not. It depends largely on the dog and his condition. And I can tell you from personal experience that thyroid disease does indeed affect the joints, but it is probably a small part of what you are seeing.

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