Arthritis in older dogs?

[peeplessinNC]

Yesterday I asked one of the vets at my animal hospital to look at my miniature poodle's back legs and hind quarters for any indication of "change." Andy is over ten years old and I think his back legs have bowed a little and his rear has spread in the last year. She tested the extension of his legs and said in her opinion that he has considerable arthritis in his left leg and to a lesser degree in his right. O.K.......

Then she says that he is probably in constant pain and I should be giving him medication to help ease this pain. Now, Andy is hyper - very hyper at times. He can jump 3 ft. off the floor when someone comes in the door. Just tonight he was running up and down the hall from the living room to the kitchen door. He flies around this house sometimes! He makes it up the porch steps just fine and he never whimpers or whines like he is in pain - I mean never! I walk him outside 4-5 times a day and he has never had trouble moving freely at a medium walk.

I'm thinking I need a second opinion? Any help is appreciated.

Teresa

 

[coffeemama]

Well my old pom had considerable arthritis on her spine, and she just got some anti-inflammatories-not pain meds. Sounds like your dog is still feeling great and hasn't slowed down.

 

[KellyHM]

It all depends on your dog. If he is one of those dogs that never shows pain until he's dying (like mine) then he may be suffering without you knowing. On the other hand if he's usually a wuss about injuries I wouldn't worry about it unless he shows symptoms.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I have a beagle basset mix, not old, but a former victim of significant abuse. She is only about 5 but has arthritis in her hips/back legs. She is a tough little lady and doesn't whine about pain but I KNOW when she is hurting. I only give her meds when I feel it is truly needed (the same policy I use with all my family). I am sure that you know your dog well enough to be able to tell if he is hurting. I would definitely seek a second opinion before starting him on regular meds. Good luck.

 

[Nikki28]

After working with 5 vets (at 2 different clinics) over the last 6 years the only thing I've learned is to take what your vet has to say with a grain of salt. I've seen some strongly suggest people put there dogs on pain meds at 8 years just because they are 'seniors' at that point and others wait until the dog doesn't want to get up before even suggesting pain meds due to the side effects.

In my opinion I would start your dog on a good glucosamine (not from wal-mart) and chondrotin Level 5000 is a great one and most feed stores can get it for you.
I have seen that work wonders in arthritic dogs.

If you do notice him acting off and start to show signs of pain than it will be time to take into consideration using carprofen or metacam or who knows what else they will have on the market at that point. But why risk liver issues now if you don't have to?

 

[buckeye lady]

Dogs don't express pain like we do. A dog usually won't exhibit symptoms unless they are in severe pain. Is the dog stiff or slow in the morning or after a long nap?-this is a common symptom of arthritis.
There are a few simple things you can do to help ease arthritic pain-Keep your dog active=the more you move the less you ache. Keep your dog at a healthy weight. Keep nails trimmed.-The stress from the toes bending when the nails are to long can cause/aggravate arthritis in the entire leg.
If you suspect that the dog has arthritis talk to your Vet about medication. The Prescription drug Rimadyl works great. It is a bit expensive, but the lower the dose the less it costs, Shouldn't be too bad. Maybe ask the vet for a few pills to try. Give the dog 1 dose a day for a few days and see if makes any difference. We use the Rimadyl as needed, My dogs seem to need it more on cold wet days and not at all in the Summer. Another option is Aspirin. Of course speak with you vet first about this. A small dog like yours would need a low dose-probably 1/2 of a Baby Aspirin would be about right for her size. A glucosamine/Chondroitin supplement may also be beneficial, There are a lot of these available and marketed towards pets-Another thing to talk to your vet about. Good Luck.

 

[Nikki28]

Quote:
I have seen alot of issues with aspirin dogs. Rimadyl (carprofen) works well but does tax the liver a little (and is very very cheap for vets to buy) they just mark it up a ton because they can. )

 

[KellyHM]

Rimadyl is not as cheap as you think. I buy it at cost and bottle still costs me over $100 for the generic.

 

[Nikki28]

Quote:
True I suppose if you get it in bulk it is a different story. I know our 60 count of 100mg we get for $28 and sell for $92 twice a year the company sends free boxes of 25mg, 75mg and 100mg which are then sold.

Ugh ever since I began working for a corporation I feel so dirty and assume everything is a rip off. Of course the corporation will get deals that others wouldn't and expiration date plays a factor. I need a new job.

 

[freemotion]

Oh, you just have to try the Pet Health line, the OPC's with glucosamine is the best! My mini poodle is on it along with the canine multi and the two older cats are on it along with the feline multi. HUGE improvements in all three. Most dramatic was the oldest, the cat, Oliver, who began playing again after several years of slothfulness and several discussions about having him put down....this morning, my dh and I watched him initiating a wrestling match with our other older cat, who is usually the aggressor. We NEVER saw Ollie initiate any games until we put him on the Pet Health supplements.

You can get it online from www.marketamerica.com/dickandmarge and look at the banner in the lower-middle part of the screen that says "featured products," then look for the Pet Health logo and click on it. You can also earn it free through the rewards program but that is another story, too long to tell here.

Totally safe and several people I have told this to have reported similar results. There is a people version, too, found under the Isotonix logo.