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My Koka has a vet appointment today. She has symptoms that seem like arthritis so I need to get her checked out. Do any of you have dogs on arthritis meds, and if so, what are they. Do they work? I don't want my pal Koka in pain!

Hi Judi,

Molly was on Rymadil, which did help her, but it affects the liver. She needed it for knee surgery.

Zorro was just at the vet & she said he is starting to get arthritis and suggested some OTC glucosamine & condtroitin (yes - I can not spell )

Not sure of the tick situation in your travels but joint pain can also be a symptom of Lyme disease...... But as our friends age it is sometimes difficult to know what is what.

Glucosamine and chrondroitin seem well reviewed and well tolerated.
Velda

The vet did blood work and an x-ray to rule out things and the make sure Koka's hips are ok. The blood work is also to establish a base-line so they can watch for any liver problems if I give her Rimadyl. He thinks she just has the beginning of age-related arthritis but there is no specific joint or area that is really bad. I came home with Dasuquin (doggy glucosomine with a few other thing in it), doggy Omega-3 capsules, and a trial sample of Rimadyl. I guess Koka and I are sharing our aging experiences and aches and pains. The place I go to is a veterinary hospital with several vets, and the one I see is young and hot. Once when my oldest daughter was visiting, she went with me to take Koka for her regular check-up. I left with instructions for gathering dog poo, and my daughter left with a date for coffee.

I always thought it would be nice to have an animal vet in the family.

As Tips aged, he had arthritis. For the longest time I was able to help him with glucosamine with chronditin. However, the doggie ones didn't work, but purchasing human ones the vet approved of did. Then they changed that formula and they no longer helped. Why do they screw around with a good thing? After that he went on Rimadyl which worked wonders. I had already been using it for Moxie. For both Tips and Moxie, Rimadyl took away all their pain and allowed them to live a lot longer. Neither of them developed liver problems. But I kept them on the smallest dosages that I could and still take care of the problem. And I did find a different doggie glucosamine product I would sprinkle on their foods. I never knew if it made a difference, but I knew it didn't hurt.

Good luck - it hurts so much to think of them in any pain at all.

When our Tink started suffering from arthritis our vet recommended Missing Link. http://www.missinglinkproducts.com/prod ... or-canines It seems to really help her. Since I free feed, she and Radar shared the same dog food dish Radar had been getting it since she was about 3-4 years old. The vet said it couldn't hurt her. I continued using it after Tink was gone. Radar never seemed to suffer from any arthritic pain and she was 14+. Up until about a month ago she was capable of jumping up on a high pillow top mattress without a problem. Missing Link is also great for their coat and does prevent a lot of shedding. The dogs loved the taste, I always had to make sure after I sprinkled in the kibbles that I really stirred it up so all the pieces were coated. If I didn't they were just like my kids eating buttered popcorn....they'd pick out all the pieces that had Missing Link on them and they would leave the rest.

dpf wrote:When our Tink started suffering from arthritis our vet recommended Missing Link. http://www.missinglinkproducts.com/prod ... or-canines It seems to really help her. Since I free feed, she and Radar shared the same dog food dish Radar had been getting it since she was about 3-4 years old. The vet said it couldn't hurt her. I continued using it after Tink was gone. Radar never seemed to suffer from any arthritic pain and she was 14+. Up until about a month ago she was capable of jumping up on a high pillow top mattress without a problem. Missing Link is also great for their coat and does prevent a lot of shedding. The dogs loved the taste, I always had to make sure after I sprinkled in the kibbles that I really stirred it up so all the pieces were coated. If I didn't they were just like my kids eating buttered popcorn....they'd pick out all the pieces that had Missing Link on them and they would leave the rest.

how long does the packet last?
sheila

You use 1 tsp per day for every 25# the dog weighs. A one pound bag is about a 60 day supply.

On edit: I looked at the bag and it says 60 day supply is for a 75# dog and that would be 3 tsp. So it would be over 120 days for a 25 or under dog. Guess I never paid close attention to how often I bought it! It is supposed to be refrigerated and I would keep a small portion in the refrigerator and the remainder in the freezer. My friend Missy uses it for her Boxer Roxie and Roxie's shedding has slowed down to almost nothing. Also since it is high fiber DON'T start with the recommended amount right away! It can cause loose stools.....ask me how I know. Also it's certainly easier than trying to sneak a pill into a dog!

Shadow at his vet visit was 21 or 23 some where in that neighborhood although he has lost weight
went through a spell where he didn't want to eat..really sheds just occasionally but when he does
will have to look into it a bit thanks for the information
sheila

Judi, if you are on FB there is a group called Tumeric Users Group. A lot of people on that group use a formulation of Tumeric for their pets. My friend Anne just started giving it to her three dogs and I know her Drake has some mobility issues. Since she's just started the tumeric I don't know if she's seen any improvements yet but I will ask her. I do know that for a time I took tumeric myself in capsule form and I felt I did have less pain.

The missing link product is basically glucosamine and Omega-3s, which is what my vet recommended. I haven't given Koka the rymadil yet because I want to see how it's working. Koka has the most pain if she runs a lot, like at the beach or the dog park, so I've kept her a little quiet for a while. She seems a bit better.

Just my personal opinion because I have Labs but I don't like Rimadyl. I prefer Deramaxx. Not sure what breed your Koka is and maybe the Rimadyl will be helpful. If you know Koka's going to be active like running on the beach, I'd give the Rimadyl in the a.m. maybe an hour or so before activity. I'd also give it with food.

Have you heard of Duralactin? I have used it in the past and it worked quite well especially for my little Havanese. It doesn't have as many side effects and might be something to consider before going to the stronger meds. The info below is from this web site. http://www.vetinfo.com/duralactin-canin ... fects.html


The Benefits of Duralactin

Since Duralactin doesn’t cause any long term side effects, it’s preferred over other corticosteroid drugs or non-steroidal anti inflammatory medications. The product doesn’t have any cyclo-oxygenase inhibiting activity and is ideal for dogs suffering from musculoskeletal disorders. Since corticosteroid drugs are contraindicated in some pets, Duralactin serves as a safer alternative. However, some pets do experience a few side effects that are mild or temporary in nature.

Side Effects of Duralactin

Although dog’s aren’t as hyper sensitive to milk products as cat’s are, few pets may show signs like vomiting, diarrhea and symptoms of gastrointestinal intolerance. Even though the tablets are safe for use in dogs of all breeds, it’s important to administer the supplements according to vet instructions and avoid overdosing the pet. An overdose could lead to severe symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders and pets that are overdosed need prompt medical help.
Dosage and Administration

Duralactin should be administered exactly according to vet instructions. As a general guideline, dog’s that weigh less than 40 lbs. should be given half a tablet, 2 times a day. Pets weighing between 40 and 80 lbs. require 1 tablet twice a day while dogs weighing between 81 and 120 lbs. need one and a half tablet, two times a day. Dogs over 102 lbs. should be given 2 tablets daily.
Duralactin Benefits Dogs Suffering From:

Spinal injury
Arthritis
Joint degenerative disorders
Hip pain
Spondylosis

Research Studies

Several clinical studies have been conducted to determine the benefits of administering Duralactin to dogs. All research studies have established the fact that dog’s suffering from musculoskeletal disorders show signs of recovery in comparison to pets administered placebo drugs.

Since Duralactin is relatively safe for use in dogs, it’s a highly recommended formula. Moreover, Duralactin canine is available as vanilla flavored tablets that are quite palatable. These tablets don’t need to be mixed with the pet’s food. Since they’re flavored chewable tablets, most dogs aren’t opposed to taking them.
Precautions

Although Duralactin doesn’t require a prescription, it’s best to conduct a vet check before administering the product to your pet in order to identify the real cause of pain, discomfort or inflammation.

Since no drug interactions have yet been established, the product may also be safe for use along with other prescription drugs.