What supplements are best for my dog's ACL surgery recovery?

It is true that he will put more weight on his other limbs and that is why 40-% if dogs tear the other. I would also encourage you to start him on fish oils to reduce inflammation as well and a chondroprotectants such as dasequin. Surgery is the absolute best option to reduce the development of arthritis. Happy healing!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like you are doing everything you can right now in terms of supplements and joint support which is good. Since it is both her back legs, and she is a large dog, and she is young, getting surgery on at least one leg is a good idea for her quality of life long term. The alternative however is medical management which includes everything you are doing, PLUS weight loss to keep her on the skinny side PLUS getting that muscle mass up. Since her joints are unstable and cannot tolerate a lot of stress, running and walking may cause more damage, therefore swimming is the best option for her. If you can get her muscle mass up with lots of swimming, and keep her weight lean, you might be able to get her joints more support. As mentioned previously, think about getting surgery on at least one leg. Best of luck with Mania!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Anti-inflammatories need to be prescribed by your vet. But I highly recommend starting an Omega 3 fish oil which is a natural anti-inflammatory. I like Nordic Naturals or VRS Omega Benefits. Also I prefer veterinary glucomamines like Dasuquin or Glycoflex. I wish you the best! https://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/ https://m.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=34368 https://m.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=33709

Braces are rarely used if surgery is an option. In small dogs, they are not usually needed. Braces can cause some issues because the fit has to be absolutely perfect to avoid rubbing the skin or causing other joint damage. The best thing to do is “bed rest” and pain medications as prescribed by your vet.

My personal preference, completed unrelated to PetCoach or Petco, would be Cosequin ( http://www.cosequin.com/dogs/ ) or Dasuquin ( http://www.dasuquin.com/en/products/#dog ). Both are made by Nutromax Labs.

As Chip gets older, you will likely see that the knee does give him more problems. In general, NSAIDs are safe and are the best medication for long term control. For my patients, I check their bloodwork every 6 months to make sure none of the internal organs are showing any signs of damage. Things that you can give Chip that will hopefully slow down the process and decrease his need for NSAIDs are: Dasuquin is a good product for the joints. It will help to keep the inflammation in the joints lower and this will decrease pain. Start giving an additional omega 3 fatty acid (Nutramax makes a nice product) can help with natural inflammation control. Make sure to get one meant for pets. Another joint product I like is called Duralactin and I often use in conjunction with Dasuquin. If you are interested in a diet change, Royal Canin makes a diet called Mobility Support which has green lipped muscle as an ingredient and pets tend to do very well in it. Lastly, you make consider seeking a veterinarian or facility who can offer physical therapy. Especially with the hind legs, muscle mass and tone is very important in stabilizing the joints. Daily, low impact activity is very important in maintaining this. A physical therapist will examine the lameness and all the muscle groups and will show you exact exercises you can do at home to maintain optimal muscle health. Long term, this is very important. Sometimes the therapist will recommend other things like working on an under water treadmill, swimming or even acupuncture to help. It’s definitely beneficial to get therapies started early while the signs are still mild. Lastly, you may talk to your vet about starting a daily pain medication called Gabapentin. It is less likely to cause organ damage and seems to work very well. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is a great question! I think the ones that are specifically designed for dogs are way more complete. I would recommend you consider Cosequin or Dasuquin as both cover all the joint supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin that are great for joint health. Both of these are over the counter. You are usually able to see a marked improvement within weeks to a few months. Best of luck!