My dog has arthritis. Can long walks make his joint pain worse?

When I have patients with arthritis or starting arthritis I always recommend starting a glucosamine supplement. This can be bought over the counter or online. A great animal one is Cosequin. All the directions are on the bottle. This will help lubricate his joints. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about your baby! The good thing is that arthritis has some treatment options that can be quite effective. That diet is excellent. However, the metabolic aspect of it is for dogs who need to lose weight. If Koko Rae is already in a good body condition, you can get the Science Diet j/d that is great for joints but does not have the metabolic component for weight loss. That diet alone can make a huge difference. Deramaxx is usually used on an as needed basis for pain control. You could also consider joint supplements such as Dasuquin and Cosequin. All these things can help her tremendously. Good luck and have a wonderful day!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I suspect Hank may have some arthritis. It is very common for dogs of all breeds, shapes, sizes to get arthritis as they age. The only true way to definitely diagnose arthritis would be with x-rays. I suggest you take Hank to your vet for an examination - there may be obvious clues to the vet that arthritis (or something else) is present. In the meantime you can try using a joint supplement that is made for dogs (not humans). I would use one that has the following ingredients: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). The MSM is very important as it is a natural anti-inflammatory. I would suggest one of the following products; ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198943_Home.pml?productId=118402 ) ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198943_Home.pml?productId=115737 ) ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198943_Home.pml?productId=116465 ) It usually takes 6-8 weeks before you notice any difference once you start giving it to him so it use for a minimum of 2 months. If after that he does not seem to be doing much better you should really take him in to your vet for an exam. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree that this is possibly arthritis especially if this has been an issue before. Usually this can improved with joint supplements like Cosequin and the food Science Diet j/d. Pain control medications such as NSAIDs and gabapentin can be used on an as needed basis to help with pain. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment of this. If they agree that this is likely, they can go ahead and prescribe this to help her. Good luck and have a great day!

Since Zeus is only 6, I would certainly have your veterinarian evaluate his joints to see if he does have arthritis. At 150 pounds, he is likely overweight for a Shepherd/Malamute cross. Weight loss is very important for treating arthritis and may be one of the most important treatments we can offer. There are a huge number of supplements and medications that we use to treat arthritis. I have attached a link to a handout below with additional information. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=587 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Zeus feel better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

It is likely the arthritis. While the glucosamine helps some, it does not prevent the proliferation of inflamed bone, ie the inflammation makes the bone react by growing more bone than necessary. This makes for rough joint planes which then start to rub bone on bone and hurt terribly, Discuss giving non-steroidal anti-inflammatories to your dog with your veterinarian, such as Carprofen. This will take, or at least reduce, inflammation and therefore pain. Blue should then feel a lot better. You may also want to watch his weight, as too much weight will also make arthritis pain worse.

Hello. I agree, surgery at this age would not be ideal given her age. You do not indicate what meds she is already on, but she should be receiving an NSAID such as meloxicam, carprofen, or any one of several excellent drugs in this classification. I would also have her on gabapentin, possibly tramadol, & maybe even Adequan injections, just in case some of her joints are painful. An alternative for the NSAIDs would be steroids as they are very good at reducing inflammation, but that does put her at some risk for side effects. Hopefully, these can keep him comfortable for some time to come. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.