My old dog has arthritis. What are safe pain relief alternatives?

I am sorry to hear about Stringer. I would recommend making an appointment with your vet to evaluate him and find out about getting prescription medication such as Carprofen. These medications can be life changing for some dogs. In the meantime you can read this article on arthritis in dogs for more ideas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-ways-to-manage-your-dogs-arthritis/ and you can start a Glucosamine/Chondroitin joint supplement such as Dasuquin and a Fatty Acid supplement.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Thankfully panosteitis is a self limiting disease and will resolve. The hip / elbow dysplasia can be quite uncomfortable and may need surgical intervention if severe enough by an orthopedic surgeon. NSAIDs are ok to give short term but long term is where you may see liver damage. I always start with a conservative approach for arthritis / joint discomfort. Below are the products I would recommend for Rogue and starting these early may be beneficial in the long run. Some of these products you will only be able to purchase from your vet. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Fish Oil- Wellactin- Omega 3 fatty acids (DHA) is recommended for arthritis. This is especially important with arthritis patients with kidney disease. Very safe, in overdosage may cause acid reflux or diarrhea. If used in very high doses (especially with aspirin products) may cause prolonged bleeding. Dose is generally 100 mg per 10 pounds. 2. Glycoflex- Glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM supplements are beneficial for multiple types of arthritis and appear to aid in cartilage health. Generally 100 mg/ 10 pounds of body weight is the recommended dosing for glucosamine. Glucosamine products should be used cautiously with diabetic patients. 3. Cetyl-M- This joint supplement uses Cetyl Myristoleate as the main ingredient. This supplement helps in lubricating the joints. This is highly recommended for hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, and carpus arthritis. This supplement is very effective for arthritis/tendon sheath pain. This is commonly used for animals that are chewing over a joint. 4. Duralactin- This product uses milk proteins to reduce inflammation in the body. This product is very safe and has been used in most species of animals with almost no side effects. This is highly recommended for back arthritis/pain. 5. Niacinamide- This is one of the B vitamins and appears to help with arthritis- the dose is 500 mg for dogs over 25 pounds, and 250 mg under 25 pounds. Give the dose 3 times per day. This product is very safe and inexpensive. 6. Adequan Injections - This is an injectable product that can help especially with spinal arthritis in many species of animals. This is an injectable form of chondroitin and works much more rapidly than oral forms of chondroitin. Should not be used with bleeding disorders. This injection is given every 1-4 weeks to help with arthritis. LIFESTYLE CHANGES - Weight loss and exercise are critical to the management of arthritis. If your pet is overweight, changes such as decreasing treats, changing to a diet or prescription weight-loss food, and increasing the amount of low-impact exercise such as swimming, will help to decrease pain and support the joints. PRESCRIPTION DIET - Prescription formulation diets are recommended to provide fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin and other supplements. This is an especially good option for patients that may be difficult to medicate. Royal Canin Mobility Support and Hills j/d are excellent options for joint supplementation. Reevaluate how much food you are giving each day as these foods are high in fat (fish oil) and may cause weight gain. COLD LASER THERAPY- These treatments stimulate stem cells to re-activate and continue the healing process. This also appears to aid in blood flow and reduce muscle spasms in the area. These treatments are performed weekly for one month, then once monthly as needed. These especially help during the cold winter months when arthritis flairs up. ACUPUNCTURE- can be used to stimulate blood flow and pain release with arthritis.

Hello. There are many wonderful medication availably to make Sassy much more comfortable in her older years. You can start with a good glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement ( I like Dasuquin by Nutramax ). Then, you can visit with your vet about some of the amazing medications we have to keep our elderly pets so much more comfortable, like NSAIDS ( Previcox, Rimadyl, Deramax, Meloxicam, Galliprant ) to which we can add additional medications such as Gabapentin, if necessary. In addition, adding Adequan injections may actually lower the amount of medications that Sassy might need to keep her comfortable. We have so many safe medications available, but they do need some monitoring. I hope you can talk to your vet soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You can talk to your vet about therapy laser treatments if it is available in your area as these can help with pain and inflammation. You can also see about starting Adequan injections to help with the joints or further pain medication such as gabapentin or Tylenol 3 or 4 in extreme cases.

In general terms, steroids are stronger anti-inflammatory medications compared with carprofen but they are more likely to produce side effects, like excessive thirst and appetite, weight gain, muscle wastage, stomach ulceration. For managing hip arthritis weight control is as important as medications, so if your dog is overweight you should address that as well. You could try to add food supplements, for example glucosamine and chondroitine and get pain killers for Toby from your vets. Finally, some of the hip problems can be treated surgically (removing the tip of the femour, replacing the hip joing etc). The decision how to treat is based on dog's condition, age and severity of the disease.

Hi there. There are many prescription medications that are safe and effective for arthritis pain in dogs, so I would encourage you to take Abby to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can discuss some options with you and get her started on an NSAID or appropriate pain medication to help make her more comfortable. In the meantime, you can try starting her on a daily glucosamine/chondroitin supplement such as Dasuquin or Cosequin, as well as an omega-3 fatty acid supplement like Welactin - both of these are very safe, and have been shown to help with arthritis in dogs. These can be purchased over the counter or ordered online without a prescription.

Hello. You can wean her off the pred onto the Metacam , or you can add additional pain medications such as tramadol or gabapentin. I, personally do not like long-term prednisone because of the possibility of side effects, but even Metacam can cause some issues. Regardless of what you & your veterinarian choose for Sydney, make sure periodic blood work is run to pick up any early signs of problems. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.