My dog has arthritis. What else can I do for her stiffness and pain?

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!

I am sorry to hear about Coco. The Novox should help some with his arthritis as it is an NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as us using ibuprofen. If it isn't providing adequate pain control there are other options we can try in addition to the NSAID. These would include Glucosamine Chondroitin joint supplements such as Dasuquin, fatty acid supplements which can decrease inflammation in the body, injections that can aid in joint health (Adequan), and additional medications such as gabapentin, tramadol, and amantadine. I would talk to your vet about these options to figure out what is best for Coco. You can read more about this at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend that you look into other treatment options before considering euthanasia. There are a lot of treatment options nowadays including simple things like joint diets. I really like the Science Diet j/d for joints. This is usually very helpful. Sometimes adding other medications such as Amantadine, gabapentin and NSAIDs can help. There are other options like radiation therapy and laser therapy that can help. I recommend you discuss these options with your veterinarian. Best of luck!

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.

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Laser therapy is a great 'topical' treatment that using light waves to penetrate into tissues and helps increase ATP in degenerating cells which aides in pain relief and healing. I use laser therapy quite a bit on my arthritis patients. Creams or other topicals humans use for arthritis are not as effective in dogs due to their fur blocking the absorption of the drugs. I hope this helps and I hope you look into laser therapy!

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Nidge! There is no surgical management for arthritis sadly. It is managed with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, joint supplements (Dasuquin, Adequan), keeping the dog lean and fit, other pain modalities (tramadol, gabapentin), alternative treatments like accupuncture, chiropractics and laser, physical therapy. I hope this helps and I wish Nidge the best!