My dog has degenerative joint disease. What are the best treatments?

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!

Oh poor Ollie! His fracture clearly healed incorrect, and he developed arthritis from it. The vet can give him some pain meds for it. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjuction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from his symptoms. You can do hydrotherapy with him as well. It's a low impact exercise that will help build up his muscles, and the warm water will be soothing to Ollie. You can also discuss with your vet if there is a surgical option to treat his limp.

Hello, thank you for your question about Tasha. Osteoarthritis is a very challenging condition to manage in pets. Unfortunately we cannot cure the arthritis but instead focus on management and delayed progression. The first line of therapy is pain management; anti-inflammatory medications (such as carprofen) often help significantly. However, these medications can be hard on pet's kidneys and liver, so bloodwork prior to starting therapy is often recommended. Tramadol can be helpful in some pets, but for other dogs it is not strong enough to be used as a sole medication. Another option is a pain medication called gabapentin, which has a dose range and can be added in to therapy. The second aspect of treatment is slowing of progression. Key aspects in this kind of therapy include joint health. Dogs can take glucosamine supplements to help maintain the lubrication in the joints. There are also some specially formulated diets that can help in the management of joint health. Finally, maintaining a healthy lean body weight helps to ease the pressure on the joints and can slow progression. Additionally, if Tasha's pain is well controlled, short leash walks to maintain activity can also help prevent progression. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hello, I’m sorry to hear about Diesel. Dogs can experience arthritis as they age due to instability in their joints. One of the most common places for them to have arthritis is in their hip joints. Just as in people, arthritis leads to aches and pains with movement. Supplements can be helpful with arthritis, because they contain compounds to improve joint health. However, they will not heal the arthritis and get rid of the pain completely. If the supplements don’t seem to have a large effect on Diesel, I would recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian. They can examined his joints and look for discomfort. They may prescribe a course of anti-inflammatory medications to help with the discomfort. Hope this helps, good luck!

The best way to determine if your pet has a joint problem is by starting with a trip to the veterinarian. The veterinarian will be able to examine your dog to determine the location(s) of pain and if any changes in the joint are apparent. With osteoarthritis, veterinarians may identify a decreased range of motion in affected joints, as well as stiffness or signs of apparent pain. X-rays are needed to confirm a diagnosis of osteoarthritis with visible bony changes, particularly in the early stages when fewer signs may be apparent during a physical exam. If needed, the veterinarian will prescribe any necessary pain medications. Do not give your dog any over-the-counter human pain medication (including aspirin), as many are toxic to dogs. Other treatment modalities, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, specialty diets, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, acupuncture, physical therapy or laser treatments, may also be useful. Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, recognizing early signs helps you treat your dog’s pain as early as possible. Early signs that your dog is experiencing joint pain may include hesitating going up and down stairs, reluctant to jumping into the car or on the couch, lagging behind or tiring easily during walks, preferring to lie down than to sit or stand, or stiffness after resting. As the pain worsens, your dog may show other signs such as limping, whimpering when jumping up or down, whimpering when the area is touched or even growling or snapping when the area is touched. ### Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. Galliprant is a registered trademark of Aratana Therapeutics, Inc.

Great question! I really like Dasuquin and Cosequin as joint supplements for dogs. I have found that in senior dogs with arthritis, Dasuquin is a great option because it contains ASU, which stands for Avocado & Soybean Unsaphonifiables. ASU is seen as considerably more effective in regards to repairing stiff, sore, and injured joints. For Oscar, I'd recommend Dasuquin. I hope this helps!

There are a few more things that you can add into his daily regiment that may help. Continue giving him the current medications. You can try adding in a supplement called Duralactin that often compliments the glucosamine. You could also try giving him an additional joint supplement called Adequan. This is an injectable product that many dogs respond very favorably to. There are also diets that can be beneficial, I recommend Royal Canin Mobility support. Lastly, supplementing Bogey with an additional omega fatty acid supplement for dogs can also help in addition to the current supplements. I do recommend for Bogey to have a visit with his veterinarian. The doctor will check on the progression of any arthritis or other painful areas. It may be time to start Bogey on an actual pain medication such as Rimadyl or Gabapentin. You would likely use these meds and still continue his supplements. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.