My dog has hip arthritis. What are the risks of steroid treatment?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Before beginning steroids, I typically start joint supplementation and conservative management before resorting to steroids. Below are the things I currently recommend to combat the pain from arthritis: 1. Dasuquin for large dogs 2. Adequan injections 3. Cold laser therapy 4. Omega 3 fish oil 5. Pain relievers such as amantadine, gabapentin, methadone, and tramadol. If you really want to invest more money into arthritis management PRP injections can help quite a bit. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

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!

Carprofen is an NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). It can help relieve pain and also decrease inflammation. It is used in cases of painful joints such as arthritis or hip dysplasia, sometimes in combination with other drugs/treatments if it is not providing adequate pain control. You can read more about the drug at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951477

Both steroidal and non-steroidal antiinflammatory medications carry risks and side effects, steroids generally have a higher risk profile and are not used if other options are working and allowing her to eat. Most cases of cmo resolve as the dog approaches maturity but flare ups may occur until this age.

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.

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.

It depends on the type to hip surgery the dog had, but arthritis is a common occurrence later in life in animals with early joint problems. The arthritis can be treated with pain medications and joint supplements, and you may want to consider starting her on joint supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate now. She can still have a full life. I have a Chow Chow who needed two surgeries on her knees before she was a year old due to rupturing her cranial cruciate ligaments, and she is now eight years old still running around. I've had her on those supplements I mentioned, but I haven't had any problems so far. You are never going to a dog that doesn't have some kind of medical problem at some point in their life, but you can take measures now with the supplements to see her healthy. It's also important to keep her at a good weight and prevent her from being obese. Regular exercise is important, and you can consider doing hydrotherapy with her (swimming). It's a great low impact way to build up muscles and keep a dog in shape. I hope this helps!