My dog limps after exercise. Are joint supplements safe to buy online?

Hello, sorry to hear about Pilot. This product will definitely help keep his joints well lubricated and healthy. However, if he has any underlying arthritis or ligament injuries, it may not help treat this over all. I would recommend consulting with your primary care veterinarian about his lameness to make sure he does not have a ACL injury, hip dysplasia, or other orthopedic injuries. In general, modified low impact activity such as swimming and walking is preferred over running, jumping and rough housing. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Legally, I am not allowed to give you a diagnosis, but based on the x-rays you posted, I suspect that your vet told you that Sly has significant hip dysplasia and arthritis in both hips. I'm sure that came as a surprise to you since Sly is only showing some limping after resting. Dogs are very stoic and do not show us pain as we would expect. Since you have just started Sly on a glucosamine and chondoitin sulfate supplement, you certainly could wait and see how he does on that, but I suspect you will need to add some additional supplements or medications to resolve his limping, so don't be afraid to talk to your vet about those. We frequently use fish oil, MSM, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and many other drug combinations for arthritis. I also highly recommend physical rehabilitation and acupuncture. Although we expect our dogs to cry in pain, most dogs with arthritis pain act exactly like Sly and only limp after getting up. Our goal with treatment is to get them to the point that their pain is so well controlled that we don't notice them limp at all. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Poncho is lame in one of his legs, he could have an injury ranging from a problem with his toes to something in his shoulder (front leg) or his hips (hind leg). If this is a chronic issue, it is possible Poncho has some arthritis in his joints, which may benefit from a joint supplement. However, if Poncho has a soft tissue injury or something like a fracture or dislocation of any of his bones or joints, a supplement will not help. I recommend restricting Poncho's activity for 3-5 days and see if this helps his lameness. If he is no longer limping on the leg after this rest, this may have just been a soft tissue injury that needed time to heal. If his lameness does not improve or worsens over this time, I recommend having Poncho seen by a veterinarian. He/she can perform a full physical exam and orthopedic exam to localize his pain and determine the best course of treatment. As a reminder, NEVER give dogs pain medication that is intended for humans, as these can be fatally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

I'm glad to hear that Rocco is still energetic as ever. In terms of things you can do to help with Rocco's discomfort, you might want to consider limiting the type of exercise that causes this kind of pain. As Rocco gets older, his joints may not be as well lubricated as they once were and he may even be experiencing some onset of arthritis. This can be verified with a physical exam and/or x-rays of the affected joints. Though you have indicated this only seems to happen after significant exercise, it might also be worth checking for tick borne diseases that can cause shifting leg lameness. Even though it doesn't seem likely in this case, if that were causing this it would be easily treatable. As for things you can do actively to treat the discomfort, I would consider starting Rocco on a joint supplement and/or fish oils. They will help lubricate the joints and reduce the affect of osteoarthritis long term. Pharmaceuticals available for the treatment of pain and inflammation in dog are extensive and variable. Some are generalized anti inflammatories, opioid pain killers, and some that address neuropathic pain. Other treatment modalities to address discomfort and inflammation include laser therapy, acupuncture, massage, and certain types of therapeutic exercises. The first thing you need to do though is have Rocco examined to rule out any sort of injury. Once that is determined, you can move onto treatment and prevention. Hope this helps.

Arthritis is definitely a possibility. You could start him on a joint supplement, like Dasuquin and see if that helps. Your vet could also take an x-ray to evaluate for arthritis and then start him on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like Deramaxx, Previcox, Rimadyl, etc. NSAIDs help relieve the discomfort associated with arthritis.

Joint supplements as well as additional fish oils can help. I would definitely recommend a repeat orthopedic exam and x-rays since it's been so long. It's very possible you'll see something this time that wasn't visible before. Make sure he's been checked for lyme disease as well. There are also people who do physical rehabilitation for dogs who might be able to help him use the leg better even if no cause can be found. Finally, if your local vet isn't finding, you could schedule a consultation with a orthopedic specialist. Sometimes they can see something us general vets don't. Wishing you and Milo the best of luck. He's such a handsome guy.

It can be so hard to get an active dog to rest an injury! Because this has been going on for a few months I think it would be a good idea for Abraham to see a veterinarian. Often active dogs will injure their ACLs or hips which can result in on and off lameness. Your veterinarian can assess Abraham's left hind leg and decide if pain medications or even X-rays are needed. Please remember there are no safe over the counter pain medications for dogs so your veterinarian will need to prescribe meds for Abraham. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and wishing for a speedy recovery for Abraham!