Dog limping after walks. Will joint supplements or fish oil help?

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.

Handsome boy! Those are good products for joint health and inflammation. I recommend a veterinary exam to diagnosis the lameness. It is common for large breeds to have a cruciate ligament injury in the knee. He also may have hip dysplasia. Knowing the reason for the lameness will help you decide the treatment that is best to have him recover from the lameness. Please don't run him again until the lameness resolves or it could become worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lugosi.

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.

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.

It could be that Buddy is suffering from arthritis, and that's causing him to limp in pain. Arthritis is common in older dogs. I would take Buddy into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose if he is suffering from arthritis, and 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.

Hello, thank you for your question about Lulu. Depending on which leg was affected or if the sound can be localized one specific limb this could be indicative of underlying orthopedic disease/arthritis. Diagnosis of arthritis requires an examination and potentially x-rays of affected limbs. You could try starting Lulu on glucosamine to see if this increases her level of comfort. If the limping continues or progresses and the sound does not go away I would recommend having Lulu evaluated by your veterinarian. Hope this helps, good luck!

This presentation could be due to a neurological lesion affecting nerves innervating the legs (please tell us which leg you think is affected to have more specific answers). I would recommend a neurological examination and eventually further investigations (EMG and MRI/CT might be needed). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.