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My dog has osteoarthritis and limps. What are the best treatments?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 5 years and 7 months old

My dog, Tasha, has Osteo-arthritis. She limps when first getting up from lying down. She is on 3/day of ConGlu 900-V. to Lubricate the joints. also? (which is a joint lubricant )? I don't see how it would make any difference Now in her condition. For pain and inflammation, she takes one to two pills of Tramadol 100mg., per day.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 27th, 2018

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!
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on March 15th, 2020

    Hi there. Joint supplements such as Dasuquin or Movoflex can be helpful for dogs with arthritis, as well as an omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as Welactin. Other treatment modalities such as acupuncture or laser therapy can also be helpful for some dogs, so you can see if there are any veterinarians in your area who offer these services.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Lotus Altholtz

    Veterinarian, Board-Certified Lab Animal Medicine Specialist

    Published on February 28th, 2018

    Symptoms of arthritis can include reluctance to rise after resting, a slow stiff gait, and intermittent lameness (usually weight bearing). The most effective medications for osteoarthritis include a newer non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication called galliprant which has minimal adverse effects on the liver/kidneys, and is minimally ulcer causing. Galliprant and the traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as rimadyl (carprofen), Deramaxx, and Previcox may be prescribed by your veterinarian after a physical exam and routine screening bloodwork to determine the safety of prescribing these meds in your pet. There are also many non-prescription supplements such as Dasuquin (currently 5 star rated on Chewy.com) and 1-TDC (currently 5 star rated on Amazon.com) that can provide a noticeable increase in comfort for your pet. Weight loss if your pet is overweight as well as a visit to your veterinarian to rule out other potential causes of lameness (injury, growing pains in young large breed dogs, Lyme disease) are also recommended.

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    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 3rd, 2017

    There are many treatment options actually. Here they are:

    1) Oral joint supplements like Dasuquin or Adequan is available over the counter
    2) Fish oils (pet formulated from your local pet store). These have natural anti-inflammatory properties.
    3) Analgesics- strictly for pain: Tramadol OR Gabapentin from your local vet  

    4) Glycoaminoglycans- weekly Adequan injections for 4-6 weeks is a very effective treatment for osteoarthritis in pets.
    5) NSAIDs- pet formulated only and prescribed by your veterinarian. Carprofen, Deramaxx, etc.
    Here is more information on osteoarthritis in pets and effective treatments to reiterate what I have suggested here. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2863

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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